“I’m alright with the difficult mornings.” I replied pointedly. “Actually, I like them. Why not start the day with a challenge?”
He shook his head as he leaned against the counter. “If you want a challenge in the morning, we’ll start running.”
“Oh, no, we won’t!” I shook my head. “This is enough of a challenge for me, thanks.”
“I’ve never known a woman who hated working out the way you do.”
I shrugged. “I get plenty of a workout working in the barn with you.”
“You ride horses all day.”
“I walk fifteen minutes to work.” I waved him off. “That’s plenty.”
He chuckled, sipping his coffee. “If you say so.”
“I do.”
“Uh huh.” He nodded. “So, pretty girl, what are the plans for tonight?”
“Plans?” I questioned. “We’re making plans now?”
He cocked his head to the side. “I thought women were supposed to be open to commitment? Seriously, Ember, settle down.”
“What?”
He peeled himself from the counter. “I didn’t ask you to marry me. I asked what we’re doing tonight. It’s Friday, so I figured we could, uh, I don’t know - do something.”
I felt my face heat at the very thought of marrying Luke. I don’t know why, but the idea made my heart flutter. “What are you thinking?”
“I was thinking of inviting Kami and Kyle over.”
“That would be nice.” I smiled. “Why not?”
He nodded. “And Reese and Logan and Hadley and Collin too?”
Again, I smiled. “Sure. It’s your house, Luke.”
He shook his head and moved to stand directly in front of me. Tipping his head, he gazed deeply into my eyes. “I’m asking what you’re feeling like doing tonight, Ember, because I want you comfortable and happy.”
I sighed, nodding. And then moved the small distance between us until I was pressed against his chest and my arms were wrapped around his waist. This was the first time I had initiated contact - and I knew it shocked him. But then I felt his arm wrap around my shoulder. The chime of the ceramic mug against the granite sounded and then his warm hand slipped beneath my hair to cup the nape of my neck. Pulling my head gently back, he asked me silently to look up into his eyes. And I did.
He was smiling with both his eyes and his lips, and I was so happy that I’d made him happy. I never thought something so simple as a hug could be the catalyst that put a light like this one in his dark chocolate eyes.
“I’m happier than I’ve ever been before, Luke.” I replied quietly. “I think a night with everyone would be awesome.”
He nodded. “You wanna ask Kami to start making pizza’s?”
I laughed. “I’ll text her.”
***
A knock sounded on the door of Luke’s house and I skipped happily across the floor to open it. I was in a damn good mood, and it was obvious by the spring in my step. I’d just had a shower and dressed myself in a flowing purple maxi dress that was cinched at the small of my waist before Luke picked me up and drove me to his house. Not ten minutes later, there was a knock at his door. It made sense that everyone was arriving so quickly after we’d returned home, because we’d had a late tour that hadn’t finished until seven thirty.
It was now just before nine and I was famished. I was praying it was Kami on the other side of the door, because she was the one bringing pizza.
Pulling open the door, my eyes took in a grinning Reese. She held two bottles of wine and as my eyes moved from her to Logan, I counted another four bottles.
“Hey.” I smiled, raising my brow at the wine. “How are you?”
Reese lifted the wine to waggle it in the air. “Gracie took Kaiden for the night! I’m having wine!”
Logan groaned. “She hasn’t drank, and really drank, since before she got pregnant. She thinks this is her night to reintroduce herself with being childless and twenty-one.”
I laughed. “Every mother needs a good wine night every now and again.”
Logan pinned me with intimidating black eyes. “You planning on holding her hair back in the morning?”
I pinned him with what I hoped were intimidating blue eyes. “Did I marry her?”
Logan’s lips twitched - and I knew he was fighting a smile. “Touché.”
I beamed, swinging the door wider. “Come on in. Luke’s in the shower.”
“Is he?” Reese waggled her brows in much the same way she’d waggled the wine - with excitement. “You’ve not joined him?”
I blushed. “No.” I shook my head. “I had my shower - at home - before he picked me up and drove me here.”
“Sure.” Reese nodded without belief as she wandered into the kitchen. “You don’t have to explain a thing to me.” She winked at Logan. “I know just how irresistible the Donnelley Brother’s can be. I mean, I married one, didn’t I?”
“Damn right, you did.” Logan’s growly affirmation was interrupted by the sound of a truck door slamming closed and then a loud female voice yelled.
“Pizza is here!”
“Finally!” I called back. “I’m starving and the oven is pre-heated!”
“You know how to make pizza.” Kami barked back smartly.
“Don’t tell Luke that.” I mumbled.
“I heard that, pretty girl.” The sound of Luke’s voice directly behind me made me jump - but I only jumped back into the warm solid comfort of his chest.
“Oh.” My voice sounded surprised, but before I could move away, he circled his arms around my waist.
My eyes darted to Kami’s as I thought about disentangling myself from Luke’s embrace, but the emotional pride I saw glimmering in the brown depths made me rethink my initial response to Luke’s public closeness. Then, I settled into his front - like I’d always belonged there.
Hadley and Collin were the last to arrive - on a quad. They practically drove everywhere on a quad, so it was no surprise to see the little ATV racing right up to the front step, bypassing the other vehicles parked outside Luke’s house.
“Hey all!” Hadley waved as she jumped off the quad. “What’d we miss?”
“Nothing yet.” I replied.
Kami called over my reply. “Ember and Luke getting all touchy feely - no biggy.”
“Kami!” I hissed.
“Finally!” Hadley huffed. “I was starting to wonder if it would ever happen.”
“Okay, guys, we’re moving on.” I announced and everyone laughed.
Chapter 13
It was late. The stars were shimmering in the sky and the moon was bright. Laughter flooded the air as we drank wine and talked about a whole lot of nothing in the hot tub. I hadn’t realized Luke had texted everyone to bring their bathing suits, and it was a lucky thing that I had forgotten mine here the last time we’d decided to lounge in the hot tub, because by the time we decided to get into the hot tub, it was dark and we’d been drinking too much to drive anywhere.
“Oh, I’ve missed this.” Reese announced as a bout of laughter died.
Logan looked down at her with a small frown playing at the edges of his mouth. “Missed what?”
“Relaxing.” She sighed. “I love Kaiden. He’s the best thing in my world, but it’s nice to let go for a night.”
Logan pulled his wife into his lap. “I love you, city girl.”
“I love you, country man.”
Watching Reese and Logan together was a wonderful thing. The only relationships I’d actually witnessed had been my mother’s relationship with my father - which had been anything but healthy and filled to the brim with resentment - and Kami’s relationship with Rhett. Kami’s relationship prior to Kyle was anything but a positive example. As a matter of fact, that relationship had been a hallmark for everything that was abuse.
Watching the three couples surrounding me in the hot tub now gave me hope that not every relationship was filled with resentment, callousness, and abuse. It gave me a believe
that maybe I could do this with Luke - be with him - give us a chance.
“What are you thinking, pretty girl?” Luke whispered in my ear as conversation took off around us.
I glanced at him. “If I told you I’d really have to kill you.”
He grinned, inching closer to me until we were pressed thigh to thigh. “Now I’m intrigued.”
I raised a brow, “Are you?”
He nodded, lowering his face closer to mine. “Definitely.
I smiled mischievously. And then I felt his hand move to my knee, his fingers rubbing gently over my flesh. My breath caught and I whispered. “What are you doing?”
“Debating on tickling answers out of you.” He replied truthfully and I felt my lips part.
“You wouldn’t!”
“Test me, pretty girl.” His eyes were daring - and so was his tone. To my surprise, I found that I did, in fact, want to test him. I ached to test him. And he knew it, because his hand moved up my thigh, his fingertips tickling my flesh as they went - inducing shivers. When his fingers were so close to touching my bikini bathing suit, he stopped, flattening his hand against my upper thigh, his fingers dipping into the crease between my legs. With his hand pressed flat against my thigh he said gruffly. “You’re not stopping me.”
I held his eyes - and then I shook my head slowly, the motion was minuscule. “No.” I licked my lips. “I suppose I’m not.”
His eyes didn’t break from mine after I’d spoken - and he didn’t move his hand any higher. There was a part of me that was so disappointed, because I was literally throbbing for his touch. But then there was a part of me that was happy - because I’d never been touched by a man - there. When that finally happened, I didn’t really want it to be in a hot tub filled with other people. When that happened, I wanted to be alone - with Luke.
In the distance, I heard Collin laugh and then Logan called. “Luke?”
I blinked, the trance his chocolate eyes had held me in dissipated and I looked to Logan. For a moment, I felt Luke’s eyes still on me, studying me, and then he too looked to Logan. “What?”
“It’s pretty late, if you’re done flirting in your little corner, do you think you can show us to where we’ll be sleeping?”
I blinked. “Sleeping?”
No one entertained my question. Instead Luke replied. “There are two spare bedrooms, Logan, you know where they are. Pick one.”
Collin spoke. “I don’t know if you noticed, but there are four couples here.”
My mouth opened to argue that there were only three couples and one - well - one pair that didn’t yet have a classification, but Luke’s voice stopped me short.
“There are two spare bedrooms and a couch. You’re all adults, figure it out yourself.” He sounded tense, and I didn’t know why, but his tension made me feel tense. Pulling my bottom lip into my mouth, I worried it with my teeth. Luke had yet to remove his hand from my thigh, and I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
Reese raised a hand. “We’re married - we call dibs on a bedroom!”
Kami shook her head. “We’ve been married the longest!”
“Um, we have a baby.” Reese continued. “Baby trumps longer marriage.”
Kami shrugged. “True.” She pointed to Collin and Hadley. “But they don’t have a baby and they aren’t married.”
Hadley pointed at Luke and I. “They aren’t even engaged.”
Luke grunted. “Too bad you’re in my house. None of you are sleeping in my bed.”
Collin shook his head, glaring at his brothers. “Alright, Hadley, looks like we’re going to take Luke’s couch for a test ride.”
Hadley’s cheeks turned pink as Luke growled. “If you think you’re doing anything but sleeping on my couch, you’ll be buying me a whole new living room set, Collin.”
I could not believe we had begun discussing who was sleeping where and what was permitted.
Hadley shook her head. “I promise you, Luke, we won’t do anything more than sleep.” Her expression turned mischievous. “But at least have some fun yourselves.” She winked at me and I felt my face turn bright as a ripe cherry.
“Hadley!” I hissed and the girls laughed.
Luke shifted in the tub to look at me. “You ready for bed?”
“Um...” I looked down into the water and I felt his hand squeeze my thigh gently. “I’m not sure.”
“We can stay out here for as long as you want.” He whispered low against my ear. “I didn’t expect them to drink wine - or to stay the night.”
I nodded. “It’s okay.”
Reese stood. “Well, if I stay in here any longer I’m going to melt.”
Logan stood with her, placing his hands on her waist as she started stepping from the tub. “Slow down, Reese.”
“Stop hovering, Logan.” She giggled. “I’m not pregnant anymore.”
“Doesn’t mean I want to watch you fall and break something.” He muttered behind her as she stumbled.
“Whoa,” she gasped. “Do I have to go upstairs to find this spare bedroom?”
“Yes.” Luke replied.
“I don’t know if I can make it.” She moaned. “I’m way more drunk than I thought I was.”
I laughed and Collin spoke. “I can make it upstairs, Reese. You can take the couch.”
Logan glowered over his shoulder. “Nice try, Collin, but it’s not happening.”
Kyle stood with Kami’s hand in his. “We should get to bed before Collin steals the other spare bedroom.”
Hadley shook here head. “I wouldn’t let him.” She winked at Collin. “I’m making an honest man of him!”
Collin rolled his eyes. “No other woman could.”
From what I’d heard of Collin, that was the honest to God truth.
Luke glanced at me once again. “You ready?”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
He looked to Collin and Hadley. “When you’re finished in here put the top back on.”
“Sounds good.” Collin nodded.
“Sleep tight.” Hadley called as I stood.
Luke jumped out of the tub before me, gripping my waist tight as I stepped up onto the seat to climb out of the tub. When I wobbled, Luke’s grip tightened.
“Reese wasn’t kidding!” I exclaimed. “We drank way more than I thought we did.”
“No, it’s just the heat of the tub making you feel so intoxicated.” Luke explained.
I looked up at him. “You don’t feel it?”
“Not like you’re feeling it, pretty girl.” His hands remained on my waist until he was confident that I was stable. Only then did he release me to bend down and grab two towels from the chair.
Guiding me into the house, he paused to grab my dress from the spare bathroom vanity where I’d left it when I’d changed into my swimsuit. Then, he took my hand and guided me through the house, up the stairs and past three doors. Two of the three were closed, and the other was a bathroom. Then he came to a door at the end of the hall. My heart beat hard and quick in my chest as I waited for him to open it. When he did, I sighed in relief as the last of my fear exploded inside of me.
Moving into the bedroom, I took in the sight of his space. The walls were painted a warm beige and the duvet covering bronze sheets was a deep chocolate brown. The curtains were a dark brown and I knew without a doubt that they would block out all daylight. The room was spacious and masculine and perfect.
“I like the color.” I said, not quite knowing what else to say.
“You like brown?” He smirked.
“I do.” I nodded. “It’s warm.”
He was still smiling, regarding me warmly when he asked. “Would you like to rinse off in the shower before bed?”
“I would.” I nodded, pointing to the open dark doorway. “Is that the bathroom?”
He nodded. “Come on, pretty girl.”
I followed Luke into the bathroom and was amazed at the spacious, vast space of his bathroom. I focused on the shower and s
ighed at the grandness of it. There was a large glass door encasing the dark tile with golden veins shimmering in the low light of the bathroom. The entire far wall of the shower had a long stone bench stretched across it and I knew that if I could, I would live in that shower.
“Clean towel.” Luke set a towel on the vanity before setting a toothbrush beside it. “New toothbrush.” He turned to look at me. “Do you need anything else?”
I shook my head. “I don’t think so.”
“Alright,” his eyes looked me up and down. “I’m going to have a shower in the other bathroom, so if you beat me, just climb in bed.”
“Kay.” I swallowed nervously.
My heart was beating so loud it was practically all I could hear as I watched Luke walk from the bathroom. When the door was closed behind him, I turned to the shower and dropped my towel. Then, I stripped from my swimsuit and climbed beneath the warm spray of water.
I washed myself with the girly products Luke had in his shower, which I would have asked him about if they had been opened prior to my opening them. When I realized he’d put them in his shower specifically for me, I couldn’t help but feel warmed at the gesture. It truly was a kind gesture that touched a place in my heart that made me feel all warm and fuzzy. Actually, Luke just made me feel all warm and fuzzy - or maybe it was the wine. Who knew? All I cared about was that I suddenly didn’t care to fight it.
Finishing up in the shower, I turned off the water and stepped out onto the shower mat. After I wrapped myself in the fluffy brown towel, I brushed my teeth with the toothbrush he left for me on the vanity. Only when I was ready to wander out into the bedroom did I notice that I didn’t have anything other than my strapless chiffon maxi dress. In no way, was that dress sleeping material.
After a moment of sheer panic in the middle of the bathroom, I opened the door and walked out into his bedroom. Sitting on the foot of his bed wrapped in the towel, I waited for Luke Donnelley to return from the bathroom.
Chapter 14
By the time I heard Luke moving through the hallway, closer to his bedroom, I’d worked my way into a state of mind I had no business being in. I couldn’t stop thinking about the way we’d woken up together on the couch this morning and how he’d tickled me, nearly kissing me. I couldn’t stop thinking about the way his hand had felt on my thigh in the hot tub - and how desperately I had ached for his wandering hand to continue - wandering.
A Tender Touch: A Donnelley Brother's Novel (Logan Point Book 4) Page 11