Page 37 of Starting Our Chance

21 Loretta

It might be early inthe morning, but it was already fixing to be a warm fall day. The dew on the grass was covering my boots, sliding off the waxed leather. I had learned that taking a moment to pause life and celebrate was incredibly important—wins didn’t count if you were always focused on the next one and the one after that. And today was a special day. Even when I was up north, I always remembered my friends’ birthdays. I would message them. But after everything we had been through over the past few weeks, and because of where I hoped like hell we were going, I wanted this to be a special gesture for Duke.

Sure as shit, he was doing his morning chores. Topless. The early morning sunlight was dancing over his tanned skin, beads of sweat rolling off his body. Letting out a low whistle, I alerted him to my presence.

“You like what you see, Gorgeous?” He smiled broadly at me.

“I do.” I closed the distance and held out the cake container. “Happy birthday, Neighbor.”

His eyes went wide, taking in the chocolate amazingness before capturing my gaze. “You remembered.”

I set the cake on his truck bed and held out my hands to him. Biting my bottom lip, I hoped like hell he was reading the situation like I was. Sure, I had told him through the sobbing mess I had become at the police station yesterday that I was falling for him. But we had been interrupted, and the moment had never been recaptured. So, here I was, standing in front of him, about to lay myself bare. “I could never forget something like that about my closest friend. Duke, I’ve never said it in so many words, but you mean so much to me—you always have. And it isn’t just because you are my current protector. I used to think about you in New York—even after the way I left things.”

“I would think about you, too.” Duke slipped his hands into mine and pulled me tight against his body in a sudden movement. Pressed close to him, I was shocked at the heat coming off him. I tilted my head up, silently asking if he felt the same way that I did. The soft smile on my face was encouraging—or so I hoped. My hands were still locked with his, or I would have run my fingers up his torso and tugged at the back of his neck until he moved his head down to mine. Instead, I had to wait—watching and hoping for reciprocity.

It didn’t take long. After a deep breath, Duke leaned down and hovered just above my lips. My eyes fluttered close, and I waited for the impact. It wasn’t as hard as I was expecting. Tenderness radiated off him, and when he finally closed the distance, his lips brushed across mine.

But he pulled away after that first touch. “Forgive me,” he murmured. “I just can’t believe this.”

“You’d best believe it, Duke. I’m here. I’m staying. And you are a big reason for that.”

“You ran off before.” There was a strangled sound when he spoke, and my eyes flew open. I saw the raw pain in his eyes and recoiled slightly.

Shit, had I done that to him? “Duke, I’m not leaving again.” My fingers dug tightly into his muscular flesh as I said firmly, “Not unless you chase me off. Even then—I would deal with a break up in this small town rather than leave. Since I’m here, I’m committed, and whatever this is between us was long overdue. We’ve been beating around the bush since I got back, and well . . . I’m ready to seal the deal.”

Those words released a flood gate. His lips crashed onto mine—hungry and consuming. I started at the impact, but I soon found the rhythm of the kiss and was desperate for more. When his tongue flicked out, I opened up. That was when things got even hotter. While one of his hands was tangling in my hair, his other went to my lower back and slowly, he leaned down.

Duke paused, dangling me above the ground. Not breaking the kiss, he managed to throw his discarded shirt that had been lying in the truck-bed onto the grass before he laid us down on it. I was panting into his mouth, my hands encouraging him to continue as he greedily began to explore my Auburn sweat shirt. When his fingers found the hemline, I pushed them under the fabric onto my bare skin. I needed this connection with him more than he knew.

It’s finally happening. He knows everything about me and he wants me anyway. How lucky can I get?

I pulled him close and ran a palm against his naked torso, then broke the kiss to trail small pecks across his jaw. When I made it to his neck, I began to suck a little harder.

When he rubbed his thumb against the flat lines of my midriff, I groaned. His touch was warm, and it felt so good against my skin. Calloused fingers crept their way up to my ribs, then trailed to the edge of my lacy bra.

I should never have lost contact with him—all those wasted years apart. But there was no time for regrets. I was seizing the present moment and clinging to it with all my might. I had my fingers in his belt buckle and deftly opened it, keen to explore.

“I’m staying right here, Duke.” I slipped a hand down his jeans, palming his package with just the thin material of his boxers between us.

“Lore,” Duke moaned my name. He had frozen above me, one hand splayed against my ribs, the other in my hair, playing amongst my dark locks.

I pressed what I could of my lower half against him; the suggestion was crystal clear. But he shook his head.

“Why?” I asked, raking my teeth along his clean shaven neck. I could taste the tangy flavor of his shaving cream. But it was the salty bite of his skin that made me go back for more. I could smell the aroma that was completely him, all male and musk.

“We’ve been dancing around each other for a while now.” Duke leaned over to press his forehead against mine. I opened my eyes and met his sea green eyes, a token from his Scandinavian father. “It is going to take a big effort on my part, but I have to rein this in. I want to do things right.”

“What makes it right?” Sexually frustrated, I leaned back and spoke more harshly than I should have.

His tone was even. “I wanted to ask you something, but then everything happened with the fire and Dylan.”

Cringing at the name, I suddenly felt the moment was over. I scooted out from under him and sat up. It might be a short walk back to my mama’s house, but it was going to be shameful—even if we hadn’t fucked yet. Rejection stung. Before I could get up, Duke, propped on his side, gently grabbed my chin and tipped my head back. “Don’t go, Lore. Hear me out.”

“Fine,” I huffed.

“I’m falling head over heels for you, Lore. I want you to be mine—all mine. You say you won’t run—that means we have no expiration date, and I want this to be more than sex.” He licked his lips. The way his eyes shifted and the tense feel of his body proclaimed his nerves. “I already think of you as mine, Loretta. Whether you say yes or no, I need you to know there is never going to be anyone else for me.”

I looked at him, really looked at him as the implications of his words ricocheted through me. My heart squeezed tight and tears pricked my eyes. I resorted to my go-to, which was anger. I pushed against his shoulder blade, although the movement did little to move his massive frame.

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