Page 74 of I Want You
“Christ. You. Taste. So. Fucking. Good.” Luke trailed kisses down my neck, tugging the neckline of my sweater down so he could nip at the sensitive spot on my collarbone. I was well on my way to humping him right here in my bathroom, but he pulled away. My face followed his for a moment, not ready to end the kiss. He leaned in for one more, and I felt him adjust himself before pulling back with a groan.
For the first time since he arrived, I got a good, full look at him. He was wearing an olive-green cotton button-down and dark gray shorts. His short hair was neatly combed, and the smell of his cologne was strong enough to have been freshly applied but subtle enough to not be overwhelming.
“You look really nice,” I told him.
I didn’t know why—it made no sense, especially considering I’d known Luke for years and had seen him in dress clothes, uniforms, casual wear, and sweats—but the fact that he’d clearly put effort into his look tonight, to spend time with me, made me feel special.
“Thank you. You’re gorgeous, as usual, but tonight, you look especially stunning.”
My heart was beating so hard I could feel it all the way down to my toes.
“So, what’s on the agenda for tonight?” I asked.
“Anything you want.” He stepped back and helped me down from the vanity. I fixed my outfit back into place, Luke’s gaze tracking my every movement. He cursed under his breath, dragged his hand along his jaw. “Something out of the house. You look too good to stay inside. And…” He paused, taking another breath. I waited for him to continue, too transfixed by him to speak anyway. “I don’t want us to rush things, Letty. IfI have you all to myself in this quiet apartment, there is no chance of me keeping my hands off you.”
A smile stretched across my face at his admission. Luke Wilder was truly the best of men. The fact that he wanted me was mind-boggling. I had wanted it for so long, never really believing it would be a possibility. But here he was in front of me, telling me I looked stunning. Wanting to put his hands on my skin. It was making my insides feel warm and gooey.
“Don’t look at me like that, Letty. Otherwise, we’re never making it out of here.” The deep tremble of his voice resonated low in my belly.
I pulled him out of the bathroom with me and grabbed my purse from the kitchen counter. “I’m ready.”
“You don’t want to fix your lip gloss?” he asked.
“Is there a point? I was kind of hoping it would just get ruined again.”
He growled, but his smile told me he liked when I talked like that. He wrapped his arm around my waist and hauled me to him, causing me to squeal in surprise. His lips met mine, our tongues tangling together. I would have sighed with contentment if I had any breath left.
We finally made it out the door, and I followed Luke out of the building to his SUV. He opened my door for me, waiting until I was seated before he shut me in and rounded the car.
“How do you feel about tacos for dinner?” I asked.
“I love tacos, but we can do better than that. The last asshat took you to Millie’s. I’m pretty sure a taco stand is a step down from that.”
I frowned a little. I really did want tacos. “Last time, I wasn’t with you. But it doesn’t matter to me where we go.”
“If my lady wants tacos, then we’ll get tacos,” he said. Hiswarm palm rubbed softly on my bare thigh, causing goose bumps to dot across my skin.
Luke ordered our food from the Mexican food truck while I saved us seats at one of their picnic tables. The owners had adorned their space with decorative tin lanterns, casting a starry glow in the diminishing light of day.
Everything with Luke was so easy. Our friendship was a solid base for us to lean on. But every once in a while, an attack of nervousness hit me, like it was all a dream that I was going to wake up from, or one wrong move would end the tenuous relationship we were building beyond our friendship. Then what would happen to our friendship?
“You okay?” he asked. We had finished our tacos and were strolling along the beach. Night had fallen now, and with the October weather, no one else was around, even though it was actually a beautiful night. I didn’t know what had tipped Luke off to my runaway thoughts, but we were so in tune with each other it didn’t surprise me.
I had led with total honesty right from the jump, and I saw no reason to stop now. “I’m feeling a little jittery. I think it’s just nerves that this thing between us could break. We could risk it all and end up with nothing.” I shrugged.
He came to a stop, jerking me to a halt. “I made a promise to you the other night, and I meant it. No matter what, you’ll always be my friend.”
“I know. I feel the same, Luke. No matter what,” I told him.
“What will make you feel better? You need to do something crazy?” he asked with a laugh. He knew me so well. The adrenaline rush of doing something just a little wild settled my soul. It helped me to expel the pent-up energy that was coursing through my system.
“Kind of, yeah. What did you have in mind? Skinny-dipping in the ocean?” I laughed.
As well as Luke knew me, I knew him too. My buttoned-up, serious police officer didn’t break rules. He didn’t like the thrill of heart-pumping action. He was steady, calm, and strong. A warrior when needed but as solid as a rock.
His lips tugged up, and he raised his brow at my suggestion. He huffed a laugh, looking around him in all directions, and then he surprised the hell out of me by scooping me up in a firefighter hold over his shoulder and sprinting toward the water’s edge.
I was plopped onto my feet behind the pillar of one of the docks. Luke undid the top button of his shirt and then peeled it over his head. He moved to his shoes, pausing to look up at me.
