Legacy: A Salvation Society Novel

by Rachel Robinson

  Aaron runs his hands through his hair. This is uncomfortable for him to talk about. With good reason. It’s making me squirm, but I can’t deny the truth in his words. He meets my eyes again, and wrinkles appear when he smiles. “When you find the right man, and that Henry was definitely not the right one, don’t ever let go. Fight like I know you were raised to fight. Fight beyond reason and measure. Beyond logic. At the end of the day, you’re able to say you couldn’t have waged war any fiercer. There’re no regrets that way.”

  “You have regrets?” My bottom lip trembles.

  He nods once. A firm gesture. “And all I can do is apologize for them now. There’s no fixing at this point. Just apologies and forgiveness.”

  I cast my eyes down to the peeling Formica. “I understand.” I think about how I’m dancing around the obvious with Luke right now when I know he’s the one for me.

  “Good. Thank you for letting me give you that. You don’t trust me with good reason, but I said it out loud today. For the first time since I tallied all my losses.”

  My happiness at receiving something from him is marred by our reality. “What does Rochelle think about all your regrets?”

  His smile turns sad. “I never brought them with me, kid. I couldn’t. That was part of severing off my foot to save my body. You know? Seeing you, ah, that hits me in the chest and it’s when I feel the regrets. You look so much like Natalie did at your age. It’s…hard.”

  I tuck my hair behind my ears. It’s falling from my haphazard ponytail. “Well, I guess I’m glad you got that off your chest. I’m going to be late for dinner with my parents.”

  He presses his lips together in a firm line. “That’s fair. Thanks for taking time out of your day to meet with your old man.”

  Ten minutes ago, I would have corrected him. Now I feel even worse for him than I ever have. Is that sympathy? It feels out of place. “No problem.”

  His smile turns sad when I stand and readjust my bag on my shoulder. “Goodbye, Aaron. Be well.”

  “Bye, Aarabelle.”

  I’m about to walk away and who knows when the next time I’ll see him is, so I make a rash decision. “Go ahead and save my number in your phone.”

  He bows his head, scruffy hair covering his face. “I will. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  My feet feel like lead as I make my way out the door to my car. Pulling onto the freeway, I try to make sense of all my thoughts, but one sticks out from the rest. Aaron Gilcher finally set me free.

  I hug my dad tighter than I usually do before I leave my parents’ house after dinner. Neither of them brought up the meeting with Aaron even though they knew. My dad did bring up Luke Hart. Multiple times. When I spoke with Lt. Williams today and she asked the precursory question she always does about conduct with my teammates, I told her nothing was amiss, which is truthful. The guys are treating me normal—surly and sarcastically friendly. I’m truculent and acerbic back. It’s the way things work, and I wouldn’t want it sugar-coated even if it was a viable option.

  Jonas, the stoic, stone wall of a man, stops me when I get to the sprawling iron gate. He’s in a little mirrored box that connects to a smaller house. It must be where all the security is located and where the poor guy lives, watching Luke like a sitcom, his only form of entertainment. He waves me in, the gate creaking open. Does he get days off? A life outside of these walls? Does he sneak a girlfriend in and watch the video monitors while he eats dinner with her? Are there substitute Jonas stand-ins? I’m making up pretend scenarios while I park my car, so I don’t see Luke coming.

  He opens my door and pulls me against his bare chest. “Do you own shirts?” I say against his skin. I inhale his scent and settle into his embrace.

  “It’s far more comfortable to be in my own skin, you should try it.” He drops a kiss on my head and releases me as I pop my trunk to grab my gym bag. “Margarita did the shopping today so we’re all stocked up.” My stomach flips at the word we.

  He takes the bag from me. “There’s some stinky PT gear in there,” I warn.

  “Lucky PT gear,” he says, raising one brow. “Got to be all over you while you were sweating.”

  I hit the work gym after my meeting with Lt. Williams because that’s how I take out anything I’m feeling odd or upset about. I run them out.

  “That’s pretty gross, Hart.”

  He shrugs me off as we walk up the stairs and into his house. When the door closes behind me, I sigh. “What a day.”

  “How was dinner? Your meeting with Gilcher?” I told him my plans briefly before I left the high-bay this afternoon. I wanted him to know I’d be back late, and also because being open with the things we can be open with should be a thing. We’re doing too much of the covert stuff already.

  “It was…weird. Good. I mean, dinner was good and my parents were rapid-firing questions about me and you. Catching up with Aaron was weird and good in a weird way. He apologized for not being a dad. There’s that.”

  “You okay?”

  “I’m never not okay with the truth. Can’t get mad or upset about it.”

  Luke follows me down the stairs to my room. “No, but you’re allowed to feel things even if they aren’t okay.”

  I clear my throat. “I feel things.” Specifically aimed at what Aaron said about holding onto the right one. “Anyway, enough about me. How was your day?”

  He walks over to the large bed by the window and sits on the edge. “I’d rather talk about your day.” Luke runs his hands through his hair and throws himself back to lay down. “The best part of my day just walked into the house.”

  My heart scrambles along. “I saw you at work,” I counter.

  “I couldn’t touch you. Look at you. Kiss you at work.”

  Folding his arms behind his head, he tips it up to look at me.

  “Right now is the best part of my day,” I say.

  His abs flex when he lifts up further to watch as I take off my shoes. I don’t stop there, though. Stepping out of my shorts, then toss my shirt on the floor next to the stone bricked fireplace. When I’m down to a lace thong, I approach, letting my hips say what I haven’t yet.

  I relish when Luke lets the emotion of surprise slip the goalie. His jaw drops. “I don’t know what I did to deserve this, but I’m grateful. Fuck am I grateful.”

  “Maybe you didn’t do anything to deserve it. Maybe just being you is enough to deserve everything.” My talk is tough, but inside I’m in complete turmoil. “I’m not angry about my day and I’m not upset. Looking at you makes me wet. I can be myself with you. I’m Aarabelle, a woman with you. Not the SEAL or a Naval Officer, or an unconventional girl who chooses the wrong men. Let’s roll with this. Right now. Are you down?”

  His throat works as he swallows. The tip of his hard-on is visible above the waistline. When I reach the bed, I pull off the solitary piece of clothing he’s wearing—his shorts. Never any underwear and never a shirt at home. There’s a predictability to Luke when he’s not at work and I’ve fallen in love with discovering all the variations.

  “You’re so fucking beautiful, Aara.”

  I place my hands on his knees and sidle between his legs.

  “And I’m so down for it. I’ve been waiting for this moment to arrive—wondering when would be the right time.”

  That eases my nerves. “You think it’s the right time, too?”

  He nods once, his chiseled jaw casting a shadow on his chest. “I need you to understand that it changes things, though.”

  My breathing races as his words slide home. “What things?”

  Luke sits all the way up, fingers tracing lazy lines down both my arms. “You’ll be mine for keeps. And I don’t say that lightly because I’m not a man who values keeping people.” It’s a joke, but the sentiment is heavy.

  I clear my throat. The power struggle that is sometimes annoying is hot now. “I can’t belong to you, Hart. I belong to myself.”

  “You can belong to
yourself and me at the same time. There’re no rules about that.” Dark blue eyes plead with me. “No more asshole rock star. No one else. Just me.”

  I set my hands on his shoulders. “Okay.” My submission is quiet. “Then you belong to me, too.” That order is loud. His cock twitches.

  The silence between us is only broken by breaths, and there’s so much passion filling the void that it feels unbearable.

  His reply is swift. “Yes.”

  Beyond logic and reason. No regrets. Luke slides my thong from my body and pulls me onto the bed.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Luke

  She laves the head of my dick with her warm tongue as I watch in awe. Aara ambushed me when she came home tonight. It was unexpected, fully and truly. I had every intention of talking to her about Chantal and the fucking mess that today has been. Laying it out there for her. Telling her that while I believe there’s no way I knocked her up, there’s no way to know for sure until the baby arrives. And arrive it will. I went to the club after work because Chase told me she was on the schedule. Her belly was as round as her eyes were piercing, fucking evil.

  There was no talking to her. She wanted to hurl thinly veiled threats about child support and ruining my life. Something about having the tables turned without my permission really amps me up. I broke up with her because I was finished—it wasn’t even close to what I wanted, and here she is trying to tether me for the rest of my goddamned life. Aara swirls her tongue around my balls and I jolt, all but forgetting Chantal.

  Gently, I set a hand on the back of her head, and a frenzied moan slips. I’ve dreamed about this moment. Not her sucking my cock, mind you, of having her stripped down bare for me in all ways. Giving herself to me willingly after being patient—giving her the lead when things accelerated. I’m confident in only wanting her. If anything, seeing Chantal today only confirmed my worst fears and wildest dreams. While other women are cardboard cutouts, Aara is high definition. She’s living color. Vivid. Eviscerating.

  I pull her off my cock and guide her body up to kiss her mouth. “You’re going to make me come.”

  “Isn’t that the point?” She bites her glistening bottom lip. “To make you come?”

  Seeing her like this, eager, gives me pause. Tell her, you pussy. But what if it’s not true? Like so many of my friends have experienced in the past. They say they’re pregnant, but they’re not, or it’s not theirs. Why worry her if there’s still a shred of doubt? I’ll carry this burden alone until I know for certain.

  “It’s completely the point, but I want you to come first.” I flip her on her back and spread her legs and settle my face in between her thighs.

  “Oh, God,” she says, placing both of her hands on her face to cover her eyes. “You’re so good at that. How are you so good at that?” She squirms under my attentions and repeats herself once more.

  Must not be that good if she can talk so much. Doubling down, I slide my finger into her wet cunt and twirl my tongue against her clit. Aara only gets louder, telling me what I’m doing right, and ordering me to go faster. My dick jumps. I like taking orders from her. Her scent, the pitch of her screams as I wet my chin with her essence, and grip her thighs to pull her closer.

  Lifting her hips off the bed, she speaks in a language that I’m not versed in. She’s coming. The tight, wet walls grip my finger in spasms. Her breaths are labored and her chest and neck are the sweetest color pink. I drag my lips across her inner thigh, then across her abs and up her chest. With her eyes closed and lips slightly parted, she is a vision.

  “Thanks,” she says, lashes fluttering open. “I mean, that was spectacular and I’ve needed it for a while now.”

  “Should have asked for it. Begged for it.” I drop a kiss on her lips and her tongue flicks out to deepen it. Pulling away, I say, “Or ordered it. That was so hot, Aara. Tell me what you want to do next.”

  Her throat bobs as she swallows. “Fuck me.” She bites my bottom lip and pulls it down with her teeth. It pops when she releases. “Fuck me hard.”

  I’m so damn twitterpated, like a teenaged boy forgetting he owns a brain, it’s only now I realize I’m not prepared for this. Not in this bedroom, at least. Marley doesn’t have condoms in the room she stays in by herself. Nope. I refuse to believe that. Popping up on my palms into a push-up position, I say, “I will oblige, Milady, but we need to take this to my bedroom. No condoms in here.” I hope.

  Her eyes crinkle in the corner. “Did you call me Milady?”

  While she’s distracted, I grab her around one ankle and pull her to the edge of the bed. I toss her over my shoulder as she squeals. “My lady,” I growl. “Emphasis on my.”

  “I know where your room is, Hart, or should I say sir?” Aarabelle says, her hands braced against my back. There’s no fight. “Though it’s impressive you can carry me.”

  “It’s impressive you’ve never had a real man take you to bed looking as fine as you do.” I slap her on the ass as I pick up my pace. “No sir, Dempsey. You’re my superior. One I’m about to take quite a lot of pleasure in fucking.” When we enter the bedroom, I lower her feet to the floor. “Maybe when we’re done, you can call me sir if I deserve it.”

  Licking her bottom lip, she looks up at me through her lashes. “How about if I do it right, you let me take the 54’ for a spin around the block.”

  “Are you trying to bargain with me while naked?”

  She leans her head to one side. “Is it working?”

  Now isn’t the time to tell her I’d give her the fucking car if it meant she’d stay next to me through whatever comes. That’s a bribe and even I know that a relationship can’t be bought, but then again, most people don’t fuck them up with bastard babies. I raise my chin, trying to give the illusion of confidence. “No. Not at all.”

  Aara laughs. “Guess I’m not that awesome of a prize, huh?”

  “Now the most beautiful, sexy, intelligent, wonderful woman on the planet is fishing for compliments? Where am I and who the hell are you?”

  Instead of replying, she leans up on her toes and presses her lips on my neck and manhandles my cock with spritely impatience. Her kiss turns lethal as she drags her tongue across my neck from ear to ear.

  “I love you, you know?” She whispers words that make my stomach tighten. Admissions that put us in uncharted territory. I nudge her away so I can see her face. “No one is going to love you more than I do, Luke. No one.” Aara shakes her head. “You’re the person I’ve been waiting for. The one that you hold on to regardless of cost.”

  A lump forms in my throat. “No matter what?”

  She nods, her eyes are at my chest level and she plants a wet kiss on my pec. “You’re the only thing that’s made sense in a long time. I need you to know that I’m not having sex with you because your muscles are tempting, your dimples are drool-worthy, or you have that sex with a devil thing happening with your eyes.”

  “Hey, now.” I furrow my brow.

  She clears her throat. “Though your muscles are so hot and tempting. I’d never downplay those. It’d be criminal.” Smirking, she walks me backward across the room to my bed. “I’m having sex with you because I know that our foundation is strong. You’re strong enough to hold up a woman who can hold herself. The things that are important to you, are important to me. Maybe you noticed me because you were asked to, but I see the way you look at me and no one has ever looked at me with so much truth.” I’m stunned silent. She pushes me back on my bed. Her eyes widen as she takes me in, and my dick is ramrod hard. “Some things seem impossible until they’re finished. Most things in my life have been that way and you’re no exception. It’s finished, Luke Hart. I’m yours forever.”

  My heart is in a jagged rhythm, out of sync with my brain for the first time ever. Overwhelming isn’t an adjective I’d use to describe much in my world, but she’s overwhelming. I take her face in my hand. There’s a vulnerability in her eyes that wasn’t there moments before. I want to taste it. Bat
he in it. Wrap it around my body until I’m suffocated by this feeling right now. “You don’t know how happy it makes me to hear you say that.”

  “I wanted to get the emotional stuff out of the way.” She swallows hard and her brown hair cascades over one shoulder as she takes it down. “Because the thing with loving you is wanting to fuck you every second of the day.”

  I lose my breath. “Noted. And if I can add without agitating you by holding things up.” I slide my hands down from her head to her shoulders and trail my fingers down her arms. “That the feeling is reciprocated. On all counts. Especially on the part about loving you unreasonably, and also wanting to bang you anytime I see you. It’s more than every second of the day though because I think about it even when you aren’t around. In that regard, I win.” Reaching to my nightstand, I pull out a condom, tear the foil with my teeth and roll it on.

  Aara watches with wide eyes as I adjust it, her hands trembling on my shoulders as she stands between my legs. “Are you trying to start a fight with me right now? This isn’t a competition.”

  Bringing my hand to her core, I sink my fingers into her warm flesh. “What? Doesn’t everyone get things rolling with the Macarena?” I clear my throat. It’s hard to keep a sense of humor when my fingers are where my dick should be and all I can think about is how different this feels than anything that’s come before it.

  She moans a small cry as her fingers dig into my traps. “I will do whatever you say.”

  I’d never admit how much power that gives me. How I’ve longed to have her at my mercy. Not just because I want her. Because I know she doesn’t offer herself to just anyone. This isn’t a club chick fuck because I have pent up sexual rage.