Page 66 of Revived
Chapter 21
Rachel
Stretching my limbs across the cotton sheets, I revel in the sensations that travel all over my body and the blanket of warmth that covers my mind—bliss and satisfaction. My fantasy for the past few months came to fruition last night as Luke made love to me after the most magical and romantic date I’ve ever been on. Luke surpassed all of my expectations of what connecting with him on that level would be like, but the confusion I feel at this moment is quickly making me panic. Twisting to the side, I discover that his side of my bed is empty, when I know he slept with me through the night.
It was the first time I’d shared my bed with anyone that I cared about as much as I do for Luke. His warm arms draped over my waist, his hot breath on my neck, his feet entangled with mine all made me feel safe and loved as we slept.
Love. The four letter word that can change the perception of a relationship in an instant—but I know that’s what I’m feeling for him. Last night only solidified it. I honestly think I fell in love with him the first night I was in his home and saw how he cared for his son within these walls. He was calm, confident, and yet human. He took a risk hiring me to look after Grayson, but the greatest risk he’s taken above all is letting me in.
Of course, I’m not naïve to the fact that the I run the risk of getting hurt monumentally throughout all of this. Luke has slowly been letting me in, but I know he still has issues to confront, guilt to overcome, grief to process. Tenley spoke to me the other night about how Luke acted right after Hannah died—closing everyone off, believing he had to handle everything on his own. He poured all of his energy and thoughts into Grayson, which is honorable and incredible. But it left him to avoid dealing with Hannah’s death completely.
I’ll never grasp how it feels to lose the one you love in a situation so final. But the more I fall for Luke, that fear is building for me, and he’s still very much alive.
Throwing my comforter to the side, I find a pair of pajama shorts and a tank-top and shove them on. I make a pit stop at the bathroom to brush my teeth and tame my wild bed/sex hair, and then continue my search for Luke, hoping like hell he didn’t already run for the hills.
I exit the hallway to an empty living room and kitchen, yet the smell of coffee alerts me that Luke has already been here. Suddenly the hum of music comes from the garage and I let out the air I was unconsciously holding in. The relief I feel knowing he’s here and just working out gives me peace, so I make a cup of coffee and then decide to pop in on him during his workout.
Luke works out most mornings, so finding him out here isn’t a surprise. However, this is the first time that I get a front-row seat, and I’m dying to see the show. I lean against the doorway, my arms folded over my chest while I take a sip of my steaming coffee and luxuriate in the fact that this man is mine.
Positioned on a bench, his long legs are bent at the knee while his back rests along the leather. His veined arms hold up the metal barbell as he lowers and lifts the weight, exhaling sharply with each thrust. Angry music blasts from his Bluetooth speaker in the corner of the room while he pumps through his reps, my eyes admiring his strength and dedication, and also the noticeable bulge in his shorts—the bulge that just the sight of makes me wet between the legs. Luke’s body is built as if he were carved from stone—tall and muscular in the all the right places. He clearly takes pride in his physique, which was probably beneficial when he was chasing down bad guys as a deputy.
Tempted to touch him but wanting to also surprise him, I wait until he rests the bar on the stand, and then I drop my coffee cup to the workbench. I slowly stagger my legs forward around his hips and mount him while his head is still down. Lowering my body gently to rest my hot center above his cock, his head lifts to find me straddling him with a pleased grin on my face.
“Good morning.”
His sexy side-smirk makes my heart skip a beat. “Good morning.”
Rocking my hips back and forth, I continue our conversation. “How’d you sleep?”
“Great, until about four when I woke up in a panic.”
That makes me stop in my movements. “Why?”
“I, uh… freaked out about Grayson finding us until I remembered he wasn’t here. Then I couldn’t go back to sleep.” His eyes avoid mine when he speaks, making me weary.
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.” He moves to sit up, titling his head to the side to clear the underside of the bar. “This sure is a nice way to be greeted in the morning though.” His voice becomes husky as his hands grip my hips and his eyes move down to my chest where I’m sure my nipples are hard and visible through the thin white cotton.
“I thought so. You’re all sweaty.” I gesture to his face.
“Yup, that’s what happens when you work out.”
“Maybe I should try working out too, so we match.” I lace my words with a tone that I hope Luke can pick up on, my intentions blatantly clear when I start to rub along his length again.
“Definitely. And I know just the workout,” he growls, reaching for the hem of my shirt and slowly pushing it up my body, clearing my head before he tosses it to the ground. His large hands find my breasts as he rests them in his palms, stroking my nipples with his thumbs and then pinching them for good measure.
“Yes…”
“You like that?”
“I like any way you touch me, Luke,” I mewl as his mouth closes over one nipple and I throw my head back, marveling in the feeling. He licks and sucks, stroking the other breast not in his mouth with his hand as I continue to move up and over his steel erection through the flimsy fabric of our shorts.
In a flash, he lifts me in his arms and sets me on the floor so we’re both standing.
“Get naked. I’ll be right back.” Granting me a small kiss, he takes off into the house, leaving me dripping with need for him and slightly puzzled. But I follow his orders, shucking my shorts and standing there, waiting for him in my birthday suit.
When he returns with a strip of condoms, everything clicks. “Think we’ll need all of those?” I tease him.