“Em, you aren’t drinking?” Jared asked.
“No. I need to stay at the top of my game. Luke has put me in charge of all of you and I need to be focused,” I teased.
“I can’t believe you and Coop are dating,” Justin said. He had been Luke’s roommate freshman year. “I mean, we all knew he was in love with you. I just never thought you’d return the favor.”
I shrugged. “I had to come to my senses sooner or later.”
“You had one big thing blocking your senses,” Jared said bluntly.
We all knew he was talking about Eric. I just nodded slightly and breathed a sigh of relief when Luke sailed through the door. After a chorus of cheers and slaps on the back, Luke put his arms around me from behind and kissed my cheek.
“Hey, beautiful,” he whispered in my ear.
“Hey.” I turned to kiss him on his cheek. “I should take off now and let you boys have your fun.”
“Don’t go!” Jared said. “We haven’t even gotten to tease Luke about being whipped yet.”
Luke shrugged. “Tease away. I’m not embarrassed to be wrapped around Em’s finger. Have you seen her?”
“Touché,” Jared said.
Justin nearly knocked over his beer as he reached for it before saying, “I’m just glad you finally told her that douchebag boyfriend was cheating on her. We told you to tell her in college and you wouldn’t do it.”
My body tensed. “What?” I whispered.
Jared punched Justin hard in the arm. “You moron. She didn’t break up with Eric. He died.”
“Oh.” A look of horror passed over Justin’s drunk face.
I turned to Luke, pushing away his arms. “You knew?”
“Em.” Luke tried to reach for me again, but I took a big step back. “Let me explain.”
“You knew that Eric was cheating on me when we were still in college and you let me keep dating him for years? And get engaged to him?” I grabbed my coat from the back of my chair. “Have fun with your friends tonight and don’t bother stopping by for a booty call later.”
“Emery,” Luke said. “Please, don’t go.”
I shook my head. “You know, it’s one thing that you didn’t tell me back then, but now? Why didn’t you come clean when I told you I found out about Claudia?”
“I know. I should’ve told you.” Luke tried to take my hand, but I took another step back.
“Please, Luke. Let me go. Stay with your friends and have fun. I just need some space right now.” I turned and left before he could protest.
I went straight home and refused to let myself dwell on our fight. If Luke was going to be out all night having fun with his friends, I wasn’t going to sit home alone crying. I made myself dinner and then took a long bath. When I opened my pajama drawer and found Luke’s t-shirt, I held it to my face and breathed deeply. It smelled just like him– masculine and earthy. My body flushed pleasantly as I pulled it on and I reached for my phone. I sent Luke a text that was a little forward, but also completely true.
I’m still annoyed, but that can wait until morning. Come over when your party wraps up. I want you in my bed. And inside me.
I’d never even said anything that blunt to Luke, let alone sent it in a text message. After I hit send, I instantly regretted it. Luke as probably drunk with his friends discussing how dramatic I had been. I tossed the phone aside and flopped onto my bed, not even bothering to get under the covers.
I had fallen asleep quickly and was alarmed when I felt someone sink onto the bed next to me. A hand skimmed over the back of my thigh.
“It’s me, Em. I got your text,” Luke said.
“I’m glad you’re here,” I said in a sleepy voice.
Luke’s hand skimmed higher, under the hem of his t-shirt. I hadn’t bothered pulling on underwear and he was soon caressing my butt. “I haven’t been able to think of anything except this moment since I got that text.”
My eyes had adjusted to the dark finally and I could see that Luke had already stripped out of his clothes. “You don’t have to wait any longer, Luke. I’m ready for you. I’m always ready for you.”
Luke didn’t disappoint. We came together under a thrall of urgency and passion. Luke tasted like whiskey and smelled like sandalwood. My senses were in hyperdrive and I couldn’t get enough of him.
“I am so damn obsessed with you, Cooper,” I said after he rolled off me. “You are the sexiest man that has ever existed.”
“Em, what has gotten into you?” he asked with a chuckle.
“You,” I said. “Literally and figuratively. I wanted to stay mad at you after I left the bar, but I couldn’t. I missed you too much. I wanted you too much.”
Luke hooked an arm around me and pulled me onto his chest. “I really am sorry, Em. I should’ve told you the truth.”
“How did you know?” I asked. “You weren’t even friends with Eric. He went to a different school. How did you know he was cheating on me?”
“Senior year, I went to visit my buddy from high school who was attending Eric’s college. We went to a party and I saw him there with another girl.” Luke sighed. “I wanted to tell you, Em. I really did. I just...it was right when I realized I was in love with you and I thought that it might be selfish to tell you. Eric knew that I saw him and I figured he would tell you himself rather than have you hear it from me.”
“He never told me.” I put my head on Luke’s chest. “I think what makes me madder than anything else is that I’m afraid that even if I knew Eric was cheating on me, I still wouldn’t have broken up with him.”
Luke put a hand on my head. “You think you would’ve stayed with him?”
“I think that back then, I never knew that I deserved better. I never knew that real love was so much more amazing than what I had with him.” I pressed my lips to Luke’s chest and his fingers tightened in my hair. “I didn’t know that love could be like this.”
“This is pretty amazing,” Luke agreed. “I used to hate Eric for what he did to you, Em, but my feelings have changed. I think you had to go through that with him. I think he inadvertently taught you to want more. I think you had to go through those bad moments with him to develop a vision of the life you really wanted.”
“In other words, Eric being a dick helped me realize that I really wanted a prince like you?” I said, lifting my head.
“Your words, not mine.” He smiled sweetly. “I think we’ve firmly established that I’m not perfect either, but I would never cheat on you. I would never take you for granted or be so intimidated by how amazing you are that I would punish you for it.”
“I know you aren’t perfect, Luke, but I think that you are perfect for me.” I gave him a long kiss. “You are the prince I never knew I needed to rescue me.”
“Darling, you are no damsel in distress.” He narrowed his eyes. “Though I can’t believe you left the door unlocked tonight.”
“I didn’t,” I said hotly. “I know you have your own key. Why would I leave the door unlocked?”
He flinched. “Em, the door was unlocked when I got here. I never even took out my keys. Maybe you just forgot?”
“I don’t think so,” I said. In fact, I knew that I hadn’t forgotten. I had checked every door before going to bed.
“Maybe the lock is busted. I’ll check it in the morning,” Luke said, still sounding a little unconvinced.
I put my head back down and took some deep breaths. I was absolutely sure the door had been locked, but Luke didn’t seem worried so I decided to let it go for now. It was late and we both needed to get some sleep.
In the morning, Luke fiddled with the lock. “It seems fine to me,” he said. “But I’ll have it replaced just in case.”
“You don’t think someone broke in, do you?” I said, bringing him a cup of coffee.
“Have you noticed anything missing? Your wallet was right by the door when I came in last night.” Luke took the coffee with a grimace. “I hope you’ve got a lot more of this. It’s
going to be a long day.”
“How’s the hangover, love?” I asked.
“Not great. It doesn’t help that someone kept me up most of the night,” Luke said, taking a long sip from his coffee. “However, I wouldn’t change a thing.”
“Nice save,” I said. “Come on. I’ve got a greasy breakfast waiting for you.”
Luke let out a low whistle when he stepped into the kitchen. “This is a feast, Em. Are you eating for twelve?”
“I texted Jared and told him to stop by with the guys. I figured they could all use a hangover-recovery breakfast this morning.” I poured myself more coffee. “I can’t believe all those guys are staying at your place.”
“I don’t even want to know which one of them slept in my bed last night,” Luke said with a grimace. There was a knock at the door and Luke groaned.
“Stay here and eat. I’ll get it.” I hurried to the door and greeted the guys with a big smile. “You guys look like shit.”
“Thanks, Em. Can’t say the same about you.” Jared came in first, sniffing the air. “I smell bacon.”
Justin said, “Any chance you’ll break up with Coop and marry me?”
“Hey!” Luke called. “Back off, Shef.”
“Alright, go into the kitchen.” I ushered them all inside and shut the door.
I spent the next hour feeding six hungover, unshowered guys that still smelled like beer from the night before. It was just like being back in college except Luke kept pulling me into his lap anytime I brought more coffee to the table. At least he had showered, but only because he’d sneaked into my shower for a quickie. He smelled good, though, and I didn’t mind that he was feeling extra-affectionate.
“You two are disgusting,” Jared said as Luke was nuzzling my neck. “It’s a really good thing you didn’t date in college or I would’ve had to stop being your friend.”
“Real shame,” Luke muttered, his hand sliding under my shirt.
“The lift opens in twenty minutes,” I said. “You guys should probably take off soon to make the most of your day.”
“You should come with us,” Jared said.
I laughed. “Not a good idea.”
“Em hurt her knee skiing last weekend,” Luke said. “Otherwise she’d be out there making all of us look bad.”
I squeezed his leg and kissed his cheek. “You’re good liar, Cooper.”
When I got up and started clearing the dishes, he tried to stop me. “We can clean up our mess,” he said.
“You guys need to get out of here. I don’t want my home smelling like a locker room any longer,” I said. “I’ll get this, just go have fun.”
It took a few more minutes to get Luke out the door. He felt bad leaving a mess behind and was still a little worried about my door.
“I’m going to be out running errands all day. I won’t even be home.” I pushed him toward the door. “You’ll come over tonight?”
“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be,” he said. “Just call me if you notice anything strange and I’ll come right away.”
“It’s going to be fine,” I insisted, giving him another shove.
Luke smiled, cupping my chin in his hand. “I love you, Emery.”
“I love you.” I kissed him quickly. “Now, get lost, Cooper. I’m headed out to buy your Christmas gift.”
“Oh yeah? In case you need some help, sexy lingerie is always a good gift,” he said with a leer.
“I had no idea you like to wear sexy lingerie,” I joked. “What size are you?”
He laughed. “Very funny, Scott, but we both know I’m an extra-large.”
“Indeed,” I agreed with a wink. “Thanks for the gift suggestion. I’ll keep it in mind.”
He waggled his eyebrows. “I will too.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Once they were gone, I hurried to clean up the kitchen. Despite my reassurances to Luke, I wasn’t comfortable being in the house alone. I shoved the last of the dishes into the dishwasher and then grabbed my wallet and keys. I locked the door behind me even though I wasn’t sure it would do any good.
Downtown Starlight was oozing Christmas cheer. Lights twinkled everywhere and children were building snowmen and forts in the mounds of snow left by the blizzard. It was the perfect atmosphere for Christmas shopping. I found a beautiful sweater for my other and leather gloves for her new husband. I bought Katie a sparkly clutch that I knew she would love. I’d already ordered Luke’s gift a few days earlier– a pair of new skis that Greg had assured me were best-in-class. Luke’s suggestion about sexy lingerie hadn’t fallen on deaf ears, though. I found a boutique just off the square and went inside.
While I was shopping, arms piled with satin and lace undergarments, a woman approached me. “The red one would look great on you, Emery.”
“Shelly?” I smiled at Luke’s sister. “Hi!”
“How are you?” she asked.
“I’m good. Just doing some Christmas shopping.” I looked at the items in my arms and winced. “This is a little awkward, isn’t it?”
“That you’re buying lingerie to wear for my little brother? Yeah, a little awkward.” She laughed. “But it would be more awkward if you aren’t wearing it for him.”
“And that’s still not as awkward as if I was buying it for him to wear,” I joked.
Shelly laughed. “I can see why Luke is crazy about you. If you don’t have plans, I’d love to grab lunch with you. Ed took the kids out sledding, so I’m eager for some adult connection.”
“Yeah, I’ve got time. Lunch would be nice,” I said, smiling. “Let me just pay for these and then we can go.”
Shelly took me to a café that she said was one of her favorites in Starlight. “Monroe Café has been around for decades,” she said once we were seated. “The owner is kind of famous. She dates Ryder Strong.”
“The musician?” I said.
“They very one.” Shelly handed me a menu. “I’m really glad I bumped into you, Emery. I wanted to tell you how sorry I am about what happened at David’s house. I love Macy, but she isn’t exactly known for her tact.”
“Oh, that’s okay. I’ve moved on,” I said. “Your family is great. They are so warm and friendly.”
“You are too kind,” Shelly said. “I know we can be a bit much, especially to someone dating our brother, but that’s only because we love Luke and we don’t want him to get hurt.”
I smiled. “Something we have in common.”
“I guess so,” she said. “Did you really move to Starlight to be with Luke?”
“No.” I paused. “Or maybe I did, I just didn’t know that’s why I was doing it. Luke was my best friend in college and I missed him. When I needed to start over, I couldn’t think of anyone I’d rather start over with.”
“He told me about you back then,” Shelly said. “Luke and I have always been close, probably because we’re so close in age. In his senior year of college, he called and told me that he was in love. Then he said that the girl he loved was in love with someone else. I told him to back off and move on.”
“He listened to you. We were still friends after that, but not as close as we had been,” I said. “I had no idea how he felt about me.”
“Well, you do now. That’s all that matters.” Shelly smiled kindly.
My phone rang and I glanced at it. “That’s weird. It’s Luke’s buddy, Jared.”
“You should answer it,” Shelly said.
I accepted the call with a shaking hand. “What’s going on, Jared?”
“It’s Luke. He had an accident on the slopes.” Jared sounded shaken. “It was pretty bad, Emery. The ambulance is taking him to the hospital.”
“Oh my god.” I looked at Shelly. “Okay, Jared. I’ll head to the hospital. Thanks for calling me.”
Shelly was already on her feet. She had understood with just one look from me what had happened. “Let’s go,” she said.
The nearest hospital was in the town next to Starlight and it took us twenty minu
tes to get there. I raced inside and accosted the first nurse that I could find. She directed me to the emergency room where I was told to wait.
“I don’t understand,” I said to Shelly. “Where are Luke’s friends?”
“Call them,” Shelly said. “I’ll see if I can find out anything from the woman at the desk.”
I only had Jared’s number and he wasn’t answering. I even tried Luke’s number, but that was fruitless, too. When Shelly returned, she looked a little calmer. “I spoke with a nurse that has been working on Luke. She said he was brought in with a head injury and a dislocated shoulder. They are doing some tests to make sure he doesn’t have any internal bleeding, but it looks like it’s just a bad concussion.”
“That’s good,” I said, breathing a sigh of relief. “Can we see him?”
“Not yet.” Shelly put a hand on my arm. “The nurse promised she would come to get us as soon as they’ve run the tests.”
We sat in the waiting room for over an hour. I tried calling Jared multiple times, but he never answered. When the nurse came and I still hadn’t reached Luke’s friends, I was fuming. “I can’t believe those guys didn’t even show up,” I said to Shelly.
“Maybe they have a good reason,” she said doubtfully.
“They are probably just drunk,” I muttered.
We were ushered behind a curtain and Luke was there, lying on the hospital bed with his eyes closed. One of his arms was strapped to his chest in a sling. I slipped my hand inside his other hand. “Luke?”
“Em?” He looked at me with glassy eyes.
“Hey, honey.” I stroked his cheek and kissed his forehead. “You really scared me.”
“Scared us,” Shelly said. “What happened, Luke? You haven’t fallen on skis since you were six.”
Luke struggled to sit up and I put an arm on his shoulder. “Don’t move. You have a head injury. I’ll raise the bed for you.” I found the button and brought him to a near-seated position.
“My ski just snapped,” Luke said, sounding groggy. “I have no idea how it happened. I’ve never had anything even close to that happen to me on the slopes.”
“Luke, I’ve been trying to get ahold of the guys, but Jared’s not answering,” I said. “I wanted to update them.”
Home with You (Starlight Valley Book 3) Page 10
