Page 1 of Part of Me
Prologue
PRESENT DAY
I honestly thought that we would have forever.
I honestly thought that nothing could break us.
I honestly thought that nothing could destroy our lives together.
I was wrong.
The acts of others have broken my heart.
The acts of strangers have killed a part of my soul.
I will never fully recover from the pain of that fateful day.
I will never again be whole.
No one will replace the void that has been left by his absence.
I will carry his memory with me for all of time. He was, and still is, a part of me…
Chapter One
ONE YEAR EARLIER
“Luke, get off of me,” I say through my laughter.
“No way, not until you tell me that you love me,” Luke replies as he continues to tickle me.
“You don’t need me to boost your ego, Sanders,” I say with tears in my eyes from laughing so much as I try to wriggle away from him.
“I want to hear you say it,” he urges. I clamp my mouth together and shake my head from side to side, unwilling to give in to him so easily. His fingers continue to tickle my naked flesh, but I see desire ignite in his eyes. Just when I think that I can’t take anymore, his fingers come to a stop. My laughter dies as his lips crash onto mine, rendering me speechless.
I wrap my arms around him, needing to feel him as close to my skin as possible. His tongue massages mine, and I let out a moan of pleasure. His hand snakes down my body and grazes the inside of my thigh. He lightly strokes my skin as I will him to move his hand higher. I try to slide down so that my core can experience the friction that it craves, but with Luke’s strong body pinning me in place, I don’t get very far. He starts to chuckle, causing a shiver to run through me. The sound of his deep laughter sends my insides into chaos. As he pulls his lips from mine, I frown at him.
“Why did you stop?” I ask breathlessly.
“Say it,” he whispers, his breath feathering my face. As I stare into his ice blue eyes, I concede defeat.
“I love you,” I say as I wrap my legs around his waist. He closes his eyes and makes a ‘hmmm’ sound at my words. “I love you, Luke Sanders.” His eyelids open and I know that I will never want to share my life with anyone else. He is it for me.
“You have no idea what those words do to me,” he says, penetrating me with his eyes.
“Well, instead of trying to explain what they do, how about you just show me instead?” I reply, lacing my voice with want. His mouth curves up into a heart-breaking smile and I almost forget to breathe as his features knock me sideways. He has grown so handsome over the years. Bright blue eyes, light brown hair that is shaved short, defined jawline and baby smooth skin. We have gone from high-school sweethearts to adult lovers. We have experienced so much together, and I know that we have so much more to come.
“Are you sure that you don’t want some breakfast first?” he says, teasing me. I tighten my legs around him and I run my tongue over his bottom lip.
“I’m only hungry for one thing, and it’s definitely not food.” He smirks at my response.
“If this is a sign of how we are going to spend our mornings together, then I am a fool for not asking you to move in with me sooner,” Luke says as his eyes fixate on my lips.
“I couldn’t agree more,” I reply, loving how easy the banter is between us. “But seeing as you finally came to your senses and asked me, I can forgive you your faux pas.”
“Oh really?” he says, his eyebrows raised.
“Yes. Now, are you going to help me out here? Or do I need to take care of myself?” I say as I unwrap my legs from around him and spread them wide.
