“I have to go. Make yourself at home. I’ll see you around five.” I leaned over giving him a quick kiss and left.
Chapter 14
At nine o’clock, just as I was about to start my first meeting of the day, a large bouquet of flowers were delivered to me. The card read “missing you already.” My heart fluttered at such a sweet gesture. Luke always knew how to brighten my day. At ten o’clock, another delivery was made. This time it was a dozen white roses, a balloon that had a picture of a black lab on it, and a card that read “Neo misses you too. He also watered the roses.” I giggled like a schoolgirl and inhaled the sweet scented roses.
The situation at Luke’s was bad, but still he managed to let me know that he was thinking of me. I decided to send him a message. Picking up my phone
, I texted him- *you are amazing-thank you.* He never responded, but at noon another bouquet was delivered and it took my breath away. It was so big, two men carried it in. The arrangement was full of bright, colorful flowers and roses. It smelled wonderful. This time the card read, “These flowers hold no comparison to your beauty. The smell of them, even as intoxicating as it is, smells nothing of the sweetness that is of you. The soft, velvety petals are not as pleasing to touch as the satin of your skin. You have captured my heart and it now beats only for you. I hope your day is as wonderful as you are- Luke Shakespeare.” I laughed out loud at his signature.
Tears fell down my face as I grabbed my phone once again. Who was I kidding?
I was in love.
I was head over heels in love with a man I hardly knew. I didn’t care that it sounded preposterous or that things were moving faster than I ever could have imagined. I didn’t care what people thought or what they had to say.
Lucas Carmical had captured my heart
too and I wanted him to know it. I wanted everyone to know it. *I love the flowers. I love the poetry. I love that you are thinking of me. I love your motorcycle. I love your club. I love the fact that you want me to be a part of your life. But more than flowers and motorcycles and clubs and friends and poetry- I love you.*
I
quickly sent the message before I chickened out and laid my phone on my desk. Less than one minute later it vibrated notifying me of a message. I fumbled with it, dropping it twice on the floor before my shaky hands could grasp it tightly and read the message waiting for me. *I can’t wait to hear you say those words to Me.*
that’s it? He wasn’t going to say it back
? Sure, he had said that I captured his heart, but I thought he would tell me he loved me
.
Lindsey walked in, saw my face, and immediately asked what was wrong. I quickly told her the whole story.
“Maybe he wants to tell you in person
,” she said smiling.
“You think?” I asked hopeful. She shrugged.
“Maybe. Your one o’clock is here a little early. You want me to send them in?”
I needed the distraction. “Yes. That would be great
,” I said, busying myself with the paperwork on my desk. Lindsey retreated and I put Luke out of my mind to mentally prepare myself for my next meeting. I couldn’t dwell on him. I had business to attend to and the last thing I needed was his distraction. When the door opened I stood to shake hands with Mrs. Griffith, but instead found myself staring at Luke. I was like a deer in the headlights. No wonder I loved him
. Who wouldn’t?
He was everything I could have ever imagined
.
In the doorway, he stood tall, breathtakingly gorgeous
, and all man. His jeans were faded and worn. His solid white t-shirt was loose in the waist but tight around his arms and chest. His leather vest was unbuttoned and the gray and orange patches he wore stood out against the blackness behind them. His signature smirk was on his face and his eyes seemed to light up the whole room. Today was the first time I had ever seen him in a hat. It was black and turned backwards with the letters DFFD monogrammed in orange on it. This was my Luke; my boyfriend, my lover, my everything. He stepped in and closed the door behind him. I could see Lindsey and Terri, my part time file clerk, staring open mouthed into the room.
“Tell me
,” he said, staring at me with a darkened stare. I felt my temperature rising and the hair on the back of my neck standing up. How did he have this effect on me?
“Tell you what?” I asked, more breathy than I had intended. His eyebrows shot up and a surprised look crossed his face.
“Forgotten already? Or did the flowers just inspire you to say something you didn’t really mean?”
So, this was the game he wanted to play.
He wanted me to tell him. Well, he was going to get his wish. I was going to tell him the truth. I did love him and if he refused to say it in return, well that was a risk I was willing to take.
Shit. What was happening to me?
Before I could open my mouth, he was standing right in front of me. His hands found my face and he tilted my head back to trail kisses down my neck. “I want to hear you say it baby.” I was breathing heavy. My body was on fire, and so was my heart. I had never wanted to give a confession as much as I wanted to give this one.
“I love you Luke. I think I loved you from the first time I laid eyes on you. No one has ever mad
e me feel the way that you do.” His continuous kisses across my neck and throat were pure torture.
God, I loved this man
. When I was in his arms, whether it was in a bar, or a bed or my office, I felt like it was the safest place in the world. He was my universe. His eyes met mine and I knew in that moment that whether he said it or not, he loved me. Love for me consumed him. His eyes told the story. They were filled with love and passion and need, just for me.
I was cherished by this man
. He kissed me hard. The need to touch me evident in the way he held me and the movement of his tongue. Every nerve in my body tingled and my stomach was full of butterflies
. Would it always be like this?
Yes, it would. There was no way I could ever tire of this man or his touch.
“You. Complete. Me
,” he murmured between kisses. I laughed in his mouth.
“That’s. Not. Very. Original.”
I responded between kisses. He pulled back from my face and I opened my eyes to see him smiling.
“Well, you stole my lines. What you said to me was exactly what I had planned to say to you.
” He kissed me again, both of us making it hard to keep a smile from our lips. A light tap on the door interrupted us as Lindsey peaked her head around.
“Your real one o’clock is here.”
“Ok. Give me just a minute,” I replied regretfully. I wish I could just leave and spend the day with Luke.
“It’s cool babe. I have to go too
,” Luke said pulling me into his arms and tucking my head under his chin
.
I inhaled the scent of him and squeezed him harder.
My Luke.
I
would never tire of knowing that
.
“I love you, Dallas. I know it’s crazy to fall for someone so fast, but you are the first thing I think of when I wake up and the last before I go to sleep. I think you are amazing and sexy and smart and I have thanked God
every day for putting me in that bar that night.” He pulled back and lifted my chin so my gaze met his. “You once told me love like what your mother and father had doesn’t exist anymore. Well, I am here to tell you that you are wrong. No one could ever love anyone the way I love you.” Tears filled my eyes and he kissed them away. The intimacy he showed me and the words he said to me was everything I had ever dreamed of. Some people live their whole lives not finding their true love, but in just twenty-six years, I had found mine. “I’ll see you at five. I love you,” he said staring at me with those ocean blue eyes filled with love and adoration.
“I love you too, Luke.” He closed his eyes and swallowed at my wo
rds. He kissed me once more, then taking my hands into his, kissed my fingers before backing out of the office and leaving.
The rest of my day was a blur. I found myself smiling for no reason at all.
Well, I knew the reason
. When I was happy it seemed everyone in the office was happy too. I called Scott to let him know that I would be in the Tupelo office around ten tomorrow morning and the relief in his voice was so apparent and my mood was so good that I promised him a three day weekend the following week. I contacted Tammy, an old colleague of mine, and she agreed to have dinner with me Tuesday night. Hopefully, she could give me the scoop on the family that occupied my property. I owned a small bed and breakfast in Tupelo and was pleased to find that it was available for my travel dates. I notified the clerk that I would be checking in tomorrow, then looking at the clock, realized it was time to get ready for my night out with Luke.
My mood slightly
faltered when I remembered I would be surrounded with the women who absolutely hated me, but I wouldn’t let that or anything else ruin my day
.
Luke loved me and that was enough motivation for me to endure whatever the night offered
.
I changed clothes and re-applied my makeup, noticing that I needed no additional blush
. My cheeks were red enough. Pleased, with my appearance, I practically skipped into the front of the building to wait for Luke.
Before I could make it there, I heard the rumbling of the motorcycles in the distance. I opened the front door and stepped onto the sidewalk letting the warm September breeze pass over me. About fifteen motorcycles approached and I realized they did not belong to Luke’s club
. They all wore colors of red and gray and each seemed to be staring holes through me.
Figuring they were some of Luke’s friends and fueled by my good mood, I waved and smiled at all of them. None of them attempted to wave back, but continued to stare. When they reached the end of the street, they turned left heading downtown and disappeared from view.
Moments later, Luke arrived with the PROSPECT from the night at Mahogany and another man I didn’t know. When he motioned for me to jump on, all my thoughts of the red and gray bikers were forgotten.
Riding with Luke this time was much different than the last. I was relaxed and comfortable and much happier than I ever remembered being.
I wrapped my arms around him, holding him tight and delighting in the feel of him in my arms and the smell of him in the air.
Chapter 15
Loyalty
We pulled up to Shenanigans, which was a local bar and grill that made every day feel like St. Patrick’s Day
, and had drinks so stiff that you felt the luck of the Irish was within you. Luke gracefully slid from the bike and held his hand out to me while I clambered off. He introduced me to his V.P. Worm and his wife Luci B. Worm was a tall slender guy with a deep voice and looked even taller next to his petite wife who smiled kindly at me. They both hugged me as if I were a part of their family.
Maybe this night wasn’t going to be so bad after all.
Luke grabbed my hand and we walked in to find the whole left side of the bar filled with bikers. Each one stood up as Luke walked in and he took turns hugging each one and introducing me as “Dallas,” but never giving me a title
. I didn’t complain. Hell, at least he was actually acknowledging my presence.
Regg and
Red were there along with Tiny and War who I had remembered meeting a few weeks ago. I was slightly embarrassed remembering what had happened last time I was with them all, but if they knew anything of it, I couldn’t tell.
There were also a lot of people there I had not met. All were patch members and their women who I assumed were their ol’ ladies; Coon and Carla, Octane and Juggs, Buck and Baby, Kev and Gypsy, Boss Hogg and Texas, Scratch, Bear, Crash and three PROSPECTS. Everyone greeted me warmly and each hugged me. I could feel the love in the room that I was in, well until Maddie sashayed her way from the back and into Luke’s arms. He never let go of my hand, but returned her hug and asked, “Maddie, you remember Dallas?”
I could see in her eyes that she would rather eat shit than acknowledge my presence, but she surprised me by saying
, “Yes, I do. It’s good to see you again, Dallas. How is your head?” The bitterness in her voice and her ending comment made me want to slap that sour look off her face, but instead I just answered her in the most polite voice I could manage.
“Eat me Maddie.
” I had not realized that all eyes were on me when I said it. Everyone in the club seemed to be waiting for my response from the moment she had walked in. Luke shot me a disapproving look, but everyone else seemed to find it humorous because the whole bar erupted in laughter. Maddie rolled her eyes and stormed off. I heard several comments like “I told you” and “You owe me a beer” and I knew that my reaction toward Maddie had been wagered. I silently wondered who bet against me
.
That kind of information might be valuable in the future.