Shelter Me(21)

I lightly chuckle to myself. “No, Luke, I don’t have a boyfriend. I really don’t date much.”

“Thank fuck. I just don’t want to make your head any more confused than it already possibly is.”

“I’m not confused,” I whisper. “Just a little overwhelmed and nervous, but I want this, Luke. I want to get to know you better and I want to understand everything, and I will. What about you, Luke? Do you have a girlfriend?”

“Hell, no,” he says. “I haven’t had a serious girlfriend since you. I won’t lie to you and tell you I haven’t dated or that I haven’t been with other women, because I have. But the only woman who has ever owned my heart is you.”

We lay there for a few more minutes, just staring at each other. There is a pang in my stomach knowing I’m holding back something huge from him, but I don’t want to lose what we are trying to build here again. The reaction he may have and not knowing makes that pang turn into more of a twist. Not now, but soon. Soon I’ll tell him. Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I remember that I should call Adam before he shows up. I kiss Luke one last time, and roll out from under him before he can snatch me back.

“I’ve got to call Adam real quick before he shows up, and I need coffee,” I laugh, dashing down out the door and running down the stairs, daring him to chase me.

Warm hands wrap around my waist as I step onto the last step and I squeal, not even hearing him sneak up behind me. “Don’t taunt me, baby. I’m faster than you. I’ll catch you every time.”

He throws me over his shoulder and my shirt draws up, my boy-short clad ass on full display.

“Put me down!” I half-yell, half-laugh, earning me a slap on the behind.

“I quite like your ass where it is,” he says. I can hear the smile in his voice and jump when I feel his teeth bite into the side of my rear.

“Eek! Did you just bite my ass?” I ask, shocked.

“That was a mouse, baby. It was the weirdest thing, he jumped up, bit you on the bottom, and ran away,” he answers, his tone serious.

“Yeah, whatever. Mouse, my ass,” I mutter.

“That’s what I’m trying to tell you!” He pulls me back down over his shoulder, places me on the ground, and kisses my forehead.

“Watch out for the ass mice, baby,” he jokes, a dazzling smile coming across his face. I smack him in the arm and make my way toward the coffee pot. As soon as I hit the button to start the machine, his phone rings. He looks at the caller on the screen. “I have to take this, Shayne,” he says and turns around going back into the living room.

“Go ahead,” I say, but he’s already gone. I walk toward the entryway, remembering my phone is on the side table in the living room. Just as I grab my phone, I hear his voice travel down the stairs. “I told you not to fucking call me ever again. What in the hell do you want?”

The bedroom door closes, muffling out his sound. I walk back into the kitchen and dial Adam. Just as I’m about ready to leave a message for him to call me back, he comes in the door. “Looks like someone had a great night last night,” he says, a half-ass grin on his face.

“And what makes you think that?” I retort with as much sarcasm in my voice as I can muster.

“Well, I see Luke’s Range Rover in the drive, so I take it things went well.”

“They did, we had a wonderful time last night. He’s upstairs on the phone.”

“I take it you haven’t told him about Lucy, yet?”

“No, and keep your voice down, Adam, he could come down here any minute.”

Just then, another thought creeps into my head. I have to tell Lucy about Luke first. She has no idea about him either. She has only asked about who her Daddy is once and I made up some lame excuse. Shit, this is going to be harder than I ever imagined. I never thought I would see him again. Adam must sense I am starting to panic because he puts his arms around me and tells me that everything is going to work out just fine. We finalize his plans for leaving tomorrow and I am just about to tell him I will call Lucy later when Luke comes walking into the kitchen.

“Hey, Adam, how’s it going, man?”

“Good, and you?”

Luke comes up behind me and puts his arms around my neck.

“Now that I have my girl here, things couldn’t be better.”

He kisses me on top of my head and I pull away from him to get coffee mugs and start making breakfast. We all sit down and start to eat our breakfast when, out of the blue, Adam turns to Luke.

“You fucking hurt her again, I swear to God I will beat the ever loving shit out of you.”