So for now, this was our best option. It sucked, but I had a feeling this tough little girl could handle it.
Chapter Four
That night, I headed to bed early. The rush we'd all gotten when we heard Brody had been arrested didn't last long enough. Now we were dealing with the fallout, and there was plenty to go around. Even worse, I couldn't help. I was basically the money guy. I could help Violet with how things appeared, but that was basically it.
I couldn't fix the equipment, mend fences, or anything else. Violet wouldn't let me near the books, so I'd spent the day with Darnell talking about ways to make sure Luke looked like the perfect father. It all kept coming back to the same thing, and it pissed me off. Luke needed to be a straight, white country boy. He needed to fit right into the box people assumed meant "good father," and that meant I needed to back the fuck off.
I still had bruises from the night we'd been jumped by those rednecks down at the grill. My ribs were a sickly green color now, but I could dress myself again. Granted, casual clothes were also my friend, because I was not putting on anything fitted like this. And my face? I had a very impressive black eye, a yellow mark on my jaw that was easy to overlook, and a scab in my hairline from the cut. I was pretty sure one of those fuckers had been wearing a ring.
I'd just pulled off my shirt and was looking for a pair of shorts when a soft rap sounded at the door. A split-second later, it opened. I simply glanced back, thankful I was still decent.
"Cy?" Luke asked, peeking his head in. Instead, he saw me. "Oh." And he stepped in, closing the door behind him. "How's the ribs?"
I turned so he could see the bruise. "Only hurts if I press now. You?"
"I didn't take the brunt of that," he said, but his eyes hung on my chest. "You should come riding with me tomorrow."
I had to shake my head to make that settle into place. "On a horse?"
"Cricket," he said. "She's nice and calm. You already rode Butch."
"Yeah..." I tossed my shorts at the bed and closed the distance. "Luke, this is a bad idea."
He just turned the lock behind him and then stepped into me. His voice dropped to a deep, sensual rumble. "No one said I can't spend time with you. I like you, Ash. Even when you're an arrogant asshole."
I couldn't help myself. I reached up to clasp the side of his neck. "And when I can't keep my hands off you?"
"Faith's in her room, taking a shower, and then she'll go to bed. I can hear the water running in the hall. I'm just making plans for what we'll do after church."
"Kiss me hard enough and I might even wake up and go with you," I taunted.
That was all he needed. Luke grabbed the side of my neck and pulled my mouth to his. He didn't care about the bruises. He wasn't worried about being careful. I'd said hard, and he was proving that he knew exactly what that meant. I bit his lip, and my hand moved between us, cupping that bulge in his tight jeans. The man moaned against my mouth.
"Once with you wasn't enough," I said, pressing into his hand around my throat. "A kiss won't satisfy me."
So he thrust into my hand. "You want that, then you have to be a good boy."
Oh, fuck. NowIwas hard. All I could think about was dropping to my knees and taking him into my mouth. I also knew I couldn't. His daughter was just down the hall, and she had no idea he was anything but straight. That meant this couldn't happen.
"If you loved me, you wouldn't tease me," I whispered between kisses.
"Naw," he breathed, tilting his forehead to press it against mine the way I always did with him. "That's for Cy tonight. Just know that while he's balls-deep in your ass, I'll be lying in my room like a good boy, jerking one out, thinking about you two."
Yeah, I had to step back, putting a little distance between us before I went too far, but when I reached down to put things in place, his eyes followed. I couldn't help it. I stroked myself through my jeans, loving the hunger in his gaze. Thankfully, he didn't come closer - because if he had, I knew exactly how this would end.
"You have to be up early," I reminded him.
Luke just stepped back to flop against the wall. "Yep, but I need a minute to get the blood back where it belongs."
"Two weeks," I reminded him.
"So come riding with me tomorrow, Ash? A pair of horses will keep us from getting stupid. Me, you, some country fun."
I wanted to. Crazy as that sounded - because I was not a horse lover - I still wanted to just so I could spend a little more time with him. And yet, I knew that my body wasn't quite up to that. I also knew someone else who needed the chance.
"Take Cy," I said. "He loves horses. Been a long time, and I'm not ready, Luke." I gestured to my ribs to prove what I meant. "Next weekend?"
He nodded. "I can do that." Then he looked like he was about to turn for the door, but he paused. "Um... can I ask something?"
