Shot at Love

by Melody Heck Gatto

  Luc grabbed his father’s arm and steadied him as he wobbled back and forth. “Woah, Dad, you sure they said you can go home?”

  His dad nodded toward the doctor entering the room. “Yes—ask him, son. I can’t wait to get this blasted gown off. My dear, you may want to step out for that. No one really wants to see what’s under this.” He pointed to the hospital gown.

  “Dad.” Luc groaned.

  “You must be his son. Yes. Mr. Marcella can go home. He’s got a few bumps and bruises, and he’ll probably be sore in the morning.”

  “Son, at my age, I’m sore every morning, accident or not.” At Luc’s insistence, his dad sat with a grunt back down on the edge of the bed.

  The doctor snickered and shook his head. “Yeah, he’ll be sore. He was lucky, though. Broken bones were limited to his nose, and looks like one of his ribs. He’ll have to take it easy for a few days and see how he feels. He does have some whiplash and has possibly sprained his shoulder. I’m thinking the seatbelt did its job and yanked him back in the seat at impact. Unfortunately, that’s going to hurt for a while. I’ll send him home with the sling in case that shoulder gives him too much problem. He should limit how much he lifts. Take it easy for a few days until he feels better. But otherwise, he won’t need to wear it.”

  “That’s great news. Thanks so much, doc.” Luc took a deep, cleansing breath.

  When that car had hit them, the first thing that went through Luc’s head was never seeing Kassie again. When the impact was mostly on the passenger side of the car, his brain went into overdrive, worrying about his dad. His dad was all he had left. His mom was gone, his grandparents were all gone, and he was an only child. Their family was small; if he lost his dad… He couldn’t lose his dad.

  The last few years had been rough for them. His father seemed to get into more messes than usual. And being so far away, Luc wasn’t easily able to help.

  Luc could take his dad home and make sure he healed like he should. Hearing the doctor say the words meant that everything was really going to be okay. That he still had his little family. And that gave him an idea.

  “All right you two. Unless you want to see an old man with his shirt off, I suggest you step outside while I change out of this gown. Then we can get the heck out of this place.”

  Luc nodded. “C’mon, Kass, let’s go take care of the paperwork while Dad gets changed.”

  She nodded and clung to him again. Not that he minded her neediness. Having this pretty girl glued to his side was something he could get used to.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  Kassie

  Kassie’s head was spinning by the time they got to Luc’s loft. She had offered to drive, since it was her car and he had been through a rough night. But Luc could obviously tell she was still shaken, and he wouldn’t hear of her driving. Luc’s father seemed to be in good shape, and she was relieved that things hadn’t been worse.

  When she heard there had been an accident, her mind had gone to the worst case scenario. She couldn’t stand the thought that she might not see Luc again, and she’d never told him how she felt about him. She’d never said those three words that mattered.

  But by some miracle, her worries did not come to fruition. Luc was okay, and his dad’s injuries were minor. The Porsche not so much, but cars could be replaced. People could not.

  They quietly sat down in the living room. She could only assume they were all trying to unwind from the events of tonight. Kassie was snuggled into Luc’s side, her head resting on his chest. His poor dad looked uncomfortable, judging by the way he winced each time he changed his sitting position. It was as if even breathing hurt him, but he’d never admit it.

  “Dad, you sure you’re okay?” Luc asked.

  “Yeah.” His dad waved him off. “I’m fine. Just sore. That’s to be expected.”

  Luc sighed heavily. “I feel so bad. I should’ve swerved sooner to avoid that asshole.”

  Kassie could feel his pain, his regret. His body tensed as he spoke.

  “Son, don’t beat yourself up about it. It wasn’t your fault.” The look of concern dropped from his dad’s face, and was replaced by exhaustion. “Did the police find you at the hospital?”

  Luc shook his head. “No, why?”

  “They found the other driver not far from the accident scene. His car was mangled, and the paint scratches on his car matched yours. Drunk driver.”

  Luc shook his head and sighed. “Well, at least they caught him.” He wrapped his arm tighter around Kassie.

  “Plus, you’re both okay,” Kassie added. To her that was the most important thing to note. Insurance and lawyers would figure out the rest. None of that mattered right now.

  Luc’s dad nodded in agreement with a half wince, half smile. “I’m going to go get cleaned up. Need to get the smell of hospital off me. Excuse me.”

  “Hang on, Dad. Look, this shook me bad. It’s made me think about how far away you really are once you go home. I’d like you to think about moving here. Even if it’s just during the season, or just part of the season. I can help you keep a place here in the city—and one back home, if that’s what you’d like. But I’d feel better if you were closer.”

  Luc’s dad took a moment and just looked at him. There was a soft look on his face. “I’ll give it some thought. But it doesn’t sound like a half bad idea.” He nodded with a smile and left them alone in the living room.

  The room was quiet for a few minutes until Luc spoke, not only breaking the silence, but taking with him her feeling of security as he moved away from her side. “Kass, you want something to drink?” Luc stood up from the couch, leaving her cold and uneasy without him by her.

  “I’ll come with you.” Even though his dad was in his room changing his clothes, dirty from the wreck, she felt odd being here. Almost as if she was in the way. Or it was all her imagination, and after the events of tonight, she just couldn’t stand to be more than a few inches from him?

  “My kitchen isn’t that exciting, I swear,” Luc said, as she followed close behind him. “I know I’ve never given you the royal tour, but there’s not much to see. Living room, kitchen, small dining area to your left, which I rarely use. Then of course, there are the bedrooms and baths. Two of each.” His voice was flirty, but she wasn’t falling for it. Not with his dad here. “And the walls are pretty thick.”

  Kassie stood in the corner of the kitchen, her back was to the cupboards, and she watched him retrieve drinks from the refrigerator. He wasn’t complaining, and she knew better than to think he would, but she still noticed him wince when moving his neck.

  “Maybe you’d be interested in a tour of the master bedroom?” Luc trapped her in the corner and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her close.

  His breath was hot on her face, and she swore he must be able to hear her own heartbeat pounding against her chest. His hard body barely pressed against hers, she stared into his deep, devious eyes. They gleamed with flirty enjoyment.

  “Kassie, I’m tired of worrying about the code. My mind is made up. I want this.” Luc stood strong and was sure of his words. This was him fighting for what he wanted, regardless of what it cost him.

  He towered over her. She stood silent and weak at the knees. She couldn’t dispute it, she wanted this too, but the words weren’t forming. She wanted to scream it from the rooftops how she felt about him.

  “You know as well as I do that we have something here. Something real. And I’m not ashamed to tell you that this is something I’ve never felt before.”

  Her heart pounded, and her pulse raced. Being this close to Luc was giving her butterflies and made her breathing shallow with excitement. “You have to be on the ice with Kaden, and you guys have to get along.”

  He tilted her chin up so their eyes met. “Sweets, you worry too much about your brother. He and I will be just fine. We’ll work everything out when we talk. Haven’t you and I wasted enough time worrying about what everyone else thinks? The only people
we should be concerned with right now is us. And speaking of us, I’d really like it if you stayed with me tonight. I don’t want to be away from you tonight.”

  “Oh, Luc. But your dad?” She didn’t feel comfortable staying here with his dad. What would I sleep in, and where would I sleep? With Luc? While his dad is here? It was an uncomfortable situation.

  “What about my dad? He won’t care. Kass, I’m a big boy, I can have overnight guests if I want. Not to mention, it is my place.” He dropped a hot kiss on her neck, then another. “Trust me.”

  “Oh, I don’t know… Won’t it be weird?”

  His lips were like fire piercing her skin. It’d been an exhausting night, and getting lost with Luc seemed like just what the doctor ordered.

  “Don’t mind me, kids. Seriously,” Luc’s dad called from the living room.

  The sound of his voice made Kassie jump. She didn’t know he was right there while Luc was trying to put the moves on her.

  “See, he doesn’t mind,” Luc whispered in her ear in between kisses. “Just stay.”

  Part of her wanted to stay after the night they had been through. She’d been so scared of losing him. Now, knowing he was okay, she was extra needy. Spending the night alone in her cold bed seemed sad, and she wanted no part of it.

  “Only if you’re sure it’s okay,” she whispered, suddenly bashful.

  “I’m sure.” Luc and his dad said at the same time.

  Her face burned with embarrassment.

  Luc’s dad stood at the entrance of the kitchen. “Kids, it’s late. I’m going to turn in now. Goodnight, you two. I’ll be going to my room now. The one all the way down the hall. Where I can’t even hear Luc snore, much less anything else. Sweet dreams.”

  Kassie covered her face with her hands, as Luc’s dad walked away. Burying her face in Luc’s chest, wanting to faint from embarrassment, she mumbled, “Goodnight, Mr. Marcella.”

  “Call me Joe!” he called from down the hall, right before he closed his door.

  “This is weird.” Even just staying innocently in Luc’s bed for the night felt odd. But the look in his eye told her his intentions were anything but innocent.

  “No. It’s fine. It was an odd night though, and in all honesty, I don’t want to move from your side.” He took her face in his hands and looked directly into her eyes. “Sweets, you were the first thing I thought of when I knew something bad was going to happen. What if I never got to see your sweet face again?”

  His warm lips brushed against her in the gentlest way.

  Her heart ached at his words. “I’m right here, and I’m not going anywhere.” She felt the same way he did. Even in the hospital, she’d hung onto him, not wanting to let go. Ever. The fear of losing him was so overwhelming that it physically ached.

  “I know.” He pulled her into his chest and held her.

  She listened to his heartbeat for a few minutes and just held him. Kassie needed to be with Luc as much as he seemed to need her. He dropped a kiss on top of her head before she looked up at him. His eyes had weariness mixed with his usual playfulness.

  Kassie took his hand. “Why don’t we go lie down; you’re tired.” She led him down the hallway, guessing which room was his.

  The other bedroom door, Joe’s room, was closed. The faint sound of the TV could be heard from the hall.

  The master bedroom was almost as large as the living room and had its own bathroom. It was obviously professionally decorated, with a gray and burgundy color scheme, right down to a painting on the wall and vases on the dresser.

  “Don’t close that door yet. I don’t want the big light on; my head is still kind of hurting.” Luc walked to the bathroom and turned that light on. The open door illuminated a trail on the carpet.

  It was just enough light. Kassie sat down on the edge of the bed. She’d been so preoccupied with the events of the evening that she hadn’t even noticed how handsome he looked today. Between the stress of dinner with her brother and the accident, she had overlooked how cute the toque was that he wore, his tight blue jeans, and the tennis shoes that matched his button-down shirt.

  “Do you need me to get you ibuprofen or anything for your head? Are you sure this is okay?”

  “No thanks. I’ll be fine. But I appreciate your being concerned. Um, Kass, would you like one of my t-shirts to sleep in?” He pulled off the toque and tossed it to the dresser, then ran his hand through his flat hat-hair, messing it up.

  “Um…”

  “Kass, you don’t need to be uncomfortable. I can give you shorts too, if you want. But my dad won’t bother us, I can promise you that.” He slid off his shoes and joined her on the bed. “Ironically, my dad knew how we felt, long before we did.”

  “Oh?” She slid down on the bed until her head lay on the pillow.

  Luc moved his muscular body on top of hers. “I never believed I could feel this way about someone so soon. I didn’t want to scare you away.” His breath was hot on her face.

  Kassie curled her arms around his shoulders and met his lips with hers.

  He kissed her lightly. His body surrounded her, pinning her to the bed in the most sensual way. “Sweets, I’m not expecting you to say anything back, but I need to say the words again. I like hearing them.” Luc flashed her a sexy smirk. “Kassie, I am head over heels in love with you. There’s no other way to describe how I feel. I love you.”

  His words warmed her body from head to toe. “Luc, I didn’t expect to feel that way, either. I made it a point my entire life to never date athletes; it was just easier that way. But you showed up and made yourself a place in my life. I didn’t see it coming until you already had my heart.”

  Luc pressed his warm lips to hers. His kiss was soft and gentle, awakening all of her senses. She gasped, needing to catch her breath when his hips pushed into hers, a foreshadowing of what was to come.

  Taking that chance to deepen the kiss, he moved his tongue along her bottom lip before slipping it into her mouth. Their tongues danced and twirled in slow motion.

  His fingertips slid along her waist and under her shirt. Her body responded at his light touch, and she involuntarily arched into him. Her body hummed with need. She craved him.

  “Woah there, princess.” Luc sat up on his knees, pulling her up with him.

  In a sitting position, she unhurriedly undid his shirt, one button at a time.

  “Mm-hmm. Yes. There’s no reason to rush. I’d prefer to take this nice and slow.” He smirked at her. His words were drawn out and sexy. Those dark and heavily lidded eyes looked down at her, and the need she saw in them made her want more.

  Tossing his shirt to the floor, she went for his belt. As she pulled it off, he flinched at her fingers tickling his waist. Slowly she undid his jeans and dragged them off him, too. Goosebumps swept over her body in waves as his eyes ran over her.

  His gaze was intense as he slid her shirt over her head and tossed it to the floor. Luc dropped kisses from her shoulder down to her belly button. His whiskers tickled as he did. Chills ran through her.

  Luc slowly laid her back on the bed and slid her pants off. His gaze trailed over her with a hunger. The same hunger she felt. Her heart pounded against her chest with such force as he slid his finger down her jawline, stopping at her chin.

  He tipped her mouth up to meet his warm lips. Luc kissed her deliberately, taking his time, yet giving her everything that she craved. Their bodies fit so perfectly together, it was as if they were made for one another. And Kassie was starting to think they just might be.

  His hips pushed into hers, teasing her. Kassie moaned with need.

  Without words, Luc seemed to know what she wanted. He reached around her to the bedside table and grabbed a condom. He ripped the package open with his teeth, and quickly slid the condom on.

  Kassie wrapped her arms around his shoulders, wanting his mouth back on hers. As soon as his lips brushed against hers, his tongue pushed into her mouth, and his hard dick pressed into her with unhurried
need. Luc moaned into her mouth, his slow actions affecting him as much as they did her.

  Kassie’s heart raced as she matched his movements. Luc’s mouth roamed down to her neck, sucking at her skin as he pushed into her. She buried her face in his muscular shoulder, gasping at each thrust, anticipating every slow move he made.

  Taking his time with her, their bodies stayed molded together as he pleasured her, over and over again.

  She rolled over to look at the clock. It was still dark out, and she was exhausted. After all, not a lot of sleeping had gone on last night. The clock read five in the morning. There’s no way I’m getting out of this warm bed and leaving him. After last night, the only place she wanted to be was at his side. Grabbing her phone, she dialed the call-off line at work. Whispering into the phone, she did her best not to wake up Luc.

  “Hi, it’s Kassie O’Conner. My boyfriend was in a car accident last night so I won’t be able to make it in today. Everybody is doing okay, but it was a very long and exhausting night.”

  Putting her cell phone back on the bedside table, she rolled over to see if Luc was awake. A little snore and a mumble, and she knew he was still asleep. Kassie wrapped her arm around her man and cuddled in next to him. Closing her eyes, she drifted off again.

  Basking in his warmth, she didn’t open her eyes again until the sun was streaming through the window. Luc mumbled something and pulled her against his naked chest. “G’Morning, sweets.” He placed a kiss on top of her head.

  “Mm-hmm.”

  The bed creaked as Luc adjusted his position and coaxed her to look up at him. “Sweets, don’t you have to work today? Not that I’m kicking you out or anything.” He wrapped both arms around her, enveloping her in heat. “I’d be okay if you spent the whole day here beside me.”

  Kassie looked up at him. She blinked a few times, clearing the morning blurriness from her eyes. “That’s good, since I told them I wouldn’t be in today.”

  “No? Good.” He rolled to his side and curled his warm body around hers. “’Cause this is the only thing I really want to do today.”