by Lexy Timms
A driver cut in front of her suddenly, forcing her to hit her brakes.
“Fuck you!” she yelled. Then she realized she wanted to say those very words to Luke Wade.
“Siri,” she said to her iPhone roughly, “Call Luke.”
The phone rang but went to voice mail, “This is Luke. You know what to do.”
Emily hit her hands against the steering wheel again. Fire burned inside of her. No! He wasn’t going to get away with not answering his phone. She knew she was close to the entrance of his complex’s parking lot. There was a small space in the line of cars and impulsively she cut sharply across it, sparking a round of angry honks of horns by other drivers. She didn’t care. She flipped the bird to anyone who might be glaring at her.
She parked and slammed the car door shut, her heart beating wildly. Never before had she done anything resembling this. Emily had always been the good girl, always compliant, doing what she was told. She decided she had enough of that, and for the first time in her life, she wasn’t going to let herself be walked over.
The first thing on her list was telling Luke Wade exactly what she thought about him.
Her feet thundered up the stairs to the second floor while her heart matched her angry footfalls beat by beat. When she reached his door she didn’t use the doorbell. She struck the door hard with her fist several times, her jaw clenched tight.
The door flew open. Instead of Luke, a woman stood in the doorframe, a slice of pizza in her hand and a freakin’ happy smile on her face.
Emily’s eyes narrowed. It’d been ten years, but she’d recognize Sheila Harmon anywhere. Her long dark hair and brown eyes hadn’t changed a bit. “I’m here to see Luke.”
“He’s laying down.” Sheila’s big brown eyes ran down and then up Emily, as if trying to remember who she was.
Emily shoved her way in. “Good. Then he won’t fall so hard when I kick his ass.”
“Hey!” protested Sheila, following her.
But Emily didn’t listen. She marched in Luke’s bedroom and glared at him stretched out on his bed.
“Em?” he said with a lazy smile. He was obviously in no pain now.
“What the fuck, Luke! What’s wrong with you?” She sucked in a sharp breath. “I tell you we need to cool things for a while and what do you do?” She shook her head, disgusted. “The first chance you get, you take up with Sheila Harmon! Sheila Harmon? Your old high school flame.” She put so much venom in these last words she surprised herself. “You working on your own personal high school reunion?”
Luke struggled to sit up. “It’s not like that, Em. At all. She’s a nurse. She was helping me.”
She glared at him, he sounded hammered. “Oh! So you were playing doctor?”
Luke righted himself and swung his legs to the floor. “Don’t be ridiculous,” he snapped.
His anger set hers over the edge. “Ridiculous? I’m being ridiculous? Then what is she doing here now?”
“I told you.”
“With pizza and laughter? That some kind of medicine therapy? Maybe a blowjob for dessert? Well, fuck you, Luke Wade!” Emily turned and fled out of the bedroom to his living room. Sheila was gone and the front door hung open. She couldn’t believe what she had just said to him. Face burning, she sped across the floor but a strong arm jerked her back, whipping her around to come face to face with Luke.
He stood there with an incredibly pissed-off look, barely able to hold himself up on the single crutch he’d grabbed in his haste to stop her. His eyes blazed as they glared at each other, both their chests heaving. “Do I get at least the courtesy of an explanation about what the hell’s going on before you run away again?” He waited for her to respond and when she didn’t, he pressed her again. “Well? Do I, Emily?”
Chapter Seven
Truth
Emily’s breath caught. It felt like she was standing in a ring of fire from the glare coming from Luke’s face. His hand gripped her arm tightly. Too tightly. It began to hurt something fierce.
“Well, Emily?” he said, his face grim. “You running again?”
She lifted her chin. “Let go of my arm! You’re hurting me.”
Luke instantly loosened his hold, but he continued to stare at her as if trying to will her to speak.
She swallowed hard. Standing this close to him suddenly jumbled her thoughts. He looked so gorgeous and smelled way too damn good. Except she was angry at him too. It wasn’t about Sheila Harmon, though that did tick her off. She was angry because Luke had made her life impossible by dangling his sexy self in front of her, and yet he was too dangerous to hold. She wanted him, but if she took him, her life would spin much more out of control than it already had. “I just can’t do this again,” she said in a trembling voice. “I have too much to lose.”
“Do you, Emily?” Luke said bitterly. “What would you lose? A family that can’t let you grow up? A boyfriend that’s intent on screwing you over?”
She blinked. He didn’t understand. “My job. My life.”
“How about love, Emily? Are you willing to lose that for any of those other things?”
“What kind of love, Luke? A love where I can’t be sure where you are, what you’re doing and who you’re doing it with?”
“Nothing happened with Sheila.”
“Maybe something did, maybe it didn’t.” She sighed and threw her hands up in the air. “This isn’t about Sheila Harmon. In the one day we’re apart, you end up in a bar fight, apparently a bad knife wound, and have another woman in your apartment.” She shook her head. “Don’t try to defend yourself. Normal men don’t do that, Luke.”
“I never said I was normal.” He leaned his weight on the single crutch.
“And that’s just it, isn’t it? Even when you were in high school you just had to push boundaries, had to be a rebel.”
“You liked that.”
“No! I never liked that! I liked you. I loved you. I loved the boy under the leather and the attitude. I loved your sweetheart, how you always looked after me, how you cared enough about me not to push me farther than I was willing to go.”
Luke made a face like he didn’t believe her. “If you loved all that, why did you abandon me? Why didn’t you visit me while I was stuck in a hospital bed all fucking summer?”
“Because I had to choose!” She knew he wouldn’t understand how much it had hurt her as well. “I had to decide between my future and a boy who was heading into serious trouble. Everyone told me that, and I wasn’t blind to it. I could have chosen you, Luke, and lost everything else I wanted. I could have stayed and ended up with no education and a bunch of kids who would have lost their father because he did something stupid. You weren’t ready, and neither was I, for the kind of commitment you wanted.”
Luke’s hand dropped from her arm and Emily thought that he’d given up. She hated that thought and wanted to take back everything she just said. How could she be so callous?
“You’re right,” he said, swaying on his feet. “I did get into trouble. It was bad. I thought I got into trouble because after you left I had nothing to live for. But, looking at it now, I’d have done it whether you were there or not. I don’ blame y’Emily.” His last words were slurred and as he lurched toward his bedroom he stumbled.
“Luke!” Emily rushed to keep him from falling. She pulled back on his arm and he straightened. She wedged herself under his shoulder to hold him up. “Come on. I’ll help you back to bed.”
“Damn painkillers,” he mumbled. “Did’n know they were this strong.”
“Lean on me,” she said, hating to see him in pain again. He was always incredibly strong and when he showed weakness, it scared her. “I’ll hold you up.”
“You always do.”
She helped him to his bed and steadied him as he sat on the edge. “Lay down,” she commanded.
“The room’s spinning,” he groaned and buried his face in his hands. “Get me the wastebasket.” He gulped. “Please.”
Emily glanced around the bedroom. She found it and handed it to him just in time for him to lose his pizza.
Chapter Eight
And Consequences
Luke’s gut wrenched as he vomited. Cold, then heat burned through him.
“Lay down.” Emily reached for the wastebasket and set it down. “I won’t be able to pick you up if you fall on the floor.”
She lifted his legs and he turned and curled up on the bed. Everything felt very far away except for the cramps that hit his stomach. He curled into the fetal position, wishing he could just pass out and then wake up feeling normal.
Eyes shut tight, Luke heard some papers rustling and then Emily on the phone.
“Yes. I’m calling about Luke Wade. He was released from the emergency room this morning after a knife wound? Yeah. He just vomited and looks very pale. He’s been complaining that he’s dizzy… Yes, I’ll wait.”
The room spun some more. Time seemed to stop and then started when Emily spoke again, “I’ll check.”
Luke felt Emily’s hand on his forehead.
“No, he doesn’t seem to have a fever. I’m not exactly sure.” She paused while someone spoke into the phone. Luke felt her lips close to his ear. “Luke, they’re asking how many Percocet you took.”
“One,” he groaned. “Just before I ate.”
“He took one less than an hour ago.” More silence.
“Okay. I’ll make sure he isn’t alone, and I’ll call if a fever develops. Thanks.”
There were a few seconds of quiet and for Luke it seemed like he was disconnected from the world.
“Hey, Ang. I think it’s better if I check into a hotel. I’ve been thinking… Evan knows where you live and might look for me there. I know, I know… It’s just better if I’m not where he can find me… No. I’ll be okay. I’ll just watch a movie and get some sleep. I’m exhausted… Yes, I’ll call you if there are any problems. Can you tell Justin to meet me at the diner for breakfast? Then we’ll talk about getting that restraining order in place. About seven, okay? What? Oh. I’ll call my boss now. Yeah, I’m not happy about that, but I got legal eagle Justin on my side. It’ll work out... Love you, too.”
Silence.
“Mr. Hobson. I’m sorry I have to leave this message on your answering machine, but I can’t come in tomorrow morning. I know you won’t be happy but, unfortunately, it can’t be avoided. I should’ve told you what happened this morning to make me late. That’s what my lawyer told me. I’ll explain it to you tomorrow afternoon as soon as I can. I’m truly sorry. Thank you for your understanding.”
Luke felt the other side of his bed sink a moment later.
“The good news is that you’re probably having a reaction to the Percocet, and it’ll work itself out of your system. The nurse I spoke to said you should try to sleep. I’ll stay and keep an eye on you.”
Luke fought the grogginess. “Em, are you in some kind of double? I mean danger.” He shook his head trying to clear it. “I mean trouble.”
She slid next to him and put her arms around his neck. “Oh yeah,” she said softly and then kissed his forehead.
“You don’t need to stay,” he protested weakly.
“Buddy, you can’t make me leave.”
#
Luke woke in the dark finding Emily’s arm around his waist. He was confused at first, but as his head cleared, so did his memory. Emily was angry with him, and yet she’d stayed when it looked like he was in trouble. He pressed against her, taking in her sweet scent.
Even though his thigh hurt, he felt better than earlier in the evening. The dizziness and nausea were gone. He grinned. And Emily was in his arms.
She stirred against him. He felt her heart fluttering against his chest. “Luke? Is everything okay?” she murmured sleepily.
“Yes. Thanks, Em, for watching out for me.”
“You don’t have to thank me,” she said softly.
“It feels right having you here.”
Emily stiffened in his arms. “I don’t think Father Peters would think so.”
“Father Peters?” The name sounded familiar and then Luke remembered the priest who talked with him. “Is he your priest?”
“Yes,” Emily whispered.
“I see,” he said, not wanting to anger the priest who had spoken kindly and without judgement to him. “Then maybe you should go home.”
“What? No. I mean.”
Luke pulled her tighter. “Some time, some day, Emily, you’re going to have to decide whether you’ll live your life or have other people do it for you.”
Emily sighed, a long, sad sounding thing in the darkness. “It’s just so hard being taught one thing all of my life and finding out…” Her voice faded.
“What, Emily, what did you find out?”
“That everything I believed doesn’t fit with what I want.”
“Welcome to the real world, sweetheart.” Luke kissed the top of her head. “It doesn’t have to go against what you believe. You just might have to open your heart or your mind to a different way to look at it.”
“Every time I try to do the right thing, it turns out bad. All my life I was taught that all I had to do was the right thing, obey my parents, get good grades in school, go out with the ‘right’ boys. But it doesn’t work. I’m still in trouble, my ex-boyfriend, the one my parents love so much, is a dick, and the one man…”
“What, Em?” Luke asked gently.
“The one man I love is someone no one wants me to have.” She whispered these words.
“You know what, Emily?”
“What?”
“You think too much.” With that he crushed his mouth on her soft lips. Her sweetness sent fire through him. His only thought was that he wanted more of her and he pushed in his tongue to claim her mouth. He cupped her ass with his hand and pulled her into him. He was hard and the sensation of her hips against his drove him to a fever pitch. Luke couldn’t stop tasting or touching her. Unlike times with other lovers, there was no thought for technique or the right moves. Emily trembled in his arms, her own kisses growing more frantic, as if she wanted to melt into him.
Luke pushed up her dress and unclasped her bra, freeing her breasts. He pulled the dress and the bra over her head, loving the feel of her soft skin against his chest. Luke pushed his face into her breasts and kissed and licked until he found her nipples. He sucked one in and swirled the nub with the tip of his tongue. Emily moaned and when he drew the tip of her breast deeper in his mouth, she hissed and arched her back.
He couldn’t help but to press his erection into her cleft, the only thing holding them back was the fabric of their underwear between them.
It didn’t take long before that wasn’t enough. Having enough, he pulled down her panties, and pushed down his own boxers. She shivered when he pressed into her again, this time bare skin against skin. He pressed his shaft against her clit. She palmed the tip of it, smearing his precum over the head.
He couldn’t take it. Luke needed to be in her now.
Dimly, he remembered the condoms in the nightstand, and he clumsily pulled one out. His hand trembled as he opened the package and rolled it on. He settled in between her legs, and zeroed in on the other tit, sweeping the nub with his tongue and biting it lightly.
Emily’s breathing hitched when his teeth met her flesh. His hand reached between her thighs and found heaven as her juices melted over his fingers.
“I’m taking you now, Emily. No more discussion. No more uncertainty. You’re mine.”
He lined his cock to her center and thrust into her tight core. She gasped but wrapped her legs around his waist taking him deeper. His cock pulsed in response to her heat and tightness. Luke pulled back and thrust in harder and she pushed her hips to meet him. His cock became fiercer and seeking more of her. The harder he pushed the more she groaned. Years of wanting her poured through him into her and she took it all, demanding more. And he gave it, seeking to sear her soul with his want and need of her so sh
e always understood that it was only her that claimed him.
“Luke!” she screamed as she clenched around him, bucking her hips. His name ringing in his ears he exploded, driving as deep into her as he possibly could.
They held on to each other tightly as their breathing slowed. She melted into his arms and settled against his chest.
“Mine,” he gasped. “You’re not getting away from me again.”
Chapter Nine
Busy Morning
Emily shook her head as she looked at Luke’s wound. “It started bleeding again,” she said as she peeled back the slightly red-soaked bandage.
Luke smiled lazily at her. “What? From a wee little bit of activity?”
Emily’s face drew into a frown but she couldn’t hold it and started chuckling. “I’d hardly call it wee little.”
“Just give me a few days, and I’ll be able to give you a better sense of proportion.” He turned his head and winked at her.
“Uh huh. Now lay still so I can change your bandage.” She crawled over him across the bed to collect the first aid things on the dresser. She grabbed a bowl of water and began cleaning around the wound.
“Hey!” cried Luke as some soap accidentally hit the open cut.
“You, mister, need to keep your leg up during the day and give that thing a chance to close. You need to heal.” She applied another large gauze bandage and taped the edges.
“Yes, ma’am.” He smirked. “I’ll be a good boy. Until you get home, that is.”
“We’ll see,” she said more soberly, not wanting to think about the day. She patted the side of his thigh and checked the clock radio on the nightstand. “Okay, you’re set. I have to go and meet my lawyer. I’ll bring you back some breakfast. What do you like?”
Luke reached up and pulled her down to his chest. “You. I’d like you over-easy with a side of delicious.”
“That may be all you’ll get.” She tried to sound like she was scolding him, but his words made her insides tingle.