Luke’s eyebrows furrow until he sighs, his face softening again. “She certainly had her hands full with all of us. So no, Josh isn’t really my brother, but we grew up as brothers, if that makes sense.”
I can’t even imagine Josh as a child, knowing how outgoing and loud he is now. I laugh to myself. “Josh is great. He and Viv seem to hit it off. Think there’s anything I should be worried about there?” I say half-joking, knowing full well Viv can take care of herself.
“Ha! Nothing to worry about there. Viv’s not Josh’s type,” Luke says with a smile and a subtle headshake.
“Excuse me, sir, what’s wrong with Viv?” I say, jerking my head back. I don’t care how beautiful this man is, Viv is my bestfriend first. “She’s a freaking catch, and any man would be lucky to have her.”
Luke raises his hands in self-defense. “Whoa, whoa, nothing’s wrong with Viv. She seems great. It’s just that Josh’s interests… are more of the masculine variety,” he says, raising his eyebrows at me, inclining his head.
Oh!“Well, now I feel dumb.”
“Don’t beat yourself up. Most people who don’t know Josh assume he’s straight. He doesn’t hide that he’s gay, but he isn’t a walking billboard either.”
It’s all making sense to me now. How unthreatening it feels when he throws his arms around Viv, or steals her wineglass as if he’s known her forever, not at all sexual or presumptuous.
“I guess now that I think about it, it makes sense.”
Luke shrugs. “Well, I should get back to work.” Planting his hands on the arms of the chair, he moves to stand.
I stand too, turning to place my mug on the empty table, but the foot of the still-rocking rocking chair catches my ankle, sending me off balance.
Before I crash into anything, two powerful hands wrap around my waist, pulling me upright.
My free hand, still holding the rose, presses against Luke’s bicep, steadying myself. The other grips my coffee mug for dear life.
Luke plucks the mug from my hand and places it safely on the table, still holding me with his other hand.
“Damn, Trip, what happened?” Luke’s eyes dance with laughter as his voice tumbles through me. His breath smells faintly of mint and fans against my face as he lets out a soft chuckle.
“I uh… It was…” I’m pressed against his hard body, a fact that I’m acutely aware of.Use your words, Liv.
With two fingers still gripping the rose, my other fingers involuntarily curl into his muscle.My goodness, that’s a nice bicep.
“It was the chair.”There ya go, girl. Good job.
“Mmmhmm.” His chest rumbles. His expression shifts. Eyes roam my face, dipping down to my lips. My tongue darts out, wetting my lips.
“You’re really trying to live up to that nickname, huh?” Luke murmurs. His grip around me tightens, pulling me closer.
I should pull away, put some space between us.
And yet…
My other hand finds his shoulder, doing the exact opposite of putting space between us. Luke’s eyes, focused on my own, darken.
His hands are still on my waist, his calloused fingers brushing the skin between the hem of my shirt and my shorts. Goosebumps skitter across my skin.
Our faces move closer together, so much so that my heart goes into overdrive. I’m almost sure that if he’s listening closely enough, he’ll hear it pounding in my chest.
I’m lost in this moment, in his arms, hidden by the rose bushes, under the shade of the balcony above us. I don’t hear the sounds of morning birds, or the soft lapping of the lake against the shore. I don’t even hear the buzzing of the weed trimmer.
Luke’s nose grazes against the side of mine. I tilt my face to allow his lips closer. His hips press into mine, and I canfeelhim, his body becoming harder against mine. It sends a thrill of pleasure through me. A gasp escapes me, and my eyes flutter closed. Abruptly, he releases his hold and withdraws as if a live wire has electrified his skin.
And with his retreat, the entire world snaps back into focus.
Luke rakes a hand through his hair and adjusts his shorts. He looks to the ground, out toward where Josh was on the lawn, to the sky, and finally back at me, scanning my ankle.
“Are you okay, though? You didn’t hurt yourself, did you?”
