Loose Ends (Magnolia Series Book 1)

by Dawn, Taylor

  “Uh huh.” She nodded slightly and waited for his question.

  “What would you do if I kissed you right now?” His lips—just centimeters from her ear—felt warm and ready.

  “I don’t know,” she answered honestly. Being kissed never really got her engine running. It was just something that led the good part—sex. She could take it or leave it.

  “I’m willing to bet if I put my lips on yours, you’ll go soft all over and your panties will be soaked.” His fingers bit into her hips a fraction more.

  “And what if that doesn’t happen?” She knew better than to challenge him, but she couldn’t help it. Luke wanted to play and she wanted to see how far she could push him.

  “I guess we won’t know unless I kiss you, now will we?”

  Kissing was the ultimate intimate act. Sure, sex was pretty damn personal, but for someone to bestow a kiss on you meant they were willing to go further than anyone else. Did she want that?

  Logic was tossed out the window when she heard herself say, “Then fucking kiss me.”

  “Fuck, yeah.” Luke didn’t even bother to turn her around. His hands left her hips and found their way to her neck. He grabbed her jaw with a little more force than she’d expected but it didn’t matter, it felt right.

  If she’d thought that kissing was only a precursor to sex, she’d been dead wrong. The moment Luke’s lips touched hers, she was done for. He didn’t go slow either. There was an urgency with which he kissed her that relayed the same feelings she’d been brimming with ever since she’d met him. He’d also been one hundred percent right. Her entire body went soft and melted into his like a candle that’d been left in the scorching July sunlight. Low moans built in her throat as she pushed herself back into him, feeling how he was affected by what was going on. His erection pressed into her bottom and as if it had a mind of its own, it began to grind against him, pulling moans from his throat as well. He broke away suddenly and stepped back leaving her cold and bereft.

  “I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to do that.” She crossed her arms over her sensitive breasts as she apologized.

  “Yes, you did, Ava.”

  “Luke, please,” She didn’t know why she was begging. She needed something and he held the key to giving it to her.

  He raised an inquisitive eyebrow. “Don’t play with fire if you don’t want to get burned, Ava.”

  “I’m not afraid of a little fire.” She issued another challenge.

  “This isn’t your typical little fire. This one will torch you and turn you into a pile of ash,” he taunted.

  “Maybe I want to be burned.”

  “Maybe I want to burn you. But this isn’t a good idea.” He shook his head. An internal battle raged behind his eyes.

  Ava felt deflated. He obviously didn’t want her as much as he’d let on. Sure she’d given him an impressive hard-on, but most men would acquire one of those if a slight breeze blew their junk in the right direction. She stepped away, trying not to be hurt by his rejection. “If you don’t want me, I understand. I’m sorry I wasted your time.” The tell-tale burn of tears formed at the back of her eyes. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep them from spilling out and causing her more shame and humiliation.

  ***

  Luke studied Ava’s back as she turned away from him. Did she really think he didn’t want her? Wasn’t the fact that his dick was hard enough to cut glass show her that he was more than interested in what she was offering up on a silver platter? He wasn’t done with her by a longshot.

  Stalking toward her, he pushed her against the wall just a few inches away. The short gasp that left her lips was music to his ears. Grabbing both of her wrists he lifted them above her head and pinned them against the wall in one of his hands. He then pushed his obvious attraction against the lush curve of her ass. “Does that feel like I don’t want you?” She didn’t answer him. “Does it, Ava?” he asked in a more forceful tone.

  “No, but…”

  “But what? Do you think my cock gets this hard over someone I don’t want?”

  “I don’t know,” she whispered.

  “Well, it doesn’t, sweetheart. I’m trying to go slow here, but you’re testing my ability to even think straight.”

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

  “Do you know what it’s like to see you then have to go home and stroke my cock to the mere thought of you? Do you, Ava?”

  She was silent for a few seconds and then answered, “Yes, I do.”

  Luke chuckled. “When I left your house the other night, did you lie in bed and touch yourself?” She nodded. “Did you slide your hands in your pretty little panties and feel how wet you were?”

  “Yes,” Ava hissed.

  “How wet did the thought of me make you?”

  “Luke…”

  “Tell me. I want to know if you were so fucking wet that you couldn’t help but fuck yourself with your own fingers.”

  “I did, damn you!”

  “Did you scream my name when your pussy clenched around them?” Another nod. “You’re not the only one. I went home and stroked my cock to the thought of you. When I came—and believe me, it was the hardest I’ve come in a very long time—I fucking roared your name, Ava.”

  “Oh, God,” she moaned.

  “So see? I want you, and make no mistake, I will have you eventually. But for now, we need to cool it.”

  “Okay,” she agreed.

  He released her shaking arms and backed away, his jeans fitting more snuggly than they had when he’d dressed earlier.

  ***

  Ava was shell-shocked by the way Luke had reacted to her. His tight grip on her wrists should’ve pissed her off and made her feel weak, but it had the opposite effect. She felt safe and strong when he pressed her against the wall of her salon. Good thing there weren’t any locals strolling by. They’d have gotten one hell of a show through the large plate glass windows at the front of her shop. Now she was wondering if by ‘cool it’ he meant they weren’t headed out on a date for the evening. She’d understand if that was the case. She wouldn’t be happy, but maybe he didn’t want to do this whole thing after all. Possibly he thought it was too damn messy; guys typically didn’t do messy. She was left in limbo trying to read his expressions.

  “I’m guessing the date for tonight is off?” She finally decided to jump on the elephant in the room and give its ass a hearty slap.

  “We’re still going out tonight.”

  “I didn’t know, since…the whole…the thing...happened.” Ava stumbled over her words trying to find the right thing to say, instead sounding like a toddler with a speech impediment. Now the elephant was trotting around laughing hysterically at her.

  “I didn’t say I didn’t want to take you out. I just think this whole attraction thing needs to cool off.” He looked like it physically hurt him to say that. A little spark of hope bloomed inside Ava when she saw his regret.

  “I agree. I don’t want to complicate things too much.”

  “Yeah, that.” He ran a hand across his jaw as if he were thinking hard. “Anyway, do you need help closing up here?”

  “Um, no. I need to turn off the lights and lock the back door. We can go out the front.” She walked to the back of the shop, throwing open the breaker box and began flipping the switches that controlled the interior lights. The back door was already locked up and the heavy metal bar placed across it, but she made sure to double check just in case. She didn’t want any surprises while she was working. “All done. Should I leave my car here and ride with you?”

  “Wouldn’t be much of a date if I asked you to follow me somewhere,” he snorted.

  “I suppose not. Alright then, I’m ready if you are.” Ava motioned to the door and followed Luke out. She stuck the thick metal key in the industrial lock and waited until she heard the grating click, signifying it was locked. She yanked on the handle just to be sure.

  “Ready? I’m parked across the street.” Luke pointed to a newer
model Chevy pickup truck.

  Ava nodded and let him lead the way. He didn’t seem like the kind of guy who’d have the money for a $50,000 truck and this vehicle had to cost at least that much. It wasn’t as if she was judging him, but as far as she knew most self-employed contractors didn’t make a ton of cash. Maybe she was wrong, though. Luke waited by the passenger door of the extended cab as she walked to him. Like a southern gentleman, he opened the door and offered her his hand for assistance climbing in. This guy was a walking contradiction. One minute he was gruff and a bit forceful and the next he was practically laying his jacket down over a puddle so she didn’t get her glass slippers muddy. Ava wasn’t sure what to think of Luke Daughtry at this point.

  Her eyes followed his muscular body as he rounded the hood of the truck and slid into his own seat. The air in the cab was filled with tension so thick, you could practically see and smell it. Speaking of smelling things, Luke was heavenly. Was it his cologne or soap that made him smell so good she wanted to lick him like her own personal lollipop? He didn’t start the truck immediately which put her more on edge. Ava continued to stare out the front window so she didn’t see regret when she finally decided to glance his way. It felt like hours before he spoke.

  “Ava.” He said her name and it snapped her attention to him.

  “Huh?”

  “Seatbelt.” He pointed to the fact she hadn’t bothered to slip on her seatbelt.

  “Oh, right.” She slipped it over her chest and clicked it into place. It took a bit of wiggling around to make it comfortable; her breasts were still sensitive from being aroused by Luke.

  “Thanks.” He then started the engine and pulled away from the curb.

  Ava wasn’t sure what sort of conversation she should start, if any. They’d kind of skipped past “how are you, how’s your day been” and to “take off your clothes, let me fuck you into oblivion” in a matter of thirty minutes. The awkwardness she’d expected when walking to his truck had materialized and here she sat, hands twisting in her lap, wondering why she’d agreed to continue this date after all that’d transpired.

  ***

  Luke drove his truck down the two-lane highway leading out of the city limits and to his home. Ava sat silent beside him and he suspected she felt just as uncomfortable as he did. Things had gotten out of hand quickly back in her shop and he knew he was to blame. She’d taunted and challenged him but he should’ve been the one to put a stop to it. He knew better. This wasn’t a fucking vacation for him. It was a job. An extremely well-paying job that he needed to do and get the hell out. But it was okay to have a bit of fun while you worked, wasn’t it? If Ava was on board with the idea of having a fling then it shouldn’t really be against company policy. He chuckled to himself. Company policy. The people he worked for didn’t own a multi-billion dollar cooperation. They were goddamned criminals. Who gave a rat’s ass if he had some fun on the side? They didn’t need to know about it. They had their own agenda in the big scheme of things anyway; he was still trying to figure out what exactly it was. But now wasn’t the time to stew over those facts. He’d promised Ava a date, and he would follow through.

  “You can talk, you know.” Luke let out a husky laugh.

  “I really don’t know what to say.” She shrugged and continued to stare at the road ahead of them.

  “I don’t either. How about we start over?” he offered.

  She shifted in her seat to face him. Her small hand darted out. “I’m Ava, I run a small salon and I’ve lived here for two years.” She gave a smile that would knock a normal man flat on his ass. Luke wasn’t a normal man and he happened to be sitting down already.

  He extended his free hand and took hers. “I’m Luke, and I’m a pain in the ass. Nice to meet you, Ava.” He offered her a genuine smile, something he wasn’t used to doing. In his line of work, it was all about giving someone the illusion of security. Make them feel safe and hit them when they least expected it. But with Ava, it came naturally to give her at least something real.

  “I won’t disagree with you, but you’re the nicest pain in the ass I’ve ever met.”

  “I’ll take that as a checkmark in the pro column.”

  “Where’re we headed?” She looked around and noticed the tree-lined gravel driveway up ahead.

  “My house. You mentioned something about southern homes. Thought you’d like to take a walk back through time.”

  Her eyes lit up with excitement. “Really? Wow, this is so great. I’ve always wanted to take a tour of one. I’ve just never had the time.”

  “You have the time now. I’m glad you’re excited about it. Fair warning though, I’m in the process of fixing it up so it’s not one hundred percent yet.” That was one thing Luke hadn’t lied about. His grandmother really had passed away, but it wasn’t recently. Millie had been gone for six years. She’d left her estate to Luke but he’d been too damn busy to do anything with it. When he located Ava in Biloxi, it was the perfect cover for this job.

  “It could be mostly in ruins and I’d be fine with it. Thank you for bringing me here,” she said just as the two-story plantation home came into view. Ava sat forward to get a better look as they drove closer. “Luke, this is spectacular.” She looked at him like he’d handed her the key to unlock another dimension.

  “It kind of is.” He was proud of the home and its history. It’d been in the family since before the Civil War. After this job was through, he wasn’t sure what would become of it. His dad would stick a boot in his ass if he sold it; that was for certain.

  “I can’t wait to go inside. Does it have the original furniture still?” She was practically bouncing in her seat. Who knew a house would make Ava come alive like that?

  “Most of it’s in storage for now. I’d like to have some of it worked on and restored back to its original glory.”

  Before Luke could put the truck in park and shut the engine off, Ava was unbuckled and had her door open. She bounded out of the vehicle like a child running down the street to catch up with the ice cream truck. Something pulled in his chest as he watched her take in the visual splendor around her. He wasn’t a man who felt many emotions. Shutting himself down was part of his job; he didn’t become attached to things and people. They were all disposable in one way or another; that was just a way of life for him. His mother enforced that lesson at a very young age. She’d showed him that even though you had people who loved and cared about you, it was okay to walk away and act like they didn’t mean jack shit. So he’d adapted that way of thinking when he’d decided to go into his current field of work.

  “Can I see the inside now?” Ava pulled him from his past and back to the present.

  “Sure, come on.” His key ring twisted around his finger and he climbed the few steps to the front door. He looked back at a glowing Ava and felt the pull just a little bit more. It was one thing to be attracted to her in a purely sexual manner, but to have strange feelings begin to break through…he had to squash them before something bad happened.

  ***

  “Wow, I love this place!” Ava exclaimed while venturing from room to room in the quintessential 19th century plantation home. With its high ceilings and arched entryways, Ava felt like she’d been transported back to a time when petticoats and ball gowns were part of daily life. But the one thing that took her breath away was the grand staircase that greeted her as soon as she walked through the front door. The bottom was wide but as the steps ascended, they narrowed. The hand-carved railings and spindles were so intricately done, she felt sorry for the craftsman who’d had to sit and whittle them out once upon a time. Above the foyer hung a brilliant crystal chandelier. “Is that original?” she asked Luke, pointing to the fixture above her head.

  “It is. When my grandmother moved in it still held candles to light the entryway and the foyer. But she had it redesigned to allow for electricity.”

  Ava spun around and watched as the gleaming sunlight from the arched window above the door streaked throug
h, causing the chandelier to throw off glittering rainbows all across the hardwood floor. This was like something out of a movie. Even though—like Luke had said—things weren’t one hundred percent, it was still stunning in her eyes.

  “Would you rather live in a place like this, or your beach house?” Luke questioned.

  “I think they both have their special qualities. But I would live here, hands down.” Ava laughed.

  “Because of the space?” He took a seat on one of the wider steps at the bottom of the staircase, propping his elbows on his knees.

  “Not at all. I love the history of it. If these walls could talk, I’m sure they could keep us entertained for days upon end.” She felt herself becoming wistful at the thought.

  “I’m sure they could. Come on, I’ll show you my favorite part.” Luke surprised her by standing and grabbing her hand, tugging her gently behind him. He took her through another arched doorway and soon they were out in the cool evening air.

  “I can see why it’s your favorite.” Ava stepped forward and was standing on a wrap-around porch. Semi-dilapidated wooden rocking chairs lined the porch and Ava thought she’d seen one of them move slightly with the breeze.

  “I like to sit out here and think.” Luke met her as she leaned against the railing.

  “You’re so lucky to have a place like this in your family.” Her voice cracked a bit and she tried to hide it by clearing her throat.

  “Do you have a family home?”

  “No. My parents are long gone. They died in a plane crash when I was nine. I lived with an aunt and uncle until I turned 18. I got a scholarship to attend cosmetology school and moved to Chi…California.” She caught herself before she spilled the beans about where she was actually from.

  “Sorry to hear that.” Luke’s voice was full of sympathy.

  “Don’t be. I don’t remember much about them. Dad worked for some investment firm and my mom was always out with her girlfriends. I was basically raised by a nanny.” More sadness crept in. “Anyway, that’s all long gone. I don’t really want to ruin the night by talking about my woes. Sorry if I depressed you on the first date.” The sad thing was, none of the story about her parents was real except the part about them being deceased. She’d made up an elaborate tale about them and eventually it seemed real even to her.