Page 14 of Secret Seduction
“Yeah, probably not. There’s my place. We can watch a movie, and you can rest.” I let out a laugh, and he furtherproves what a gentleman he is. “I’m not talking Netflix and chill, either, promise. I can keep my hands to myself. Maybe,” he adds a wink for good measure.
I’m ready to say yes, to jump right in, anything to keep spending time with Luke. There’s also a part of me that’s worried I’m foisting myself onto him and maybe need to pull myself back a minute.
“I’m kind of out of commission for the and chill part, remember?” I point down to my body. He grunts, probably remembering exactly how long.Same, my guy, same.Before this procedure and meeting Luke, I’d have been like no sex, no problem. The well had long since dried up. There’s something about a woman owning a business that has some men scared of you. Coralynn even noticed it, too. I’d go on a date, things would seem to go okay, then I mentioned I owned LITHE, and the call back would never come. I called it a blessing in disguise. My sister had much bigger words, mixed with a lot of cuss words that would make our father blush.
“I know that, too. Might forget at times. Your taste, fuck, Shae, smoother than bourbon and twice as dangerous.” His hand reaches mine, lifting it up after he laces our fingers together, then he places a gentle kiss on my knuckles before resting our hands in his lap. He’s somehow managed to put the vehicle inDrivewhile I’ve been lost in my own world.
“Then let’s go to your place,” I say, using my unoccupied hand to hide my yawn.
“I’m not worried. You want to stop at your house to change first or wear something of mine?” I do a quick assessment of myself. Sweaty clothes are a definite ick. The onlygood thing I have going for me is the change of panties I’ve kept in a plastic bag at the bottom of my purse for the just-in-case moments I’ve experienced in the past few months.
“I’ll borrow something of yours.” I’m surprised he brought it up, but I’m in no mood to be cooped up in my small space, especially when for a long time now, I’ve only really used it to sleep, eat, and shower. It’s made me realize that there’s not enough light; it’s dark and gloomy, the complete opposite of my studio. I miss being there so much, yet I know I have at least until my follow-up on Tuesday before I’ll be allowed to step foot into the dream I’ve created.
“You can shower, too,” he offers as we travel away from Asher and Lennon’s house.
“Thank you.” It’s also then that I notice his group has a certain look when it comes to their vehicles. “Is it a requirement to drive black vehicles?” I ask, noting the remainder of them parked along the street.
“No, but you’d think it would be considering just about all the guys have the same color, if not similar. Jude’s car isn’t here. His classic car is canary yellow, has two black racing stripes down the middle, and he only drives it a few times a month. He takes his daily driver everywhere else or hitches a ride like he did today with Matthew, who prefers white exterior and interior. He’s got this weird analogy that white reflects sun more. As for the rest, well, you can gather they like the same color. Mine came this way, last one on the lot, and I didn’t want to wait a year for the next shipment to come in.” He maneuvers his vehicle with precision, one hand on the wheel, his forearm flexing every time he makesa turn onto another road, and I can’t keep my eyes from looking at him.
“I wouldn’t have expected a sports car from Jude. Jagger, yes, but I also know more about him since Lyric is at the studio more,” I reply.
“Jagger has a hot rod, only drivable off the street. He races it every now and then. I’m pretty sure he’s got a race coming up. You should come with me. The whole crew will be there. The girls usually place bets for a dollar on which car will win. None of them bet against Jag. They know better. The guy always wins.” Luke’s lip tips up in a slow sensual smile.
“I think I’d like that.” I look at the road, realizing we’re going in the complete opposite direction of where my apartment is located. “Do you live near the rest of the guys?” I ask.
“Yeah, Johnny and Winnie are in the building a couple of blocks away. Matthew is around the corner from my place. Jude is in the next town over, preferring a subdivision setting, a lot like Asher. Trent and Kennedy live on a couple of acres, and you probably already know that Jagger and Lyric’s place is as big as the eye can see. She also has her parents’ house, which is next door to Jag’s folks. I think she’s planning on renting it out in the next few months.” I make a mental note to talk to Lyric. Maybe I’ll upgrade from my shoebox apartment. “Then there’s Tysen and Maci. They’re in a condo in a neighborhood. Crew is in the same building as me, opposite wings, so to speak. I’m on the south side; he’s on the north side. I have to be close to the hospital with being on call, and the building is nice with a fuck ton ofamenities included.” It’s then I realize we’re near his office, which happens to be near, like he said, the hospital.
“As in walking distance close to the office?” I ask, wondering how close a doctor has to be.
“No, even I’m not that crazy. I don’t think anyone wants to walk three miles in the blazing heat. There are times I’ll take my bike, but those are rare occurrences, like, say, when the weather is below seventy.”
“So, few and far between.” He looks at me, winks, and then his eyes are back on the road.
“Exactly.” Luke makes another turn before pulling up to a gate. He keeps his foot on the brake, hits a button on his visor, and we gain entry. Through the entire ride, he hasn’t let my hand go, even when I attempt to untangle from him. We go up and around each level; I keep looking at the numbers on the concrete wall as they go higher and higher. I swallow back the need to sayholy shit ballsa few times when we finally land on the fifteenth floor, where he slides into one of the six spots.
“I take it Crew is on that side?” I noticed his vehicle when we pulled around.
“Yep, he’s got the city view, and I’ve got a view of the park, similar to Johnny and Winnie’s place.” Luke puts the SUV inPark,unclicks his seat belt,turns around slightly, grabs my bag, and says, “Stay put.” I nod in response, watching as he opens his door, unfolds out of the vehicle, and walks around until he reaches my door. I’m unlatching my seatbelt as he greets me, not a care in the world that he's holding a pink purse with flowers.
“Thank you.” I take his offered hand, and he helps me out.
“You don’t have to thank me every time I do something, baby girl.” His voice is deep and husky. We’re stopped right outside of the open door, each of us lost in the other’s gaze.
“It’s kind of hard not to when you’re taking care of me so much.” I’m breathless, my knees are weak, and I’m seriously hating that my body is a no-go zone.
“I like doing it. Come on. Shower, clothes, and relaxation are in order for you.” The male dominance part of him mixed with the doctor he is comes out to play.
“Okay.” Another tingle slithers through me, and all I can do is nod while following his lead. He guides me through the parking garage until we’re at the elevator. There’s no wait once he hits the button, and I’m once again at a loss for words at my surroundings. This is going to take some getting used to. The good thing is Luke isn’t ostentatious; he might like nice things, but he’s not the overly flashy kind of guy you’d meet at a club who thinks his shit doesn’t stink. It only makes me like him even more.
9
LUKE
“Wow, the view. It’s breathtaking.” Those are Shae’s first words as we step off the elevator and into the living area. The panoramic scene before us is full of lush green trees and the skyline. A major plus when it comes to watching the sunset, and there are times while I can’t see the sun rise from the ocean that watching it come up is still just as gorgeous. Much like Johnny and Winnie’s place, there’s a full outdoor patio, a sitting area situated on one side with a fire pit, and on the other side is a lap pool, where I do the majority of my workouts during the summer when I’m not in the mood for the downstairs gym.
“I’ll show you more after we shower and relax a bit,” I offer.
“Yeah, okay.” There’s a twinge of tiredness in her tone. The medicine she took at Asher’s is well on its way to kicking in. Shae probably wouldn’t have needed it if I’d remindedher to keep up with it. Instead, I monopolized her time, losing myself in listening to her talk while watching her interact with our group.
