by L. P. Dover
“That’s right. But now that I have you back, I can take all the time I want.”
Taking him by the shoulders, I pushed him over and straddled my bare body on top of his. His shorts were still on, but that was about to change. “We’ll see about that.” His cock bulged against the cotton, and I stroked my hand over it as I moved against him.
Luke’s eyes rolled in the back of his head and he hissed, “If you keep doing that, there’s no way I’ll be able to hold out. It’s been too long.”
I smirked, fully aroused at the thought of turning him on so thoroughly. “That’s the whole point,” I muttered seductively.
Pulling his shorts down enough to free him, I took his arousal in my hand and massaged him hard, gliding my palm up and down his length. Luke sighed and closed his eyes, sucking in a ragged breath as I bent down and flicked the tip with my tongue.
His body jerked and he moaned. “Fuck.”
Smiling, I wrapped my lips around him and sucked. He tasted so good in my mouth; fresh from a shower with the hint of salt from is arousal. His balls were loose in my hands, and I rolled them around gently as I sucked him off.
Breathing hard, Luke grasped me by the shoulders. “Lara, I need you to stop.”
I teased him for a few more seconds before releasing him, staring up at him with a triumphant smile. He rolled me onto my back and pinned me down on the soft mattress. Biting one of my nipples, he sucked it greedily, causing me to scream out.
Reaching over to his bedside table, he fumbled in the drawer until I heard the crinkling of a wrapper. I was breathless underneath him, and my heart pounded with anticipation. Luke opened the foil packet and rolled the condom down his length. I had no clue if I was on any kind of birth control, so it was a good thing he had them.
Caging me between his arms, my hands grabbed his hair to pull him closer. He settled himself between my legs, and I spread them wide. The tip of his cock pressed against my opening, and he circled it around, preparing me for what was to come.
Gazing into my eyes, Luke rubbed his nose against mine and slowly began kissing me again. With short, easy thrusts he entered me gently. I hissed with the initial pain, but it slowly ebbed away. The fullness of him inside of me was erotic and sensual; the pain of his cock stretching me wide was a good hurt.
“Are you okay?” he asked, slowing his thrusts.
Wrapping my legs around his waist, I pushed my hips into his. “Does that answer your question?” I moaned.
Luke continued his slow rhythm for a while, before picking up speed, pounding his flesh against mine. I was on the brink of losing control, and I was sure he could feel it by the way my insides tightened around his cock.
“Let go, baby. Come for me,” Luke murmured in my ear. Those words were all it took to send me over the edge.
I cried out his name, clenching my legs tight around his waist. I dug my nails into his back and trembled relentlessly. My orgasm came hot and swift, pouring over my body as I rode each delicious wave of pleasure. Luke grunted loudly as he came, thrusting hard as he released.
We were both breathing hard and exhausted, but there was still a throbbing ache between my legs demanding more. He gently slid out of me and took off the condom, throwing it in the wastebasket beside his bed. He pulled me into his arms and kissed me. “You were so tight and wet, I about lost my mind.”
I smiled lazily at him, fully relaxed but ready for another round.
A concerned look was in his eyes. “Are you sore? I didn’t hurt you did I?”
I moved my hips around to gauge the pain. “I’m a little sore, but it felt good.”
Mischievously, he grinned. “Good, so when tomorrow comes you’ll feel that ache between your legs and know it was I who did it.”
“How could I forget?” I teased. “Why don’t you remind me just in case?”
Groaning, he looked down at his cock. “Do you see what you do to me? I don’t think I’m going to be able to let you out of this bed if you keep teasing me.”
Smiling, I bit my lip and rubbed his cock. “Ready for round two?”
Luke reached over and grabbed another condom from his dresser. “You’re too much, you know that?”
“You have no idea,” I said, taking the condom from him.
Time stood still as we made love through all hours of the night. When I finally drifted off to sleep, I couldn’t help but feel that I was happy for the first time in my life. It felt good to be in Luke’s arms, but there was an obstacle I still had to face. Grayson. Telling him wasn’t going to be easy. In fact, it was probably going to be one of the hardest things I’d have to do.
The following morning, Luke was by the stove, flipping pancakes in the air.
“Maybe you should work at the tavern,” I giggled taking a seat at the table.
He chuckled. “My culinary skills are limited, cupcake. I’m good on the grill, but when it comes to casseroles and silly shit like that, I’m lost.” He passed me a plate of blueberry pancakes and smiled. “My pancake making abilities, however, are top notch.”
“Thanks,” I said, hearing my stomach growl. “I love me some pancakes.”
He sat down in front of me with his own plate. “I know.” We ate in silence but every time I looked over at him, he smiled. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach and it felt good. “You never told me what happened last night,” he said.
Sighing, I swallowed the last of my pancake. “There’s really not much to tell. We went and played a few games of laser tag and stayed in the arcade for a while. Afterward, we got some ice cream and walked around the park.”
His gaze narrowed. “Grayson played laser tag?”
I nodded. “Yeah, why?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I can’t see him doing things like that. He’s always been a very serious guy. Playing laser tag would be something I’d take you to do.”
“Really? He said we always did adventurous things together, like hiking and white-water rafting.”
“If by always he means once, then yeah,” he stated adamantly.
I stared at him, wondering why Grayson would say it if it wasn’t true. Why would he lie about that?
Luke ran a finger down my arm to get my attention, his gaze burning right through me. “I kept up with you, Lara. You went hiking to Crowder’s Mountain and to the white-water center, but you two weren’t an adventurous couple. Honestly, you never had anything in common other than the tavern. You were there twenty-four-seven.”
“Why would he lie about the things we’ve done?”
“I’m not sure, but he has to know there wasn’t much to your relationship. And since you don’t remember, he can reinvent himself to draw you back in.”
The whole situation made my heart hurt. “Last night, I kept waiting for Grayson to tell me exciting stories about our time together, like you’ve done, but there was nothing. We talked about things we liked to do, but that was it.”
Luke finished off his pancakes and washed his plate in the sink. “Did he kiss you?” His back was to me, but I could see his muscles tense as he waited for my answer.
“Yes,” I whispered.
Gripping the sink, he lowered his head. “Did you feel anything?”
I got up and walked over to him, wrapping my arms around his waist. His skin was warm as I laid my cheek against his back. “No,” I murmured. “It only confirmed what I already knew.”
He turned around and held me in his arms, his green gaze raw as he stared down at me. “Which is?”
“That I have feelings for you. I don’t know what it all means, but I’m hoping we’ll be able to figure it out . . . together.”
Grasping my face between his strong hands, he kissed me with such intensity, I lost my breath. “Do you have any idea how long I’ve waited to hear you say that?”
“No, but I’m glad you waited.” My phone beeped with an incoming text and I groaned. “I should probably go. I bet Summer wants me to meet her at the tavern.”
“What are you going to do about Grayson?” he asked, concern etched across his face.
I shrugged. “Tell him the truth? It’s not fair to keep him in the dark.”
“Do you want me to be with you?”
I laughed. “Definitely not. The last thing we need is you two fighting.”
He agreed with a nod. “Just call me if you need me. I’ll be here, training with Chance. He’ll be by within the hour.”
I grabbed my phone and keys off the counter. “Have fun. Be careful on the track.”
He winked. “Always am.”
Another beep buzzed from my phone so I hurried out to my car and checked it.
Summer: You’re not at home. Are you okay?
Luke didn’t live far from me, but if I didn’t text her back she’d probably call the police and file a missing persons report. Summer worried more than our own mother.
Me: On my way home. Be there in five.
I walked into my kitchen to find Summer pouring herself a cup of coffee. Her blonde hair was down in waves and she had on a white sundress. That was one of the differences between us. She loved cute dresses, while I was more of a jeans and T-shirt kind of girl.
“You know, there is such a thing as giving me my space,” I suggested firmly.
She turned and faced me, her lips pursed. “Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t just barge in, but with you still without your memories, I got worried when I saw you weren’t here.”
I held out my arms. “I’m fine. Perfectly intact.”
She gazed up and down my body. “I see that. You were with Luke weren’t you?”
“What makes you think that?”
Sighing, she set down her cup. “Because you weren’t with Grayson. When you weren’t here, I called to see if you were with him.”
My heart sunk. “Great. I’m sure he knows now too.”
“So it’s true?”
I expected to see an angry glare on her face, but there was only sadness. “Yes,” I whispered. “I was going to tell Grayson today.”
“Don’t you think it’s a little too soon to make decisions? Maybe you should spend more time figuring it all out.”
I shook my head. “I know what my heart tells me, Summer. When Grayson kissed me, there was nothing, no spark. But when I’m with Luke, it doesn’t matter if I remember or not.” I rubbed a hand over my heart and smiled. “I can feel him in here. It’s like he’s always been in my heart.”
Blowing out a heavy breath, Summer nodded. “I guess I’ve always known you felt that way. You were in denial for so long, I started believing your lies.”
“Speaking of lies, I need to ask you something.”
She moved closer, her curious gaze regarding me with concern. “What is it?”
“Grayson and I . . . did we ever do fun things together like hiking or white-water rafting? How often did we go out on adventures?”
Lips pursed, a look of concentration passed across her face. “Now that I think about it, I can’t recall you two doing much of anything besides working at the restaurant. A whole group of us did go to the white-water center once, but other than that, I don’t think you guys went very often. You did hang out with Evan and I at our house and played cards.”
I never doubted Luke, but it was good to hear it confirmed by Summer.
“Why did you want to know?”
“Because Grayson lied and said we did stuff like that all the time, and Luke said otherwise. I wanted to see what you had to say.”
Groaning, she ran a hand through her golden waves. “I can’t believe he’d lie to you like that. Makes me wonder if he’s lied about other things.”
I shrugged. “We won’t know until I get my memories back.”
She shook her head and huffed. “I hate all of this. It’s so unfair. All I want is to see you happy.”
I reached out and grabbed her hands. “I am. Which is why I’m going to follow my dreams.”
Her brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”
“Luke asked me to be his PR manager.” Her eyes widened, but I cut her off before she could speak. “I’m not going to forget my duties to the tavern. I still want to work there, but I also want to explore what I can do for Luke. You know how excited I was when I graduated.”
Tears filled her eyes. “I know. After Austin died and we moved down here, you put it all aside to take care of me. If doing this is what you want to do, I’m not going to stop you. I think it’s great.”
“Really?”
Laughing, she pulled me in for a hug. “Of course. The restaurant was Austin’s dream, not yours. Just let me know what days you want to help out and we’ll go from there.”
I squeezed her hard. “Thanks, sis. I think it’ll be good for me.”
She let me go and ruffled my knotty hair. “Yes, it will. And so will a shower. Grayson will be at the tavern soon. The sooner you let him know what’s going on the better. He wasn’t happy when I got off the phone with him earlier.”
Gut clenching, I nodded and took a deep breath, hoping to keep the nausea at bay. “I’ll take a shower and head over there. But I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to work with him for a while.”
She nodded. “I agree. We’ll keep you on opposite shifts.”
“Thanks, Sum. The last thing I want to do is cause conflict, but there’s no other way.”
A sad smile spread across her face. “We all knew someone was going to get hurt.” She finished up her coffee and headed toward the door. “Evan’s going to be there this morning, while I stay at home and watch Emma-Grace. But I’ll see you this afternoon.”
“Okay,” I called out.
Grayson’s car was the only one in the parking lot when I pulled in. Taking a deep breath, I got out and trudged to the back door. The sound of bottles banging together accosted my ears. I tiptoed as quietly as I could through the kitchen and peered around the corner. Grayson was angry, the muscles in his jaw tense as he pulled liquor bottles out of their boxes. I was about to go out and talk to him when he reared back and punched the wall.
A gasp escaped my lips and he jerked his head toward me, a heavy sigh escaping his lips. “Fuck, Lara, I didn’t know you were here.”
His knuckles were bleeding so I rushed over to him. “What the hell are you doing?” I cried, taking his hand. I held it under the faucet and turned on the water. He hissed when the cold liquid poured over his cuts.
“Getting out my frustrations,” he answered, his voice pained and defeated. He sat down on one of the stools and lowered his head.
When he looked up at me, my heart ached. There was a time when the old Lara loved him, but I wasn’t her anymore. “I’m sorry,” I said.
“For what? Choosing Collins over me?”
“You know it wasn’t easy for me.” He huffed and averted his gaze. “Besides, he hasn’t lied to me like you have.”
His head jerked my way. “What are you talking about?”
I turned off the water and pulled up another stool so I could mend his cuts. Grabbing a towel, I wrapped it around his hand and squeezed.
“You lied about our relationship, Grayson. You said we were adventurous and did all sorts of things together, but it wasn’t true.”
He scoffed. “Let me guess, Collins told you otherwise.”
I nodded. “And Summer confirmed.” Jaw clenched, he closed his eyes. “Why, Grayson?”
Shoulders hunched, he lowered his head. “I wanted you to see in me what you saw in Luke. He’s adventurous, and the type of guy I knew you wanted to be with. I thought if I could be that kind of man, you’d pick me.”
“You didn’t have to lie about it. I know you’re a good guy. Showing me who you really are is what I wanted.”
Grayson’s head lifted, eyes blazing. “You want to know who I really am?” Sliding the stool back, he stood and held out his arms. “This tavern is who I am, Lara. It was my dream to open a restaurant with my brother.” He walked around the bar, out to the tables. “You and I ran this
place perfectly together. It’s true, we might’ve spent most of our time here, but there are a lot of memories inside these walls.”
He stopped at a table near the front door and glanced over his shoulder at me. “Right here is where you first told me you loved me. We’d worked all day and were about to leave, but you sat down to take a break. When I sat down with you, you looked at me and the three best words I’d ever heard came tumbling out of your mouth. In that moment, I was the happiest I’d ever been; at least until the day I proposed to you.”
He pointed to the back hallway. “In the kitchen one night, we were joking around and you threw a handful of ice cream at my head. It turned into an all-out fight and the whole room was covered. It was the first night we ever made love. Then we spent the rest of the night cleaning up the kitchen.” A small smile spread across his lips, and he let out a small laugh. “We were so exhausted the next day.”
I stood and walked around the bar. “Sounds like we had some crazy times in here.”
He nodded. “You loved me, Lara. You might not remember it, but it’s as clear as day to me. However, the worst night of all is when you sat in that seat,” he said, pointing toward the bar, “and broke down because of Luke. He hurt you numerous times and you finally allowed yourself to let the pain go. You cried for what felt like hours and I was the one who held you. I knew then that I was never going to let anyone hurt you ever again. So when I tell you that I love you, it’s because I love you with every bone in my body. I might have lied to you, but I didn’t do it to hurt you. Being with you has been the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
Swallowing hard, I closed the distance between us, wrapping my arms around his neck. He held me tight and the tears flowed down. “Thank you for being honest with me.”
The stubble on his cheek brushed across my neck and he breathed me in. “It doesn’t change anything, does it?”
“No,” I murmured regretfully.
His hands slowly slid down my back and he let me go. “Then I guess there’s nothing left to say.” He looked down at me, his green gaze showing utter torment.