26. Luke
26
LUKE
H ow is it possible that I love this woman so much, never mind that I fell so hard so quickly? I realize now that Taylor didn’t lead me to Sylvia or even Merrie.
He was giving me a path to Daph, one that I would never have found on my own.
And here I am, a couple of weeks later, unable to imagine not having her in my life. How incredible is it that this amazing woman knows exactly who I am and lets me be in her life anyway?
Slow. Very slow. I couldn’t have chosen better myself.
It could be the first time, my anticipation is that high, but it’s better than the first time, because I’m learning what she likes, what drives her crazy, what makes every time better than the last. It’s a quest I don’t ever want to finish.
I want to have a thousand evenings like this one, a million dates. I want to come home like this all the time.
Over and over again.
It’s new, this desire for permanence, this urge for roots. The Odeon is the first piece of property I’ve owned, well, the first one that I’ve kept, and I feel a raging pride in that. I can’t wait to walk through it in the morning and strategize for its rebirth.
True to her request, Daph is taking her time. She turns on the lights and slides off her jacket. I’m glad she didn’t do that at the restaurant, because the sight of her bare skin would have been too much. Here and now, it feels right. The colour suits her and I smile when she turns to face me, completely confident that I’m snared in her spell. She reaches up to unfasten the necklace, that sparkling confection that looks so delicate against her skin.
“I saw you wondering,” Daph says when I’m hanging up
I try to play along, like we do this all the time, and take off my suit jacket, folding it over a chair. Daph turns before me, inviting my help with the zipper she can undo just fine on her own, and I slide the tab down from her waist slowly, very slowly. Meanwhile, I touch my lips to the back of her neck and inhale her scent, pure fire in my veins, then let my fingertip slide down her spine. I try to take forever to do it, but when the black lace is revealed, I move a little more quickly.
I’m only human.
She slides the dress down over her hips, revealing a fabulous merry widow, one with garters. I’ve noticed the sheer black stockings, and the seams up their backs, but the garters are unexpected and amazing.
She turns to face me at that delicious point of undressing, then balances on one foot while she takes off a satin pump. I could watch this woman all day and all night. And I will look.
The stockings mean she wants me to look.
That tells me that Daph was hoping this would happen, that she was plotting my seduction just the way she’s casting her spell over me now.
Could there be anything sexier? Not to me.
I’m all too willing to surrender.
I whistle softly, letting my admiration show. She tosses the shoe at me and I catch it, stretching out my hand for the mate. I put them in the box, liking that they’re still warm from her feet, then pull her closer to help with her garters. I nuzzle the back of her neck and her hair tumbles down. I close my eyes, savoring, and she squirms. “Admit it.”
“Admit what?”
“You were wondering about me and Rafe.”
“Of course, I was wondering about you and Rafe. You’re friends, you say. You’re both smart and attractive—although he’s not my type.” She laughs, peeling down a shimmering stocking and setting it aside. “Want help with that?”
“No. I don’t want them snagged.”
“I’m good for replacements.”
She laughs and I pull her into my lap on the edge of the bed, watching as she slips off the other one. She then reaches behind herself to unfasten the garter belt. It’s tossed toward the dresser, then she turns around, kneeling over me. I get a kiss that could launch a thousand ships, then she puts a finger under the knot of my tie and gives it a tug.
When she’s untied it and cast it over her shoulder, she saunters toward the washroom, hips swinging.
Slow might kill me.
“Go ahead,” she challenges. “Ask.”
Shirt and trousers are cast aside in a hurry, because I don’t care about being undressed slowly. I’m the enchanted one. I follow Daph and lean in the doorway, glad there’s a big mirror in her bathroom. I’m down to my briefs and they hide none of my enthusiasm for the sight of her. “How good is your friendship?”
“We’re friends, no more and no less. What did he say?”
“Same.”
She smiles and turns to face me. “But you don’t believe him.”
“He seemed sincere. I just can’t believe that any straight guy with a pulse wouldn’t want you at least half as much as I do.”
“What if I didn’t want him, and he’s gentleman enough to acknowledge that?”
“Really?”
She turns around again, loading her toothbrush. “I met Rafe when he introduced himself to me in class. He wanted to know if he could borrow my notes for the previous lecture, which he had missed because his pedicure had been rescheduled.”
My surprise must show because she nods.
“Yes, his pedicure. At eighteen, he had this grooming routine that put mine to shame. He had the pedicure done separately from his manicure each week because he went to a different place, each being better at their respective tasks. He was using Botox before we finished our undergraduate degrees. He goes for manscaping weekly. His dry cleaning bills would make me weep. The man is more high-maintenance than anybody I’ve ever known. Worse, he’s infuriatingly certain that his way is the only way and is as stubborn as a mule. Maybe more stubborn. Why do you think he isn’t staying here?”
“Because you were hoping I’d come back tonight?”
“Because this entire house would be covered with his stuff ten minutes after he arrived. I was emotionally scarred by my first visit to his dorm room. It was knee-deep in discarded clothes, most of which were not dirty. They just had failed to make the cut for his daily outfit then were tossed on the floor. The mess made me crazy!” She shakes a finger at me. “But not so crazy that I’d be stupid enough to clean up after him. That is the path to Rafe’s heart, becoming his willing servant, his staff, his assistant and his biggest fangirl. He has a colossal ego and can be absolutely infuriating.”
“But…? I invite, feeling more reassured with every trait she gives him.
“But he’s a great friend. He’s loyal beyond expectation. He’s the one who told me about Justin. He’s also the one who makes sure I never accidentally see Justin when I’m in the city. He’s a protective bear, has been a good mentor and has a heart of pure gold. If he ever falls in love, I wish the woman in question all the luck in the world dealing with him, but I hope he finds the right person one day.”
“He thinks he wants a traditional wife. He has a list.”
She laughs. “Well, let him have his illusions.”
“What do you mean?”
“If some woman manages to steal Rafe’s heart away, he’ll be the one wrapped right around her finger. Wait and see.”
She takes the pins out of her hair, letting it tumble down her back. I watch, fascinated. She then removes the merry widow, wriggling out of the stretchy lace in a way that is mesmerizing. My mouth has gone dry and I have no words at all.
Daph’s eyes twinkle when she meets my gaze in the mirror. “Are we really going to spend the night talking about Rafe?”
“Not my plan,” I admit. I step into the bathroom and pull her into my arms, inhaling the scent of her with satisfaction. She melts against me, welcoming me in that way that shorts all my circuits.
“Any better choices of topic?” she asks, her tone teasing.
“How about not talking at all?” I ask. I steal a slow sweet kiss, one that makes her melt against me and slide her fingers into my hair. She more than meets me halfway, and I know she’s got me right where she wants me. The kiss gets hotter and more powerful, thrilling and new even though we’ve shared dozens of similar ones, and I know that I’m lucky beyond every expectation.
“I love you,” I whisper into her ear, before kissing her again. She doesn’t react or respond in any way and I wonder whether she’s even heard me—but then the playful flick of her tongue and the caress of her hand ensures that there’s nothing but Daph and this magic we make together.
Nothing at all.