I stared up at him, breathing hard.
“Luke,” I whispered almost reverently.
His eyes shone down at me, full of…promise. “You feel it, too, don’t you? We’re meant to be.”
I nodded. My hips shifted beneath him, unable to stay still. A cry escaped me, but he recognized it for the pleasure it was. Slowly, he started moving, gaining momentum as we lost ourselves in each other.
Something I didn’t recognize, twisted and grew inside me, growing tighter, readying for imminent explosion. It still took me by surprise, and I gasped, clinging to Luke as my pussy clenched around his driving cock. Stars flew across my vision, his pounding hips the only thing keeping me anchored to earth.
“Oh fuck, Laura, yes,” he grunted out. “You’re so damn tight. You…feel so…good.” A deep guttural growl echoed through the room and warmth painted my core as he released, deep inside.
He collapsed forward but still rested most of his weight on his forearms. His forehead pressed to mine.
“Mine,” he vowed, staring into my eyes.
I grinned, the weight of the past years sliding away and leaving behind the joy I’d lost. God, I’d missed it! There had been times I’d been happy, but nothing like this. I’d never realized there was a difference.
“So you say,” I teased. “But I may need further demonstration.”
“Anything you need. As many times as you need,” he promised. Then he proceeded to do exactly that as we finished out the best day of my life.
Chapter Eight
~ Luke ~
“You’re up early,” Laura said as she walked into the kitchen. “And you’re dressed.” She wrinkled her nose in apparent disappointment.
“And you’re not.” I strode over to her and pulled her into my arms, dropping a kiss onto her beautiful mouth. She was wearing my shirt, which covered more than I’d like, but the unbuttoned top few inches hinted she was probably naked underneath. I slid my hands up her thighs, confirming she was. “You’re so perfect.”
“You taste like coffee,” she whispered.
“Do you want some?” When she nodded, I reluctantly released her and went back to pour her a cup.
As she settled onto a stool, I brought it to the island and slid the creamer over to her, as well.
“What’s the plan for today?” she asked.
“I have to go in to work for a little while,” I told her. She looked as disappointed as I felt. “I’ll try not to be long.”
“It’s okay,” she assured me. “I know you have things to do. I don’t expect you to entertain me for the rest of my life.”
“I would, you know.”
She smiled, and my heart stuttered in my chest. I’d quit my job without hesitation to see that look on her face every day.
“I know you would. But how would you keep me in such luxury if you didn’t get back to the office?”
I heard the teasing in her tone but wondered if she fully realized how set we would be, regardless of whether or not I kept working. Before I assured her that I’d treat her like a princess for the rest of time, she spoke again.
“Do you really want me to spruce up the apartment? I could start looking at stuff today while you’re out. I should probably start getting the lay of the land, so to speak, if I’m going to be living in Vegas.”
“Of course, I meant it.” I reached across the table and wrapped my hand around hers. “This is your home. I want you to feel comfortable here.” I stood and pulled out my wallet, grabbing my Amex and handing it over to her. “Whatever you want. For this place, for yourself, just swipe.”
“Just swipe,” she repeated softly, staring down at the credit card in her hand.
“As long as you don’t use it to run away again.”
She glanced up at me, a look on her face that I couldn’t quite read. We stared at each other for a moment, before she slid off the stool and walked over to me.
“Luke.” She wrapped her arms around my neck and met my gaze. “For better or for worse, I’m here. I’m yours. I won’t run again.”
Once again, I found myself wishing I’d just proposed last night. Maybe when I got back, I could whisk her to a twenty-four-hour chapel and just get it all over with at once. I wanted her to be my wife. The sooner we got married, the sooner I could start putting my babies in her. The sooner I could guarantee she was out of her family’s clutches forever.
“You look very serious all of a sudden,” she said, pulling me from my thoughts.
“Sorry.” I kissed her quickly. “I really should get going, so I can get back.” I pulled out a business card and scribbled the address on the back. “Anything you buy can be delivered, don’t let them tell you otherwise.”
“Okay. Have a good day, dear.”
I smacked her ass as I walked by then grabbed my briefcase and headed out before I changed my mind.
* * * *
“Well, who the hell filed the permits!” I yelled at Jameson, staring down at the stop-work notice he’d handed me when I’d gotten to the job site.
“I did!” he bellowed back. “All of them. But it looks like they got blocked in committee.”
“That’s ridiculous.” I ran my free hand through my hair and glared down at the papers. “We’ve never been denied. Who would want to block us?”
“I’m working on it.”
I was honestly glad to see the fire in his eyes. My youngest brother hadn’t always been the most ambitious of us. But he’d been
