“I was going to ask you out for a beer. Then I remembered I have a dentist appointment and now I’m late so I’m just going to…” I was preparing for escape, I took two steps toward the door, mid-rant, and Luke moved.
One second he was several feet away from me. The next second, he was right there, bent over and, I kid you not, his shoulder slammed straight into my belly, he lifted up and started moving, taking me with him. I let out a small, surprised scream and I heard a couple of gasps as his shoulder twitched and he bumped me into a more solid position on it, his arm wrapped around the backs of my thighs. He walked from the room, opening a door and carrying me with him as he went through.
At this turn of events I was too stunned to move much less struggle. But I did lift my head to see Shirleen and Mace as well as another black lady, another seriously hot guy and a movie star gorgeous woman with black hair and violet eyes all watching us go.
We were in a hall and I saw the door close behind us right before I came to myself and yelled, “Let me down!”
Luke didn’t answer. He turned and we went through another door. He stepped free of the door, turned again and I saw we were in a kitchenette slash locker room. I heard the door close before Luke turned one more time, bent forward and set me on my feet. I would have done something (though I didn’t know what that something was) to get away but he moved into me. I had no choice but to move back and I slammed against the door. Luke came up close, the heat from his body hitting me, his face in mine and I stilled. He was so tall and broad, I couldn’t see anything but him. He was so pissed off and full of attitude, I was captivated by him and wouldn’t have been able to look or move away if I tried.
“What’re you doin’ here?” he repeated, dark blue eyes shining dangerously.
I ignored the danger, mainly because, at this point, I was seriously angry.
“Did you just carry me in here?” I snapped.
“Ava, I’m only gonna ask one more time,” Luke warned.
I put my hands in the spare space between us, right on his rock-solid chest and gave a mighty shove. Then my eyes widened and dropped to my hands.
I was pretty certain I had given a good, old shove but he didn’t move, not an inch.
Holy shit.
Okay then, new tactic.
“First, your friend physically detains me and now you’re carting me around against my will,” I yelled. “I’m calling the police.”
“You’re gonna tell me what’s going on. Are you in trouble?”
“Step back, Luke.”
“Are you in trouble?”
“Step back!” I shouted.
He didn’t step back. Instead, he got closer, so much closer, his body touched mine and one of his hands went to the door beside my head, the other by my hip. I was totally trapped.
I sucked in breath.
Yippee! Bad Ava shouted in my ear.
Oh my, Good Ava breathed.
It was safe to say I pretty much would have sold my soul to the devil a thousand times in my life to have Luke this close.
“Talk to me, Ava,” Luke ordered, his voice had dipped low. He didn’t sound pissed off now, he sounded patient and a lot like Luke had always sounded whenever he talked to me. Gentle. Affectionate.
I should have responded to his tone but he was so close, my head tilted back to look at him and my eyes caught on his mouth. That ‘tache was hot but it surrounded the most superior set of lips I had ever seen in my whole goddamned life. I had of course noticed he had a nice mouth but I never had the opportunity to stare at it in that kind of proximity.
The top lip was nicely formed, the bottom one full; the balance was perfect and there were these sexy ridges that made you want to explore. I found myself wondering if that mouth was soft or hard when he used it to kiss you. Then I found myself wondering what it tasted like. Then I found myself thinking I wanted to run my tongue along it.
“Ava,” I watched it move as it said my name and my eyes drifted dreamily up to Luke’s.
I was in kind of a fog and when my eyes hit his I was no longer thinking clearly, totally lost in the moment, so lost I licked my lips.
“Jesus,” he muttered, his voice soft and now he was staring at my mouth.
I watched, fascinated as his face stayed hard but his eyes went warm. Ultra warm. Warm in a way I had never seen before. He always looked at me with warmth in his eyes and I knew he didn’t look at everyone that way, but as he always looked at me that way I knew this was different, way different. His eyes were warm in a way that made me feel warm, all over.
He wasn’t that far away but he started to come even closer.
Ho-ly shit.
I blinked and, self-preservation in mind, I shoved at him again, pulling my head back with a jerk and cracking it against the door.
The moment was broken.
“Step back!” I shouted.
Luke’s eyes narrowed. “What are you playin’ at?”
“I’m not playing at anything,” I yelled. “I was in the neighborhood, I thought I had time on my hands. Mom told me you worked here so what the fuck? Stop by and see an old friend. Then you all act like Neanderthal crazies. Jeez. Forget it. I have to go to the dentist. He’s gonna be pissed.”