22. Lucy
lucy
. . .
The next morning, I peeked into the guest bedroom, only to find my mom still sleeping. Ed was already here, sipping on his coffee in the kitchen.
“Morning,” I greeted him, offering a smile. “I’m heading into the shop. I don’t want to wake her up. Do you happen to know where she keeps her keys?”
“Of course, Luce,” Ed responded. Luce. My smile was beyond my control, now widening further. I couldn’t help but wonder how long my mom had been with him that he picked up on the nickname, too. I’m happy for them; he’s good for her. Ed pulled out her ring of keys, already knowing where they were located.
“Everything you need should be in the office. Your mom usually has me help out with the flower delivery when I can—it should be in two days, but she starts preparing the day earlier. You’ll need to pick through the flowers, write them off, and dispose of them,” he told me. “I know that she has her notes on her desk…but anything else, you’ll have to ask her when she wakes up.”
“Thank you, Ed. This means a lot.” I’d call my mom later—for now, I just wanted to get a hang of as many things as possible on my own. I found that it was the best way to immerse myself into the business. Plus, I wanted to bother my mom as little as possible. She deserved to recover properly. I worked for her during high school, so I was sure some things had changed in the ten years I’d been gone, but I figured I’d understand the general drift of the shop.
When I got to the shop, though, I realized nothing had changed. The sight was just as I remembered it. The exterior of the building was still painted in the same pale peach shade, and the vintage sign that read ‘Blushing Blooms’ remained unchanged. Inside were endless wooden shelves lined with colorful vases holding various kinds of flowers. The large windows allowed plenty of sunlight in, which benefited my mom’s business. In the back of the shop were two smaller rooms—one that my mom used as her office and the other that held no particular purpose other than for her to invite people in occasionally. More flowers, a mismatched sofa and armchair, and an antique little coffee table. Growing up, it was one of my favorite spots where Luke and I would spend a lot of time together, making out when my mom was out delivering flowers and I was in charge of the shop.
The office was just as chaotic; my mom was still handwriting everything, including all orders, stock taking, and business expenses. It was a mess of endless papers and stacks
of sticky notes with orders for each day. This was going to be a lot…to go through.
When Luke came in, he brought in coffee from Brew Haha, and I appreciated it more than he knew as I greeted him with a smile.
“You’re god sent,” I told him, taking a sip. “It will take me ages to get through everything. My mom…how does she even function? Nothing is digitalized. She’s probably losing so much of her time because of this.”
Luke reached forward, brushing a strand of my hair behind my ear. My teeth sunk into my bottom lip as I watched him. “Well, this may be the time to help her out. You could implement a new system. You’re keeping the shop closed today, and I’ll be with you all day so we can figure out what can be done.”
“All day?” I shook my head. “Luke, I can’t ask that of you. You have your own business to take care of?—”
“That’s the beauty of being my own boss,” he assured me. “I dictate my hours. And I’d rather spend them by your side.”
“I….” I trailed off. There was a lot I wanted to say. A lot that he was doing for me. Where was it all leading? What were we doing? Aside from worrying about my mom’s business, endless questions roamed through my mind about us—about what we could be.
“I told you we needed to talk. I know this isn’t the ideal time, but I no longer want to beat around the bush. I want to be with you. And before you start shaking your head, let me explain. When I saw you at your welcome home surprise party, I knew I was not going to let you go this time.”
“Luke, you broke up with me last time. I know ten years have passed, but what’s changed? We both have lives now…”
“I was an idiot. I fucked up. You were going to sacrifice yourself by going to college with me, and I didn’t want that for you. If I broke up with you, I thought it would allow you to go to the college you wanted.”
Tears streamed down my face. Was this really the reason why he broke up with me? After all these years, I had never gotten closure. And now, he was finally giving it to me. The only question was if it would be enough for me to reopen that chapter. “You know what, you are an idiot. You should have talked to me. We could have figured something out. Breaking up with me shouldn’t have been your first choice.”
“You’re right.” He stepped closer to me. One of his hands found my hip, and this time, I didn’t pull back in any way. “It shouldn’t have. Back then, I didn’t know what I was doing. Now I do. I was a scared kid who didn’t want to hold you back from your dreams. Now, I’m a man ready to fight for what he wants.” His familiar scent hit my nostrils. I closed my eyes, and memories instantly flooded me. Hard and fast, all at once. The first kiss under the bleachers at the high school football game, sneaking out to meet each other late at night, the countless conversations about our future together.
I couldn’t deny my feelings for him anymore. I tried so hard to move on, but my heart reminded me of what it truly needed every time. And it had always been him.
I couldn’t tell how this was going to end. I couldn’t tell if I had a future here, but right now, all I knew was that I needed to be closer to him. As my eyes opened, I leaned up, pressing my lips against his. He eagerly greeted my kiss, and we were both struck by the passion and spark we still shared.
I didn’t expect this. I came to my mom’s shop to handle her business, yet I found myself stumbling backward toward the small lounge area in the back. I thanked God that the ‘CLOSED’ sign was displayed because the last thing I wanted was to be interrupted.
“I’ve been thinking about this for days,” Luke whispered against my lips. His hands trailed up my chest, popping open button by button of my blouse. I shuddered beneath his touch already.
“Luke…” I whimpered with need. I wasn’t strong enough to fight this attraction anymore. And I didn’t want to. I wanted to surrender to it in every way there was.
He collared my neck while his other hand drifted lower now that he was done unbuttoning my blouse, sneaking underneath my skirt. I was pinned against the wall, with his fingers brushing against the lace of my panties and his hot mouth a breath away from mine.
“Are you wet for me?”
I nodded softly. That pleased him, apparently, because his fingers slipped beneath the thin lace, settling between my folds and brushing over my clit. I let out a little gasp.
“Just as I suspected. Good girl” Again, no words could make it past my lips, so I nodded desperately, spreading my legs open for him wider. I rolled my hips toward him, eager for any friction. “How needy of you, Luce…needing me to pleasure this sweet pussy of yours.” The mouth of this man, I thought to myself. He had a heart of gold and a mouth of filth, and I loved every second of it.
In one quick motion, he flipped us around, and I landed on the small sofa with him on top of me. Somehow, his hand remained against my pussy the entire time—now, circling my clit and applying pressure where I needed it the most.
But I needed more.
I needed him in me now.
“Please,” I breathed, tipping my head back.
“Please, what?” he asked, still playing with my clit. It was driving me insane.
“Please, I need you inside me,” I begged. I wasn’t above begging if it got me what I wanted.
“Take off your bra. I want to see all of you,” Luke demanded as he hiked up my skirt and yanked my panties down my legs. I squirmed on the sofa and unhooked my bra, releasing my breasts. “That’s a good girl.” He reached for my left breast, toying with my nipple, before paying the same attention to the right one, too.
“Now, I have question. Can you be quiet so that I can worship this pussy?” I nodded again, unable to form words. He lowered himself between my thighs. Just the sight of him there was nearly enough to make me come. “Don’t make me repeat myself.”
“Yes, I can be quiet,” I gasped, and Luke didn’t waste a moment as he dove in. He licked down my folds, and I could barely hold in a moan.
“Oh God,” I whispered.
“I want my name on your lips the next time you speak,” he demanded, flickering his tongue against my clit. I bit my lip to stay silent—as he requested, but I’d never been the one to be quiet in bed, and it was killing me right now. Luke shifted as he slid a finger through my folds to my entrance. He circled my entrance, not quite letting it slide in yet. I was going out of my mind with need.
“Please, Luke,” I panted, and he rewarded me by letting his fingers join his tongue. I was so wet that he met no resistance.
“You’re so fucking wet for me,” he moaned. “I’ve been dreaming about this pussy for days.” He added another finger, stretching me slightly and preparing me for his cock. Because I needed to have it—otherwise, I may lose my sanity.
“Oh fuck, Luke. Just like that,” I moaned, barely keeping my voice quiet. I wasn’t going to last long like this, and he knew it. With each passing second, I was getting closer to that point of no return, choking on my breath and shaking against his touch. He continued his pace, taking all of me and giving me no choice but to take it.
By the time he finally allowed the third finger to join, I shattered into a million pieces. In one move, he straddled me and smothered my moan with his mouth. He kissed me fervently while still using his fingers. My orgasm barreled on like a freight train; I couldn’t tell if it was one long one or if one ended and another began. My legs shook, and I tried to close them as I finished, but Luke kept them spread open for him.
When he didn’t allow me to do that, I reached for his pants, unbuckling his belt and unzipping the zipper to reveal his hardened cock. I meant it when I said it. I needed him inside me.