by Jones, Kim
Neo greeted me in the living room and even he could tell something was wrong. I patted his head and he dutifully followed me into the bedroom. I crawled under the covers, Neo in tow, and was crying before my head hit the pillow. How could a man make me so happy one minute, then have me in tears the next? Ever since I met him, my life had been turned upside down. I cried more in the last two weeks than I had in my entire life. I was so sick of this. One minute he was mad, then he was happy, then he was a sex God, then he was bossing me. He was giving me whiplash with his mood swings, and I was starting to regret ever meeting him. I wanted to be myself again, someone who didn’t have time for a man or a relationship.
“Dallas,” I heard Luke call from the kitchen. I was hoping that if I didn’t answer he would just go away, even though deep down I knew I didn’t want him to. I could sense Luke’s presence. I didn’t even have to turn over to know he was behind me. I tried to keep my breathing level, but my snotty nose betrayed me and I sniffed.
“Dallas, baby I’m sorry,” Luke said, crawling under the covers with me and wrapping me in his arms. The sweet sound of his voice and the touch of his strong hands made me cry harder.
“Why are you so fucking mean sometimes? I didn’t even d-do anything,” I stammered. “And if I d-did why don’t you just tell me.”
“Shh baby. You didn’t do anything. I just didn’t want to worry you. Protecting you and taking care of you is what I want to do more than anything, and earlier I couldn’t do that,” he said, rocking me in his arms. “While you were sleeping, I was in the Harley Room tinkering on my bike when I heard the kitchen door close. I assumed it was you so I didn’t pay any attention to it. A few minutes later, I sensed something was wrong and went to find you. You were still in the bed sleeping, but the door was open. I heard a glass break and ran outside to find someone had broken into the club house. The guy took off through the woods and I was beginning to chase him when I heard you holler my name, and then I heard you scream and I panicked. I called the club and they told me to get out that they would handle it. I wanted to handle it myself. I wanted to track him down and hurt him, but I knew that I couldn’t leave you. I’m not use to feeling like that Dallas. It’s very new to me.”
Oh wow. I had no idea. My tears had stopped, but my body tensed in worry. What if something would have happened to him? Luke was busy looking after me, but who was looking after him? I remembered the sickening feeling I had at the bar when he went outside to fight those guys. I didn’t even know him then, and now that I did that feeling had only intensified.
“I’m so sorry,” I whispered, turning to bury my face in his chest.
“You did nothing wrong,” Luke said, looking me in the eyes. He looked like he had aged a few years in just the past several hours.
“Please don’t leave me,” I begged. I was not worried about my own safety. No one could get to him out here, but if he went back to his house, he was fair game. He had said many times that he wanted to protect me. I knew if I asked him to stay that he would. Especially if he thought I feared for my safety. He looked torn and I felt like shit. I knew he wanted to be there with his brothers. He didn’t like sitting on the sidelines, but his safety was not only important for me but for everyone else too. If someone was after Luke, then this was the safest place for him to be.
I heard a phone ring and realized it was mine. Who would be calling me?
“I got it,” Luke said, leaning over and grabbing my phone from my clutch on the end table. “What you want Red?” Luke asked, answering my phone. “Really?” What was she saying? “Ok, hang on.” He handed me the phone and rolled his eyes.
“Hello?”
“Dallas, do you have a blue pair of heels?” Red asked, surprising me completely.
“Um. Yeah I think so.”
“Can you please go look and maybe tell me what other colors you have?”
Well this was weird. “Yeah sure, hang on,” I said, getting out of bed and heading into my closet. Luke was concentrating hard on his phone and paying no attention to me. “Ok, I have several different blues I ha-.”
“Dallas,” Red said, cutting me off. “Listen very carefully to me. I don’t care what you do or how you have to do it, but I need you to keep Luke there tonight. I can’t go into detail, but please. Consider it a favor for the club.” I knew whatever was going on was not good, but the urgency in Red’s voice was enough for me to do anything she asked.
“Ok, I can do that,” I answered her. “Is everything ok?”
“I’ll talk to you tomorrow and Dallas…. Thank you.” She hung up and I walked back into the bedroom to find Luke still lying in my bed.
“What did she want?” Luke asked, never looking up.
“To borrow my Jimmy Choo’s, but they’re the wrong size.” I said, quite convincingly.
“Babe, I have to go,” he said standing. Shit. I had to think fast. I thought I had convinced him to stay, but apparently not.
“Luke, please don’t leave me,” I whined.
“You will be fine darlin. I promise no one is going to mess with you out here. Come lock the door behind me.”
“Luke, wait!” I said a little too anxiously.
“Baby, nothing is going to hurt you. They were after me,” he said soothingly. I ran into his arms and without even trying, I was sobbing into his neck.
“Whoa babe. Are you that upset?” He asked, smoothing my hair and kissing my cheek.
“Yes. Please don’t leave me.” I begged, exaggerating my sobs.
“Baby I won’t let anything happen to you, but I have to go. I’ll send a prospect or I’ll take you to Lindsey’s.”
“I s-saw him Luke,” I announced, surprising myself when I said it.
“What?” Luke asked, pulling me from his chest so he could look at my face.
“I saw him. He was standing beside me and he touched my face.” There was a special place in hell for liars as good as myself, but this was my last resort and I prayed it would work.
“He touched you?” Luke asked, completely shocked by my admission. I nodded my head, and with an enormous amount of effort I forced my body into sobs and shudders. I felt him dig something out of his pocket. Without letting go of me, he grabbed his phone and dialed a number.
“Tiny, I’m staying at Dallas’s. Call me in the morning and let me know what you find. Be careful brother.” I didn’t hear Tiny’s response, but I knew he was glad that Luke was not coming.
“Come on baby, let’s go to bed.” Luke pulled the covers back and undressing, joined me in the bed and wrapped me in his arms. “Baby I am so sorry. No one will ever get that close to you again. I promise.” I felt guilty for lying to him, but I was asked to keep him safe and that’s exactly what I planned to do.
Luke and I didn’t get much sleep that night. It seemed his phone rang every hour-waking me and him. He would get up and go into the next room to talk, but I stayed awake until he came back each time. When my alarm went off at seven o’clock, I felt like I had just gone to sleep. I drug myself into the shower, hoping the hot water would wake me. I wandered what had become of the man that broke into the clubhouse and why did he do it? Tonight I would see Red and squeeze as much information from her as possible. When I came out of the shower, Luke was still asleep in bed. Not wanting to wake him, I slid into my closet and closed the door behind me. I dried my long hair as quickly as possible, curled the ends, and applied my makeup only using some light blush and mascara and coral colored lip gloss. I chose a sleeveless white crepe dress that came just above my knees and was accessorized with a thin orange belt around the waist. I grabbed a pair of bright orange pumps to match the belt, some diamond studs for my ears, and my usual watch and bracelet. Satisfied with my appearance, I packed a quick bag for tonight consisting of some jeans, a white fitted t-shirt and my black ankle boots with a low heel. I walked out of the closet to find Luke no longer in bed.
“Luke?” I called. Wondering where he had wondered off to.
�
��I’m in the kitchen babe,” he answered. Luke was sitting at the bar with two steaming cups of coffee in front of him. As I approached he turned to stare at me and his eyes shot in surprise, but he quickly recovered giving me a smirk. “You look good babe. Real good. The color orange suits you.”
I walked into his arms, planting a kiss on his lips with a loud smack and sat down to join him. “Well, what’s the news?” I asked, picking up my coffee and taking a big sip. Damn, Luke could make some good coffee, just how I liked it; strong and dark.
“Nothing yet. The guy took off. We don’t even know who it was.” He looked like he was thinking hard, and I didn’t want our morning to be anything like last night so I quickly changed the subject.
“Where are we going tonight?” I asked, flashing my best smile. His eyes softened and he smiled back.
“Shenanigans. Ever been there?”
“Once, a band I like played there. The Glitter Boys.”
“Ah. Gotta love The Glitter Boys,” he said playfully. Luke seemed to be in a good mood, but I could tell he had a lot on his mind. I was hoping having a break from me would give him plenty of time to handle it. I still felt like a jerk for lying to him, but I kept reminding myself that it was the right thing to do. I knew in my heart he would have done the same for me.
“I have to go. Make yourself at home. I’ll see you around five.” I leaned over giving him a quick kiss and left.
Chapter 14
At nine o’clock, just as I was about to start my first meeting of the day, a large bouquet of flowers were delivered to me. The card read “missing you already.” My heart fluttered at such a sweet gesture. Luke always knew how to brighten my day. At ten o’clock, another delivery was made. This time it was a dozen white roses, a balloon that had a picture of a black lab on it, and a card that read “Neo misses you too. He also watered the roses.” I giggled like a schoolgirl and inhaled the sweet scented roses.
The situation at Luke’s was bad, but still he managed to let me know that he was thinking of me. I decided to send him a message. Picking up my phone, I texted him- *you are amazing-thank you.* He never responded, but at noon another bouquet was delivered and it took my breath away. It was so big, two men carried it in. The arrangement was full of bright, colorful flowers and roses. It smelled wonderful. This time the card read, “These flowers hold no comparison to your beauty. The smell of them, even as intoxicating as it is, smells nothing of the sweetness that is of you. The soft, velvety petals are not as pleasing to touch as the satin of your skin. You have captured my heart and it now beats only for you. I hope your day is as wonderful as you are- Luke Shakespeare.” I laughed out loud at his signature.
Tears fell down my face as I grabbed my phone once again. Who was I kidding? I was in love. I was head over heels in love with a man I hardly knew. I didn’t care that it sounded preposterous or that things were moving faster than I ever could have imagined. I didn’t care what people thought or what they had to say.
Lucas Carmical had captured my heart too and I wanted him to know it. I wanted everyone to know it. *I love the flowers. I love the poetry. I love that you are thinking of me. I love your motorcycle. I love your club. I love the fact that you want me to be a part of your life. But more than flowers and motorcycles and clubs and friends and poetry- I love you.*
I quickly sent the message before I chickened out and laid my phone on my desk. Less than one minute later it vibrated notifying me of a message. I fumbled with it, dropping it twice on the floor before my shaky hands could grasp it tightly and read the message waiting for me. *I can’t wait to hear you say those words to Me.* that’s it? He wasn’t going to say it back? Sure, he had said that I captured his heart, but I thought he would tell me he loved me. Lindsey walked in, saw my face, and immediately asked what was wrong. I quickly told her the whole story.
“Maybe he wants to tell you in person,” she said smiling.
“You think?” I asked hopeful. She shrugged.
“Maybe. Your one o’clock is here a little early. You want me to send them in?”
I needed the distraction. “Yes. That would be great,” I said, busying myself with the paperwork on my desk. Lindsey retreated and I put Luke out of my mind to mentally prepare myself for my next meeting. I couldn’t dwell on him. I had business to attend to and the last thing I needed was his distraction. When the door opened I stood to shake hands with Mrs. Griffith, but instead found myself staring at Luke. I was like a deer in the headlights. No wonder I loved him. Who wouldn’t? He was everything I could have ever imagined.
In the doorway, he stood tall, breathtakingly gorgeous, and all man. His jeans were faded and worn. His solid white t-shirt was loose in the waist but tight around his arms and chest. His leather vest was unbuttoned and the gray and orange patches he wore stood out against the blackness behind them. His signature smirk was on his face and his eyes seemed to light up the whole room. Today was the first time I had ever seen him in a hat. It was black and turned backwards with the letters DFFD monogrammed in orange on it. This was my Luke; my boyfriend, my lover, my everything. He stepped in and closed the door behind him. I could see Lindsey and Terri, my part time file clerk, staring open mouthed into the room.
“Tell me,” he said, staring at me with a darkened stare. I felt my temperature rising and the hair on the back of my neck standing up. How did he have this effect on me?
“Tell you what?” I asked, more breathy than I had intended. His eyebrows shot up and a surprised look crossed his face.
“Forgotten already? Or did the flowers just inspire you to say something you didn’t really mean?” So, this was the game he wanted to play. He wanted me to tell him. Well, he was going to get his wish. I was going to tell him the truth. I did love him and if he refused to say it in return, well that was a risk I was willing to take.
Shit. What was happening to me? Before I could open my mouth, he was standing right in front of me. His hands found my face and he tilted my head back to trail kisses down my neck. “I want to hear you say it baby.” I was breathing heavy. My body was on fire, and so was my heart. I had never wanted to give a confession as much as I wanted to give this one.
“I love you Luke. I think I loved you from the first time I laid eyes on you. No one has ever made me feel the way that you do.” His continuous kisses across my neck and throat were pure torture. God, I loved this man. When I was in his arms, whether it was in a bar, or a bed or my office, I felt like it was the safest place in the world. He was my universe. His eyes met mine and I knew in that moment that whether he said it or not, he loved me. Love for me consumed him. His eyes told the story. They were filled with love and passion and need, just for me. I was cherished by this man. He kissed me hard. The need to touch me evident in the way he held me and the movement of his tongue. Every nerve in my body tingled and my stomach was full of butterflies. Would it always be like this? Yes, it would. There was no way I could ever tire of this man or his touch.
“You. Complete. Me,” he murmured between kisses. I laughed in his mouth.
“That’s. Not. Very. Original.” I responded between kisses. He pulled back from my face and I opened my eyes to see him smiling.
“Well, you stole my lines. What you said to me was exactly what I had planned to say to you.” He kissed me again, both of us making it hard to keep a smile from our lips. A light tap on the door interrupted us as Lindsey peaked her head around.
“Your real one o’clock is here.”
“Ok. Give me just a minute,” I replied regretfully. I wish I could just leave and spend the day with Luke.
“It’s cool babe. I have to go too,” Luke said pulling me into his arms and tucking my head under his chin. I inhaled the scent of him and squeezed him harder. My Luke. I would never tire of knowing that.
“I love you, Dallas. I know it’s crazy to fall for someone so fast, but you are the first thing I think of when I wake up and the last before I go to sleep. I think you are amazing and sexy and smart
and I have thanked God every day for putting me in that bar that night.” He pulled back and lifted my chin so my gaze met his. “You once told me love like what your mother and father had doesn’t exist anymore. Well, I am here to tell you that you are wrong. No one could ever love anyone the way I love you.” Tears filled my eyes and he kissed them away. The intimacy he showed me and the words he said to me was everything I had ever dreamed of. Some people live their whole lives not finding their true love, but in just twenty-six years, I had found mine. “I’ll see you at five. I love you,” he said staring at me with those ocean blue eyes filled with love and adoration.
“I love you too, Luke.” He closed his eyes and swallowed at my words. He kissed me once more, then taking my hands into his, kissed my fingers before backing out of the office and leaving.
The rest of my day was a blur. I found myself smiling for no reason at all. Well, I knew the reason. When I was happy it seemed everyone in the office was happy too. I called Scott to let him know that I would be in the Tupelo office around ten tomorrow morning and the relief in his voice was so apparent and my mood was so good that I promised him a three day weekend the following week. I contacted Tammy, an old colleague of mine, and she agreed to have dinner with me Tuesday night. Hopefully, she could give me the scoop on the family that occupied my property. I owned a small bed and breakfast in Tupelo and was pleased to find that it was available for my travel dates. I notified the clerk that I would be checking in tomorrow, then looking at the clock, realized it was time to get ready for my night out with Luke.
My mood slightly faltered when I remembered I would be surrounded with the women who absolutely hated me, but I wouldn’t let that or anything else ruin my day. Luke loved me and that was enough motivation for me to endure whatever the night offered.