Then I checked their HR policies and realized there could be a problem if I did start dating Luke so I quickly nixed that idea. Instead, I found a job working for the regional humane society. They have logistics needs too, it’s more about bringing chihuahuas up from California where too many people think they’re an accessory instead of a pet. But I digress, my priority in being here for the summer is Luke. If he isn’t part of my future then I’ll figure out where I really want to be and find a job there. But after that kiss last night I’m hoping with all my fingers crossed that Sala Bay might just be my new home for quite some time. It’s lovely here, all cool and green. Sure it’s cloudy and rainy a lot but that’s what keeps things verdant, right?
Luckily my job has zero dress code as long as it can withstand fur. When volunteers are short everyone has to pitch in with walking dogs. It’s surprisingly easy to have a conference call with another shelter while walking on one of the enclosed trails at the back of the building. So when I show up in black yoga pants and a long sleeve t-shirt nobody says anything because I’m pretty much dressed like everyone else. While I jot down notes from all my voice mails I make a separate list of possible things to make for dinner. Messy things like spaghetti are out, so are things requiring more than one plate. I’ve already settled on brownies for dessert and that’s when it hits me, I’ll make Luke a picnic.
On my lunch hour, I rush out to the store and manage to find a small picnic basket on sale that even comes with a red and white checked cloth. So cute! I get what I need in groceries and rush back to the shelter where I stash the things that could spoil in the staff refrigerator. Then I write myself a giant note on a sticky to not forget to pick them up at the end of the day. Learned that one that hard way…
Finally, it’s time to head home to my tiny sublet apartment. I’ve got it for the summer from a graduate student who’s off in Europe doing research or smoking pot or something. Regardless of what she’s up to, if I plan to stay after August 15th I’ll have to find a new place to live. And a better job to be able to afford it. But that’s for later. Right now I need to make potato salad, brownies, and fried chicken. In two hours. This is my heart at stake here though so I make it work. Then I shower and change into cute white shorts and a sunny tangerine top. I brush on a little lip gloss and pull my curls back into a sassy ponytail. Grabbing my keys and the packed picnic basket I rush out the door and force my little Honda to pretend it’s a sports car.
I pull up in front of Luke’s at 6:05 and suddenly I’m nervous. I have to tell him who I am tonight. I know this. You’re a big girl, Patton. I tell myself as I walk up to the front porch and knock on the door It opens almost instantly like maybe Luke was watching for me?
“Ella, I’m glad you made it.” There’s a breath of relief in his voice that makes me wonder if he was doubting me.
I smile and reach up to kiss him on the cheek. I’m staking a claim whether he knows it or not. “Once I decided we needed a picnic it took a few extra minutes.”
“A picnic?” Luke is eying the basket with wistfulness.
“Yes, a full traditional picnic. I even put in some paper plates. Lead on to the bedroom.” I command.
Luke shuts the door behind me and stands there watching me, his lips quirking slightly at the corners. “Bossy, aren’t you?”
He has no idea. I smile and say, “This is about you not getting cramps so stretching out on the bed seems to be the best place right now. I even brought a small picnic blanket so we can pretend we’re outside at the park. Unless you don’t want to be alone with me?” I push my lower lip out teasingly.
Luke’s light eyes catch fire. “This way.” He walks slowly down the small hallway.
It’s clear when we enter the master bedroom which isn’t much bigger than any of the other rooms that he really has been living in it. There’s a big TV perched on top of the bureau and a stack of big pillows against the plain headboard. Thankfully there aren’t piles of clothes and dirty dishes to contend with. I’m curious if that’s his military training or did he clean up in a hurry?
“Why don’t you get comfortable and then I’ll work around you?” I ask him softly standing by the edge of his big bed.
He still looks uncertain about this arrangement but he nods and sits down on the bed his back up against the headboard and his left leg stretched out in the middle of the bed. He’s wearing slim-fitting dark grey sweatpants and a khaki t-shirt. I catch a hint of a tattoo on his bicep peeking out from his shirt sleeve. I want to see the rest of it.
I spread out the little picnic blanket in the middle of the bed and then put out the container of chicken and the potato salad. I also brought a small bowl of sliced sweet peppers and some strawberries mostly to add some color. I leave the brownies in the basket for now. I perch at the foot of the bed diagonal from him. I hand Luke a bottle of ginger beer which I know is his favorite non-alcoholic drink. He eyes it suspiciously. “Ella, how did you know this was my favorite?”
“Eat first, I promise to answer all your questions before I go home, okay?”
“You aren’t a stalker or anything are you?”
“No! What gave you an idea like that?” Have I misread him up to this point? Now I’m a little worried.
“Beautiful women don’t just show up on my doorstep. At least not before last night.”
They might if you were easier to find. I grumble in my head. It took me six months and endless snooping to figure out his location. “Eat.” I hand him a paper plate and a napkin and gesture to the fried chicken.
His eyes widen when he looks at the food and he’s completely distracted. Everything is quiet for a few minutes while we eat.
“Fuck, this is good.” Luke licks his fingers free of chicken grease and looks over at me, “You a chef or something?”
“Definitely no. I’m in logistics.”
He nods, “Guess that makes sense.”
I bring up the plate of frosted brownies from the basket. “Do you want these before or after we talk?”
Luke eyes the plate like it holds his salvation. “You aren’t going to run off with them if I wait, are you?”
“No. I promise. They’re all for you.”
“Before I forget, my buddy Andy wants to know if you have a sister?”
I choke hard. Oh, God. I was not expecting that. Once I’ve mostly recovered from near-death I take a deep breath. “Right. I’m going to start this off with a phone call that’s going to kill two birds with one stone.”
“A phone call?”
I smile tightly and take my cell phone out of the picnic basket where I stashed it early. I find Andy’s name in contacts and hit dial. It’s late enough in Florida he should be available but not yet asleep. I turn the phone on speaker and set it on the bed between us while it rings.
Andy picks up with, “Patton, baby? You okay?”
I look up at Luke to see that Andy’s voice has registered and his lips are parting to speak. I make the universal sign to hush and I see his eyes grow increasingly suspicious. I put my hand on his right ankle lightly. He relaxes slightly.
“Hey, Andy. I just needed to tell you something that I’ve been putting off.”
Andy’s voice gets panicky. “What? Are you okay? You’re not running off with some loser are you? Tell me you aren’t pregnant.”
“No. And I’m fine. You know your BFF Luke?”
“What about him?”
I make eye contact with Luke and hold his gaze while I say, “I’ve had a crush on him for years.”
Luke’s eyes widen and then narrow. He doesn’t speak.
Andy does though. He’s going full-on drama. “Patton? What are you talking about? Why are you telling me this? And why now?”
“Because I don’t want things to be awkward between you two. Figured it was easier just to tell you now before anything happens.”
“Baby sis, you might need to start growing up with this one. Luke’s miles away and besides, I think he’s met someone special.” I c
an tell Andy’s actually trying to let me down gently. He’s not a bad big brother, really.
“Oh, do tell?” I grin over at Luke who’s looking a little embarrassed.
“Patton, I know you usually get what you want but this is different. Don’t mess with Luke.”
“Usually? Are you serious?”
“Okay, always. But not this time.”
“What if I told you that this woman he met does have a sister but she also happens to be your sister?”
The line goes quiet for a long, long minute. “Patton, where the hell are you?”
“In Luke’s bedroom.” I keep my tone even and wait for the explosion. Luke is reaching for the phone but I grab his hands and shake my head. I know what’s coming but he doesn’t.
“Patton, if you hurt Luke I’ll kill you.” There it is.
Luke leans back, his face shocked and a little miffed.
I smile and say goodbye to Andy, “I’m not going to hurt him. Now if you don’t mind I need to reassure him that we aren’t as crazy a family as you just made it sound. I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”
Andy splutters, “Not if I call you first,” as I hit the end call button. Then I brace myself for Luke’s reaction.
“Can I have a brownie now?”
I hand him the plate.
“So what’s your real name?”
“My name is Ella. Patton is a nickname. Possibly well deserved but not what I want to hear from a significant other.”
“Why don’t I remember you better?”
“Because I could never get a word out when you stayed with us. And I was only sixteen the last time you came.”
“So you tracked me down for… what?”
This is the tricky bit, isn’t it? “That’s up to you. Asking for a kiss last night was spur of the moment. I didn’t expect more than to get a look at you and hand over a plate of cookies from the porch. All I came looking for was to know you were okay and decide if what I was feeling was just a schoolgirl crush I hung to for too long or something else. Turns out it’s something else,” I say softly, “But if you don’t feel the same way, you won’t see me again. Well, except if Andy ever gets married then I’ll probably see you at his wedding but I promise not to make it weird.” I’m sad just thinking about the possibility.
“Hmmm.” There are tiny crinkles at the corners of his ice-blue eyes. Like maybe he doesn’t mind being at the center of my grand plan.
I wait twisting my fingers together, anxious to hear him respond.
“I think I want to hear more about this crush you have on me. What exactly does it entail? What do you fantasize about us doing together?” He’s up on his knees reaching for me across the width of the bed. I can feel a blush start somewhere around my belly and race upwards gathering heat as it goes.
4
LUKE
Ella’s so busy studying my face for a hint of a reaction and blushing I don’t think she’s noticed that my cock is at full attention, tenting my pants in a way even a virgin couldn’t miss. Which brings up a question I’d better ask sooner than later. “So umm, any reason you’re all the way down there?”
“I didn’t want to crowd you.” She starts putting things back in the picnic basket so I get off the bed and take it from her. “Your leg…” she’s fretting.
“Is fine. Sometimes it still spasms but I can do most everything, just not for as long. About the only thing I can’t do is fuck you up against the wall but there’s probably a way to manage that too if we think about it. Besides, I’m planning to fuck you so hard in this bed that you’ll think you’re vertical anyway.” I’m watching her carefully to see if my words are shocking to her. Better the words than the actions if she can’t handle it. She does look shocked but she’s also licking at her lips. Hmmm. I take the basket to the kitchen and stuff it in the fridge. I don’t want to miss out on leftovers just because I got distracted by her tits.
She’s right behind me when I turn around so I move one of the kitchen chairs away from the table and pull her down on my lap. “Are you sure you don’t want to run away? I’m no fairy-tale prince, Ella. Now’s the time to go, if you’re going to.”
She shakes her head no, her dark eyes fathomless as she stares into mine. “I want you, Luke.”
“You been with anyone else?”
“No. Does it matter?”
“Depends on how you look at it.” I take her hand and put it gently against my cock, which is pressing against her thigh. “This part is thrilled to be the first and only to go there. But that also means we should be taking this slower than I want to right now. Your brother is going to kill me if I hurt you. And if I did, I’d let him. Can’t believe he’s been hiding you all these years.”
“Luke! You heard him, he’s more worried I’ll hurt you.”
I can’t help snorting at that. “He’s just being an idiot. Don’t you worry, if he even saw you walking funny because I fucked you too hard he’d try to see that I couldn’t do it again for a month.”
She’s trying hard not to smile. “I see him maybe once a year, Luke. Let it go and tell me what you want.”
“There’s what I want and what I’m going to do. And stop rolling your eyes.”
She stops doing the eye thing and grins. “Okay. I can give a little. That’s what relationships are all about, right? So what are you going to do then?”
“I’m going to kiss you. Then I’m going to kiss you some more. And then I’m going to send you home.”
“I like the first part but not the last.”
“You’ve used up your vetoes. Then tomorrow after work I’m going to take you out on a date. Maybe kiss you again.”
“Maybe?”
“If you behave.”
She’s shifting around on my lap, finally managing to swing one leg around so that she’s straddling me, her pussy pressed against my throbbing cock. Her eyes close briefly and she grinds against me. “I’ve waited a long time for you, Luke. Why are you doing this?”
“Because I need to know that this is what you really want. I don’t think I could survive letting you go once I’ve had you.” I’m not sure I’d survive it now but I’m betting everything on my instincts.
She sighs and then leans forward to kiss me. I don’t see how I’m going to keep my hands off her even for three or four days, let alone the month I think we should keep things out of the bedroom. I can feel that she’s wet through her thin shorts and my pants. She’s soaked and rubbing herself against me like she’s desperate for relief. I suppose it wouldn’t be fair to leave her aching when I can so easily take care of that for her.
I pull her close into a deep kiss and push my hand up through one leg of her shorts. They’re a bit stretchy so my fingers are at the edge of her panties before she notices. When I push the elastic aside and my fingers find her dripping pussy she hums into my mouth and spreads her legs wider to give me more room. I thrust my tongue into her mouth while pushing one finger into her tight little hole. She’s hot and oh so tight. Her velvet walls are clinging tightly around just that one digit. I push a second finger into her and she throws her head back.
“Luke!”
I kiss her neck moving down to her collar bone while my fingers curve inside her looking for that magic spot. When I find it she gurgles. I kiss and suck at her neck. It will leave a mark and I don’t care. I’m marking her as mine before anyone else gets any ideas. I roll the pad of my thumb in her juices and then bring it up to her clit, rotating and pressing until Ella flies apart in my arms. I have to brace the one arm holding her in place to keep her from falling backward. She’s completely lost in sensation. It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.
Ella’s panting slightly when she opens her eyes and regards me with new knowledge. “That was better than I ever imagined but I still want you inside me.”
“And you’ll have me. Soon.” I can’t help smiling at her pout. “Ella, when I do, it’s forever. I won’t let you leave after that, not even for a night. A
nd I’m going to do my best to get you pregnant so if that’s not what you want, you’d better tell me now.”
She’s biting her lip. “I hadn’t considered… I do want that if you do. If you’re sure you want us to be forever.”
I can’t resist kissing her again. “I was pretty much on the road to marrying you with one bite of your cookie and I mean the one with chocolate chips.”
She half coughs, half laughs. “I see.”
“And you’d better be prepared for a lot of dirty talk. I was never a boy scout and this ain’t the schoolyard.”
“I have three older brothers you might be surprised at what I can dish out.”
I can’t hold back the possessive growl, “Better be for my ears only.” I gently push her off my lap and onto her feet. I can’t resist giving her plump little ass a light slap. “Time for you to go home, Ella.”
“But you…” she gestures towards my still hard cock.
“I’ll jerk off in the shower.” I tell her dryly, “It won’t be the first time.”
“Oh. You don’t have to if you would stop being so stubborn. What about my basket?”
“I’ll bring it when I pick you up tomorrow. Speaking of which you’d better give me your address and number.” I find my phone and hand it out to her.
She takes it and puts in her information, then reads it over to make sure it’s right. She hands it back to me with a smile. “If you insist I can’t stay…?”
“Brazen woman. I’m trying to do right by you, Ella. Let me take care of you, please?”
“Well if you put it like that.” She smiles and leans up for a quick kiss. “Bye.”
5
Luke Page 2