Play The Part (Player Next Door Book 3)

66 | Grow Up

Good evening.  I'm recovering from the comment section in the last chapter: I love you all so much. We are going through this whirlwind here... the characters are out of control...  

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Chapter 66: Grow Up

Well, we all have to grow up some time.

I just came in the wild. The wilderness.

There's something poetic about it. Animalistic.

Crazy, but... poetic?

I can't believe it was in public, crazy that it was me in public, but then that made it fun. Spicy. Unexpected.

Crazy? Does he expect us to go from zero to hero on this whole thing now? We had an easy, slow thing going. Have I just unleashed chaos?

Luke walked out of the dimly lit bathroom, drying his wet hands.

We were in a crowd of people, the music pumping all around us. Jake's party was in full swing, the Dawson home barely recognizable in the chaos.

But he looked as calm as ever. His hair messed up from the way I'd scraped my hands through it while he had me pinned up against the side of his house. His hoodie perfectly unwrinkled, even though I had been sweating pressed up against him.

The flashbacks crossed my mind as I watched him walk back towards me, my two heartbeats remembering vividly what he had done to me.

What he could do.

I looked down at his hands, trying not to remember how they moved. So deftly.

Inside.

Someone bumped into me, and I stumbled out of their way, my mind coming out of my daydream.

Luke approached me now, acting like nothing happened. Acting like this was a regular Tuesday.

Maybe he wasn't acting.

Luke Dawson can do this any day of the week. Oh my toes. Oh my gosh.

He gave me a funny look and wrapped his left arm around my shoulder, his fingertips resting on the thin fabric of my shirt.

"Why d'you look at me like that?" I asked him, glancing up at his chiselled jaw.

He shrugged, "You surprise me, Minnie."

"How?"

His voice lowered, "You play innocent, but you transform outside. Maybe I should take you round back more often."

I felt the heat in my cheeks and tried to play it off, "I overthink everything. Sometimes the thrill of it, living in the moment, takes the edge off."

I didn't feel shackled outside. It just... came over me and I wasn't... overthinking.

Luke acknowledged it, "You're always unexpected, Minnie Ripley, that's for damn sure."

"Someone has to keep you on your toes, Luke Dawson."

He smirked, "I never did know your next move."

I stretched up and kissed his cheek, "Let's get a drink."

A mischievous spark flashed through his blue eyes.

This was the famous side to Luke Dawson I had yet to fully experience. The way he can make me feel...

I never doubted it.

I'd heard about it. So often talked about and I'd never dared to cross that bridge with him. But now I wonder... how can I make him feel the same thing?