King of Pain (Lords of Las Vegas #5)

Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

Kate

Luke looks good in this truck.

I mean, really good. What is it about a little retro, a little dinge that just suits him?

The sunglasses rest on his nose as he leans back in the seat, driving with one hand, the good one.

I’d offer to drive but he doesn’t look uncomfortable at all. “How’s your arm?” I yell over the wind blowing through the truck.

It’s got to be pushing a hundred degrees out there so we can’t close the windows. “Fine, love,” he grins over at me, that one-sided sexy-as-hell, bad-boy grin that sends my stomach fluttering.

I know the arm can’t be fine, but you’d never know it looking at him. How do guys do that? How does he do it?

My fingers itch to undo the lap belt and slide over the bench seat. I’d press against his arm, and he’d kiss me. I let out a sigh.

It’s a dumb idea. I’ve seen my mom date a million bad boys. It always ends the same.

He gets bored, or meets someone better, and I’m left broken. He never would have even looked my way if we hadn’t been forced together.

I’m sure the adventure of running is fueling whatever is between us.

Placing my hands in my lap, I squeeze them together, trying to keep my eyes to myself, but they keep drifting to him.

“Shorty, if you keep looking at me like that, I’m gonna pull this truck over and fuck you on the side of the road.”

He has this way of making me blush and I do now. Because that sounds hot. “Luke.” I can’t even tell if I’m chastising or encouraging him.

His eyes scan down my body, and I can see him considering. “I’m going to keep driving, love. I want to put as much distance as possible between us and them.”

“You think they’ll follow?” He grimaces in a way that makes my stomach churn in the worst way. “What’s wrong?”

“They did follow. I saw Gorilla in the Walmart parking lot.”

“Shit!” I cry, gripping his arm. “How?”

“GPS on the Fit. I knew it was a possibility.”

I stare at him. “That’s why you parked it away from the motel last night.”

He nods.

Like I need any more evidence that Luke is trouble. I always secretly knew I liked trouble. Hence my lack of dating experience.

I let out a long rush of air. “Well, this truck probably isn’t equipped with GPS.”

“Nope. And I bought it fair and square.”

I pull my chin back in disbelief. “You’re not serious.”

“I am, you should have seen me work that one.” He reaches over and settles a hand on my upper thigh, his fingers dipping between my legs.

I stiffen away and he feels it,he looks over. “Want to tell me more about yourself?”

“Nope,” I shake my head. We should not be getting to know each other.

“Should I tell you more about me?”

“Definitely not.”

I want to lose myself in this man. I close my eyes, trying to be strong. “We should keep our conversations about escape. The plan.”

He snorts. “Too late for that.”

“Listen,” I don’t know what I’m building to, but I know I need to pump the breaks. I’m breaking every rule I ever made for myself.

“Shit,” I hear him rumble, his voice vibrating through me.

I open my eyes, wondering what’s wrong when I see a minivan pulled over to the side in front of us. My eyebrows furrow. “It’s so hot. Why would anyone stop on a day like this?”

“Not by choice.” He lets out a long, frustrated breath. I look at him, trying to figure out what he’s thinking.

He glances down at me. “We need to make time but…”

“You want to pull over.”

“There are probably kids in there,” he rumbles, putting on the blinker of the truck. I want to respond, but I can hardly catch my breath, and once again, I swear, my ovaries explode. Saves women in need. Protects kids.

Who cares if he steals a car or two…

We pull over and he opens the door. “You should come just in case they need medical help.”

I slide out too, taking his hand as we approach the car.

The door immediately opens and frantic and sweaty man steps out. “Thank you for stopping,” he stumbles, and I curse under my breath. How long have they been sitting in the sun?

The other door opens, and a woman gets out, looking even worse than her husband. She seems disoriented as she tries to focus on me. “Kids?” I ask.

“Two,” the dad hoarsely answers.

“Get them out. I’ve got water.” But I’m already going around him and pulling on the minivan’s sliding door. Both parents’ reaction time is slow and I don’t want to wait.

Two red-faced kids meet my gaze and I’m pulling the buckles open in the first kid’s car seat.

“Should I have taken them out of the car?” the man asks, his voice filled with fear.

“No.” I quickly smile back at him. “The direct sun is worse than the shaded car.” I look at Luke. “Get the other boy.”

He immediately starts around the car as I crack open the water, giving the little boy, who must be about four, a big swig. Then I pull him from the car. Two fingers on his throat, I check his pulse to see if it’s elevated.

His eyes dilate as the sun hits them, a good sign, and I position him onto my hip as I carry the water to his mother.

“How long have you been here?”

“An hour and a half,” the dad answers. “A few cars went by…” I grimace, then give the boy another drink and then hand the bottle to the mother. I turn to the dad. “How many fingers am I holding up?”

“What?”

“She’s a doctor,” Luke rumbles. “Answer.” He’s got the other boy, who looks six or seven, on his hip. My eyes linger for a second because… I’ve never seen anything more gorgeous than this man holding a kid.

The dad looks at me. “Three.”

“Good.” I turn back to Luke. “Get more water. I’m going to check everyone, but this little guy doesn’t have heatstroke. Dehydration, however, is a real concern.”

He nods and goes get two more bottles. We’ll have to buy more when we get to the next town.

“What happened?”

“It overheated, I think?” the dad answers.

“I can look,” Luke tosses over his shoulder as he goes to get the water. “Or we can all load into the truck and I can drive to you to the next town, get a tow truck.”

The dad pauses for a second. “Can you just take a quick look?”

With a nod, Luke hands out more water and then gives the kid to his mother before he pops the hood. He winces. “You’re out of coolant. But with these kinds of cars, you can’t just dump water in them, and we’re short anyway. Let me give you a ride.”

Somehow, we all squish into the cab of the truck.

I’m pressed to Luke’s side, the kids in the laps of their parents. Reaching down, I pass out power bars. They’ve sweat enough that I’m worried about replacing their body salt.

“I heard your stomach rumble,” Luke says close to my ear. “I want you to eat one too.”

There is only one left. I break it in half and pop half into my mouth. Then, I hold the second half up an inch from his lips. “We share.”

One brow quirks before he takes the bite, sucking my fingers into his mouth too. I feel myself blush to my roots, especially since we have an audience, as I quickly withdraw my fingers.

But I’m hot and flushed, and it has nothing to do with the desert heat.

A half hour later, we roll up into a small town just as the sun starts to set. “Garage first, then the motel?” Luke asks the dad, whose name, we learn, is Carl.

Carl nods. “I can’t thank you enough, man. You saved our lives.”

“No trouble,” Luke winks.

“Will we keep going after we drop them?” I softly ask.

Luke grimaces, cocking his head like he’s thinking. Carl raises his hand. “Let me get you two a room for the night. It’s the least I can do.”

Luke thinks for a second and then gives a quick nod. “That’s kind of you, Carl. I hope you don’t mind me taking you up on the offer.”

“Don’t mind at all. Glad to give something back after what you did for us.”

I look down at the four-year-old, Benji, who currently has chocolate all over his hands and face from the power bar. I smile at him, and he grins back. It’s adorable.

He reaches a hand out to me, likely smearing some chocolate on my face. I laugh as I wrinkle my nose. Looking back, I catch Luke looking at me and I glance down at my lap.

Carl hires a tow truck and then we make our way to the smallest six-room motel I’ve ever seen.

Hungry as I am, I’m more tired, having only slept for a few hours the night before.

There’s at least a McDonalds and Luke gets a burger while I munch on a few fries.

It’s quiet between us, both of us tired, but it’s a nice quiet. Not awkward at all, which is funny because we’ve only known each other for a few days now.

I’d like to lean on his shoulder and close my eyes, but I was the one trying to insert distance, so I keep myself upright, even as my stomach turns from exhaustion. He touches my knee under the table, and I smile at him as I take a bite of another fry. I can’t help myself. But his look is one of concern. “You gonna eat more than that?” he asks, looking skeptically at my fries.

“Worried about me?” I tease.

He leans forward, not smiling. “Yes.”

“I promise, the french fries are enough. I’m just tired.”

He gives a nod. “Big breakfast tomorrow then.”

My head cocks. I’m not used to people being worried about how much I eat. Not even my mom does that. Never did. But we leave and go back to the motel. The décor is sparse and old, but the place is clean, I’ll give it that.

I brush my teeth and pull out a clean pair of underwear and a T-shirt. It’s the best I’m going to do tonight.

Luke’s eyes are on me as I start to climb into the bed.

“Stop,” he murmurs. I’ve got one knee on the bed. My hands come down too and I turn to look back at him.

“Why?”

“Because,” his grin is wicked, “I’m gonna help you sleep.”

My brows lift even as my girl parts clench. “Luke. I don’t know…”

He crosses the room, and hooks both hands on the sides of my underwear, sliding them over my hips.

Part of me meant it this morning when I said we shouldn’t sleep together again. Everything is crazy and I am careening toward heartbreak.

But he slides the underwear down my legs to my knees. My whole body clenches in anticipation, all the exhaustion gone, but instead of touching me more, he steps back.

“What are you doing?” I gasp, almost covering myself as I fight my embarrassment.

“You have the prettiest fucking pussy I’ve ever seen,” he growls. “I’m going to admire it for another second and then I’m going to mess it up real good, make it so dirty.”

I swear, I’m drenched in a second.

His hand comes to my back, sliding up my spine over my neck to the back of my head. And then he gently pushes me down so my face is on the mattress, my ass in the air.

Any other guy, I’d be freaking out, but with him… I just do it, no questions, nothing but anticipation pulsing through me.

His fingers slide up the back of one of my legs, across my ass, and down the other. Goose pimples break out all over my flesh.

He starts back up the inside of my thigh and I squirm.

“For a girl who said we shouldn’t do this, you’re awfully impatient.”

“Shouldn’t is different than don’t want to,” I speak, my voice half muffled by the sheets.

He chuckles, his fingertips just brushing over my pussy. It’s so light, I barely feel the touch. That doesn’t keep me from starting to drip. “I don’t even understand why we shouldn’t.”

He wouldn’t. He’s not the one who is going to get his heart broken.

He takes my silence as a cue to continue, and he brushes his fingers over me again with a bit more pressure.

“Did you know that you’re the exact same color here,” he slides a finger down my seam, “as you are on your nipples and your lips?”

“I…” It feels so good that I don’t even know how to respond. I can’t find the words.

“Funny, never thought I cared about matchy-matchy, but damn, love, you make it look good.”

My hands twist into the sheets as his middle finger hits my clit.

I want to tell him that his compliment, along with his fingers, have me aching. But I’m beyond words.

I do know that I’ve wanted a guy like Luke to tell me I’m special my whole life. I know it’s crazy and it shouldn’t matter, but even that compliment sets me on fire.

And when his tongue replaces his finger, I let out a moan that I can’t hold back.

And that’s when I get a light smack on my ass.