“Well, take care of yourself,” Evan says as he takes Bethany’s hand. “I am sorry.”
They both walk away and I’m staring after them both. It’s not that I want him back anymore, especially after how much it all hurt. It’s that seeing Bethany has made me miss our friendship—the time we spent together.
“I’m betting you need a hug.” Luke says as he pulls me close.
I inhale his sandalwood scent as my cheek brushes against his neck. I turn slightly and can’t help but run my lips along his skin, giving him a kiss just under his earlobe. He turns his head toward me and our eyes meet before mine glance at his lips. He bends down and his mouth crashes against mine. My knees feel weak as his tongue lashes against mine. His hands thrust through my hair as he pulls me closer, as if we can’t get enough of each other.
I moan as I feel the warmth of lust spread throughout my body and press mine against his. His hips press against my belly and I know he feels the same as I do. The entire night has been more than romantic in the way he’s held my hand, caressed my shoulders, whispered sweet things in my ear. The silly little jokes he’s made to make me feel comfortable. Not once has he glanced around the room or let his eyes linger on another woman. He’s only had eyes for me the entire day, and I would be lying to myself if I said I didn’t really enjoy all the attention and affection he’s lavished on me.
It may not be for real and only for show, but I can’t help but wish it were real.
For now, I’ll allow myself to believe it really could be for real.
Luke pulls back and smiles at me. His blue eyes sparkle against the soft lighting of the room. “How about we grab some plates of cake and head back to the room?”
I pull my eyebrows in in confusion. “Room?”
“I got us a room with two beds.” He says the last part quickly. “I know after all our drinking today—not that I’m drunk, I’m just…It’s a two-hour drive back, so I thought maybe we could relax and take our time in the morning.”
Immediately I smile. There’s nothing I would love more than to spend more time with Luke. The fact that he made sure to say there are two beds tells me he isn’t insinuating anything. I smile, hoping to put him at ease. “I think that’s a good idea.”
“Yeah?” he asks. The relief is clear by his expression.
I nod and take his hand, leading him out of the room. “Did you already check in?”
“Yeah.” We start to leave when he stops at the door. “Hang on.” He darts across the room, and I’m looking down to see if I still have my purse or what I might have forgotten at the table when I see him coming back with two plates of cake. I can’t help but smile, wondering if he’s remembered how bad my sweet tooth is.
We enter the elevator and I lean against the wall as Luke pushes the button for the floor. I go ahead and take a bite of cake and can’t help but moan. “Damn, this is good cake,” I say as I swallow the sweetness and watch Luke take a taste of his.
Nodding his head, he points his fork at me. “Mm. You’re right.”
I start laughing, remembering what I did. “I can’t believe I said all those things!” I stare at the ceiling, debating if I’m embarrassed or not. It felt good to finally tell them off.
We exit the elevator with our plates of cake and I follow Luke to the room.
“You were great,” Luke says as we arrive at the hotel room. He swipes the key card and opens the door. “I bet it felt good to get all that off your chest.”
“It did. Actually, you’re right. It was…freeing,” I say with a pause.
Luke flips on the lights and I flop onto one of the beds. I’m waiting for it to turn awkward between us. We’re in a room alone, after a night of drinking and…closure. Luke sits down on the opposite bed and takes off his shoes and socks as I kick off my heels.
“The looks on the women around the table when you told them how you knew the bride and groom,” Luke says as he laughs. “Priceless.”
“How about everyone around the room when I stood up.”
“I don’t think I ever saw a room full of people so quiet.” Luke adds, “I think that was the best moment of the night.”
I flop back on the bed and stare at the ceiling. “That was horrible of me, though. I mean…I ruined their speeches.”
I feel the bed dip as Luke sits, then lies down next to me. “I don’t think it was bad. They wouldn’t have invited you if they didn’t expect something like that.”
“That’s just it. I never said anything to either of them, so they probably didn’t think I’d say anything.” I turn my head to look at him.
“I’m glad you did though.” I feel his hand encircle mine. “Do you feel like you’ve got closure now?”
“Yes. Actually, I do.” I turn onto my side and prop my head up on my hand. I stare at him for a moment, knowing I don’t want to talk about my little display at the wedding. If anything, I’d rather forget it. “What happened with paramedic school? How come you never told me?”
Luke mirrors my position and shrugs. “I don’t think I told anyone actually. I…” Luke’s eyes roll and he shakes his head. “After I started I thought I’d bartend to make some money to pay for school.” He smirks and lets out a breath. “Working at night and going to school during the day caught up with me.” Luke shrugs. “I couldn’t cut it.”
“Because you were drinking too much?”
“It was more…” Luke lies on his back and stares at the ceiling. “My parents. You know how we talked about their divorce and everything?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, my mom loves to say I’m just like my dad. My dad never finished anything. My dad cheated all the time. My dad never could be with one woman.” He blows out a deep breath. “I guess I just listened too much. I blew it. I never finished.”
After hearing my dad tell me similar things—that I was just like my mom in some ways—I can completely understand what Luke means.
“It’s never too late to go back, you know,” I say as Luke glances at me and then back up at the ceiling.
“Maybe.” He looks back at me. “What about you? What is it you want to do with your life? Or is being a waitress at the hottest club in town your only ambition?”
I chuckle. “Well, we do make good money there,” I say, and then think about his question. “I don’t know what I want.” I close my eyes and admit what I haven’t told anyone else. “Actually, that’s not true. I’ve been thinking about real estate—maybe trying to sell houses—but I’m not sure I’m cut out for that.”
“Really? I think you’d be great at it,” Luke tells me as he switches to his side again and props his head up. His dusty blue eyes are sparkling and he flashes a sweet smile. “You’ve got the best personality. People would love to buy from you.”
I can feel my face redden as he runs his hand along my bare arm.
He squeezes my shoulder. “I think you’d be perfect at it.”
“Yeah?” I squeak out as Luke closes the distance between us. I lick my lips as I glance at his. He leans in and so do I. As his lips meet mine, I can’t think of any person I’d rather be with right now.
His hand wraps around the back of my neck and pulls me close. I lean forward and press myself onto him, deepening our kiss. It’s tender but full of need as he pulls back slowly. His eyes question me and I smile.
“I want to be with you, Luke,” I say as his eyes search mine.
“Me too,” he whispers.
“Nothing will change, right?” I whisper frantically.
His mouth is close to mine, his body pressed against me, and the sexual tension that’s been building up all day from all the little kisses to our last one before he told me about the room is about to explode.
“Nothing,” he manages to say before his lips crash into mine.
But even as he says that word, I know it’s wrong. I’m positive I won’t want this to end.
And I’m terrified it’ll end our friendship.
* * *
Luke’s hand wraps around my waist, pulling me closer to him. My breathing becomes rapid as I feel his other hand caress my backside. Are we really doing this? Luke and I have known each other for so long, and yeah, I’ve thought about him this way, but I never thought we’d ever…
“Hey,” Luke says as he pulls back. “You’re okay with this, right?” There’s a seriousness in his eyes that I’ve seen before. A memory of when Evan broke my heart and Luke was there to comfort me. The tenderness and warmth that he gave me then is exuding from him right now.
“Yeah, I’m completely sure,” I tell him with full honesty. Luke is the only person I know I can really trust with my damaged heart right now. He’s been more than a good friend to me, and right now I want nothing more than to share a deeper feeling with him.
A smile returns to his lips right before he kisses me again. He’s tender and there’s nothing rushed about what we’re doing. I realize the light is on—something that with all my past lovers I’ve always wanted to turn the light off. Not with Luke. With Luke I feel comfortable with myself.
In fact, a boldness I don’t usually have overcomes me and I sit up, straddling Luke’s hips. I can feel his hard length through his suit pants and I rock slightly, causing him to moan. His eyes are on me, watching everything I’m doing right now. I undo the tie to my wrap dress and let the silky fabric fall away from my shoulders, revealing my matching bra and lace panties.
My heart is beating out of my chest, yet I still feel the same confidence I had a moment ago. Luke gives me that feeling of power. His eyes roam over my body and return back to my gaze that I have on him. I unhook my bra and let the straps fall before removing the fabric entirely.
Luke’s hands hold my waist as he sits up and I encircle my legs around his body. His hard cock presses more firmly against me, and it feels so amazing I rock back and forth. Luke skirts his fingertips over my shoulder and lazily down the front of my chest. My nipples pebble under his touch as he leans forward and kisses my neck. His tongue runs along my chin before he places a tender kiss under my earlobe.
“I’ve waited so long for this, Chloe,” he murmurs before he gently rolls me onto my back. His eyes meet mine, and as his words reverberate through my mind, I can see he really means it. Yet I’m still stunned. How long has he wanted to be with me?
I watch as he loosens his tie and pulls it off. After unbuttoning his shirt, I watch closely as he slips it off. His hard, chiseled chest is so amazing I can’t keep my fingers to myself and I explore his chest the same way he did mine.
His words are lost in my memory as he bends down and continues to kiss every inch of me. I’ve never felt so cherished by a man. Luke is taking his time with me and I’m loving every single kiss he places on me. The moment his tongue runs over my sex, I’m gone. I’m so ready and wet for him that within moments my whole body is sent into a rush of sensations before I explode with ecstasy.
“You’re absolutely gorgeous when you come,” Luke whispers as he kisses his way back up my body. He kisses me tenderly as I hear the crinkle of a wrapper.
I roll to my side and unhook his pants, sliding the zipper down. Luke’s eyes are on mine as I push his pants down and wrap my hand around his hard length. My thumb slides over his tip, feeling the drops of his need. He kisses me roughly as his hands move down to slide the condom over his cock.
As I lie back down and Luke leans over me, his lips meet mine. Both our kisses are needy as our tongues explore each other’s mouths with need.
I moan with pleasure as I feel his hard cock enter me. He’s slow and so hard that each inch fills me with so much bliss I know it won’t take me long for me. Luke’s body moves as if every stroke has one purpose—to please me.
As he continues to thrust into me, harder and faster with each movement, I can feel my body come undone. I hear his breath follow mine, and before I know it stars explode as a rush of pleasure overcomes me. Luke is right there with me as he collapses on top of me, kissing my neck.
“You are so amazing,” he whispers. “That was even better than I could have ever imagined.”
“So are you,” I whisper back as I kiss him fiercely. As I start to close my eyes, Luke wraps his arms around me and pulls me close. As he presses a kiss to my forehead, I can’t help but smile. I know he might be doing this for the sake of making this day the perfect date, but before I drift off to sleep, I allow myself the fantasy that Luke is the perfect boyfriend and that he really truly loves me.
Nine
Luke
A sliver in the curtains allows a beam of light to slice the darkness of the room. Of course it’s right in my eyes, waking me from the most fantastic dream. When I open my eyes, I realize quickly it wasn’t a dream. Chloe is asleep next to me, lying on her side with her hair sprawled out. Her lipstick is faintly smudged around her lips and I’m positive I have it on me too. I don’t mind it at all. She looks just as beautiful as she did last night. Or every day I’ve seen her, actually.
As I watch her sleep, so peaceful and calm, I can’t help but wonder how much she’ll regret what we did last night. How much she’ll wish she hadn’t said yes. She wasn’t drunk, but she was definitely tipsy. Did I talk her into it or lead her on? I think back to our conversation and try to convince myself she was more than okay with it.
Chloe’s lashes flutter open and my heart beats rapidly, waiting for her to scream or something.
“Morning,” I dare to say.
She smiles sleepily and stretches her arms above her head, allowing the sheet to fall. I saw her completely naked last night, but the sight of her bare breasts ignites my need to have her all over again.
“Hey, you,” she whispers dreamily.
I wait for her to wake fully and my stomach stirs, wondering how bad her regrets will be. Her eyes widen and then she glances around the room.
I bite my lip, knowing this could go really bad.
She exhales and her glance returns to mine. “We… wow.” She sits up, pulling the sheet over her chest.
“Are you upset?” I ask, and then cringe knowing she’s probably pissed off.
“No. I mean. Well, you’re a pretty good actor.”
I’m taken off guard completely as I pull my eyebrows in, wondering what she means. “Actor?”
“Yeah.”
I watch her swallow as she sits up and pulls the sheet against her chest.
“Yesterday. The whole thing. You were acting as my boyfriend. I guess last night was a bonus.” She presses her lips together and asks, “Right?”
I sit up. As much as I could go ahead and feign it was all an act, this is really my moment to make sure she knows it’s not. “It wasn’t an act for me. I really did enjoy being with you. I didn’t have to pretend anything yesterday. Especially last night.”
“Really?” she asks, and the doubt is obvious in her eyes.
“Chloe, I was glad you chose me to take you. I really enjoy being with you.”
“Me too,” she says, and I dare to lean in, hoping she’ll feel the same.
Our lips meet and I feel the same excitement I did last night and am more than happy that Chloe wants a repeat performance.
“Hungry?” I ask as I wrap a fluffy white towel around her and kiss her again on the lips. There’s something so different about having sex with Chloe, and I have a hard time trying to figure it out. Maybe it’s because I care more about her than I have about any other woman I’ve slept with. I want to keep devouring her. I don’t feel like I’ve had my fill of her, but it’s almost checkout time and I know we need to start heading back.
“Yeah, I’m starving.” She smiles brightly as she wraps her arms around my neck and kisses me hard. Our towels start to fall to the floor and the heat between us makes me realize we may never get out of the room at this rate.
“Should I extend our stay? We could check out the winery near here or walk around in town.”
“I don’t have a change of clothes.”
As much as I’d love to
have Chloe in a hotel room for two days, I also wouldn’t mind hanging out with her and just being with her, like a real couple. “We could find a shop downstairs and get some for the day.”
She kisses my lips. “That sounds like fun.” She drops her towel. “But first…”
Chloe pulls me closer and I know I’m done for. Even if we don’t leave the room, being with her is all I really want.
Ten
Chloe
“I’ll see you tonight at work,” Luke says as he kisses me one last time. We can’t get enough of each other, and I swear my lips feel bruised and I don’t even care.
“Okay,” I breathe out as I lean forward to kiss him again. Never in my life would I have guessed how amazing it would be making love to Luke. Amazing isn’t the word for it, and I’m in such a dazed state, I don’t want this to end.
His mouth covers mine again before he pulls back and bites his lip. Smiling, he then gives me one last peck before he turns to go. I’m halfway inside the door, watching him descend the stairs, before he glances back up at me and smiles again.
I manage to get inside the apartment and lean against the door as I exhale. I can’t stop smiling and know I’ve never felt this happy or content with anyone else. I’d have never imagined it could be like this with him. We’ve worked together for a long time, and I wish I’d known it so much sooner. Maybe we’d be getting married by now.
“Good time?” Ava asks, and I realize she’s there. She’s in the same spot as I left her on Sunday morning, and I wonder if she even moved.
I push myself off from the door and nod. My cheeks hurt from smiling so much. “Oh my gosh. Yes!” I sigh. “It was ah-mazing!”
“Yeah?” Ava’s eyebrows pull together as she grimaces. “He must be one hell of an actor,” she remarks.
True Kisses Page 3
