Anything To Be With You

28. Suck Me Sideways

Suck Me Sideways

Dani

"I’m not going commando, Erin."

"Why not? His hand was practically in your pussy last night."

I stick my head out the closet door. "It was not."

"It so was. That man can’t keep his hands off you." Erin’s sitting on the floor of my room, going through my shoe collection. Which isn't huge. "You better have some yummy things to tell me tonight, miss missy. Him going to town on your lady parts two nights ago is not enough for me." Erin complains.

I laugh as I pull an emerald peplum shirt off the hanger. It’s my first date shirt. It shows just enough skin to keep them interested but not so much that the guy thinks he’s 'getting some' on the ride home.

"What about this?" I hold it up.

"Yes! And your black palazzo pants with…" she rummages through my shoes, "these." She throws a pair of black Mary Janes in my direction.

"Put it all on the bed and sit your butt here." Erin points to the small bench at the end of my bed.

I sit with my back to her. "Axe tried to kiss me last night." I blurt out, removing the towel wrapped around my wet hair.

"He what!" Erin squeals.

"Archer grabbed him by his shirt and made him apologise, then got all the kids to clean the mess they made."

Erin fans her face. "There is nothing sexier than a man going to bat for his woman. What did Mason have to say about that?"

"Mason was upstairs with a girl." I tell her.

Erin’s mouth drops. "Fuck. Off. He was not!"

I nod my head. "Yep, sure was. And we had a nice long conversation before I dropped him off at Mom's about having parties. He didn't get away with it the first time, I don't know why he thought he could get away with it a second time." My phone dings on the bed, cutting off our conversation. Erin snatches it up, opening the message.

"Sweet lord." Her face turns three shades of red before handing it over to me.

It’s a picture message from Gabe.

"Holy shit!" I scream as I get an eyeful of Luke in boxer briefs. A message comes right after.

Gabe: I told him to go commando, but he said no. You like?

I start laughing. "Fucking Gabe." I take a selfie of myself still wrapped in a towel.

Me: Very. Does he?

The reply is instant.

Gabe: Suck me sideways, I should’ve asked you out first.

Me: You did but I turned you down.

Gabe: Ugh, don’t remind me. It bruised my ego.

I giggle and drop the phone in my lap.

"That is soooo not fitting inside you without a shit ton of foreplay. Or a bottle of lube." Erin says as she takes my phone and goes back into the messages. "Jake’s a big boy but damn! It’s as big as my arm. You better pray he’s a show-er and not a grow-er."

I grab the phone back and toss it on the bed. "What? Why?"

Erin raises a brow. "Did you not just hear what I said? His dick is the length and width of my fucking arm."

"It is not."

"It is too. And if that thing gets any bigger, he’s going to rip you in two."

"It’s not going to get that far," I say defeated.

"Don’t tell me you’re still ashamed of the scars." Erin reprimands.

I shrug. "A little. What if when he sees me fully naked, he gets grossed out? I mean, he seen a few of them the other night but he didn’t see all of them." I hang my head and wring my hands.

Erin cracks me on the head with the brush. "Don’t talk like that. I’ve seen the way he looks at you. He doesn’t care about the scars. Hell, I don't even think he notices them."

"Maybe."

Erin groans at my lack of confidence. "Have you thought about talking to someone about what happened?"

"I did talk to someone," I remind her.

She continues working on my hair. "That was sixteen years ago, babe. It’s obvious that it still bothers you. We see past the scars, but you don’t." She yells over the noise of the blow dryer.

I sniffle. "I can’t. They’re all I see when I look in the mirror. They are all anyone sees when they look at me."

Erin shuts off the dryer and wraps her arms around me. "Repeat after me. I am beautiful. I am wanted. I love myself."

I wipe my eyes. "I…"

"I am beautiful. I am wanted. I love myself." She repeats.

"I am beautiful…"

Erin kisses my cheek. "Keep going."

I take a deep breath. "I am beautiful. I am wanted. I love myself." I wipe my cheeks.

She used to get me to repeat that in the mirror everyday for years after my breakup with Josh. He crushed my self-confidence. I still have a challenging time looking at myself in the mirror, but it does help a little.

"You’re finished. Go get dressed." Erin says.

I make my way into the bathroom to finish up. Giving myself a once over, I’m okay with what I see in the mirror. My hair is in waves, flowing over my shoulders and down my back. My makeup is soft but subtle, making my eyes pop and my lips look poutier.

The doorbell rings.

"I got it!" Erin yells as she races from the room. "Hi Luuuuuuke."

I grab my phone and purse, making my way down the stairs. The minute I lay eyes on him, my heart stops then kicks up triple time and I begin to sweat. He’s wearing dark jeans, a white button down with the sleeves rolled to the elbows and a vest.

I am so not in his league.

I force myself the rest of the way down the stairs before I change my mind and lock myself in my room.

"Hey, Archer," I greet.

He looks around Erin and a slow, wicked smile grows on his lips. "Daniella," my names comes out on a growl. "You look fucking exquisite."

My cheek heat as I look down at my feet. "Th—thank you. You look very handsome."

Erin looks between us before stepping aside. "Well," Erin pushes us out the door, "don’t keep her out too late. She has work in the morning." Erin winks and slams the door in our faces.

"Sorry. She’s more excited about—" my words are cut off by Luke’s mouth.

He claims my mouth and I melt against him. I grab onto his vest and hold on as he tips my head back and deepens the kiss. I climb onto the tips of my toes to get closer to him. He breaks the kiss with a last lingering one before smiling down at me.

"You were saying?"

I blink at him, shaking my head. "Um, what?"

A wolf whistle comes from my living room window. Turning, I find Erin standing at the window, her face pressed against the glass giving herself a pig nose.

"For crying out loud. Go home woman!" I yell and she waves me away.

Luke helps me into his truck and rounds the front of it, getting in and starting it up.

"Where are we going?" I question as he pulls away from the curb.

"The Market."

"Fancy."

Luke chuckles. "You don’t get out much, do you, Daniella."

I snort. "I could say the same thing about you."

We circle the parking lot a couple of times before finding a spot and parking. Luke helps me out of his truck and ushers me towards the doors with his hand on my lower back. The restaurant is lovely, with its intimate seating and huge windows that cover the entire front of the building.

The host greets us. "Good evening."

"Evening," Luke says. "Table for two."

"Unfortunately, we don’t have any tables available at the moment," the host informs us. "It could be up to an hour wait."

"Do you want to wait, Sweetheart?" Luke asks, glancing down at me.

"Not really, I’m starving." I smile up at him. "I’ve got an idea." I pull him out the door and towards his truck.

He groans. "I don’t like when you get ideas."

I give him a look over my shoulder. "You’ll like this one. I promise."

"I take back what I said about your ideas," Luke murmurs as he steals one of my onion rings.

"I told you you’d like it." I bite into my burger and look out over the bridge we’re standing on. The sun is just starting to set, casting the sky in beautiful shades of red and orange.

"I’ve never been here before." He states.

I turn to Luke. The waning sunlight turning his tanned skin into a shade of gold that makes his ice blue eyes gleam.

"Really? I used to bring Mason here all the time when he was younger. Autumn is the best time to walk the trail." I wipe my hand on my pants and take another bite.

"What’s this trail called?" Luke asks.

"Taylor Creek." I answer.

"I might have to bring you here again."

I smile up at him and finish off my burger, tossing my garbage in the bag. I hold my hand out. "Finished?"

Luke looks over at me. "Yes Mom."

I slap his arm and take his garbage. "Smartass."

He grins and extends his elbow.

"Oh. A smartass and a gentleman." I slip my arm through his and we head back towards his truck.

Inside the truck, I scoot closer to him. Yay for classic trucks and bench seats. His hand lands back on my thigh and I drop my head against his shoulder and wrap my arms around his. Luke pulls up behind my hunk of junk and parks.

"Do you want to come in?" I ask, chancing a look at him. "I promise there’re no kids this time."

"I’d love to."

He gets out and rounds the front of the truck, opening my door for me. I take the hand he offers and hop out of the truck. Digging my keys out of my purse, I unlock the door and push it open, walking inside.

"Want something to drink?" I ask as I head towards the kitchen.

"No," Luke snags me around the waist and hauls me against him. "However, I would love some dessert."

I bite my lip as I gaze up at him. "What kind of dessert were you hoping for?" I breathe as his head lowers.

"Something…dangerous." His lips brush over mine, once then twice.

I loop my arms around his neck and hold on as he claims my mouth for a second time tonight.