No, don’t!
He spread me open with his hands and I felt the hard, piercing pain of something thick being forced inside me, splitting me open. My screams echoed in that small bathroom, loud enough for anyone inside the house to hear. When I twisted my body to get away, he grabbed my long hair and yanked hard. When it was over, he left me bleeding on the floor and my mouth gaped in a silent scream as I buried my face in Luke’s chest.
The man who said he wanted me held me against him, whispering things in his soothing voice that made the pain and violence slowly fade away. I never told him about any of it, but somehow, he knew. Instinctively, he knew when I was hurting and how exactly to comfort me. I sniffed as my chest filled with a feeling that I couldn’t yet place. I wanted to cry, but I wasn’t upset.
“Jessica, maybe you’re not ready for this. We don’t have to do anything; I’m happy just to be with you.”
It was such a perfect thing to say, but I shook my head. “No, I want this.”
He looked at me doubtfully, but I took his hands and I let him feel how wet I was.
The cocky grin was back on his face. “You do, don’t you?”
My core heated as his eyes lingered over my breasts. He backed me against the cold wall, drinking every square inch of me with his eyes. My eyes fell on the thickness between his legs, which stood at attention like a soldier. I wrapped my fingers around him and tugged gently, remembering how incredible it had felt to have all of him inside me. His arms snaked around my back and suddenly lifted me onto his waist.
I giggled as my legs wrapped around him, marveling at the strength in his arms. His eyes were full of that irresistible, frightening intensity and I knew that he couldn’t wait another moment. I saw his powerful back in the mirror, my legs locked around him. He crushed me against the wall and thrust upward, his cock impaling my needy warmth. The pleasurable shock of it erupted through my mouth in a guttural moan.
Every thrust made my thighs tighten around his waist. Every roll of his powerful back rocked through me, grinding my back against the wall. Something was shifting inside as his thrusts became more urgent. I gripped his shoulders and dug my nails in his flesh, not caring about anything in the world except this wonderful feeling shooting through my body. He plunged into my depths, our mouths meeting and parting in gasping breaths, and I felt the pressure building. I trembled and came hard, my core contracting around him.
Luke’s breathing was fast and he might have said something, and then his deep groans filled the small bathroom. His hips slammed me against the wall, and he buried his face in my neck, breathing hard. He stayed there for a moment, his thickness buried deep inside me, and then his arms shook as he lowered me to the floor.
“God, Luke.”
He gave me a shaky laugh. “That was pretty amazing.”
I glowed as he leaned forward to kiss me again.
“Do you want to take a shower?”
Moments later, we stumbled into the shower together, laughing. I shrieked as he turned on the shower and the water struck me with a cold blast, but Luke moved in front of it, biting back laughter.
“Sorry about that,” he said with a playful grin.
I swatted at his shoulder, but he caught my hand and kissed it. My heart thudded against my chest as I felt his lips on my skin. I’m crazy about him.
The glass shower quickly filled with steam as the hot water sprayed across our bodies. Luke grabbed a bar of soap from the shower and began soaping up my curves. My desire for him, which could never really be satisfied, shot up sharply. I was in awe of him, and full of so much happiness that I thought I would burst. He wanted me, for all my flaws, he wanted me. And I needed him.
It wasn’t a fake relationship anymore, was it? I looked up at him and tried to decipher it from his face. No, it wasn’t enough. I needed him to tell me explicitly—or I’d never believe it.
“Luke, what does this mean?”
The water sprayed over his head, dripping down his face, making him look more youthful and beautiful. His lips were red from kissing me. “I’m not sure,” he said honestly. “Let’s play it by ear and take it slow.”
My face fell. What did you expect? An indignant voice inside me said. Did you think he would bend on one knee and propose? You’ve only known each other for a few months.
He noticed. I pulled against him, unable to disguise the hurt on my face. He trapped me. “Jessica, I want to be your boyfriend. I really do, but you must understand that I have my own demons to deal with. I don’t trust easily, and it will take time.”
Luke wasn’t promising anything, but at least he was willing. I nodded. I could understand that. If I wanted him, I needed to be patient. He’s worth it, I thought as his lips caught mine again.
Chapter 9
A muscular arm snaked around my bare waist. My eyes snapped open and my chest froze as I felt a body behind me. It wasn’t until I recognized Luke’s voice, husky with fatigue, that I relaxed. I turned over on the bed as he ran his hand up and over my curves.
His face was wrinkled slightly with sleep lines, but his eyes were full of energy. “Good evening, beautiful.” His bright eye winked at me.
My face flushed. I couldn’t believe I was in bed with him. I touched his chest and he stroked my back lightly with his fingertips. It was as though we were a real couple. “I just want to stay in bed. I don’t want to get up.” I yawned. “Just tell them I’m sick.”
“If I have to go down there, so do you. Appearances, Jessica.” He swung out of bed with boundless energy.
I sighed as I rolled out of bed. Meeting Luke’s family was the absolute last thing I felt like doing. Every time I thought about it, I imagined myself sprinting out of this gigantic house to hide somewhere in the trees surrounding it.
“When does this thing start?”
“I don’t know. Guests will probably start coming at around five.”
I glanced at my phone and felt a zapping sensation shoot up my arm. It was already three in the afternoon. “We need to get ready.”
“Let’s go downstairs first.”
After running a brush through my hair, we slowly made our way downstairs. During our nap, the house had been decorated with streamers and balloons. There were vibrant, beautiful flower arrangements laid out in a row on the giant kitchen table, with intricate, gold dishes that seemed to sparkle, porcelain soup bowls and polished silverware. The flowers were like a splash of color among the black and silver balloons. What I liked about it all was that it was minimalistic. None of it was overdone.
Luke’s aunt was sitting in the breakfast nook, sipping a cup of tea. She smiled at us. “Come, sit!”
In front of her was a plate with a neat pile of cucumber sandwiches. I sat down in front of her and took one. It was light and delicious.
“Thanks so much for making these.”
“Don’t mention it.” She reached over and pinched Luke’s cheek affectionately. “Your uncle is going to be so thrilled that you’re here for his birthday. Did you visit your father?”
All the humor evaporated from Luke’s face. “Yeah, I visited him. It wasn’t pleasant.”
She smiled knowingly. “The poor man is in a lot of pain. People can be nasty when they’re suffering.”
“Aunt Beth, he’s always been nasty.” The sandwich crumbled in his fingers. “You should have heard the things he said to Jessica.”
She looked at me for my reaction, but I simply shrugged. “It doesn’t bother me. I don’t think he really meant it.”
“Your father has always been a complicated man. When I first met him, I found him abrasive, but then your mother passed and I saw a side of him I’d never seen before. He was very devoted to your mother.”
His clenched fists were balled on the table. I reached down and touched his leg. Don’t make a scene, Luke.
“He’s cutting me off,” he said suddenly. “He’s going to give everything to Uncle Dominic and your kids.”
“What?”
&nb
sp; I couldn’t help but notice how his aunt’s face registered very little shock. The sandwich in my mouth suddenly tasted foul. Was this whole ‘nice aunt’ thing for show? ‘Course it is.
Luke had seen it, too. His face was a mask of pain; I don’t think he realized that his aunt might be in on it until now.
“But I suppose you know that already.”
The teacup rattled inside the saucer as she set the cup down, looking upset. “Luke—listen. Your uncle and I talked about it. We both agreed that you should have your inheritance. Even if Giacomo’s will leaves everything to us, we will transfer everything back to you.”
“What if your sons don’t want to part with their millions? Isn’t that why they’re visiting him all the time?” Luke’s eyes flashed dangerously.
“Luke!”
He sank back into his seat, looking a bit cowed as I glared at him.
She stood up abruptly from the table. “I must get ready for the party,” she said suddenly before she left the room.
“What’s wrong with you?” I hissed when she was out of earshot. “Now you’ve upset her, and she was being so nice!”
“Nice?” he said in a harsh whisper. “Give me a break! You saw her face; she knew about it. She knew about it and did nothing. I can’t trust any of these people. They might think fondly of me, but they wouldn’t hesitate to screw me over to get my inheritance.”
“But she said she would give it back to you!”
He scoffed. “Even if she really meant that, she wouldn’t be able to. It’s my uncle’s decision.” His face softened at my bewildered expression. “I know that you want to believe her. Hell, I do too. Aunt Beth was always my favorite growing up. She was always sweet with me, but everything’s different now.”
I bit my lip. Was he right? Was I just naive? I knew nothing about his world, but I couldn’t help but wonder if Luke was being paranoid. “All I know is that if you keep being unpleasant, she’ll want to help you less. Don’t bring it up again.”
He got up and slammed his chair back under the table. I could feel his stress balling inside me. All of it was unfair. There were millions of dollars at stake—his millions, and sharks surrounded him.
“Let’s just try to get through tonight. I want to fly back to San Francisco tomorrow.”
“But we just got here.” I couldn’t believe that he was so willing to leave. “Wouldn’t it be better to keep visiting your dad?”
“No, he’s—well. He’s made up his mind. And I have to keep working.”
Uh, did he just forget that his dad fired him? “Luke,” I began awkwardly. “Your dad fired you.”
He looked at me coolly. “I never got a phone call from my boss, so I’m just going to ignore him. Sometimes he doesn’t deliver on his threats. It happens.”
Wow.
Upstairs, I stalled for as long as possible before getting ready. After Luke’s confrontation with his aunt, I had no desire to go back down there and mingle with a bunch of rich people. I couldn’t help but obsess over every minute detail of my dress. I winced as I looked down at myself and saw scuff marks on my black pumps. I’ll look like a joke compared to them.
When we finally descended the staircase, I realized that despite Luke’s assurances, my fears were genuine. Everyone looked like Saks Fifth Avenue had dressed them. If it weren’t for Luke’s hand at the small of my back, I would have turned tail and ran. The black lace dress that I bought at Macy’s looked ridiculous by comparison.
“Just relax, Jessica,” he murmured in my ear.
Right, easy for you to say. I fought the urge to dig in my heels as Luke wheeled me towards a coterie of drunken WASPs.
“Luke! We heard you were here,” one of them exclaimed comically. “None of us could believe it.”
The man who spoke had mousy-colored hair, slicked back over his shiny head. His bright blue eyes were the same as Luke’s. He was slim and his suit was impeccably tailored; his patent leather shoes gleamed in the light. Hanging on his arm was a blonde woman who reminded me strongly of Victoria Beckham, her thin arms looking like they could snap at any second. She smiled at me politely as her eyes dragged up and down my outfit and my arm shook against Luke’s.
“Justin, Barbara—this is my girlfriend, Jessica.”
They wrung my hand and acted as though they were delighted to meet me. Barbara snatched her hand away from me as though she was afraid that she would somehow be contaminated.
She leaned in, her eyes glossy and her lips shining. “When Luke’s in the papers, he always has someone new on his arm. We were surprised that you two have managed to stay together for so long—”
“Barbara!” snapped Justin impatiently. He fixed me with a pained expression. “Sorry, she’s had a bit much to drink.”
“No worries.” Inwardly, my heart beat a violent tattoo against my chest. I never felt so uncomfortable in my life. For the first time, I really missed home. I wanted to collapse onto my sofa at home and watch TV with Natalie. Everyone was extremely well dressed and clutching glasses of champagne that I’m sure cost a small fortune and I was just planted in the middle of it. I felt like everyone was gathering around to gawk at the alien who had somehow entered their exclusive club. I did not belong here.
I could practically hear Barbara’s brain whirring as she leaned in curiously. Why hasn’t he kicked her to the curb by now? Is she pregnant?
“How did you two meet?”
I stiffened. I couldn’t imagine giving them the same story I had told Brandon, but my mind was blank.
“We met in a bar.” Luke glanced at me.
“Oh.”
I wished he hadn’t said that. I watched painfully as Barbara buried a small smile and exchanged a glance with her husband. Now, it made sense. They filed me away into a category they knew well. Perhaps I was very exciting in bed, but I was most certainly Luke’s new fling.
“I heard that you’ve been visiting my father.”
Oh Christ, not this again. I tried not to fix my heated eyes on Luke.
Justin shrugged good-naturedly. “Yeah. I thought that I should. He seems to enjoy our visits.”
Luke took two glasses of bubbling champagne and offered one to me. “I’m glad you’re both getting something out of them. Please excuse us.”
I was shocked at the unrestrained spite in Luke’s voice. Didn’t he know how to fake politeness?
Justin sneered at Luke’s back as he turned around. His wife whispered something in his ear and both of them laughed as they looked at me. I felt the hairs on my neck stand up.
“See?” Luke hissed as we walked away. “Do you see what I have to deal with?”
I felt bad in a way that I hadn’t in years, like when the girls at school used to bully me in the hallways. “I haven’t felt like this since sixth grade.”
He laughed. “It is childish, in a way.”
I didn’t point out that he, in fact, was the one who started it. I went along as Luke painstakingly introduced me to all the guests, who were all so unfailingly polite that my jaw felt wired shut with a permanent grin. These were not the sort of people who would be rude in front of your face. As Luke talked to his relatives, I hung back with my half-empty glass of champagne, my eyes occupied with the paintings that adorned the walls and groaning whenever I checked the time.
“Excuse me. Excuse me! Hey!”
A veined hand encircled by gold bracelets waved in front of my face, snapping its fingers impatiently. I looked at its owner, who was a woman in her late fifties who I did not recognize. She looked at me as though I was something under her shoe. What the hell did she want?
She thrust an empty champagne glass in my hand. “Take this away.”
Stunned, I took the glass and looked from her to the glass and back again. What had just happened?
“Why are you standing there?”
Several of her friends turned around to glare at me, but I still had no fucking idea what was going on.
“Um—you want me to take t
his?”
A few of them giggled behind her as they looked at me, and I felt like I was transported back to middle school. She rolled her eyes at me. “Oh, Charlie Brown. You’re hopeless.”
The glass was ripped out of my hands so violently, that her manicured nails actually scratched me. I yelped in pain and finally Luke swept in out of nowhere, quietly stepping in to save me.
“Is there something wrong?” he looked at my face and back to her.
“This one doesn’t seem to be doing her job.” She gestured towards me with contempt laced in every syllable.
Doing her job—what? Then I realized it with a horrible, sinking feeling. I was dressed so poorly, that this woman thought I was the help. My face felt like it was on fire. I turned away and bit my lip viciously. I wanted to die.
“This is Jessica, my girlfriend,” he said with a little anger in his voice. “She’s not an employee.”
“Oh, I had no idea. I’m so sorry—”
Realizing her blunder, she reached out towards me, her claw-like fingers patting me awkwardly on the shoulder. She couldn’t see my face, or my eyes, which were shining with tears. Luke did, and he steered me away from them. “It’s fine,” he called over his shoulder.
We shoved through a throng of people and headed towards a glass door. I hoped no one had seen the exchange.
“Let’s just go outside.”
I choked as soon as we stepped outside. We were in a small, side garden. It was lit up beautifully with golden, paper lanterns. I growled in frustration as tears leaked out of my eyes. “I’m sorry, I’m trying to hold it together.”
“No, I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have to deal with this.”
Luke sidled up against me and stroked my arm.
My lips were shaking as I looked at him. “I’m so embarrassed. I don’t belong here at all.” I couldn’t erase the expression on her face from my mind. “She looked at me like I was—trash.” The hopeless feeling that I felt at school was overpowering. I used to be bullied for wearing used clothes from the Salvation Army, and it was the exact same feeling.
“You can’t let it get to you. I get ripped apart every day in the press. You just have to let it roll off your shoulders.”
Dirty Prince Page 36