“You won’t.” My head was swimming, and he hadn’t even laid his eyes on the laces yet. All I’d done was rub my hands over his bare back and chest. “You’ll call me every day, remember.”
He kissed me again, more firmly this time. With fire. Passionate and deep, like he was trying to leave his mark on my lips. I moaned against his mouth when his fingers did something incredible around my boob. His other hand, missing out on the action, began tugging my shirt up until it was bunched up under my chin. Luke shifted and dropped his eyes to what he’d uncovered.
“Haylee,” he groaned. “Oh God, Haylee. You’re incredible.”
I squirmed under his gaze.
He met my eyes, his now hooded with lust. “Gorgeous,” he whispered. “Absolutely fucking gorgeous.”
Oh God, indeed.
Ohh... what... again?
“Luk-ahh.” That’s what. Or who. Or why. It was all him and his lips and his fingers rubbing circles across my skin. And he wasn’t quite everywhere I wanted him. Everywhere.Everywhere.
We jerked apart at a loud pounding on the door, our heads flipping towards the noise. I froze. Luke smoothes my hair and kissed the top of my head, pulling my shirt back in place before he stepped away completely.
“I’ll go see what that’s about,” he said huskily.
I remained frozen on top of the kitchen counter, telling myself to breathe. Once Luke disappeared into the hallway, I ran a hand over my chest, checking if everything was truly covered. Then, for no other reason than my unfathomable fear, I scanned the room for cameras. There weren’t any that I could see.
I heard the click of the door opening.
“Shit!” Glen’s unmistakable voice exclaimed from the other side. “I’m sorry, very bad timing I see. But I freaked out and need to talk to Hallie.”
I slid myself off the counter, stepping on the shirt I’d rid Luke of. True, he wasn’t wearing one now.
“It’s okay. Come on in, she’s in the kitchen.”
Glen rushed past him and into the living room. Her eyes scanned the place, and her mouth did a little inaudible ‘whoa’ before she saw me. Even after that little scan, her eyes looked worried. Her fingers danced around her thigh, crunching a piece of paper between them.
“Are you all right?” I asked as she stopped almost exactly where I had earlier, but kept bouncing on her feet.
Glen shook her head, narrowing her eyes on me. “Are you?”
“You scared me,” I said quietly, trying to loosen the stiffness out of my shoulders. “You know how it is.”
My eyes flicked to Luke hovering by the entrance, still gloriously shirtless. I hadn’t really had a chance to look at him before, but his muscled chest looked as good as it had felt under my fingers. The bruise under his ribcage appeared bigger than he’d shown and was the same colour as my black eye.
Glen shook me out of my admiration. “God, Haylee, I’m sorry. I didn’t meant to—”
“I’m okay. I really am. Tell me what happened.”
Glen’s hand shook as she raised it to hold the sheet out to me. I snatched it from her fingers and smoothed it out so I could read what was on it.
My eyes widened as I took in the words, and I gasped. “No, they wouldn’t. That’s blasphemous!”
I didn’t even notice Luke coming to stand next to me to read over my shoulder.
“I don’t know what to do,” Glen said. “I need your mother’s help. I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t critical, you know that. I also know you’re not really on speaking terms right now. But who else can help me with this?”
“What’s A&R?” Luke asked, and I almost jumped out of my skin.
“Antiques & Restoration,” Glen explained.
“She used to work there until they went bankrupt. Didn’t even pay her last salary.”
Luke’s low hum vibrated through my back. “And now they’re accusing her of stealing something.”
