6. Luke
Chapter Six
LUKE
I chop the bell peppers into uneven chunks on the cutting board, my knife skills leaving much to be desired. Jasmyn peers over my shoulder and snickers.
“You call that dicing, cowboy?”
She bumps me with her hip, knocking me playfully off balance. I grin and bump her right back, enjoying our easy banter in the kitchen. We move around the small kitchen in her apartment in a practiced dance, comfortable in each other’s space.
“Hey, I never claimed to be a chef,” I hold up my hands. “I’m just the prep cook tonight, apparently.”
Jasmyn stirs the pot of chili bubbling on the stove, shaking her head with an amused smile. “Lucky for you, this dish is very forgiving. Your ‘hacked’ peppers will do just fine.”
As she tastes a spoonful and hums in satisfaction, I can’t help but stare at her.
The last two weeks with her have been a revelation. Ever since we made things official, everything just clicked into place. Being with Jasmyn is as easy as breathing. I’ve never felt like this about anyone before.
She catches me watching her and raises an eyebrow. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
I grin at her. “No reason Just thinking about how I’m the luckiest cowboy in the world right now. Sometimes I can’t believe how lucky am I.”
Jasmyn’s expression softens. She sets down the spoon and comes over to me, wrapping her arms around my waist. I pull her close, relishing the feel of her soft curves pressed against me.
“Believe it, cowboy,” she murmurs, stretching up to kiss me lightly. “I’m not going anywhere. You’re stuck with me now.”
“I’ll happily be stuck with you forever, baby.” The words slip out without thought, but I don’t regret them. It’s the truth.
This woman has turned my world upside down in the best possible way. I’m excited to see what the future holds for us. But for now, I’m content to hold her in my arms and savor this perfect moment together.
We sit down at the table, the aromas of our home-cooked meal mingling in the air. Jasmyn takes a bite and lets out an appreciative moan. “Mmm, this turned out amazing. We make a pretty good team in the kitchen.”
I grin at her. “Among other places.” She rolls her eyes but can’t quite hide her smile.
As we dig in, I notice Jasmyn’s expression gradually turn pensive. She pushes the food around her plate, lost in thought. “What’s on your mind, darlin’? You’re awfully quiet over there.”
Jasmyn sighs, setting down her fork. “It’s just...I’m worried about my job search, Luke. I’ve been sending out applications left and right, but haven’t heard back from anyone. At this rate, I might have to move back to Chicago if things don’t improve soon.”
My heart clenches at her words. The thought of losing Jasmyn, of her leaving Cooper Hills - leaving me - cuts deeper than I expect. I school my features, trying not to let my distress show. The last thing I want is to stress her out even more.
I reach across the table to take her hand, my thumb brushing over her knuckles soothingly. “I hear you, sweetheart. It’s a tough situation. But don’t lose hope just yet, okay? You’re an incredible dancer and choreographer. The right opportunity will come along.”
She offers me a small, grateful smile, but the worry still lingers in her eyes. “I hope you’re right. Dancing is all I’ve ever wanted to do. If I can’t find a studio here...”
She trails off, leaving the unspoken possibility hanging in the air between us. I squeeze her hand, silently vowing to do whatever I can to help Jasmyn achieve her dreams. I refuse to stand by and watch her give up on her passion.
I’ll be damned if I let the best thing to happen to me in years slip away without a fight. Jasmyn has brought so much joy and light into my life, into Maisey’s life. The three of us are already starting to feel like a little family.
“Hey,” I murmur, tilting her chin up gently until she meets my gaze. “Don’t lose hope, sweetheart. You’re an amazing dancer, Jas. Any studio would be damn lucky to have you.”
Jasmyn sighs, her expression pained. “I know... I just... the dance world is so cutthroat, Luke. Especially now, with so many places shutting down. I’ve sent out dozens of applications and haven’t heard a peep back.”
It physically hurts, seeing the dejection weighing on her like this. I tighten my arm around Jasmyn protectively, wishing like hell I could just fix it for her. Take away all her worries and make everything okay again.
An idea starts to take shape as I absently rub Jasmyn’s back. “Tell you what, why
some of my contacts, see if anything shakes loose?”
Jasmyn’s eyes shine with a tentative flicker of hope. She wraps her arms around my waist and squeezes tight. “Thank you... For believing in me, for being so supportive. I honestly don’t know what I’d do without you, Luke.”
“Well, that’s the beauty of it, baby - you won’t ever have to find out. I’m afraid you’re stuck with me now.”
The words come out playfully, but the sentiment behind them has never been more sincere. This is it for me. Jasmyn is my endgame, my forever girl.
And now matter what it takes, I’ll find a way to give her the life she deserves - the career, the family, the happily ever after.
Even if I have to move heaven and earth to do it.
I pull Jasmyn even closer, savoring the feel of her warm body pressed against mine. For a moment, we just stand there, content to be wrapped up in each other’s arms. But as the seconds tick by, the air between us shifts, charging with a familiar electric current.
Almost of their own accord, my hands start roaming over the graceful lines of Jasmyn’s back, mapping out the lean muscles and soft curves I’ve come to know so well. She lets out a breathy little sigh and arches into my touch, setting my blood on fire.
“We should probably clear these dishes,” Jasmyn murmurs, but she makes no move to pull away.
“Mmm. Probably.” I graze my lips along the column of her throat, tasting the salt of her skin. “Or we could leave ‘em for later...”
Jasmyn shivers, her fingers curling into the fabric of my shirt. “Luke... If we don’t stop now...”
“Who says I want to stop?”
The words come out low and rough, laced with all the pent-up hunger I’ve been trying to hold back. But I’m done holding back. I’m done pretending I don’t crave this woman with every fiber of my being.
In one fluid motion, I turn Jasmyn toward me and claim her mouth in a searing kiss. Our tongues tangle together, teasing and stroking as the kiss grows hotter, wetter, more urgent.
I slide my hands down to grab Jasmyn’s ass, lifting her up onto the kitchen counter without breaking contact. She wraps her legs around my hips, pulling me into the cradle of her thighs, and I groan at the feel of her pressed so intimately against me.
“Jas...” I grind out between kisses, “baby, you gotta tell me if you want me to stop...”
“Don’t you dare.” Jasmyn’s nails rake down my back as she arches into me, seeking friction. “I need you, Luke. Right now.”
Well, damn. There’s no arguing with that.
I scoop Jasmyn up into my arms, her dress riding up to reveal miles of silky brown skin, and carry her towards the bedroom. We’re a tangle of roaming hands and heated kisses, barely making it through the door before I press her up against the wall, pinning her there with my hips.
“Goddamn, you’re sexy, baby,” I growl, nipping at the sensitive spot below her ear. “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to get enough of you.”
Jasmyn gasps as I trail open-mouthed kisses down the column of her throat, pausing to suck lightly at her pulse point. “Then what are you waiting for, cowboy?”
I chuckle darkly at the challenge in her voice. In a few quick movements, I strip off her dress and panties, leaving her bare and beautiful before me. I take a step back, my eyes devouring every inch of smooth skin and soft curves.
“Stunning,” I murmur, almost to myself. “Absolutely stunning.”
Jasmyn flushes under my heated gaze, but there’s no shyness in the way she reaches out to tug my shirt over my head. I help her with my belt and jeans, kicking them aside impatiently until there’s nothing between us but skin.
I walk us towards the bed, laying Jasmyn down on the quilt like she’s the most precious thing in the world. And to me, she is. I start at her lips, relearning the taste of her as my hands map out the dips and valleys of her body. Jasmyn shivers and sighs, her fingers threading through my hair to pull me closer.
“Please, Luke... I need...”
“I know, baby. I’ve got you.”
I take my time kissing down her neck, her collarbones, the tops of her breasts. Jasmyn’s back arches off the bed when I close my mouth around one pert nipple, lavishing it with attention before moving to the other. Her moans fill the room, spurring me on as I continue my journey south.
I stroke the insides of her thighs, coaxing them apart, and have to take a moment just to admire the view. Jasmyn is glistening and swollen, her sweet essence calling to me like a siren song. I meet her heavy-lidded gaze as I lower my head, watching her eyes roll back when I run my tongue through her slick folds.
“Oh! Luke, yes, just like that!”
I groan against her most sensitive flesh, lapping and licking and sucking until Jasmyn is writhing beneath me. Her fingers tug at my hair and her hips undulate shamelessly, chasing the pleasure I’m giving her. I slide first one, then two fingers inside, feeling her silken walls flutter and clench.
“That’s it, sweetheart,” I coax, curling my fingers to stroke that magic spot. “Let go for me. I want to watch you fall apart...”
With a few more deliberate licks to her swollen clit, Jasmyn does just that, my name falling from her lips like a prayer as she goes rigid with ecstasy. I work her through it, only easing off when the last tremors fade away. I press a tender kiss to the inside of her thigh before crawling back up her body, capturing her mouth in a slow, deep kiss.
“That was... wow,” Jasmyn pants, looking up at me with dazed, sated eyes. “Just wow.”
I grin, ridiculously pleased with myself. “Oh, we’re just getting started, darlin’. I plan to wow you at least a couple more times tonight.”
I slide into Jasmyn’s tight, wet heat with a groan, my hips snapping forward almost of their own accord. She feels too damn good wrapped around me, her inner muscles fluttering and clenching with every thrust. I set a hard, fast rhythm, chasing the release we both crave.
Jasmyn meets me stroke for stroke, her nails digging into my shoulders as she urges me on. “Harder, Luke. I need...oh yes, right there!”
I angle my hips to hit that spot inside her again and again, reveling in the broken cries spilling from her lips. Leaning down, I catch a straining nipple between my teeth, biting just hard enough to make her yelp and arch into my touch.
“You like that, baby?” I rasp, laving the sting with my tongue. “Like it when I fuck you hard and rough?”
“Yes,” Jasmyn sobs, tossing her head on the pillow. “Don’t stop, please don’t stop...”
As if I could. As if anything short of the apocalypse could tear me away from her right now. I’m a man possessed, totally lost to the slick slide of our bodies, the scent of our mingled arousal heavy in the air.
My hand slips between us to find Jasmyn’s clit, rubbing tight circles around the swollen nub. She cries out sharply, her legs tightening around my waist as she teeters on the edge.
“That’s it, Jas,” I coax roughly. “Come for me, baby. Let me feel you.”
A few more thrusts coupled with the press of my fingers, and she shatters with a wordless shout, her release triggering my own. I bury myself deep and let go, my face pressed into the sweat-slick curve of her neck as I pulse inside her.
Slowly, reluctantly, I ease out and roll to the side, tucking Jasmyn against my chest. She comes willingly, tangling our legs together with a contented sigh. For a long moment we just breathe together, basking in the aftermath.
Sex with Jasmyn is always incredible, but this... this was something else entirely. I’ve never felt so connected to another person, so wholly consumed by wanting and needing someone.
As she dozes in my arms, I find myself replaying the last few weeks in my head. The way she crashed into my life and turned everything upside down. How she effortlessly charmed her way into Maisey’s affections - and mine. The simmering attraction between us that finally boiled over into this unshakable, undeniable bond.
I never thought I’d feel this way about anyone again, not after the way things ended with Maisey’s mother. I’d resigned myself to a life focused solely on my daughter and the ranch, my own needs and desires an afterthought at best.
But Jasmyn... she makes me want more. Makes me believe I could have a true partner - in life, in love, in all of it. She’s the sunshine to my grumpy storm cloud, the missing piece I never knew I needed.
Pressing a kiss to her temple, I tighten my hold and vow then and there to do whatever it takes to make this work. To be the man she deserves, the partner she can count on through thick and thin.
Because now that I’ve experienced the joy and rightness of loving this woman? I’m never letting her go.