Текст книги "Undone"

Автор книги: R. E. Hunter

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Текущая страница: 3 (всего у книги 20 страниц)

After a year together, he changed, letting parts of his real personality show through. It started with little fits of jealousy. Jack wasn’t happy about the amount of male friends Embry had, even though they all had girlfriends. Anything that took her attention away from him caused a problem. Jack’s jealousy morphed into possessiveness, and he dealt with his insecurities by putting her down—making her feel worthless and ugly.

People at school adored Jack. Even Embry’s parents loved him. They referred to him as their future son-in-law, and he played the part well. He was the loving boyfriend who worshipped the ground Embry walked on … until she said or did something he didn’t like. Behind closed doors, Jack’s ugliness escalated. The emotional abuse he put Embry through wore her down. He had a way of manipulating her into believing it was all her fault, and if she would just behave the way he expected, he wouldn’t have to get so angry. He lifted her up so high when he wanted to, but when he put her down, she never felt so low. She lived and breathed by his moods.

By the last semester of their senior year, Embry knew that in order to save herself and her sanity, she had to get out of the relationship. She never would’ve escaped him if it hadn’t been for Morgan.

After a particularly bad fight with Jack, Embry broke down and told her best friend everything: how much she loved Jack, how he blamed her for the hurt he caused, how hard she tried to make him happy, all the awful things he said and did to her. She was at her wits’ end. He would never change, never leave her in peace.

Morgan helped Embry apply to a few schools out of state and away from Jack. She made a point of always being around Embry, claiming that they’d soon be at different schools, so Jack didn’t have much time alone with her. Graduation came and went, and Embry had the opportunity to start school early, taking summer session classes at the university. She packed up without warning and moved over a thousand miles away.

Leaving Jack, Morgan, and her family hadn’t been easy. Embry moved to Florida without knowing a single person. She was determined to figure out who she was, and she came out on the other side with amazing friends, memories, and a whole new Embry.

But she never really felt free of Jack. After all those years, she still hadn’t let another man get close. She’d had some hookups and dated a few guys here or there, but as soon as it looked like it might get serious, she walked away. It was hard for her to trust that a man genuinely wanted to get to know her and wouldn’t turn on her, break her down, and control her.

Embry’s thoughts shifted to Luke. What was it about him that had her acting so out of character? She had worked so hard to put herself back together after Jack. But Luke brought down all of her walls with one look. She couldn’t hide her reaction to him. No one had ever affected her that way, and it made her uneasy. Morgan was right; she wanted to get to know Luke. She actually wanted to open up to him. Letting out a long breath, she reached for her phone.

Home safe, had a great time. Thx for the drink. x

Embry turned off her phone and went to sleep. She dreamed of a southern boy with blue eyes.

4

Embry sat in the law school atrium on Monday afternoon, eating lunch and listening to Morgan ramble about one of the girls in her class. Students bustled in and out of the crowded atrium, their chatter bouncing off the walls and filling the room with a loud hum.

“I mean, I just don’t get it. She’s like a machine. She somehow manages to keep up with all of the work and stay perfectly prepared for each class. Her answers are flawless, and she doesn’t hesitate to throw one of us under the bus if we give a wrong answer. I can’t stand the girl!”

Embry tuned Morgan out when she noticed Luke walking into the atrium. Everything around her melted away, and all she saw was him. He scanned the open space, searching her out. Their eyes met and locked as he crossed the atrium. Embry felt her skin warm from the intensity of his gaze. When he passed her table, he winked, his lips tipping into a slight smile. As much as she wished he’d stop and say hi, she didn’t mind the view as he left.

She’d woken up Saturday morning to a good morning text from Luke, and they texted back and forth all weekend. As much as Embry needed to focus on law school, she wanted to talk to Luke and get to know him better. She had never felt such a pull toward a man.

“Um, wow!” Morgan exclaimed. “What was that and why do I feel like I need a cold shower after watching the two of you devour each other with your eyes?”

Embry took in Morgan’s surprised face and couldn’t help but laugh.

“On Friday, you weren’t even sure if you were going to text him back. Now he’s looking at you like he wants to eat you alive. What did I miss?”

“Um …” Embry gave a shy smile. “I wound up texting him back.”

“Clearly! And?”

“We’ve kind of been talking all weekend.”

“Why didn’t I hear about this?”

“You left to spend the weekend with Brett before I even woke up. It’s not like anything monumental happened. We just texted back and forth. He’s really sweet.”

“Sweet isn’t the adjective I would choose after seeing him molest you with his eyes, but okay, go on,” Morgan said, her face splitting into a wide grin.

Embry playfully shoved Morgan’s shoulder. “Shut it. He is sweet. He asked to see me tonight.”

“Ooooh, he did?”

“Mmhmm.”

“And?”

“I said yes, but I figured—”

“Oh. Em. Geeeee,” Morgan squealed. “A date! I’m coming over after class to help you get ready, and you better give me minute-to-minute updates throughout the night.”

Embry grabbed Morgan’s shoulders to stop her bouncing. “Morgan, calm. I told him that I wanted to see him, but I was worried about getting all of my studying done. So he offered to come over and cook for me instead of us going out.”

Morgan’s eyes widened in awe. “He’s hot and he cooks? Where can I get one?”

“You already have one. His name is Brett, and you just spent a romantic weekend away with him, remember?”

Morgan laughed. “You know Brett’s idea of cooking is putting a Pop-Tart in the toaster, right? And even those wind up burnt most of the time. But nice try.”

Embry shook her head. Her phone buzzed, and Luke’s name popped up.

Hi beautiful. Looking forward to tonight.

Embry looked up with a huge grin and showed Morgan the text.

“You really think you’re going to get any studying done with that fine piece of man in your apartment? I’m pretty sure everyone in the atrium felt the sex pulsing between you two. Ask Jeremy to send you his notes because the last thing you’ll be doing tonight is homework.” Morgan winked.

Embry raised an eyebrow. “Are you calling me a slut, Morgan Jade?”

“If the slutty shoe fits.”

Embry narrowed her eyes, and both girls broke out into giggles.

Composing herself, Morgan grabbed her things from the table. “All right, girlie, time for class. I’ll text you after. If you’re having a night in, I don’t think I need to come dress you, but I still want updates.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll text you later.”

Embry waved good-bye to Morgan and walked toward her next class. She pulled out her phone to text Luke and walked into what felt like a solid chest. I need to stop walking into people in hallways. Embry mumbled an apology without looking up and made her way around the chest in question. She froze when two big hands lightly gripped her shoulders.

“Fancy meeting you here.”

Embry’s eyes shot up. Luke stared down at her, smirking. “Hmmm, I have a thing for good-looking men in hallways,” Embry joked. “I was actually just texting you back.”

“Well now you can tell me in person,” he said in that deep, sexy voice.

Embry noticed that his hands were still gripping her arms. He gently rubbed his thumbs back and forth across her skin, and for a second, she forgot how to speak. Nervously shoving her hair behind her ear, she looked up through her long eyelashes. “I, um … I can’t wait for tonight.”

Luke gave her a dazzling smile. “Me neither.” He glanced over her shoulder and dropped his hands. “I have to run; I’ll see you at six?”

“Yep. I’ll text you my address.”

Embry walked into her classroom and plopped down next to Jeremy. “Hey, stranger.”

“Hey, Blondie. How was your weekend?”

“It was good. Yours?”

“Great. How was the social?”

“It was fun! You were missed,” Embry said, nudging his arm.

“Hopefully there’ll be more!”

“Yeah. You can bring Becky along next time,” she suggested.

“Nah, she turned out to be a dud. I wound up hanging out with Angela from section two.”

Embry’s mouth fell open.

The professor walked in, ending their conversation. Embry spent the entire class mindlessly typing notes and daydreaming about Luke. Thank God her professor put an outline up on the projector, because Embry didn’t hear a word he said.

By the time class was over, she was a nervous wreck. What was I thinking inviting him to my apartment? Embry hadn’t been alone with a man in quite a while, and she wasn’t sure being alone with Luke was the best idea. At the same time, she couldn’t wait to spend some time with him. She tapped out a quick text giving Luke her address and headed home to get ready.

She walked through her apartment door and immediately regretted inviting him over. Ugh, when did this place become such a mess? Embry ran around picking up shoes and purses and shoving them in her closet. All of her law textbooks were strewn around the apartment, so she stacked them neatly on her desk.

Once she’d cleaned the apartment, she had about an hour until Luke came over. She hopped in the shower, and shaved in all the important places, just in case. She blow-dried and curled her hair, threw on some makeup, and stared into her underwear drawer. Lace or practical? Sexy or cute? He is so not seeing my underwear tonight.

Embry was startled out of her thoughts by her phone. She grabbed it and saw that she had a text from Luke. He was on his way. Crap. She grabbed a lace set, threw on a silky, mint button-down blouse, dark skinny jeans, nude flats, and a gold chunky necklace. Embry took the wine out of the freezer and was in the bathroom giving herself a spritz of perfume when the doorbell rang.

“Coming!” She smoothed her shirt and headed for the front door. She pulled open the door, and instead of Luke, she was face to face with her creepy upstairs neighbor.

“Hey, Embry,” he said, leaning against the doorjamb. He gave her a thorough once-over, which left her feeling as though she needed another shower. “Looking good.”

“What can I do for you?”

Reggie had seen Embry moving in and taken it upon himself to be her one-man welcoming committee. Since then, he’d stopped by her apartment randomly, trying to convince her to go out with him so he could “show her the sights.”

“All dressed up and no place to go?” Reggie asked, raising his eyebrows.

“Um, no …”

“Actually,” said a familiar raspy voice, “she has dinner plans with me.”

Embry turned to see Luke walking up the stairs, grocery bag in hand. He looked sexy as hell in tan, pressed khakis and a dark blue button-down that made his eyes look even more amazing, if that was possible. Reggie backed up, and Luke slipped in through the door, bending down to give Embry a kiss on the cheek before walking into the kitchen to put down the groceries.

Luke came back to the door and put his arm around Embry’s waist. “Hey, man, I’m Luke. Nice to meet you.” He stuck out his free hand for Reggie to shake.

“Reggie,” he said, shaking Luke’s hand. “Well, I guess I’ll see you around, Embry. Have a nice dinner.”

“Bye, Reggie,” Embry said, relieved that Luke had saved her from an awkward conversation. She shut the door and turned around right into Luke’s chest. She lifted her gaze up to him. “Hey.”

“Hey,” Luke replied, tucking a stray hair behind Embry’s ear.

“Hey,” Embry said again, sounding more breathless than she would’ve liked.

“Hey,” he whispered, his eyes burning into hers.

He hooked his finger beneath her chin, gently tilting her head, and before she had time to think, his mouth was on hers. He ran his tongue lightly along her bottom lip until she opened for him, their tongues tentative, exploring. She thought her knees would give out at the sensation. Luke deepened the kiss, his hands roaming her curves as his hard body covered hers. Embry reached up, digging her hands into his perfect hair. She was a second away from climbing him and wrapping her legs around him.

Luke pulled back slightly, causing Embry’s hands to fall to his chest. He gently nipped and sucked at her bottom lip before dragging his mouth from hers. Staring at her with desire in his eyes, Luke braced his hands on the door on either side of Embry’s head, clearly trying to calm himself. She could only focus on the warmth of his chest beneath her hands and the sweet taste of him lingering on her lips.

Luke leaned his head against his shoulder and looked down at her. “I’m sorry, Bree, I just … I’ve been wanting to do that since I laid eyes on you in the hallway. Was that okay?”

Embry nodded, her hands playing with the buttons on his shirt. “More than okay,” she said quietly. As soon as the words came out of her mouth, she knew they were true. She felt safe with Luke.

“Good,” he said, placing a sweet kiss on her forehead. He grabbed her hand and led her toward the kitchen. “Let’s get you fed then.”

“Want to see the apartment first? I can give you a quick tour if you want,” Embry offered.

“Sure, beautiful. Lead the way,” he said, a smile lighting his eyes.

5

Embry led Luke around her apartment. The front door opened into a living room/dining room combo with an open kitchen to the left. Through the dining room was the hallway to the guest bedroom/office, bathroom, and the master bedroom at the end. The master bedroom had its own bathroom. Both the living room and bedroom had sliding glass doors that led onto a sizeable balcony.

“Nice setup you’ve got here,” Luke said, looking out from the balcony. “No roommate?”

“Nope, just me. I was supposed to live with Morgan; her parents own the apartment. But her boyfriend asked her to move in with him, so I got the place to myself.”

“You don’t get too lonely all by yourself?” he asked.

“Nah. I don’t really have the chance to get lonely, Morgan still hangs around so much.” Embry laughed. “What about you? Do you live alone?”

“Yep. It’s just me. I bought a place over in Bayville.”

“So don’t you get lonely?” Embry asked, turning Luke’s question back on him.

“I’m working on that right now.” He smiled down at her and pulled her in for a quick kiss.

Embry hummed her approval.

Luke tugged her back into the living room. “Come on, let me feed you.”

Embry followed Luke into the kitchen and pointed out the essentials he’d need. As he acquainted himself with her kitchen, she went over to the island where Luke had set down the grocery bag. She peeked into the bag to see what he brought. Luke came up behind her and tickled her until she squirmed away from the bag.

“Hey, I just wanted to see what you were making,” she complained.

“Don’t worry about it.” He gave her a sly smile.

Embry planted her hands on her hips, challenging him. “I don’t like surprises, you know.”

“Then whoever was trying to surprise you wasn’t doing it right.” Luke gave her a cute smile that caused his dimple to pop. Then his face turned serious. “Didn’t you say you have work to do? I don’t want to keep you from it.”

“Yeah, I should probably try to get some reading done for crim law. I’ll be right here.” Embry motioned toward the couch. “Just holler if you need me.”

“Got it.”

* * *

Morgan was right; Embry couldn’t concentrate. There was a gorgeous man in her kitchen. When she wasn’t watching Luke, Embry was reliving the feel of his lips on hers. After reading the same sentence for about the tenth time, she put down her textbook and headed into the kitchen. She peered over Luke’s shoulder.

He sensed her and looked back. “Need something?”

“Nope. Just making sure things are running smoothly.”

“Is that so?”

“Yep. Quality control check.”

He chuckled. “I’m pretty sure I’ve got it covered.”

“Anything I can do to help?”

“Yes, go finish your work.”

Embry chewed her lip and tried her best to look innocent. “I can’t.”

“What do you mean? Do you need help with one of the cases?”

She shook her head and looked down. “I can’t concentrate.”

Luke grabbed her chin and brought her eyes to his. “What’s got you distracted, beautiful?”

A mischievous grin formed on her face. “Well, he’s about 6’3”, dark hair, blue eyes …”

“I’m distracting you, am I?”

“Mmmhmmm.” Embry nodded.

Luke pulled her in for a kiss. “Okay fine, you can help. Dinner’s almost ready, but why don’t you pour us some wine and grab some plates and silverware.”

Embry set the small glass table in her dining room, poured them each a glass of the chardonnay she had chilled, and plopped down on one of the stools in the kitchen to watch Luke.

His back was to her as he dished out the food and arranged their plates. He scooted past her to the table and called over his shoulder, “Grab the salad, will you?”

Embry brought the salad bowl over and stopped dead in her tracks when she saw an impressive meal laid out in front of her. “Luke, is that—”

“Spinach and feta stuffed chicken breast,” he said.

“And mixed greens with baked goat cheese? This is one of my faves. How did you know?”

“I might have run into Morgan today, and she might have given me a few ideas.”

“I can’t believe you did this. That was unbelievably thoughtful. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, beautiful. Come on, dig in.” Luke gestured to the table, and they both sat down to eat.

Embry groaned with pleasure at her first bite of chicken.

“You like?” Luke asked.

“More than like. This is delicious!”

“I’m glad. Enjoy it,” he said with a small, satisfied smile.

“Where did you learn to cook?” Embry asked between bites.

“My mom is an amazing cook. I used to avoid other chores by following her around and helping in the kitchen. I guess I picked up a few things along the way.”

Embry nodded and sipped her wine. Before she could ask more about his family, Luke changed the subject.

“So who was that Reggie guy? A friend of yours?”

Embry snorted. “Not really. More like the neighborhood welcoming committee.”

Luke gave Embry a curious look.

“He’s my upstairs neighbor. He stopped by to welcome me to the community when he saw me moving in. Now he drops in all the time to try to get me to go out with him. I’ve told him repeatedly that I’m not interested.”

“Is he bothering you?”

“Eh, he’s a little creepy but probably harmless.”

“Just be careful. Let me know if he makes you uncomfortable.”

“Thank you. And thanks for earlier. Maybe he’ll back off a bit now.” Not wanting to continue talking about her creeper, Embry shot questions at Luke. “So tell me more about you. Brothers? Sisters? Mom and dad? I don’t even know what kind of law you practice. Or how old you are.”

Luke laughed and raised an eyebrow. “One, none, alive and well in Georgia, general practice, and thirty-one.”

Embry smirked. “Smart ass. I was looking for a little more than that.”

Luke shrugged and gave her an evil smile. “Your turn.”

“Fine. What do you want to know?”

“The same. Parents, siblings … age, sex, Social Security Number,” he joked.

Embry chuckled. “I grew up in Westhampton Beach. My parents still live there. Only child. And I’m twenty-five.”

“Only child, huh? Did it get lonely?”

“No, never. I grew up with Morgan. She has a busload of siblings. I was never bored or lonely. I kind of hightailed it out of town when I graduated high school. Other than short holiday visits, this is the first time I’ve really been back since I left five years ago.”

“Anxious to get away and experience life, huh?”

“Yeah, something like that,” Embry mumbled. Desperate for a change of subject, she decided to try again to get more information out of Luke. “Tell me about your brother. Older or younger?”

“Camden, Cam. He’s four years older than me. Married; my sister-in-law, Lori, is pretty amazing.” Luke’s face lit up with a huge smile. “I have a niece, Mac. Mackayla. She’ll be three in a few months. They’re all in Georgia, near my parents. I don’t see Mac as often as I’d like since I moved up north, but we have Skype dates.”

“Awww, Uncle Luke,” Embry said, smiling sweetly.

“That’s me.”

Embry eyed Luke’s empty plate. “Are you finished?”

“Yup.” Luke patted his stomach, drawing Embry’s eyes to that area and leaving her thinking about what he’d look like without the shirt. “That was pretty damn good if I say so myself.”

Embry stood and cleared the dishes, bumping Luke with her hip as she walked by. “Pretty damn good indeed, Chef Luke.”

* * *

After cleaning up the kitchen, Embry grabbed the bottle of wine and their glasses and headed to the couch. She pulled her legs beneath her, sitting sideways on the couch. “So …”

“So,” Luke responded, settling next to her. He eyed the law book on the coffee table and glanced at Embry, his eyes darkening. “Do you have a lot more work to do for tomorrow? I don’t know how much longer I should continue to distract you.”

“Actually, I’m all set for tomorrow,” Embry admitted. “I’m ahead; I just like to keep up with the workload so it stays that way.”

Luke nodded and shifted toward her, stretching his arm out along the back of the couch. Suddenly shy, Embry played with the hem of her shirt. Luke’s fingers grazed her cheek, and she looked up into his intense blue eyes. With no more small talk to distract them, the desire between them was palpable.

Before she could react to her own impulses, Luke’s hand wrapped around Embry’s nape, pulling her in for a searing kiss. He started gentle, his tongue making slow, lazy passes through her mouth. She felt her need grow as the passion between them took over. She came up on her knees, her hands traveling up his chest and gripping his biceps. He paused to look at her. She was sure the desire in his eyes matched her own. His arms came around her as his mouth connected with hers.

“Mmm,” he hummed against her lips. “You taste so good.”

Luke’s raspy words were Embry’s undoing. She tugged him closer, deepening the kiss.

He pulled back, tugging gently on her bottom lip before letting it go. “But as good as you taste”—he said, resting his forehead on Embry’s—”we have to slow down.”

It had been over a year since Embry had been with anyone, and as much as she knew she should take it slow, she couldn’t help herself when it came to Luke. She felt drunk with need and embarrassed by how quickly she had gotten carried away.

“Sorry, I … um …” Embry hopped off the couch and turned toward the kitchen.

“Hey.” Luke’s strong arms circled her from behind. “Don’t be sorry. I liked it.” He turned her in his arms so she was looking up into his beautiful blue irises. “I more than liked it.” He gave her a sweet kiss on the nose. “I just … I like you. I want to get to know you. I want to do this right.”

Embry saw the sincerity in his eyes and relaxed in his arms. “Okay,” she said, chewing on her lip. “I like you, too.”

“Good.” He tugged her lip out of her mouth and nudged her toward the kitchen. “Because I don’t go out of my way to buy Chubby Hubby for just anyone.”

“You didn’t!” Embry slapped Luke’s chest playfully.

“I did.” Luke moved toward the freezer and pulled out Embry’s favorite ice cream. “Go grab some spoons, beautiful. Let’s have some dessert.”

“Bowls?” Embry asked as she pulled two spoons from the drawer.

“Nah, live dangerously. Straight out of the carton,” Luke said, wiggling his eyebrows.

Embry shook her head and laughed. She plopped on the couch, cozied up next to him, and dug her spoon into the ice cream. After taking a bite, she pointed her spoon at Luke and narrowed her eyes. “You, Mr. Brody, are good. How did you sneak this by me?”

“I have my ways,” Luke said with a sly smile.

They ate their ice cream and finished off the wine, laughing and joking.

Luke checked his watch and sighed. “I should probably head out, let you get some more studying done.”

“Okay. I should review my notes for tomorrow’s classes.”

Luke stood and pulled Embry into his arms, hugging her tight. “Thank you for tonight, beautiful.”

She pulled back to give him a surprised look. “I should be the one thanking you. This was an amazing first date.”

“I’m glad you thought so.”

“You set the bar pretty high for yourself though,” she joked. “I’ll expect nothing less than a private chef next time.”

“As long as there is a next time, you can have whatever you want,” Luke said.

Embry loved how sweet he was even when she was giving him a hard time. “I’d like that.” She pushed up on her toes and touched her lips to his. They were startled out of their moment by Embry’s phone blasting Morgan’s ringtone. “Sorry, let me just grab that quick. Morgan’s probably checking to make sure I’m still alive. I was supposed to give her on-the-minute updates.” Embry answered her phone saying, “You have either the most amazing or the most horrible timing ever.”

“Did I interrupt again?” Morgan laughed.

“Yes. Again.”

“Sorry, babe. So he’s still there, huh? Date must be going well.”

“Yes, Luke is still here. Yes”—Embry smiled at Luke—”we had a nice night. He’s just heading out so I can get some studying done.”

“Cool. I want details. I’m leaving campus now. I had a late night in the library. I’ll stop in on my way home.”

Embry heard the click as Morgan hung up, and she stared at her phone. “How does she do that?”

Luke folded her in his arms as he kissed a path up her neck. “Do what?”

“Morgan just invited herself over,” she said, laughing. “I told you I’m never alone for long.”

“Good, I don’t like the thought of you alone.” He looked down at her intently. “I better get my goodnight kiss before we’re interrupted.”

Embry didn’t have a chance to answer. Luke’s lips covered hers, and his tongue swept into her mouth. Embry went with it, enjoying the slow rhythm of the kiss. She pulled back first, placed a chaste kiss on his lips, and nuzzled into his chest. She loved his spicy, sexy scent and the feel of his arms wrapped around her.

Luke gazed down at her once more, and shot her a panty-dropping smile as he released her. He walked out the door, turning at the landing. “Night, Embry.”

“Night,” she said as she stood in the doorway.

“Morgan,” Luke said, on his way down the stairs.

“Oh hey, Luke, fancy seeing you here,” her best friend called as she passed him. Looking up at Embry, Morgan sighed. “He’s dreamy.”

“Tell me about it.” Embry pulled Morgan inside to catch her up on their date.