Break
Page 20
BAM! My head smacked right into something solid and damp. A pair of hands took my arms and I saw Luke looking incredibly contrite, dressed only in a towel wrapped around his waist.
“Jessica!” He released my arms. “Are you alright?”
My nose was stinging a bit. Holy crap, I thought as I studied his perfectly carved chest and arms. My chest felt feverish and I was very aware of how hot my face and neck were. His damp hair flattened against his neck. “Uh—wow. You’re in really good shape.”
Ugh. Once again, I was at the mercy of my exhausted brain.
“Oh,” he smiled and briefly looked down at himself. “Well, I try.”
Please tell me there will be some public event in the future that will require him to take his clothes off. My hand flew to my hair absentmindedly and I twirled a strand around my finger. “Suddenly, I feel like I should work out. I mean—I’m sorry for bumping into you. I was distracted.”
The smell of his body wash hung like a musky cloud around him; it was intoxicating. He looked down at me with a seductive, shit-eating grin as he crossed his arms over his chest and studied me. The bastard knew how hot he was and he wasn’t ashamed of flaunting it. A guy like him—how did he keep his ego in check?
Stop twirling your hair, idiot! I immediately snapped my arm to my side and resolved to keep my hands still. It was incredibly hard to keep my gaze fixed on his eyes; they wanted to wander down his chest to the towel precariously wrapped around his waist, revealing trim abs and a sprinkling of dark hair that led straight to his—
Luke cleared his throat. Mortified, I glanced back to his widening grin. He definitely noticed me checking him out.
“I was thinking that we could explore London today. I have meetings in the afternoon, but I could meet you afterwards.”
I can’t hear you when your clothes are off. Somehow, though, my brain picked up on “explore London” and “today.” The excitement seared through my veins like caffeine. I couldn’t wait to go out there. “Sure, I’d love that.”
“It’s a bit early to go out, but why don’t you get yourself ready while I answer some emails?”
“Okay.”
He walked around me with a small smile playing on his lips. For a moment, he looked like he wanted to add something but he changed his mind at the last second and shook his head, laughing a bit to himself.
Beaming, I practically skipped to the bathroom, which was more the size of a locker room. The tiles were heated and I sighed in pleasure as I walked bare-footed, gazing at the gleaming porcelain sinks and the glass shower, which still had a sprinkling of water on the walls. I could imagine Luke showering in a fog of steam, his rippled body hanging out briefly to grab the powder-white towel on the rail. For a brief moment, I envisioned us showering together and I nearly gasped out loud. My legs were wrapped around his powerful waist as he held me up in his arms and drove into me, my back against the shower wall. I could feel the stab of pleasure radiating up my thigh, glowing in the warmth between my legs.
The shower heated in seconds and I stepped into the hot blast of water, the knots in my shoulder melting away. It was already stocked with a myriad of products. I lathered myself up in a perfumed steam and imagined Luke’s hands gripping my waist, his neck bending down to kiss my naked flesh.
A thrill of exhilaration and fear rippled through my body. It was hard to think about sex without thinking about my trauma. Sex still frightened me as much as it enticed me. I shook my blonde head violently. It didn’t matter right now. I wasn’t going to be having sex with Luke, even if we had amazing chemistry.
As I toweled myself off, I realized that the bathroom didn’t come equipped with hairbrushes. I had to return to my suitcase. I let my wet hair cascade down my shoulders and left the bathroom dressed in nothing but a towel wrapped firmly around my body. Anxiety stabbed my chest as I peeked around the corner and saw him in the living room. Let’s see him react to me.
Luke was sitting on the couch with his laptop, fully dressed. A phone was against his ear. I walked across his vision and inwardly smiled when I noticed a lull in his speech. I glanced back casually and saw that Luke was staring directly at me unabashedly. Naked desire shone all over his face, in the way that his mouth hung half-open and the white-knuckled fingers clutched his phone. A moment later, Luke snapped back to his conversation.
“Yes, sorry. As I was saying…”
I walked towards the bathroom with my toiletry bag in my hand and felt his eyes following me back. I smirked to myself in the mirror as I applied my makeup in the bathroom. He thinks he’s so great. He was great. Maybe I am, too.
“Ahem.”
The eyeliner flew out of my hand as a face suddenly materialized in my mirror. I glanced to my right and screamed, knocking several tins of makeup off the sink. Luke was standing in the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest and a frown plastered over his face.
“What are you doing?” I shrieked as I bent over to pick them up. “I could have been naked!”
“Yes, how horrible that would be,” he drawled.
Something had changed between us. I didn’t like the accusatory stare in his eyes or the aggressive way he blocked my exit.
“I know what you’re trying to do and I don’t like it,” he continued.
A small shock rippled through my body. He thinks I’m up to something? I looked around the room, searching for evidence that I had done something wrong. Had I used his hair products against his permission? Bewildered, I threw my hands up. “I have no idea what you’re—”
“If you get me to do something with you, you could sue for sexual harassment.”
The accusation stunned me for a moment, then I threw back my head and laughed at how ridiculous that sounded. Luke flinched at my laughter echoing in the tiled room. “That’s the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard. You’re already paying me ten grand a month. Why would I get greedy? That’s stupid.”
Still shaking with laughter, I shook my head and returned to the mirror to apply my makeup. Luke’s frown reflected in the mirror. Did he seriously believe that I had an ulterior motive?
“C’mon, Jessica. You just walked around the apartment half-naked. Don’t tell me you didn’t expect me to notice that.”
I hung my head, my hair falling like a curtain around my face. He was right, of course. But I didn’t do it so I could screw him over!
“Who was the one who did it first?” I turned around to gaze into Luke’s wide eyes. “I just did the same thing you’ve been doing to me all this time. Admit it. You like the attention.”
“Jessica!” He released my arms. “Are you alright?”
My nose was stinging a bit. Holy crap, I thought as I studied his perfectly carved chest and arms. My chest felt feverish and I was very aware of how hot my face and neck were. His damp hair flattened against his neck. “Uh—wow. You’re in really good shape.”
Ugh. Once again, I was at the mercy of my exhausted brain.
“Oh,” he smiled and briefly looked down at himself. “Well, I try.”
Please tell me there will be some public event in the future that will require him to take his clothes off. My hand flew to my hair absentmindedly and I twirled a strand around my finger. “Suddenly, I feel like I should work out. I mean—I’m sorry for bumping into you. I was distracted.”
The smell of his body wash hung like a musky cloud around him; it was intoxicating. He looked down at me with a seductive, shit-eating grin as he crossed his arms over his chest and studied me. The bastard knew how hot he was and he wasn’t ashamed of flaunting it. A guy like him—how did he keep his ego in check?
Stop twirling your hair, idiot! I immediately snapped my arm to my side and resolved to keep my hands still. It was incredibly hard to keep my gaze fixed on his eyes; they wanted to wander down his chest to the towel precariously wrapped around his waist, revealing trim abs and a sprinkling of dark hair that led straight to his—
Luke cleared his throat. Mortified, I glanced back to his widening grin. He definitely noticed me checking him out.
“I was thinking that we could explore London today. I have meetings in the afternoon, but I could meet you afterwards.”
I can’t hear you when your clothes are off. Somehow, though, my brain picked up on “explore London” and “today.” The excitement seared through my veins like caffeine. I couldn’t wait to go out there. “Sure, I’d love that.”
“It’s a bit early to go out, but why don’t you get yourself ready while I answer some emails?”
“Okay.”
He walked around me with a small smile playing on his lips. For a moment, he looked like he wanted to add something but he changed his mind at the last second and shook his head, laughing a bit to himself.
Beaming, I practically skipped to the bathroom, which was more the size of a locker room. The tiles were heated and I sighed in pleasure as I walked bare-footed, gazing at the gleaming porcelain sinks and the glass shower, which still had a sprinkling of water on the walls. I could imagine Luke showering in a fog of steam, his rippled body hanging out briefly to grab the powder-white towel on the rail. For a brief moment, I envisioned us showering together and I nearly gasped out loud. My legs were wrapped around his powerful waist as he held me up in his arms and drove into me, my back against the shower wall. I could feel the stab of pleasure radiating up my thigh, glowing in the warmth between my legs.
The shower heated in seconds and I stepped into the hot blast of water, the knots in my shoulder melting away. It was already stocked with a myriad of products. I lathered myself up in a perfumed steam and imagined Luke’s hands gripping my waist, his neck bending down to kiss my naked flesh.
A thrill of exhilaration and fear rippled through my body. It was hard to think about sex without thinking about my trauma. Sex still frightened me as much as it enticed me. I shook my blonde head violently. It didn’t matter right now. I wasn’t going to be having sex with Luke, even if we had amazing chemistry.
As I toweled myself off, I realized that the bathroom didn’t come equipped with hairbrushes. I had to return to my suitcase. I let my wet hair cascade down my shoulders and left the bathroom dressed in nothing but a towel wrapped firmly around my body. Anxiety stabbed my chest as I peeked around the corner and saw him in the living room. Let’s see him react to me.
Luke was sitting on the couch with his laptop, fully dressed. A phone was against his ear. I walked across his vision and inwardly smiled when I noticed a lull in his speech. I glanced back casually and saw that Luke was staring directly at me unabashedly. Naked desire shone all over his face, in the way that his mouth hung half-open and the white-knuckled fingers clutched his phone. A moment later, Luke snapped back to his conversation.
“Yes, sorry. As I was saying…”
I walked towards the bathroom with my toiletry bag in my hand and felt his eyes following me back. I smirked to myself in the mirror as I applied my makeup in the bathroom. He thinks he’s so great. He was great. Maybe I am, too.
“Ahem.”
The eyeliner flew out of my hand as a face suddenly materialized in my mirror. I glanced to my right and screamed, knocking several tins of makeup off the sink. Luke was standing in the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest and a frown plastered over his face.
“What are you doing?” I shrieked as I bent over to pick them up. “I could have been naked!”
“Yes, how horrible that would be,” he drawled.
Something had changed between us. I didn’t like the accusatory stare in his eyes or the aggressive way he blocked my exit.
“I know what you’re trying to do and I don’t like it,” he continued.
A small shock rippled through my body. He thinks I’m up to something? I looked around the room, searching for evidence that I had done something wrong. Had I used his hair products against his permission? Bewildered, I threw my hands up. “I have no idea what you’re—”
“If you get me to do something with you, you could sue for sexual harassment.”
The accusation stunned me for a moment, then I threw back my head and laughed at how ridiculous that sounded. Luke flinched at my laughter echoing in the tiled room. “That’s the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard. You’re already paying me ten grand a month. Why would I get greedy? That’s stupid.”
Still shaking with laughter, I shook my head and returned to the mirror to apply my makeup. Luke’s frown reflected in the mirror. Did he seriously believe that I had an ulterior motive?
“C’mon, Jessica. You just walked around the apartment half-naked. Don’t tell me you didn’t expect me to notice that.”
I hung my head, my hair falling like a curtain around my face. He was right, of course. But I didn’t do it so I could screw him over!
“Who was the one who did it first?” I turned around to gaze into Luke’s wide eyes. “I just did the same thing you’ve been doing to me all this time. Admit it. You like the attention.”
