“Oh, God, Emma. Please make tequila lime chicken and invite me! I haven’t had that in so long and its my favorite meal you make!” Allie was begging and I couldn’t help but laugh at her.
I met Luke as he was walking back in the front door and asked if Allie could come to dinner out at his house. He shrugged and nodded, and then asked what we were having for dinner. I told him, and he went right back out the door, yelling at Brandon and Jackson that they were actually getting a kick ass dinner for once.
I gave Allie Luke’s address and hung up with her as I walked into the kitchen to gather the ingredients that I would need for dinner.
After everything was loaded, including the four of us, we headed out to Luke’s. He reached over and pulled my hand to his thigh, locking his fingers with mine while he drove. I smiled up at him, and my heart clutched when he smiled back and winked before turning back to the road.
For the first time in a very long time, I actually felt like this was something good, something that might stand a chance, even if I didn’t agree with how domineering he could be. He made me feel special, and that’s something I’ve never had before. With D.B. Brad, he made me feel like I should feel privileged that he was letting me hang around. Sex with him was when he wanted it, on his terms, and I never got anything out of it. N-e-v-e-r. Unless I did it myself. I used to swear I was getting carpal tunnel from double clicking my own mouse just to get anything from sex with him!
That one time that he was being an asshole and trying to push my buttons, he had spanked me and was shocked when it made me hot. He called me a whore and left. It wasn’t a week later that I walked into his apartment and caught him red-handed with his neighbor. And by red-handed, I mean literally. They were painted head to toe with red body paint. At least I hope that’s what it was. If not? That bastard has issues that he needs addressed. Stat!
We got to Luke’s and the guys helped unload the car. Allie pulled up about ten minutes after us and helped me get my laundry started. There was a mountain of laundry piled up in front of the washer, so I grabbed a bunch and threw it in with mine. Men.
Allie asked if she could help me with dinner, and I agreed, but she really didn’t do much of anything. She was too busy staring at Brandon. When she wasn’t staring at Brandon, she was staring at Jackson. When she was staring at Jackson, Brandon was staring at her, a slightly disgruntled expression on his face. That made me wonder a bit, but I wasn’t going to say anything.
After I got dinner done, we all sat at the table to eat. No one said much, aside from telling me how good it was. For a while, the only sound was the clinking of the silverware and one of the guys occasionally asking for someone to pass something.
I felt surprisingly content, sitting at Luke and Brandon’s table, eating with a group of people that I’d only known for a short time, aside from Allie. The more I had pulled away from Luke, the more he had drawn me back in, and I found myself dangerously close to being completely in love with him. I was half afraid I already was. Scratch that. I knew I was. Yikes!
“Emma?” Luke’s voice broke into my thoughts.
“Hmm?” I asked, turning to look at him.
“Something wrong?” he asked me, a small smile playing about the corners of his lips.
“No, why?” I asked.
“You were staring at me and you looked a little startled at first, and then a little concerned. I was just making sure there was nothing wrong.”
I shook my head, embarrassed that I was caught starting at him, and even more embarrassed that I hadn’t even realized I’d been doing it!