“I wasn’t sure what to think.” His voice is still tinged with that hard tone from a moment ago.
“Luke… of course I’m coming back to your house. You don’t get it, do you? I love you and I crave time with you. I’ll never say no when you ask me to sleep over or come for dinner or hang out with you and Sean. I’ll never say no to you for anything.” The words just tumble out of my mouth and I’m helpless to stop my declaration of love slipping in there.
His hold on me tightens so much I’m pressed hard against his b
ody right before his mouth claims mine in a kiss that marks me as his.
It’s fierce and rough and demanding.
It’s everything.
I surrender to him completely.
And although he doesn’t tell me he loves me back, I know from this kiss that he feels it.
A little over two hours later, he spoons me after we’ve had sex. His arms are firm around me and I’m pretty sure I won’t be shifting from this position for the entire time I’m asleep.
Exactly how I like it.
“I’m not great at discussing my feelings, Callie,” he says into the darkness.
“Yeah, you kinda suck at it, but I feel like you’re improving.”
“Well, it’s hard not to improve when the woman I love keeps fucking pushing me.”
My heart soars.
I turn in his embrace, which he must have anticipated because he loosens his hold enough for me to do it. Kissing him, I say, “You do?”
He doesn’t say anything, just watches me so intensely that it sends a shiver along my skin. He then catches my lips again. And he kisses the hell out of me.
It’s the kind of kiss that goes on and on and on.
I could live in this kiss forever.
I could die in this kiss and never regret a moment in my life.
When his lips finally leave mine, he says, “I love you. I’m a stubborn bastard, though, so I’ll probably fuck this up along the way. Don’t give up on me, baby.”
I’m breathless and my mind is stumbling its way back to reality after that kiss, but I don’t mistake what I hear in those words. Luke might not have agreed with me that he needed to let his anger go, but he sure as hell heard me.
And he loves me.
26
Luke
I eye the old woman in front of me. She’s a firecracker; that’s for sure. The other thing I know for sure? She loves Callie as if she were her own daughter.
“Callie doesn’t need another man to come into her life and do her wrong. I hope your intentions are pure, young man,” she says after I help her settle on her couch.
I picked Callie’s neighbour up from the hospital two hours ago. Callie couldn’t get the day off work, so I offered to bring Mrs Harper home. It’s been an adventure, to say the least. We’ve been to the chemist, the supermarket and the newsagency so far, and she’s just advised me she also needs me to pick some supplies up from the hardware for her. She’s also just started to grill me on my relationship with Callie.
“I can assure you, Mrs Harper, that my intentions are absolutely pure.” Well, except where Callie’s body is involved. There are no pure thoughts there.
She narrows her eyes at me. “Tell me why I should believe you.”
Jesus, if I had a daughter, this is the kind of woman I hope would be in her court.