"As long as I can remember. I met him when we moved in next door. He was the first adult I'd ever met that didn't tell me to be quiet or go away. He liked it when I went over to see him. He wanted to spend time with me and I liked hanging out with him. He was lonely and I was desperate to be around someone who actually cared about me. Albert and I needed each other. Neither one of us would've ever admitted that but it's true."
"And now he's gone," Taylor says softly.
"Yeah." I look down at the floor. "He's gone."
I don't like saying that. Saying it makes me angry. How could Albert leave me? How could he go when I need him? He's all I had in life. The only person who gave a shit about me. And now he's gone.
"Luke." I feel Taylor's hand on my arm. "He's not the only one who cares."
It's like she knew what I was thinking. How did she know?
"Cal. My dad. My mom." She pauses. "Me. We all care about you and what happens to you. I know it hurts to lose Albert. I can't imagine what you're going through, but you're not alone. I need you to know that."
Looking up at her I see those beautiful eyes and that beautiful face that hooked me from day one, back when I was just a kid and had a crush on a beautiful girl. But she's more than beautiful. She's caring and good and kind and...a girl I could fall in love with. Part of me already has. I've fallen in love with her spirit. Her kindness. Her ability to laugh at herself when she does something embarrassing like trip over me on her way to the couch.
I take her hand from my arm and hold it in mine. "You're amazing."
She looks confused. "I don't understand. I didn't do anything. I just—"
"You don't have to do anything." I smile. "You're just amazing on your own."
She nervously laughs. "You're weird."
"So are you."
She huffs. "I'm not weird."
"You have to count to eight before teeing off."
"That's not weird. It's for good luck. A lot of athletes have rituals for good luck."
"It's superstitious." I smile. "And weird."
She takes her hand back and folds her arms over her chest. "Like you don't do anything for luck before a round of golf?"
"Nope. Nothing."
"No lucky socks? Lucky hat?"
"No. Why? Do you have lucky socks and hats?"
She chews on her lip and glances away.
I laugh. "You do, don't you?"
"Doesn't mean it's weird," she says, defensively. "And it's just the socks not the hat."
"Hey." I move closer to her. "I'm just teasing. I actually find your weirdness to be kinda cute."
"Cute?" She looks at me and almost seems hurt.
"What's wrong? You don't like being called cute?"
She shrugs and glances away again. "It's fine."
Which means it's not fine. But why did that upset her?
I think for a moment and then I get it. Cute sounds like I see her as a friend, or my friend's kid-sister. So is she saying she wants me to see her as more than that? After telling me not to?
"Taylor." I reach my hand up to her face and turn it toward me. "I didn't mean it like that."
Her eyes go to mine. "Like what?"
"Like..." I try to figure out how to say this. "Like the way you're thinking."
"It's fine. Really. You think I'm cute. That's a good thing, right?" She says it with a nervous laugh and looks away.
"You're more than cute. You're beautiful." I wait until she looks at me, then say, "I just didn't think I should tell you that. But what the hell? You ARE beautiful, so there. I said it. You're also really hot."
Her mouth turns up. "You think I'm hot?"
"Very hot. So hot I'm finding it hard to..." I don't finish the statement but just gaze into her eyes. God, she has beautiful eyes. I swear the damn things sparkle.
"You find it hard to what?" she asks, sounding breathless.
"Be around you without..." I move closer and lean in until my mouth hovers over hers, "without doing this." I kiss her and, shit, it's even better than before. Sparks fly. No joke. I can feel it, little sparks going off as we kiss.
Whatever promises I made to myself about leaving her alone this summer were broken the moment our lips touched. I can't make myself stay away from her. Not now. Not after kissing her. Not after feeling like we're back to the place we were last spring. Not after looking into her eyes and knowing she wants this as much as I do. Not after opening up to her and having her listen as though what I'm saying is the most important thing in the world.
This girl is the only girl I want. I knew it before I'd even met her. It's one of those things you can't explain and yet makes perfect sense.
We continue to kiss and I lean her back on the couch. Her hands grip my shirt and tug me closer so that our bodies are touching.
This is moving fast, probably too fast. But I can't stop and neither can she. I sit up and yank off my t-shirt then lower my body over hers and kiss her neck.
"Luke," she whispers, her eyes closed, a soft smile on her face. She tips her head back as I kiss her neck, her chest rising and falling with each breath.
My kisses continue along the outline of her shirt. She's wearing a loose fitting t-shirt that dips down between her breasts and when I get to that spot, she moans my name, which is the sexiest damn thing I've ever heard.
The decision now is whether to keep going. I think she'd be willing to go farther but it'd probably be better to take it slow. I don't want to rush it and risk screwing up what we just started.
I kiss my way up her neck and back to her mouth. My body presses into hers and I realize I'm moving too fast again. I start to pull away but she doesn't let me, grabbing my shorts and pulling me against her.
"Taylor," I say softly over her mouth, urging her to slow down. It's not what either of us wants but it's for the best. Problem is, it might be too late. We're both so into this I'm not sure we can to stop.
Our kisses heat up, tongues tangling, neither one of us even pausing to take a breath. I slip my hand under her shirt, feeling her soft skin.
"Luke?" I hear a woman's voice followed by several knocks.
I look at Taylor and freeze.
"My mom!" Taylor says in a frantic whisper. "Get up! Hurry!"
I stand up and quickly put on my shirt.
"Luke?" I hear Taylor's mom again except this time it's clearer. Louder.
Turning toward the door I see her standing there, holding two paper grocery sacks.
"Hey, Mrs. Tuckerman." I smile and can feel that my shirt's not on right. I think it might be on backwards. Shit!
Mrs. Tuckerman looks behind me at Taylor. "I didn't know you were still here."
"Yeah." Taylor walks past me over to her mom. "I thought Luke might want some company while he eats."
Her mom smiles at her. "That was nice of you, honey."
"Thanks for the pizza," I say to Barb.
"I didn't want you out here starving." She walks over to me. "Remember what I said earlier. You're welcome at the house anytime. Help yourself to whatever's in the kitchen." She hands me the paper sacks. "I got you a few snacks to keep here in the guest house. There's a mini fridge built into the cabinet over there." She points to it. "It's not much but it can hold some drinks and a few small items. If you have any special requests just let me know and I'll pick them up at the store next time I'm there."
"That's okay. You don't need to do that."
"Luke." She puts her hand on my shoulder. "We want you to feel welcome here. Like part of the family. So whatever you need, just let me know."
A wave of guilt hits me. Barb and Lou have been so kind to me, and so generous. They're letting me live here rent-free. Their only rule is that I leave their daughter alone, and yet just minutes ago I was kissing her.
"Thank you, Mrs. Tuckerman." I set the sacks down on the table.
"It's Barb." She laughs. "How many times do I need to remind you of that?"
She's been telling me that for years and yet I keep callin
g her Mrs. Tuckerman. It seems disrespectful to call her by her first name.
"Thank you, Barb," I say.
"That's better." She smiles as she walks to the door. "Remember, Luke, if you need anything, just come on over and let one of us know."
"I will. Thanks."
When she's gone Taylor closes the door. "That was close."
"Yeah. I probably should've locked the door."
I should tell Taylor we can't do this anymore. That we can't make out in the guest house or the main house or anywhere else. It's too risky and isn't respectful of her parents' rules.
But then she walks up to me, a sexy smile on her beautiful face, and just as I'm about to tell her not to, she kisses me. And shit, I can't pull away. The feel of her lips. Her body. Her sweet, flowery scent. I can't resist her.
After several minutes she backs away and smiles. "I should go back to my room."
"You sure?" I pull her body into mine and lay soft kisses along her neck. When I did that earlier she made it clear how much she likes it.
"Luke," she says it in a breathy tone, her head tilting to the side, her eyes closing.
My lips move lower, following the deep dip in the neckline of her shirt.
"Oh, God," she whispers, her body melting into my arms. I love making her like this. Turning her on with just my kisses.
There's a noise outside and she quickly pushes me away. "What was that?"
"I don't know. Maybe the wind?"
She runs to the window. "I think it was the pool skimmer. I think it fell down." She heads to the door. "I have to go."
"Taylor, what's wrong?" I catch up to her as she's leaving.
"Nothing's wrong. That's the thing." She looks at me. "What we were doing was...perfect. Amazing. I've never felt that way just from kissing someone."
I lean against the doorframe and smile. "What way?"
"All..." she waves her hand around, "tingly and...hot. Like burning up hot and...out of breath." She cringes. "I can't believe I just told you that."
"Why? I think it's good you told me. And hey, what we did got to me too." I glance down at my shorts. "But you probably already knew that."
She laughs. "Yeah. But you're a guy so that happens all the time."
"Actually it doesn't. It only happens if it's the right girl."
She glances behind her. "I have to go. It's been a long day and I still need to unpack."
"What are you doing tomorrow?"
"Going to the gym in the morning. Then I'm meeting with my coach. Then I'll probably go to the driving range."
"I could meet you there. I was already planning to go to the range."
She shakes her head. "It's not a good idea. Everyone knows me there. I don't want them seeing us together."
"I'll go with Cal."
"He's busy tomorrow. Going golfing with his coach."
"How about tomorrow night? Let's go somewhere."
"Luke, we can't go out. You know the rules." She waves to me as she hurries off. "Goodnight."
Closing the door I try to figure out what she meant just now. She was reminding me we can't date, so then why did she kiss me? And why did I kiss her?
We both know the rules and yet on our first day living together we're already breaking them.
Chapter Twelve
Taylor
I pace my room, angry at myself for letting Luke kiss me, not just once but over and over again. And not just on my lips, but on my neck, my shoulder, my cleavage—all places that make me weak.
That must be why I did it. I was weak. I couldn't resist him. He's really hot. He smells good. And he knows how to touch me.
Crap, I'm in trouble. Just thinking about him kissing and touching me has me all hot and tingly again. I can't believe I told him that. Why would I admit that to him?
Getting out my phone I call Birdie. She's one of the few people who knows about Luke and me. She's good at keeping secrets so I knew I could trust her not to tell anyone.
After several rings her phone goes to voicemail. She's home from college but she might be out with her mom. I think she said they were going to the movies, or maybe that was tomorrow. Usually I'm good at remembering what people tell me but after kissing Luke my mind's a mess.
My phone rings. It's Birdie.
"Hey, Birdie."
"Hey, what's up?"
"Are you at the movies?"
"No, that's tomorrow night. You want to come with us?"
"Um, sure. Unless I have to go to the gym. It depends on what my coach says tomorrow. So can you talk?"
"Yeah. What's going on? Are you home yet?"
"We got home over an hour ago. I sent you a text."
"Guess I didn't see it. I was taking a nap outside. My dad bought us a hammock. So anyway, how's living with Luke?"
"I'm never going to survive."
"What do you mean?"
"Remember when I told you I didn't have feelings for him anymore?"
"Yeah."
"I lied."
"Well, duh."
"What do you mean?"
"I knew you still had feelings for him. I could hear it in your voice when you talked about him."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because you were in denial. You wouldn't have believed me if I'd told you. It's one of those things you have to figure out yourself. So how'd you know?"
I pause. "I kissed him."
"You did? When?"
"Just now. In the guest house. But it wasn't just that. I've had feelings for him for months now. That's why I stopped talking to him but the feelings didn't go away."
"What kind of feelings are we talking about?"
"I don't know. Just...feelings. Like when you really miss someone and then see them again and feel all happy. Or when your heart goes crazy and you feel like you can't catch your breath. Or when you can't stop smiling even though you're trying not to."
"Are you sure you're not in love with him?"
"It's not love. It's attraction and—well, I think I really missed his friendship. I told myself I didn't but I really did. When we stopped talking on the phone and texting, I felt like I'd lost something."
"You lost Luke, and your heart wouldn't let you forget him."
"Exactly. Or maybe not my heart but my head."
"It was your heart. Trust me. You like this guy. A lot."
"I've liked lots of guys but it never felt like this. So what does that mean?"
"It means you're falling in love with him, or maybe you already are."
"I'm not in love. C'mon, Birdie. You've dated lots of guys. Have you ever felt this way? Unable to stop thinking about him? Missing him when he's not there? Having your heart go nuts when you see him?"
She pauses. "Um, yeah, I've felt that way."
"With who? Was it Brent?"
She dated Brent in high school for almost a year. He was totally in love with her but I was never really sure if she loved him back. She said she did but it didn't seem like it.
"It wasn't Brent."
"You were never in love with him, were you?"
"I thought I was, but no, I wasn't in love with him."
"When did you figure it out?"
"I think I always knew. I just didn't want to admit it. Brent was such a great guy that I wanted to love him but for some reason I just didn't."
"Then who was the guy? The one who made you feel the way I feel about Luke?"
"Just some guy I met at college."
"You told me about the guys you dated. You never said you were in love with any of them."
"I didn't say it was love. And it wasn't someone I dated."
"Yeah? So who was it?"
"Nobody. Just forget it. Actually, now that I think about it, I didn't really feel that way about him. So anyway, tell me about this kiss. Was it as good as when you kissed him over spring break?"
"Better."
"You said that was the best kiss you've ever had."
"I know, but today's kiss was even better, ma
ybe because we didn't have to rush. We were alone in the guest house."
"Why were you alone with him in the guest house? You're going to make your parents suspicious."
"My mom told me to bring Luke the leftover pizza. So I did."
"Why didn't Cal do it?"
"He left. He went to the gym."'
"So you brought Luke the pizza and then you guys kissed?"
"Not exactly. First we talked. He told me about Albert and how much he meant to him. I feel really bad for Luke. He loved Albert like a dad and now he's gone. I didn't think he'd want to talk about it but then he started opening up to me."
"That's a sign he trusts you. And really likes you."
"I don't know. Maybe. I hope he keeps talking to me about stuff because I think he needs to. I don't think he talks to Cal about this stuff."
"And after you talked, you kissed?"
"It's not like we planned to. It just happened."
"And?" she says, urging me to continue. "Tell me more!"
"About what?"
"The kiss! I swear you love to torture me."
I laugh. "I don't know what you want me to say. We kissed, and it was amazing. What else do you want to know?"
"Did it go beyond kissing?"
"It started to, but then my mom knocked on the door."
She gasps. "Oh my God, did she catch you?"
"No. Luke got off me and got dressed before she opened the door."
"Wait. Luke was on top of you? Without clothes?"
"He was shirtless. The rest of him was covered."
"When your mom found you there did she think something might be going on between you two?"
"Not at all. I told her I was keeping Luke company so he wouldn't have to eat alone."
"You're such a good liar. That's kind of scary, by the way. You don't lie to me, do you?"
"Not usually."
"You lie to me?" She huffs. "I thought we told each other everything."
"It's just little white lies. Just forget it."
"I want to know what you lie to me about. Tell me."
I sigh. "Okay, well, remember when you dyed your hair purple then didn't like it and dyed it pink and it ended up looking orange?"
"Yeah. You said it looked cool."
"It was kinda cool but it didn't look very good with your skin."
Birdie has fair skin which looks great with her normally blond hair but didn't look good with the orange.
Anyone But Her Page 11