CHAPTER FIFTEEN #4
“April, Sadie.” He looked up at her from where he crouched on the floor with his hands buried in Sadie’s fur.
“She’s friendly, I promise. Aren’t you, girl?
” he crooned, and for some reason it had warmth filling her veins once more.
Luke stood and carried the bag of food into what she assumed was the kitchen with Sadie at his heels.
April kicked off her shoes and followed suit, looking around curiously and taking in the small details.
She’d been right in some ways. The inside of the house was shiny and sleek like she’d imagined his place to be, but the contemporary charm was paired with natural materials that somehow married the space so that it felt luxe rather than cold.
Gold finishes on the handles of cupboards and white marble for the countertops kept catching her attention, gleaming at her as she watched Luke grab plates and cutlery for them.
“Does she just wait for you at home while you’re at work?” April wasn’t sure why that was the first question that came to mind, but she found it mattered to her how Luke cared for the sweet girl who sat watching him potter about with big, adoring blue eyes.
He looked at her in surprise. “No, of course not. My mom watches her during the day and then drops her off here for me in the evening.” He smiled as he looked at Sadie and ran a hand over the top of her head.
“You might as well move, baby girl. I’m not giving you any food.
You already had your dinner at Grandma Rosie’s. ”
April’s heart melted and she knew right then and there that she was a goner for this man. Goddamn it.
“You OK?” Luke said as he brought over two plates, closely supervised by Sadie.
She blinked and forced a smile. “Yeah. Just tired.” He smirked and she rolled her eyes as she scooped up a forkful of the chicken-and-tomato pasta dish.
“I hope I chose OK. I just re-ordered what you got when we went to dinner before—seeing as you never got to actually eat it.” His tone was playful and she chuckled, but the sound faded quickly, replaced by a moan as she tried her first forkful.
“Oh my God, this is so good.”
Luke sighed, mournful. “If only I’d made you sound like that earlier.”
She laughed, swallowing her food before she could choke, because the truth was they both knew she’d sounded just as blissed out, if not more so, earlier.
Her phone vibrated and she cast an apologetic look his way. “Sorry, it’s my mom.”
He waved her off as she read the text and smiled. “All good?”
“Yeah, I just wanted to let her know I was staying with a … friend.”
His brows rose at that but he didn’t correct her, a small smile playing about his mouth. “She seems better for having you back home.”
Taken aback, April sniffed. “You really think so?”
He nodded. “Less lonely.”
“When I first got back, I found out that she’s been sleeping on the couch ever since my dad died.
I think there were just too many memories in the house for her to deal with by herself.
I even thought she might actually sell up to get away from it.
” She hesitated and then continued, “But in the last week or so it’s like something’s shifted for her.
She’s actually sleeping in her room again, and she does seem somehow lighter. ”
“I’ll bet that’s your doing, April.” Luke’s voice was gentle as he smiled at her.
“Yeah, I feel like you could be right. And it’s sort of got me thinking that if things keep going well, maybe I could start looking at moving out?
I reckon I’m going to be in town for a while if the business takes off, and I love my mom, but I don’t know how long I want to be an adult living in my childhood bedroom.
And I bet my mom wouldn’t mind the space back, either. ”
April smiled sheepishly and Luke laughed.
“That makes total sense.” He paused to feed Sadie a tiny piece of chicken and then looked back at April.
“If you like, I’ve got a friend, Sam, who’s a realtor.
I can ask him to take a look at the local listings when I’m back in the office, see if there’s anything that might suit you. ”
She swallowed a mouthful of food and nodded. “That would be great, thank you.”
“I’m happy to help,” he said and smiled. “The store is really looking great. I think your dad would be proud of what you’ve done with the place.”
“You think?” She paused, thinking. “He always was a dreamer, so I’d like to think he’d be happy for me pursuing mine.”
“I’m sure he would. I don’t think anyone else could have breathed life back into that space the way you have.”
“Not even you?” she teased and he laughed.
“Not even me,” he agreed. “I guess you finally came out on top, huh?”
“Finally? I think you’re forgetting all the other times I beat you.”
“Hm … Guess you’ll have to refresh my memory.
” The words were full of heat and she swallowed hard as she imagined all the other, more pleasurable, ways they could compete if they took their old rivalry to the bedroom.
“I’m sorry for all the stress with the construction and the store, by the way. I—”
“You did what you could. It’s OK, I get it.
” She shrugged. “Truthfully, you made me fight for it in a way I haven’t had to do for a long time.
Things in New York were just … stale. I didn’t even realize it until I came back home and found myself face to face with this annoying dark-haired guy who kissed me senseless. ”
Luke laughed, the sound lighting up his whole face. “I’m glad I could help,” he said, still grinning. “Noah told me a little about what went down in New York, but if you ever want to talk …”
She shrugged. “There’s not much to tell, really.
Things were good, or so I thought, until they weren’t anymore.
I was … a different person—one Tyler wanted, not one I recognized—but coming back home and facing off with you reminded me of who I am.
” April smiled wryly. “I just need my ex to get the memo that it’s over.
I finally blocked his number tonight, just to stop the constant messages.
I’ll get Noah to get my stuff for me at some point. ”
A muscle in Luke’s jaw feathered. “I’m sorry that he treated you that way. I’ll happily go with Noah when you’re ready. Just say the word.”
“Thank you,” she said quietly, feeling lighter for having spilled her guts and smiling when Sadie whined from their feet, eyeing the chicken on their plates.
They finished eating and April found that she devoured her food quickly. Apparently, mind-blowing orgasms and a day of cleaning was hungry work.
“Now, no pressure,” Luke said, leading her up the stairs. “I have a guest room that you can use, or if you don’t mind sharing with your friend then you can join me. But I’ll warn you that Sadie is a pillow hog.”
The emphasis on “friend” hadn’t gone unnoticed, but she let it go, not quite ready to talk about what any of this might mean for them. “Noted.”
She followed him into his room and wiggled her toes in the thick cream carpet as Luke pulled back the fluffy covers. Sadie immediately jumped up on the bed, tail wagging a mile a minute, and April smiled as Luke roughhoused with her.
“Bathroom’s through there,” he said, nodding to a wooden door leading off from the bedroom. “Help yourself to the toiletries and shower if you want. There are clean towels in there.”
So far, she’d been pleasantly surprised by Luke’s place. It was possible that he was tidier than she was, but the bathroom would be the real test.
The door opened soundlessly and she peeked inside, surprised to find things more traditional upstairs than the sleek modern appliances downstairs.
The floor was hardwood and the toilet and sink were both freestanding and white—the seat was even down, which surprised her.
The walk-in shower was modern, though—the rainfall head looked to die for—but she’d have to make use of it in the morning because right then she was too tired to do anything more than pee and clean her face.
“A guy that puts the seat down,” she mused as she walked out of the room and found Luke shirtless by the bed. “Seems too good to be true.”
He tossed her a large t-shirt and she thanked him, pulling off her clothes and slipping it on. It was soft and well worn, smelling faintly of laundry detergent and something woodsy, something uniquely Luke.
“If I don’t close the lid then Sadie will drink the toilet water,” he said dryly and she wrinkled her nose.
She retrieved her toothbrush from her bag and moved back into the bathroom.
Luke came to stand next to her at the sink, and their eyes watched each other’s reflection in the mirror as they brushed.
She wasn’t sure what the protocol was here.
Were they just two sort-of friends who’d slept together? Were they more?
Luke had stripped off to his boxers, and April couldn’t stop her eyes from travelling down his chest, following the line of his abs until they came to rest on the bulge at his crotch.
A familiar hunger fluttered through her lower abdomen, but at the same time she felt a wave of exhaustion wash over her.
Luke smiled at her coyly as he finished up, and April couldn’t stop herself from rising to that all-too-familiar smirk. “What do you want, Pointer?”
“Nothing, Jones. Just remembering how pretty you looked all blissed out on the counter this morning.”
April swallowed thickly, trying to think up a witty retort but coming up short at the memory of his skin under her fingers, his lips hot against hers.
But she wasn’t sure if she had it in her to go again tonight.
Panic rose in her at the thought of telling him this, though—Tyler had always gotten moody if she turned down sex, and she was worried it would make things weird between her and Luke.
After all, she had no idea if he’d only invited her back because he was expecting another hook-up.
As if reading her mind, Luke smiled slightly and said in a soft voice, “Hey, don’t get in your head about this. We don’t have to do anything if you don’t want to. If things go the way I think they might, I reckon we won’t be short on opportunities to revisit what we started this morning.”
Relief swelled in April’s chest, coupled with a fondness toward Luke which a month ago would have been entirely unthinkable. He placed a firm hand on her shoulder, turning her toward the bedroom and flipping off the bathroom lights behind him as he guided her to the bed.
The sheets were cool when she climbed in and she rolled to face him as he got in the other side.
He pulled the comforter up, then captured her chin between his thumb and forefinger, pulling her face up to his.
He pressed a firm kiss to her lips which made April’s stomach somersault, and she responded in kind, her hands reaching up to grasp his jaw.
He broke away, studying her face intently before pressing another quick kiss to the tip of her nose, which made April giggle in surprise.
“Luke Pointer, are you actually a complete softie?” she joked, rolling onto her back as he reached over to shut off the bedside lamp.
“Something like that,” he murmured, amused, as he settled into the sheets beside her. “Don’t tell anyone, though. Don’t want to ruin my street cred.”
She laughed softly as Sadie jumped up and lay across their feet, and April couldn’t help but feel relaxed and at home in bed with Luke. Not something she’d ever imagined she would say.
“Goodnight, Luke.”
“Night, Jones,” he murmured and it was quiet until he shuffled closer, wrapping his arms around her waist and bringing her back against his chest. “Sweet dreams, April.”