CHAPTER ELEVEN #2
He took a step forward, his chest brushing hers, and when she looked up at him her breath got caught in her throat.
“I love your mom; she’s great. But, for the love of God, April, don’t try to make out like I’m just a brother to you.
There is nothing,” he rasped, leaning even closer to speak directly into her ear, “brotherly about the things I want to do to you.”
The moment stretched and held, Luke’s mouth dangerously close to her own, and when he didn’t back away she let go.
“Fuck it,” she muttered, and kissed him.
Their mouths fit perfectly against each other and she could still taste the raspberry sorbet he’d eaten for dessert on his tongue as they deepened the kiss.
He lifted her easily and her legs twined around his waist, locking them together until she could feel exactly how badly he wanted her.
Was this what freefalling felt like? Her heart was beating so hard she was scared it might come out of her chest, and they kissed for so long that she was gasping for breath, still chasing his lips for more, more, more.
Luke’s arms wrapped around her, like he was as desperate to consume her as she was to be consumed; her hips rolled against his and when the prickle of leaves met her fingers behind his head she barely noticed. How was this somehow better than last time? Somehow more?
A hot hand skated up her side under her loose-fitting top, sending shivers down her spine as he caressed her.
Her head fell back as his hand moved to her front, closing over one breast, kneading it in his palm as his fingers rolled over her nipple, until she cried out and the sound was captured with Luke’s tongue.
Her teeth caught his bottom lip, biting down hard enough to make him hiss before she soothed the sting with her tongue and felt him throb in response through his jeans.
“Fuck,” he mumbled against her throat, scattering open-mouthed kisses down her neck. The cool air rolled across her skin where her top had bunched up and it almost sobered her. Almost.
But then Luke adjusted his hold on her and they both gasped at the new friction.
“This is insane,” she breathed between kisses, desire fogging her thoughts. “I don’t like you.”
He chuckled, the sound vibrating through her. “Correct.” His hand found her breast under her top again, two fingers stroking and teasing her nipple until she whined.
“You don’t like me.”
Luke paused, lifting his mouth away from her throat to smirk lazily as he pinched her nipple firmly and made her moan. “I contain multitudes.” He lowered his lips to her neck, pressing kisses along her exposed collarbone until his mouth was inches away from her ear. “Come back to mine?”
Part of April wanted to yell no, to push him away, but she couldn’t seem to drag herself from his arms as he pressed his lips firmly to hers, his nails scraping delicately at her back, causing her to arch into him with pleasure.
She was on the verge of agreeing to go back to Luke’s place—who cared what her mom thought?
Hell, she’d let him fuck her in the backseat of his car if it meant finally getting some release from the need that was burning inside her at his touch.
As she opened her mouth to respond, a loud throat-clearing made them both freeze. April glanced over through the curtain of her hair and shrieked.
“Oh my God, Noah! What is wrong with you? Look away!” She unlocked her legs from Luke’s waist and frantically pulled down her top to make sure she was fully covered, smacking Luke’s hands away as he attempted to help her.
Noah rolled his eyes. “You guys done?”
“Who the hell asks that?” April growled, unsure if she was more sorry they’d been caught or that Noah had been the one to find them. “Why are you here?”
“I got your message,” he said dryly and his eyes narrowed as he looked at Luke behind her. “Didn’t expect to find this, though.”
April bit back a curse as she looked between Luke and her brother before throwing up her hands. “I’m going inside.”
Luke chuckled and she glared. “We can talk about this another time.”
“There’s nothing to talk about,” she hissed and then stalked away, knocking into Noah as she passed him, surprised when he fell into step beside her.
“Sorry about the blue balls,” he said as they approached the gate to the house, and her growl didn’t stay contained that time. “Hey, you were the ones out there for all the world to see.” He shuddered.
“Not. A. Word.” The front door opened easily and Noah followed her inside.
“I’m just saying, it’s none of my business what you guys do.
Surprised it’s taken this long, really, with all the tension you both kick off.
” There was a knowing look in his eyes, the same look he’d shared with Kathy over dinner a couple weeks before, but he faltered at the scowl on her face.
“Just maybe next time you guys hook up—”
“There won’t be a next time! And you’re being ridiculous. It was a kiss. You’re acting like we were about to do it right there and then!”
“Didn’t look too far off,” he muttered and April might have retaliated had their mom not walked into the hall with raised brows at that moment.
Undoubtedly taking in April’s rumpled appearance, their mom’s lips twitched. “Must have been some thank-you.”
“I’m going to bed,” she huffed and pretended not to hear their laughter as she stomped up the stairs.
April couldn’t sleep, and it was entirely Luke Pointer’s fault.
She’d become so riled up by him, by the want that he’d left her with, that even the embarrassment of Noah catching them hadn’t dispelled how turned on she was.
Tossing and turning until the small hours of the morning, she found herself cursing that the walls of her parents’ house were too thin for her to just find some release.
At two a.m., she’d finally pulled out her phone, quickly opening up Luke’s contact before she had a chance to second-guess herself.
April:
If I’m the only one of us still awake after tonight, I’m going to be furious, Pointer
Luke:
Calm down, Jones, you’re not alone.
April smiled smugly to herself as she read the message. There was something satisfying about knowing that Luke also wasn’t getting a good night’s sleep after what had happened between them.
April:
Good.
April:
Pretty damn rude of you to leave me hanging like that
Luke:
Jesus, Jones, how do you think I feel? At least you got to come when I went down on you last week
Luke:
I’m actually giving you a masterclass in self-restraint
April:
Ha, as if
April:
You literally can’t keep your hands off me
Luke:
You don’t seem to mind, though, do you, April?
Luke:
From the way you were moaning earlier, I’d say you’re desperate for me to touch you more. Wouldn’t you agree?
As she read the words over, April felt her mouth go dry, the pulse between her legs growing stronger. Luke wasn’t wrong—in fact, his words were almost scarily accurate—but seeing them spelled out like that, realizing that he knew just how badly she wanted him, was unnerving.
Luke:
What’s wrong, Jones? Need me too badly to think of a reply?
April:
And what if I did?
Her mind was racing as she sent her reply, watching the message show as read followed by three dots appearing under Luke’s name. She was playing with fire now, but the desire coursing through her was making her reckless. Desperate to get burned.
Luke:
I prefer this version of you, Jones
Luke:
Needy. Hungry. Hot.
April bit her lip, wondering why she’d thought this was a good idea.
If she’d been frustrated before she’d messaged Luke, it was nothing compared to how she was feeling now.
It was like he knew exactly what to say to turn her on.
Her hand moved down beneath her bedsheets, brushing the fabric of her panties, when another message from Luke appeared.
Luke:
In fact, you’ve been such a good girl for me. Perhaps you’ve lost your touch
She knew Luke was goading her, trying to wind her up more, and on one level he was succeeding.
But on another, his words sparked something in April.
Lost her touch? Absolutely not. Was she seriously going to let him rile her up like this for his own enjoyment?
She’d spent years of her life going head to head with Luke and she couldn’t back down now just because she was horny.
Her desire ebbed, replaced with a furious competitiveness toward Luke that was all too familiar.
April:
You wish, Luke.
April:
I don’t “need” you, it’s just been funny toying with you. You’re making it so easy, after all
April:
Anyways, it’s late. Sweet dreams, Pointer.
She switched her phone off and hid it in the drawer of her nightstand, determined not to get lured back into conversation with Luke.
She felt like she’d managed to claw back at least some of her dignity, but was still a little shocked that she’d basically sent Luke Pointer a You up? text. What was going on with her?
As she lay in the darkness, staring at the few glow-in-the-dark stars that still clung to the ceiling, she turned the whole thing over in her mind.
In all her years with Tyler, she’d never felt so inexplicably drawn to him, needy to the point of losing all sense and reason.
But with Luke? It was intoxicating, like she could never have enough of him to satisfy herself.
It didn’t matter that she didn’t like him.
In some ways, she realized, it just made the whole thing even more of a turn-on. Dammit.
She was still cursing herself the next morning as she made her way downstairs, preparing for a breakfast that was undoubtedly going to be painful. It felt like she was doing the walk of shame in her own house—and she hadn’t even orgasmed. Truly, there were no winners here.
Noah had apparently decided to stay the night, so she could only assume that he now knew about their mom’s sleeping arrangement.
Still, she was a grown woman. She could face a few knowing looks at the breakfast table.
But she drew the line at her brother stealing the last of her favorite tea.
“You don’t even like it,” she protested as Noah blew on the steam coming from his mug and wafted the sweet smell of raspberry her way. “You’re such an ass.” Their mom walked in and April pointed at Noah. “He stole the last of the raspberry hibiscus!”
“You kissed my friend,” he countered, and she gaped.
“Sorry, were you waiting to kiss him?” She hadn’t expected Noah to be so brazen about what he’d seen the night before, and his words prompted a memory of Luke’s lips against hers to flash across her mind. Get it together, April.
“Enough, you two. You’re giving me a headache,” Kathy muttered.
“Did you sleep on the sofa again?” Maybe it was petty, but she’d been meaning to talk to Noah about it anyway, plus this shifted the attention off of her and Luke.
“Again?” Noah frowned. “Mom, you told me that was a one-time thing.”
“Try a six-month thing,” April muttered and yelped when their mom pinched her. “Well, it’s time he knew,” she protested.
April backed away before she could get pinched again and set about making a fresh kettle of water for tea. She’d picked up a new one in town the other day that she was eager to try—ambiguously titled Spring in Bloom. It had smelled pretty good, though, so she hoped it tasted just as nice.
“Why would you hide this from me?” Noah was asking as April busied herself with a mug for herself and one for their mom. “I would never judge you. You could have come to stay with me if you weren’t feeling comfortable here.”
Kathy sighed. “I didn’t want to leave here. I wasn’t ready. But I also couldn’t be up there, in our bed, walking past his workroom.” She shrugged. “Plus, I know how busy you are, honey. I didn’t want to impose.”
“Never,” Noah said, standing up to press a kiss to their mom’s cheek. “Do you want to stay here?”
She nodded. “It’s better now April’s here. The house doesn’t feel so … empty.”
April came to their mom’s other side, wrapping an arm around her and squinting against the bright sunshine that poured into the room. The warmth enveloped the three of them and she could almost imagine it was her dad, reaching out through the light and keeping them all close.