sunshine | l.r.h

four

chapter four:

use your words

"And where are you going tonight," Natalia questions, walking into the living room. Shrugging, Delilah fixes her hair in the mirror. She narrows her eyes at the girl, knowing her far too well. "This doesn't have anything to do with a certain blonde who left you lonely, right?"

"You said I should start letting go," she shrugs, glancing over at her. Natalia grins at the girl in the mirror.

"So you jumped into a fuck buddy relationship?" She laughs lightly.

"I'm simply letting it happen," Delilah grins, quoting her friend from nights before. 

"What's his name again?" Natalia questions.

"Luke Hemmings." A very attractive name to fit the very attractive person it belongs to. Natalia joins her friend in the mirror.

"Well, Luke better be ready because you look hot as hell," she compliments. Delilah picked the dress for a reason. It wasn't as revealing as the maroon one but it hugged her body just right. The white fabric ends just above her knee. Delilah's keeping the makeup to just eyeliner, mascara, and lipgloss. She glances at the clock, the time reading close to 9 pm. 

"Well, it's almost that time," Delilah grins at her friend. Natalia smiles, placing her hands on Delilah's shoulders. 

"I'm glad you're stepping out," she whispers. "You needed a break."

"Thank you for encouraging me," Delilah matches Natalia's softness. "I'll text you when I get there."

"Go have fun," she smiles. Delilah goes to leave when Natalia calls out, "use protection!"

Delilah's cheeks heat up as she turns to flip her friend off. Her Uber pulls up just outside the apartment building. She tells him the address and climbs into the back of the car. The closer they get the more Delilah can feel her nerves start acting up. The Uber stops outside the tall building. Delilah takes a breath before getting out.

The New York air is cool tonight. She blames it for the goosebumps raising up on her skin. She enters before pressing the button leading directly up to his apartment. It's not long before she's in the elevator. As the elevator ascends, she looks out the window, watching everyone below her grow smaller and smaller. She rubs her arms, suddenly cold despite the sleeves covering her skin. 

When the elevator stops, she's greeted with a single door. He has the entire floor, she thinks to herself. Her knuckles meet the door three times. A few seconds later, it opens, revealing Luke on the other side. He's in a white button-up and black dress pants. Delilah quietly thanks herself for deciding on a classier dress. 

"You look," his voice trails off as his eyes travel up and down her, having no shame in checking her out. "Stunning."

"Thank you," she smiles, trying to brush away the heat creeping up her neck. He steps to the side, allowing her in. She takes in the interior. Everything is pristine. There's a couch in the middle of the room that probably costs more than her rent. She feels out of place in such an expensive room. A hand on the small of her back causes her to jump. She turns, seeing the blonde behind her.

"You okay?" he smirks. She nods, unable to find her words. "Use your words, sweetheart."

If someone could melt to the ground from a single phrase, Delilah knows damn well she would've done it then and there.

"Uh, yeah, I'm just... shocked," she rushes. Luke grins, proud of the reaction he got. He takes her hand gently, pulling her into the kitchen.

"You hungry? I cooked," he explains, letting go of her hand. She tries to take in as much of the kitchen as possible. Marble counters, stainless steel appliances, and a long dining table sits in the middle. As Delilah's eyes scan the room, something catches her eye. A large painting sits alone on the wall, making it clear that it's the center of attention. Luke watches her admire the piece from afar. She takes in the delicate lines and brush strokes that blend so well. "You like it?"

"Yeah," she whispers. Luke pours out two glasses of champagne before joining Delilah's side. She takes one of the small glasses gently. All of this feels so surreal. "It's beautiful."

"Yeah," he agrees, unable to take his eyes off of her. "It is."

"So," she clears her throat, feeling his eyes on her. "You cooked?"

He smiles before moving back into the kitchen. She takes a seat at one of the barstools by the counter. "That I did, sweetheart."

"So," she begins, leaning on the counter. The angle she's at gives him a clear view of her chest. He keeps his eyes trained on the food in front of him. She grins at her slight advantage. "Do you cook for all of your guests?"

"What? Can I not let a girl get comfortable before I fuck her?" He cocks a brow at her. Her cheeks and chest burn. He leans forward, now the one with the upper hand. "You know, you're pretty when you blush."

"So I've been told," Delilah tries to play off. 

"So, do you want some food? A tour maybe?" He questions confidently.

"How about a tour then food," she proposes. He nods before moving toward the end of the room. Delilah follows behind closely as they move through the long hallways. She still can't seem to wrap her head around all of this. Everything about the man next to her intrigues her. "How old are you?"

"Twenty-five," he answers, sensing where the conversation was going. "How about you?"

"Twenty-two," she mumbles, still taking everything in. The final room he takes her in is a bedroom. Being in a bedroom with him only makes her body ripple with memories of that night. She tries to distract herself with something else in the room other than the man behind her. A red guitar sits propped up in the corner.

"Ah, the cherry Gibson," he follows her gaze to the guitar.

"You play?" She questions, turning to Luke. He shrugs nonchalantly. 

"Here and there," he answers. Delilah sees the look deep in his eyes. He's thinking the exact thing she is. He looks down at her. He takes a step back as if to compose himself. Delilah makes note of the small action. She takes a step closer, placing her hands on his button-up. She undoes the top two buttons, letting a small baby angel chain poke through. The chain is a sharp contrast to the thoughts running through both of their heads. "You ready to eat?"

She nods and the two head back into the kitchen, trying to push off the tension between them as long as possible. Delilah hoists herself onto the counter by the sink. The action makes her dress ride up her legs a bit. Luke can't help but steal a glance as he walks by. She decides to push it further by crossing her legs.

"Uh, what do," Luke pauses, trying to regain his thoughts.

"Use your words, Luke," Delilah echoes his tease from earlier. It takes seconds for Luke to insert himself between Delilah's legs. The kiss is hot as the tension continues to build. Delilah's hands start working at the buttons of his shirt before she slips her hands onto his skin. He breaks the kiss to bring his lips to her neck. Pushing down the shoulder of her dress, he sees the now fading mark from nights before. A cocky smirk is on his lips as he kisses the area again. His lips trail down her neck to her chest. "We staying here?"

He kisses back up her neck until he reaches her ear. "Lilah, you can pick any piece of furniture in this place and I'll happily take you there." Her head falls back at his words. "You sure?"

"Yes," she nods, begging him to continue. Luke smirks, letting his lips ghost her neck. 

"You're sure?" He teases, slipping his arms under her thighs. 

"Luke," she scolds, earning a chuckle from him. His lips are back on her neck and trail down over the fabric of her dress. The lower he goes, the more she leans back until her back is flat against the cold marble.