Page 59 of Anyone But Her

I stand up and quickly put on my shirt.

"Luke?" I hear Taylor's mom again except this time it's clearer. Louder.

Turning toward the door I see her standing there, holding two paper grocery sacks.

"Hey, Mrs. Tuckerman." I smile and can feel that my shirt's not on right. I think it might be on backwards. Shit!

Mrs. Tuckerman looks behind me at Taylor. "I didn't know you were still here."

"Yeah." Taylor walks past me over to her mom. "I thought Luke might want some company while he eats."

Her mom smiles at her. "That was nice of you, honey."

"Thanks for the pizza," I say to Barb.

"I didn't want you out here starving." She walks over to me. "Remember what I said earlier. You're welcome at the house anytime. Help yourself to whatever's in the kitchen." She hands me the paper sacks. "I got you a few snacks to keep here in the guest house. There's a mini fridge built into the cabinet over there." She points to it. "It's not much but it can hold some drinks and a few small items. If you have any special requests just let me know and I'll pick them up at the store next time I'm there."

"That's okay. You don't need to do that."

"Luke." She puts her hand on my shoulder. "We want you to feel welcome here. Like part of the family. So whatever you need, just let me know."

A wave of guilt hits me. Barb and Lou have been so kind to me, and so generous. They're letting me live here rent-free. Their only rule is that I leave their daughter alone, and yet just minutes ago I was kissing her.

"Thank you, Mrs. Tuckerman." I set the sacks down on the table.

"It's Barb." She laughs. "How many times do I need to remind you of that?"

She's been telling me that for years and yet I keep calling her Mrs. Tuckerman. It seems disrespectful to call her by her first name.

"Thank you, Barb," I say.

"That's better." She smiles as she walks to the door. "Remember, Luke, if you need anything, just come on over and let one of us know."

"I will. Thanks."

When she's gone Taylor closes the door. "That was close."

"Yeah. I probably should've locked the door."

I should tell Taylor we can't do this anymore. That we can't make out in the guest house or the main house or anywhere else. It's too risky and isn't respectful of her parents' rules.

But then she walks up to me, a sexy smile on her beautiful face, and just as I'm about to tell her not to, she kisses me. And shit, I can't pull away. The feel of her lips. Her body. Her sweet, flowery scent. I can't resist her.

After several minutes she backs away and smiles. "I should go back to my room."

"You sure?" I pull her body into mine and lay soft kisses along her neck. When I did that earlier she made it clear how much she likes it.

"Luke," she says it in a breathy tone, her head tilting to the side, her eyes closing.

My lips move lower, following the deep dip in the neckline of her shirt.

"Oh, God," she whispers, her body melting into my arms. I love making her like this. Turning her on with just my kisses.

There's a noise outside and she quickly pushes me away. "What was that?"

"I don't know. Maybe the wind?"

She runs to the window. "I think it was the pool skimmer. I think it fell down." She heads to the door. "I have to go."

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