by Lacey Black
Well, most people.
“You look amazing,” he whispers as he places a gentle kiss on my cheek. His hand is warm at the base of my spine as he pulls my chair out and helps me sit. I’ll be honest; I almost grabbed the seat just to make sure it wasn’t ripped out from under me while I sat.
Old habits and all that…
“Thank you.” Amazing. My voice sounds foreign and shaky, completely not like my own. If I start giggling, I’m just going to get up and leave.
Luke’s wearing a simple white button-down shirt, the collar loose and the sleeves rolled up to reveal toned and well-defined forearms. Forearms that I suddenly have the urge to lick like a popsicle. He has paired the shirt with black dress pants that, on anyone else, would have been just a pair of dress pants. But on Luke? They were the absolute best pair of dress pants ever created. The way they molded to his thick thighs and his trim waist left my mouth watering and my tongue practically dangling.
In a ladylike fashion, of course.
Luke’s eyes are on me the entire time. Even while the waiter takes our drink order, even while I say hello to the couple beside us that recently celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary at the hotel, and even while we placed our dinner order. His gaze was completely unnerving me, causing my body to respond in a way that it’s not supposed to.
I’ve already determined that nothing was becoming of this evening, so why was my traitorous body suddenly humming with excitement and anticipation? Probably because his eyes are telling me that he wants to rip my clothes off and eat me for dinner.
When the waiter finally leaves us be, Luke leans forward and sets his elbows on the table. The shirt stretches tautly across rippled muscles and tanned flesh. Again, I want to lick him.
“So, how was your court date? Is it done?” he asks before taking a drink of his water.
“It’s over,” I state happily. I can’t stop the smile that spreads widely across my face. I feel like I just won an Olympic gold medal I’m so giddy with excitement. It takes everything I have not to stand up, bow, and wave to the crowd.
“Hell yeah! Then we really do have a reason to celebrate tonight,” he says as he holds his glass of amber liquid up. “A toast. To divorces. And to old friends reacquainting,” he salutes as he taps his glass against mine.
“To divorces and old friends,” I repeat and take a drink of my champagne. The bubbles tickle my nose as the cool liquid slides smoothly down my throat.
“How’s your mom?” he asks as he sets his glass down on the table.
“Good. She’s still in Atlanta. My grandma has Parkinson’s and it has gotten progressively worse lately, so my mom has had to keep a closer eye on her. She hired a home health nurse to come in during the day while she’s at the club.”
“The club?”
“Country Club. Mom was never able to give up the lifestyle,” I reply with a smirk. “It was a rough few weeks after we left until the alimony checks started rolling in. Once that happened, we moved into a big house in a gated community so we could keep up with the Joneses.”
Luke snorts. “I’m sure that was fun. I know how much you loved keeping up with appearances.”
“It was torture. I was sad and lonely and just kept my nose in the books until graduation.”
Our food arrives at that moment. For me, fresh shrimp and salmon, and for Luke, prime rib with grilled shrimp skewers. Our alcoholic drinks are replaced with ice water since we’re both driving.
“Why sad?” he asks while cutting into his steak.
I ignore his question for a few moments, contemplating my answer. Honesty isn’t the best policy in this situation. The last thing I need is for Luke Thomas to know exactly how torn up I was when I left. How hard I had cried. How deep my feelings really ran.
“I had just moved to a new city, in a new state, my senior year of high school. I left behind the only home I’d ever known, as well as a few friends.”
“Me?” he asks, that cocky smirk plastered on his too handsome face.
“Ehhhh.” I throw in a casual shoulder shrug for dramatic effect.
“Oh, come on. You know you missed me.” His eyes narrow, but the smile never falters. It’s the same smile I’ve always pictured when I would think back on my time with Luke.
“Fine. I missed you a little.”
One eyebrow shoots upward as he stares directly into me. The slightest grin plays on the corner of his lush lips. One that tells me he doesn’t believe a word I’m saying. Refusing to give him what he’s looking for, I hold his stare.
The silence stretches on for a few more heartbeats.
“Are you sure it was a little?” he asks playfully.
“I’m sure,” I tell him sweetly. “And it’s getting less and less by the moment.”
His laugh is loud and consuming. Joy sweeps through my body. It’s as if I haven’t heard laughter in I don’t know how long. Days? Months? Years?
Years. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard this particular laughter, and it causes warmth and happiness to spread through my entire body.
“Fine, keep your secrets. I’m not afraid to admit,” he starts and leans in closer, “I missed you a whole fucking lot.” His words are simple, but they pack the punch of a thousand words.
“You did?” I squeak, my voice closely resembling a chipmunk.
Raising his water glass to his lips, he nods once.
Dinner is comfortable and easy. We talk about everything from college to our first jobs, dates gone wrong to all of our favorites. Favorite places, movies, music, and activities. We skip around the heavy stuff like my divorce and his fear of commitment. Oh, he’s never spoken those words to me; it’s just an observation. I have no background or data to support my hypothesis. It’s more like a gut feeling. Call it intuition.
I try to contribute to the check, but Luke won’t hear of it. When the waiter finally returns with Luke’s card, we both stand. Without preamble, he moves to my side and places his warm palm at the base of my spine. My skin tingles with awareness, lust spiraling through my bloodstream just from this one little touch. And he’s not even touching my skin. His hand placement is possessive and makes me want to lean further into his contact.
But I don’t. I can’t.
Friends. Luke and I are friends.
Nothing more, nothing less.
We walk together through the restaurant, through the front door. His hand never falters, never waivers. I feel his presence, his warmth beside me. My heart rate kicks up again, my body humming with anticipation and need.
The only thing I need right now is to get home and take a cold shower.
“Where are you parked?” Luke asks, both of us hesitating on the sidewalk.
“Up the block in the parking garage.”
“Me too,” he replies, applying the slightest bit of pressure to my back.
Together, we move towards where our cars are parked. Wordlessly, I head towards the elevator. When it arrives, I push the button for the fifth floor where I had to leave my car. “You?” I ask, indicating the buttons for the floors of the garage.
“Five’s good.”
Inside the elevator, before it even begins its ascent, the entire cab fills with a sexual charge that I wasn’t prepared for. Luke’s hand flexes on my back, still not moving from its place on my body. The way his fingers tense and his breathing hitches, I’m sure he must feel it too. There’s no way I’m the only one emanating this kind of sexual need. Like a live wire, desire is coursing recklessly through us, filling every pore of my body with want.
Before we hit our destination, I’m slammed against the wall, my face encompassed with his big hands, and his mouth claiming my own. Warm, firm lips press firmly against mine, stealing my breath and my sanity. A gasp erupts from my throat, and Luke wastes no time dipping his tongue into my open mouth. His imposing body presses into me, pinning my body between hard muscle and the hard wall. I feel every inch of his incredible physique, ever
y plain of taut muscle, every inch of his impressive hard-on. Our mouths clash in a frenzy of dancing tongues and demanding lips as Luke takes the kiss from dirty to downright scandalous.
Somewhere in the distance, I vaguely hear a ding echo through the elevator car. I don’t even realize we’ve stopped until a throat clears loudly, followed by a giggle. Flames shoot up my neck and warmth spreads through my face. Burying my face into Luke’s chest, I pray for whoever is standing behind us to magically disappear before I turn around.
No such luck.
Luke takes my hand and spins me around. He throws a strong arm around my neck and pulls me towards the exit, right by a young couple with wide eyes and jubilant, knowing smiles. I can hear their snickering and feel their gaze as I lead us towards my car.
I’m breathing heavily as I approach my car. A combination of my embarrassment and that wicked kiss have left me breathless and a bit lightheaded. Retrieving my keys, my hands shake as I press the button to unlock my car. I’m torn between wanting to jump in and speed away as fast as my car will take me or staying behind with Luke and seeing what comes after that kiss.
Obviously, it’s the latter that causes my panties to soak.
Before I can open my door, Luke presses his body against mine once more, trapping me between the cool metal of my Audi and the impressive bulge in his pants that hasn’t subsided in the slightest. One hand wraps around my back, nestling me in nice and close, while the other continues a leisurely journey upward until it reaches my neck. Goose bumps pepper my skin as his fingers skim against my burning flesh.
My breath hitches once more as Luke leans forward and places tender, open-mouthed kisses along my jaw, angling them downward along the column of my neck. My knees are shaking as his potent kisses damage my brain. Seriously, I’m unable to move, unable to pull away. Friends, remember?
Friends, friends, friends, friends, friends!
Oh, who the hell am I kidding? I’ve never wanted my friends the way I want Luke.
“I want to see you again,” he whispers against my neck.
“I thought we were just friends.” The words sound rough, strangled, even to my own ears.
“There’s nothing friendly about what I want to do to you right now.” To reiterate his point, he grinds his erection into my stomach.
I groan into the empty parking garage. My body is alive with want. I’m ready to jump him, right here, right now. Parking garage be damned.
“But not here. Not like this.” Luke places a solid kiss to my forehead before taking a small step back. “I want nothing more than to slide that dress off your amazing body, throw you on the hood of your car, and take you every way I could possibly imagine.”
Again, I gasp at his directness. I’m sure it has nothing to do with the fact that I’m ready to sign up for that wild ride. Yes, please!
“But it won’t be tonight. It won’t be in a parking garage where someone could discover your hot body pressed against mine. I don’t like to share.” He takes an imposing half step towards me, practically bringing us back to chest to chest. “When I take you, it’ll be in a bed, and not a truck bed. It’ll be soft with pillows and sheets.” He runs his hands up my arms. “And you’ll be there all night.” Luke kisses my lips. “All. Night.”
And then he’s gone. That quick, he backs away. The sudden cold desert air wraps around me, chilling me to the bone. I wrap my arms around myself just to keep warm, and maybe even to ward off my frayed emotions.
“I want to see you again. Can I see you again, Sidney?”
The way he says my name turns my heart to mush. It’s like a song, a beautiful plea. “Yes,” I whisper because there’s no other answer to give.
“I’ll call you soon, okay?” he asks as he reaches around me and opens my car door.
With leaded legs, I slide into the vehicle. I have no clue how I buckle my seatbelt or turn on the ignition. All I know is that Luke is standing against my open door, gazing down at me as if letting me go were the hardest thing he’s ever done. His eyes are a combination of desire and confusion, and I’m sure they mirror my own.
“Good night, Sid. Sleep tight, angel.”
And with that, he stands up and shuts the door. I’m surrounded by soft music, but the solitude is deafening. I glance over and watch as Luke heads towards the stairs, presumably to find his own vehicle.
My heart is racing, but my mind is surprisingly blank.
I kissed my best friend.
And I freaking liked it!
What the hell just happened?
Chapter Eight – Well, If That Ain’t A Kick To The Sack
Luke
Last night proved only one thing: I still want her as much today as I wanted her then.
In fact, I think it’s safe to say I want her even more now.
I want Sidney in my bed, sure, but it’s all that other foreign crap that I seem to find myself thinking about since last night. The cuddling and the talking and the hanging out. It’s not just sex that I want when I think about my little red haired beauty. I want to see her smile, listen to her laugh, and charge in like a white knight when she needs to be rescued.
Which is exactly why I’ve left the office early on Friday afternoon. Blake was bitching about the cost of a good college program and debating the differences between cloth and disposable diapers. And I couldn’t even come up with any good shit jokes because my mind was too busy replaying that amazing fucking kiss in the elevator last night with Sidney. My dick was so hard, I was afraid it might cause permanent damage if I didn’t get rid of it.
Most normal people wouldn’t be sporting a hard-on the size of a baseball bat while sitting in his brother’s office discussing shitty diapers. But me? I’m the asshole sporting wood while his brother researches universities on the other side of his desk.
Good times.
And now I’m driving to The Diamond. I have no appointment. I have no real plan. I just know that I need to see her.
That thought alone should be enough to send me driving the other way and careening off the Hoover Dam. I don’t do relationships. I don’t date. At least not long-term. And even though Sidney is recently (as in less than twenty-four hours) divorced, she still screams long-term commitment and picket fences. Something I’m completely unequipped to deal with.
But something keeps me driving in her direction, an invisible magnetic pull that won’t ease up. For the first time in my life, I feel like I’m driving towards something. Something great. I have no clue if she feels the same way, if she’s willing to see where this thing between us goes. All I know is that there’s a spark when we’re together. I know she feels it. I’ve witnessed it in her eyes on the two recent occasions I’ve spent time with her. I’m drawn towards her like no other, and that’s something I just need to explore.
And pray that I don’t come out mangled on the other end.
I’ve familiarized myself with the floor plan of this property since I arrived at the office this morning. I know that Mick and Penny are located on the fourth floor, and that Sidney’s office is on the ground level, down a long corridor, towards the back of the hotel by the conference rooms and ballrooms used for the events she coordinates.
As I approach her office, I’m greeted by a blond with a great smile. Her blouse is stretched tautly across her ample chest and her hips tease and entice in the way I’ve always loved. Sidney’s assistant is gorgeous, and maybe before this week, I would have been all over an opportunity to spend a little quality time with her in bed. But now? All I see is Sidney Rogen’s blue-green eyes and spray of freckles.
And it’s those damn freckles that I can’t stop thinking about. As I lay in bed last night, long after we parted in the parking garage, I wondered and imagined where else I would find those speckles. Does she have them anywhere else? When I was eighteen, I’d like to think it was the darkness of night that kept me from exploring her body, discovering the location of each and every freckle. But tha
t’d be a lie. I was a horny eighteen-year-old boy who had just been granted the ultimate prize.
According to the information I researched this morning, Cassidy Chandler is about Sidney’s age and has been her assistant for almost as long as she’s been at The Diamond. Cassidy moved from concierge to be Sid’s personal assistant, and according to the yearly reported filed by Sidney, she’s damn good at her job.
“Can I help you?” Cassidy asks, flashing a bright white smile in my direction.
“I’m here to see Sidney Rogen, please.”
“Do you have an appointment?” she asks, glancing down at the computer screen in front of her.
“Nope. Just a friend stopping by to say hello.”
Cassidy flashes me another warm, knowing smile. It’s not sexual, but more along the lines of friendly. Perceptive. Like she knows exactly who I am without even asking for my name.
I’ll take that as a good sign that she might have heard about me.
“Let me see if Sid is off the phone. Just one moment, Luke.” And with that she turns and heads through the closed door to her left.
I also don’t miss the way she called me by my name without asking. Oh yeah, she’s heard about me.
I can’t wipe the smile off my face as Cassidy emerges from Sidney’s office. She leaves the door open and says, “You’re welcome to go in.”
As I walk around her desk and head towards the opening, Cassidy steps in front of me, blocking my entrance. We’re still several feet in front of the doorway and I’m unable to see Sidney. “Just be good to her. She’s had a rough few years,” she whispers with kind, acknowledging eyes, like she’s looking out for her friend.
I give her a solid head nod, which is my word. I’m honest and straightforward to a fault, and have no intentions of messing with Sidney. Hurting her would be like hurting a piece of myself.
Cassidy smiles and steps aside, granting me access to Sid’s office. Inside, I’m greeted with warm aquatic eyes and a happy smile. Just one look and lust slams into me, spreading to every part of my body. My mind instantly conjures up a pretty freaking fantastic image of Sidney splayed out atop her desk, sans clothes. My jeans become painfully tight as the scene plays out in my dirty mind.
