Glad I could make someone’s night. I lean against the brick wall.
This alley…
This is where I kissed Katelyn for the first time. Where I felt something new and exciting for the first time.
Something special.
Am I really going to let that go?
What if I can truly change? What if I can truly be Luke Johnson, not only in name but in all ways?
What if I can truly leave everything else behind?
That was the idea from the beginning. In fact, if I don’t, I’ll be in danger. Constant danger.
Danger I cannot inflict on Katelyn. Not on anyone, but especially not her after what she’s been through.
Fuck.
I could really use a drink right now.
I slide my back down the brick wall, probably snagging my cotton shirt. Jed is busy with his bone. I pet him on his head, which is soft despite the fact that he needs a bath badly.
“Good boy. That’s a good boy.”
I’d take him home, but my place doesn’t allow pets.
“You and I have something in common,” I say to my canine friend. “Neither of us belongs here. Of course, that’s where our similarities end. You deserve a nice home with people who love you, a full belly, and a warm bed. I don’t deserve any of that.”
Jed chews on his bone, oblivious to the fact that life could be so much better for him.
In that moment, I wish I were a dog.
39
Katelyn
“You were right,” Alicia says to me. “He is gorgeous.”
“Yeah, but he’s acting a little weird.”
“He’s just busy. Look around. This place is hopping tonight.”
Alicia’s not wrong. But Luke isn’t hustling to and from his tables. He seems to have disappeared.
I clear my throat. “Could you excuse me a moment? I need to use the ladies’ room.”
“Of course.” Alicia takes a sip of her water.
I rise and head toward the back where the restrooms are but then take a detour to the staff lounge. I open the door and peek in. A man and woman are inside, chatting. A server and busboy on break. “Oops. Sorry. Wrong door.” I close it.
Where did Luke go?
Then I remember. Our kiss. The alley. Except I have to go through the kitchen to get there. I hold my head high and walk into the kitchen. Workers are bustling around, all busy, so no one seems to notice me.
Nicely done, Katelyn.
I step into the alley and—
“Luke. There you are.”
He’s sitting on the ground petting a stray dog—a cute furry guy with short light hair—when he looks up. “What are you doing out here?”
“Looking for you.”
He stands quickly. “Did you need something? I put the orders in. The sommelier should be delivering your Dom right about now.”
“I just wanted to talk to you. You seem a little…off.”
“Off?”
“Yeah. I guess I expected you to be as excited as I am about the job opportunity.”
He smiles, though it seems weak. “I’m very happy for you. Of course I am.”
I force my lips into a weak smile to match his. “Really?”
“Yeah.”
“You don’t sound—”
He advances on me, his eyes full of flame. “All I really want, at this moment, is to kiss you, Katelyn.”
“Plea—”
But before the word is complete his lips are on mine, and he’s taking me. Ravishing me with his mouth.
Luke’s kisses are something so special, so hypnotic. He doesn’t just kiss. He makes love with his mouth. He fucks with his mouth.
I’m throbbing all over, especially between my legs.
Can you climax from a kiss? I’m beginning to think it’s possible.
Just as I’m sure I’m about to find out, he breaks the kiss with a loud smack. “Let’s get out of here.”
“Luke, I—”
“I need you. I need to have you one more time. Please.”
“One more time? What are you—”
“Please, baby. Please.”
Yes. God I want to say it. I want him so badly. But—
“I’m on a business dinner, Luke. You know that. And you’re working.”
“I don’t give a damn. Please, Katie. Please.”
Katie? No one’s called me Katie since…
Aunt Agnes two days ago.
And Jared, that night…
“Don’t call me that,” I say.
His eyes widen. “Katie? Okay. Katelyn, then. Baby. My angel.”
I sigh. My angel.
I want to melt into him, kiss him again, feel his hard body against mine—all hard to my soft.
I want him inside me—not just joined in bodies but I want him inside my soul.
Except he already is.
I never imagined I could feel this way after what I’ve been through. Never imagined in a million years.
“Please, baby. I don’t care about my job. I just need you. I need you, Katelyn.”
“I can’t.” I push at his chest, force myself away from him. “I just got his job. Reid is counting on me, giving me a chance.”
“This is dinner with his secretary, not a work day with him. Please.”
“What about your—”
He presses his lips to mine. “I don’t care about that. All I care about is you. Just you.”