Luke knew about Carlton. He knew her husband had been a murderer and he knew that she had killed him in self-defense. Part of her had wished that she had been charged with murder. Maybe that would have made her feel less guilty about the women who had died right underneath her.
Was Luke going to walk away now?
She wouldn’t blame him if he did.
As scared as she was that the truth would end this fledgling relationship, she couldn’t deny that she felt a huge sense of relief at finally telling someone her story. She had bottled it up for so many years, dwelling on it inside her head, reliving it, fueling her guilt, but now that it was out there, she felt that huge, horrible burden had been lifted.
What would be the price of releasing that burden?
Would it be losing Luke?
Instead of running as far away from her as possible, he cradled her against him, one hand holding her close, the other alternating between smoothing her hair and rubbing small circles on her back.
It didn’t look like he was going anywhere.
Relieved, she sunk down against him. It was so nice to have someone there, to not feel that crushing loneliness.
“Here you go, you should get some rest,” Luke said, gently laying her back against the mattress. He slid off her shoes, pulled back the covers, lifted her legs, twisted her sideways so she was lying down properly, and tucked her in. Then he stood above her, still stroking her hair, “I just have to go and take care of something, but I’ll be back. Are you going to be okay here on your own for a little while?”
Summer felt completely empty. Exorcising her demons had left her drained, she felt like she could sleep for a hundred years. “I’ll be fine,” she assured him. She wanted to believe he meant it when he said he was coming back, but doubt was creeping in. Perhaps he was just trying to let her down gently.
He leaned in close, his lips hovering millimeters above hers. “You are the strongest, sweetest, bravest woman I have ever met,” he told her. Then his lips captured hers in a soft kiss. The kiss was a mixture of respect, passion, and tenderness, and all her doubts melted away.
When he ended the kiss, he headed straight for her ensuite, returning a moment later with a glass of water and a couple of pills. She took them without protest, her knee was starting to ache, and if she didn’t take the painkillers, she’d never be able to sleep, and her body desperately needed sleep.
As she rested her head back down against the pillows, she could already feel her eyes closing. She was asleep before Luke walked out the door.
* * * * *
6:28 P.M.
With the sleeping pills he’d given her, Summer should be out for a good few hours.
Luke stooped and pressed one more kiss to her lips. He loved those lips. He could never get enough of kissing them no matter how many times he got to do it.
As much as he wanted to, he didn’t have time to linger. He had a few things to take care of while she slept. He had to be quick, he wanted to be back in case Summer woke during the night or had nightmares. Thankfully, last night she had slept peacefully. Drained from the adrenalin overload from the shooting, she had crashed and slept for a full twelve hours. But tonight, he was worried that she might be more unsettled. And if she was, he wanted to be right here for her.
He couldn’t believe how close they had grown so quickly. When Summer had accused him of approaching her like an item with his checklist in hand making sure she got enough positive points to be considered as a potential partner, he hadn't been proud of hearing it put like that, but he couldn’t deny it. Itwashow he often approached women even if he hadn’t done it consciously.
Summer was special, she meant something to him already. He believed that she was the woman he had been searching for his entire adult life. That made the future so exciting. There were so many things he still had to learn about her, and each day he spent with her he felt their connection grow.
He ran his hand over her wavy brown hair. Her strength was what he admired about her the most. She had supported her husband but once she knew the truth, she had done the right thing, even though it almost ended up costing her her life. And now, even though her trust had been decimated in the past, she was putting her faith in him.
Because he couldn’t resist, he touched a kiss to her forehead.
Luke hoped she wasn't going to be angry with him for giving her one of the sleeping pills the doctor at the emergency room had prescribed. He had only given it to her because he knew she needed the rest. Talking about her past had worn her out, he was worried she would be too emotionally strung out to shut off her mind enough to sleep.
Even though he didn’t want to, he had to go. The quicker he ran his errands, the quicker he could come back here he consoled himself as he headed downstairs.
When he stepped outside her front door he paused, surveying the front yard, searching for anything out of place. He wondered whether he would ever be able to come here without replaying the shooting in his mind.
Or if Summer ever would.
Shivering, he pulled his coat tighter around himself as he headed for the car. Usually, the cold didn’t bother him, but this last day he seemed to have developed a sensitivity to it.
At his car door he paused.
He couldn’t explain it, but something felt off.