by Cat Johnson
“Hey, we’re gonna be taking off.” Chris’s voice behind him had Luke turning around. “I’d like to get home before it gets too late.”
“Understood. You guys really didn’t have to drive out here for this. I mean, it’s hours on the road for you.”
“Don’t be silly. I wanted to support you on your first day back. You know, in case you totally sucked.” Chris grinned while Lilly smacked her brother in the arm.
“Stop. Luke did great tonight.”
Luke smiled at the siblings fighting as usual. “Thanks, Lilly.”
“Well, it’s true. I haven’t seen you ride that well in years.”
Luke watched her face closely, not sure if she was really happy for him, or just trying to convince him she could be a good supportive bull rider’s girlfriend so he’d agree to giving them another shot together. It didn’t matter either way, because Luke’s mind was made up. The moment he found Annie, if she was still interested, he’d be making his intentions known with her.
“Well, thanks again. Seriously. Having you guys here for support meant a lot.”
“My parents—your mom too—would have been here with us if there wasn’t that big thing going on at the church this weekend. I know Daddy was really sorry to miss it.”
Luke nodded. “That’s nice to hear. Okay, so you guys drive safely and call me when you get home.”
Chris frowned and glanced down at his watch. “Luke, it’s going to be late. You’ll be sleeping by then.”
With any luck, Luke wouldn’t be sleeping at all, but he would be in bed. With Annie. “Yeah, you’re probably right. Send me a text then, so I know you’re safe. I’ll check my phone when I wake up.”
“You got it.” Chris encompassed Luke in a bear hug, slapping him on the back in the process. “It was good to see you riding again, partner.”
“It was good to be riding again.” And it was all thanks to the man who was now officially Luke’s business partner.
“Goodbye, Luke.” Lilly stepped into the space her brother had vacated.
Luke returned her hug and let her kiss him on the cheek. “Bye, Lilly.”
There was no doubt in his mind, the spark was gone and nothing but affection remained. As he saw the hope in her eyes, he wished for her sake that one day she’d feel that too.
The two turned to go but Chris turned back before he’d taken two steps. “I’ll call you about that new breeding mare I’m bringing in.”
Luke smiled. He’d never seen his friend so excited. It was good. “You do that.”
Once they were gone, his single goal was to find Annie. He spotted her cameraman and decided that was the best place to start his renewed search. “Carl!”
“Hey, Luke. Great ride tonight, man.”
“Yeah, thanks. Hey, have you seen Annie? I need to talk to her.” Luke needed so much more but talking was a good start. They could get to the rest over the next few days, or years.
“Um, actually it was really weird. She ran out of here the moment we were done shooting. She usually hangs out for a while. You know, talking to the guys or brainstorming ideas for the next show with the boss, or at least looking to grab a bite to eat, but not today. Huh. I wonder…”
“Wonder what?” Luke frowned.
“There’s that new girl they brought in. I know Annie’s a little upset about that, but Chelsea wasn’t even around when Annie took off.”
“All right, well thanks. Oh, wait, do you know which hotel she’s in?”
“Yup, same one as me. Right across the street actually. First floor. I’m in room 110 and she’s in 112 at the Harper Inn and Suites.”
“That’s where I am too. Room 112 you said?”
Carl nodded.
“Perfect. Thanks.”
That was exactly what Luke needed to know. He’d find Annie and make her forget all about this Chelsea chick…and work and everything else in the world. He’d be perfectly happy if they could lock themselves up in her room and hash out everything that had happened since the last time he’d seen her.
Then he’d spend all night making it up to her. He’d been an ass not calling her over all those months he’d been retired. He wouldn’t make that mistake again. But tonight required a live conversation, not a phone call. Sure, if he got desperate and couldn’t find her, he’d resort to the phone, but armed with her room number, he wouldn’t need it.
As Luke nearly sprinted across the lanes of traffic to get to the hotel, he pushed aside the notion that perhaps Annie wasn’t in that room alone. He hadn’t heard any rumors of her dating someone. Not even a whisper. And she certainly wasn’t the type to pick up one of the riders for a night. Luke knew he had been the exception, and what they’d had would have been way more than one night if his father hadn’t died.
Even that thought, the memory of that horrible day when Chris had showed up and broken the news to him, didn’t put a damper on Luke’s enthusiasm. It was time to get on with living. Riding again had been step one. Making things right with Annie was the only unfinished business left. Luke didn’t like unfinished business.
His heart began to pound as he stood in the elevator, waiting for the doors to close. Her room was only one floor above the lobby. He wondered if he should have taken the stairs, then finally the doors slid shut at such a lethargic speed he prayed he would make it that one floor. If he got trapped in this damn thing and couldn’t get to Annie, he’d absolutely lose his mind.
Hell, he’d pry the doors open bare handed if he had to.
As the doors finally swooshed open on Annie’s floor, he realized he was holding his breath. What if she wasn’t in her room? Maybe she’d gone to grab something to eat. All the worry made him pause a beat to absorb the information on the signs on the wall in front of him. Room 100 through 109 were to the left, room 110 through 120 to the right.
He followed the sign that led to room 112 where hopefully Annie would be.
Then, there it was. The tiny plaque to the right of the door announcing he had arrived. Luke swallowed away his nerves and felt them stick on the lump in his throat as he knocked.
She didn’t answer right away and in his impatience, he brought his fist up to the door to try again just as he heard the locks slide. Then he was face-to-face with Annie. It took Luke a second to realize she looked less than thrilled to see him standing at her door.
“Um, hey. I’m sorry. Is it too late to just show up at your door like this?”
She drew in a deep breath, then shook her head. “No. It’s okay. Come on in.”
Okay. This was not the reception he was expecting. He moved into the room and she closed the door behind him.
“Sit down.” She settled on the very edge of the sofa and then motioned to the chair facing her.
He ignored the chair and saw the surprise on her face as he sat next to her on the sofa.
This was strange. She’d been fine during the interview. Even fine when the camera was off and they’d just been talking.
“I’m sorry to just show up.”
Annie shook her head. “No, it’s fine. I suppose I can’t avoid this conversation forever. Go on. You wanted to talk. Let’s talk.”
His brows rose. “You’re upset. I can see that. If you want to talk about Courtney or Chelsea or whatever her name is, we can. Believe me, I know what it’s like to see the younger guys vying for my position in the ranks. I can only imagine how you feel with the network bringing her in and giving her your interviews.”
She smiled but it somehow looked sad as she shook her head. “Luke, the network is either going to replace me with Chelsea or not. I don’t think there is really a whole lot I can do about that. I’ll just keep doing my job as best I can and whatever happens, happens. That’s pretty much how I have to approach this thing with us too.”
At least she’d said “us”. That made him feel moderately better that there was even an “us”.
“Annie.” He raised his hand and cupped the side of her face. She didn’t pull away,
which he chose to read as a good thing. Luke leaned in. “While I was away—”
She turned her head, looking off into the room rather than at him. He’d hurt her by not calling all those months. He could see that and he didn’t blame her one little bit for being upset.
He gently turned her face back to him. “Damn, I’ve missed you, Annie. I knew I had but it wasn’t until I saw you face-to-face that I realized exactly how much.”
There were tears in her eyes when she said, “Luke, don’t…”
Luke wasn’t the kind of man who relied on his words. Never had been. He was much better showing his feelings. He’d show Annie how he felt. How sorry he was. How much he needed her. Wanted her.
She watched him as he brought his head nearer, until they were just a breath apart. Then she sighed, a shaky, breathy release. He took that as her giving in to him. Luke didn’t wait any longer to do what he’d come here to do. He closed the small remaining distance and tasted those lips he’d dreamed about every night. He’d tried to not think of her while he’d been away. It had hurt too much knowing they’d always be apart. All that pent-up frustration and feeling came pouring out now into that kiss.
She drew in a ragged breath and then her hands were in his hair.
As he claimed her mouth, he toppled them both over until she was beneath him on the tiny sofa. His hands roamed her body, remembering every curve and valley of her shape. He slid his fingers beneath her shirt and felt the warmth of her skin. He felt her trembling beneath him, with wanting him, he hoped.
It had been too long. Far too long for him without a woman, but any woman wouldn’t have done. Only Annie.
He pulled her shirt over her head, then popped one breast out of her bra. With a groan he couldn’t control, he drew that rosy peak into his mouth. Her heart pounded against his fingertips, raising his pulse rate to match. Her breathing came in gasps as he exposed the other breast and treated it to the same attention as the first.
“Annie.” He raised his head enough so she could hear him. “I need you.”
He ran a wet trail up to her neck, all the way to her earlobe. He felt her pulse throb beneath his lips. Meanwhile, he was throbbing himself inside his jeans. He wasn’t going to last long. Not the first time at least. That was okay. If Annie let him, he’d spend all night making it up to her, starting now.
He rose on one knee, sad to have to break any contact with her warm, soft body. It wouldn’t be for long though. Scooping her up in his arms, he carried her to the bed and laid her down on the covers. Her chest rose and fell as he worked on the button of her jeans. He lowered the zipper and wiggled them down the curves of her hips, exposing the scrap of lace that was her panties.
Luke fought the jealous thought that some other guy may have been the one seeing this beautiful sight instead of him had his friends and mother not come up with that crazy intervention and convinced him to come back.
How he’d allowed himself to write off this part of his life, Annie being part of that life, was beyond him. But now was not the time for regrets. Now was the time to undo whatever damage he’d done between them, and most importantly, to make up for lost time.
She watched him as he kneeled on the mattress between her legs. Her chest rose with a deep, ragged breath as he slid her panties slowly down her bare skin. Then, when he lowered his head between her thighs, he watched her brow furrow in a frown as her eyelids drifted shut.
He didn’t waste any time. He used both hands and mouth. Annie might still be fighting her feelings for him—she was probably still hurt and upset—but she didn’t stop him as he plunged his tongue between her folds. She wasn’t even pretending to fight any longer when her hips rose off the bed and she cried out. She came hard and sweet against his mouth and it was nearly his undoing.
When she finally settled down, dissolving into not much more than a soft whimper delivered amidst fast breathing, Luke stood and immediately began shucking his boots and clothes.
He grabbed the condom he’d been cocky enough to stick in his pocket in anticipation of their reconciliation and crawled between Annie’s legs. He was eyelevel with her when he plunged inside her wet heat. She squeezed her eyes shut but he continued to watch her as emotions sped across her face. He watched until the pleasure of finally being surrounded by Annie once again was too much and he couldn’t keep his own eyes open. Then he did what he had wanted to do for so long. He pushed all thoughts out of his mind and simply made love to Annie.
Luke came with an intensity he hadn’t felt in a very long time. All the feelings he’d kept bottled up inside during that time he’d spent at home pretending he was okay seemed to pour out of him. He ended with an explosive shudder and then collapsed on top of Annie, only to feel her shaking beneath him.
Rising on one elbow, he looked down and found her crying. Perhaps he’d put a little too much into his passion. “Oh my God, Annie. Did I hurt you?”
Annie shook her head, but the tears kept flowing. She pushed him off and he let her. She scrambled off the bed and ran for the bathroom. Luke jumped up himself, flung the used condom in the trashcan and pulled on his underwear.
The bathroom door was closed so he had to speak through it. “Annie? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
Nothing? He knew something when he saw it, and this was definitely something. Luke’s mind began to do crazy things to him. Maybe she did have a boyfriend now. He could be back home where she lived. She might have met him over the break. Luke scrubbed a hand over his face. Thinking back, he realized somewhere in there she’d said the word “don’t”, but he’d ignored it and kissed her anyway. He should have stopped.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” He leaned his head against the door and spoke probably too softly for her to hear him, but it was all he could manage. Losing Annie to another man would be hard enough. Losing her after he’d made her cry—well he’d never be able to forgive himself for that, or forget her tears.
He heard the doorknob rattle and took a step back, relieved she’d at least come out so they could talk.
She’d put on a robe. It was so big and fluffy it made her seem small inside. He wanted to wrap her up in his arms and hold her and make it all better.
She glanced up at him with eyes red from crying. She shook her head. “Luke, we can’t let this happen again.”
“Okay.” Defeated, Luke dropped his chin toward his chest. “I understand.”
“Do you? Do you know how it makes me feel knowing you’re cheating on Lilly with me. I was weak and stupid this time but I can’t do it again.”
He had been about to agree with her, that they couldn’t continue a physical relationship if she was involved with someone at home, when the name Lilly stood out from among the rest of what she’d said.
“Wait, what? What about Lilly?”
“I saw her in the VIP seats tonight.”
Luke nodded. “Yeah, she and Chris came to support me.”
“She came down to talk to me. Lilly said she’d be there to support you at a lot of events from now on.”
The more he thought about it, the more it started to make sense. Given the evidence, it’s no wonder Annie had made the assumption. The way Lilly had acted so possessively at the funeral. The way he’d cut off all contact with Annie while he was away. And now, tonight, seeing her there in the stands, the way she so often had been when they were dating. Then Lilly saying that she’d be attending a lot of events.
Annie had disappeared tonight and tried to avoid talking to him after the final ride because she’d thought he was back with Lilly. He could clear that up right now. “Lilly and I are not together, Annie. I swear to you on my father’s soul.”
A frown crinkled her brow. “You’re not?”
“No, not at all. Not one little bit.” A smile crossed Luke’s mouth. He couldn’t help it. Compared to the other scenario in his head where he’d lost her forever, this little misunderstanding was almost comical. This he could fix. He took a step closer
to her. “I’m not going to lie to you, Lilly would like for she and I to be together. We talked and I told her it was over as far as I was concerned. We aren’t right for each other. Hell, we may never have been, I just didn’t know it at the time. But I know it now, and that’s because I’ve felt what it’s like to be with you.”
“Really?” She visibly crumbled as fresh tears started to flow.
He reached up and brushed them away. “Really. I wanted to talk to you tonight to see if you’d forgive me. I apologize for disappearing out of your life. I just…it was a really tough time for me. My dad. Retiring.”
“I understand.” She wiped her eyes and then laughed. “I thought you wanted to talk to me to break it to me you’d gotten back together with Lilly. I was hiding from you so you couldn’t tell me.”
“I’m really happy you cared whether I was back with her or not. I was a little worried that too much time had passed. Or that you’d found someone else.” He smiled, a little choked up himself.
She shook her head. “No. I wasn’t even looking.”
“Good.” Selfish as that sounded, he couldn’t stand the thought of Annie with anyone else.
“I’m sorry I cried through our…ah…reunion.” She glanced tearfully at the bed.
“Me too. It made me feel pretty shitty, making you cry during our reunion.” Luke laughed.
“I’ll make it up to you. I promise.” She sniffled once but looked far happier than before, in spite of the streaks of dried tears staining her cheeks.
“I have an idea how you can.” Luke cupped her face and kissed the remnants of the tears away. He pulled her close and realized his renewed erection had made itself known through his boxer briefs. She’d have no trouble guessing what he had in mind, and hopefully she wouldn’t mind. “And I have a lot of making up to do too.”
“Lucky for us we have lots of time for all that making up.” She caught his lips for a quick kiss while pressing against him.
He pulled back enough to stare down at her. “This is much more than just sex, you know. I want more.”