“I know you feel guilty, Maya. You have that look about you. It’s the same look you had on the night of the awards ceremony,” he explained, gently so. “But this is not your fault. I was never arrested. Not really. It was a setup.”
He paused slightly, allowing my mind the time it needed to accept the information he was sharing. Not that it helped, mind you. I was still as confused as before and didn’t understand what he meant by the term ‘setup’. Was he working with the police?
“I knew I had to do something. You wouldn’t settle knowing that man was still out there following you so I got in touch with Jace.”
“Sasha’s Jace?” I asked, clinging to his shoulders for physical support.
“Yeah, he put me in contact with some police officers he knew and I told them everything. As it turns out, they’ve been following Rucco’s gang for a few years now but could never catch them in the act.”
“Rucco? Is that who Dan owed money?”
“Yeah.”
“So it was all part of the plan? You’d arranged to meet up in order to pay off Dan’s debt and the police came sweeping in?”
“Exactly, and they had to fake my arrest as to not draw suspicion. If any of them were to get out one day, they’d come straight for me, knowing I was the one who set them up.”
His explanation came as quite the comfort, and I even allowed myself the privilege of thinking forward to our future together. I’d been so worried that I couldn’t see past the end of the week, yet suddenly the possibilities were endless.
“I haven’t ruined it, have I? Us, I mean? By walking away.”
“God, no!” he insisted, grasping either side of my face. “I told you it wasn’t over between us, didn’t I?”
“You did, but then you got arrested, and I thought it was all my fault.”
“I know, sweetheart, and I wanted to tell you everything, but I wasn’t allowed to. It was never supposed to go on as long as it did. One of the gang members got away last minute, and I had to remain in pretend custody until they caught him.”
“And they’ve caught him now?” I questioned, relieved when he nodded. “So it’s really all over? No more scary men following me?”
“No more scary men,” he confirmed, bringing me back in for yet another hug.
Thank God!
Knowing my stalker was now officially behind bars was definitely a cause for celebration.
“I’m happy you’re back. I’ve missed you?”
“I’ve missed you too. Five days is a lifetime. It’s been hell,” he smiled, ever so dramatically.
I pulled away from his tight hold and found his gaze was as captivating as it was serious. My ability to become lost in those bright blue pools of lust certainly spurred me on. I didn’t think twice before joining my lips with his, showing him how much I had missed him as opposed to merely just stating it. I had longed to feel his warm mouth against my own, and mixed together with that signature smell of his, I could barely contain my excitement.
"How is he?" he whispered, pulling away slightly. “Dan?”
"He's alright. He’s starting group therapy and his family are supporting him,” I explained, appreciating his concerns. “He told me to go easy on you,” I smiled, lightly tracing the buttons on his white shirt.
“Did he now?” he questioned, seemingly picking up on my suggestive tone.
“Hmm and we do seem to have an empty flat,” I added, removing the first button, followed swiftly by the second.
“Observation truly noted.”
“I could text Sasha. Tell her to hold the fort over there for a while?”
“Or we could just have a quickie on the sofa?” he suggested, shifting his weight so that I became firmly wedged in between him and the cushions.
“So romantic,” I laughed, pulling his shirt off by dragging the hem over his head.
“I do try,” he replied, pulling off my own top and latching his mouth onto my neck.
I immediately moaned, encouraging him to continue his bruising kiss on my skin, sure it would leave a glowing mark. I desperately needed him to touch me. Though, knowing we didn’t have time on our side, I decided to initiate things by eagerly helping him out of his jeans.
“Quickly Luke, I need you now!” I panted, shoving my hand in his boxers.
I instantly felt his growing erection and slowly dragged it through the palm of my hand, teasing his shaft.
“Oh fuck!” he growled, planting his lips against the beating pulse in my neck. “Maya, hold on,” he begged, reaching into his wallet for a condom.
He had it out of the wrapper and sheathed onto himself within seconds; the only thing left stopping us from joining being my own jeans. I struggled to kick them off and in doing so, ruined the slightly intimate moment by ungracefully grunting and cussing my way through the action. He laughed at my flustered state, but in spite of his amusement, didn’t dare lose sight of his mission.
Sex.
"Open your legs for me,” he demanded, helping me out by gently pushing on my hips.
He used his strength to lift me up by the arse, where positioning his mouth at my entrance had me seeing literal stars before anything had even begun.
“Luke, please!” I pleaded, thrusting forwards and practically offering myself up on a plate.
Words couldn’t describe my desperation at feeling his tongue at my most intimate parts. Whilst my inner thighs reacted to having him delightfully feast on me, I craved more.
“I’m gonna make love to you all night, Maya.” he rasped, although doing so would’ve proved extremely difficult.
His Dad and sister were due back any minute now, not to mention my own Mother and Step-Dad’s prompt arrival at two. Something told me we had to be quick and Luke was being anything but.
“Faster Luke! We don’t have long!”
“Now who’s being romantic?” he laughed; inflicting one, long lick to appease me.
All witty remarks were rendered dead in the water when I knowingly succumbed to the pleasures of being tongue fucked by Luke and as I ‘Ohh’ and ‘Ahh’d’ my way through each jolt of electricity, I didn’t once consider locking the front door, too far gone in my own selfish desires.
“Now, Luke. I want you now,” I pleaded, angered by his insistence to ignore me.
He remained buried deep in between my legs and even as I began to gently pull on the roots of his hair, he still didn’t move a muscle.
“Luke!”
Nothing.
“Please.”
Still nothing.
“I’m fucking in love with you, do you know that?” I yelled, finally grabbing his attention.
He was up and wiping at his mouth almost instantly, flashing me that dimple showing smirk of his.
“What did you just say?”
“I’m not telling you until you give me what I want,” I moaned, positioning myself at his tip.
Seeing my stubbornness for exactly what it was; unrelenting, he slowly pushed into me and gently held my arms in place above my head, kissing my nose as he went.
“Now tell me,” he demanded, leaving my body completely, only to then slam full force back into it.
“I love you.”
“Again.”
“I love you.”
“Once more.”
I laughed at his inability to let it ago and pushed up from my hips, hitting him in the exact area I required.
“I’m crazy in love with you, Lucas Anderson,” I whispered, blowing my words right across his blushing face.
“I’m crazy in love with you too, cupcake.”
With our spoken declarations lingering in the surrounding air, we both clung to each other as though our lives depended on it and never once let go. Even when we both reached our much anticipated, very shared release, our arms remained locked in place.
“I love you, Maya.” he sighed, attempting to catch his breath.
“I love you too, Luke. Sorry it’s nine, maybe ten years late.”
&nb
sp; I giggled at my comment and found I enjoyed the sound of him laughing alongside me; all while he lazily proceeded to roll onto his side, taking me with him.
“It’s better late than never, right?” he suggested, kissing my sensitive lips.
Before we were tempted to fall asleep, I shuffled out of his embrace and began the process of redressing, even though doing so went against all human instinct. Naked cuddles were my favourite thing about being with Luke, but we had the rest of our lives to engage in that. What I didn’t want was my future Father-in-law seeing my naked lady parts.
“Does this mean we’re friends again?” I asked, pulling on my knickers.
“I’d say we’re long past the stage of friends,” he remarked, buttoning up his shirt.
“Prove it.”
I removed myself from the sofa’s cushions and elegantly slipped on my jeans.
“How?” he asked, clearly confused.
“Tell your Dad and Ali about us,” I suggested, to which he happily beamed.
I could tell he had no objections to doing such a thing, and in a way, telling the family made things all the more real for us.
“I’ll happily tell them, sweetheart,” he replied, kissing my smiling lips. “Will you do it with me?”
I nodded my head in an eager motion and upon hearing the return of Sasha’s loud voice, sprang into action to rid all evidence of our shared encounter. I quickly binned the used condom and threw on my shirt, addressing Luke in the living room when we were both fully dressed and seemingly presentable.
“You ready to tell them now?”
Born ready!
“Hell yeah,” I smiled, allowing him to grab my hand. “Let’s do this, Anderson!”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Family Approval
“Oh, darling! I’ve missed you so much,” squealed Mum, annoying the family of four stood behind her.
Her insistence to hug it out slap bang in the middle of Euston’s exit was far from considerate behaviour but did she care?
Did she shite!
“Honey, you’re blocking the exit. We should get moving,” stated Darren, balancing two rather large cases between each arm.
“Nonsense, I’m hugging my daughter who I’ve not seen in months!” she insisted, raising her volume for the benefit of those listening.
I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Mum, come on,” I giggled, helping her with her hand luggage.
How long was she staying for again?
“Luke’s parked up around the corner. Lugging these on the tube would’ve been a nightmare,” I added, leading the way.
The three of us walked along the busy path together, mindful of our added luggage. Whilst desperately trying to dodge the many people, I filled them both in on all the latest details regarding Luke’s release. They were pleased to hear he was out of custody and were even happier about my stalker being behind bars. Mum miraculously managed to remain relatively calm about the whole thing, though rationality ceased to exist the second she spotted Luke up ahead, leaning against his car.
“Lucas Anderson, you get over here and explain yourself to me now!” she scorned, sounding like his Mother.
He smiled at her dramatic tendencies and wasted no time in complying with her wishes. She was up and in his arms within seconds and whilst he kissed her on the cheek, he deposited the mother of all explanations.
“I only did it because I’m so in love with your daughter,” he argued, certainly playing his cards right.
The bloody charmer!
“Oh wow, did you hear that Darren? They’re in love!”
“Oh Christ, Mum. Get in the car,” I laughed, nudging her side. “See what you’ve gone and done now?” I then asked, aiming my complaint towards Luke.
He simply smirked at my flustered state and kissed my lips, unaffected by the crazy integration we were no doubt about to receive. He and Darren carefully placed the suitcases in the boot and returned to the car, taking this opportunity to discuss engine size and miles to the gallon. I let my talkative Step-Dad sit up front with Luke, whilst I braved the ordeal of going in the back with Mum; the unknown territory of conversation scaring me more so than anything.
“I like seeing you this happy, darling,” she smiled, grabbing hold of my hand and squeezing it tight.
“Me too, Mum. Me too,” I admitted, catching Luke’s eye in the rearview mirror.
He shot me a quick wink and in doing so, proceeded to pull away from the curb, driving us towards mine and Sasha’s flat where I had no idea how we’d all fit in. Tell my Mum to pack light and she’d consider that two outfits per day as opposed to four.
Travel light? She didn’t know the meaning!
~~~
Later on that evening, I found myself in the kitchen, somehow stuck in a conversation between Ali and Sasha; the pair discussing the benefits of KravMaga; a military self-defence and fighting technique. Ali had been attending local classes back in Newcastle for about a month and considered herself quite the expert. Earlier on, she’d tried teaching me some moves but my stiff posture and inability to stop laughing saw us both in a massive heap on the floor. Needless to say; I was a natural!
Michael, Darren and my Mum were all sat in the living room attempting to order tonight’s dinner on Just Eat, leaving Luke and Jace with nothing to do but watch on in mild amusement as they failed to work modern technology.
“It’s really fun and great at keeping me in shape. Plus it’s good to know some self-defence tactics,” ensured Ali, hoping to sway our decision.
“I’m definitely up for it,” stated Sasha, seemingly excited. “Maya?”
“Nah,” I replied, hurting at just the thought of being repeatedly shoved to the ground on a weekly basis.
Sasha rolled her eyes in a fed up motion, offering up her objections in the form of a deep sigh.
“Says the woman who, among us all, actually had a stalker,” she laughed, gaining Ali’s utmost amusement.
I smiled along with them, able to do so now that I was safe from actual threat. It wasn’t a laughing matter and truth be told, I should’ve been considering some self-defence classes. I was terrified when I learned I was being followed but perhaps I’d have been more confident if I had some fighting skills under my belt.
“I’ll think about it then,” I compromised, seeing them both share a look that undoubtedly screamed, ‘Yeah, whatever!’
I slowly sipped on my wine in response and turned my attention to Luke when he shouted my name.
“Your phone’s ringing, baby.”
“Oh, okay,” I replied, ignoring my Mum’s hilarious face at hearing Luke call me baby.
She offered me a suggestive eyebrow wiggle and tentatively drank from her glass, knowingly so.
“Hello?” I greeted, accepting the call from a withheld number.
“Hi, is this Maya?”
“Yeah,” I replied, vaguely recognising the voice on the other end, yet unable to make the connection with everything going on around me.
“It’s Francesca from Karen Taylor.”
Oh, shit!
Truth be told, I had forgotten all about my interview. What with everything else going on, I’d barely given it much thought.
“Oh, of course, hi Francesca, how are you?” I asked, removing myself from the hustle and bustle by slyly slipping into my bedroom.
“Fine thanks, sorry it’s taken so long for us to get back to you, but it’s been manic here,” she informed, which perhaps explained why she was calling me on a Thursday night at seven O’clock.
The poor sod was probably still at the office.
“Oh, no worries. Life’s been a bit hectic for me too,” I admitted, leaving it at that.
I’m sure she didn’t need to know the ins and outs of my stalker-inspired ordeal.
“It can get like that, can’t it?” she said, politely. “Anyway, I’m calling to give you some good news. You really impressed me at your interview and we’d like to offer you the position
.”
Fuck, fuck, fuck!
“Really? Are you sure?” I gushed, unable to stop myself.
Did I seriously just question her decision?
“Yes,” she laughed, thankfully amused. “I’ve got you down for having two weeks’ notice period at your current employment, is that right?”
“Yeah, two weeks,” I confirmed, reaching for a scrap bit of paper.
My hands shook against doing so and although overwhelmed, I just about managed to write down all the relevant bits of information she was feeding me.
“So should we get you in for training on the 11th?” she asked, waiting for confirmation.
“Perfect and that’s a Monday?” I questioned, scribbling it all down.
“Yeah, a Monday. I’ll send it all over in an email for you but I just wanted to check that date looked do-able for now,” she replied, eagerly so.
“It is.”
I needed to hang up soon so I could play out my celebratory dance.
“Brilliant! I’ll see you then. Bye for now, Maya.”
“Bye.”
Fuck yeah!
I immediately threw my phone down on the bed and proceeded to run into the living room, momentarily grabbing everyone’s attention as I not-so-subtly jumped on the nearby sofa.
“I bloody-well got the job!”
Sasha was first to embrace me, followed by my Mum who had absolutely no idea what job I was talking about. She was just as excited for me as everyone else, which I fully appreciated, though she couldn’t quite hide her confusion. I quickly explained and was soon smiling against the many congratulations, finding myself flying into Luke’s arms when he held them out for me, looking proud as ever.
“I fucking knew you’d do it,” he whispered, kissing my grinning cheeks. “I’m so proud of you, baby.”
“Thank you,” I smiled, elongating our hug.
I melted into his open arms and fell further when I was subject to a healthy dose of vanilla and lavender; intoxicatingly so. I purposely inhaled a sufficient amount and kissed his broad chest, purely for my own benefit.
“It’s gonna take some getting used to seeing that,” announced Ali, indeed referring to the action of me latching onto her older brother.
My Not So One Night Stand Page 18