Her body responded to the hunger in his voice and she turned. The raspy tone felt like a long, sensuous stroke down her spine. The tears slowed, but didn’t stop completely. “You had to wait until I got all the way down here to say that?” She gripped the railing for a second time, hoisting herself up slowly, her eyes on each step to keep from falling. Suddenly a pair of thick legs appeared in front of her and she looked up to find Luke there.
“Here.” He offered her a work-worn hand, calloused, but welcoming, and she took it.
Without warning, Luke scooped her up into his arms, knocking the breath from her lungs and pulling on the freshly-healed, taut skin of her stomach. He carried her with slow, deliberate movements into the familiar living room they’d shared as a couple and sat her down on the couch. The Burberry cologne filled her lungs and she sighed in pleasure, wanting to take every memory with her when she left. Luke’s eyes held hers for a series of breaths, but then he seemed to snap out of whatever thought he’d been in. “I’ll make us some coffee.” He turned toward the kitchen.
“Luke, stop,” she said.
He did, but didn’t face her. Blatant relief seemed to spread across his shoulders as he exhaled loudly.
“I didn’t come up those stairs for coffee.” Trey held her breath as her meaning sunk in for him. Her goal had been to soothe and seduce him, not scare him more. From the cold expression on his face as he turned around, she’d failed.
“You came to tell me goodbye?”
”No,” Trey blurted, shooting to her feet. A fine edge of pain sharpened her tone. “Unless that’s what you want.”
His wounded eyes finally met hers, but Luke didn’t respond.
“Is that what you want?” Her stomach rolled with the idea that she would have to leave him again. “You haven’t even talked to me since...” She couldn’t say it. There were too many painful memories. “For a month. You said you would stay with me and you didn’t. I woke up and you weren’t there.” Her tone wavered in accusation, but Trey would not back down. He’d promised not to leave her and he’d backed out.
“Say something.” Trey took a step closer, shrugging out of his grip when he tried to help her balance. When she steadied herself, she looked up into his eyes, eager for him to promise he would take her back no matter what she’d done. “Please.” She planted a chaste kiss on the corner of his mouth, her lips lingering there for a moment. She’d closed her eyes, committing the taste of him to memory. The tension threatened to overtake her. “I’m sorry,” she whispered and pulled away. “I’m sorry. Just say something.”
A hand caught her before she could back away, making her flash back to the first time he’d found her in a car with another man. Drunk, in need of a shower, and practically starving, she’d enjoyed the warmth of his touch even then. Sober felt better, however. When she looked back at him, Trey noted the change in his expression.
A smile slowly tipped up one corner of his mouth. “Tell me you love me, Trey.”
“What?” Confusion wrapped itself around her mind. Of course she loved him. Hadn’t he figured that out already? The fact that she’d forced herself up those stairs spoke volumes.
Luke stepped into her, his barrel chest radiating pleasurable heat. “I stayed away because I had to be sure.”
“About me?”
With a nod, he let his fingertips brush a stray piece of hair from her face. “I need you to tell me why you came here.”
“That’s it? That’s all you want from me?”
“Yes.” The liquid depths of his gaze penetrated her barrier as she stared back at him.
“Because I love you.” A tremendous amount of weight fell from her shoulders. She knew the words to be the truth. Longing like she’d never experienced before seeped from every pore in her body and she pushed herself against him. The dark center of his eyes dilated until she thought she would melt, understanding crossing his features. “I love you.”
“Good,” he said. His answer hadn’t been a promise. Or forgiveness. In a swift movement, Luke bent down on one knee, his eyes lighting up.
“What are you doing?” Fear began to blossom in her chest. She’d already run from one proposal. She couldn’t do it again, but she couldn’t get married either.
“Trey Aston.” His hands clasped hers. “Will you please go on a date with me?”
She forced herself to swallow the anxiety that had built in her throat. “A date?” Her voice cracked on the last word, doubt settling over her mind. “I don’t think you’ll want to take me out after I tell you why I left.”
Luke stood. Dropping his lips to her, he whispered against them. “It doesn’t matter.”
Trey closed her eyes, relishing in the softness of his mouth, the warmth. It sent a spark of heat straight between her legs, but she had to get past this. She had to tell him the truth. No more lies. No hiding from him. “Yes, it does, Luke. You have a daughter.”
In another quick movement, Luke pulled away.
She practically whimpered at the surprise written on his face, the shock choking her. “I had to tell you. We can’t do this without being completely honest.” She forced her gaze to remain on his. “And I can’t lie to you anymore. It’s exhausting.” A chuckle escaped her lips on the last word, but quickly disappeared.
“Where is she?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Trey took a step toward him, her hand reaching for his. Taking his left hand in both of hers, she rubbed the pad of her thumb over the rough knuckles, memorizing each and every crack and ridge. She couldn’t look at him, the guilt too great. Over time the burden had lightened, but right now, it ate at her from the inside. “I gave her up to a nice family in Vegas. It was the only way to keep her safe.”
The silence pushed down on her from all sides.
Trey tried to decipher Luke’s body language, make some sense of the thoughts running through his head. Unease shot through her in a single stroke. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, but I just—”
“What’s her name?”
She took a single breath, driving the shame deep down. “Isabel.”
“Isabel.” A hint of a smile crossed his lips. “My mom’s name.”
“That’s why I chose it.”
He ambled toward her, his eyes devouring her with each pass from head to toe. “That’s why you ran.”
Not a question. A statement, Trey realized. “My dad...he...he would have killed me before he’d have let me marry you. I couldn’t let our baby suffer for a decision I made.”
“And the prostitution? Why’d you do that?”
Chocolate-brown eyes gazed into hers with all the hypnotic intensity she remembered. She gulped down a breath of air, the newly-healed skin over her stomach stretching with the effort. “Cal was in pretty deep. Working at the diner didn’t cover the payments to the Caminos.” Trey gave him a closed-lipped smile. “So that’s everything.”
“Everything?” Luke asked, clutching her waist with tender care. “You still haven’t answered my question.” The low voice reverberated through her like a lingering caress. She let a gasp escape as he pulled her hard against him. “Go on a date with me.”
“Right now?” The idea of sitting across a table from Officer Luke Johnson almost made her laugh. With a body designed purely for female pleasure, he was a good cop, hardworking and straightforward. “Having coffee with a prostitute isn’t exactly good for your career.”
“Ex-prostitute.” He waited patiently for her answer according to his expression, but his eyes told her a different story. “Your father is dead, Stark is behind bars, and the Caminos have their money. You have no reason to sleep with anyone other than me from now on.” A wicked smile slithered into place. “But no biting.”
Trey laughed for the first time in over a month. “Fine, I’ll go on a date with you, but Tucker is not invited—”
Luke’s kiss cut her off and Trey brightened at the knowledge she’d never have to touch another man again.
; Chapter Fifteen
One Month Later
The ding from the diner’s front door told Trey whoever had come in couldn’t read the closed sign. She wiped down the last of the crumbs off the counter, but didn’t bother to glance up at the newest road bump to getting out of work. Irritation crawled up her spine. The fryers had been turned off ten minutes ago, she’d just finished cleaning and she needed to meet Luke for their date. All she had to do was close up, head upstairs for a shower, and find out exactly how much Luke had missed her. And show him how much she’d missed him. “We’re closed.”
She tried holding back the annoyance in her voice, but failed. She’d be late for her first date with the man she loved, their progress ruined by some asshole hungering for a late-night snack. With one more swipe of the dishtowel, Trey raised her eyes.
Her heart jumped as she recognized the man just inside the door.
“I’m not here to eat.”
Her mouth went completely dry, something she hadn’t become accustomed to when he came around. She swallowed hard, pushing a strand of loose, black hair behind one ear. “I thought we were meeting at your place?” Trey wanted nothing more than to cross the sticky diner floor and wrap her arms around the man she’d pushed away for so long. However, the bacon grease coating her hair and skin stopped the thought before it’d even developed.
“Surprise.” Luke’s smile made her heart and stomach flutter at the same time. Laugh lines creased at the edges of his eyes and sent warmth straight between her legs. “How much longer before you get off?”
If I have anything to do with it? Trey kept the innuendo to herself. “Of work? Five, ten more minutes at the most. I just have to count the cash.”
Luke stalked across the diner, taking a seat directly in front of her at the counter. The stool groaned under his weight. “Good thing I came in then. Don’t want you getting robbed on your second week of work.”
She tried in vain to keep the smile off her face. “I’m sure that’s exactly why you came over here.”
“You want me to leave?” Luke held her gaze, his eyes feigning disappointment.
Trey laughed. “No, but the longer you sit here, the more of a distraction you are.”
His lips pulled into a crooked smile as he crossed his arms over his broad chest and leaned back in the stool. “Then I suggest you hurry.” The husky flavor to his voice only increased the warmth between her legs.
She sidestepped to the register, her gaze darting to him several times as she counted the petty cash. Each time, she caught him staring right back, a smile plastered on his face. I’ll take that shower cold. “What do you have planned for our date?” The change of topic did nothing to distract her from the intensity of his eyes, which moved from her ankles toward her face slowly. He obviously had more on his mind than dinner and a movie.
Trey tried to dislodge the lump in her throat when he didn’t answer and pushed her attention to the roll of quarters in her hand. They reminded her a bit too much of something she’d forbidden herself to think about. She dropped the roll back into the drawer and slammed it into the register. Not on the first date. Remember? “Ready?”
Luke stood, rounding the counter in two strides. He reached for her, his fingers digging into the soft skin of her hips. Pulling her against him, he didn’t bother hiding his growing erection as it pressed against her lower abdomen. “Your place or mine?”
“I—” She didn’t know how to answer. “I need a shower.” Trey pushed out of his grasp and headed into the office to grab her purse. When she returned, he’d disappeared. “Luke?” She hadn’t heard the bell above the door ring. An entrance at the back of the building gave her access to her apartment upstairs. Maybe he’d meet her there. Or...
She didn’t want to think about it.
Worry nearly strangled her from the inside out. She’d shot down his advances for weeks. Nothing could change the past. She’d been a hooker until a month ago. Didn’t he understand she didn’t want him to be counted among the many?
The ceiling of the diner creaked and anxiety replaced the worry.
He’d gotten into her apartment.
Trey forced her feet to move. She locked the door behind her then made her way up the stairs to her apartment one at a time. With each step, butterflies multiplied. He’d allowed her to get her life together, find a job, heal from the kidnapping and sort things out. Apparently he’s waited long enough.
Taking a much-needed inhale, she pushed the door open.
Nothing but candles lit her bare living room. Dozens. She searched for him, finding Luke standing at the entrance to her bedroom. “What’s all this?” Trey dropped her purse beside the door, her eyes returning to the scene before her. Candles. Rose petals. Bottle of wine.
Her stomach twisted.
He walked to her slowly, his movements calculated. Less than five feet away from her, he stopped and stretched out a single hand. His eyes connected with hers, their depths reflecting the candlelight flickering softly. “Come on.”
She turned to stare at a single flame, fear coating the back of her throat. “I don’t think I can do this.”
Luke stepped in front of her. “I’m here, Trey. Always. We’ll take it slow.”
The words drove the fear back and her eyes found his again. She allowed his gaze to swallow her as she put her hand in his. “Okay.”
He pulled her toward the bathroom instead of the bedroom. The surprise must have shown clearly on her face because he stopped before they got there. “You needed a shower. Remember?”
Trey nearly laughed at herself. “Right.”
They pushed inside the small bathroom, but Trey didn’t move as Luke closed the door behind them. After two breaths, his arms wrapped around her middle from behind, warmth radiating through her waitress outfit. She leaned her head back against his shoulder as he whispered in her ear. “Slow.”
She nodded, biting the inside of her mouth.
“I forgot how beautiful your body is.” He held her for what seemed like hours, but must have been just a few minutes, comforting every nerve in her body. She’d closed her eyes, but the brush of his calloused fingertips didn’t frighten her as he pulled her shirt over her head. Luke undressed her completely, piece by piece, then turned on the water. “You okay?” he asked.
“Yes.” The breathlessness in her voice surprised her, but didn’t stop her from planting her hands on Luke’s chest. “Your turn.”
“You’re sure?” Real concern tinted his words, but she ignored it by pulling his shirt over his head.
She pressed her bare chest against his, her sensitive nipples warming at the contact. After a moment, she discarded his belt like the professional she was and unbuttoned his jeans. His shoes and socks followed, then his pants. When she straightened, Trey studied every inch of his naked body. Aside from his fully erect penis, the planes of his muscled shoulders and chest called to her frantically. She stepped back into him, her hand traveling between their bodies to grip him tightly.
“Trey,” he hissed, but thrust his hips forward for more. In a single motion, Luke pushed the shower curtain aside and wrapped one arm around her. He picked her up with ease, setting her under the warm spray. The water chased away most of the gritty sweat and grease from her shift, but her heart leapt when he stepped into the shower after her and reached for her loofa. “Let me wash you.” His brown eyes stared down at her, waiting for permission. “Please.”
Trey faced him, unable to answer verbally. She picked up the bar of soap from the shelf beside her and offered it to him.
“Turn around,” he said.
Excitement coursed through her veins as she did what he’d instructed, but nothing compared to the first wave of lust that shot through her when he laid his hands on her.
In slow circles, Luke directed the soapy loofa across her back with one hand and rested the other at her hip. Wet tendrils of hair dripped over her collarbones as she focused her attention on his feet. She’d never imagined showering wi
th him again and closed her eyes to enjoy the pleasure building between her legs. Without a second thought, Trey stepped backward, his chest against her back.
His erection pressed at the cleft of her bottom and she rubbed against him.
Perfect fit. She sighed in pleasure and let her head fall back. A sense of rightness engulfed her, making her realize she’d averted his advances without cause. She’d imagined their bodies entwining beneath clean sheets since she’d left, but nothing prepared her for reality: she’d been ready all along. She just had to give him the chance.
The loofa traveled to her stomach, his fingertips brushing her pale skin. He kissed the tender skin below her earlobe softly as his free hand traveled downward. “I’ve got you, Trey. And I’m never letting go.” A single finger slid between her folds and tapped on her clit.
Her knees nearly buckled at the zing he’d sent into her core. “I know.” Trey turned in his arms. She took the loofa from him, dropping it to the shower floor as she turned the water off. Pulling the shower curtain back, she offered him her hand. “I think I’m clean enough.”
Luke took her hand, following her out of the shower and into the hallway. She proceeded to the bedroom, but strong hands stopped her before she made it inside. He twisted her around. “You’re sure? I promised to go slow.”
Trey smiled at him, taking both his hands as she walked backward into the bedroom. “I’m done going slow.” The back of her knees hit the bed and she pulled Luke’s naked body directly on top of her.
He held himself up as his erection pressed into her thigh. Sobriety crossed his expression as he spoke. “We do this on one condition.”
She cocked her head to one side and reached up to wipe away a stray drop of water from his forehead. She’d hidden from him long enough. Nothing in the world could keep them apart, including her. “Anything.”
A smile pulled at one corner of his lips. “No biting.”
“I promise.” Trey crushed her lips against his and looked forward to breaking her promise.
White Trash Beautiful Page 9
