29. Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Eva
Luke circles his hips, his chin dropping to his chest as he looks down my body. He’s so deep inside me, the sensation is making my body tremble, almost violently. I try to focus on his features and ignore the pulsing beat driving me to another orgasm.
He swallows. “I belong here, Eva.” His eyes dance like fire. I know he’s savouring the moment, trying to soak up every second we share together.
“Luke,” I choke out.
His hips flex, and he groans, pinching my skin as he turns his head to kiss my ankle by his face.
I rock on the table, my body tightening again.
“Hold it,” he orders, but my hips begin rising and falling with every one of his drives.
“I can’t!”
On the cusp of another earth-shattering orgasm, Luke switches off the toy, reaching into his back pocket where the remote must be.
“Fuck,” I breathe heavily, my body relaxing but only a fraction. He’s still inside me. Still holding himself deep. “Please.”
My pathetic plea has him dropping my legs and pulling me to sit, his hands propping me up.
I can barely hold my head steady, but I notice his dark eyes beaming at me. They’re so telling. So finely in tune with me and my body. Leaning down, he kisses me, one hand pressing into the base of my spine, the other holding the back of my head. “You make me feel alive, Eva.”
He swirls his tongue against mine before he’s looking down to where our bodies are connected. Widening his stance, he watches as he slowly pumps into me, my body turning slack with every drive.
“Watch.”
I look down, anchoring myself as best as I can, even though he’s holding me in place. My legs are parted wide. The wet sounds of my arousal are echoing around the kitchen.
“Look how fucking perfect we are.” Letting go of me for only a second, he presses the button on the remote before his hand is back on me.
His body tenses and his muscles flex before my eyes. He quickens his pace, enjoying the electrifying vibrations brushing against him.
My core is burning from the heat of our bodies. I feel my skin prickle, and with his next hip-circling drive, the combination of his cock and the toy, makes my legs shake. I’m building, my orgasm being brought to the cusp of detonation once again.
Luke slides home, making me moan, my head falling back.
He braces himself before he pulls one end of the tie, releasing my hands in one swift movement.
He’s still fucking me and holding me as he takes what he needs, but he wraps my arms around his shoulders, craving my touch. Needing to know he has me.
I bury my face in his neck as our bodies press against each other, our love being put in the spotlight.
This. This is everything I love about him. There’s no feeling that comes close to it. Our touch. It screams a thousand words as we embrace the moment, both building, our pace quickening.
“I’m coming,” I whisper against his skin, feeling him pull back to take my mouth. He absorbs every lust filled moan and gasp releasing from me, unhurriedly coaxing each wave of pleasure he can before his own release is taking over.
He jerks, his hips bucking as he grunts and spills inside of me. Tenderly gripping my skin, he kisses wherever he can until he’s slowing, his pace turning languid until it stops .
A light sheen of perspiration coats his head as he rests it against mine.
“Will you come back to bed now?” I breathe against him, not opening my eyes as I take in his scent, my hands running over his back.
“I will.” He stands back. “But only if I can continue worshiping you, Eva.”
I smile up at him as best I can. “You’re not tired?” I roll my eyes open, seeing him watching me. Something passes between us so gracefully, it’s overwhelming. The intense feeling of love races like a tsunami right through my heart.
“Me? Tired of loving you?” He removes the toy carefully, then picks me up, wrapping my legs around his waist. “Never, Little Warrior. You showed me how to live again. It will take me an eternity to pay you back for that.”
Holding his face, I look down at him, all jokes set aside. “You don’t owe me a single thing, Luke.”
His feet stop.
“Do you hear me?” I watch him swallow. “You deserve to be loved how you love others.”
“Eva—”
“—No. You take me back to that bed and you rest. You lay down your arms and let it all go. I love you, Luke, and seeing you happy, watching you with my son and seeing him fall head over heels for the kind, gentle man that you are, that’s enough. You are enough just as you are.”
My heart weeps, and Luke’s head drops to my chest. I feel his warmth hitting me, the shaky breaths he tries to suck in, making my eyes fill.
When he goes to speak but no words come out, his feet instead do the talking, walking me back to my bedroom. He puts us in bed, wrapping his arms around me tightly as he rests his head on my chest.
I pull the covers over us, stroking my hand through his hair, letting him embrace this moment of stripped back clarity.
He is loved.
Waking the next morning, I find a tiny human wedged between our bodies. At some point, I seem to remember the bed dipping and Luke making way for Liam.
Before we drifted off, we made love one more time. We both showered at a ridiculous hour in the morning and took our time washing each other. It was a moment unlike any we’ve shared together. I almost can’t describe the feeling of seeing him so unabashed and carefree after telling him he deserved to be loved.
I know he heard me. I know he listened. And even though he didn’t initially recognise the feeling, every moment we’ve shared has been love. It surpasses infatuation or attraction.
It may sound daft, but, when we’re together, I feel like the universe conspired to make it so.
We like the same things. We also discovered we have the same taste in food, coffee and music. I found this out when we switched on the radio in the hotel room and danced around with Liam. I thought I was bad with music and keeping up with trends, but he… he really doesn’t care for anything new and up to date. He’s made sure he has what he needs, but he favours the old stuff with no care for anything new.
Except his Audi. That, he loves.
I’ve also noticed his bag which he lives out of, isn’t even half full. Sneaking a peak last night, Luke only owns two suits and a minimal amount of casual clothes. He says he doesn’t need anything more, but he could do. He can afford it. Money, it seems, just doesn’t do anything for him.
I cleansed every scar on his beautiful body during our shower, and he let me, telling me each and every story behind every single one. I cried hearing the evil truths, but Luke held me, the two of us, together, leaving his past life in the rear view and starting something completely different.
Our future.
I’m feeling the effects of little sleep and lots of Luke. My thighs ache. My body feels drained in the best way imaginable. I wish he was staying with us today, but he told me he has to go to work.
That was right after he told me that when he’s finished whatever it is he has to do, he doesn’t want to go back to the life that—in his words—propped him up until he found me again. Luke said he wants to start a new life with me. Make a difference in this world and see our dreams come true. All I could do was smile, watching hope flicker behind his eyes.
The dream.
It’s funny because, I felt my dream fade along with my dad’s health. Each time we heard about his health deteriorating or witnessed it for ourselves, the idea of making something of myself drifted further out to sea like a piece of driftwood caught in the tide.
Luke’s restored my desire to want to make those changes, without really doing anything at all. He’s just instilled in me a positivity and renewed sense of purpose.
And yes, whilst the idea of trying and potentially failing again with the art therapy dream scares the hell out of me, I can picture Dad’s face and all the joy it could bring to so many other families. Bringing their loved ones back to them. Seeing them at peace doing the thing they love the most. There are so many benefits, I almost feel like I’m wasting time not immediately looking at more studios right now.
Rolling to face the two men behind me, it appears the smaller one of the two has done more than just creep in, but stolen all of my warmth.
I shimmy my way closer to them both, wrapping an arm around Liam and placing my hand on Luke’s arm.
He stirs, his midnight eyes slowly finding the room. “Ah,” he says, rubbing one of his eyes with the heel of his hand. “Knew there had to be a reason I kept getting kicked.”
I smile into Liam’s hair just below my chin. “He’s a menace,” I whisper gently, kissing the top of his head. His sparkling amber hair tickles my nose.
Hearing a ping from Luke’s phone, my eyes flick to him as he sleepily leans back and reads the screen, all the muscles on his torso stretching. “It’s Adam.” He turns to his side, facing me, holding my gaze as he secures me and Liam under his strong arm.
“What time will you be back?” I ask, checking Liam’s still sleeping whilst we talk.
There’s definitely a sigh as he whispers. “When I can. ”
Trepidation kicks in my stomach. Layers of unsettling emotion begin to pile one on top of the other. Eyes prickling with tears, my heart twists. “Why do I get the feeling something’s going to happen today?”
His hand flexes on my back. “Nothing will happen.” I blink, watching him, studying the lines on his face as he frowns. He’s lying to me. “But—”
My harsh intake of air at his word makes him stall.
“ But , in case it does, you’re to stay here with Carrie. Okay?”
Carrie? What? He knows I’m not going to raise my voice with Liam between us. But I want to. My lips part and my body slumps, defeated.
“Tell me you understand, Eva.”
Eyes widening, I feel my words strangling me. “I don’t understand.” I swallow down the burning lump in my throat.
“Eva, someone’s been following me.”
I gaze up. “You’re certain?”
Luke nods. “There was a man at the restaurant I took you to. I wasn’t sure at first if I was imagining things, but I’d seen him before at The Savoy, the first night I found you again. I had Carrie try to get eyes on him, but it was too late.”
Oh, God. “And the note?” I flail out, my heart hammering in my chest. “Is it the same person?”
“Shh,” he tries to settle me, eyes widening at my upset. “I can’t be certain, but it would make sense. Someone also came by the hotel asking for me.”
I have to close my eyes and try my hardest not to completely shatter in front of him. Is that why he didn’t sleep? He was protecting us? Watching the door in case someone came back? “What about the man you’re working for today?” I don’t get any of what Luke is telling me, but I’ve read enough books to know the enemy is almost always closer than you realise. “Are you going into whatever it is knowing who you trust? What are you doing? Please. Just tell me.”
Luke manages to shift some of the worry and anxiety coursing through my veins by raising a soft smile. I don’t get why he’s looking at me the way he is, but I can tell he’s nervous, just the same as me. “Now’s the time for you to be the little warrior I know you are.” He says it so gently, I almost can’t believe this is happening. “I’m going on a boat, and Carrie will be here later. You stay with her and do as she says. I will come back once I have finished what needs to be done.”
“What are you talking about?” My voice raises, making Liam stir.
Luke strokes his head, comforting him. “You two are my world now, Eva. But in order for me to be here and live the life I want to; I have to do this last job. If I back out now, it’ll never end.”
“What won’t end?” God this is exhausting. My nerves are frying with every word he speaks.
His eyes jump between mine, a saddening edge curving the outline of the dark, round holes staring at me. “The past living in the present. I do this, then it’s over. For everyone.”
I don’t follow the hidden words. Who’s everyone? “Are we really having this conversation. After last night? After everything, is this your goodbye?”
He manages to hold the tears now threatening to escape his reddening eyes. “It will never be a goodbye with you, Eva. You need to trust me. I know what I’m doing.” Luke’s jaw ticks.
I want to run away from this moment and erase it. I also want all the answers right now. Why are we gazing at each other, studying the other’s face like it’s the last time we’re going to see it?
Fighting the urge to climb out of bed, or scream and shout at him, I muster what little energy I have to tell him I trust him. “Then your future will be waiting for you when you get back.”
He squeezes the three of us together, our world quite literally in his hands.