Rosalina
On the drive home, there's a tense silence between Luke and I. Remnants of our conversation from earlier play in my head on repeat, and I contemplate my options. I want, more than nothing, to invite Luke to my apartment. However, the elevator is broken. Making him walk up those stairs doesn't sound appealing. It would be excellent exercise, a form of strength training, but I'm still leaning on the cautious side despite his progress.
Still, there are other factors I must take into consideration. Like our earlier conversation, which keeps needling its way into my brain. Or the heady kiss we shared on the back porch. Not to mention the small tokens of affection that were littered throughout dinner, dessert, and a round of Aggravation with Hainsey and Emlyn.
Luke couldn't keep his hands off of me. If he wasn't eating or rolling the dice, his hand was on my knee. Or he was toying with the bracelet around my wrist. It was maddening—no pun intended.
I chew on the inside of my cheek as we drive down the highway. Luke inviting me over would be problematic. His parents live there; they'll return at some point, then cause extreme embarrassment in the morning.
"Luke..."
I can feel his gaze on me.
"Do you want to stay overnight at my apartment? It'll involve walking up ten flights of stairs." I briefly glance at his knee. "Your knee should be okay."
His inhale is sharp. "Yeah. If you want me to."
Fire burns in my gut. Luke didn't tease me about fixating on his knee. Which means he's just as riled up as I am. Electricity is crackling between us as the tension continues to build. This night will end exactly how Luke hinted. With us in bed.
"I do. Want you to stay over. Are you comfortable with that?"
"Rosa," he laughs. "It's walking up the stairs or sharing a bedroom at my parents' place." He pauses and frowns. "I'll need to buy a place here, eventually."
There seems to be an underlying notion to that statement, but I don't press for more information.
"I want to stay over," he continues. "Spend the night with you doing... whatever it is we decide."
My eyes flick to him before returning to the road. His tongue dragging along his bottom lip makes me want to rub my thighs together as need and want pulse through me. "Okay," I say. "Okay."
We're silent for the rest of the drive. Even when I park in the underground parkade, we don't exchange too many words. The elevator from the parking lot works, bringing us to the foyer. Luke follows me to the stairs. They're next to the other elevator, the broken one that would take us to my floor. We take our time, me glancing at his knee every so often. Luke looking and me, then fidgeting. Like he's having a difficult time resisting me.
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The One You Fight For (The One, #2)
Romance* CURRENTLY EDITING.* Luke Madden is a NHL superstar. But when an injury sidelines him, he's required to undergo physical therapy. With a stable family and girlfriend, Luke has all the resources he needs. Or so he thinks. As it turns out, there are...