30. Luke
THIRTY
LUKE
Calla is in a much better mood today. I think she needed one night to feel shitty about what happened to her, but now she’s ready to start fresh. I was prepared to give her whatever she needed to feel better.
We wake up early, and she gets herself ready while I go down to the free breakfast. She smiles when I bring her back some stale donuts and bitter coffee because that’s all they have. Then we’re on the road.
Do I want to be driving Thompson’s hundred-grand car? Absolutely not. But when he called me and asked to meet in person so we could come up with a plan for Calla, I knew I had to trust him. I’ll get his car back to him eventually, but I have to get Calla safe first.
Honestly, I was surprised he even gave a fuck at first, and I was worried I was being pulled into a trap. But I would’ve walked headfirst into anything if it meant getting any closer to Calla. So far, everything has worked out, but I’ve got to get her far away from L.A. now.
Thompson didn’t want to know where I would be taking Calla in case anyone questioned him. To be honest, I didn’t even know where we would be heading until we woke up this morning.
After the terrible breakfast, I throw our duffle bags into the car. I got Calla some basic essentials since she couldn’t pack her own bag. I figured we could get her anything else she needed once we got settled.
Our drive takes almost two days, stopping overnight in Idaho to get some rest. Calla starts to become more animated the further from L.A. we get. That place and those people were killing her. But she’s smiling now. Singing along to the radio. I even notice her humming a tune I’ve never heard before when we stop at a diner for dinner. I think she might be writing a song in her head, but I’m not going to ask her about it. She’ll tell me when she’s ready.
Toward the end of our second day on the road, we come to our destination. Cody was able to book us a one bedroom cabin at a ranch in the middle of nowhere Montana. He booked it under his personal credit card to make it harder to find us. Of course, Cody was pissed at me for how everything went down. I lost his biggest client. But he was actually more mad at Calla’s team than anyone, and he’s currently working on a lawsuit against Brayden and his company.
He’s a good guy, and truly, I don’t know what I would do without him. He kept me steady when I was on the verge of going insane trying to find Calla.
When we cross the border into Montana, we start to see snow on the ground, which surprises both of us. And when the main house of the ranch comes into view, we’re both in awe. The snow is beautiful here.
“This is where we’re staying?” Calla asks, eyes wide, staring out the window.
“For now. Until we figure out what we want to do.”
She turns to me. “Maybe I want to stay here. Hideaway with you forever.”
I reach over and squeeze her thigh. “I’m not going anywhere. We can stay in Montana if that’s what you want, but we’ll have to find somewhere more permanent than a rental cabin.”
Her smile grows. “I’d like that.”
“Me too, baby.”
I park the car and head inside to check in and get our key, noting that I’m going to have to get a thicker jacket if we’re going to be here awhile.
While I’m certainly less recognizable than Calla, my face has been plastered all over the tabloids for the last few weeks, so I wear a hat pulled low and covering as much of my face as possible without looking like a complete weirdo.
The young guy at the front desk gives me the key and a map to our cabin along with a list of activities offered through the ranch. Calla is going to love this.
The cabin we’ve been given is small but perfect for what we need. There’s a bed, a bathroom, and a small kitchen area.
“This is like a real-life log cabin. I love it,” Calla says as she throws her arms around my neck. I hold her close and exhale. For the first time since I heard her come into that bathroom two days ago, I let myself relax. We’re safe for now.
She pulls back a little, but I bring her crashing back into me. “Not yet. I need to feel you. I need to know you’re safe.”
“I’m safe because of you,” she whispers. She peppers a trail of kisses down my neck. Sex has been the furthest thing from my mind. I was so focused on finding her and getting her out, but now that she’s here and I can hold her and feel her lips again, I have the urge to be inside her.
“Calla, I want to give you time. You’ve had a traumatic experience.”
“But I’m safe. I’m ready to live, and I want to do that with you, Luke. I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
“Then show me,” she says.
I pull her mouth against mine and kiss her like I’ve been dying for her. In a way, I have. My heart cracked in two when I woke up in that venue and realized she was gone. I was terrified that I’d never get her back.
She’s pushing my jacket down my arms and fumbling with my belt as I tangle my tongue with hers and guide us back to the bed.
I lift off the baggy sweatshirt we picked up in Idaho, then drop to my knees and slide her jeans down her legs. She steps out of them, and I immediately focus my attention on her core. She spreads her legs for me, and I waste no time sliding my tongue into her.
She moans. “You look good down there, Mr. Pierson.”
I smile against her pussy. “You like me on my knees for you, baby?”
“Yes,” she moans as I lick her again.
“I’ll be on my knees for you for the rest of my life.”
“Oh, god,” she says breathlessly. She loves my mouth on her, and I love that she loves it. I would eat her all day if I could.
Her fingers run through my hair and tug on the ends, sending the blood rushing to my dick. I push two fingers inside her, and her body tenses. I know she’s getting close.
“You gonna come on my tongue, baby?”
“Yes, god, yes.”
I lick and pump until her legs shake, and she’s barely able to stand. I don’t stop until she’s gasping for breath, and I can’t possibly wait another second to be inside her.
I look up at Calla, who’s looking at me with hooded eyes and flushed cheeks. She’s so goddamn beautiful. And she’s so fucking mine.
I stand and gently guide her back to the bed. Her legs spread wide for me. I climb in between them and waste no time lining myself up and pushing inside her. We both groan once I’m fully sheathed.
“You were made for me, Calla. I love you so much.”
Being with her feels so right. We’re two people from completely different worlds, yet out of the billions of other people in the world, we found each other. I’m going to hold on to her for as long as she’ll let me. I might hold on a little more after that, anyway. She is mine, and I am hers.
My thrusts are slow and methodical. I take my time savoring the way her body moves for me, the way she squeezes me, the way her hands run over my body as if she needs to be touching me.
I grab one of her legs and balance it on my shoulder, getting a deeper angle for us both. When her body starts to tense, I let myself crumble with her. We both come, and I collapse on top of her. She wraps her arms around me and holds me to her as we catch our breath.
We clean up and take a better look around the cabin. Calla finds the brochure the guy at the desk gave me with all the activities.
“Luke, there are s’mores tonight at the main house. We have to go!”
My gut reaction is to say no. Someone could recognize her, and word could get out about where she is. But she looks so excited that I couldn’t possibly tell her no. Her hair is different, and she has no makeup on. There’s a good chance that even if someone does think she looks familiar, they won’t be able to say who she actually is.
“Fine. But don’t tell anyone your real name, ok?”
She gives me a mock salute. “Sir, yes, sir!”
I shake my head and start to bundle up. The sun is down, so that means the temperatures are down too. We weren’t prepared for this kind of cold, so I already know we’ll be in town tomorrow stocking up on proper clothing.
We make our way to the main house on the ranch, the snow crunching beneath our shoes. The giant bonfire isn’t hard to miss. People surround it, with a few kids running around with marshmallows on sticks, trying to sword fight.
Calla and I walk up hand in hand, and someone greets us right away.
“Welcome! Grab yourself a marshmallow and come on over.”
Calla practically skips to the table with supplies on it. We get the marshmallows and one of the provided sticks and make our way to an open spot around the fire.
An older man comes to stand next to me. “I’m Bud. I own the ranch,” he says, sticking out his hand to shake mine.
“Luke. This place is incredible.” I shake his hand before he turns to Calla.
“I’m Lorelai,” she says, shaking the man’s hand. “This place is lovely.”
“Luke and Lorelai. Happy to have you here. You two just passing through?”
“We’re not sure yet,” I say.
“We might stay for a while,” Calla/Lorelai adds.
“You’ll love it here. It’s a slower way of life, but you won’t regret it. Every season is beautiful.”
“I believe it.”
“Well, if you do decide to stay, let me know and I can give you some local contacts.”
“Thanks, Bud. We appreciate it.”
“Anytime. I was just like you once. My wife and I came here on vacation almost forty years ago now, and we never left.”
Calla looks at me and smiles, and just like that, I know this is where we’ll end up.