by R. E. Hunter
Tonight :)
She smiled down at her phone.
He’d convinced her to let him take her out, if for nothing more than some stress relief. She agreed as long as she’d have the rest of the weekend to study and get ahead on some of her classes.
By the time Friday arrived, her excitement had built and she couldn’t wait to see him. She tapped her pen anxiously against the desk, impatiently eyeing the clock on the wall and waiting for the professor to wrap things up.
A small messenger window popped up on her computer. “Happy hour?”
Embry looked over her shoulder at Jeremy seated behind her. He was grinning at her like a fool. She offered a slight smile, then typed back. “Can’t. Busy.”
“Too busy for beer?”
Before she could respond, their professor dismissed class. She closed her computer, packed up her things and found Jeremy waiting for her at the back of the room.
“Come on, B, just one drink.”
“Maybe next week?” she asked, trying to avoid any further questions about her plans.
He opened his mouth to respond, then snapped it shut, his jaw tightening. Embry followed his eyes and found Luke coming toward her. The butterflies in her stomach slowly stretched their wings, causing a flutter. Something about the idea of just dating him, going back to the very beginning… the anticipation gripped her, sending her nerves spiraling out of control.
She felt Jeremy’s cold stare, but she was lost in Luke, shamelessly staring as he strode toward them, southern sex on a stick.
He didn’t even bother to acknowledge Jeremy as he invaded her personal space, his hand brushing lightly against hers. He was unconcerned with anyone but her, his eyes clinging to hers, captivating and drawing her in.
“You ready?”
“Uh huh.” She nodded, then turned toward Jeremy. Hurt and anger dashed across his face. She frowned, hating that she was hurting him. “We’ll talk later, okay?”
He gave a sharp nod, muttering something unintelligible beneath his breath before walking away.
Luke grabbed Embry’s heavy bag of law texts, and shouldered it. “What was that about?”
“What do you think?” She rolled her eyes.
“Maybe I should speak to him?”
She gave him an incredulous look. “Oh, I’m sure that would go over great.”
“Just trying to help.” He shrugged innocently, but she hadn’t missed the territorial gleam in his eye.
“You’ve done plenty,” she said, nudging him. “So, where’re we headed?”
“It’s—”
“Don’t you dare say it’s a surprise,” she warned.
A goofy grin lit his face. “Fine. I won’t say it.”
She cursed under her breath and followed him out the door. They both immediately huddled against the cold, the wind whipping against their cheeks as they made their way to the parking lot.
“So talk to me, how was your first week?” he asked, helping her into his truck.
“It was fine,” she responded dully.
He walked around the front of the Rover, hopped in and turned on the car, blasting the heat. “Just fine?”
“It sucked, to be honest. I did so well first semester. Somehow I just got it. But property, constitutional law, civil procedure, it’s killing me,” she groaned. “I can’t seem to get a solid understanding of anything that’s going on. And the professors, they’re mean… er.” Her words came to a halt, and Luke let out an unexpected chuckle. “Go ahead, laugh at my pain,” Embry shot back.
“Aww come on.” He reached out a gloved hand and gave her knee a squeeze. “It’ll get better. Promise.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because I’m one of those mean-er professors.” He scrunched up his features, trying and failing to look menacing.
She rolled her eyes, laughing. “You’re one of the nicest people I know.”
“That’s because I lo—” He cleared his throat and recovered with a smile, “I like you.”
Embry’s stomach dropped sharply. She wasn’t ready to deal with those emotions and quickly pushed his slip-up aside.
“Look, you’ve made it through your first semester. You’re a pro now, and your professors know it. You know what’s expected of you, and because of that… well, game on.”
She pursed her lips, shooting him a skeptical glance. “Great.”
“You’ll do fine,” he insisted. “And I’m here to help, you know that.”
“Thanks,” she murmured, staring out the window. She hadn’t been paying attention to their surroundings, but as she looked around, she realized they were heading in a familiar direction. “Hey. Are you taking me to your place?”
Luke nodded. “Putt putt was the original plan.” He winked. “But you seem a bit stressed, and I’m concerned about being around you with a club in your hand, so we’re going to revisit our official first date instead. I’m making you dinner while you relax.”
Embry let out a boisterous laugh. “Did you just say putt putt?”
“Yes.” He smiled. “Putt putt.”
“I’m gonna leave that one alone.” How could she tease him when his southern rasp even made ‘putt putt’ sound sexy?
They pulled into Luke’s driveway and Embry frowned, worry overtaking her. Mini golf might’ve been a better idea. At least they wouldn’t have been completely alone together. She nervously chewed at the inside of her cheek. She wanted this to work. Wanted to try. But she didn’t want to fall right back into bed with him.
Who was she kidding… of course she did. Being in bed with Luke was exactly where she wanted to be. But if they wanted to move on, move forward, she couldn’t do that. They had to take it slow.
As if sensing her apprehension, Luke reached out, gently folding Embry’s hand in his. “I’ll be on my best behavior. Scouts honor.” He lifted two fingers, sealing his promise.
Inwardly she was rolling her eyes, but she couldn’t help the laugh that fought its way past her lips.
“What?”
“Of course you were a Boy Scout.”
“What’s wrong with being a Boy Scout?” he asked, trying his best to look offended.
“Nothing. You’re just the perfect southern boy, complete with a host of merit badges and, I’m sure, the ability to make fire appear out of thin air.”
“I am pretty good at heating things up,” he quipped, leaning in and brushing his lips against her cheek.
She ached to turn her head and meet his lips. Had he lingered there for just one more second, she would’ve caved. But before she could, he hopped from the truck and came around to open her door.
“Let’s go, beautiful.”
Embry took a steadying breath, hoping to maintain her composure. She knew exactly what she was missing out on, which made it so much more of a challenge to be in his presence and not simply jump on top of him and have her way.
“I know you’ve got a lot on your plate,” Luke said, leading her into the house. He slipped his jacket off and took hers before hanging them both on the rack. “I just wanted to see you and give you the opportunity to relax and not worry for a bit.”
“I appreciate it,” she replied, following him into the kitchen.
“Wine?” he offered.
“I’d love some.” She perused his wine rack, looking for her favorite.
“I know what you like,” he said with a wink. “Go make yourself comfortable, I’ll bring it out in a sec.”
Embry made her way into the living room and settled on the couch, slipping off her flats and pulling her feet beneath her. She’d expected it to be awkward, uncomfortable even, being back at his house, but it felt like coming home.
She heard the front door open and close, and Luke appeared a minute later with a glass of red wine and her tote full of books. “Just in case you want to get some studying in while I make dinner.” He placed the bag on the floor and handed her the glass of wine.
“This feels awfully familiar,”
she teased, remembering their first date.
He walked toward the fireplace and hit a switch, making flames dance and come to life. “Out of thin air,” he said, a self-satisfied grin on his face.
“Impressive,” Embry said, pursing her lips.
“Too bad it’s gas or I could’ve impressed you with some real Boy Scout fire-lighting skills.”
Embry fought off a smile. “I’m sure you’ll think of something else.”
A boyish grin formed on his face. “I’m sure I will.”
Luke left Embry in the living room to sip her wine and get some music going while he rolled up his sleeves and pretended to get to work in the kitchen. In reality, he’d picked up dinner before he met Embry at school. He’d ordered from her favorite pizza place. It was a bit of a drive, but he was pulling out all the stops, hoping she’d see how invested he was. He’d take it as fast or as slow as she needed, as long as she kept him around. She owned him.
He remembered Camden telling him what it was like when he’d met his wife. You might as well just hand over your balls in a box, because you won’t need them anymore. And I’m telling you, dude, you won’t miss them one bit.
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of horns coming through the speakers, followed by Otis Redding’s soulful voice singing “Try a Little Tenderness”. He poked his head around the corner and peered into the living room to find Embry moving about seductively as she sang softly to herself. His dick twitched as his eyes clung to her ass swaying back and forth in her tight jeans. She spun around, caught up in the song, and froze as her gaze collided with his. Her cheeks pinked slightly, and he felt bad for intruding. But instead of embarrassment taking over, she flashed him a breathtaking smile and continued to dance around the room.
His heart sputtered in his chest and he cleared his throat. “Um, dinner’s ready.” He ducked back into the kitchen, shaking his head at himself. This girl is going to be the death of me—and my balls.
Embry walked into the kitchen a few minutes later, taking a seat at the breakfast bar. Luke pulled the pizza from the oven, and her eyes widened as she noticed the pizza box on the counter.
“Giovanni’s?”
He nodded.
“You’re kidding!” Her face was priceless.
“Nope.” He chuckled. He loved a girl who loved to eat, and his girl loved to eat.
“I haven’t had this in forever. You drove all the way out there?”
He inclined his head again, before taking a seat next to her.
She grabbed a steaming hot slice, folded it in half and took a gigantic bite.
Luke looked on in amusement.
“What?” she asked, her mouth still full.
“Nothing at all,” he said, grinning.
“Mmmmmph, so good!” she mumbled, swallowing and grabbing a napkin to wipe her face. Her eyes met his and she blushed again. “Oh my God! I’m such a fat kid. I just went to town without even passing you the box.”
Luke chuckled. “It’s fine. I’m glad you’re enjoying it.”
She looked down at the pizza then back up at him, her eyes sparkling. “You are so getting points for this.”
If pizza made her that happy, he’d drive the forty minutes every day so she could have it.
“So,” she asked, taking a sip of her wine. “What have I missed this past week or so?”
“Not much,” he responded. “How was your New Years?” He regretted the question as soon as it left his mouth.
Her lips turned down as her eyes filled with sadness. “It was… okay. I spent it with Jeremy. There were some fireworks over New York Harbor, so we watched those.”
He gripped the countertop as hard as he could, knuckles turning white in an attempt to keep his mouth shut at the mention of Jeremy. It was his own damn fault. If he hadn’t fucked up, she would’ve been with him on New Year’s.
Calming himself, he forced a smile. “I’m glad you weren’t alone.”
She turned the question back on him. “How about yours?”
He shrugged. “It was fine. I got a pool table.”
“A what?” she asked, a thin line of confusion forming between her eyebrows.
“It was Cam’s idea.”
“To buy you a pool table?”
“Yes, to buy me a pool table.” A small smile played at his lips.
She glanced around. “But where did you put it?”
Luke smiled. He loved the little crease that appeared between her eyes when she was trying to get to the bottom of something. “One of the spare bedrooms.”
“Why would Cam buy you a pool table?”
He had no desire to tell her the real reason behind it. “Would you believe he owed me a Christmas gift?”
“No.” Her eyes narrowed on him.
“He bought it as a joke.”
“An expensive one,” she mused.
“Yeah, well Cam can afford it. We had one when we were younger.”
Embry pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, drawing his attention to her mouth. Her plump, wet lips, just begging to be kissed. He loved and hated when she did that.
“Wanna play?” she asked, her eyes gleaming.
“You want to play pool with me?” he asked, disbelieving. She never ceased to amaze him.
“Why not?” She raised an eyebrow in challenge. “A little competition never hurt anyone.”
Luke shrugged, acquiescing, but he had a feeling this was a bad idea. A range of images ran through his head, all with the same variation of Embry bent over his pool table.
Embry followed Luke up the stairs and into what had been one of the spare bedrooms. A brand new pool table sat in the middle of the room, the bright green felt completely unmarked.
She walked around the table, running her hand along the smooth wooden finish. “Have you played at all yet?”
“Just pushing the balls around the table a bit,” he called over his shoulder, busy picking out a pool cue from a rack in the corner.
Embry noticed a card taped to the side of the table. Checking to see that Luke was still occupied, she opened it.
Since Embry took your balls when she left, here are some to play with in the meantime. Love you, bro. –Cam
Embry could hear Camden’s voice in her head, which made it even harder to keep her composure. An uncontrollable giggle rose up her throat, and she was caught red-handed as Luke turned and found her with the card in her hand.
He winced, the tips of his ears turning red with embarrassment.
“I’m sorry.” She put the card down, fighting a smile.
He shook his head, grimacing. “It’s fine. Now you know the real reason.”
Hoping to lighten the moment, she grinned mischievously as she amended, “No. I’m sorry I ran away with your balls.”
A wicked smile split Luke’s lips. He strutted over, handing her a pool cue and leaned in to whisper in her ear. “My balls are right where they should be, beautiful. You can check if you’d like.” He smacked her ass as he turned toward the table, leaving Embry with her mouth hanging open.
She stared after him, speechless. She liked this Luke. She liked this Luke a lot.
“You wanna break, sweetheart?” he asked, ripping her from her stupor.
Embry shook her head. “Nuh-uh, you go ahead.”
Luke bent over the table, readying himself to shoot.
“Wait,” Embry called out. “How about a friendly wager?”
Luke looked over his shoulder, his eyes gleaming. “A bet?”
“Yep.” She leaned against her pool cue, hoping she looked more confident than she felt. She hadn’t played pool in a few years. She was going to have to rely solely on distraction to beat him.
“Against me?”
“Yes, against you.” She rolled her eyes.
A slow, cocky grin crept onto his face. “Name it.”
“Name what?” she asked, distracted by his gorgeous smile.
“Your price, babe. Tell me what you want to bet.”
/> She narrowed her eyes at him, tapping her chin. “If I win… you have to buy and wear a Gator jersey out in public. On game day!” She stuck her hand on her hip, feeling pleased with herself.
“Alright,” he said, a knowing look playing across his face. “I like where you’re going with this. When I win—” he winked “—you have to wear your Georgia thong for me.”
Embry shrugged. Little did he know she had it on right now. She hadn’t done her laundry in a while.
“And cook me dinner,” he added, smirking, “in nothing but that thong.”
She let out an exaggerated sigh. “Really?” Men.
“Really.”
“Fine, I want to add to mine.” She shot him a challenging look.
Luke raised an eyebrow. “Sorry, no can do.”
“What?” She scrunched up her face in aggravation.
Luke turned toward the table, then looked back over his shoulder. “The terms have been set, sweetheart; it’s game time.” He bent at the waist, drew his pool stick back, biceps rippling with tension, and broke, sending the balls scattering. A solid red ball banked off of the side of the table and slid into a pocket. “You’re stripes.” He winked at her.
“Thanks,” she quipped, rolling her eyes. “I figured that out.” She set herself up at the table, lining up her stick with the cue ball, before bending over the table, arching her back and sticking her ass in the air.
“Want some help with your form?” he asked his voice husky.
“Nope, I’m good.” Flustered, she tried to push his words from her mind and concentrate on the ball she wanted to knock into the pocket.
“You sure?” His presence was closing in on her.
“I know how to play pool, Luke. And my form is fine.” She shot him a censuring look over her shoulder.
“Indeed it is,” he agreed, his chest brushing against her back. “But if I could just make a few suggestions…” His breath tickled her neck as his hands slid around her waist.
It took only a moment to make up her mind. She couldn’t constantly fight him off, and she didn’t want to. Dropping the pool cue on the table, she turned in his arms, her hands coming to rest on his hard chest. “What kinds of suggestions?” she asked smoothly.
