Falling: A Sexy Alpha Romance Collection

No.

Too close.

But his lips brush across mine before I can move out of his embrace. His hold is tight, and his message is very clear—he’s in charge here, and if a kiss is what he wants, a kiss is what he will have.

He surprises me, though, and angles his face away from mine. Still keeping hold of me, he says, “I know we’re doing the friends-only thing for a while, but a man’s got needs, Callie. If you put your hands on me, you better be prepared for the consequence of that.”

I’m pretty sure my eyes almost pop out of my head. I knew Luke was bossy—oh, boy did I know—but this is a whole new level of bossy. His deep voice vibrates along my skin, scattering goosebumps while his eyes penetrate my soul. Those intense, green eyes of his will do it to me every time. They’ll cause me to forget everything I’ve ever said or thought and just cling to him for the ride.

He dips his face again, and his mouth finds mine. The moment our lips connect sparks of need burn through me. I’m so damn hot for him, and I can’t control myself. I push my body hard against his and open my mouth to him.

He tastes like whisky, and I make a note to buy some just so I can remember this moment forever. I’ve never loved whisky before, but it may just be my new favourite drink.

This kiss will forever live in my mind. Luke doesn’t simply kiss—he possesses. He takes me mind, body, and soul.

In this kiss, I find hope.

Hope that he will fight for me.

For the us we both want.

Any doubt I had that he wants me is put to rest.

When he ends the kiss, I stand in front of him with my head spinning, trying desperately to get my wits together. “I think I better go,” I mumble. Because otherwise I might jump your bones.

He nods. “Yeah, that’s probably a good idea.” The husky tone of his voice lets me know he’s as affected by that kiss as I am.

Grabbing my bag, I say, “Is there anything else you needed to tell me? After tonight, I’m all out of being able to cope with surprises.”

His eyes hold mine. Unwavering. “No more surprises, Callie.”

Thank goodness.

If Luke were to throw anything else my way, I might just lose my shit completely.

5

Luke

I brace myself.

She enters the courtyard and walks my way. No smile, so I can’t pick her mood. I rake my fingers through my hair and wait in my seat for her, hoping like hell she’s good today. We don’t need another day like we had the last time I came.

As she slides into the seat across from me, her hand reaches for mine. “I’m sorry about the other day, Luke. I was a bitch, and you didn’t deserve that.”

I grit my teeth and nod. She doesn’t look great; she appears sick almost, and I wonder at her new haircut. Whoever did it completely fucked it up. Where her brunette hair used to be long, it’s now shoulder-length and uneven. It looks like someone hacked at it with blunt scissors.

Pulling my hand back, I say, “Sean’s asthma has been playing up so I couldn’t bring him today.”

“Is he okay?” She appears concerned, but I don’t know whether to buy it.

“Yes, he’s fine.” I shift in my seat. “We need to go over some stuff that the investigator wants to know.”

She stares at me for a moment, pursing her lips. “You’re not even going to acknowledge what happened the other day?” Her voice is tinged with defeat. I can’t figure out why she’d even want to go over what happened again. As far as I’m concerned, we both said what we wanted and I’d rather move forward than look back.

“What’s the point, Jolene?”

Her eyes widen. “What’s the point?” she snaps. “I’d say the fact I’m your wife, and we’re trying to work stuff out is the point. If you truly want us to move past what’s happened and rebuild our marriage, we need to dig deep and be as honest as we can be.”