Page 76 of I Want You
“Shit, Letty. I’m sorry…” he started, looking into my eyes with concern.
“I’m not. That was incredible,” I sighed.
A cocky smile tugged at his lips. “Beyond incredible.”He kissed me tenderly, his hands framing my face and holding me captive. “Are you still feeling jittery, or do you think we can get out of here and maybe into my bed instead?”
A laugh escaped my lips. “I couldn’t feel more relaxed if I was medicated. That was, by far, the best method to release the jitters that I have ever done.”
Luke scooped my legs out of the water, holding me against his chest like a bride, and carried me out of the water. When we got back to the shore, he used his shirt to dry me off as best as possible before helping me dress.
I wasn’t sure if taking that leap with Luke would feel awkward or if we wouldn’t know how to act around each other after that final line had been crossed, but it was a fruitless worry. Luke held my hand back to his car as we chatted and laughed. As it turned out, sleeping with my best friend was the best decision I had ever made. So, I made that decision twice more once we got back to Luke’s place.
Best. Decision. Ever.
24
Scarlett
The bright spot lighting in the police department parking lot wasn’t helping my nerves as I left the building just after midnight. A couple of guys were huddled around a streetlight just off-site. There were only two of them, and I was technically still at the police station. It would be stupid of them to start trouble right here, but that still didn’t mean that I trusted them.
I walked to my car, unlocking it with my key fob to save time when I got to it.
“Damn, girl. What do I need to do to getyouto arrest me?” one of the men said. Not even a man, really. It was hard to tell with the overhead glow of the streetlight casting shadows over his face, but I had to guess he couldn’t have been more than eighteen to twenty.
“Not really my thing, but there are plenty of big, burly guys inside if you’re looking for a thrill.” I didn’t stop walking, and as I got closer to my car, the same guy who spoke started to come toward me. I couldn’t let him know that he had me rattled. He was just a punk kid who wasprobably bored on a Thursday night, and I was at the police department, surrounded by lights and cameras d protected by my colleagues inside.
As soon as I reached my car, I popped the door open just enough to climb inside and shut it quickly, locking it as well. The guy stopped where he was, no longer moving toward me, but now that he was closer, I could see his face in the bright department lighting. Cold, dark eyes stared back at me.
My hands were shaking as I slowly drove out of the lot, pointing my car in the other direction of my house.
Luke and I spent every moment we could together, and still, it wasn’t enough. It was never enough. Every time with Luke left me so completely sated and yet wanting more.
With him on first shift today and me on second, we hadn’t made any plans after work. I was going to go back to my place, sleep in my own bed and all that, but that wasn’t where I was heading.
I pulled up along the curb in front of Luke’s—technically Wyatt’s—house and walked up to the front door. My heart was still beating uncomfortably in my chest, the quick drive to the other side of town not doing anything to settle my nerves. My knuckles had barely connected with the door when it was flung open. A shirtless, groggy Luke stood before me, sculpted from stone and adorably sleepy.
“Letty Girl, what are you doing here?” His lips pulled up slowly in a tired smile. His arm hooked around my waist and pulled me to him. It was silly how quickly my mood turned around now that I was here. My breath rushed out of me at the sight of him.
It had been a few weeks since our skinny-dipping excursion… and so much more… and I still found myself dumbfounded that I could touch Luke Wilder in all the ways I had dreamed, kiss him whenever I wanted.
My hands slid over his tight shoulders and down his back. “I didn’t want to go home.”
“Is everything alright?” He glanced around me to look up and down the street.
“Yeah. I just wanted to sleep with you.”
“Mmm,” he moaned. “Good, because I didn’t like not having you in my bed.” I lifted to my toes, and Luke sealed his mouth over mine. Any uneasiness from a few minutes ago disappeared when his tongue tangled with mine.
Luke hauled me to his chest, wrapping my legs around his waist, and kicked the door closed. He carried me into the bathroom and set me on my feet.
“You should have a toothbrush here,” he grumbled as he rifled through the cabinet under the sink for a spare.
My heart skipped a beat. It had only been a few weeks, and we were still exploring what this could mean for us. A toothbrush at the other person’s house was a big step. A sign of permanence.
“Do you think we’re at the toothbrush at each other’s house stage?” I laughed, infusing as much humor into it as I could.
He placed a new packaged, dentist-supplied toothbrush on the counter and locked eyes with me in the mirror.
“Yes.”
