“I’ve already done it for me. I told Paul and Mary and William.” He nodded toward the crowd around us. “And Mother and Father just figured it out.”
The angry couple stood to our right.
“Look at me, Asher. Only me.” Luke pressed his forehead to mine and held me even tighter as we slowed to a stop. “Now, I’m doing this for you, for us.”
He kissed me so, so softly. Luke kissed me in front of a room full of people as tears trailed down my cheeks, then brushed his thumbs along my wet jaw.
“I love you, Asher. Please allow me to prove it.”
“I think you’re off to a great start,” I whispered through my shivering chin.
He breathed a chuckle over my lips, and I couldn’t stop from kissing him again.
“Is this okay? I can kiss you?”
“Yes, please do. Often. Always. Forever.” Luke grabbed my hand and spun me out and back in. His hold tightened on my lower back as he brought our bodies so close there was no mistaking what this display was about.
“I missed you,” I said once more. “Never let me walk away again, okay? I may put on a good show, but that killed me. I won’t survive it next time.”
“Let’s hope there is never a next time, because it killed me too.”
“I’m sorry. God, I didn’t want to hurt us.”
“Asher, Shh. It had to happen, but it’s over now. We broke. We destroyed that path. Now, let’s make one together.”
“Fuck.” I dropped my head to his shoulder. “Fuck, yes. I want that.”
“Come home with me?”
I pulled back a few inches, more than I wanted but enough I could see him, smile for him. “You’re done puttin’ on a show?”
“Well, we could fuck here, but your family and friends like me at the moment. I don’t want to ruin that. And we might get arrested.”
I chuckled. “I don’t think I’m ready for that sort of record.”
“No? Maybe a record of how many times I can make you come? How many times I can get you to shout my name? How many times I can tell you I love you before you’re sick of it.”
I shook my head. “Won’t happen.”
“I love you.” He kissed me. “I love you. I love you.”
“I love you, Luke.”
He kissed me once more, teasingly chaste, then turned us toward the exit. Luke kept his arm around my waist and ignored every glance, stare, and curious busybody we passed. I waved at the Hickory Bend crew. Momma blew me a kiss, and Percy bounced on his toes. Michael snarled, and Jamie poked him in the ribs. His usual frown was a beautiful smile for a change.
“I can’t believe no one spilled the beans. When did you plan all of this?”
He laughed, a dark rumble from his chest as we waited for the valet to bring his car around.
“I’ve been planning for about two weeks. Your friends and family only knew recently.” He raked a heated stare over my face and upper chest. “God, you’re sexy as fuck.”
The Range Rover stopped beside us. A valet rushed to open the passenger door with blushing cheeks and a shy smile.
Luke raced along the streets to get us to his place. I petted his arm, his leg, his cheek. I couldn’t stop touching him. He was real. This was real. He parked under his building not a moment too soon, and then we tried to walk and make out at the same time.
I tackled his buttons in the elevator and had his jacket, vest, and shirt open by the time we made it to his floor.
“Damn. You’re gonna kill me.”
