With the summer stars against the heated black sky, Luke hadn’t been able to take his eyes off Olivia. His need for her only grew as her skin glowed between the flickering blue and orange flames of the fire pit.
Pushing off from the wall, he made his way to the kitchen where he grabbed another beer. He listened for the crisp sound as he cracked it open and took a long chug from it, feeling the iciness slide down the back of his throat. Damn it tasted good. How many beers was he on tonight? Eight? Nine? Twelve? He lost count at this point and sure as fuck didn’t care.
Hearing the sound of Livy’s voice, Luke glanced over his shoulder and through the handprint covered glass door. She looked so perfect sitting by the fire with her hair cascading over her shoulders as she leaned over, laughing at something Tessa must have said. Her thick waves caught his attention and all he could think about was running his fingers through the softness. On any normal night she’d be sitting on his lap while they chatted with their friends. But not tonight, or ever again.
Fuck.
Luke squeezed his eyes shut as the now familiar ache settled in his chest, one he did not welcome.
Looking through the sliding glass door again, Luke watched as Olivia removed her shoes then grabbed her purse from the ground. She was slightly unsteady as she stood, probably due to the whiskey he was pretty positive she drank liberally.
Assuming Livy was coming into the kitchen for another drink, Luke left the area and made his way around the corner to check the score of the game playing on the television. He was trying his damndest to not be next to her. Olivia was like a flame crawling underneath his skin. He wanted her so bad it hurt. And not because of her looks, but because of her heart, the way she cared about people, her soft eyes, because of her strength over her childhood, what she wanted in life. Between the beer and complete confusion over what he was feeling speeding through him like a freight train, Luke was ready to explode. It didn’t help that he wanted her six ways to Sunday right now, either.
When Luke told Livy to stay away earlier, he saw the pained look in her eyes and hated himself for making her feel like that. Or not? He wasn’t positive, just so perplexed over everything. He was contradicting what he thought just moments before. It made his head spin. One minute he wanted to take her and fuck her until she screamed his name in pleasure, and the next minute he wanted to walk away from ever knowing her.
Luke tensed when he heard the glass door shut. He clutched his cold beer and stood staring at the television. He hoped she was headed into the kitchen and then back out. Otherwise if she had to use any other room in the small house, she’d have to walk past him.
His neck prickled in awareness as he felt the presence of her in the same room. Turning his head, his cock jumped at the sight of her.
Olivia gasped when her eyes connected with Luke’s. Desperately trying to not look at him, she quickly glanced down as she placed one foot in front of the other and walked.
Just as Livy tried to pass him, Luke snaked his hand out and grabbed her by the elbow, pulling her close to him. “Come here, girl,” came out in a heavily, slurred drawl.
Yup, she’d been pounding them back too. Good. He could smell it on her breath when she fell into his chest.
Luke stared into Livy’s brown eyes. It was obvious she was hurting and he felt like an ass. Her normally deep brown eyes were puffy and red rimmed. Even through his drunken haze, it was evident she’d been crying and he hated it was because of him. Luke loved Olivia. He didn’t like seeing her in pain, but he was in pain himself.
“Yeah…” Livy breathed, straightening herself. Luke still had a firm grip on her arm. She stared at his plump lips—lips that could turn from sensual to rough in a second. She wanted so bad to reach up and nibble on the bottom one and suck it into her mouth, but couldn’t. Not after how he broke things off between them. Finally, Olivia regained her composure.
“Luke...what do you want?”
Lifting one corner of his mouth into a smirk, Luke let out a small grunt then said, “You.”
“Let go of me. You told me to leave you alone. So I am.”
Luke tightened his hold on Livy’s arm when she tried to yank it away.
“Baby…my Livy. Don’t play stupid. I want you and you want me. It’s okay… You don’t have to say it. I just watched you stare at my mouth with hungry eyes. It made me so hard just watchin’ you. Damn, what you do to me…” Luke said in a voice as rough as sand paper. He leaned down to inhale her scent and shifted his hips into her. Olivia couldn’t move. She was rooted firmly in place knowing what Luke said was the truth.
Stifling a groan, Luke’s eyes closed. He tugged on her hand and slid it down to his bulging erection.
“Luke…I thought you said we were done,” she breathed as her hand cupped him.
Chuckling, Luke said, “Done with you? Ah, Livy, I’ll never be done with you. Can’t imagine how that could ever be.”
Luke pressed his lips just above Olivia’s collarbone, his tongue sneaking out. He opened his mouth and scrapped his teeth across her neck. Olivia drew in a breath as he slowly licked and bit his way up her neck to just below her ear. He tugged her skin into his mouth, sucking deep. He let go with a pop then pulled her earlobe into his mouth.
Olivia let out a strangled breath, a tingly warm hum drizzling down her spine. Damn traitorous body. She was worked up by Luke’s words and by his touch. Olivia turned her head into Luke’s cheek as he came up, slowly scraping his stubble against her face.
Swiftly, she tried to pull away and continue to the bathroom.
Luke placed his beer on the nearby mantle, grabbed Livy’s arm and yanked her around. No way was she getting away from him. He gripped her chin and pulled her to him. He peered down and whispered, “You. Are. Mine.” And then he smashed his lips to hers hard.
Luke’s fingers dug into her head as he held her close and pressed harder onto her mouth as he kissed her roughly. She was pushing and shoving against him, yet little did she realize she was rubbing her body along his, igniting him more.
A dangerous concoction of anger, painful arousal, and fury rip roared through his body. Not over Livy fighting him, but because of their future and what they would never have now. He hated that she was leaving him. Luke leaned into her, forcing her to take a step back as she fisted the front of his shirt. They both may be drunk, but he didn’t give a fuck. He needed her.
Livy tried not to kiss him back, but it was futile. His lips were always her biggest weakness. She wanted him exactly as he claimed she did.
Coming to her senses somewhat, Livy broke contact and pushed as hard as she could against the solid wall of his chest, shoving him toward the opposite wall. She tried to move out of Luke’s reach, but she was unsteady and tripped. He caught her by the waist and quickly pushed her back into the wall. Within seconds, he had her leg up and hooked around his hip as he pushed into her with a smug grin.
Luke’s feral eyes were locked on her swollen lips. He pushed down the little strapless dress she was wearing and growled in the back of his throat before he licked his lips and wrapped them around one of her nipples and pulled it into his mouth.
Olivia drew in a breath and moaned Luke’s name as he flicked his tongue across her tight nipple and gave it small bites. He was pure temptation. She tried to resist, but her body didn’t want to fight. She felt her resolve weakening and her sex growing wet for him. Would it always be like this? The chemistry between them had always been off the charts.
“Oh, God, Luke. We can’t…please stop.” She quietly moaned and pressed his head into her breast, contradicting her words.
Luke lapped at her rosy, taut nipple like a lollipop then kissed his way up her chest to look at her. He grinned and kissed her again.
Judging by her tight grip around his neck, she was enjoying it just as much as he was. Luke knew all he had to do was slide her panties to the side and sink right into her. She’d take all of him, welcoming him into her heat. He pinched her hardened nipp
le and said, “You gonna tell me you don’t want me now?” Then he shoved against her, biting her lip and rubbing his erection on her clit.
Olivia’s heavy lidded eyes were glossy as she looked at Luke, her body a blaze of heat. Her skin was damp as she tried to catch her breath. He was playing with her emotions and she didn’t like it. It wasn’t fair.
“Fuck. You. Asshole.”
“Nah, baby, fuck you,” he responded, grinning seductively at her. He pushed on her sex at the words ‘fuck you’. Luke went back in for more.
“We can’t, Luke. Just stop. Please…”
“We are.”
“No.”
“Just give in, Livy. I know you want me. I bet if I slip my fingers inside you right now I’ll find you wet and wanting. You’re not getting away from me tonight. You’ll always be mine, Livy. Always.”
“No… What… What if someone walks by? We’re in the hallway where anyone can see us.”
“I got you,” he said as he lifted her other leg up and wrapped it around his waist. Olivia placed her arms around his neck and held on. He couldn’t wait to have her in his arms again. He nearly sprinted into the bathroom and shut the door with a kick of his foot. Turning, he slammed Livy against the closed door, holding her there with one arm. Her legs tightened around his waist as he quickly undid his jeans with his other hand. He slid them and his boxers down, and then ripped her panties away.
Within seconds, Luke rubbed the tip of his hard cock against her soft folds, sliding up and down then thrusting into her as far as he could go. She took him to the hilt. They both groaned loudly as Livy’s tight sex hugged his cock, gripping him hard and adjusting to the tightness.
“Fuck…” Livy grunted, her head falling back against the door.
“Oh, baby...I plan to.” Luke groaned. “Damn, you feel so good. Never…felt this good before, baby…different. Can’t stop…” He pulled out his cock and pushed back in, a wet suctioning sounded from it. His cock throbbed to the point of pain inside of Livy’s welcoming heat. It was incredible being inside of her, he could never get enough. Like he was home.
Livy was thinking the same thing when it dawned on her…
“Luke!” she shrieked in his ear. He stopped abruptly, but didn’t pull out. “You’re not wearing protection!”
Luke said nothing. He paused for a moment, then his eyes grew heavy as he penetrated her sex again, slowly sliding in and out with his bare cock. He grabbed the back of her thighs hard, digging his fingers into her skin as her clit began to pulse at the touch of each thrust, her heart battering against her chest. It was almost too much to take and she was ready to burst at any minute. Her swollen lips hugged his dick, the tension building higher and didn’t want to stop.
“Luke, I’m not on birth control…you don’t have a condom.”
How she managed to get that out she had no idea. She clutched his arms as her breath heightened. She couldn’t stop him. Olivia was too into the feeling of his cock pulsating inside her. She knew this wasn’t the brightest of ideas but she couldn’t ask him to stop at the same time. She could only muster one thing.
“More. I need more, Luke.”
Luke picked up the pace as he pounded into her. Using the door to help hold her up, Luke moved his hips in circles against her. His legs were aching from holding them both in the same position, but no way was he stopping. Livy’s breathing was heavy and erratic and he could smell the whiskey rolling off her lips.
“More. Give me more. I’m so close, Luke.”
“We finish together, got it?”
She nodded her head frantically.
Bending down, Luke took her nipple into his mouth once more and bit down. Thrusting in three more times with long and hard strokes he said, “Now.”
Livy exploded, milking his cock dry with her inner walls as she convulsed rapidly around him. She yelled out his name, pulling on his hair.
But Luke didn’t let up. He kept going and going, prolonging their mutual orgasm. It was like an intense cluster of stars falling into one another and then exploding into more. Luke continued slamming into her, digging his fingers into the backs of her thighs as he hit as deep as he could. Olivia’s legs squeezed his hips from the powerful orgasm that racked her body.
Needing to muffle her moans, Luke slanted his mouth over hers and kissed her deeply. He pushed as if he was trying to climb inside of her…and maybe he was.
When he finally let go, he whispered against her mouth, “I...love you, Livy. My…Livy.”
At the sound of Luke’s affection, she squeezed him with the walls of her sex and held him to her as tight as she could.
Lying back on her bed, Olivia threw her arm over her eyes. A single tear dripped from the crease of her eye that she fought so hard to hold in. She placed her hand on her hollow chest and fingered the heart necklace Luke had given her.
“Hmm...I couldn't tear my eyes from it. I was going to walk away, I really tried, but the diamonds caught the light and flickered brilliantly. It's perfect and beautiful just the way it is. It made me think of you. The center is empty, but when it’s around your neck it's full, because you've filled it. It’s my heart that you’ve captured and if you’re going to hold on to it, I want you to wear it around your neck…so it’s next to your heart.”
A month had passed since the ugly fight and the night of drunken sex with Luke. Those days had been the longest days of her life. No sleeping, and if she did, she'd wake up shortly after. Too much was on her mind to fall into a peaceful slumber. Her mind raced back and forth at night, running with different paths she could take. In the end, each street led to the same destination: a future without Luke.
After that night at the backyard bonfire, Luke wouldn't answer her calls. He completely ignored any conversation she tried to start with him. He closed himself off from her completely, except when she asked about his mother.
Finally, one night at Ash’s house Olivia was able to corner him. The fact that he’d been drinking heavily might have worked in her favor. They say the truth comes out when drunk and Luke said a lot that night.
Finding the courage she needed, Olivia spotted Luke standing off to the side and walked over to him. She gazed up and into his eyes, eyes that were now empty and raw. Lately, she’d heard from friends that he was hitting the bottle harder. Truthfully, whiskey was her best friend at the moment so she knew what it felt like. Despair. Emptiness. Loss.
Her heart pounded as she took a chance and made a move. She stepped closer and slipped her small hand under his shirt. She needed to feel her skin on his. She needed his heat, his warmth, his love. Putting her lips to his mouth, she kissed him.
Only for Luke to grab her wrist and stop her immediately.
“What do you think you’re doing, Livy?” he asked in a languid drawl.
Stunned, Olivia’s mouth dropped open and her eyes bloomed. The white rings of her eyes were stark against the rich brown that Luke almost lost himself in them.
“You think you can just come on over to me and act as if it’s okay now? Well, it’s not. Don’t think you can have me and then leave. You want me again? Fine. You can have me whenever you want. I told you this, but you gotta stay in Georgia with me. I’m not goin’ to be your booty call ‘cause you’re drunk. So don’t even try and tempt me with that sexy little body or that mouth. Not goin’ to happen.” Luke eyed her entire body with a heated gaze.
Olivia’s breath caught in her throat. The jolt of pain from his words stabbed her chest and she could hardly breathe. Luke still had her hand in his grip. He began rubbing the center of her palm in soft circles. Bringing it to his mouth, he kissed her fingers.
Luke’s tone completely switched, his eyes softening as he continued speaking to her, “Stay with me, Livy. Don’t leave, please. I need you…want you. I’m asking you not to do this. Don’t tear us apart.” Luke pleaded with heartbreakingly sad eyes and voice to match. Just for a moment, Luke unmasked his emotions for her to see the depth of pain he was in, how ra
w he was inside. It hit her full force. She was going through the same emotions. Olivia wanted so badly to stay, but couldn’t. She needed to do this for herself…that’s what she kept saying over and over again in her head.
Softly she replied, her voice cracking with her heart, “I…can’t.”
Luke straightened his back and stood to his full height, dropping her hand. “Then it’s done. Get outta my face. I want you…fuck, probably always will want you, but I can’t do this,” he sneered quietly, only for her to hear. “I can’t be with you without you being next to me in the flesh. I want to be able to reach out and touch you when I want. I want to hold you next to me at night, not have you hundreds of miles away. I want to kiss you when I want. Be able to pick you up and go for a drive. It’s not the same and you know it. None of that could happen with you so far away. So go. Leave. This is our goodbye. I hope you think of me every damn day and regret leaving. You won’t ever find what we have with anyone else. What we have is real and it only happens once in a lifetime. Remember that. I’m not afraid to say it. You’re it for me, Livy, but obviously I’m not it for you. So I hope you dream of us, that you wake thinking of me and wishing you could go back but knowing you never can. This is all on you, baby. Have a nice life. I’m out.”
Tears filled her eyes as he used his hand to wave her away, dismissing her, but it was his words that cut the deepest.
The heartache and the suffering Olivia dealt with over the past couple of weeks ripped her apart. It was a slow torture of deep, invisible slices that were rubbed down with salt whenever she thought about Luke. Each memory tore through her, exposing her heart and slicing her body open on a daily basis that she worried would never heal at the seams properly. And if they did? Well then they'd never look the same. From the outside there would never be a single solitary scratch, but inside she’d bear the marks of a broken heart because of a decision she made. She should have told him from the beginning. It was like a rusty knife slowly slicing inch by inch through her heart and down into her stomach. Olivia was a mess and she only had herself to blame. She couldn’t think straight and couldn’t sleep. Even eating had become a problem. She had completely lost her appetite, her stomach rebelling against almost anything she tried to eat.
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