“I don’t know how the hell you even managed to get one woman—let alone dozens—to fall for lines that sound as trite as that,” I scoffed, forcing myself to forget the excitement his earlier words had caused. “But I won’t be one in a long line. Not ever.”
Luka lifted a hand and tapped my nose with his index finger. “You’re not listening, gorgeous, and you need to pay attention and get this. The line ended the moment I landed eyes on you tonight.”
“Luka…”
Shaking his head, Luka lowered his head to rest his forehead against mine. “I can’t explain what’s happening here between us. Don’t wanna question it either. I just know it’s true. You’re mine, Michelle. Mine. The sooner you wrap you mind around it, the better it will be for both of us. Because where I’m from, when a man finds everything he’s been lookin’ for in a woman, he claims her and makes her his own.”
And oh, man, was I in trouble! I so did not want to admit how much I liked the sound of that. “Ugh, not that again,” I groaned, scrunching up my nose as I felt the weight of his declaration settle over me. “That’s absolutely crazy. You sound like a caveman! You gonna start pounding your chest next and swingin’ from trees?”
“Me, Luka. You, Michelle,” he grunted theatrically, smiling when I made an annoyed sound of frustration. “Besides, if the idea of claiming you is crazy, I don’t wanna be sane. My dad always told me that when I found The One, I’d wanna grab onto her and never turn her loose. And baby, he did not lie,” he continued, gripping my hips tightly as he pressed his body to mine, “I am holding on to you with everything I’ve got.”
Blowing out a long breath as I felt his warm palms move to cradle my hips, I lost the battle with myself and leaned against Luka, dropping my head to rest against the solid wall of his chest. “This isn’t even remotely normal,” I muttered into his right pec.
“Normal is overrated,” I heard him chuckle as he pressed his lips to the crown of my head.
“Maybe,” I admitted, shrugging my shoulders.
“Almost certainly,” Luka persisted as I tilted my head.
“I don’t trust easily,” I warned, nibbling my lower lip as I gazed up at him.
“Good, you shouldn’t,” Luka countered. “You should only trust those that earn it. All I’m asking is for you to let me work for it, hummingbird. That, and let me take you home,” he amended.
“I guess I can do that,” I whispered, still not certain if I was making a big mistake.
My indecision must have shown in my eyes because Luka was quick to reassure me. “We’ll take baby steps. Starting with me proving that I can not only deliver you home safely, but leave you there alone with only a goodnight kiss.”
I couldn’t help laughing at his foregone conclusion that I’d accept a kiss from him. “That’s a little presumptuous. Already angling to get your tongue in my mouth, huh?”
Grinning, Luka’s eyes shined with humor. “Well, I am a man, gorgeous, and those lips of yours were made for kissing.”
Staring into his mesmerizing gaze, I only prayed that my lips could withstand the sexiness that was Luka Templeton. I had a feeling that if he touched me right now, I’d dissolve into a big, steaming pile of horny woman. Since I knew that would never be my best look, I patted Luka’s chest as I smiled up at him and took a step back. “That’s nice, but it’s time to put your fantasies away and take me home, Luka. Otherwise, I really am gonna call for an Uber.”
“Not necessary,” Luka replied, opening the door to his Lexus and shepherding me inside.
I inhaled deeply, the scent of Luka’s expensive aftershave clinging to the plush leather interior of the car. With top notes of citrus, the comforting fragrance was only strengthened by a base of sandalwood and balsam, and I couldn’t help but breathe a little deeper as Luka jogged around the front of the car to reach the driver’s side.
We made the short drive to my place in relative quiet, the silence only broken when I offered him hushed directions to my small house and by the intermittent use of his turn signal. Throughout the brief journey Luka kept one hand wrapped around the wheel while his other held my hand loosely in his while he seamlessly navigated the mostly deserted streets of our town. Lucky for me, he was the kind of confident, capable driver with whom I could relax, and I found myself nodding off toward the end of the drive.
“Hummingbird, you’re home. It’s time to wake up, sweetheart,” I distantly heard Luka urge as I felt gentle fingers brushing against the apple of my cheek.
My heavy eyelids fluttered as I slowly awoke. “What?” I mumbled as I arched my back and stretched my arms above my head, my knuckles bumping the upholstered ceiling of Luka’s luxury sedan.
“I said, you’re home,” Luka reiterated, chuckling as I flopped back against the bucket seat and blinked sleepily at him. “You nodded off on the drive here,” he explained with a smile.
“I did?” I questioned tiredly, yawning widely before he could open his mouth to answer me.
Waiting until I closed my mouth, Luka grinned. “Yep, you did.”
“Sorry,” I apologized, leaning forward in my seat to grab my clutch from where it had fallen off my lap during the short ride home. Looking out the window, I found that Luka had pulled his car behind mine in my short driveway. “I guess the day has caught up with me. I’m not usually up or out this late,” I confided as I gazed out the windshield at the license plate of my red SUV as I nervously tugged at the hem of my dress.
“Don’t apologize. You’re even more gorgeous with your eyes closed,” Luka returned softly, squeezing my nervous hand.
“Please,” I snorted, cutting my skeptical eyes toward his handsome face. “I both snore and drool. I hardly think there’s anything beautiful about either of those things.”
“The snoring was cute; you sounded like a purring cat, and you weren’t asleep long enough to drool,” he countered easily as I glowered at him.
“None of that just helped your case,” I grumbled before reaching for the door handle.
“Wait,” Luka ordered, reaching out a long arm to cover my hand before I could push open the door.
Frowning down at his hand resting over mine, I shot him a quizzical look. “I’m capable of opening my own doors, Luka.”
“I know you are, but that doesn’t mean you should have to. Just wait there a second,” he requested before he pushed open his own door and climbed fluidly from the vehicle.
Watching as he walked around the front of the car to my side, I shook my head as he pulled open my already partially ajar door. Climbing out a whole lot less glamorously than he had, I clamored to my feet before arching one eyebrow at him. “So do you want to throw your jacket across a puddle, too, Prince Charming?” I quipped as he shut my door. “Maybe you’d like to carry me to the front door, too?”
“Sass all you want, gorgeous. My mother raised a gentleman. That means I do crazy shit like hold open doors and insist on paying for meals.”
Brushing past him as I walked up the short stone sidewalk to my house, I refused to admit how much I liked that about him. Sure, I was more than able to do all that stuff for myself, but it was nice to have somebody put me first for a change. “Well then, I suppose you did your mother proud this evening,” I offered over my shoulder as I reached my porch steps. Quickly climbing them, I paused on my ‘Welcome to the Nuthouse’ welcome mat and opened my clutch to search for my keys. Thanks to the dim glow of the porch light, I located my small ring of silver keys easily.
“I’ll take those,” Luka grunted as he smoothly snatched them from my hand and shouldered me out away from the door. Rolling my eyes, I watched as he unlocked my door before extracting the key and dropping the keychain into my hand before demanding, “Stay put.”
“What? Why?” I balked, cursing my monumentally slow reaction time. By my count, this was the second time he’d swiped something from my hands tonight.
“Walk-through,” he returned, swinging open my front door and disappearing inside.
<
br /> Staring after him, I shook my head. Had this guy actually just left me standing outside on my own doorstep? Who did that and what the fuck was a walk-through, I questioned myself as I squinted my eyes and just barely made out his shadowy form vanishing down the hallway that led to my bedroom. Pursing my lips, I waited impatiently for him to reappear.
Moments later, I barely resisted a growl as I heard his deep voice call out, “All clear.”
“Well, no shit, it was all clear,” I muttered, stomping inside. “I wasn’t home and I live alone,” I continued to rant as I dropped my small clutch on the table behind my couch and kicked my high heels off. Digging my toes into the piled carpet as Luka sauntered back down my hallway toward me, I reminded myself that if I disembowel the irritating man I’d just be forced to get rid of the body. Then I’d have to deal with cleaning up his blood stains and come up with a believable alibi. Eyeing his amused face critically as he got closer to me, I decided he must be a really lucky guy because I was honestly just too tired to pull off the perfect crime tonight. “Why are you grinning like that?” I asked suspiciously as he drew nearer while I reminded myself that no man had a right to look that hot after one in the morning.
“I was just wondering how soon I can convince you to model these for me?” he asked, dangling one of my lacy black thongs from his finger.
Snatching the scrap of material from him, I bit back a mortified moan. “Where the hell did you get those?” I hissed as I balled the scrap of lace into my fist.
“I saw them in the middle of your bed when I flipped on the light in your bedroom. I left the bra on the floor, but you should know that I liked it, too.”
Okay, my humiliation was complete. I needed him to go so I could do the humane thing and go stick my head in the oven. “Out,” I ordered, jabbing a finger toward the door.
“Now, that’s not very neighborly,” he chided me, shaking his head sadly as he ambled toward me.
I shrugged. “What can I say? I’m not a very good neighbor. Call me crazy, but I get testy when strangers paw around my bloomers.”
“Very pretty bloomers, too,” he clarified with a gleaming smile.
I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to cry or laugh. “Alright, Luka,” I sighed. “You’ve done your good deed and seen me home safely. You even tromped through my house to make sure nobody was hiding under my bed or in my closet,” I noted, flapping a hand toward my bedroom. “I’d say your job here is done,” I concluded pointedly as he moved to stand in front of me, his dark eyes alit with mischief.
“Almost,” he remarked.
“Almost?” I repeated, unsure what he could possibly think he had left to do here.
“Yeah, my job is almost done,” he elucidated as he curled one hand around the nape of my neck, holding me steady as his dark head descended toward me.
“W-what are you doing?” I squeaked, throwing up a hand between us to press against his chest. Admittedly, it was not the most successful deterrent, but I was working within the parameters of what I had.
Luka’s lips twitched. “Something that requires more of a show and less of a tell,” Luka whispered as his lips ghosted mine.
My hands lifted to clutch Luka’s shoulders as his mouth settled heavily over mine, his tongue lapping sensually against my lower lip. Parting my lips on a gasp, I moaned softly as his tongue slid against mine. He tasted like a blend of the pricey scotch he’d consumed with dinner, the Bananas Foster we’d shared for dessert, and pure undiluted man, somehow managing to achieve both sweet and savory flavors all at once. His kiss was deliciously decadent, robbing me of breath and making my body crave his touch. Whimpering as he lightly bit my full lower lip before slowly withdrawing, I could only stare at him with dazed eyes as my nails dug into his suitcoat. That kiss had felt good, and my desire-clouded mind demanded more.
“You’re making it very hard to do the right thing right now, hummingbird,” he murmured, reluctantly evading my lips when I mindlessly lifted on my toes to try to capture his mouth with mine. “Help me out here, baby. Tell me it’s time go. Throw me out of here before I break my promise and sink my dick into you right here, Michelle,” his husky voice urged desperately even as his arms tightened around me.
Something about his ragged entreaty cleared my passion-fogged brain and my sanity returned as a chilling flood of shame washed over me. Jeez, I was virtually dry-humping a man I barely knew in my foyer! How was that for classy? Quickly pushing myself away from him, I took a stumbling step backward. “I’m so sorry…I don’t what I…”
“Hey, whatever you’re thinking, stop it!” Luka frowned as his eyes bore into mine as he captured my hand and pulled me back to him. “I enjoyed the hell out of our first kiss and look forward to more of them. Don’t ruin it by apologizing.”
My cheeks began to burn as I met his eyes. “We don’t even know each other,” I whispered. “That kind of kiss isn’t appropriate.”
“Can I take a second to remind you that you were planning to unload your virginity on your blind date tonight? I’m pretty sure my stealing a goodnight kiss doesn’t begin to compete with what you were originally willing to share this evening,” he teased, lifting a hand to finger a strand of my hair.
Disconcerted, I dropped my eyes to the floor. “After meeting him, I wouldn’t have gone through with it. If I couldn’t depend on the man to be on time for dinner, there’s no way I’d be able to trust him with my orgasm during my first time,” I muttered truthfully. “It was a stupid plan anyway.”
“I agree. He was the wrong guy, and it was a bad plan. I’m a much better choice,” he decreed with a naughty grin. “I’m always punctual, and I solemnly swear every one of your orgasms will be my very top priority. Especially your first time.”
I couldn’t help my giggle. I mean, our conversation was positively outlandish. I barely knew him, and here he was promising my orgasms his eternal fealty. My life had suddenly become a David Lynch film. It was surreal.
“Now, that’s a sound I could get addicted to hearing,” Luka murmured, resting his chin on my head as he hugged me to him.
“What?” I asked through my chuckles.
“Your laughter, Chelle,” he replied, my heart warming as he used the abbreviated form of my name for the first time.
“Thanks,” I murmured when my laughter had died off. “And thank you for bringing me home. And checking out my house, I guess. I’m not used to my dates doing that.”
Luka shrugged. “It’s who I am, gorgeous. I had a friend in college who dropped his date off at her door without going inside. The next day he learned that his girl had been assaulted when she went inside the house. He basically delivered her to her assailant, and it nearly drove him insane. After watching what my buddy went through, I knew I’d never drop a woman off at her door again without going inside and checking for myself that she was safe.”
“Oh, my God, that’s horrible!” I grimaced, my hands gripping his arms tighter as I realized the horror that could possibly happen.
“Life can be horrible, babe. All we can do is make it a point to protect the ones we care about and be as vigilant as we can.”
“Okay,” I whispered. “You can do a walk-through of my house any time you bring me home,” I agreed, swallowing hard as I tried to block out the story he’d just shared.
“Thanks,” he returned wryly as another yawn escaped my lips. “I need to let you get to bed,” he noted. “Walk me to the door?”
I nodded before padding behind him on my bare feet to the front door with my hand firmly clasped in his. “Thank you for dinner and for saving me from the blind date from hell. I’m not quite sure what would have happened if you hadn’t wandered over to my table tonight.”
“Nothing happens by chance, Michelle. We could stand here until sunrise and debate things, but it won’t change the fact that I knew from the second I saw you we were meant to be together. I saw the woman I wanted and went after her. Fortunately, I was able to catch your sexy ass. If I have my way
, you’ll let me keep catching you for many, many more evenings to come.”
“Is that so?” I asked as he opened the door, my tone a cross between hope and exasperation. I was going to have to have a serious conversation with myself to figure out what I really wanted from this man!
Luka smiled widely as he nodded. “You best get your running shoes ready, gorgeous, because the race is on,” he informed me smoothly before dropping a chaste kiss to my forehead. “Get some sleep and dream of me tonight. Before that, though, lock up after me, Chelle. I’m not stepping off this porch until I hear you throw the deadbolt,” he warned, his deep voice serious.
Huffing out an irritated breath, I shook my head and tried to remind myself that it put women’s lib back about thirty years every time I got a thrill out of his bossiness. “Do you have any idea how incredibly annoying it is to be told to do things you already plan on doing?” I asked.
“You can tell me after you throw the deadbolt,” he suggested, one inky eyebrow lifting in challenge.
My forehead furrowed and I cocked my head as I tried to follow his logic. “But you won’t hear me.”
“Exactly, babe. Lock the door behind me,” he ordered again as he shot me another of his killer smiles. Those suckers were lethal, going straight to the heart of me—not that I ever intended to let him know that. Instead, I rolled my eyes and slammed the door on his know-it-all face, twisting the deadbolt with a vicious twist of my wrist for good measure.
I bit back a curse as his rich laughter filtered through the door between us.
I was going to ignore how good that sound made me feel, too.
Living in the land of denial had never felt so good.
Chapter Four
Luka
“I found her, Pops.”
It was Sunday afternoon and less than forty-eight hours since I finally found the woman of my dreams, and I was having a conversation I’d been waiting to have all my life. Sitting in my home office as I settled in for a long chat, I glanced at the steaming mug of coffee resting by my elbow and wished I’d thought to grab one of the donuts I’d picked up this morning. Oh, well. This conversation was much more important than any hunger pangs I felt.
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