Page 39 of Falling Hard
“I could kill you,” I said.
" Alright. Since you’re angry, I can marry Solenne, so all the time you spent worrying won’t be for nothing. Would that make you feel better?" Luke teased.
I glared at him. "I fucking dare you to even speak to that woman again."
Luke threw his head back, laughing so hard it looked like he could barely breathe, and I just stood there, seething.
"Liv, Solenne is a lesbian. Shit, during the plan, I kept fretting since she always talked about how beautiful you were. When she started telling me you were sexy, I was petrified that she might be my competition."
My mouth fell open, and eyes narrowed.
Not caring that I was fuming, Luke pulled me into his arms. I stayed stiff for a moment as I processed what he had put me through. My pride was bruised, but there in his arms, I softened. Who cared how he did it? Hell, he was probably right. If he didn’t provoke me, how much longer would I have tortured us? Without asking, Luke began steering me down the sidewalk with his arm around my shoulder. Halfway down the block, I finally lifted mine and held his waist.
"You're going to spend the rest of your life paying for this, Luke Forrester." I lifted a finger and warned.
Carrying a pleased expression, he nodded. "A lifetime together doesn't sound like a punishment to me." He paused, then added, "So in the spring, we'll get married?"
"What?"
Luke abruptly lifted his arm off me. "Look, I'm not wasting another twenty-something years. I'm marrying someone in thespring of next year. If it's not you, there are plenty of women who–"
"Luke, let me be very clear: I'm this close to violence. Don't push me."
He wasn't moved by my words. "Yes or no?"
I shook my head, contemplated slapping him again, and then nodded. “Fine, I'll marry you. I already have the venue anyway."
"Huh?"
It dawned on me, for a millisecond, that I should probably confess the lengths I went to sabotage his and Soufflé's wedding, but I didn’t want to ruin the moment. "Forget it."
Luke smiled, and I grabbed his collar, tugged him down to me, and pressed my lips against his.
We tookLuke's car home. The drive was a silent one. We took turns looking at one another, neither acknowledging what we were doing. He kept one hand on the wheel and the other locked around mine, like letting go would make me vanish. We arrived at the townhouse. I didn’t want the night to end.
"Let's go in and talk," he said, and immediately things felt right with the world.
Luke had been in my home many times before, but this moment was unlike all the others. This was different, carrying the weight of what we had finally admitted to each other.
Like ghosts treading the same steps, we walked to the backyard and sat on the expensive furniture. Usually, Luke would sit in a chair. This time, he sat next to me on the couch. There, amongst the ivy climbing the brick walls, we sat on waterproof cushions covering the wrought iron furniture. Surrounded by low lights strung through the trees and the humof the city, I found myself in the most romantic scene I’d ever experienced. It was perfect, even without planning.
"Why are you so quiet?" Luke asked.
The words made me wrinkle my nose. "This morning, I was tormented over your wedding, and now I'm the future bride. It's a lot to wrap my head around."
"You aren't having second thoughts, are you?" he asked.
"No, of course not," I practically screamed, then froze when I realized how desperate that might have sounded.
Luke carried a relieved expression. "Good, because I love you, and I honestly couldn’t stand the hell of beingjust friendswhen it’s obvious we're meant to be so much more."
Even though I still had the urge to slap him for his insane scheme, I knew he was right. I might not have ever taken the risk without him forcing my hand.
"I take back what I said." Luke pulled me against him.
"What did you say?"
He smiled, and I lowered my head to his shoulder.
