Jaded: Luke: Laurel Creek Series Read online

  “I’m not sure about taking any kind of drugs. I don’t want to walk around in a fog. I’m a rancher, can’t risk my horse or my brother and cousin.”

  The man nodded. “Totally get that. I’m prescribing Prozac. After a few days of feeling like everything is groovy, you’ll adjust and it shouldn’t affect your reactions nor will you feel out of it.”

  “I might want some of that,” Toby cut in. The doctor looked at his brother. “You want to talk to me? We can set up a time.”

  Toby’s grin disappeared, replaced with a blank look that reminded Luke of when his brother got grounded. “Nah, this is about my brother.”

  There was more blah, blah, blah and Luke wanted to tell the doctor to get out of his face. The guy seemed to know his shit and he didn’t doubt talking to him would help, but nothing would cure him. The monsters in his closet were there to stay.

  “Luke,” the psychiatrist, Doctor Sullivan, pinned him with a direct look. “If you’re thinking I can’t help you get rid of the crap, you’re right. But what I can do is show you how to deal with it so you can manage your reactions to situations better.”

  Luke nodded, not at all comfortable with how easy the guy could read his mind.

  “Yeah, we’ll see doc.”

  15

  “It’s been two weeks. You have to admit, it was an unforgettable night out,” Allison laughed over the speaker on Leah’s cell phone. “What happened to the guys?

  The last thing Leah wanted to do at the moment was rehash the night at Shooters. But Allison seemed to think it had been the adventure of a lifetime.

  Other than the gunshot scaring the crap out of her, she’d been transfixed by the occurrence. She’d tracked every one of Luke’s movements, amazed and horrified at how out of control he’d become. The guy needed help. At the same time, she’d also seen the gentler more caring side of him. There was the out of control Luke and the guy who’d offered to climb up on the roof to check out a noise that scared her.

  “Even if it was entertaining, someone could have been seriously hurt. And I’m not so sure I trust Luke Hamilton anywhere near me. The guy has serious anger management issues.” Leah let out a breath. “I think I’m coming back to Billings. I’m throwing in the towel on this place.”

  She looked around the large living room. The house was beautiful, so full of memories it made her heart ache for simpler times. Although interested buyers and a couple of realtors had stopped by, she’d been unable to list the house and land for sale. It felt wrong, like a betrayal to her ancestry.

  “Why don’t we plan a spa weekend? Maybe if you get away for a couple days, you can go back and get a new perspective.” Allison always insisted getaways cleared the mind and were the cure for everything.

  Leah looked out the picture window to the road leading to the house. No one had been there in three days. She’d gone to town several times just to have interaction with other people. “It’s so damn quiet here. I need a dog or two. Maybe I should get a cat. Wonder if I can borrow some kids to run around.”

  “Holy shit. You thinking about having a kid now? Who’s going to be the daddy?”

  She couldn’t help but laugh. “No kids, I’m way past that stage.”

  “Nah. Janet Jackson had a baby. Isn’t she like fifty?”

  The conversation as always went down rabbit trails and Leah was glad to have steered Allison away from the night Luke and Taylor had been arrested.

  They ended the call with her promising to consider the spa weekend just as a truck appeared in the distance. A blue truck.

  She held her breath and rushed to the window. It was unfortunate that both Toby and Luke had the same color truck, so she couldn’t tell who came. Toby’s was newer and a bit lighter, but that wouldn’t help much since most of the time both were dusty.

  When Tobias climbed out she let out a breath and her stomach settled. Had she been hoping it was Luke?

  She walked out to the porch just as Tobias approached. Greeting her with a crooked grin, so unlike his brother, he approached but didn’t climb the steps to the porch.

  “Hey Leah.”

  She greeted him wondering why he was there, but not wanting to ask. “Hey.”

  “Luke asked me to come by and check on you. He’s been after me for days, but I’ve been busy with work and all.” He kicked at a rock. “Should have come sooner to make sure you didn’t get too spooked after what happened.”

  Words caught in her throat. Of all the things, this was unexpected. “I’m fine. It was a bit scary, but not much more than when you guys got in fights at Shooters back in the day.”

  He met her gaze with both brows lifted. “This was nothing like that. I know my brother lost control. The war messed him up.”

  Two rockers Allison had insisted they buy for curb appeal came to good use as she motioned to them. They settled into them and Tobias stretched his legs out. She couldn’t help but wonder why, although he was physically identical to Luke, she didn’t feel the same attraction to Tobias. Yes, they had the same face, but Tobias didn’t have the same attitude. His expressions were softer and there was an easy-going air about him that immediately differentiated him from his twin.

  “What happened to him? Why is he like that? He’s a...”

  “He’s an asshole.” Tobias chuckled. “Lots of shit happens over there. Stuff that we can’t just push away and not think about it.” He got a faraway look and Leah could tell he was considering what exactly to share. Tobias had served as well, but he’d been discharged early after their father had a heart attack and he’d refused to reenlist. That's when he took over the ranch.

  Toby’s next statement made Leah gasp. “Luke is pissed off because he was the only survivor of a bomb attack. He feels guilty and doesn’t know how to deal with it.”

  “Why would he feel guilty? It’s not his fault...”

  “He was in charge and he made the decision to go that specific route on that day.” Tobias blew out a breath. “I feel bad for my brother. War’s a bitch.”

  She couldn’t imagine the burden he carried. “What’s happening now? How’s Taylor?”

  “The judge took it easy on Taylor after his lawyer explained the reason he pushed the officer way. So he’s good. Luke’s getting counseling. So far, so good.”

  “I appreciate you coming here to check on me. I'm good. Still trying to decide what to do with the place.” Leah followed Tobias’ line of sight as he looked across the flat front yard toward the road.

  “Yeah, I bet it’s hard to sell, once you acknowledge that it’s part of you.” He shrugged. “So you’re not as much of an asshole as I thought you were.”

  “Gee thanks,” she grumbled. “Nice of you to notice.” Admittedly she’d been over the top and demanding regarding the land issue. Anger over her career situation had brought out the worst in her.

  “If you decide to sell, let us know. We might be interested. I think Luke has decided to stay here.”

  Selling to the Hamiltons had occurred to her. They could expand and have a second house. But the thought of Luke living there caught her off guard and she couldn’t stop the picture of remaining there too.

  “I will.”

  Toby stood and stretched. “I better get back. Luke’s cooking, so it’s gonna be good.”

  “He told me he cooks a lot.”

  “He’s good...why don’t you join us?” Toby gave her a wide grin. “Not like you have plans or anything right?” He motioned to the truck. “Come on I’ll drive ya.”

  There was no polite way to say no and she wanted to see Luke. The glutton for punishment in her wanted to see a man who was not just dangerous in general, but exactly the opposite of any man she ever wanted to be associated with.

  “Okay.”

  It was a short drive to the Hamiltons, not enough time to get her thoughts in order nor did she have time to plan what to say or how to act. Although she’d made it clear to Luke their hook up was a one-time thing, it could be awkward to be in the sam
e room with him surrounded by people that knew them both.

  Moments later, Tobias was rounding the truck to let her out. Two labs bounded to greet them and she stopped to pat their heads. “Come on boys,” Tobias called to the dogs that followed them into the house.

  The aroma filling the space was like that of a high priced restaurant. Leah took in a deep breath. “It smells amazing.”

  “I know, right?” Tobias grinned. “Come on, how about a glass of wine or something.”

  She followed his broad back, while taking a deep breath and hoped for a look of nonchalance.

  Luke was chopping vegetables when they walked into the large kitchen. His eyes widened at seeing her before moving to Tobias. There as some sort of communication between the twins. Leah was pretty sure, her being there did not make Luke happy.

  “How are you?” She made sure to look him straight in the eyes. “Smells incredible. So glad Tobias invited me over, it would have been another grilled cheese sandwich and soup day for me.”

  “You could learn to cook.” Luke barely spared her a glance.

  “Here you go.” Tobias placed a glass of red wine in front of her. “Hope you like Cab, it’s all we have. Mom’s favorite.”

  “Cab’s great, thanks.”

  Taylor walked in and stopped dead in his tracks. He looked to her, then to his cousins. “Oh hey. I didn’t know we had company.” Shirtless in low hung sweats, he seemed to have just walked out of the shower. Leah didn’t mind the view one bit. He was a hunk.

  “Man, throw on a shirt,” Luke growled at his cousin and Leah wanted to laugh at Taylor’s expression when he turned back to her.

  “Uh...yeah. You joining us for dinner?”

  Leah nodded. “Yes, Tobias invited me.”

  “Awesome. Luke’s a great cook.”

  “So I hear.” She looked at Luke and met his gaze for a moment too long. She dragged her eyes away to the salad. “I can’t cook, but I can toss a salad.” Leah rounded the kitchen island and picked up the utensils. “What smells so good?”

  “Lasagna.”

  “Yum.”

  Instead of a reply he picked up a beer and drank from it.

  She looked up and noticed both Tobias and Taylor had disappeared.

  Great.

  Her hand trembled when she reached for her wine glass. “Thank you for asking your brother to check on me.”

  “I wanted him to go sooner.” He walked to the oven and opened it to peer in. “Wasn’t sure if you’d left town.”

  Interesting that he’d yet to stop moving, didn’t seem able to be still. Leah wasn’t about to presume he was nervous around her. Nonetheless, the thought of it made her smile. “I thought about it. About leaving. It won’t surprise anyone back in Billings.”

  He walked up to her, standing too close. “Not one to give up are you?”

  Leah shook her head. “Its not just that. I don’t have anything to go back to.”

  When she lifted her face up to look at him, his mouth crashed over hers. She grabbed at his shirt and pushed him against the counter. He was so large, so hard, a steady anchor in the center of tornado force winds. Strong arms surrounded her and his hands cupped her ass and lifted her off the floor.

  Luke was a addicting elixir, the perfect combination of pleasure and risk.

  When he dropped his hands and she stumbled backward, both stared at each other, chests heaving.

  He turned away and grabbed his beer, his broad back providing enough cover as Taylor strolled in followed by Toby. Neither seemed to notice anything amiss as they were busy arguing over something Leah couldn’t concentrate on enough to figure out.

  She plastered a smile on and looked at Luke one hand on the salad bowl. “Do you prefer it on the table or here?” She slid her hand over the kitchen island surface.

  His gaze followed her hand. “Either is fine with me.”

  “Yeah Luke takes it where he can get it,” Taylor quipped, laughing. He sobered when Toby elbowed him. “Sorry.”

  “Not a problem,” Leah replied. “I did leave myself wide open.”

  The men all looked to each other and finally Leah held up both hands. “I did it again. Let’s just eat before I say something else.”

  Thankfully the conversation was kept neutral over the meal. Leah was surprised at how helpful Tobias and Taylor were in giving her advice about how to turn her ranch into a profitable business. She ended up asking for a tablet and taking notes. Throughout the meal, Luke was quiet. His gaze constantly moved to her, and each time she squirmed in her seat.

  Surely she’d lost her mind. How could she possibly want him so badly? He was trouble, unstable for starters. As far as she knew, he didn’t even have a job. None of it mattered because her body craved him and by the way he looked at her, Luke knew it.

  “I’ll take you home.” Luke stood. “Let me get the truck keys.”

  When he walked out, Tobias looked at her. “If he makes you uncomfortable, I can take you.”

  “I’m fine.” She attempted to smile, but sighed instead. “Besides you two have plans. No worries, it’s not that far.”

  16

  They were going to have sex unless she got sense in her head and put a stop to it before reaching her house. Leah looked across the darkened interior of the truck. Luke kept his gaze straight ahead.

  “You don’t have to...”

  “I want to.”

  With a long breath, she waited until he opened her door and stepped out of the truck. The night sky was blanketed with stars. She never got tired of looking up at it.

  Luke stood next to her looking up. “When I was over there, I would stare at the sky at night and imagine I was here. Sometimes it would be the only thing that kept me from losing it.”

  “It’s so beautiful. Makes me feel so insignificant.”

  He didn’t reply, instead took her hand and brought it to his lips sending a tremble down the length of it.

  When she tugged him in the direction of the house, he met her gaze. “Are you sure?”

  “It doesn’t make sense. I don’t want to talk about it. Come inside please.”

  The living room’s only light came from a small lamp on a side table. Shadows of tree branches cast by moonlight stretched across the flooring.

  Luke grabbed Leah around the waist and pulled her against him, his mouth searching for hers as she slid her hands under his shirt. The muscles twitched under her palms as she ran her hands over the feathering of hair down the center of his chest.

  She paused at his buckle and fumbled with it until unfastening it. He remained still allowing her to set the pace as she unbuttoned the fly.

  With his help, she was able to push his pants and boxer briefs off his hips to free his erection.

  He was already hard, so very hard.

  Leah lowered to her knees while stroking him, her eyes locked to his. She took the tip of him into her mouth and swirled her tongue around it slowly, giving them both time to catch their breath.

  When she cupped his sack and ran her pointed tongue down the underside of his sex, Luke’s sharp inhalation was loud.

  “Fuck yeah.” His fingers slid through her hair, waiting for her to open her mouth. When she did, he drove past her lips.

  Sucking the whole time, she took each inch of him into her mouth while stroking him over and over.

  Luke cupped her face and continued thrusting into her mouth each time deep until hitting the back of her throat. She held his hips managing to keep the pace although her eyes watered from the exertion.

  Long moments later, when Leah put both hands on his hips, a silent signal to stop, Luke immediately pulled out.

  His wide chest lifted and lowered with fast breathing as he helped her up to her feet.

  This time he didn’t have to command it. She undressed with shaky hands, her legs weakened with need, which made it hard to be graceful.

  Fully naked, she stood in the moonlight and waited.

  And then Luke shocked her.
>
  Gloriously naked, he lowered to the rug and stretched out with his arms above his head.

  It was up to her to follow through, to take it as far as she wanted. Of course he expected her to be afraid of him and a part of her was definitely not fully at ease. No matter what, she’d seen first hand how easily he could lose control. The wildness of him, the untamed man called to her innermost core.

  Whether the excitement came from having him momentarily or the possibility of taming someone so untamable, she wasn’t sure. But Luke Hamilton was one man she’d have a hard time letting go.

  Leah straddled him and ran her hands down his chest. Leaning over, she took his proffered mouth and then followed by pressing kisses down the side of his jaw to his ear. When she reached his ear, his breathing had become jagged.

  “I want you so bad right now,” Leah whispered. “I want to fuck you Luke.”

  She reached between his legs, he was hard and ready. “You want me too.” It was a statement, not a question.

  After a long release of breath, he took her by the shoulders and pulled her against him.

  While kissing her, he rolled Leah to the side. His mouth moved to her breasts while he slid his hand between her legs stroking and circling her nub with his finger tips until she cried out as the first climax hit.

  When he slid down her body to take her into his mouth, he turned his body to give Leah access to his as well.

  While he tasted and licked, she greedily sucked at his sex, enjoying the sounds of enjoyment both made.

  “Shit,” Luke pulled back. “Give me a minute.” Puffing out air he rolled to his back.

  “Are you all right?” Leah crawled up to lie beside him and studied his face.

  A corner of his mouth lifted just a bit. “I got a cramp.”

  “Oh.” Leah couldn’t help but chuckle. “So you are human.”

  “Sometimes.” He rolled over her and before long they became lost in each other again.