Total pages in book: 56
Estimated words: 52072 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 260(@200wpm)___ 208(@250wpm)___ 174(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 52072 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 260(@200wpm)___ 208(@250wpm)___ 174(@300wpm)
“I take it Crew is on that side?” I noticed his vehicle when we pulled around.
“Yep, he’s got the city view, and I’ve got a view of the park, similar to Johnny and Winnie’s place.” Luke puts the SUV in Park, unclicks his seat belt, turns around slightly, grabs my bag, and says, “Stay put.” I nod in response, watching as he opens his door, unfolds out of the vehicle, and walks around until he reaches my door. I’m unlatching my seatbelt as he greets me, not a care in the world that he's holding a pink purse with flowers.
“Thank you.” I take his offered hand, and he helps me out.
“You don’t have to thank me every time I do something, baby girl.” His voice is deep and husky. We’re stopped right outside of the open door, each of us lost in the other’s gaze.
“It’s kind of hard not to when you’re taking care of me so much.” I’m breathless, my knees are weak, and I’m seriously hating that my body is a no-go zone.
“I like doing it. Come on. Shower, clothes, and relaxation are in order for you.” The male dominance part of him mixed with the doctor he is comes out to play.
“Okay.” Another tingle slithers through me, and all I can do is nod while following his lead. He guides me through the parking garage until we’re at the elevator. There’s no wait once he hits the button, and I’m once again at a loss for words at my surroundings. This is going to take some getting used to. The good thing is Luke isn’t ostentatious; he might like nice things, but he’s not the overly flashy kind of guy you’d meet at a club who thinks his shit doesn’t stink. It only makes me like him even more.
9
LUKE
“Wow, the view. It’s breathtaking.” Those are Shae’s first words as we step off the elevator and into the living area. The panoramic scene before us is full of lush green trees and the skyline. A major plus when it comes to watching the sunset, and there are times while I can’t see the sun rise from the ocean that watching it come up is still just as gorgeous. Much like Johnny and Winnie’s place, there’s a full outdoor patio, a sitting area situated on one side with a fire pit, and on the other side is a lap pool, where I do the majority of my workouts during the summer when I’m not in the mood for the downstairs gym.
“I’ll show you more after we shower and relax a bit,” I offer.
“Yeah, okay.” There’s a twinge of tiredness in her tone. The medicine she took at Asher’s is well on its way to kicking in. Shae probably wouldn’t have needed it if I’d reminded her to keep up with it. Instead, I monopolized her time, losing myself in listening to her talk while watching her interact with our group.
We take the short walk through the hallway. There are two bedrooms on one side, one of which is an office. It’s not messy, but it’s not neat, either, a lot like the one at the clinic, and I wish I’d had the forethought to shut the damn door. The other room is set up as a spare bedroom and is hardly ever used.
“Holy fuck.” That’s the first I’ve heard her say a cuss word; and while I’d much rather hear her say, fuck me, fuck yes, or fuck, fuck, fuck as I’m giving her my cock, it still makes said cock twitch. “How? Like, my god, the design of this place, all the windows and with our hurricanes, it’s well, it’s amazing.” The same floor-to-ceiling windows displayed in the main living area are carried out through here, allowing as much natural light as possible.
“Crew. He designed most of the buildings in this area, plus the guys’ houses that were built or remodeled.” This apartment was mine since the day it was built. Crew followed suit right behind me. I assumed Matthew would want in on the place, but this wasn’t his type of place to live.
“Well, he knows what he’s doing. I wish my place had sunlight like this. The studio does, but my apartment is dark like a dungeon. I can’t even keep a plant alive. It’s why LITHE is my haven for all of my green thumb needs.” Shae lets go of my hand, rubbing the outside of her arms to give herself some warmth.
“That he does. I’ll grab you some clothes and leave you to it.” I’m still carrying her purse. I set it on the counter in the bathroom, flipping the light switch before turning the water on in the shower so it’ll be nice and hot.
“I know you told me I don’t have to thank you, but, Luke, this really means a lot to me. Thank you.” Shae comes up behind me, wraps her arms around my waist, and hugs me. I hold her hands with mine, wanting her front to mine but giving her this moment all the same. She’s been through enough, and with her recovering still, things will take time to heal.