A Tender Touch: A Donnelley Brother's Novel (Logan Point Book 4) (13 page)

“Ember, breathe.” Luke whispered against my temple. “I’ll never hurt you. Never.”

I nodded. The sound of my gasped breath was sharp as I did as I was told, and breathed. Then, I worked to loosen the tension from my body. The movie was still playing in the background and I shifted in his embrace until my backside was snuggled tight against his front. Luke’s large hand spanned the expanse of my belly, holding me tight against him. I was watching the screen, but I wasn’t seeing a thing. All I could concentrate on was the feel of Luke’s body against mine.

He was big. Against his body, I felt small. He dwarfed me in size - and never before had I felt so - cherished, as I did in this moment. I don’t know how long we’d lain there like that, and I’d long since stopped counting the beats of my heart, but then I felt his lips move against the exposed skin of my shoulder.

If I thought I’d been on fire before, I was melting from the inside out now. Shivers exploded over my skin as hot and cold warred for dominance. My belly fluttered as though it suddenly housed a million butterflies with silk soft wings, and as I closed my eyes, I felt a fleeting moment of careless abandon - that feeling you have when you’re a child and you’re swinging high on the swing at the park. The swing flies back and your belly drops with a rush of sensation - that was the feeling I felt right now. He’d taken me back to a moment I cherished - a moment I’d been trying desperately to clutch to since I could remember - and with a simple sweep of his lips across the bone of my shoulder, I was there.

Shaky breaths filled the room, and I realized after a moment that they were my shaking breaths. Shifting against his lips, I exposed my throat to him in a wordless plea for something I couldn’t have predicted to want - and he didn’t deny me. Slowly, I knew he was offering me time to change my mind and take back my offer, he moved his soft lips to the slope between my throat and shoulder, and he kissed me. His lips were so warm and my breaths had shortened to sharp panting. His arms pulled me even closer to his body, so there was no space between us apart from the space the fabric of our clothing claimed.

His body was so hard - every inch of his body was solid - like granite. I felt his desire for me against my butt, and I was surprised to admit that I wasn’t, not in the least, afraid. It was in this moment, this moment where I was so terribly vulnerable, that I realized I trusted Luke Donnelley implicitly.

“Luke,” I breathed.

“Shhh.” He cooed. “Watch the movie, pretty girl.”

His voice rumbled deep and low against my skin, and I nodded. Wiggling closer to him, I heard his sharp intake of breath and smiled to myself. He was just affected by this moment as I was. And it was that thought that stilled me.

I was affected by this man.

For the first time in my life, I was engulfed with desire that I had not encouraged with my own fantasies.

For the first time in my life, my skin was flushed pink, my heart was beating fast, and my core was aching - because of a man who had been the star of my fantasies since I was thirteen years old and had my first fantasy of being kissed by a boy.

For the first time in my life, I was living.

Chapter 12

Something had changed.

Since the night Luke held me on his couch like we were two teens sneaking stolen moments, something had changed.

There were no moments where we sat and said words to define our relationship - or discuss these changes - they simply were. If I was being honest, I didn’t want to give words to our changes. I didn’t want to sit and discuss anything, because in discussing this - the threat of change was too much for me to handle. I wanted to take pause and simply enjoy where I was with Luke. Because I was happy.

I wasn’t just happy.

I was blissfully, completely, ridiculously happy.

Opening my eyes against the warm morning blaze spilling into the space of Luke’s living room, I moaned aloud as I stretched against the length of his hard body. My movement pulled him from sleep and he groaned.

“Good morning, pretty girl.” He murmured, and then he buried his face in the crease of my shoulder and throat as though hiding from the very thought of facing the day ahead.

“Good morning, Luke.” I laughed. “We’d better get up or you’re going to be late.”

He shook his head and the bristle of his day old scruff against the tender flesh of my throat made me giggle. He protested, “No, I like it here.”

“Ahh!” I screeched, trying to restrain my laughter with no success as he continued tickling me with his whiskers. “Stop!” I gasped, trying desperately to roll myself away from him onto the floor of the living room. “Please!” Tears of laughter slipped from my eyes to roll down my temples as I fought his now wiggling fingers against my sides. “Ohmigawd!”

Luke lifted his head to look down into my face, but not before he threw a leg over mine, placing half his body over mine so he was perched on top of me. “God, I love your laugh.”

Suddenly, the air wasn’t light and fluffy - it was heavy and thick. Looking up into his dark eyes, I felt the sudden urge to kiss him. I knew the urge wasn’t exclusively mine, because his eyes had flickered from mine, to my lips. “Luke...”

His eyes lifted from my lips to meet my eyes, and I tensed as he bowed his head. When his lips met with my forehead, I breathed a sigh of relief.

His kiss was long and slow, and when he lifted his head and I opened my eyes - he was looking down at me with deep emotion. I knew he wanted to say something - but if he did, he’d begin the discussion that threatened to change this - us.

“Luke.” I whispered his name again. It was a plea and a command in one - and I knew he understood.

The corners of his perfect lips twitched and he smiled. “You make the coffee - and hot chocolate, or tea, or whatever you drink in the morning.” He winked. “I’m going to take a shower.”

“Okay.” I nodded.

Placing both his hands on either side of my head, he lifted his weight from my body. From the corner of my eyes I saw his muscles flex in his arms, and then he was standing and I couldn’t help but notice the bulge in his pants.

A flush of pink bloomed in my cheeks and I pinned my eyes to the roof, the only place I felt safe to look. I heard him chuckle as he walked away. Then, his words sounded and my blush deepened to an impossible shade of red.

“Don’t worry, pretty girl, I’ll take care of it.” I heard the creaking of the stairs as he moved.

I couldn’t find the courage to peel myself from his couch as I listened to the shower start. Finally, I found the ability to move and as I folded the blanket to hang it over the couch, I couldn’t help but think about Luke ‘taking care of it’ in the shower.

“Oh my God, Ember, get a grip!” I commanded myself as I padded to the kitchen. It didn’t matter that I wanted to stop thinking about Luke in the shower, I just couldn’t.

By the time he reappeared dressed in jeans (with no bulge) and a burgundy t-shirt, I had worked my mind into a state of complete disarray.

“Coffee’s ready.” I announced before he’d even made it to the kitchen. “You should pour it into a to go cup so you can take me home.”

Luke raised a brow. “What’s the hurry?”

“Um.” I shifted nervously on my feet. “No hurry, I just wanted to take a bath before work.”

“You’ve spent every night here for the past five days, Ember.” He reached into the cupboard for a mug. It wasn’t the to go mug I’d recommended. “Why don’t you consider bringing a bag of clothing over?”

“What?”

He tossed me a fleeting glance over his shoulder. “All I’m saying is that it would make the mornings easier. If you had some clothes, you wouldn’t have to sleep in your clothing that you wore all day and you’d be able to get yourself ready here.”

“I’m alright with the difficult mornings.” I replied pointedly. “Actually, I like them. Why not start the day with a challenge?”

He shook his head as he leaned against the counter. “If you want a challenge in the morning, we’ll start running.”

“Oh, no, we won’t!” I shook my head. “This is enough of a challenge for me, thanks.”

“I’ve never known a woman who hated working out the way you do.”

I shrugged. “I get plenty of a workout working in the barn with you.”

“You ride horses all day.”

“I walk fifteen minutes to work.” I waved him off. “That’s plenty.”

He chuckled, sipping his coffee. “If you say so.”

“I do.”

“Uh huh.” He nodded. “So, pretty girl, what are the plans for tonight?”

“Plans?” I questioned. “We’re making plans now?”

He cocked his head to the side. “I thought women were supposed to be open to commitment? Seriously, Ember, settle down.”

“What?”

He peeled himself from the counter. “I didn’t ask you to marry me. I asked what we’re doing tonight. It’s Friday, so I figured we could, uh, I don’t know - do something.”

I felt my face heat at the very thought of marrying Luke. I don’t know why, but the idea made my heart flutter. “What are you thinking?”

“I was thinking of inviting Kami and Kyle over.”

“That would be nice.” I smiled. “Why not?”

He nodded. “And Reese and Logan and Hadley and Collin too?”

Again, I smiled. “Sure. It’s your house, Luke.”

He shook his head and moved to stand directly in front of me. Tipping his head, he gazed deeply into my eyes. “I’m asking what you’re feeling like doing tonight, Ember, because I want you comfortable and happy.”

I sighed, nodding. And then moved the small distance between us until I was pressed against his chest and my arms were wrapped around his waist. This was the first time I had initiated contact - and I knew it shocked him. But then I felt his arm wrap around my shoulder. The chime of the ceramic mug against the granite sounded and then his warm hand slipped beneath my hair to cup the nape of my neck. Pulling my head gently back, he asked me silently to look up into his eyes. And I did.

He was smiling with both his eyes and his lips, and I was so happy that I’d made him happy. I never thought something so simple as a hug could be the catalyst that put a light like this one in his dark chocolate eyes.

“I’m happier than I’ve ever been before, Luke.” I replied quietly. “I think a night with everyone would be awesome.”

He nodded. “You wanna ask Kami to start making pizza’s?”

I laughed. “I’ll text her.”

***

A knock sounded on the door of Luke’s house and I skipped happily across the floor to open it. I was in a damn good mood, and it was obvious by the spring in my step. I’d just had a shower and dressed myself in a flowing purple maxi dress that was cinched at the small of my waist before Luke picked me up and drove me to his house. Not ten minutes later, there was a knock at his door. It made sense that everyone was arriving so quickly after we’d returned home, because we’d had a late tour that hadn’t finished until seven thirty.

It was now just before nine and I was famished. I was praying it was Kami on the other side of the door, because she was the one bringing pizza.

Pulling open the door, my eyes took in a grinning Reese. She held two bottles of wine and as my eyes moved from her to Logan, I counted another four bottles.

“Hey.” I smiled, raising my brow at the wine. “How are you?”

Reese lifted the wine to waggle it in the air. “Gracie took Kaiden for the night! I’m having wine!”

Logan groaned. “She hasn’t drank, and really drank, since before she got pregnant. She thinks this is her night to reintroduce herself with being childless and twenty-one.”

I laughed. “Every mother needs a good wine night every now and again.”

Logan pinned me with intimidating black eyes. “You planning on holding her hair back in the morning?”

I pinned him with what I hoped were intimidating blue eyes. “Did I marry her?”

Logan’s lips twitched - and I knew he was fighting a smile. “Touché.”

I beamed, swinging the door wider. “Come on in. Luke’s in the shower.”

“Is he?” Reese waggled her brows in much the same way she’d waggled the wine - with excitement. “You’ve not joined him?”

I blushed. “No.” I shook my head. “I had my shower - at home - before he picked me up and drove me here.”

“Sure.” Reese nodded without belief as she wandered into the kitchen. “You don’t have to explain a thing to me.” She winked at Logan. “I know just how irresistible the Donnelley Brother’s can be. I mean, I married one, didn’t I?”

“Damn right, you did.” Logan’s growly affirmation was interrupted by the sound of a truck door slamming closed and then a loud female voice yelled.

“Pizza is here!”

“Finally!” I called back. “I’m starving and the oven is pre-heated!”

“You know how to make pizza.” Kami barked back smartly.

“Don’t tell Luke that.” I mumbled.

“I heard that, pretty girl.” The sound of Luke’s voice directly behind me made me jump - but I only jumped back into the warm solid comfort of his chest.

“Oh.” My voice sounded surprised, but before I could move away, he circled his arms around my waist.

My eyes darted to Kami’s as I thought about disentangling myself from Luke’s embrace, but the emotional pride I saw glimmering in the brown depths made me rethink my initial response to Luke’s public closeness. Then, I settled into his front - like I’d always belonged there.

Hadley and Collin were the last to arrive - on a quad. They practically drove everywhere on a quad, so it was no surprise to see the little ATV racing right up to the front step, bypassing the other vehicles parked outside Luke’s house.

“Hey all!” Hadley waved as she jumped off the quad. “What’d we miss?”

“Nothing yet.” I replied.

Kami called over my reply. “Ember and Luke getting all touchy feely - no biggy.”

“Kami!” I hissed.

“Finally!” Hadley huffed. “I was starting to wonder if it would ever happen.”

“Okay, guys, we’re moving on.” I announced and everyone laughed.

Chapter 13

It was late. The stars were shimmering in the sky and the moon was bright. Laughter flooded the air as we drank wine and talked about a whole lot of nothing in the hot tub. I hadn’t realized Luke had texted everyone to bring their bathing suits, and it was a lucky thing that I had forgotten mine here the last time we’d decided to lounge in the hot tub, because by the time we decided to get into the hot tub, it was dark and we’d been drinking too much to drive anywhere.