What if he hurt me? Crushed me? What if he took my heart and stomped on it? Could I trust him? I hadn’t given anyone any control over me in years. Once I quit expecting anything from my mother, she couldn’t hurt me anymore. And she knew better than to mess with me or my plans when I was a teenager in the home of her latest conquest. I had the power to make his life hell which in turn could land her on the street. Now I was just supposed to trust Luke with all my heart and at the same time give him this infinite power to stomp me into the ground?
Why hadn’t I picked someone else at that party to screw? Someone average-looking and harmless. Someone so incompatible that I’d never risk loving him.
Antsy from the racing thoughts, I struggled to remain still next to him. I wanted to pace the room and possibly flee in my car. Moving would bring the unhappy complications of waking him up, though. I wasn’t ready to face Luke yet. Dashing around the room like a tipsy butterfly wouldn’t be the best approach with a man dealing with his mother’s insanity. And it would scare the hell out of Natalie.
I needed a pitcher of margaritas and a long talk with Sophie. Too bad it was Sunday morning. Drinking on Sunday morning was only acceptable for alcoholics and those fashionably drinking mimosas at brunch. This might be Athens, but it was still Georgia. If I started drinking now, I’d likely have people praying for me at every Baptist Church in town.
Well hell. Drinking was definitely out.
Despite the temptation of Luke’s erection pressed against my buttocks, I knew that sex was out too. Natalie could only take so many showers.
I started at the vibrating of a cell phone against the coffee table. My violent movement woke Luke who immediately tugged me closer to him and ground his morning wood against me.
“Good morning,” he said, his voice husky, as his hand moved under my shirt to cup my breast.
His hand left my breast and trailed down to the waistband of my pants. I should have told him then about the phone call and reminded him that his sister was in the room, but I deserved a little stress relief, so I allowed him to slip his hand into my pants and under my panties to cup my now throbbing center.
A loud moan escaped my throat, and Luke’s hand stilled. “My sister,” he whispered. I nodded and he resumed his motions.
My arousal reached desperation and I rolled back to give him access to my breast. He knew what I wanted, and he lifted my shirt and touched his lips to my nipple.
“Suck it,” I urged.
He pulled my nipple into his mouth, and his fingers kept their rhythm, and I came apart with a gasp and a moan.
I turned into Luke and he kissed me with urgent passion.
“Your turn,” I whispered.
“No. Nat’s here.”
I leaned up to view the bed. “She’s still sleeping. Let’s go take a shower.”
Luke leapt off the couch, scooping me up with him.
“Against the wall?” he asked when we had locked the bathroom door.
“She’ll hear,” I said, shaking my head. “Turn on the shower, and I’ll suck you.”
“You’ll drown.”
“Point it away from us.”
I stripped and sat on the teak bench he’d had the foresight to install in his shower.
Luke took one look and got out of his clothes in a millisecond. He turned the shower on, facing away from us and stood before me.
“God, Savannah, you are so beautiful.”
I grinned because naked, erect Luke wasn’t so bad either.
“I like your lollipop,” I said, and he chuckled until I touched him with my tongue, licking circles around the ridge near the tip.
“Jesus,” he said.
I took him in my mouth, stroking his balls with one hand and squeezing his butt cheek roughly with the other.
He guided himself in and out as I sucked and licked and touched, and then he was warning me and I decided I wanted his hot cum on my breasts. I stroked with my hand and guided him out of my mouth just as he squirted his seed.
“God damn,” he said, panting.
I rubbed my hands through the cum and onto my breasts, my nipples, and when I looked up, his eyes were dark and fierce. “That’s the hottest thing I’ve ever seen,” he said.
He pulled me to my feet and kissed me, holding me so tightly against him that it almost hurt. His mouth plundered mine, and I felt him growing larger again against my belly.
Good God, the man was some kind of superhero. His hands roamed over my body, kneading and stroking, and I was as ready for him as he was for me.
He gave me a look of pure lust and lifted me. I wrapped my legs around him and almost effortlessly he thrust into me. I was moments from ecstasy when a knock on the bathroom door startled us and Luke almost lost his balance.
“Um, Luke. Your boss has called three times. Should you see what’s going on?”
Luke closed his eyes for a second and then opened them. “Thanks, Nat. Be right out.”
He helped me slide down his body to stand. Bereft, I tried to pretend it was okay.
“We have to wash off,” he said, regret in his voice. “We’re both covered in my semen.”
He took the citrus shower gel and lathered me up, kissing me on the cheek. “I’m sorry.”
I sighed. “Me too.”
Washing each other did nothing to help my state of extreme horniness.
“You look like someone ran over your dog,” he said.
“I’m fine,” I lied.
“Dammit,” he said. “Just be quiet so she doesn’t hear.”
“Huh?”
He moved me back against the bench, spread my legs, guiding one onto his shoulder, and attacked my core with his mouth.
Just be quiet. Oh. Crap. I stuck my fist in my mouth so I wouldn’t cry out, and Luke used his gifted tongue to bring me to orgasm. I started to move, knowing we had to hurry, but he touched my leg and shook his head.
Two orgasms later, I climbed out of the shower on wobbly legs. Luke dried us off, and I kissed any exposed skin I could find on him. He tugged on his jeans and kissed me. Then he moved out of the bathroom.
I was riding so high on a cloud I couldn’t form a single cohesive thought. I pulled on my clothes and stumbled out of the bathroom. The walk to the couch was a challenge, but I made it and sank down on the cushions.
“Morning Savannah,” Nat said.
“Uh,” I said.
“She’s still sleepy,” Luke explained.
I closed my eyes, riding the wave of euphoria. If I was going to love somebody, I’d made a damn good choice.
Luke left a message for his boss and then came over to sit with me. I leaned against him, making little circles on his arm as I slowly came down off my cloud.
“He probably wants you to work,” Nat said. “Don’t you think?”
“Most likely,” Luke said. “But I’m not leaving you here by yourself.”
“I’m fine, Luke. I can handle it.”
“No.” Turning his attention to me, Luke asked, “Do you work at eleven?”
The words slowly penetrated my fog. “Yes. No. I’m off today.”
Natalie giggled. “Geez, Savannah. It’s like you’re brain-dead today.”
“Weird, huh,” I said.
Luke smirked like the cat that ate the canary.
I socked him in the stomach.
“So you’re off today,” he said, giving my hand a squeeze. “We both have today off.”
Wouldn’t that be great? But I knew his mother’s hospitalization had wreaked havoc on his work schedule. “Actually, you don’t have today off,” I said with regret. “You are working. Natalie and I can have some girl time.”
“Yay!” Natalie said.
“Are you sure, Darlin’?” Luke asked me.
“Of course.”
I knew I’d done the right thing when he kissed my forehead and jumped up. “I’ll call Bill again and see if I get him.”
“What are we going to do?” Nat asked.
; “We’ll run by my place for some clothes, maybe see what Madison is up to. Then maybe a movie. Or we could hit the mall. I don’t get to do that very often.”
“Yay! I’ll get some money from Luke for the movie.”
“No need. I work there, remember? We get in free.”
“You have the best job in the world,” she said.
Madison was one-hundred percent on board with a movie and shopping.
“Thanks for including me,” she said as we all climbed into my 1999 Accord. “What movie are we seeing?”
“Natalie’s choice,” I said.
“No, you pick. I’m fine with anything.” Natalie leaned up from the back seat. “Thanks so much for doing this, Savannah. Luke really needed to work, and this way he didn’t have to feel guilty about it.”
“You’re welcome,” I said. “It’s fun for me anyway.”
We made a unanimous choice in favor of the latest romantic comedy, turned off our phones, and got popcorn and tiny little cups, the free ones, full of soda.
The movie was perfection.
I had thought of about three different things I was willing to spend money on today. A pair of cheap silver earrings wouldn’t break my budget. I also wanted a little silver hoop for my nose. I’d worn the stud since I’d gotten the piercing four years ago. I was thinking about shaking it up a little. And if we went anywhere at all with reasonable prices, I was going to splurge for a jumbo pack of black socks. Then I was going to throw away those crappy black flats.
When we got to the car, Natalie turned her phone on. “Luke already texted me twice,” she said. “He’s such a worrier.”
I immediately fumbled in my purse to turn mine back on. I desperately wanted a text too.
Instead, my screen showed six calls from my mother. What the hell? I only talked to her a couple times a month.
“My mother called,” I said. “Six times. I better listen to her messages on the off-chance that it’s important.”
“No problem,” Madison said. “We’ll just plot out our shopping. You know, I could really handle a trip to Target.”
As they chatted, I dialed up the latest message. I loved that my iPhone didn’t make me sit through all of them.
My mother’s voice sounded slightly annoyed which immediately assured me that nothing was horribly wrong. She wasn’t sick or in the hospital or anything that would derail my life. I relaxed for a millisecond, and then her words penetrated my overly optimistic mind.
“Where on earth are you? I’ve been calling and calling. Well, I’m here. That surly roommate of yours let me in. Took her long enough. I thought I’d have to wait on the front porch until you got home. Anyway, I’m here until Tuesday. See you soon!”
“Oh, God no.” I turned off the phone and turned to Madison. “My mother is here.”
“Here in Athens?”
“No. Here in our apartment. She’s planning on staying until Tuesday.”
“Oh, God no,” Madison said. “The last time she visited, I had to read two self-help books to feel better about myself. Why is she here?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know. She must have told me on one of the other messages. Why can’t she just text like a normal person?”
Natalie hadn’t spoken, and I needed to find a way to explain Mrs. Abigail Watkins Monroe Parker Phillips before exposing Luke’s sister to her.
I sighed. “Madison, I will give you a thousand dollars to go home and entertain my mother.”
“You don’t have a thousand dollars. She’s not my mother. And I can’t handle that kind of damage to my self-esteem this close to Thanksgiving.”
“I don’t have a thousand dollars. I don’t even have enough for us to hide out in a hotel.”
“You can stay with us,” Natalie chimed in.
“Both of us, right?” Madison asked.
“Sure,” Natalie said.
“No,” I said, hitting the steering wheel three times with my hand. “I have to go home and see her. Otherwise, she’ll make my life a living hell.” I immediately regretted my choice of words since Natalie and Luke were going through hell with their mother. “I mean, um…” Anything I said would probably make it worse. I stopped and collected my thoughts. “So here’s the deal. Natalie and Madison, you two go shopping. Have an awesome time. I’ll go deal with my mother.”
“We can just hang out with you and your mother,” Natalie said. “It’s no big deal.”
“It’s a huge deal,” Madison said. “We are shopping. We’ll drop you behind the house and take your car. Otherwise, we might not escape.”
“You don’t have to sacrifice yourself, Natalie. You two can have fun. I’ll deal.” I started the engine and backed out of the parking space.
Chapter Eleven
Savannah
Madison and Natalie roared away down the street in my car as I opened the screened door to our house. Crap. I didn’t have the energy for this today. I pasted on a fake smile because this whole thing would go more smoothly if I just pretended to be happy and well-adjusted and pleased to see her.
“Well there’s my little girl,” my mother called as I came through the door. “I thought you’d never get here.”
“Hi, Mom.” With my big smile in place, I let her hug me. “This is such a surprise.”
“I know. Isn’t it great that it all worked out this way?”
“You’re here until Tuesday?”
“Yes.” She beamed as if she had granted my fondest wish. “I’ve left Bruce.”
I couldn’t remember if she’d married Bruce or not.
“And I’ve met the most amazing man.”
Of course she had.
“The problem is that he isn’t back in town until Tuesday, and I decided I couldn’t stay another day with Bruce.”
I’d heard this story before and interpreted it to mean that Bruce found out about “amazing man” number three hundred and four.
Wait a minute. Back in town? “He doesn’t live here does he? In Athens?” It would be such a pain to enroll in another university, but I could not live in the same city as my mother.
“No, of course not. Atlanta. Roger has a beautiful home in Decatur.”
Thank you, God.
“And he gets back on Tuesday?”
“Yes. He’s in Paris.”
In Paris without her. My mother generally knew when she had a man hooked. I had to have confidence that she still had the same skill for manipulating men. The alternative left her homeless and staying with me. I threw up a little in my mouth at the thought.
“You’re looking a little pale. Are you getting enough exercise?”
Oh good. The cataloguing of my inadequacies had begun.
Madison gave Luke a heads up to avoid my house at all costs and drove Natalie home. I knew this only because of the texts she sent me. Madison hadn’t bothered to return yet.
My mother and I decided to go out for dinner. Apparently she had some of her allowance left from Bruce. As I was getting in my mother’s car, I caught a glimpse of my Honda parked a few houses down. Sure enough, as we turned onto the next street, Madison pulled in to the driveway.
After dinner, I told my mother I had to study, and I set her up on the couch with the remote and some bedding.
She worked hard at guilting me into giving her the bed, but I held strong. I was an adult now, and I wasn’t going to be pushed around. Fine, I was being pushed around plenty, but I was keeping my bed, dammit.
I’d never been so happy to get to my classes as I was on Monday, and I went in to work a half hour early.
“Do you need me to work a double?” I asked the manager. “I totally can.”
“No,” he said. “I think we’re good.”
Damn. I could lie and say I was working late, but it wouldn’t work. My mother would either show up here looking for me or call the theater and bother them about where I was. She had a knack for dicking me over. I didn’t think she did it intentionally. I was just collateral damage to her selfi
shness.
“I’ll work for free,” I said.
He gave me a pitying look. “Family in town?”
“My mother.”
He nodded. “My brother stayed with me for a year. I never went home. Got me this promotion.”
A year? She wouldn’t stay a year. My mother would either move in with Roger or she’d find another man to live off of. But she might not manage to get out by tomorrow.
“You need to pluck your eyebrows. They’re bushy.”
Yes, Mother.
“Get them waxed when you go in for a haircut. You’ve had that style since you were fourteen.”
There was no need for me to answer.
“What’s for dinner tonight? Should we go out?”
I balked at the idea of spending another two hours alone with my mother in a restaurant, held captive by a slow kitchen and an overworked server. Trapped in a booth with only an unlimited supply of unsweet tea to ease my pain. Oh hell no. I wasn’t suffering through that again.
“Pizza,” I answered. “We’re ordering pizza and eating here while we watch television. Two, no three, of my favorite shows are on tonight.”
“On Monday night?”
“Yes.” I couldn’t even remember if it was Monday at this point. I’d have to Google a list of Monday night programming when she wasn’t paying attention.
“Maybe Madison can join us this time.”
“Um, yeah.” Madison had gone to stay with a friend after my mother accosted her this morning while her coffee was brewing. She wouldn’t be back until I sent an “all clear” text.
Something had to give here.
“Is pizza really a good idea? Your metabolism is going to slow down without warning, Savannah. You should cultivate better habits now.”
It was all I could do not to growl at her.
“You should be dating, Savannah. You have to kiss a lot of frogs to find your prince.”
“Mother.”
“I worry about you. You’re young and attractive and still never seem to have a boyfriend.”
“I’m in school and working. I have other priorities.”
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