by R. E. Hunter
Reaching out, he dug his fingers through her hair, gently holding the back of her head as he laid her on the bed, covering her body with his. She was lost to him, to her own feelings. Nothing had felt more right. She felt his breath on her neck and a shiver of pleasure shot up her spine as his mouth made contact, his tongue sweeping against her skin. He lingered there, feathering kisses up and down the column of her neck before torturously trailing his tongue across her collarbone and down her chest. He bent his head, finally finding her breast, and she let out a deep moan as his mouth closed around her nipple.
He took his time, teasing her relentlessly with his mouth, hot and wet, against her sensitive skin. When she thought she couldn’t take a second more, he was gone, moving lower as he kissed a path down her abdomen. When he reached her panties, he hooked his thumbs into the elastic, and the thin scrap of lace disappeared. She hadn’t even felt them rip as he’d torn them from her body. He looked up from between her legs, his eyes hungry and intense.
Gripping her gently, he eased her legs apart, his hot breath against her sensitive flesh sending a wave of longing straight to her core.
“I’ve been dreaming about this since you left, baby,” he groaned.
He nipped and licked, dropping tantalizing kisses along her inner thighs as she squirmed beneath him, silently begging for his attention. He ignored her, spreading his palm across her mid-section, and held her still as he continued to tease her. Just when she thought she could take no more, he flicked his tongue across her clit and sucked it into his mouth. Embry cried out as her core tightened and her body began to tremble. He continued his assault on her as he reached down, fumbling with his belt. He pulled open his pants and shoved them down his hips.
“Luke.” She reached for him, finished with his mouth and needing him inside of her.
He looked up, his eyes full of promises yet to come, as he crawled up her body. Seating himself between her legs, his erection rested thick and heavy against her. But that wasn’t where she needed him.
She writhed beneath him, a strangled plea escaping her lips as he fisted his cock, dragging it through her wetness.
His eyes were penetrating as he took her in. “So. Fucking. Beautiful.”
Emotion rose in her throat. She’d missed those words. Missed the dirty things he’d whisper in her ear as he lost himself inside of her. She wrapped her legs around his waist, and dug her heels into his ass in encouragement.
Cradling his face in her hands, she forced his eyes to hers. “Take me, please.”
Slowly, he sunk into her, groaning in pleasure. He filled her, stretched her, as he pushed even deeper. Then he dragged himself out inch by inch before slamming back into her, causing her to cry out. He owned her, claimed her, his hips bucking wildly, as she rocked back against him, meeting him thrust for thrust. It was passion, pleasure, nothing but feeling. All of her hurt—her uncertainty—floated away, nowhere to be found as she let go, losing herself in Luke.
Embry woke with a start, shooting up from her mattress. Her skin was damp, her breasts heaving with every sharp intake of breath as she tried to recover. Glancing around her empty room, the realization hit her all at once—it was a dream.
But it was so intense, so real. Every whispered word, every sultry touch, had set her body on fire. She could still smell his cologne, feel the trace of his fingers on her skin. A chill swept through her at the thought of Luke’s hands on her. She’d never come in her sleep before, but the delicious ache in her stomach told her that her body had experienced everything she’d felt in the dream.
Falling back on her pillow, she fought the images running through her head as she caught her breath. The good feeling she’d awoken with began to fade as disappointment and dread washed over her. Was this what she had to look forward to? Heartbreaking dreams and waking up alone to the reminder of what she’d lost?
Glancing at the alarm clock, she rolled her eyes and let out a frustrated huff. It was the first day of her second semester of law school, and she didn’t have to be up for another three hours. Off to a great start. Swearing under her breath, she kicked off the covers and got out of bed. She pushed up on her tiptoes, stretching, but as the cool air hit her skin, she contemplated climbing right back under the warmth of her comforter. A bit more sleep would’ve been good, but there was no hope now. Not after that. Even if she could, she was scared of sinking back into the comfort of her dreams and having to wake up again to the reminder that she was alone.
There was no escaping Luke Brody; it was maddening. He was everywhere—in her sleep, when she woke. He invaded every aspect of her life. It made her angry—at herself, at him.
He’d hidden something huge from her, monumental, and she still had no idea why. Had Sydney been a fling, a relationship? Had he loved her? Her stomach lurched at the thought. She couldn’t picture Luke with anyone else. Loving anyone else.
Shaking her head, she tried to dislodge the destructive thought. She was sick of being sad, sick of feeling sorry for herself, sick of running. It was time to handle things head on, like an adult.
She’d be in the same building with him in a few short hours. Her heart fluttered at the thought, though she still wasn’t really ready to talk. The pull was too strong between them and she didn’t trust herself. But if she had to see him, she could at least do it with her head held high and a damn cute outfit.
Sitting in the school parking lot, Embry tried desperately to work up her resolve. She tapped a brown riding boot rapidly against the floor of her car and stared out at the law school looming in front of her. Memories sliced through her as she recalled the last time she’d been in the building.
She’d gone in facing the uncertainty of her legal career because of her involvement with Luke, and she’d left shattered and broken, their relationship in shambles. A familiar emptiness crept into the pit of her stomach as she took it in now. She’d fooled herself into thinking she was okay, but she was a nervous wreck. Could she walk back in there and pretend everything was fine? Could she even see Luke without having a complete breakdown?
She nearly leapt through the roof when a knock on the window interrupted her freak out. Heart pounding, she lowered the window. “You scared the shit out of me, Jer!”
“Don’t change the subject, get out of the car.” He shot her a stern look.
Embry’s eyebrows bunched together in confusion. “I—what?” She closed her window and opened the door.
Jeremy held out his hand, helping her out. “You were about to make a break for it. I could see it all over your face.”
She had to think about it. Was she about to run again? “I was just having a moment.”
“Call it whatever you want, Blondie.”
Embry crossed her arms. “Hey, meanie. Who pissed in your cheerios this morning?”
A smile tickled his lips. “No one. I just know you. You can’t run from this. He’s not even our professor anymore. So” —he offered his elbow— “we’re going to go in there and face this together.”
Embry took a breath before slipping her hand into the crook of Jeremy’s elbow. “Fine, okay. Let’s do this.”
He grinned down at her. “Let’s make this semester our bitch.”
Embry laughed and they walked into the school together. As they passed through the crowd of students in the atrium and made their way through the hallways, she was on high alert. Luke was teaching Professional Responsibility this semester, usually a second year course, but they’d never discussed how many sections he was teaching, or what his schedule was like. Would she run into him? See him throughout the day? Jeremy was chatting about their new class schedule and she nodded along, trying to ignore the loud thumping of her heart in her ears. Her gaze swept back and forth, searching.
Turning the corner to their classroom, Embry paused and her stomach dropped. She’d been so sure she would see Luke, run into him on her way to class. Disappointment washed over her as her eyes roamed the empty hallway. How was she supposed to keep up
with her changing emotions? She was terrified of even walking into school just a minute ago, and now sadness overwhelmed her when she didn’t see him.
Letting out a long sigh, she looked up at Jeremy. “Let’s get this over with.”
Jeremy nodded and they both stepped toward the classroom together. She stared blankly ahead, desperate to clear her mind of any and all conflicting thoughts. But when Jeremy pulled open the door, Embry glanced down the hall one last time, her eyes hitting pure blue, and her world stopped.
Everything he was looking for was there in her eyes—a thousand words passing between them as they stood across from one another. His eyes swept over her, taking her in. She was fucking beautiful, her hair falling in loose waves over her shoulders, a tight sweater and jeans that could’ve been painted on, accentuating every soft curve.
His fingers burned to touch her, but he couldn’t ignore the sad look in her jade eyes, or the guilt that washed over him. He planted his feet firmly on the floor, fighting the urge to sweep her into his arms, to hold her again. And then his world crashed and burned as Jeremy’s arm shot out, hooking around her waist and pulling her into the classroom. She turned, stealing one last hopeless glance over her shoulder, then she was gone.
Luke stood frozen in the empty hallway, trying to make sense of what he’d just seen. Jeremy’s touch was so easy, familiar. And she’d responded effortlessly. Jeremy had dragged Embry away, helped her run, and now he had his hands on her—on my girl.
Red slowly crept over his vision, his hands fisting at his sides.
He’d known Jeremy’s feelings for Embry for quite some time. Any hot-blooded male with half a brain would find it hard not to fall for her after spending any amount of time with her. But was the feeling reciprocated? Could he have lost her that completely in such a short time?
No. He gave one hard shake of his head, refusing to believe it.
Forcing himself to move, Luke stomped up to his office, slammed the door and fell into his chair. Loosening his tie, he leaned his head back and took a breath, flexing his fingers and trying to force himself to calm down before he sprinted back downstairs, dragged Jeremy from the classroom and bloodied his face. He wasn’t being rational, but there was no room for reason when it came to Embry. His reactions were innate. She was his, and he wasn’t willing to let her go so easily. Or at all.
Fishing his cell from his pocket, he dialed his brother.
It rang a few times before Camden’s deep voice came on the line. “Tell me you’re drunk at work, brother, and I’m hopping the next flight up there to kick your ass.”
“I’ll meet you at the airport then, dickhead,” Luke joked, his lips lifting in a half smile as he felt his fury melting away.
“What’s up? You okay?”
He could hear his brother typing in the background and felt bad for interrupting his day. “I just saw Bree.”
The typing stopped. “Shit. Did y’all talk?”
“No. I don’t want to talk to her until I have this Sydney situation figured out.”
“Well, you might have to refresh my recollection, little bro,” Camden chuckled. “There weren’t many coherent sentences when you called the other night.”
Luke spun in his chair, lifting his feet to rest on the windowsill. He didn’t remember much of the conversation himself. After slamming the door in Sydney’s face, the rest of the night had been the perfect storm of anger and alcohol. “Yeah, I hit the bottle pretty hard.”
“Can’t blame you. You lost a good thing.”
He flinched. He had indeed. That was putting it lightly. “I don’t need reminding, Camden,” he snapped.
“Seriously, though,” Camden continued unfazed, “how do you always find a way to get yourself tangled up in this shit?”
Luke stared out the window, the muscle in his jaw jumping as he clenched his teeth. “Not helping.” He’d had his fair share of hook-ups in college, but no one who had ever come close to Embry. This was a whole different animal. He’d never loved someone like this.
“So Sydney’s there then?” his brother asked, taking him from his thoughts.
Luke nodded before answering aloud. “She showed up on my doorstep the other night, begging for my help.”
Luke heard his brother’s sharp intake of breath. “That girl has some fucking nerve.”
“Brass balls,” Luke agreed. “I need to get rid of her.”
“Did you agree to help?”
“Hell no! I slammed the door in her face. But she somehow managed to get my cell number and won’t fucking leave me alone. She drove Embry away, Cam. I can’t have her here. She’s fucking nuts.” A chill ran up his spine at the thought of Sydney crossing paths with Bree. All hell would break loose. And worse—he may actually lose Bree forever if that happened. He shook off the thought, not even wanting to contemplate the shit show that would ensue.
“Help her,” Camden interjected.
Luke’s eyes widened. “You’re kidding me, right?”
“What does she want?”
“A job.”
“Then find her one.” His brother offered it so easily, like he wasn’t actually suggesting that Luke help the girl who’d tried to ruin him.
“Are you out of your goddamned mind?” Luke stood from his chair and started pacing the office, walking back and forth from door to window.
“Think about it, Luke. If you get her a job, you’re in control. Call up a few of your old law school buddies. There’re bound to be a few practicing in New York. See if they can help you out. Set her up and then she’s out of your hair.”
Luke’s ears perked up. Could that work? Then a thought crossed his mind, pushing the idea aside. “What would I tell Embry?”
“The truth, you moron. Tell her everything, what you should’ve done all along. About Dad, Sydney, your resignation. All of it.”
Luke ran a hand through his hair. “I’ll see what I can do.” He closed his eyes and saw Embry’s face. He needed her. This had to work.
“You okay?” Jeremy asked as he hooked his bag over his shoulder.
Embry glanced at him and shrugged. She packed up her things and followed him into the hallway. She had nothing to say. She didn’t know if she was okay or not. Part of her wanted to go home, curl up in a ball and cry. The other wanted to confront Luke and get it over with.
She’d never felt so lost, so confused. Even after Jack, she’d known exactly what she wanted—to leave. She’d been sure of herself and her decision. And the only reason she hadn’t left him sooner was his temper. But Luke was another story entirely. She knew how much he loved her. She’d seen the pain and longing in his eyes. And she felt it, too. Making the decision to walk away from him wasn’t so cut and dry.
She was torn. This hurt was so much worse than what she’d endured with Jack. She’d given herself so completely to Luke, trusting him with her heart, and he’d shattered it. She stared out the windows as they passed through the atrium, flurries swirling in the air as her thoughts swirled in her mind.
“Did you hear a word I just said?” Jeremy asked, giving Embry a shake.
She looked up at him with a small smile, thankful that he hadn’t let her walk into a wall as she lost herself in her thoughts. “Sorry, no.”
Jeremy shook his head. “Come on, Blondie.” He led her to a round table in the corner of the atrium where she saw Morgan waving frantically.
“Hi guys! Over here! Hey! Hi!”
A large grin formed on Embry’s face, and Jeremy leaned in to whisper to her. “Is she alright? Has she gone off her meds?”
Embry chuckled. “I told you to get used to it.” Once she was close enough, she flung her arms around Morgan’s neck. “Hi, bestie.”
Morgan gave Embry a squeeze. “Heeeeey.”
Embry pulled back, eyeing Morgan and considering her overly cheerful greeting. “Are you drunk?”
Morgan rolled her eyes. “Drunk with happiness over the first day of the semester,” she said sardonically.
Embry nodded in agreement. “Why the good mood?” She plopped into the chair next to Morgan as Jeremy sat down next to her.
“No reason. Just happy to see you, doll face.” Morgan grinned, but Embry could see the concern behind it. “How are you?”
“Fine.” Embry attempted a smile.
Jeremy scoffed. “She’s not fine. She just saw him.”
Embry glared at him. “I am fine. It was nothing.”
Morgan’s eyes widened. “You saw him? What happened? Did he apologize? Are you going home with him to make beautiful Southern Sexy babies?”
“No Southern Sexy babies,” Embry groaned, her eyes rolling upward. “He was at the other end of the hall. We caught each other’s eyes for a second, that’s it.”
What an understatement that was. It had felt like an eternity. Every reason she’d come up with for them not to be together had vanished as soon as she’d seen him, and she was left feeling empty and more confused than ever. But she couldn’t even get her own feelings straight, the last thing she wanted to do was talk about it, especially in front of Jeremy.
“Okay, okay,” Morgan said, letting it go too easily. “So, back to school social this weekend?”
“I’m definitely passing on that,” Embry said automatically.
Morgan stuck her tongue out. “You’re no fun. I’m sure Jeremy will be there, won’t you, stud muffin? You couldn’t have gotten much ass during winter break being stuck with sad Sally here.” She waved her hand toward Embry.
Jeremy glared at Morgan. She quickly shot him a look back, and his demeanor changed. “Yeah, sure, I’m going. You should come, Bree.” He nudged her arm.
