Luke (Bad Boys of WildeSide Book 3)

by Laylah Roberts

  “You want to tell me what the fuck is going on here?” Van’s voice whipped out across the room. “What the hell are you all doing? And who’s this?” He gestured towards the lawyer.

  Crap, I’d forgotten he was there.

  “I’ve got to go find Ariana,” I told him, moving towards the doorway. Urgency beat at me, the devastated look on her face urging me to find her. Soothe her.

  Van stepped into the doorway and shook his head. “No.”

  “Get out of my way, Van.” I clenched my hands into fists.

  He ran his dark gray gaze over me. “No. Nobody goes near Ariana until I’m certain you won’t harm her.”

  I took a step back, my mind whirling. He thought I’d hurt her? Did he think I was capable of hitting a woman? Maybe he saw something of our father in me.

  “I’d never harm Ariana,” I said in a low voice. I knew he’d walked into craziness, but that was something I had to get clear. “I’d never hurt any woman.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Paddles and whips don’t count, huh?”

  Funny, out of all my brothers I thought Van would understand my sexual preferences. My need to dominate.

  “That’s not fair, Van,” Caleb warned, surprising me. “It’s not the same, and you know it.”

  “Do you all know?” I asked.

  They all nodded except Joel who was still in a world of his own.

  The lawyer cleared his throat. “I think it would be best if I left.”

  “Did he say why?” Joel turned to look at the lawyer, who just shook his head, his double chins wobbling.

  “No. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll have my secretary be in touch.”

  “Wait,” Mac said, holding out a hand with what I guess he planned to be a reassuring smile. The lawyer flinched. “What did he leave Donovan?”

  The lawyer looked Van up and down nervously; he did make an intimidating sight. The lawyer would be in the minority if he wasn’t afraid. Van was larger than all of us, wide in the shoulders and taller than Joel by a couple of inches. But more than his size there was something in his gaze, in the way he held himself, that told you he could take care of himself. That he wasn’t someone you wanted to mess with.

  “I don’t believe it’s necessary to say.”

  That was odd.

  I frowned then looked at Van who watched the lawyer like he was some bug who’d crawled into his boot and refused to leave. “He’s the lawyer the old man hired? Not ol’ Donny?”

  “Yeah, he’s some dude from the city,” Caleb drawled.

  “Tell me.” Van crossed his arms over his chest. “I want to know what the old man had to say.”

  “No, you don’t,” Joel muttered, moving to the bar and pouring himself a large scotch. “You really don’t.”

  Van looked over at me. I sighed. “The old bastard left the ranch to Ariana. Not Joel.”

  Joel laughed, and the sound wasn’t pleasant. I knew he was devastated. I would be. He was right, he’d stuck around. He’d put up with the old man much longer than we had. Of course, the old bastard had always gone easier on Joel than the rest of us.

  That didn’t mean living with him was rainbows, sunshine, and puppy dogs.

  “What the fuck? Why would he do that? That’s why you’re fighting?” Van looked around at us.

  “He’s blaming Ariana.” I glared over at Joel. “He was scaring her.”

  “I’d say you both were. Getting physical in front of her wasn’t exactly going to make her feel any safer.” Van gave me a quelling look. “You don’t fight in front of Ariana. Save that shit for the backyard.”

  Van had always been super-protective of Ariana. Seemed that hadn’t changed.

  “I have to find her.” She should’ve been back by now. “And for the record, I might enjoy tying women up and spanking them, but I never do it without their consent. And I would never hit or harm a woman.”

  The lawyer made a strangled noise, but I didn’t give a shit about him.

  Van studied me. We hadn’t seen each other for a long time. I wasn’t certain exactly what he was thinking. He’d always had the ability to keep his thoughts a secret. But whatever he saw must have reassured him because he nodded. But he didn’t move.

  It looked like I’d just have to make him move. I took a step forward when Mac stepped in front of me. “How’d you know to come? None of us knew how to get hold of you.”

  “Ariana knew,” Van replied.

  Ariana? Ariana contacted him? “Just how friendly are the two of you?” I asked, jealousy raging.

  Van raised both his eyebrows. “You’re way off course. And you better not look at Ariana that way.”

  “Or what?”

  “Or I’ll knock some damn sense into you.”

  “Okay, I think we all need some time out.” Caleb looked over at the lawyer. “Tell Van what the old asshole left him then you can go.”

  “Nothing. He left you nothing,” the lawyer said quickly.

  “Good. Exactly what I wanted.” Van smiled.

  “Guess you came here for no reason,” I said to Van. I didn’t know why I felt so antagonistic towards him. So what if he and Ariana were close? They always had been. Nothing had changed.

  Except, maybe, my feelings towards Ariana.

  “I’m going to town.” Joel strode out of the room. Van stepped easily aside and let him past.

  “I’ll go with him,” Caleb said with a sigh.

  “Me too,” Mac added. They quickly left.

  Now it was just Van and me. “How long you staying?”

  Van shrugged. “Depends on whether I’m needed or not.”

  “You mean whether Ariana needs you?” I asked suspiciously.

  “You’re awfully interested in mine and Ariana’s relationship.”

  I sucked in a breath. “I thought you were just friends.”

  “We are friends, but it’s more than that. Ariana’s the one person in the world I’d drop everything for and come running.”

  “Not us? Says a lot about our family.”

  “The rest of you can take care of yourselves. I’m interested in why you care so much? For a man who has a girlfriend you’re awfully interested in Ariana’s love life.”

  What love life? “What do you mean? She’s part of the family, that’s why I’m interested.”

  “The rest of the family isn’t grilling me about her. You know she’s always had a crush on you, right?”

  I’d known she’d had one when she was younger. “A teenage crush.”

  Van tipped his head on one side. “That’s what you think?”

  I walked forward, tired of the riddles he was speaking. As I passed him, he reached out and grabbed my arm. “I won’t be happy if she gets hurt.”

  I drew my arm back sharply. “Neither will I.”

  “Good. Ariana’s a pleaser. I wouldn’t like to see her caring nature taken advantage of.”

  “What does that mean? That I’m taking advantage of her? You haven’t been here, how would you know what the hell’s going on?”

  He shrugged.

  Unable to calm my raging temper, I headed outside. I wasn’t fit to be around anyone at the moment, let alone Ariana. I’d go for a ride, clear my head, then check in on her.

  Chapter Six

  Ariana

  I tried to concentrate on my writing but how the hell was I supposed to write a damn love scene when my head was in complete chaos. When I’d finally made my way back into the study, I’d been surprised to find Van there alone. I’d finally decided to tell Joel I was going to gift him the ranch. I guessed there’d probably be tax issues, but if I owned the ranch, surely I could do what I liked with it.

  But he’d headed into town with Caleb and Mac. The lawyer had gone home, and I didn’t know where Luke was. I bit my lip, hoping he was okay. He’d been furious with Joel. Van assured me they hadn’t started fighting again, but there was something in his gaze that told me something else had gone on.

  Not many people would b
e able to read Van, but I’d always seen through him, from the gruff, forbidding exterior to the sweet man beneath. Not that I’d ever tell him that. He’d be horrified. Worried it would ruin his tough guy image. But we knew each other’s darkest secrets. Things we’d never told anyone else.

  He’d walked with me to my place. We’d sat for a while, just talking. I’d missed him so much. Even though it was only four in the afternoon, he’d crashed in my spare bedroom. I got the feeling he didn’t want to sleep in the main house. Now he was snoring away while I tried to figure out how to get my mind on Raine and Jack’s first sexual encounter, and off the lawyer’s words.

  Van had talked it all through with me. I knew it wasn’t my fault that Jared had left me Baton Ranch, but I still couldn’t help but feel guilty.

  The knock on my door caught me by surprise, I saved my document, not that I’d added anything to it, closed the lid on my laptop, and walked to the door. I felt a leap of pleasure as I saw Luke on the other side. His clothes were dusty, his face tired, and a five o’clock shadow dusted his cheeks and chin.

  He was the most gorgeous man I’d ever seen.

  “Ariana, hi,” he said almost shyly. “Can I talk to you?”

  “Um, oh, s-sure.” I stepped out onto the small porch, closing the door behind me. Van was exhausted, and I didn’t want to wake him.

  Luke took his hat off, and something flashed over his face. Regret? Sadness? I didn’t quite catch it.

  “Is something wrong?” he asked, stepping back and leaning on the porch railing, putting as much space between us as he could.

  “What? No. Why would you s-say that?”

  He frowned. “You don’t want me in your place.”

  “Oh, uh—”

  He stepped forward suddenly, making me jump. Moving slowly, he grabbed hold of my chin, raising my gaze to his. “Look at me, Ariana.”

  God, I’d look at him all day, every day if I could.

  “I’d never harm you. I know things got out of control earlier and I’m as sorry as I can be that we fought in front of you. That was out of line, and it won’t happen again.”

  “Not the first time.”

  “Well, it will be the last. I’ll be making certain Joel knows that too.”

  I turned my gaze from his. “He hates me.”

  “He doesn’t hate you. He hates the situation.”

  “I-I’m gonna give the r-ranch back to him. I am. I-I don’t w-want it.” My stuttering was growing worse with my anxiety.

  Luke drew me close to his chest, enveloping me in the warmth and safety of his arms. Even though his clothes were dirty, I snuggled as close as I could. His scent surrounded me. Leather, dust, and sweat.

  Call me insane, but it was like pure ambrosia. My body heated, filling with need.

  “Joel doesn’t hate you, baby. Trust me. He’ll be all right once he clears his head.” Luke leaned back, staring down at me.

  I looked up into his face, those blue eyes, gorgeous cheekbones, and delicious lips. Suddenly, I wanted nothing more than to kiss him and feel his lips against mine, his whiskers brushing against my skin.

  “God, you’re so beautiful,” he moaned.

  Not thinking it through, I leaned up on my tiptoes. He met me halfway, his lips brushing against mine in a soft kiss that wasn’t enough. Not nearly.

  As if that soft brush of lips had broken the damn, he pressed his mouth against mine. My lips parted beneath the onslaught, and I whimpered, drawn immediately into his spell. He lifted me high, his lips never leaving mine. I wrapped my legs around his waist as he took a few steps forward. My back hit the side of the cottage as his tongue slipped between my lips.

  I groaned, arousal rushing me like a bull stampeding towards a red flag. He shifted my weight onto one arm then slipped a hand up under my loose shirt. I’d never been so grateful for wearing baggy clothes. His thumb brushed one of my taut nipples, and I arched, crying out, the sound muffled by his mouth. He tweaked the bud, and I nearly exploded then and there.

  Jesus Christ. He was like a match to a box of fireworks.

  “I have to see you. I have to taste you. Be inside you.” He spoke in between the kisses he laid on my neck. In the back of my mind, a warning bell was chiming. There was something important I needed to remember. “Let’s go inside.”

  Yes. Yes. Let’s go inside. No, wait. Van. Van was asleep. I couldn’t go into the cottage because Van was asleep. We could go to Luke’s bedroom. I gasped, that warning bell now a siren screaming at me.

  I pushed at Luke’s chest, scrambling to get down.

  “What? What is it?” he asked.

  “C-Caroline,” I managed to mutter through the fog of arousal still swamping me. “Y-your girlfriend.”

  Suddenly, he stepped back, and I would have fallen to the ground had he not reached out and grasped me around the waist. As soon as I was steady, he snatched his hands way. Then he took two steps back, running his hand over his head.

  “Fuck!”

  “I-I’m s-sorry,” I stuttered out as he turned to look back at the big house. His shoulders were tense. “T-that was my f-fault.”

  I’d made the first move. He’d been hugging me, and I’d leaned up for a kiss. What had I been thinking? I’d never thought of myself as someone who’d attempt to steal someone else’s boyfriend. God, I was so ashamed of myself.

  “Wasn’t your fault,” he said curly. “It was mine. I’ve got to go.”

  “S-sure,” I said as he walked off without a backward glance. I hugged myself as I trembled. I let out a soft sob. What had I done? I’d let my feelings for him override my good sense. What must he think of me?

  “Idiot. I’m such an idiot.” I was on a real winning streak today. At this rate, by the end of the week, I’d have no friends left.

  Luke

  I couldn’t believe I’d done that. I’d kissed Ariana. I’d touched her breast. Her nipple. And it had felt good. So good.

  I paused at the door to the house, thinking that through. Kissing Ariana had felt right. I’d been trying to dismiss my feelings towards her. Pretend I only felt so possessive of her because she was like a sister to me.

  But my feelings weren’t brotherly. Not in the least. If she hadn’t stopped me, I’d have carried her inside and fucked her until we collapsed in exhaustion. Then woken up and fucked her some more. I wanted her. There was no denying that. Not that I wanted to. Not anymore. Not after feeling her reaction. She’d melted in my arms. Her nipples had been hard as pebbles. Hell, I had the feeling that if I kept playing with her tight nubs, she’d have come just from that alone.

  I took a deep breath, then another, hoping to calm my hard cock. I had no business kissing her like that. Didn’t matter if she returned my kisses or not. Or how much I wanted her. I was the experienced one. I was the one who was supposed to be in control. Ariana was an innocent. Her kisses had been hesitant and unsure. She wasn’t used to being kissed. Or mauled on the damn porch of her cottage.

  Christ.

  She had no idea of my desires. My needs. She’d probably run the other way if she did. We weren’t well-matched, no matter how much we might want each other. I could try being vanilla for a while, but in the end, I knew I’d come to resent her for it. It wasn’t fair to either of us.

  I walked into the house. Maybe I needed to go. That was probably the best idea.

  First things first, though. I needed to talk to Caroline. Kissing Ariana while I was still technically dating Caroline was out of order. It wasn’t fair to either woman, even if I’d known things with Caroline should have finished weeks ago.

  I walked into our bedroom to find her sitting on the bed, her suitcase next to her. I paused. “Caroline?”

  She glanced up, blinking. “Luke.”

  “What’s going on?” I crouched in front of her.

  She shrugged. “I’m leaving.”

  “Where are you going? Why?”

  She smiled then reached out and ran a finger down my cheek. “Thank you.”<
br />
  I frowned. “For what?”

  “For everything you’ve done for me.”

  I didn’t think I’d done anything.

  “But I have to leave.” She gestured at the room. “This isn’t me. The country air is too clean. I need the city, the congestion, the pollution, the people. I’m lost here. I need to go home.”

  “Of course. Give me a few hours to pack and take care of things. I never intended to stay this long.”

  She studied me with her hazel eyes. “You belong here.”

  What?

  “No. I have a life in Boston. That’s where I belong.” Although I hadn’t missed it once. Not the club, not my apartment, or the city.

  “Maybe it was before. But you seem happier here. More settled. Or maybe that’s because of her.”

  I rocked back. I’d never heard Caroline talk like this. Obviously, she was far more observant than I gave her credit for. “Who?”

  “The shy one. Annie.”

  “Ariana.” Okay, so she wasn’t that observant. “Ariana and I are just friends.”

  “No.” She shook her head. “No, you’re more than that.”

  “Caro—”

  “It’s okay, Luke. You and I were never meant to be. I’m too fucked up, and you’re hell bent on trying to save me. That’s sweet and generous, but it’s not a real relationship. You can’t save me, Luke. Only I can do that.”

  She stood and reached for her suitcase. I grabbed it from her. As if I would let her carry her damn suitcase.

  She gave me a small smile and patted my arm. “Always the gentleman.”

  “How are you getting home? Do you need me to take you to the airport?” I couldn’t help but feel responsible for her. I’d brought her here.

  “Uh, no, I have a friend who lives close by. I called him.”

  The sound of a chopper flying low filled the room. “There he is now.”

  Her friend was picking her up by helicopter? Who the hell was this friend?

  She turned to me. “You need to grab onto happiness when you have your chance. And don’t let go. No matter what. I wish I’d done that when I had the chance.”

  “Ariana and I, we’re not—”

  “Yes, you are. The only ones that can’t see it are the two of you.”