Yeah right.
The elevator dings and the doors slide open. I step into the hallway, power walk to the door, and shove my key into the lock. Luke is right behind me, his hands on my arms, his breath on my neck.
Dammit. How can he make me feel so mixed up all at once? So angry and hurt and turned on all at once?
"Alyssa. Can we talk about this?"
"You had plenty of chances to talk to me in the last few months."
I push the door open and stumble inside. He follows me, and I make no effort to stop him.
"Please?" he asks. There's vulnerability in his voice, desperation. Like a no will break his heart.
"Later," I say. I walk to the bedroom, shut the door behind me, and crawl into bed. It's only after I pull the covers over my head that I feel like I can breathe.
I'm fucking this up so badly, but I have no clue how to stop.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Luke
I sit on the couch and suck the last bit of tequila--the only alcohol in the apartment, of course--from my glass and place it in the sink.
Alyssa doesn't want to talk. Fine. But that isn't going to keep me from being near her, not when my body is screaming for proximity.
I turn the handle to the bedroom door. It creaks, filling the living room with a gorgeous midnight blue.
Damn. The view in this room is better than I remembered. The windows are huge, letting in an expanse of skyline.
Alyssa is lying on the bed, comforter wrapped around every part of her body but her head. She murmurs something I can't make out. It's closer to an invitation than to an objection, even if it's not by much.
I close the door behind me and slip my jacket off my shoulders.
She rolls over, pulling the comforter tighter around her body. Her eyes pass over me. "This isn't much later."
I loosen my tie and undo my top two buttons. Her eyes get wide, her teeth sinking into her lip. But she snaps out of it, shakin
g her head.
"I'm not here to talk."
Her gaze goes straight to my chest. She swallows. "What are you here to do?"
I pull my tie off, letting it fall to the floor.
Her eyes are glued to me, like I'm performing in a private show just for her. Maybe I am. I undo the rest of my buttons and shrug my shirt off my shoulders.
It slides down my arms, falling to the floor behind me.
"I'm here for your viewing pleasure." I raise my eyebrows and throw her a cheeky wink.
She tries to stifle a laugh, but she fails. Her lips curve into the tiniest smile. For a split second, her eyes are bright. Happy. Then it's gone, and she's back to her distant expression.
I unbuckle my belt, pull it from its loops, and drop it on the floor. Alyssa sighs, her tongue sliding over her lips.
It has been a long time.
I unbutton my slacks and slide them down my thighs. Her eyes go wide, but she shakes her head to try and hide her interest.