BACKFLASH
JESS
The car hummed softly beneath us as Luke and I leaned back into the leather seats, our fingers intertwined. My dress still felt like a dream, the lace sleeves brushing my wrists, but I could already feel the anticipation of shedding it and diving into a new adventure with Luke. Our happy ending – finally.
The city lights were flashing by, and I tried to ignore the flutter of curiosity in my chest.
“Alright,” I murmured, glancing up at him through my lashes, “so are you finally going to tell me where you’re whisking me off to?”
Luke gave me that smug, infuriating smile, the one that made his dimple deepen, and then shook his head slowly. “Jess, trust me,” he said, squeezing my hand. “Everything’s taken care of. Laura packed everything you need.” He leaned in, brushing his lips just inches from mine, his voice dropping to a low murmur. “Which isn’t much.”
My breath hitched, and his lips were on mine before I could respond. It was a deep, intense kiss, a collision of desire and need. The rush of knowing this was it, he was mine, and I was his. I melted into him, wrapping my arms around his neck, feeling his heartbeat strong and steady.
By the time we touched down, the heat had hit me in a gentle, humid wave. The small island airstrip was surrounded by the kind of clear, crystal water you only see in postcards. I blinked,
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adjusting to the warmth and brightness. Luke grinned at my expression, laughing softly as he helped me out of the plane.
After a bumpy flight, it was like stepping into a dream: the blinding white sands stretching along the shore, dotted with swaying palms, the crystal aqua water gently lapping at the shore. I gasped, the sheer beauty of it hitting me all at once.
We were led along a sandy path to our private bungalow, an open, airy little haven with white linens, wide–open windows, and the salty ocean breeze drifting in like it had nowhere else to be.
I wandered through, tracing my fingers along the soft curtains, the rustic wood, the wide deck with its private infinity pool. spilling over the edge, leading right down to a staircase that vanished into the sea. I felt like I was floating, surrounded by
I I
beauty.
Luke wrapped his arms around me from behind, his voice a warm rumble against my ear. “So he whispered, his breath hot against my neck, “what do you think?”
I turned in his arms, grinning at him. “I’m never leaving this place!” I laughed, stretching my arms out like I could gather the whole island around us and keep it just for us.
Luke leaned down, his eyes dark and full of something that made my pulse race. “I could live on an island with you for the rest of my life,” he murmured into my neck, his lips grazing mine before pulling me back into his arms.
“I’ve wanted to get you out of your clothes since I saw you walking down the aisle,” Luke confessed, and I smiled. Laura told me that she packed ‘something just for Luke, so I pulled back and put distance between us.
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289 Vouchers
“Give me a second.” I purred, and Luke’s face fell. I laughed at him, pouting, “Just a second, I promise.”
I rummaged through the bag and found the emerald green lacy pair of underwear that Laura had marked with a ribbon and the tag ‘Honeymoon.’
Stepping into the seethrough underwear, I pulled the almost non–existent strings over my hips. The bralette was also see- through mesh, with delicate flower patterns adorning it over flower–covered straps.
I loosened my hair, running a brush through my still curled blond mess and raked my fingers through it to give it some body before throwing my head back to let it cascade down my back.
I smiled at myself in the mirror, patted some lip balm on my lips. and took a deep breath. Why the hell was I nervous? Luke and I had been anything but abstinent.
I turned and walked out the door, pulling my shoulders back and seductively swaying my hips as I opened the door and walked through.
Luke had already taken off his shirt and lounged in a chair in his swimming trunks.
The moment I had stepped through the door, his head snapped up, and he sucked in a breath before sitting up in the lounging chair.
I grinned at him and raised a brow. “Do you feel like going for a swim, I see you are all dressed. Its a bit more clothing than I had in mind.”
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Luke’s fingers gripped the chair u but he didn’t say anything. He just and dilated pupils, his jaw clenche
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288 Vouchers
Luke’s fingers gripped the chair until his knuckles went white, but he didn’t say anything. He just stared at me with wide eyes and dilated pupils, his jaw clenched.
