Page 15 of Truly (Peachwood Falls #2)

L aina

I step out of the shower and wrap myself in the fluffiest towel in the cabinet. Then I quickly dry my hair with another one.

Luke told me stories most of the day, just like I requested.

The time flew by, and I surprisingly didn’t hate barn work as much as I thought I would.

We stopped for a sandwich midafternoon, and then he did paperwork in the barn office while I swept the floors and cleaned the water buckets and feeders.

The silence gave me time to move my body—without a trainer screaming at me—and to unload my mental burdens.

I take in my reflection in the mirror. The rosiness in my cheeks looks nice.

Even without concealer, I don’t look like a zombie—a huge surprise.

Most importantly, when I look into my eyes, I don’t see a woman worried about how the pieces of her life will fall in line.

I see someone who might trust the process and herself to make it work no matter what.

When I open the door, steam billows into the hallway. I step onto the carpet and notice Luke standing at the bottom of the stairs. His hair is wet from the shower he took while I swept off the back porch. I decided to do it since I was filthy anyway.

A pair of sweatpants hangs low on his hips. He’s shirtless— because, of course, he is . His feet are bare, too.

It’s been too long since I’ve had sex. I’m not strong enough for this level of visual temptation.

His chest is wide and dusted with hair, and his shoulders rise to his neck in thick layers of muscle.

Lines are etched into his abdomen imperfectly because they were created by hard work, not a gym.

His arms are a map of hills and valleys as one muscle runs into the next, and the tattoos on his left shoulder that I’ve only seen in a couple of shirtless videos online are so fucking sexy in person.

My lord.

The man is a work of art.

“I thought I heard the shower turn off,” he says, one foot resting casually on the bottom step. Mischief dances along his features. “I thought we could order a pizza for dinner. Figured you’d be too tired to help me make anything.”

My skin tingles at the look in his eyes—the one that says he’s been thinking about eating, and it has nothing to do with dinner.

I grin, easing my grip on the towel slightly so it drops low enough to expose the tops of my breasts. I pretend not to notice.

He notices, though. His gaze drops immediately to my chest.

“Good call,” I say, squeezing my chest together. “I’m exhausted after everything today. I might even take a quick nap.”

His gaze sears a path from my décolletage, up my neck, across my jaw, and to my eyes.

“Let me know if you need anything,” I say coyly.

He licks his lips as I turn away and head for the bedroom.

By the time I reach the doorway, I’m practically panting. My heart pounds with anticipation. He wanted me last night—we both know it. I made it clear that I wanted him. The ball is in his court. Will he pick it up ? I groan. Please let him pick it up .

I close the door and toss my towel on the bed. I reach for a cute leisurewear set in my suitcase when my attention falls on something else.

“Aha,” I say, pulling it from the depths of my bag. A grin splits my cheeks. “This will do far more for me now than it would’ve on my honeymoon.”

I slip on the emerald-green see-through baby doll-style lingerie and the tiniest thong known to man. The sides are cut, exposing my hips when I move. It was marketed as “fun and flirty,” which is exactly what I need right now.

“Let’s see what you think about this, Luke.” I twirl in the mirror, watching how the fabric shifts to obscure my nipples one moment and then make them completely visible the next. “I hope this drives you crazy.”

I move into the en suite and add some product to my hair and a touch of lip gloss to my pout. Then I add a coat of mascara, too. Why not? Go big or go home. I start to leave but turn back and give myself two squirts of perfume.

“Hey, Laina,” Luke calls from the living room. “What do you want on the pizza?”

I find the matching robe with the satin edges and minutely thicker material. Then I slip it on.

“Here goes nothing,” I whisper and open the door. “What did you say?”

“What do you want on your pizza?”

I peer down into the living room but can’t see Luke. The television is on a sports channel, and his voice comes from not too far away. He must be on the couch.

Excitement blooms in my stomach as I reach the top of the stairs.

What will he say? What will his reaction be? I’m not the little girl he remembers.

“Pepperoni is good,” I say, my voice perfectly detached. I don’t look at him as I take the first step. “Anything but sardines and onions I can?—”

“ Holy fuck .”

I win . I lift my chin and pretend not to hear him clamor to sit upright. “Handle.”

“For fuck’s sake, Laina. Damn .”

I glance at him over my shoulder, knowing full well he’s about to get a glimpse of my bare ass as I walk by. “What’s wrong, Luke?”

“Stop it. Just stop it ,” he says, the words ending on a growl. “No. Don’t stop it. Come here instead.”

“I’m going to get a glass of tea. Do you want anything?”

“Yeah. But it isn’t tea.”

He scrambles to his feet as I round the corner and out of his view.

I make myself a drink I’m wholly uninterested in to keep busy. I want him to want me. I want him to sweat.

“Did you order the pizza?” I ask sweetly. “I’m starving.”

“I can’t … what?”

I look over my shoulder. He’s leaning against the doorframe, his mouth agape.

“Pizza,” I say slowly. “You were ordering pizza. Remember?”

“Nope. I don’t.” His gaze drags down my body inch by inch. “I don’t even remember my name right now. Damn, Laina. You are fucking gorgeous .”

I grin. “Thanks. This is just a little something I found in my suitcase.”

Luke runs a hand over his chin and laughs faintly. “I can’t even find words. I feel like a fool.”

“You are a fool. You could’ve had this last night, but you turned me down.” I smile smugly and wink at him. “Now order the pizza so I can go to bed with a hot piece tonight.”

“Is that how you’re going to play this?”

“I’m not playing anything, Luke.”

Even if he couldn’t see my face, he would know unequivocally that I am, in fact, playing with him. I couldn’t keep the taunt out of my voice if I tried. And I try .

“This isn’t playing fair,” he says.

“Life isn’t fair.”

“I was doing the right thing. I wanted to make sure you weren’t doing something you’d regret.”

I level my gaze at him. “Do you want to know what I think it was?”

“I just told you what it was.”

“Hmm ... I don’t think so.” I lick my bottom lip. “I think you were making sure you weren’t doing something you’d regret.”

His eyes blaze.

“Called you out with that one, huh?” I ask. “I don’t want to take anything away from you, so I’ll admit that you were being a gentleman and giving me space to process the past few days. And from the bottom of my heart, I appreciate that. Thank you.”

He shifts his weight.

“But I also think you have the same thoughts going through your head that I do,” I say. “And you’re afraid if we connect like this, if we have sex, that it’ll hurt just as much as it did back then when we part.”

“What’s your solution to that?”

I smile at him. “I don’t have one. But I’ve made some big, risky decisions lately. They haven’t killed me yet. I might as well make one more. At least this time it won’t hurt when you don’t come for me. I’ll already expect it.”

“What are you talking about?” His face grows sober in a flash. “What do you mean when I don’t come for you?”

“I really thought you’d come and see me. You said you would. But it doesn’t matter now. We survived, and now we’re here. We’ve had a lot of life experiences since then. I think we can decide whether to hook up or not.”

“I have one problem with that.”

“Now?”

He grins. “Yes, now.”

“What? Hurry up. You still have to order the pizza.”

“I think the pizza got put on the back burner.” He blows out a breath. “Look, if we take things any further, it won’t be a hookup for me.”

My stomach drops to the floor.

“You have to know that going into it,” he says, watching me closely.

“I’m not saying … I don’t know what I’m saying, Laina.

I understand how different our lives are and how each is important to us.

But I can’t just be exiled from your life again.

I want you—I’ve always wanted you. Not a day has passed that I haven’t wanted any part of you that you’d give me. ”

I struggle to catch a steady breath. My heart races as I wrap my head around what he’s saying. He’s … always wanted me? But he didn’t find me. He let me go when I left. Luke didn’t pursue me, so why is he saying this?

“I’ve never exiled you from my life, Luke. I don’t know why you’re saying that.”

His eyes narrow as he closes the gap between us.

“This is your call. You can stay here either way. Regardless of what happens in the next few minutes, I’ll always be there for you.

” He swallows, his Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat.

“But if you really want to take this beyond a friendship, if only for this one night, it will change things for me. I’m not going to pretend it won’t. ”

His confession makes my head spin. There is so much to unpack. Why does he think I exiled him? And is he telling me he believes we should try again?

Do I want that?

A million thoughts race through my mind at record speed.

People will vilify me—they’ll downright crucify me if anyone finds out that I slept with Luke this close to my runaway bride act.

They’ll think I’ve been cheating on Tom with Luke.

The headlines will smear me and say that I led Tom on, and this is payback for what happened in Paris.

That’s how their small minds work. Because the press doesn’t know about Luke. Somehow.

But my father knows about Luke.

He knows about Luke and will actually lose his brain if he hears that we’ve rekindled a relationship. I’m unsure if it will impact my brand deals or sponsorships. Will my public relations team give up on me if I do this?

Those thoughts weigh heavily on my mind as I stand before Luke. But as I look up into his handsome face, those beautiful, kind eyes, and into a soul I feel as connected to now as I ever have … I don’t care.

I just don’t care.

Let them talk. They’re going to anyway.

I’ve made so many decisions to make everyone else happy. This— Luke —will make me happy.

“Here’s the thing,” I say, running my hands across his chest. “I don’t think what we have is just a friendship. I don’t think it’s ever been just that.”

His breaths are shaky.

“And I’ve had many life experiences since I left this town, but none of them feel the way I feel when I’m with you,” I say, smiling up at him.

“I don’t know what this looks like or how it would work.

If it can work . But I am one thousand percent sure I won’t wake up in the morning and regret this. I’ll only regret it if we don’t.”

A slow smile slips across his face. “Well, Ms. Kelley, I’d hate to disappoint you.”

Something tells me that won’t happen.