The Truce

by Becca Steele

  “Aves! You little stunner,” I exclaimed, taking in her tight red dress and smoky eye makeup.

  “You’re the stunner. My dress looks way better on you than it ever did on me. Bitch.” She blew me a kiss. “Come on, let’s dance. I’ve been dying to, but this one won’t oblige, unless it’s a slow song.”

  Ethan bent down to whisper in Avery’s ear and gave her a look that even made me melt. She smiled up at him, adoration and love in her eyes.

  “You two are so perfect together,” I murmured.

  My throat constricted at the image of them.

  I wanted what they had.

  I wanted that with Luke.

  Desperately.

  I wasn’t sure it would ever happen.

  Avery turned in my direction, and her face fell. “Oh, Liv,” she whispered in my ear, so attuned to me that she knew something was wrong. “Is it Luke?”

  I nodded, momentarily unable to get the words out.

  “Dance with me. We’ll talk about it tomorrow, okay?” she promised.

  “Okay,” I mouthed.

  I followed her onto the dance floor. After a few minutes of throwing silly moves, my mood had improved. I was breathless and laughing, enjoying spending time with my best friend. Eddie and George joined us, Eddie’s enthusiastic arm waving almost knocking me off my feet more than once.

  “Ed! Please! Watch where you’re waving your arms.” I groaned as he accidentally whacked my boob.

  “Oops, sorry, babes,” he shouted, moving slightly further away from me and stumbling into Jamie, who was trying to put the moves on Ashley.

  “Eddie…” he warned.

  He hung his head sadly.

  “Aww, Eddie, come here.” I pulled him over to me. “It’s okay, I’ll take my chances with your windmill arms.” I winked at him, and his downcast face brightened. We continued dancing, and he only knocked into me another eight or nine times. It was fine. Fine. Really.

  As the evening wore on with no sign of Luke, I started to give up hope that he was ever going to turn up. I surreptitiously checked my phone now and then but hadn’t received any messages. I resolved to keep dancing and having fun with my friends, regardless.

  “Liv,” Avery hissed, elbowing me in the ribs.

  “Ow! What—” Oh.

  Stalking across the dance floor, his intense, darkened gaze trained on me…

  Luke.

  My stomach flipped. My vision tunnelled until he was the only thing I could see.

  He was the predator, and I was his prey.

  I made my decision.

  “Go, have fun,” Avery whispered in my ear, melting away into the crowd.

  Luke reached me and spun me around, pulling me back against his chest. He began to move me to the music, and I closed my eyes, lost in him. Everything else faded away, my entire being focused on him as he bent his head, his hot breath in my ear sending delicious shivers down my spine.

  The length of his body pressed against my back, and his sexy, muscular arms held me in place. One hand held me possessively across the stomach, while the other drifted upwards, grazing the underside of my aching breasts. He bent his head to nuzzle my neck, scraping his stubble across my hypersensitive skin.

  “Please come home with me, baby.” His husky rasp vibrated through me. That sentence, combined with the feel of his hard cock grinding against my ass—how could I resist?

  This man.

  There was no chance I would turn him down.

  “Yes,” I breathed, the word swallowed up by the pounding, hypnotic beat that pulsed through the huge speakers surrounding us.

  I felt, rather than heard, his sharp intake of breath, and he pulled me off the dance floor, tugging me towards the entrance to the club. I had no time to say goodbye to anyone.

  Luke flagged down a passing hackney cab and spoke to the driver in a low tone, and we were off, racing through the darkened London streets.

  I stared at Luke’s profile, highlighted by the street lamps, and my stomach flipped. I couldn’t deny how much I felt for him anymore. It wasn’t only his gorgeous looks; everything about him made me fall for him. I was beginning to peel away his layers, and what I saw took my breath away. Somehow, despite our rocky beginning, we’d ended up like this, hurtling towards an inevitable conclusion.

  He glanced over to me, and I was swept up in his darkened gaze. Pulling me close, his lips came down on mine, firm and possessive. I opened my mouth for him and our tongues swirled together, finding a rhythm, sensual and seductive.

  I moaned into his mouth, and he pulled away slightly, staring at me with black, black eyes, breathing heavily.

  “Luke. Fuck. You…” My voice trailed off. I looked at him, sprawled against the cab seats, all dishevelled and hot, hair mussed and his lips swollen from our kisses.

  “You should see yourself,” I whispered. “So. Fucking. Sexy.”

  “You don’t even realise just how much I want you,” he said in a low, throaty tone. “I want to get you naked and make you scream my name.”

  I moaned aloud.

  “I couldn’t have imagined this,” I ground out, my voice shaky. “We hated each other so much, and look at us now.”

  Luke’s hand came out and gripped my face, holding it in position, so I was looking directly into his eyes.

  “No. I thought I hated you. I was wrong. So fucking wrong. I mistook the feelings I had for hate. But now? I know better. I can’t get you out of my head, Olivia Payne.”

  “Twenty pounds, please, mate.” The cab driver’s cheery voice interrupted our moment. As I tuned into our surroundings, I realised we’d stopped outside Luke’s building.

  “Uh, sure.” Luke looked as dazed as I felt. He shook his head as if to clear it, then pulled his bank card out of his pocket, and tapped it on the contactless payment machine.

  “Cheers. Enjoy your night.” The cabbie winked as Luke helped me out of the taxi.

  Stumbling upstairs to Luke’s flat was a blur. I had flashes—Luke fumbling for keys—dragging me upstairs—stopping halfway to kiss me until I was breathless and begging for more—palming my breasts…

  We staggered into his flat, and he slammed the door behind us, the sound a loud echo. We both stopped for a moment, out of breath. His gaze ensnared mine, and the hunger and fire took my breath away. I launched myself at him, and he caught me. My legs went around his waist, and he slammed me back against the wall, his arms between me and the hard surface, desperately kissing me. There was nothing smooth about this kiss. Teeth clashing, grinding against each other, it felt like everything we’d been through was foreplay leading to this moment.

  “My dress. It’s borrowed,” I panted. Luke instantly reacted, despite his obvious arousal, sliding me down his body and spinning me round.

  I wiggled my ass into his crotch, and he groaned.

  “Liv, you’re fucking killing me. Let me get this dress off without ripping it.” He unzipped the dress, his movements sure and gentle despite his obvious impatience. I stepped out of the dress and turned back to face him, in my underwear and heels.

  “Fuck, baby—look at you,” he breathed reverently. He pulled me flush against his body, and our mouths met in another wild kiss. I tugged at his shirt, needing to get it off and feel his skin against me.

  “Bedroom.” His hoarse voice, sounding as if it had been scraped along gravel, made me shudder, so desperate for him that I couldn’t think straight.

  He picked me up and carried me into his bedroom and threw me down on his huge bed. I whimpered, needing him.

  He ripped his half-unbuttoned shirt off and came down on top of me. Kicking off my heels, I locked my legs around his back, sliding against his hard cock.

  “Trousers off. Now.” I barely managed to get the words out. Luke complied by sitting up, and I moaned at the loss of contact, wriggling against the bed, gyrating my hips.

  “Liv.” His voice was a pained groan. He impatiently pulled off his trousers, then climbed back on the bed, tugging me
into his lap. His hands reached around me to undo my bra; it fell away to expose my bare breasts to him.

  He groaned again, lowering his head to suck one of my nipples into his mouth, cupping the other in his hand.

  “Don’t stop,” I panted. I rolled my hips, and he made an approving noise in the back of his throat, lifting his head to nip at my neck, then kissed me again, the touch of his mouth against mine sending me wild. He pushed me back onto the bed and kissed down my body, lips trailing down my stomach. Lifting me, he pulled my underwear off, then sat back, raking his gaze up and down my naked body, his chest rising and falling. I could see his cock barely contained, straining against his boxers, and I licked my lips, reaching out a hand to touch it.

  “Not yet.” His voice was strained. A muscle worked in his jaw; he was only just managing to keep himself under control. “I want to look at you. You’re fucking incredible, baby.”

  I moaned, letting my legs fall apart so he could see how wet and ready I was for him. I needed him inside me. Right now. I took my hand and slid it between my legs, circling my clit, taunting him with my movements.

  He swallowed hard.

  I could see the moment his restraint snapped.

  He growled. Like a feral beast.

  I gulped.

  In one smooth move, he slid off his boxers, rolling on a condom.

  “I promise I’ll make you come with my mouth, later,” he ground out, “but right now, I need to fuck you.”

  “Yes,” I whimpered, desperate to feel him inside me. “Please.”

  He positioned himself over me, biceps straining with the effort of holding himself in place.

  “Now, Luke,” I moaned, using my legs to pull him down onto me.

  He sank in until he was balls-deep, my wetness helping him to slide in smoothly.

  I’d never been so aroused in my life.

  “That feels so good,” I breathed, running my nails up and down his back. “Fuck me. Hard. Now.”

  Slowly, achingly, he pulled almost all the way out, then slammed in, hard. Driving his hips forward, he pounded in and out of me, and I met him, thrust for thrust. He swivelled his hips, and I gasped, intense pleasure rocking through me.

  “Yes,” I gasped, barely able to get any words out. His mouth slanted onto mine, kissing me ferociously.

  “Luke,” I panted. He slid his powerful arms under me, lifting my rear so that he was hitting me in that perfect spot, over and over again.

  “You feel so fucking good,” he growled.

  Waves of pleasure began building, and I screamed his name as I came, harder than I’d ever come before. He pumped in and out of me, shouting out as his own release chased mine seconds later.

  We collapsed onto the bed, breathing hard, sweat making our bodies stick together.

  Luke rolled off me and pulled me so I was lying half on top of him, half on the bed.

  “Was that okay for you, baby?” He looked at me worriedly. “I’m sorry, I wanted to make you come before we fucked, but it kind of went out of the window when you got naked.”

  I laughed softly, feeling boneless and spent.

  “Luke, that was more than okay. You made me come with your magical dick, so it’s all good here. Besides, I wanted you to fuck me. I think I made that obvious.” I smirked.

  “Hold on—can we go back to where you just said I had a magical dick?” His mouth quirked in amusement.

  “Yeah.” I waved my arm tiredly, yawning.

  He chuckled under his breath, then climbed off the bed to dispose of the condom.

  “Want a shower?”

  Hmm. I probably should. Fast and hard sex was amazing, but I was kind of a sweaty mess now.

  “That sounds good, thanks.”

  “Towels are in the bathroom. Help yourself to whatever.”

  “Aren’t you going to join me?” I pouted.

  “I’d love nothing more than to join you, but when you see the size of my shower, you’ll see why we can’t. I can only just about fit in it on my own as it is.”

  He gave me a wolfish grin. “Don’t worry, I’ll make it up to you afterwards.”

  We took turns in the shower, then curled up in Luke’s bed. I was wearing one of his T-shirts, a soft cotton Southwark University one, and nothing else.

  “You look so good in my clothes. I think you need to wear them all the time,” he proclaimed, giving me a boyish grin, his freshly washed hair sticking up in all directions.

  “Well, you look good in just those boxers.” I eyed his body in blatant appreciation, and he flexed his pecs playfully, making me laugh. Pushing him back on the bed, I straddled him, kissing across his chest.

  His hands came up to my sides, sliding under my clothing.

  “So sexy,” he murmured, almost to himself. He lifted me and laid me on my back, then slid up the T-shirt. I watched his eyes darken, and he licked his lips.

  “I believe I promised to make you come with my mouth.”

  I shivered at his low, throaty tone.

  His hand came up to cup my breast, my nipple pebbling beneath his touch. This was so different from our fast, urgent sex earlier. Every movement he made was unhurried, relaxed, as if he had all the time in the world. He sucked a nipple into his mouth, gently tugging on it with his teeth, sending a shot of heat straight through me. I whimpered, arching my hips off the bed, wanting him to touch my throbbing clit.

  “Patience,” he whispered. He licked my nipple, then blew on it, making goosebumps erupt over my skin. He repeated the same motions with the other breast, then trailed his hand lightly down my stomach, running it down one leg, then the other, then back up my inner thighs.

  “Touch me,” I begged.

  “Not yet.” His grin was devious. He followed the same path his hands had taken with his mouth. I squirmed as his stubble scraped my inner thigh, needing to feel his mouth on me.

  He raised his head. “Not yet,” he said again. He crawled up my body and settled between my legs, pulling my bottom lip into his mouth and nipping it. I moaned, and he kissed me, slowly, leisurely, tongue rolling against mine. I gripped his neck and pulled him closer, threading my fingers through his hair. He responded by deepening the kiss. I tried to pull his hips down to mine so I could feel the friction between us, but he broke our kiss.

  “So impatient,” he drawled, sitting back.

  “Luke, please.” I begged again.

  He nudged my legs apart and slid one finger up my slit, circling my clit. I whimpered.

  “More, I need more.”

  “So wet for me,” he rasped, slipping his finger inside me.

  “More.”

  Another finger joined the first, and he slid them in and out of me, tortuously slowly.

  “More.”

  Finally, finally he put his head down between my legs, running his tongue over my slit and circling my clit expertly. I arched up off the bed.

  “Yes. Yes. Don’t stop.” My voice was almost incoherent.

  My eyes rolled back in my head, the feel of his mouth, his tongue, his fingers sending my body into overdrive. I came hard, his hands holding me in place through the aftershocks.

  “Good?” he asked, a satisfied grin on his face.

  “Feel free to repeat that experience anytime.” Out of breath, completely spent, I yawned, once again overcome by tiredness. “Want me to return the favour?”

  “Not tonight. You need sleep,” he insisted as he settled in next to me. Kissing my forehead, he pulled my T-shirt back down and tucked me under the covers.

  17

  Luke

  The best thing to wake up to in the world? Olivia Payne, in my bed, looking sleepy and so fucking sexy. Reality would come soon enough for both of us—for now, I was enjoying her curled up next to me. Her caramel hair fanned out across my pillow, bright blue eyes flickering open as she blinked up at me.

  “Morning,” I murmured.

  She smiled drowsily and shifted in the bed, her leg coming into contact with my hard dick. Her ey
es jerked downward in surprise, and I laughed.

  “Just a bit of morning wood, nothing to worry about.”

  She raised her eyebrows. “Hmm, what are we going to do about that?” she asked in a low, throaty tone. She ran a finger lightly, casually, over my erection.

  My breathing quickened.

  Olivia wriggled closer, raining kisses over my body, moving lower, and lower. I lay back with a groan, looking at her through half-lidded eyes.

  “What are you doing to me?” I asked, my voice hoarse.

  She tugged at my boxers, pulling them off and freeing my dick. She placed a kiss on the tip of my erection, then parted her lips and swirled her tongue around the head.

  “Fuuuuuck.” I moaned as she took my cock into her mouth, palming the base.

  The feel of her wet, hot mouth and her tongue sliding over the sensitive head was indescribable. She opened her lips wider, taking more of my hardness into her mouth until my tip was hitting the back of her throat. She ran her hands over my balls, lightly scraping the sensitive skin behind them, sending shivers down my spine.

  I was incapable of speech.

  Her mouth.

  Her tongue.

  Fucking bliss.

  She looked up at me, and our eyes met. Hers were darkened with desire, a sexy little moan slipping from her lips as she sucked my cock.

  Fuck. Me.

  I felt my balls tighten, and my body tensed.

  I tried to pull out of her mouth, but she resisted, one slim hand holding me in place.

  I came, hard, gripping the sheets, and she took everything I had.

  What a way to wake up.

  “You owe me breakfast for that,” she announced, satisfied. She climbed out of bed and padded into the bathroom. I lay back, unable to stop a huge grin spreading over my face.

  When I managed to drag myself out of bed, throwing on a T-shirt, I headed into the kitchen to find Olivia leaning against the counter, fiddling with her phone. She looked up as I entered the room and placed her phone down. Sliding her arms around me, she went up on her toes and pulled my head down to hers. My arms went around her waist, steadying her, and our lips met in a slow, lazy kiss.