if there was anything I wanted to add. So, he didn’t ask, but kind of did. He’d ordered enough to feed five people and everything he’d gotten I liked. So I decided not to get my panties in a bunch over that. Besides, I had bigger issues to worry about.
“What’d my brother say to you when you walked him out?”
“He told me if I hurt you, he’d pull my heart out through my ass.”
My mouth dropped open in shock. Not that River would threaten something so stupid but that Luke would openly share.
“I hope you told him to mind his own business.”
“I told him I appreciated where he was coming from. Reassured him that you’re safe with me. And explained I’m not a man who takes kindly to being threatened and he’d used his one free pass. I also told him he should pass that along to your other brothers.”
I opened and closed my mouth several times, unsure what to say.
“Do me a favor, Shiloh. Don’t use me to piss off your brothers, yeah?”
Damn. My heart sank and guilt started to build.
“Yeah,” I quickly agreed. “That was super bitchy. I’m sorry.”
“It wasn’t bitchy and I get why you were doing it. But it puts me in a fucked-up situation that could lead to not good places with your brothers. I’ve heard about Echo. I’ve seen River. And I know all three are cops. Pitting me against them does no one any good. Most especially you.”
“Again, I’m sorry.”
“No need to apologize. I said what I had to say. You listened. Now it’s done and we’re moving on.”
“That easy?”
“Why wouldn’t it be?”
That was a very good question. But in my experience with my brothers, they didn’t let shit go, they fought for hours about stupid stuff. Though not one of them ever admitted they were wrong. And they were brothers, not nonblood-related friends.
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “I guess it should be that easy. So thanks.”
Luke’s lips twitched. He moved across the room and sat on the couch. Not close but not in Siberia either.
“Does you not getting off the couch mean you’re still not feeling well?”
“No. It means I’m tired. As you noted I had a lot to clean up today.”
“Right.”
Boy-oh-boy, Luke was hot when he smiled.
Tempting really.
However, as much as I flirted with him I really had sworn off relationships. Which led me down a new path of contemplation. One that made me feel funny.
“I’m not a tease,” I blurted.
“Come again?”
“Last night,” I started and winced. “I came on strong. I was flirting and teasing…shit…I mean…I don’t know what I’m trying to say.”
Heat crept up my neck and warmed my cheeks.
“Seems to me like you do.”
“What does that mean?”
“You know what you want to say but for some reason, you’re embarrassed to say it.” He paused and held my eyes when he said, “You’ve had time so I’ll ask again—how much of last night do you remember?”
“Not much,” I admitted.
“Right. So to fill in some blanks I knew you weren’t coming on to me before you were drunk. You were being your normal playful self. It’s cute; you work it, but I also know it was banter. After you were drunk you told me you hadn’t had sex with a man in four years and you gave up masturbation three years ago when you couldn’t get yourself off. Hence the nun comment I didn’t get the other day. Which brings us to the part where you were thinking about masturbating instead of shooting which also explains why you were off your game.”
“I did not,” I breathed and prayed.
Prayed he was lying and making up tales.
“You didn’t? Then how do I know you haven’t had a man in four years? And it’s been that long since you’ve had an orgasm.”
“Why did I tell you that?”
“Fuck if I know.” Luke shrugged.
“Just to say, I’m really embarrassed right now. Like more embarrassed than I’ve ever been in my whole life and that includes when I threw up on my high school boyfriend after he took me on a roller coaster that looped upside down three times. And if it wouldn’t embarrass me more I’d get up and go hide under my comforter and pretend you weren’t sitting on my couch.”
It was safe to say that after tonight I would never be seeing Luke again. No way, no how. It was a miracle I hadn’t yet burst into flames from the heat emanating from my face. I could never face him again.
He knew way