Play The Part (Player Next Door Book 3)

36 | Light

Hello friends. I hope you enjoy...

Chapter 36: Light

The sun glowed overhead as Luke's arms wrapped around my waist from behind me. He was resting back against his car and I was leaning against him, my head pressed against his warm chest.

My worries slipped out of my body, like water evaporating into heat, and leaving me feeling... light.

We both watched Austin and Cearra with amusement in front of us.

And while we did, Luke's hands slipped further down, reaching the top of my jeans and he playfully flicked the button. I felt the heat rise to my cheeks as his hands lowered over the denim and slowly, smoothly, slipped his fingers into my jean pockets.

I tried not to concentrate on Luke's hands. My legs were threatening to shake a little so I adjusted my stance and he stopped until I settled down again.

Austin and Cearra were in the front lawn of the Dawson house, mock dancing, while we waited for Charlotte to come back from her alcohol run.

"Luke, are you paying attention?" Austin called out, taking Cearra's hand and spinning her round so that her white linen shirt flared out a bit and exposed her belly piercing. "This is what you're meant to be learning as her dance partner."

"Yeah, my mom might actually test you Luke," Cearra laughed, accidentally stepping on Austin's bare foot.

He'd kicked his sneakers off to take the grass dancing more seriously. He rolled the sleeves of his shirt up to his elbows and was moving his shoulders in rhythm to the music that was playing on Cearra's phone.

"Somehow, I'm not worried," Luke replied lazily from behind me.

I felt his chest vibrate with the sound of his voice, so relaxing to me. He didn't sound worried at all.

I could relax like this all day. I could feel every breath he took because his chest expanded against my back and my body rocked with his.

"Ok, but seriously, how am I supposed to do this?" Austin straightened up, pretending to be serious for a second, and acting like he was about to do the tango.

Cearra straightened his back and lowered his hand, "Step with me. 1... 2, 3. 1... 2, 3."

"1, 2... 3."

"No, 1... 2, 3," Cearra repeated, laughing with him.

"Aren't we just counting to three?" Austin asked.

"No, listen to the rhythm," Cearra corrected him, counting once more.

I whispered so only Luke could hear me, "They're definitely on track to hooking up right? Or does Austin have this kind of vibe with everyone?"

"What's taking my sister so long?" Luke murmured, shifting me towards his left side so he could slide his hand out of my pocket and into his, to pull out his phone.

Charlotte was back from college this weekend and had agreed to buy alcohol for Austin's spontaneous grotto party.

Not that we needed more alcohol.

We literally had half a dozen kegs piled in the trunk and in the backseat of Luke's car.

Luke had barely slipped his phone back into his pocket and just returned to our comfortable position of his arms around my waist, when the front door of 9 Dupont Avenue swung open and Mr Dawson stepped out.

He was dressed in work clothes with a button down shirt and navy pants. He looked so formal with his black hair perfectly combed, unlike his son's.

I hated thinking that they resembled each other, because the idea of Luke turning into his father in 30 years was enough to curb my appetite. Forever.