Chapter 19 #2
I huff a laugh. “And you made it incredibly difficult to be around you when all I wanted to do was kiss you.”
Luke cocks his head to the side and gives me a soft smile, color creeping up his cheeks. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”
“I wish I was joking.”
Luke swallows hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing.
He shifts his legs beneath him and puts his hands in his lap, then takes a deep breath and sighs, closing his eyes before coming to some kind of decision in his mind.
He moves over until he’s sitting on his knees directly in front of me, facing me intently. I’m curious about where this is going.
“I’m sorry I pushed you away,” he says, flashing that ridiculously charming smile. The butterflies in my stomach start flying at top speed. “And I’m sorry for everything afterward. But if you want to try again, I won’t push you away this time.”
My heart soars with the words, but I suddenly find that I can’t move, frozen to the spot as a wave of panic washes over me.
I stare at Luke with wide eyes, searching his face for any sign that this might be a joke, like maybe he’s lying to me now.
I couldn’t handle a repeat of last night, and even though we’ve cleared the air, I’m having difficulty trusting this is real.
“Ethan, I would really like to kiss you,” Luke says softly, as if he can sense my hesitation. His smile looks genuine. “If you’ll let me.”
I can feel myself nod, but I don’t seem conscious that I’m doing it. It’s like I’m sitting outside my body, watching everything that happens next, with no control over my movements.
Luke’s smile grows, and my breath rattles with a nervous inhale as he closes the distance between us.
My eyes map every detail of his face as he draws nearer, from the subtle flush on his cheeks to the way his gaze falls to my mouth.
He looks at me like a snack he can’t wait to taste, and he cups my cheek with one hand, his thumb brushing over my skin delicately.
He pulls me in closer, pressing his lips to mine, our eyes closing on reflex.
Sparks move through the back of my head and down my spine like I’ve been hooked up to a live wire, and I have no control as I release a whole body shudder.
The moment Luke lets out a quiet moan against my mouth, I know he’s feeling it, too.
Quickly, the kiss grows deeper as Luke claws his fingers through my hair, pulling my head back to get a better angle.
I don’t fight him. My hands find their way to his hips, dragging him forward until he’s firmly between my legs, and I hold him there while fire burns down my throat and through my core.
If I thought our first kiss was amazing, this one could only be described as transcendent.
Every place Luke’s hands touch my body leaves an imprint on my soul, scorched into my being without prejudice, claiming me like a cattle brand.
Everything else falls away except the taste of Luke on my lips, and I can’t get enough of it.
We’re here again, but it’s somehow better than before.
After what feels like an eternity, Luke eventually pulls away, though he keeps his hands on my shoulders, remaining in my grasp. He breathes heavily, staring into my eyes with a hazy glow, and curls his lips into that devilish half-smile.
“Wow.” He hums, shaking his head slightly. “You really aren’t straight.”
I burst out laughing, my whole body now light and airy.
After a kiss like that, it’s hard not to understand why.
Luke grins and laughs along with me, dropping his forehead against mine.
He leans in again when we settle and kisses me more sweetly before standing up and offering me his hand, and I let him pull me up off the ground.
Luke smiles. “We should head back. Everyone’s worried about you.” He turns to start walking through the trees, still holding my hand.
I freeze, my blood running cold, and I pull us to a stop. “Oh, god.”
“What?”
“They don’t know I’m… I haven’t….”
“You haven’t come out to your friends yet,” Luke finishes with a knowing smile. “Yeah, I kind of figured that part out already.”
“I want to tell them, but I don’t think I can do it this weekend,” I reply softly.
“It’s okay.” Luke shrugs. “You don’t need to explain anything to me. I don’t mind if you’re not comfortable coming out yet.”
I frown down at our joined hands, and Luke squeezes my fingers gently before letting go.
But he doesn’t leave it there. Coming back to face me, Luke runs his hand through my hair to fix the wild mess as I tilt my head back to look up at his face.
He leans down and kisses me again, smiling, and my stomach flutters.
“Only you get to decide when you’re ready to come out,” he murmurs as he pulls away. “I’m good with being as discreet as you want or need to be, so don’t worry about it.”
I swallow hard and look away, feeling the weight of his generosity. It’s heartbreaking how willing Luke is to hide this for me, and a wave of guilt washes over me at the relief I feel regardless.
“Come on.” Luke gestures back toward camp with a nod, and he holds his hand out for mine. I don’t hesitate to take it, our fingers interlacing as we walk back through the wooded trails.
We don’t let go again until we’re closer to the campsite, but not before Luke pulls my hand up to his lips and kisses the back of my fingers like I’m some kind of prince in a fairytale.
I’m not going to lie; it does something to me, and I can’t keep the grin off my face as we walk back to join the rest of the group.