“How was dinner? Your meeting with Gilcher?” I told him my plans briefly before I left the high-bay this afternoon. I wanted him to know I’d be back late, and also because being open with the things we can be open with should be a thing. We’re doing too much of the covert stuff already.
“It was…weird. Good. I mean, dinner was good and my parents were rapid-firing questions about me and you. Catching up with Aaron was weird and good in a weird way. He apologized for not being a dad. There’s that.”
“You okay?”
“I’m never not okay with the truth. Can’t get mad or upset about it.”
Luke follows me down the stairs to my room. “No, but you’re allowed to feel things even if they aren’t okay.”
I clear my throat. “I feel things.” Specifically aimed at what Aaron said about holding onto the right one. “Anyway, enough about me. How was your day?”
He walks over to the large bed by the window and sits on the edge. “I’d rather talk about your day.” Luke runs his hands through his hair and throws himself back to lay down. “The best part of my day just walked into the house.”
My heart scrambles along. “I saw you at work,” I counter.
“I couldn’t touch you. Look at you. Kiss you at work.”
Folding his arms behind his head, he tips it up to look at me.
“Right now is the best part of my day,” I say.
His abs flex when he lifts up further to watch as I take off my shoes. I don’t stop there, though. Stepping out of my shorts, then toss my shirt on the floor next to the stone bricked fireplace. When I’m down to a lace thong, I approach, letting my hips say what I haven’t yet.
I relish when Luke lets the emotion of surprise slip the goalie. His jaw drops. “I don’t know what I did to deserve this, but I’m grateful. Fuck am I grateful.”
“Maybe you didn’t do anything to deserve it. Maybe just being you is enough to deserve everything.” My talk is tough, but inside I’m in complete turmoil. “I’m not angry about my day and I’m not upset. Looking at you makes me wet. I can be myself with you. I’m Aarabelle, a woman with you. Not the SEAL or a Naval Officer, or an unconventional girl who chooses the wrong men. Let’s roll with this. Right now. Are you down?”
His throat works as he swallows. The tip of his hard-on is visible above the waistline. When I reach the bed, I pull off the solitary piece of clothing he’s wearing—his shorts. Never any underwear and never a shirt at home. There’s a predictability to Luke when he’s not at work and I’ve fallen in love with discovering all the variations.
“You’re so fucking beautiful, Aara.”
I place my hands on his knees and sidle between his legs.
“And I’m so down for it. I’ve been waiting for this moment to arrive—wondering when would be the right time.”
That eases my nerves. “You think it’s the right time, too?”
He nods once, his chiseled jaw casting a shadow on his chest. “I need you to understand that it changes things, though.”
My breathing races as his words slide home. “What things?”
Luke sits all the way up, fingers tracing lazy lines down both my arms. “You’ll be mine for keeps. And I don’t say that lightly because I’m not a man who values keeping people.” It’s a joke, but the sentiment is heavy.
I clear my throat. The power struggle that is sometimes annoying is hot now. “I can’t belong to you, Hart. I belong to myself.”
“You can belong to yourself and me at the same time. There’re no rules about that.” Dark blue eyes plead with me. “No more asshole rock star. No one else. Just me.”
I set my hands on his shoulders. “Okay.” My submission is quiet. “Then you belong to me, too.” That order is loud. His cock twitches.
The silence between us is only broken by breaths, and there’s so much passion filling the void that it feels unbearable.
His reply is swift. “Yes.”
Beyond logic and reason. No regrets.Luke slides my thong from my body and pulls me onto the bed.
