Protect & Serve(107)

“Eggs?” His crooked smile hurt me a little.

“Yeah. Eggs. So what? Like I was saying, my friend was giving me a ride and I had her stop so I could pick up some eggs for tomorrow morning. I live close by, so I was gonna walk the rest of the way and…”

My eyes welled up. Everything came to a boiling point. Damnit. I was normally so good about keeping my emotions under control.

“Easy, kitten,” he said. “I was just asking. You’re okay. You’re not hurt. He didn’t get you. You should probably be a little more self-aware next time is all I’m saying.”

He gave my shirt a playful tug. “This little number’s seen better days, though. These too.” His fingers dragged down the soft flesh on the back of my arm and found the rips in my jeans.”

I couldn’t tell if he was playing with me or not. My brain was so frazzled because of the past hour I didn’t know what direction to go.

“Alright then, Bria... Bria who loves her eggs in the morning and fights off bad men at night… Where’s home?” Luke drummed his fingers impatiently on the wheel.

I told him and we drove the rest of the way in a comfortable silence. He could tell I was done and had the good sense to let the conversation fade. It felt weird to be sitting next to someone I just met and not feel anxious... Luke’s confidence and easy demeanor seemed to do away with any need for mindless chit chat. The sexual tension on the other hand… That could be cut with a knife. My thigh still tingled from where his fingers had touched me.

“This it?” he asked, breaking the silence.

Before I could reply he was out of the car and looking around. I was hit with a pang of anxiety and jumped out after him.

“Uh yeah,” I said uneasily. “This one’s me.” I pointed toward my front door.

“The one with all the crazy plants?” he said.

“Excuse me! I happen to love those plants,” I said, finding a little bit of energy. I walked over and started fussing with them.

“No, they’re great,” he laughed. “It’s just… there are a lot of them.”

I fumbled for my keys. My hands were shaking and it took an agonizingly long time to find the keyhole. I could feel his eyes surveying me from the rear. When the key finally slid in and found purchase, I breathed an audible sigh of relief.

“What’s in here?” Luke said, as he playfully grabbed the door knob and shoved past me and into my condo.

“Wait, don’t go in there,” I protested. I couldn’t remember what kind of shape I’d left the place in and was embarrassed that he might stumble over a pile of dirty clothes or a stack of work files.

I leaned in after him and flipped the light switch. “You know, I’m grateful you saved me and everything, but I really have to question your judgment if you think it’s a good idea to go pushing your way into a girl’s home after she was assaulted.”

“Whoa…” he said, with an exaggerated look of astonishment on his face. He hadn’t even heard my protest, or if he did, he didn’t care.

“I guess the front of your place was just the appetizer. It looks like a damn rain forest in here.”

He stood in front of me looking over the assortment of ivies and evergreens and potted trees and vines.

“I just like houseplants a lot, so what?” The blush immediately returned to my cheeks. I gave him a shy smile. “It’s kind of a hobby, you know? It helps with the stress.”

“Hey, that’s cool,” he said. “Besides, it smells nice in here… Kind of reminds me of camping.”

“Thanks, I guess.”

It was odd the way he was walking around in my apartment. He acted like he owned the place. Normally, it would piss me off but for some reason this was turning me on.

“What’s this?” he asked, lifting the framed degree from my wall.

I tried to snatch it away from him but he held it over my head.

“Give me that. You shouldn’t just go through other people’s things.” I jumped and made another grab for it but he kept it away with ease. I lost my balance and fell forward into him, steadying myself with one hand against his rock hard pecs.

“Oh, sorry,” I said, pulling my hand back like I’d just touched a hot stove top.

He gave me a knowing grin and held the framed document in front of my face. “So you’re a lawyer, huh?”

“No, I’m not, and I’ll take that back, thank you very much.” I yanked it from his hand, coyly hiding it behind my back.

“It’s says Northwestern University of Law – Bria Hudson. That’s you isn’t it?”