Page 38 of Revived

Chapter 13

Rachel

“Goodnight, sweetie. I’m so sorry you fell, but you were so brave today. You made me so proud of you.” Sitting next to Grayson in his bed, I brush his blonde hair from his face after I tucked him in, grateful we’re finally home from the hospital and the stress from earlier has subsided.

“I am brave, Rachel.” His sweet smile makes my heart melt and a surge of protectiveness builds again. I know I’m not Grayson’s mom, but when he fell and was hurt—it was a panic I’d never experienced in my life. I can’t imagine what Luke was feeling.

“I know. Get some rest.” I press a kiss to his forehead and then quietly exit his room, slowly gliding down the hallway as I spot Luke, sitting on the couch with two wine glasses in hand.

“I feel like we need this after today,” he offers, holding one out to me as I intercept it and cross one leg under my bottom when I plop down next to him. My mind is still reeling from our kiss in the hospital earlier, hopeful that he’s not going to change his mind and push me away. I need to know what’s going through Luke’s head right now so I know how to act. I know what I want, but I’m just not sure where he stands.

“Most definitely. Thank you.” I take a sip of the crisp, sweet Riesling, enjoying the fact that Luke knows what my favorite wine is.

“No. Thank you for taking care of my kid today.”

I roll my eyes and then avoid his. “I don’t know if I did such a great job. I mean, he did get hurt while I was watching him.”

Luke grips my chin delicately, forcing me to look at him but with a gentle touch. “Like I said, it could have happened with me too. But you did the right thing—taking him to the ER, keeping him calm, assuring him that he would be okay. You… you did good, Rachel. I appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome. But I definitely feel like it took ten years off of my life.”

Luke lets out a low laugh. “Yeah, kids will do that to you. One time, Grayson rolled off the bed right in front of me when he was a baby. I was so distraught, felt so guilty thinking I’d scarred my son for life, I swear I was having a heart attack.”

I reach up to cup his face. “He’ll never remember… but you will, won’t you?”

He nods. “Exactly. Just like I’ll never forget what it felt like to kiss you,” he whispers as my heart does a double backflip. Suddenly, he takes my glass from my hands and places his along with it on the coffee table before turning back to face me, scooting closer to me on the couch. My body is buzzing with expectation of what comes next as his leg nestles with mine and his hands come up to touch my face.

“I think I need a reminder,” I say, challenging him to see if he takes the bait. After my conversation with his mom, I know that Luke needs to be pushed a bit, but I also don’t want to make him feel like I can’t be patient as well.

“Then let me oblige.” The deep tone of his voice resonates in my ears and coats my entire body in a hum that makes my libido come alive. I take a moment to memorize the heat in his eyes before I close mine and brace myself for the feel of our lips touching again. And as soon as they meet, my entire body collapses into his as his arms come around me and pull me closer to his chest.

“Hmmm,” I moan as our tongues lash, his grip tightens, and wetness pools between my legs. I’ve been kissed before, obviously. But not like this.

This is a kiss to compare all others to, a kiss that is so much more than hunger for another person. It’s a meeting of two souls who are connected in so many ways, the hard lines of our individuality become a blended image of something stunning—because Luke and I together is messy, but it’s beautiful too.

“Jesus, Rachel,” Luke says when we part, his eyes heavy with desire and our short breaths passing between us.

“Luke… what does this mean? At the risk of sounding like a needy woman, I just need to know what you want. You kissed me and believe me, I wanted it. But I have to know what you’re thinking… where do we go from here?”

He sits back slightly on the couch, sinking into the cushions. “I can’t give you a definitive answer Rachel, at least not right now. All I know is… I like you. I’m attracted to you. And I feel something for you, which makes my heart race uncontrollably, but terrifies me at the same time.”

“I understand. I’m not looking for a label. I guess I just wanted to know where your head is at.” A little wave of disappointment hits me, and I guess Luke senses it, because he pulls me into his lap.

“This is new for me, Rachel. I haven’t felt anything for anyone since my wife died. And then you came along and it’s like you’ve opened my eyes up again to so many possibilities. But it’s complicated. You’re my nanny and we live together. So I guess that means that I think we should keep things easy for right now, and definitely between us. I especially don’t want to confuse Grayson, or welcome the opinions of others.”

I nod, agreeing with what he’s saying. Be patient with him, he’ll come around—his mother’s words echo in my mind.

“I agree. I don’t want Grayson to ask questions and become overly excited.” I study Luke’s face for a moment, relishing in how his strong features are both rugged yet soft. He’s this resilient man that has been through so much, yet he’s also this fragile human being that I just want to soothe and care for. The things I feel for him are not casual and easy, but I can tame them back if that’s what he needs from me.

“So, let’s just see what happens, okay?”

“Okay.”

“But I definitely see more kissing in the future,” he growls, pulling me further into his lap so I’m straddling him now, the heat between my legs blazing as I feel his hardness beneath me. “God, you’re so beautiful,” he whispers before he pulls me hard to his mouth and devours me until we’re both a hot mess and sexually frustrated.

But I know sex is the last thing that will happen tonight, and even for a while. Time is our friend and enemy for the next few months as we navigate this shift in our relationship and understand just what exactly is brewing between us. Luke’s opening up to the possibility of more, which I know will take time for him to navigate. I’ve been patient so far and I can continue to wait, even if it means relieving the ache between my thighs with my own hands for a while.

I go to bed that night flustered, and the same way every night for the next couple of weeks as Luke and I make a habit of making out after Grayson goes to bed. We remain on the couch, never moving to my room or his, which I think is safest for now, even though there have been a couple of close calls when Grayson came out of his room with random questions, a habit he’s been developing more recently.

---