by Tracy Ellen
I patted my yawn while Jazy said, “I was kind of teasing when I said that.” Her eyes narrowed suspiciously on the fiery little beauty behind the wheel. “When did trading makeup tips become a nerdy girl activity? It’s clearly girly-girl.”
Mia sniffed on a huff. “The application of makeup is a precise process that requires various talents to achieve the exact look you wish to emulate.”
“What a total load of BS,” Jazy stated.
I slipped out of the car and left them hotly debating the definition of nerdy-girl versus girly-girl.
Chapter XII
“Misery” by Maroon 5
Sunday, 12/16
3:30 AM
The girls waited until I arrived safely upstairs into my apartment and flashed the light. Ever since Jazy had gotten psychically sick with worry the night I had been kidnapped, my sister now insisted I had to signal my safety with the living room light. It was annoying, especially since it got dark out so early, but easier than her bugging me to death.
After the thumping bass and screaming people at the party, and in the car, the complete quiet in my apartment rang in my ears. I clicked off the overhead light, kicked my boots off, and with a sigh of profound relief, shucked off my grass-stained, wet jeans. I fell on the old leather sofa, pulling a throw over my bare legs.
The twinkling Christmas tree lights were the only illumination in the living room. I stared blankly at the sight that usually made me happy. I sighed deeply while my eyes wandered listlessly over the gifts underneath.
The piles had grown significantly over the last week. Some were my presents for others, but the family and friends that traditionally spent Christmas morning at my apartment brought over a stack every now and then to make their arrival less burdensome on the actual day. Various envelopes and small gift bags were tucked in or hung from the branches of the tree. My eyes passed over those and then stopped. I sat up straight as my eyes backtracked. They stopped to rest on a tiny gold gift bag sitting smack in the middle of the tree, impossible to miss.
From across the room where I was seated, I could see my name written in a bold scrawl on the gift bag tag.
“Luke Drake,” I whispered, allowing myself to think of him clearly for the first time since he drove off in the SUV and out of my life. I hadn’t wanted to believe him, but he had convinced me that he wanted children more than he loved me.
Leaping to my feet, I ran to the tree and snatched off the small present that had not been there when I left this evening.
“Luke Drake,” I laughed giddily out loud. My soul had remained unconvinced until I saw him with the un-cousin outside. Luke couldn’t have known I would follow him out front to see that horror show going down.
“Luke Drake,” my furious scream echoed in the quiet apartment, “Get your goddamn, lying ass out here this minute and explain yourself!”
“Anabel, Anabel,” his low voice came from the well of darkness in the foyer before he walked into view, “don’t ever take that tone with me.”
I shivered and crossed my arms over my chest while I stared in disbelief at the vision of my ex-boyfriend standing a few feet away. He looked as dangerous as his voice sounded. I narrowed my eyes and continued to stare at him. A masculine vision in black leathers, boots, and holding an opaque black helmet, it was his black scowl that had me speechlessly riveted.
Okay, it was a tie between his scowl and the body outlined in the tight leathers. Like the presents under the Christmas tree, staring at Luke’s package usually made me happy, too. Only right now I couldn’t enjoy the view due to my astonishment that Luke looked more furious at me than I was at him.
Without taking his eyes off me, he threw the helmet onto the church pew with enough force that it skidded across the bench and scattered today’s mail onto the hardwood floor.
Unzipping the jacket, he bit out, “I have thirty minutes before I have to leave.” He shrugged off the heavy leather and it joined the helmet on the bench, “Since you stayed and partied for almost three more hours,” he jerked the black T-shirt off over his head, “while I busted my ass to get over here.” Bronzed muscles flexed and rippled as the boots went flying. “Conveniently, you have no pants on,” he unbuttoned his, “and are still wearing the shirt that made me want to slam my fuckin’ fist down Byrd’s throat.” He stood with his hands on his hips, and I had no choice but to quickly take in the view of low riding pants undone to reveal a line of silky black hair against smooth olive skin ridged with muscle. “So, Anabel, I don’t know about you, but I am not really feeling the need for any goddamn explanations right now.” His hooded gaze moved over me and down my bare legs. In a soft voice that dared me to disobey, he commanded, “Come here.”
My feet moved automatically in response before my brain kicked in and I stopped.
‘Okay, I guess my boyfriend faked our break-up for reasons known only to him.’
The voices in my head were silent, which I assumed meant I was on my own with this one.
“Why her, Luke?” I asked, my voice as confused as I felt.
Confusion flashed briefly across his own harsh face before the black scowl returned with a vengeance. “Christ, Anabel, because your cousin was the only woman I could take home that I knew for certain you would never believe I’d fuck if a gun was held to my head.”
At the mention of guns, I had to drag my eyes off his mouthwatering biceps even as I laughed shortly. “For a man that is so smart, you can be unbelievably dense sometimes. Of course I thought you were fucking her!” Lifting my chin, I glared accusingly. “You didn’t plan for me to see you two getting cozy on the driveway.”
He looked astonished for a second, but then shrugged a wide shoulder and I shivered in response. God, he was beautiful. “It was necessary you believed that I was serious about breaking up with you in front of the Chicago group,” his scowl lightened up a fraction and his tone grew rueful, “but bringing home a woman for the night? That was something I wanted to be the one to tell you about, not have you witness. It was a stroke of luck to run into Candy at the party. We struck a deal, and now she’s my ticket to move freely at night with no suspicion.” He shot me a disappointed frown. “I rushed over here to set us right, but maybe you weren’t too worried that we broke up?” He waved a sweeping hand to indicate my person. “Did you go on a tropical vacation this week that I didn’t know about?”
I blew off his last comment with a scoff, still too shocked he’d make a deal with the un-cousin. I had numbed my emotions so completely over being dumped, I actually wasn’t that angry at Luke’s deception. Any fury I’d felt wasn’t due to Luke’s break-up, but the residual result of my belief he’d taken up with my ex-cousin for real.
If someone had told me they saw Luke leave a party with the un-cousin, I would have instantly suspected Luke had an ulterior motive. It was seeing with my own eyes Luke touching the un-cousin with a lustful look that convinced me of the complete opposite. He didn’t know I was watching, so I knew it wasn’t a performance for my benefit. I have learned recently that I have a small jealous streak. Perhaps I wasn’t thinking with my brain, but I believed he wanted the demon un-cousin. Luke knew I’d hear it through the grapevine and he didn’t care. It totally convinced me we were over.
I set aside the pleasure I felt hearing my war-god wanted to set the record straight with me ASAP because that wouldn’t have been necessary if he hadn’t messed with me in the first place.
Blanket trust was obviously not a phrase in Luke’s vocabulary, which I totally get. I may have won the war by claiming Luke’s love, but earning his complete trust was going to be a grueling uphill battle by battle, warring constantly with his secretive nature and his need to protect me. Had he trusted me with whatever the problem was, Luke would now be as admiring of my acting abilities, as I was of his.
I didn’t bother him with any of this, but concentrated solely on the more important issues.
I ignored his taunt about my golden tan and hissed, “You gave her the satyr
look and the squeezy waist thingy.”
Luke half laughed. “I did what?” Shaking his head, he stared at me and then started chuckling.
I watched the frown disappear, as the chuckles got louder. Suddenly, he collapsed in a sprawl on the bench, roaring with laughter and pounding a fist on the pew.
“My God, if you only could have seen all your faces!” He gasped out, “You’re right, I didn’t plan for any of that, but it couldn’t have been more perfect if I had.”
He scrubbed his hands over his face, which caused that rasping sound again and made his biceps flex, both of which reminded me that I had no pants on. Dropping his hands, Luke started laughing again.
“I keep seeing Pam in my head. What a tough little bitch. Did you see how fast she punched?” He draped his arms along the top edge of the bench and rested his dark head back against the wall, eyes closed. Luke’s deep chuckle sounded almost satisfied when he murmured, “I’ve never been officially cursed before--what is Jazy, some kind of urban gypsy?” Luke shook his head, and one deep dimple creased his cheek when his grin stretched wide. “I almost lost it when Jazy shouted, ‘Nice buttocks!’.”
I smiled fondly at the memory, one of my favorites already. “Yeah, she thinks her cousin’s cleavage looks like a humongo butt sitting on her chest.”
Luke laughed. “Yeah, well, I guess I’ve got some damage control to perform there with Jazy when all this is done, huh? Your sister was already nine-tenths sure I was a bastard, but now…”
Lounging casually on the bench, thighs spread and strong arms draped along the back, the soft, amused smile that lingered invitingly upon Luke’s sensual mouth was in direct contrast to the arrogant nose and the warrior physique. Luke was the embodiment of the tough, male predator at his private leisure, and I wished for a camera to capture his magnificence.
‘Screw the camera! Climb on his lap and capture his magnificence!’ the sex kitten voice urged on a howl.
I squeezed my thighs together and squirmed at the thought, but kept my voice mild when I gave him fair warning. “I bought you one week of grace and then you’re on your own with Jazy.”
“And then there’s my Anabel,” he murmured and opened his eyes to smile at me, “the sexiest, smartest, scariest woman of all.” He patted his thigh. “Come here, Sweetheart, and do all those moves and signs with your hands again and show me how much you hate my guts.”
‘Do it! Show him!’ the sex kitten voice shrieked wildly.
‘Oh, settle down before you spray all over us. You’re becoming an embarrassment,’ the mean mommy voice reproved in disgust.
I stayed put, arms folded. “Tell me, Luke, does putting on the best offense for your defense work with all the women in your life?”
Lazy eyes surveyed me slowly. Stopping at the apex of my thighs, I now saw proof my favorite satyr look that Luke had used on the un-cousin was but a weak facsimile when compared to the glittering heat of the original.
Shirtless, bootless, pants unbuttoned and impressive muscles rippling like a mirage in the desert every time I blinked, Luke sat on the white bench, an oasis of seduction in my dark apartment. Thirsty to taste him, hungry for his arms after I thought he was lost, I swallowed over the sudden dryness in my throat.
“You are the only woman in my life, now and forever. You are mine,” Luke quietly answered, fierce hard eyes holding my stare. “I won’t apologize for doing whatever I need to protect you, even if that means using your own fears to convince you that I was serious.” His lips tightened into a cruel line and his fingers drummed on the bench slowly. “I’m operating on little more than instincts, but something’s wrong at DDL, something more than Svetlana being an employee. I don’t know who is friend or foe. I can’t have our relationship putting you in more danger or being used as leverage against me.”
At the word leverage, I let out a groan, thinking how royally screwed up things were now with my revenge plans for the ex-cousin.
I was not happy Luke was astute enough to use my supposed secret angst to manipulate me. On the other hand, I was sneakily proud he was so deviously intelligent. My boyfriend’s stated from the get go that he knew me, so I had to take the good with the bad.
I said, “It could get sticky if you ever seriously do want to break up.”
He replied softly, “I’ll never want to seriously break up.”
I replied, “Now I’ll stalk you, if you do.”
He motioned me forward with a finger. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
I took a tiny step and warned, “You can pull a fast one like tonight exactly once and get away with it.”
He nodded soberly and stretched out a hand to me. “I know, you’re much too intelligent to trick twice.”
I put a finger to the corner of my mouth and lisped, “But do you think I’m pretty?”
Luke laughed.
I stepped closer and admitted begrudgingly, “You were damn amazing.”
Genghis Khan II nodded in self-satisfaction. “It was a good fast one.”
Luke was correct; we would talk details later, but I still had some questions. Well, truthfully, I had a million more questions, but only three were important enough to need immediate answers before I needed to be in my boyfriend’s arms.
“Six questions,” I started my negotiations.
“Two.”
“Four.”
“Three, and that’s final.”
“Fine then,” I agreed, pushing out my bottom lip the tiniest bit in a pout.
“Fine,” Luke smiled, and arched a brow. “Question Two?”
“Hey, what happened to one?” I asked in surprise.
“You can open the gift bag later.” He grinned when I sniffed that now he was being a cocky show off and then repeated, “Question two?”
I shyly looked up at Luke from under my bangs. I touched my hair. “Do you like the new do?”
“I do, very much. You’re beautiful,” Luke murmured, and then added swiftly, “don’t go any shorter, though.” He gazed at me a moment longer, green eyes tender, while I hid my smile at that order because Luke had a thing for my long hair. He stirred and said gruffly, “Question three?”
I took the final step and confronted my destiny. “Does this mean you love me enough to never have children?”
“I love you enough to never have kids,” Luke dropped his arms from the back of the bench and stood up, “or dogs, or cats, or fucking fainting goats.”
To put my nightmares to rest once and for all, I walked into his hot embrace and slid my hands up his bare chest while I tested, “Does it mean you love me enough to never have oral sex again?”
Luke loosened his tight hold slightly to frown down at me. “Get real. No man loves a woman that much, Anabel.”
I sighed in relief, but warned, “You may have to prove it.”
My satyr grinned at the challenge as he bent and picked me up with an arm under my knees. Our eyes locked while he started to carry me to the bedroom. He hadn’t taken more than three strides when our mouths met so ravenously, I was grateful to be limbered up from my night of long jumps into doghouses, hip-loosening dance-a-thons, and epic splits toe-touches off stone porches.
Chapter XIII
“The Reason” by Hoobastank
Sunday, 12/16
4:15 AM
Twenty minutes later, I tried to pass out in narcoleptic nirvana like I always did after a rousing quick bout with my war-god, but Luke smacked my heart tattoo and had other ideas. He wanted to talk details.
He got redressed while I rubbed my stinging buttock and tried to pay close attention to his words and not his actions.
‘Damn, the man looked frickin fine in black leather.’ I thought, reconsidering my stance on bikers versus businessman.
‘Mmm, two words. Lady. Wood.’ The sex kitten voice meowed drowsily.
‘I think you need a good spanking,’ the mean mommy voice admonished, and then growled in frustration when the sex kitten voice lit up in enthusiastic a
greement.
I sat back against the headboard, pillows plumped up behind me and the duvet pulled up under my arms. “Have you always had a bike on the farm?”
“No, I brought my Harley up from Chicago before Thanksgiving. I called your brother to move it over to his place when I was on the way up here this morning.”
“Ah, so now you can sneak out through the Bat Cave and not be heard taking off, or have your truck be missing if anyone checks?”
“Yeah, plus nobody expects to see me on a bike around here, but they recognize my truck.”
I braced myself and asked, “Is SHE pretending to have sex in your bedroom right now?”
His frown was pointed. “Taking into account how long I’ve waited for you here, she’s probably on round four by now.” He pulled his shirt on over his head and then tossed me an arrogant grin. “My stamina precedes me.”
I sat quietly, chewing over that visual of the un-cousin, not finding one damn thing to like about it other than it allowed Luke to be standing right here.
Fastening his pants, Luke observed me a second before he shook his head. “You have no idea how hard it is to leave you tonight.”
The spirit, essence, soul, or hormones--mystical or science--whatever it was that made a person love somebody with every fiber of their being was truly the greatest mystery of life. I smiled softly at the man who held the power to make or break me in the palm of his hand. I hadn’t voluntarily given him that control, but nevertheless, that was the truth. I was his.
“And you are mine,” I whispered a loud the completion of my thought.
Luke’s hands stilled as he affirmed, “I am yours.”
We shared a slow smile over the vow simply spoken; his incredibly sweet in response to all the love in mine, or maybe it was vice versa, but it was a special moment between two people that didn’t do sweet nearly enough.
I was the first to break the spell because I didn’t want to be the reason Luke’s careful timetable got screwed up. “Tell me what details I need to know.”