Guess I’ll have to save my devotion for later.
Brooklyn
Chapter 26
After dinner wrapped up, Emzee insisted on going back to Tori and Stefan’s suite to start brainstorming baby-shower themes, so Luka and I took a stroll on the beach and eventually ended up back at our bungalow. The sand had been cool under our feet, the rhythmic hush of the crashing waves soothing and meditative. We didn’t even talk, just walked for a while with our fingers lightly intertwined, taking in the scent of tropical flora and the soft glow of the moon.
Now that we’re in our room, I slip my silk shawl off my shoulders and follow Luka out onto the veranda. He’s still quiet—he’s been in kind of a daze since Tori and Stefan announced their baby news. The family had relished the rest of the meal, especially the bananas flambé for dessert, but the more the baby talk ramped up, the more subdued Luka became.
“How are you?” I murmur.
“Good,” he says without hesitation. “I’m good.”
I slip an arm around his waist and lean into him, and he doesn’t pull away. Our bodies are warm against each other, and the mood feels light between us. Maybe all the connection I felt during dinner wasn’t just a show for Luka’s family. I’m too afraid to hope that we’re going to turn a corner so soon, but I want to hold on to whatever loving side of my husband I can get.
Our bungalow sits at the edge of a private grove, with its own beach access. Despite this being a resort town, all is quiet. As I take a deep breath of night air, I feel completely content.
Anyone who tells you money can’t buy happiness is wrong. I’m not saying there aren’t other ways to be happy—just that a luxury beach vacation can really go a long way.
Luka unbuttons his shirt with one hand and lets it fall open. I slide my hungry gaze over to the smooth expanse of skin and muscle that appears as the fabric separates.
“Big news tonight, huh?” I ask, trying to keep from throwing myself at him.
“I’m really happy for them,” Luka says. “I never pictured my brother with kids, but…I guess that was before.”
“Before?” I prompt when he doesn’t elaborate.
His gaze flicks to mine as he pulls away and shrugs off his shirt, making my breath catch in my throat. “Before he had a wife that changed his life.”
I don’t know what makes my heart rush harder—his words or the sight of his naked torso. My brain wants to believe that his words are meant for me, but I’ve learned that I can’t read too much into anything that Luka says.
“They’ll be great parents.” I keep it neutral. Things are going so well right now that I don’t want to screw it up. “You know, I’ve been wanting to tell you something, too.”
His brows shoot up, and it makes me laugh. Judging by his suspicious expression, he’s probably expecting me to say that I’m also expecting.
“I’m not pregnant,” I say quickly. “It’s not that.”
He visibly relaxes. “Okay. That might be a lot for one night.”
Not that we can’t practice. I almost say it. We’ve been in paradise for over forty-eight hours and I’ve yet to get fucked by my hot, built, sex-god of a husband. My attention is drawn down as he kicks off his shoes and sinks into an overstuffed outdoor chair. There’s a fancy stone fire pit, a chaise, another cushy chair, and a coffee table out here. Electric torches on poles provide spots of illumination around the perimeter of the privacy fence. With the flick of a button, Luka turns on the fire pit. Flames rise in a line across the top, flaring blue and yellow.
Closing his eyes, Luka stretches his long, toned legs and props them up on the edge of the coffee table. “What did you want to tell me?”
There’s no way I can resist him like this. He’s a full-on treat with his body long and lean like this, the fine hair on his lower abdomen pointing like an arrow straight down the front of his shorts. Throwing my reservations to the side, I saunter over to him to nudge his ankle with my foot. He opens his eyes, sets his feet back on the ground, and looks up at me.
Without taking my gaze from his, I slowly lower myself onto the chair, straddling his lap so we’re face to face. There’s just enough room for us to sit like this, but Luka still wraps his hands around my hips to keep me balanced.
“I, um, wanted to thank you, actually,” I say.
His eyes go dark and curious. “I can’t imagine what you’d want to thank me for.”
I smooth back a curl of his hair that peeks behind his ear. “A few things. You’re working really hard to get me in on the Maxilene campaign. I know it’s partly because it will be good for DRM, but I also know you’re trying to help me reach my goals. So thank you for the support.”
“You’re welcome. I know I’ve kept your career on a tight leash, and I’ll be easing up on that.” He takes a breath, and then adds, “I can see in hindsight that it wasn’t in your best interest. I was just pulling a power trip. But I want you to be successful, and not stand in your way.”
I nod, stunned that he’s admitting this to me and also pledging to make changes going forward. He shifts a little beneath me, and I feel his cock press into my inner thigh.
“I also wanted to thank you for agreeing to get Mr. Kibbles,” I go on. “He’s a great dog, and it really makes me happy to have him around the house.”
