Loose Ends (Magnolia Series Book 1) (21 page)

Chapte
r
Eightee
n

Ava rolled over in bed
and hit a brick wall. Well, it wasn’t really a brick wall; it was Luke sitting up in bed beside her. His lamp was on next to him on the nightstand and he was reading something on his phone. He hadn’t noticed her awake just yet so she took the chance to admire him. Damn, she couldn’t get enough of looking at the gorgeous man in the bed next to her. Even with the firm beginnings of a full beard, he was a sight to behold. How she got so lucky as to have met him was beyond her. She’d vowed to stay single because of her circumstances, but the day she laid eyes on Luke all of that changed. A bit of sadness crept in though as she thought about the future. What if she
needed to go on the run again? What would that do to him? Did he even care for her as much as she’d begun to care for him? So many questions stood without solid answers.

“Are you staring at me?” His gravelly voice snapped her attention back to his face.

“Maybe.” Her cheeks flamed with embarrassment and she ducked her head.

“And what were you thinking about when you ‘might’ve’ been staring at me?” He sat his phone on the table beside him and scooted down under the sheet so he was eye-level with her.

“How handsome you are.” She pulled her hand from under the covers and yanked gently on his growing beard. “Even with this you’re still gorgeous.”

“First of all, men are not gorgeous. And are you telling me you don’t like my beard?” One dark eyebrow lifted in amusement.

“It’s growing on me.” Ava began to run her fingers through the course hair on his face.

“That feels good.” She watched as his eyelids shuttered his blue gaze while he reveled in the sensations that her fingers produced.

“I’m sorry you had to cut your meeting short because of me.” Ava didn’t know why she was apologizing—force of habit maybe. Or maybe it was to have some sort of conversation with him.

“Hey.” Luke opened his eyes and began to stroke her face the same way she’d done his. “You needed my help. Don’t apologize for that.”

For some reason thoughts of the future replayed again. Not necessarily their future together but one where she had to leave suddenly. “Can I ask you something?”

“Anything.” His eyes were focused on hers.

“If I had to pack up and leave tomorrow, what would you do?”

“Are you leaving?” His face became serious.

“It’s a hypothetical question.”

“Then I hypothetically don’t have to answer it.”

“I’m being serious. Just answer the question.”

In mere seconds Luke had her pinned beneath him. He wasn’t hurting her but every nerve ending in her body was singing in unison at the way his frame connected with hers. “Well, if I
knew
you were leaving, I’d tie you to my bed and make you stay.” He laid his lips on hers and began to kiss her.

Hurt crept in as his words registered. This wasn’t about a meaningful relationship like she’d hoped. It was strictly about sex for him. That should’ve been fine since that’s what they started this whole thing out as. But even though every part of her was screaming for him to touch her, another part of her—her heart—was telling her that this entire thing was headed for disaster. She’d finally told herself that Luke wasn’t just a fixation or a passing fancy. He meant something. And that something was going to rip her apart if she had to let it go.

“Look at me, Ava,” he demanded. She did as he asked. “You’re slipping away in that head of yours. I need you here, with me.”

“I don’t know if I can do this anymore.” She felt more tears begin to build and didn’t want to let them fall.

“Do what?” He looked confused.

“This. Us. I can’t pretend what we have doesn’t mean more than it does anymore.”

She watched as thoughts flew through his head. What was he going to say? Was he going to beg her to stay and give this thing a shot? Or would he tell her to pack her shit and get out. Either way, if he feigned indifference, she’d be leaving anyway. So it didn’t really matter what he had to say at this moment.

“I love you,” he said.

Ava shook her head. Did she hear him wrong? He couldn’t have said what she thought he said. “What did you say?” she whispered.

“I said I love you, Ava.”

It didn’t seem real. No, this had to be a dream and she’d wake up any second and be filled with disappointment. It was
too
perfect,
too
surreal. Someone needed to pinch her and make sure she was really hearing this correctly. Ava opened her mouth to respond to Luke’s declaration only to be interrupted by his lips on hers once again. He took his time, savoring and licking the seam of her lips while running his hand down her clothed body. She thought for a second he’d be upset that she was wearing her nightgown while in his bed, but thought better of it when she felt his hands glide over the soft cotton of the fabric. She wanted to tell him how she felt, but he wasn’t letting her. He was distracting her with his wicked mouth and hands.

Finally he broke the kiss, leaving her breathless and full of need. But still she had to say something. “Luke, I…” He stopped her by placing a finger over her kiss-swollen lips.

“Don’t. I don’t want you to say anything right now. I just want you to feel.” His words were barely a whisper, but she heard him so loud and clear. They were punctuated with the touch of his fingertips moving gracefully down her side, lifting the bottom of her nightgown, until she could feel the cool air of the room on her bare legs and midsection.

Luke’s body lifted off hers and he motioned to her gown. He didn’t have to say anything; she knew what his request was. Her. Naked. So she grabbed the hem of the garment and pulled it over her head, dropping it off the side of the bed. As she lay back against the plush pillows, Luke hooked his fingers in the band of her panties and slid them down her legs—goosebumps popping up everywhere he touched. She wasn’t sure she’d ever wanted him as much as she did right then. There was an urgency building inside that began at her core and felt like molten lava wanting to spew outward. Her eyes connected with his, asking a silent question when he didn’t move back up her body.

He shook his head. “I need to taste you.” He grabbed her legs and bent them at the knees, his gaze locking on the soaked flesh ready and waiting for his caress. “Fucking amazing.” The look of extreme intent was written all over his bearded face as he scooted down the bed and aligned his face with her intimate folds. She’d never been one to enjoy oral sex, but having Luke front and center with her like this was giving her a heady sort of power she couldn’t wait to unleash.

“Spread your knees apart for me, sweetheart. I want to see all of you.”

She squirmed as she did what he said, his hands running the course of her legs causing her to whimper in anticipation. The lamp was still on beside the bed and the image of his face between her spread thighs had her ready to explode, and he wasn’t even really touching her yet. How pathetic. She was under his spell so much that with just one look she was a heap of need around this man. A man who truly loved her. Ava smiled at that thought. Luke loved her. He didn’t just say it in the heat of the moment to make her happy, he meant it. Her thoughts of what that meant were halted by a tickling sensation along the insides of her thighs. She giggled a little when she realized it was Luke’s newly grown beard causing her to become jovial all of a sudden. But the humor was cut short as he pressed his mouth to her sex and began giving the most erotic open-mouthed kiss she’d ever felt.

Hands and fingers delved into his hair as he licked her, paying special attention to her now swollen clit. She wouldn’t last long if he kept this up. Her hips rose off the mattress as he dipped his tongue lower and fucked her in the same way he would’ve done with his cock.

“Oh fuck,” Ava moaned as he began a sensual figure eight on her clit. His mouth was pure magic wrapped in sin. But she’d burn in hell before she told him to stop.

He concentrated on what he was doing and everything was done with precision. Just when she thought the sensations couldn’t get any better, Luke added two fingers to the mix. He slowly entered her and pushed deep as he continued to tongue the outside of her sex.

“Luke, I’m going to come,” she hissed. But he didn’t speed up, he stopped entirely. “No, don’t stop,” she scolded.

“I’m not letting you come on my fingers. I want you to come on my tongue.” He placed his mouth there once more and thrust his tongue deep inside her achy channel. It didn’t fill her up as his cock would have but just knowing his mouth was on her made her lose her mind.

“Yes. Right there.” He’s managed to find a spot that made her hips buck off the bed and her words to lodge in her throat.

He pulled away for a moment to say, “When I put my mouth back on you, I want you to come all over my tongue.” Then he was back at it. His warm tongue plunged back into her and she began to move her hips along with his fucking motions.

The scream that ripped from her throat spurred him on as her release climbed up her body and had her shaking from head to toe. Ava’s hands fisted in the rumpled sheets as she felt Luke grab the cheeks of her ass and lift her slightly to get a better angle. If she didn’t think his tongue could go any deeper, she was dead wrong. It did. The feeling causing her orgasm to extend past what she thought she could handle. Pulse upon pulse slammed into her until her body felt like a heap of bones on the bed.

Near lifeless she lay there while Luke worked her down from her epic release. Yes, she would certainly take a one way ticket to hell if it meant being able to experience something like that again.

Chapte
r
Ninetee
n

Luke woke early
to prepare for the day. A day he didn’t want to have any part in. The plan was simple; the outcome would be anything but. He didn’t expect a positive result from what he’d do when Ava woke up, but somewhere deep down, he hoped against hope she would someday see that his intentions were honorable. Even though he knew full well she’d never see it like that. He’d blame it on the way the woman’s thought process worked, but he knew damn well that what he was preparing to do would shatter the beautiful soul still sleeping in his bed upstairs. All he could do was stare into his mug of black coffee and hope it would produce some valid answers.

“Morning,” Cole clunked into the kitchen with a somber expression on his face. The man was always good for seriousness when the mood called for it. Today was one of those days.

“Yeah.” Luke couldn’t even bring himself to give a proper greeting.

“Did you figure out how to get things going?” Cole strode to the coffee pot and poured himself a cup. Even the sound of the liquid hitting the ceramic mug gave him a headache.

“I did.”

“Wow, you’re just full of extended responses today, aren’t you?”

“Just do me a favor and play along when I get this rolling. You’ll probably need to take her home, too.”

“What if our friend is watching?” Cole pulled out a chair and took a seat.

“He won’t be. There’s no way he’s watching this early. Not after his stunt yesterday. He’s gonna be smart and lay low for a while today. If he comes out to play, it’ll be later this evening or tonight.”

“And you’re sure about this?” Cole asked, cocking his head to the side.

“I’m not really fucking sure about anything right now. But I don’t have another choice.”

“Can I ask what the plan is with Ava?”

“No you can’t. The more surprised you are the better. I need the effect to make it work.”

“Whatever you say. You’re the point man on this shit. I’m just the lowly backup dancer.” Cole chuckled.

Damn it, Luke wanted to punch the guy in the fucking face again.

They sat at the table in silence drinking their coffee. Luke racked his brain for another way to handle this, but after what’d happened last night, he realized he needed to stick to the plan. The house was silent save for the normal creaking of the antiquated interior. A sound he was starting to get used to since he’d been there. It wasn’t until he heard familiar footsteps descending the staircase that his nerves began to go haywire.

“Showtime,” he said to Cole as he slapped his game face on.

Ava bounced into the kitchen wearing a pair of cutoff jean shorts and a pink tank top that said ‘I’m a beautician, not a magician’ scrolled across the front in a calligraphic font. Everything in him wanted to smile at her presence but he couldn’t. This wasn’t the time or place for that. 

“Good morning, you two.” Her voice was chipper and upbeat, the polar opposite of his current mood.

“Morning, Ava,” Cole greeted and then looked over to Luke.

She went about getting herself a cup of coffee and sitting down at the table with them. Her eyes shot from his to Cole’s—he tried to keep from holding her gaze too long. If he did, he’d chicken out of what he was on the verge of doing.

“Are you okay, Luke?” Her sweet voice snapped his attention and broke his concentration for a few seconds. But he quickly recovered.

“Fucking peachy.” He shot her a sarcastic grin—by the look on her face she’d picked up on it immediately.

“Am I missing something?” She looked to Cole again.

“Don’t ask me, he was a surly bastard when I came in here.” Cole played along.

Ava laid her hand on his arm and he jerked it away like her touch had burned him. It did in a way, but there was nothing negative about this type of burn. “Luke, please tell me what’s going on. Did I do something wrong.”

He abruptly stood, knocking his chair back a couple feet. “We need to talk.” He kept his voice steady.

“Okay, then talk. Clearly you have something on your mind.” She became defensive. Just what he was hoping she’d do.

“I think I’ll step outside while you two hash out what you need to.” Cole stood and grabbed his half empty cup, retreating out the back door and away from the line of fire. If Luke knew him well, he’d bet the other man didn’t go far.

“Now we’re alone. So what’s crawled up your ass?” Ava spat. There was the spitfire emerging that he wanted to see.

Luke turned his back, if he looked directly at her while he said what he needed to, he’d cave. “I said some things last night. I’m not a man to take back things I say, but I may’ve jumped the gun on one thing in particular.” He rubbed the back of his neck where an ache was forming.

“Care to explain the
thing
you’d like to take back?”

“I think you know the one.” He still didn’t turn around.

The room became quiet and then he heard her say, “No. I want to hear you say it. Don’t you dare take the coward’s way out of this, Luke.”

“Don’t make me say it, Ava.”

“Goddamn it! At least show me the respect of looking at me!” She shouted loud enough to make him jump.

Luke blanked his features and whirled around to face her. A look of hurt peppered her features and it took all the energy he had not to cross the room and wrap her in his arms. This was going to be the final nail in the coffin of this entire conversation but it had to be done. “Look, I was worked up. After everything that’d happened yesterday, I didn’t think you’d want me near you unless I said it.” He shrugged.

“Are you fucking serious right now?”

“Yes. I didn’t know how you’d react if I wanted to go down on you. So I pushed things along a bit to make sure you’d let me.” Damn that sounded horrible when he’d said it.

“I cannot believe what I’m hearing. You told me you loved me just to get into my pants?”

“Essentially.”

“I don’t believe you.” He could see Ava was trying to rationalize everything he was telling her. But he wouldn’t back down.

“Look, sweetheart, I told you from the beginning, this was only about fucking. It had nothing to do with feelings and shit. Clearly you didn’t listen.”

“And clearly you’re a dick, just like every other man who’s fucked me over.”

“That very well may be. But you can’t stand there and tell me the end of this shit wasn’t coming sooner or later.” Damn he just wanted this to end. Why did she have to keep coming at him?

“Why did you do this? Why did you act like you cared only to treat me like this?” She wiped furiously at her cheeks—the tears streaming down like ribbons of sorrow. Sorrow he’d put there.

“I think you know why.” He gave a smirk and pointed his gaze at the crotch of her shorts.

“Just so you could get laid? Is that what this was about?” All he could do was nod. “Fine. I understand. But when I walk out that door, I won’t
ever
be coming back, Luke.” she warned.

“I don’t expect you to.”

She turned to leave the kitchen but pivoted back around. “Do you want to know something, though?”

He kept up the façade of being a dick. “Lay it on me, sweetheart.”

“I
did
give a damn about you. You were the first person who made me feel safe. You were the first person who made me see the beauty in myself. But because of you, Luke Daughtry, I will never trust anyone with my heart again.”

Her words sliced him to the bone. It felt as though his blood was gushing internally from just four little phrases. He’d done as he’d set out to do, he’d shattered her. But in the process, he’d managed to take his own heart and crush it with the weight of their words combined.

***

No. This was not happening. What’d started out as a dream the night before had morphed into a nightmare that Ava was now listlessly trudging through. She wasn’t sure why but she shook her head to rid the bad thoughts from entering her mind, as if it would help dispatch the bad events from her memory. But they were like sick little demons that wouldn’t let her go. She’d woken with such a blissful outlook this morning and now, everything was blank and putrid.

As Ava stuffed her clothes into her bags she couldn’t help but flash back to the day she’d began running.

The day her life had been upended and she landed in Mississippi. That was a day filled with zero hope. She’d looked over her shoulder so many times that day, praying she’d escape without them finding her. It wasn’t until she ended up in Biloxi that she’d finally thought things were going to turn around. Of course they did…until now. The same scared feelings swamped her as she grabbed what she could from Luke’s room and closed her bags—almost breaking the zipper on one with the force of her hands. Every emotion took hold as she fought to rein in each of them. Hurt was the one that kept popping to the forefront. Luke had successfully hurt her worse than any physical damage ever could. He’d reached inside her chest, plucked out her heart and squeezed every last ounce of blood from it. The chill of the sting was such that no amount of warm blankets or thick cable-knit sweaters could erase the frigid loss. What was once a lively beating organ was transformed into a pale, comatose heap that could never be healed. If truth be told, she didn’t want healing. She wanted to leave her heart the way it was so in the future, it would remind her what it was like to be beaten so badly from the inside out. If there was a way to see the scars from heartbreak, Ava knew the one covering her insides would be a grotesque lump with the words ‘you should’ve known better’ scrolled across its surface.

Each moment she stayed in his house, the more everything became real. Even the scent of Luke while she gathered her things was telling her this was far from over. But why all of a sudden did he change his mind? Why would he so wholeheartedly tell her he loved her and then rip it away? It didn’t make sense. What’d happened between last night and this morning to turn him from a caring, sensual man to a cold-hearted asshole? She didn’t have the answers she was seeking. The only thing she could do was get the hell out of there before she went down and begged him to reconsider. Ava knew without a doubt that wasn’t going to happen. She’d cut off her own tongue before she begged Luke for anything. She
did
have one thing left…pride.

As Ava finished packing her things, she looked around the room to make sure she didn’t leave anything out. Having to contact Luke once she was gone wasn’t an option. In fact, she hoped she’d never have to look at his face again.

“Hey, Ava.” Cole’s voice sounded behind her. It wasn’t like he had anything to do with this, but it didn’t make her want to talk to him either way. “I just wanted to see if you need a ride home.”

“I’m fine,” she spat.

“Well, I talked to Brandi. She’s at work and can’t leave.”

“Then I guess I’ll walk.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I can drive you home.” Cole stepped further into the room and grabbed one of her bags off the bed, slinging it over his shoulder. “Come on.”

Ava didn’t argue, she only picked up the rest of her belongings and followed him out of the room. Funny thing was, she didn’t bother looking back. It wouldn’t have done any good. It was difficult trying to keep the good memories to the forefront as it was. Looking back to see the bed where she and Luke had made love and he’d told her he loved her, no, she didn’t need that.

There wasn’t any sign of Luke as Cole led her to his truck. It seemed like she was walking to her demise after spending a stint on death row. But even death row inmates were offered a last meal; hell, she hadn’t even gotten to drink her coffee before Luke turned into Mr. Hyde. Whatever, just like everything else she’d ever cared for, it was now in the past. One last look around and Ava knew this was it. This was the last time she’d see any of this and truthfully, she’d already made peace with it. She had to. It wasn’t like Luke would come running out of the house and beg for her to stay like in some romantic drama
film.

Heck, he was probably in the house laughing at her right now. Chuckling about her stupidity in believing he was a decent human being. Well, the joke was on her. She
had
believed that.

“I’m sorry about all this,” Cole spoke beside her and sounded remorseful.