playing in her hair.
“Thank you,” I whisper.
She lifts her head and grins a sleepy grin. She looks cocky; thrilled. “So what about that?” she asks.
“You’re a fucking queen, baby.”
Her grin widens. “Thank you. You’re my king.” She leans up to kiss my chin, and warmth floods through me.
“Your cunt is magic.” I stroke the smooth skin of her throat. “And so are you.”
“You came five times.” Her blue eyes dance.
“I could go for number six.” I grin. My mouth feels weird and stretched, but I can’t help myself.
“You came,” she says.
I fondle her breast, hardening as I watch it bounce. “Damn right I did.”
She winds her arms around my neck and leans down close, so her soft lips brush my cheek. She traces a line behind my ear and gently cups my jaw. Her touch is so soft, her eyes so kind, my breath catches in my throat. “Luke…you came without me hurting you.”
My heart beats off-rhythm. My mind reels. Fuck—it’s true. I really did.
I really did.
My chest tightens as the weight of it sinks in.
“It wasn’t just a one-time thing. It’s been all night.” She eases up off me a little, as if she can sense I’m on the verge of losing my shit, and she wants to give me space.
“I know,” I rasp.
I prop myself up on my elbows. She scoots off me, sitting on her knees beside me. Her watchful eyes are making my throat ache, so I get up off the bed and walk over to the window.
I don’t even push the curtains back, just stand there, flexing my hands, feeling the lingering ache of broken bones and stitched-up skin.
How did this happen?
Why did I bring her to the room with me?
Pain blooms through my chest. So much of it, I start to shake.
“Luke?” Her careful fingers touch my back. “What’s wrong?”
The answer pierces me: she’ll leave. Tomorrow morning, Leah will leave. I’ll never get to feel her hands on me again.
I thought I could handle it. I thought maybe… I don’t know. What did I think? Terror grips me. I can’t move. Can’t breathe.
She wraps her arms around me, and I fumble to get free of them. I turn toward her, shaking my head. “ Don’t .”
Her eyes are wide and stricken. “Why not?” She takes a step away from me. “Luke—please.”
“Just go,” I choke. “Go on, Leah.” I grab her shoulders and push her lightly toward the door.
She whirls around and grabs my arm. “Don’t do this with me! Don’t. Don’t do it right now. It’s bullshit, and anyway, I won’t believe it. You’re just scared.”
My chest feels like it’s cracked open. I put a hand over it. “Scared of what?” I rasp.
“I don’t know what. I wish I did. Why don’t you ever talk to me?” She folds her arms in front of her chest. “I think I deserve at least some explanation.”
My face feels hot. The room whirls slowly around her.
“C’mon, Luke.” She sounds exasperated. “If you can send me away after tonight, then you can tell me why, can’t you?”
I swallow. Flex my hands. “I can’t,” I say through my clenched jaw. My words sound twisted. Strange.
She steps closer. “Why not?” she says softly.
“You’ll leave,” I whisper.
“No I won’t. I won’t leave if you just talk to me.” She takes the last few steps between us. She hesitates a second with her hands raised. Then she reaches out and touches my chest. “Luke…just talk to me. Whatever’s going on, I can handle it.”
Her eyes flicker, showing her uncertainty, but she tucks that away quickly and strokes my bare chest.
My eyes sting. “You’ll leave .”
She shakes her head. “I’m not leaving.”
My hand closes around her arm. I swallow hard and try again. “Tomorrow,” I hiss, “you will leave.”
“Oh. I understand.” Her voice is soft. Her eyes are kind. Her hands clasp mine. She pulls me over to the bed and pulls the blankets back. Together, we get in.
I can’t lie down, so I just sit there. Leah wraps herself around me, and I dip my head,
“Thank you,” I whisper.
She lifts her head and grins a sleepy grin. She looks cocky; thrilled. “So what about that?” she asks.
“You’re a fucking queen, baby.”
Her grin widens. “Thank you. You’re my king.” She leans up to kiss my chin, and warmth floods through me.
“Your cunt is magic.” I stroke the smooth skin of her throat. “And so are you.”
“You came five times.” Her blue eyes dance.
“I could go for number six.” I grin. My mouth feels weird and stretched, but I can’t help myself.
“You came,” she says.
I fondle her breast, hardening as I watch it bounce. “Damn right I did.”
She winds her arms around my neck and leans down close, so her soft lips brush my cheek. She traces a line behind my ear and gently cups my jaw. Her touch is so soft, her eyes so kind, my breath catches in my throat. “Luke…you came without me hurting you.”
My heart beats off-rhythm. My mind reels. Fuck—it’s true. I really did.
I really did.
My chest tightens as the weight of it sinks in.
“It wasn’t just a one-time thing. It’s been all night.” She eases up off me a little, as if she can sense I’m on the verge of losing my shit, and she wants to give me space.
“I know,” I rasp.
I prop myself up on my elbows. She scoots off me, sitting on her knees beside me. Her watchful eyes are making my throat ache, so I get up off the bed and walk over to the window.
I don’t even push the curtains back, just stand there, flexing my hands, feeling the lingering ache of broken bones and stitched-up skin.
How did this happen?
Why did I bring her to the room with me?
Pain blooms through my chest. So much of it, I start to shake.
“Luke?” Her careful fingers touch my back. “What’s wrong?”
The answer pierces me: she’ll leave. Tomorrow morning, Leah will leave. I’ll never get to feel her hands on me again.
I thought I could handle it. I thought maybe… I don’t know. What did I think? Terror grips me. I can’t move. Can’t breathe.
She wraps her arms around me, and I fumble to get free of them. I turn toward her, shaking my head. “ Don’t .”
Her eyes are wide and stricken. “Why not?” She takes a step away from me. “Luke—please.”
“Just go,” I choke. “Go on, Leah.” I grab her shoulders and push her lightly toward the door.
She whirls around and grabs my arm. “Don’t do this with me! Don’t. Don’t do it right now. It’s bullshit, and anyway, I won’t believe it. You’re just scared.”
My chest feels like it’s cracked open. I put a hand over it. “Scared of what?” I rasp.
“I don’t know what. I wish I did. Why don’t you ever talk to me?” She folds her arms in front of her chest. “I think I deserve at least some explanation.”
My face feels hot. The room whirls slowly around her.
“C’mon, Luke.” She sounds exasperated. “If you can send me away after tonight, then you can tell me why, can’t you?”
I swallow. Flex my hands. “I can’t,” I say through my clenched jaw. My words sound twisted. Strange.
She steps closer. “Why not?” she says softly.
“You’ll leave,” I whisper.
“No I won’t. I won’t leave if you just talk to me.” She takes the last few steps between us. She hesitates a second with her hands raised. Then she reaches out and touches my chest. “Luke…just talk to me. Whatever’s going on, I can handle it.”
Her eyes flicker, showing her uncertainty, but she tucks that away quickly and strokes my bare chest.
My eyes sting. “You’ll leave .”
She shakes her head. “I’m not leaving.”
My hand closes around her arm. I swallow hard and try again. “Tomorrow,” I hiss, “you will leave.”
“Oh. I understand.” Her voice is soft. Her eyes are kind. Her hands clasp mine. She pulls me over to the bed and pulls the blankets back. Together, we get in.
I can’t lie down, so I just sit there. Leah wraps herself around me, and I dip my head,
Similar Books
