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Then it hit me. “This must have taken you hours to do. You did it all yourself?”
“Yes.”
An emotion I didn’t recognize erupted in the pit of my stomach. It resembled anger, but the urgency to release the emotion was stronger than that. I wanted to scream at the top of my voice. I wanted to…
Something must have registered on my face because Luke’s eyes narrowed as I approached him. He put his hands up, possibly sensing something dangerous burning inside of me. My breathing hitched at the intensity of it.
“Grace. I know I’ve said it before and I don’t know what to do to prove it. But I really am—”
I didn’t want him to apologize again, so I put my finger on his lips. I wanted to hear nothing more.
I pushed him up against the wall and opened my mouth to say something when his eyes fell to my lips. My gaze bounced from his eyes to his bottom lip, and I faltered. The words died on my tongue. Then I tilted my head and pressed my lips to his. I moved slowly, hesitantly, unsure how he would react. Unsure what was happening.
Luke held his body still. He didn’t move his lips or push me away.
Oh, god. Maybe he’s being polite and waiting for me to stop kissing him. Then he’ll clear his throat and wish me goodnight.
The thought stilled my heart. Humiliation clogged my throat. I pulled away from him, clutching my neck.
“I’m sorry. That was completely out of line and if I made you feel uncomfortable, I—”
I couldn’t complete that sentence because this time it was Luke who pushed his body against mine, pressing me against the hallway corridor. He inhaled the air that I breathed right before he pressed his lips harshly against mine. They felt punishing, as did his hands that grabbed my waist and squeezed. I could hardly breathe, gasping for breath between each kiss. When he moved his mouth to the skin beneath my ear, I sucked in a lungful of air and shivered when I exhaled.
“Grace,” he whispered, his breath tickling my ear. “Jesus, Grace.”
He nuzzled my jaw until his mouth found mine again, and I lost myself in a storm of hunger and wanting. I wanted Luke. I had wanted him since the first day of high school and maybe every day since. I had just never allowed myself to admit it. It would hurt too much thinking that he’d betrayed me. But I’d let him down, too.
But he had restored my painting and perhaps even a chance at—never mind. I didn’t want to ruin it by overanalyzing this moment.
A vibration in my pocket distracted us both and I grabbed my phone from my back pocket. The daily reminder to give my mom her medication buzzed. “I’ve got to go,” I said.
Luke’s hand trailed against my jaw as he stared into my eyes. I felt lost in his gaze.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said, his voice husky and raw. His Adam’s apple dropped as he swallowed hard.
I nodded and pulled away from his arms. He watched me as I walked inside my apartment and shut the door. Leaning against the other side of the door, I closed my eyes and exhaled. A knock made me jump. I opened the door and found the painting on my doorstep and Luke stepping into the elevator. He waved, then the doors closed. I picked up the painting and brought it inside.
Back in my apartment, I assessed my trembling legs and racing heart and giggled.
I may have been twenty-eight years old, but suddenly, I felt like a teenager again.
“What’s so funny, Grace?” asked my mom when I walked back into the living room, the smile still on my face.
“I always thought I’d never want to feel fourteen again. But then life shows you—never say never!”
14
Luke
She kissed me. Grace Sweeney kissed me. And I lost my mind. I replayed the moment over and over in my head last night and again this morning on the way to work. The feel of her body pressed up against mine, the way my fingers splayed her waist, and the possessiveness that grew within me. I’d never felt that before. She smelled like coffee and vanilla, strong and sweet.
As I walked down the marble floors of Crawford Corporation, my heart hammered in my chest. I wondered how she would react today.
Would she ignore what happened at her apartment? Would I let it go and not press her on it?
I had no idea what I would do if she pretended as though nothing had happened. Because I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
“Luke,” Colton’s voice cut through my thoughts. “Can I see you for a minute?”
