CHAPTER 96
JESS
I stood frozen in the middle of my room, feeling hot and cold all at once. Luke was staring at me and holding out a hand, waiting. for me to take it. We hadn’t even talked, not after everything, not after he saved me. Josh told me as much, but Luke never came
to see me after…
Now he was here in my room after he had held me the entire night to calm me down. I gulped down the nerves, but it did nothing. My nerve endings were on fire, and my knees were about 5 minutes away from buckling beneath me. That’s how nervous I was right now.
Luke, on the other hand, just stood there, all lean muscle, calm and collected. Quiet power. He didn’t seem to notice that he only wore a pair of shorts right now, and I was dressed in the flimsiest nightgown ever. The satin grated against my skin as I breathed. What was this? What did it mean that Luke was here?
I wanted to ask him, maybe scream at him, thank him, and also kiss him and have him wrap his arms around me because, despite what I try to tell myself, that’s when I feel safe–in his
arms.
“Jessica…” Luke said my name softly, like a question more than a statement. “Trust me…“.
Trust him…
08.03
CHAPTER 9K
1288 Vouchers
Trust him to what?
Help me?
Not break my heart?
Not leave me again?
My heart was hammering again, and blood was rushing in my ears, but I swallowed it down. My first step was a bit shaky, but the second was stronger, and then I reached out and took his hand. His palm swallowed mine, reminding me that Luke was bigger, stronger.
He turned and led me into the bathroom and closed the door behind us. I watched it click into place before looking back up at him. There was a question there on his face. I saw it, and I nodded once to let him know that this was fine.
I was fine.
I was safe.
I held his gaze and watched as he clenched his jaw, grinding his teeth a little before stepping closer, inches between us. His palms skimmed from my wrists up my arms, leaving a trail of goosebumps. They stopped at my shoulder, then skimmed over the thin strap of my nightgown and smoothly, he slid them off my shoulders.
The material slipped off my body and pooled around my ankles. I didn’t look down; instead, I focused on breathing. Luke didn’t waver. He didn’t even flinch or blink. He kept my gaze, and I was thankful for it.
CHAPTER
120 Vouche
Especially because I was now as exposed as I’ll ever be but in a different way. Not just physically, but everything was displayed, including my heart. I was showing him I trusted him. I needed. him, and I’ve never felt more vulnerable.
Luke dipped to my level without breaking eye contact and stepped out of his shorts. My mind reeled, and I had to fight the urge to look down, to explore… but I didn’t. This wasn’t about us or sex. This was Luke taking care of me and showing me I could trust him.
Luke’s hand found mine, and he stepped past me, pulling him with me into the shower. Silently, I thanked my parents for my walk–in shower. The water hit him first, and I watched it glide over his broad shoulders and powerful chest, running like little streams down the crevices where his muscles were defined. I stopped looking where the muscles came together to form a V and looked up.
Slowly, he took my shoulders and turned us so that I was
standing beneath the stream. Once it hit me, I couldn’t help but sigh and tilt my chin up to let it run through my hair. It felt… it felt… soothing like I could breathe.
Lifting my arms, I slicked back my hair and wiped the water out of my eyes before opening them to look at Luke, who suddenly had fire in his eyes. Where he refused to look before, he made no effort now. I watched him focus on my mouth and then lower, lingering on my chest before snapping his gaze back up
to me.
I could see Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed and then clenched his jaw like he was restraining himself. Licking my lips. before pulling my bottom lips between my teeth, I decided to do
08031
CHAPTER 6
the same. Following the hard lines that separated powerful muscles, I explored Luke with my eyes. This time, I did not stop at the part where his muscles formed a V. I stopped breathing when I saw him, thick and half erect.
When Luke breathed, his cocked jerked and grew a little more, making me swallow hard…
