“I was there, too,” he said. “It took two to almost kiss.”
Kyra shook her head. “Sort of. It was mainly on me. Which is why I decided to own up to my feelings, and before you left the wedding, I pulled Meeka aside and confessed to my crush on you, but told her that I wanted what was best for you and that what was best at the time was you being with her.”
Luke’s eyes widened. “I had no idea you told her that. She never said anything to me about that conversation.”
“That’s because she’s cool as hell,” Kyra said. “She hugged me after and said under different circumstances, she could see us being friends. She didn’t give me a look of pity like I was prepared for and I respected her for that. Instead, she promised that for however long your relationship lasted, she would do what she could to make you happy, which made me happy.”
Wow, I had no idea. “That explains a lot,” Luke said. “Back when we were together, I was ready to propose to Meeka. She checked off every box I had. She was funny, outgoing, always the life of the party. Knew how to make me smile when I was having a bad day. Pushed my buttons in ways I desperately needed. We were complete opposites, but it just worked. The only thing that didn’t work was the fact that she and I weren’t meant to be each other’s forever.”
Kyra squinted. “What do you mean? Sounds like a match made in heaven to me.”
Luke thought back to the time he was with Meeka. “I told her that I’d always imagined marrying a woman just like her and she felt what I felt. She knew I was going to propose, and in true Meeka form, she stopped it before it happened.”
“Wow,” Kyra said. “I didn’t know that.”
“Many don’t,” he stated. “Not even Taheim. Wasn’t something I wanted to explain to folks, especially since our breakup was one of the best things that could have happened to both of us.”
“How so?” she asked.
“Easy. We would have been together out of convenience and comfort, not passion and excitement. Meeka told me that the reason she checked off all the boxes on my list was because I’d grown up with a girl in my life with those same qualities. She actually brought you up and said that even though her and I shared an amazing friendship, I’d never love her as much as I’d love...” His voice trailed off as he realized what he almost said next. “Anyway, by then, you’d already moved to LA, so I told myself I had to be okay with how things were.”
“I left for LA because being in Chicago was too hard,” she admitted. “Cheyanne was great about not having me go out with Meeka too much because it was too weird, but suddenly, Chicago felt too small given how I felt. When Winter and Autumn told me that their sister, Summer, had two of her employees opening the office in LA, I knew it was the change I needed.”
“I always wondered if I was part of the reason you left,” he said.
“It wasn’t just you,” she confessed. “I also needed to live on my own without my parents and brothers there to help me whenever I needed it. I needed to grow up and moving to LA helped me do that.”
“I’m proud of you,” he told her. “You’ve never needed your parents and brothers to thrive, but it’s amazing watching you succeed in LA without any of them there to guide you.”
Kyra smiled. “Thank you. It means a lot to hear you say that.” She stood from her lounge chair and straddled Luke. “What does this mean for us now?”
He placed his hands around her waist. “I know we still have more to work through, but I was hoping you’d be my girlfriend.”
“Uh, aren’t we skipping a few steps since we haven’t even gone on a date yet?” she asked with a laugh.
“I promise to date you the way a man should, but I’m also done with us ignoring this, so I just want to put it out there that I want to date you and only you. You’re too important to me for us to just casually date.”
She smiled. “Okay then. In that case, I’ll be your girlfriend. You just have to get both my brothers’ blessing first.”
Luke raised an eyebrow. “You’re kidding, right? I mean, yeah, I gotta talk to Taheim and Ajay because that’s what a man would do, but you want me to get their permission to date you?”
“Yes,” she said. “I want you to call them right now and ask. Otherwise, this can’t continue.”
Luke studied her for a moment, then said, “Okay, let’s get this over with.” He took out his phone and went to his speed dial.
“Oh, my God, stop,” she said with a laugh. “I was just kidding. Didn’t think you’d really call them right now.”
“I told you I’m serious about this.”
“Well, serious or not, I was playing.” Kyra took his phone and placed it on a table nearby. “Tell you what, my parents’ anniversary party in Chicago is in two weeks. Did you plan to go?”
He nodded his head. “Of course.”
“Good. Then how about we take this time to figure out how this will play out and if we see it getting more serious, we’ll talk to my brothers then. Deal?”
He studied her eyes, wondering if she really thought there was any way things wouldn’t get serious between them. They’d waited too long. Dated too many of the wrong people. Even with the words left unspoken, it was clear to Luke that things were already pretty serious, but he’d been the one to mess it up all those years ago, so now, he’d do things Kyra’s way.
“Okay,” he finally said. “It’s a deal.”
“Good.” Her hands slipped into his basketball shorts, cupping him in a way that made him harder by the second. “Now are we done talking or is there more that you want to discuss right now?”
Luke may do some stupid stuff at times, but he wasn’t a fool. So he kissed his woman the way he’d wanted to kiss her all day, and for the first time, he made love on his balcony to the woman he’d had in mind when he’d told the designer to make sure it was as private as possible.
Chapter 13
“You know, when you mentioned that we’d be having our first date right now, I didn’t think it would involve you making me get in the water for the third time on this trip,” Kyra said, pouting as they walked on the beach. “Did you forget what I said about not liking water?”
Luke laughed. “I didn’t forget, but you came to an island. Didn’t you think it would involve a lot of water?”
She shook her head. “No, because I’ve gone to islands before and they typically include a lot of being on land, too.”
“Trust me, this is not what you think it is. I just wanted to walk to get there.”
She groaned. “I know your mom is spending the day with Nash, but maybe I should have joined them because I could have sworn your mom mentioned a car—meaning, they are driving to wherever they’re going.”
“Be patient,” he said with a laugh. “You’ll like it.” Twenty minutes later, they’d arrived at their destination.
“A boat?” she asked as they approached a small yacht that was sitting on a small dock.
“Yes, I’ll be taking you on a cruise around the island to show you some of the best places you can only see by boat.”
“Well, why didn’t you say so?” she said. “I love cruising on the water. It’s getting in the water that I have an issue with.”
They got on the boat and Luke showed her around the vessel. “I love it,” she said. “Who’s driving us?”
“I am,” he stated. “I’ve been operating boats for longer than I’ve been driving.”
“Wow, I had no idea.”
“Not surprising,” he said. “I’ve never driven a boat back in Chicago. Most of my experience is on the open waters in St. Lucia. Are you nervous?”
She smiled. “Not at all. I’m actually more excited for it now. Feels like our first real date.”
“It is our first real date, but if at any time you feel uncomfortable out on the water, let me know and we can do something else on land.”
&nb
sp; “I think I’ll be okay?” She glanced to the side of the boat. “Can you take a picture of me before we take off?”
“Sure.” He took out his phone and swiped to the camera. “Step a little to the right so I can get the mountains in the background.”
She did as she was told. “Make sure you get that side profile of my small waistline. I’m in a competition with a few friends.”
“Uh, do I even want to know?”
“Nothing serious,” she said, waving off his comment. “Cheyanne and a couple other single friends are trying to see who can keep their waistline close to what it was when we were in our late teens and early twenties. We started it when we turned thirty.”
“Women,” he said, shaking his head, snapping the first shot.
Kyra rolled her eyes. “Oh, no, don’t do that. Taheim told me all about that mess y’all do with seeing who can have the most toned body and abs.”
Luke shrugged. “Nothing wrong with staying fit.”
“Or making a competition out of it,” she added.
“Okay, I see your point.” After Luke was done with Kyra’s mini photoshoot, he snapped a few selfies of the two of them before starting the engine. Kyra wasn’t new to dating, so she’d been on some pretty great dates; however, sightseeing St. Lucia by cruising around the island definitely took the cake.
“You can’t really see it, but just over those mountains is Sulphur Springs, the Caribbean’s only drive-in volcano.”
“That sounds cool.”
“It is,” he said. “Maybe before we go I could take you and Nash there.” Luke continued describing more of the island. Kyra couldn’t remember the last time she was so engrossed with sightseeing. St. Lucia was a beautiful place, but she knew her enjoyment had less to do with the island and more to do with the man showing her around.
“I packed lunch for us,” Luke told her. “I figured we could stop by one of the smaller beaches for a little more privacy and eat there. Are you down for that?”
“I’m down for anything,” she said, wiggling her eyebrows.
Luke laughed. “You always were trouble.” Five minutes later, he announced they were almost at the beach. “This is one of my favorite beaches, so we’ll eat here.”
Kyra nodded, noise from the beach catching her attention. “Uh, are you seeing what I’m seeing?” she asked.
Luke squinted. “If what you see are several men drinking beer on the beach while wearing Santa trunks and hats, then, yeah, I see it, too.” As if they knew they’d been spotted, they started yelling for Luke and Kyra to come join them in a drunken slur.
“Nah, we’re good,” Luke said. “Enjoy yourselves.”
“Maybe we head to that other small island instead,” she suggested.
“Yep.” They made it to the other island fairly quickly, and like they’d hoped, it was almost deserted. “That’s much better,” he said, dropping the anchor.
“How are we getting to the island?” she asked.
“With the Jet Ski I have on board,” he said. “I just have to lower it into the water.”
“Great, another Jet Ski,” she said sarcastically. “You see, this is the whole getting-into-water part that I was afraid of.”
Luke laughed. “You’ll be fine. I’ll station it and all you’ll have to do is sit on it after I get on.”
“Okay,” she said hesitantly. “Are you sure it’s safe to leave the boat in the middle of the water?”
“We’re not that far from shore. Nothing will happen to it.”
Kyra nodded and followed Luke to the back of the boat while he lowered the Jet Ski into the water and got on before she did. “Can you put that backpack on?” he asked. “Everything we need is in that bag.”
She nodded and put on the backpack before accepting Luke’s extended hand to help her get on the Jet Ski. “We made it,” she said as they neared the beach. “We didn’t fall into the ocean like last time.”
Luke laughed. “I was going about ten miles per hour, but I guess you’re right. Glad we made it.” After they got off, he pulled the Jet Ski onto the beach and walked them over to a section with palm trees that provided good shade. Then he opened the bag, pulled out a large blanket and spread it out for both of them to sit on.
“Is there food in there, too?” she asked.
“Of course.” He removed two sandwiches, chips, two bottles of water and two thermoses.
“Are these Uncle Ralph’s famous sandwiches?”
“Sure are. I picked them up early this morning. And I also got some of Trista’s bomb rum punch since I don’t remember you trying it at the lounge the other night.”
“Nice! She told me about it, but no, I didn’t get to try it.” She glanced around the beach at a family that was on the opposite end and the greenery behind them before digging her feet into the white sand. “It’s beautiful here. You can tell this beach isn’t used too much.”
“St. Lucia has so many beaches to choose from, but, yes, this one is secluded and just as nice as the others. Back when I was in my early twenties, Trista and Maceo told me this beach was where most of them used to run off to and have sex. You can get here by car and it’s a pretty far drive from where they grew up, but I imagine having sex here would be pretty memorable.”
Kyra placed her hand over her chest. “Why, Lukey, did you just suggest sex on the first date? What kind of woman do you think I am?”
His eyes widened. “No, that’s not what I meant. It’s just being here with you made me realize that I’ve never had sex on the beach. But it wasn’t to imply anything.”
She laughed. “I’m just messing with you. Did you forget that we’ve already had sex twice before our first date?”
“I know, but I still wasn’t trying to make you uncomfortable. I want this date to go perfect.”
She couldn’t help the smile that crossed her lips at his words. He was nervous and it was so adorable. Didn’t he know that she enjoyed anything they did together? Even the activities that she’d previously never enjoyed?
What part of “I’ve long had a huge crush on you” didn’t he understand? In some ways, she felt like she’d waited most her life for the chance to have these moments with him, and now that they were happening, she was determined to make the most of them.
Her only hesitation so far had been yesterday, when she’d found out why Luke and Meeka had broken things off. She’d had no idea she played a part and it seemed as if Luke was close to saying some words he wouldn’t have been able to take back once they were out there in the universe, but he’d caught himself and she was glad for that.
If they fell in love—and not the kind of “I got love for you” that they’d always had—she didn’t want to second-guess anything. She didn’t want to wonder if he meant it or if it would change next week. They’d had some pretty eye-opening conversations since arriving in St. Lucia, but Kyra was curious to know how dating Luke would be in LA without the beauty of St. Lucia serving as a backdrop to the time they spent together.
And don’t forget to protect your heart. It might sound crazy considering it was just their first date, but in a way, she felt like she was moving too fast. Ten years seemed like a good amount of time to get her heart back intact, but deep down, she was nervous about the possibility of being rejected by Luke again. Still, she didn’t want to ruin their date by letting her insecurities about Luke steal the show.
Luke brushed some sand off his calves and shot her a sexy smile, so, of course, the only thing she wanted to do to him was precisely what he’d accidentally suggested. Kyra glanced down at where the family was, grateful to see they were gone, leaving only her and Luke on the beach under the palm trees.
She lifted herself from the towel and straddled him, loving how his hands automatically wrapped around her waist. “What are you doing?” he asked.
“Isn’t it obvious?” She
placed a soft kiss on the side of his neck and tugged at his red swim trucks. “Did you bring a condom?”
He nodded and unzipped the front pocket of the bag to pull out a condom. She slightly lifted her hips so that he could slip it on, and while he did so, she untied the sides of her olive-colored swimsuit.
Luke opened his mouth to say something, but she didn’t give him time as she buried him deep inside her, the sensational feeling causing both of them to moan into the sky.
* * *
“I didn’t expect for this to happen,” he mumbled, his eyes following her every move as Kyra slowly began to rotate her hips.
She smirked. “I did.”
“You shouldn’t be so sexy,” he said in between the kisses he was placing down her collarbone.
“We’re allowed to be freaks right now,” she said breathlessly. “We’ve waited too long to get to where we are. So, my suggestion? We make up for lost time.”
Luke laughed. “I like the way you think.” A few seconds later, his laughing was cut short as she adjusted her hips and began to ride him in a way that had him gripping her just so he could hold on.
Being with Kyra was everything he ever imagined it would be. She consumed his thoughts so it made perfect sense that she’d consume his body as well. Originally, Luke had thought that they’d be taking their relationship slower, but he’d underestimated the neediness they would both feel upon waiting so long to be together.
In past relationships, his exes had accused him of never fully sharing himself with them. He was a nice guy. One of the good ones, they’d say. However, there was an emotional wall Luke had built up around his heart, and although he knew his father had a lot to do with that, so did Kyra.
She’d always been the precious fruit he shouldn’t have, but craved like nobody’s business. A rare rose among the thorns and even though a five-year age difference didn’t seem like a lot now, back then, it hadn’t always felt right to have a crush on his best friend’s little sister. Especially when said little sister was probably one of the hardest people in the world to ignore.
Her Christmas Wish ; Designed by Love Page 12
