by Dakota Rebel
He kissed me tenderly, his hands stroking over me as if he were intent on learning every curve and finding every secret that had been hidden by my clothes. I did the same. The man was so hard and strong, without a soft spot on him as his smooth, warm skin stretched over the firm muscles.
“How are you so built?” I muttered. His fitness was a little intimidating. “I mean…don’t you sit at a desk all day?”
He chuckled against my skin as he kissed a line between my breasts. I fought the urge to shove him away from my soft belly before he reached it. I was slim, but not super fit like him.
“Hardly,” he said. “I’m in the field a lot. And lately, in the gym a lot, too. You have no idea the frustration I’ve had to work off.”
“I might have an inkling. Some of us just work off out frustration with Ben and… Oh my God!”
Luke sucked hard on my clit, and I bucked under him, overwhelmed by the sudden orgasm that hit me at his touch.
“That’s right, baby,” he murmured, pulling my legs over his shoulders. His fingers came to play, parting me, stroking me while his mouth explored but unerringly returned to my sensitive nub every few seconds to keep me edging closer and closer to another release. But after the initial one, he kept drawing back and keeping me from tumbling over, making me insane with need for more. Sadist.
“Luke, please…” I begged, writhing as his tongue teased at my opening. “I…please,” I moaned.
He pressed his lips the top of my mound, staring up at me, white-hot passion in his eyes. As he moved over me, trailing kisses up me, I knew this was it. This was the moment I’d be completely his, the moment I’d lose my virginity and enter a whole new world. His cock was hot and heavy between us, and I wrapped my fingers around the hot, steel rod, squeezing and running my hand along it to feel what would soon be inside me.
Luke moaned against my collarbone. “It feels so good to have you touch me. I’ve needed you for so long.” Together, we positioned him at my opening. “Now, you’ll be fully mine, Laura. Tell me to stop now because I will never let go once I have you.”
It was an out I didn’t want. Yes, I needed to figure out my way in the world and find independence outside of my family, but I’d have to navigate it with Luke beside me. Sometimes, inside me. A lot.
At the moment, nothing was more important than us being one.
“I’m sure. I want this.” I grinned him. “Consequences and all.”
“All good consequences,” he promised. We both groaned in unison again as his cock started pushing inside. So slowly.
I clenched around him. “Luke,” I cried.
He froze. “Stop?” he whispered, concern and a touch of pain in his gaze.
“No, God, no, don’t stop.” I shook my head frantically. “More. Give me more. Fast. Give me all of it,” I begged.
His lips brushed over mine. “Anything you want.”
And he surged forward, going deep. I arched, crying out beneath him, my fingers digging into his shoulders. Luke stilled again, and I knew he was waiting to make sure I was okay.
“I’m good. It’s good,” I whispered. I curled a hand behind his head and brought his lips back to mine. My whole world had shrunk to his body over mine, his cock deep in me, stretching me so full. If more existed, I didn’t know anymore. But nothing in my life had ever felt so right. I’d been made for this moment. Maybe, even made for this man. Was this…love? And suddenly, I understood why I’d run, why I’d been so afraid. Nothing would ever be the same again. Part of me had recognized my missing piece.
I stared up at him, breathing hard.
“Luke,” I whispered almost reverently.
His eyes shone down at me, full of…promise. “You feel it, too, don’t you? We’re meant to be.”
I nodded. My hips shifted beneath him, unable to stay still. A cry escaped me, but he recognized it for the pleasure it was. Slowly, he started moving, gaining momentum as we lost ourselves in each other.
Something I didn’t recognize, twisted and grew inside me, growing tighter, readying for imminent explosion. It still took me by surprise, and I gasped, clinging to Luke as my pussy clenched around his driving cock. Stars flew across my vision, his pounding hips the only thing keeping me anchored to earth.
“Oh fuck, Laura, yes,” he grunted out. “You’re so damn tight. You…feel so…good.” A deep guttural growl echoed through the room and warmth painted my core as he released, deep inside.
He collapsed forward but still rested most of his weight on his forearms. His forehead pressed to mine.
“Mine,” he vowed, staring into my eyes.
I grinned, the weight of the past years sliding away and leaving behind the joy I’d lost. God, I’d missed it! There had been times I’d been happy, but nothing like this. I’d never realized there was a difference.
“So you say,” I teased. “But I may need further demonstration.”
“Anything you need. As many times as you need,” he promised. Then he proceeded to do exactly that as we finished out the best day of my life.
Chapter Eight
~ Luke ~
“You’re up early,” Laura said as she walked into the kitchen. “And you’re dressed.” She wrinkled her nose in apparent disappointment.
“And you’re not.” I strode over to her and pulled her into my arms, dropping a kiss onto her beautiful mouth. She was wearing my shirt, which covered more than I’d like, but the unbuttoned top few inches hinted she was probably naked underneath. I slid my hands up her thighs, confirming she was. “You’re so perfect.”
“You taste like coffee,” she whispered.
“Do you want some?” When she nodded, I reluctantly released her and went back to pour her a cup.
As she settled onto a stool, I brought it to the island and slid the creamer over to her, as well.
“What’s the plan for today?” she asked.
“I have to go in to work for a little while,” I told her. She looked as disappointed as I felt. “I’ll try not to be long.”
“It’s okay,” she assured me. “I know you have things to do. I don’t expect you to entertain me for the rest of my life.”
“I would, you know.”
She smiled, and my heart stuttered in my chest. I’d quit my job without hesitation to see that look on her face every day.
“I know you would. But how would you keep me in such luxury if you didn’t get back to the office?”
I heard the teasing in her tone but wondered if she fully realized how set we would be, regardless of whether or not I kept working. Before I assured her that I’d treat her like a princess for the rest of time, she spoke again.
“Do you really want me to spruce up the apartment? I could start looking at stuff today while you’re out. I should probably start getting the lay of the land, so to speak, if I’m going to be living in Vegas.”
“Of course, I meant it.” I reached across the table and wrapped my hand around hers. “This is your home. I want you to feel comfortable here.” I stood and pulled out my wallet, grabbing my Amex and handing it over to her. “Whatever you want. For this place, for yourself, just swipe.”
“Just swipe,” she repeated softly, staring down at the credit card in her hand.
“As long as you don’t use it to run away again.”
She glanced up at me, a look on her face that I couldn’t quite read. We stared at each other for a moment, before she slid off the stool and walked over to me.
“Luke.” She wrapped her arms around my neck and met my gaze. “For better or for worse, I’m here. I’m yours. I won’t run again.”
Once again, I found myself wishing I’d just proposed last night. Maybe when I got back, I could whisk her to a twenty-four-hour chapel and just get it all over with at once. I wanted her to be my wife. The sooner we got married, the sooner I could start putting my babies in her. The sooner I could guarantee she was out of her family’s clutches forever.
“You look very serious all of a sudd
en,” she said, pulling me from my thoughts.
“Sorry.” I kissed her quickly. “I really should get going, so I can get back.” I pulled out a business card and scribbled the address on the back. “Anything you buy can be delivered, don’t let them tell you otherwise.”
“Okay. Have a good day, dear.”
I smacked her ass as I walked by then grabbed my briefcase and headed out before I changed my mind.
* * * *
“Well, who the hell filed the permits!” I yelled at Jameson, staring down at the stop-work notice he’d handed me when I’d gotten to the job site.
“I did!” he bellowed back. “All of them. But it looks like they got blocked in committee.”
“That’s ridiculous.” I ran my free hand through my hair and glared down at the papers. “We’ve never been denied. Who would want to block us?”
“I’m working on it.”
I was honestly glad to see the fire in his eyes. My youngest brother hadn’t always been the most ambitious of us. But he’d been stepping up a lot lately, and I was proud of him. But this was a disaster. We’d already broken ground. The crew was standing around smoking, talking, and occasionally casting furtive glances our way.
We employed hundreds of people, and a stop-work affected everybody. We’d still pay them out. They had a thirty-day guarantee in their contracts for just this sort of hiccup. But if we didn’t get it resolved soon, they’d be unemployed and we’d be out millions of dollars. Not to mention the hit to our company’s reputation.
“Figure it out,” I growled, shoving the notices back at him. “And fix this.”
“What are you gonna do?” Jameson asked.
“I’m talking to the guys, then I’m heading to the office to put in a few calls. Then I’m going home, I guess. If you need me, call me. Immediately.”
He nodded, clapping me on the back before walking toward the parking lot.
I blew out a sigh and looked back at the crew. What a fucking nightmare. Locating the foreman, I headed over to him. He was in conversation with a small group of men, and I walked slowly, wanting to allow them to continue. This wasn’t their fault. The fact that they were still even on site showed a work ethic that made me proud of them. Technically, they should have vacated as soon as they knew about the stop-order.
“So, the waiter brings over the champagne, and there’s a fucking ring in it!” one of the crew was saying as I approached. “I couldn’t believe it. Before I could say anything, Mel just screams yes at me. Then she’s on her phone, calling her mom.”
“You just let her think you were proposing?” another man asked.
“What was I gonna do? She had this massive ring on her hand, and she was all excited. Man, I’m so fucked.”
Oh. My. God.
It was Mark. The kid I’d accidentally pushed into a proposal at the Eiffel Tower restaurant the night before. Fuck. Could this day get any worse?
“Mr. Malloy,” Mark said, noticing me. “Sorry, sir, me and the guys were just talking. I’m sure you want Doug.” He pointed at the foreman, who’d turned to face me. “We’ll just be…over there.”
I nodded, smiling grimly as they walked off to give us privacy.
“What do you want us to do?” Doug asked bluntly. “We’ll stay, but I can’t let the guys work right now.”
“No, no, of course not. I’m not risking any of your licenses getting pulled. This is our mess, and we’ll get it fixed. I promise you.” I sighed and looked over at the rest of the crew. “They okay?”
“Oh, yeah.” Doug made a dismissive gesture. “It’s not the first time we’ve run into this. Those permit committees pull this shit all the time. You’re a good family. You’ll fix it, and we’ll be back before you know it.”
“Thanks, Doug.” I reached out to shake his hand. “Send your boys home. I’ll be in touch. Make sure they know wages are covered.”
“No problem.” He nodded then headed over to dismiss his guys.
I glanced around the site and kicked a rock with the toe of my shoe. I was pissed. Doug might think it happens all the time, but it had never happened to us. Our company was meticulous, and we didn’t let these things affect us or our crews.
My phone chirped, and I looked down to see a message from Jameson.
It was Willow.
Jesus Christ. Willow Tate and my brother had been at each other’s throats since kindergarten. Honestly, I thought they were secretly crazy for one another but both too chicken to admit it.
She worked for another development firm that built strip malls. If she was able to get our permits revoked, her boss must have pulled a million strings. Vegas made way more off casinos than shopping centers. He must have called in every favor he’d ever gotten to pull off something like this.
Can you fix it? I texted back.
His reply came immediately. It’s being handled. Give me a few days.
I fucking hoped so. This was a nightmare.
Instead of going into the office, where I’d just be bombarded with questions I couldn’t answer, I got back in my car and headed home.
I heard music as soon as I got off the elevator. When I let myself in, I leaned against the hallway wall and watched Laura as she danced around the room. She’d gotten dressed, more’s the pity, but her tight jeans highlighted her pert little ass as her hips swayed to the pop song she was blaring.
“Honey, I’m home,” I called out.
She jumped, spinning around as her hand went to her heart. “Jesus, Luke, you nearly gave me a heart attack.”
I walked over and pulled her into my arms, kissing her deeply.
“I’m sorry,” I said, leaning back to look into her eyes. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
She pulled away and turned off the speaker. “You’re back early. I wasn’t expecting you for hours.”
“Yeah, well, there’s a problem at the site, so they had to shut down. Jameson is working on it.”
“That’s your youngest brother?” she asked.
“Yeah. He’s kind of a goof, but if he says he’ll get it taken care of, I think he really will.” I pulled her back into me. “But for now, it looks like you’re stuck with me.”
“Lucky, lucky me,” she murmured, going up on tiptoes to kiss me. “Whatever shall we do with ourselves?”
God, I was so in love with this woman. I knew I’d never tire of coming home to her. Of kissing her. Of holding her in my arms. I wanted her forever, and I needed that forever to start as soon as possible.
I knew I couldn’t ask her yet. But before the end of this week, I was damn sure that Laura Moretti was going to be Laura Malloy for the rest of her life.
Her stomach grumbled, and she giggled as her cheeks turned pink.
“Well, I suppose I’d better feed you,” I said with a mock sigh.
“Sorry, I went online when you left, and then my song came on and I was feeling so good I just had to dance. I forgot to eat.”
“I’m not complaining,” I assured her. “I love to watch you dance. You look very happy today.”
“And you look like you could use a ten a.m. beer.” She reached up and ran her palm over my cheek. “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine,” I promised her, covering her hand with mine. “I’m just a little shell-shocked from work.” I pulled her toward the door. “Let’s get an early lunch then come back here and make the most of my free afternoon.”
“How can I resist an offer like that?” she asked.
“Hopefully, you’ll never be able to resist me.”
“I don’t think you’re in danger of that ever happening.” She slipped on her shoes and snagged her purse before allowing me to usher her out and toward the elevator.
Chapter Nine
~ Laura ~
The next week was…bliss. I couldn’t say there wasn’t a thread of unease lingering off in the distance, a worry that my father or that guy he’d arranged would show up, but otherwise, all was good. When Luke wasn’t on the phone dealing
with work issues, we were together. It didn’t matter what we were doing, seeing Las Vegas sights, having a fancy dinner, lounging on the couch watching TV or a movie, we were inches from each other. That didn’t change when we went to bed. I spent all day next to him and every night wrapped around him as he clutched me to him.
Right now, I was kind of at loose ends since he’d had to go into the office to finalize some crap about the permits that had gotten screwed up earlier this week. His brother had done something to smooth the way. I wasn’t sure what, except I’d heard Luke exclaim, “You did what?” this morning. A few minutes later, he’d rushed out with a quick, knee-buckling kiss and a promise he wouldn’t be too late.
I glanced around the large penthouse. There were boxes and parcels basically taking over the dining area. Since the things were here, I might as well get to making this place into a home. I’d decided to keep Luke’s furniture. It was sturdy and workable, but when I was done rearranging and adding my decretive flair, it wouldn’t look like the sterile unused home anymore. Gosh darn it, there would be color. Lots of it.
Like a kid at Christmas, I opened the first of the boxes. This one had come today, and I gasped in delight when I pulled back the flaps. I’d sent photos from my phone to one of those places that made wall prints out of the snaps. These were from my first couple days with Luke, so there wasn’t a big timeline, but it was the two of us together. Gathering all the canvases, I headed toward the bedroom. I was excited for making this place ours, but I hoped Luke wouldn’t regret giving me carte blanche.
A few hours later, I stood back and surveyed the living room. I’d gone with varying shades of blue—Luke’s favorite color. Overall, against the steel and glass, the geometric throw and decorative cushions added a warmth that had been missing. The modern-inspired landscape painting over the couch pulled it all together. I’d kept the clean, uncluttered lines, while carefully adding small conversation pieces and books here and there.