He leaned in and kissed me, hot and heavy, proving he was indeed through talking.
When done, he lifted up and lightly kissed my nose. “Call in,” he ordered softly.
Then he moved away as I watched, my stomach still melty, my heart in my throat.
I wanted to be excited. I wanted to think Good-Ava-twirling-in-the-mountains-like-Maria thoughts but all I could do was think about what it would feel like when he walked away for good.
When he was at the door, he stopped and turned back to me. “One more thing,” he told me.
Shit, I didn’t think I could handle one more thing.
“What?” I asked, deciding it was best to get it over with quickly.
“I’m gonna get serious shit about this hickey today, beautiful. You owe me.”
Crapity, crap, crap, crap.
He gave me his sexy half-grin and I knew he didn’t care, not even a little bit, about the shit he’d get or the hickey.
“Lucas Stark, I do not owe you,” I shouted at his back but he was gone.
Chapter Twenty-One
Earning Retribution
After Luke left, I made coffee, poured myself a cup then I went to get my phone and walked back to my porch.
First up, I called Shirleen.
“Oowee, girl!” Shirleen yelled in my ear. “You are workin’ on bein’ the Premier Rock Chick, what with Luke Stark fightin’ in a parking lot over you. I heard there was blood. Was there blood? Oh wait…” she stopped and I listened as she shouted, “Oowee!” again but not in my ear, to someone in the office. Then she came back to me. “Luke just walked in. Girl, you are the Premier Rock Chick. Even with that nasty gash, that boy looks like the cat who just got his cream. He musta got the cream if that hickey is anything to go by. A hickey! I love it!”
Shit!
Why did I give Luke a hickey? Why? I was never going to live it down.
Shirleen kept on in my ear. “Did he get his cream? If so, how many times. I want details.”
I wasn’t going to talk about Luke getting his cream, not any of the three times he got it.
“Shirleen, I’m calling about Bobby. Any updates?”
“Fit as a fiddle, except that fractured skull. Functions coming back, two and two make four again. If all keeps goin’ good, they’re releasin’ him tomorrow to finish recuperatin’ at home.”
“Thank God for that,” I said and I meant it.
“Now, details,” Shirleen returned.
“No, now I want to know what’s up with my car.”
“Car’s bein’ delivered this mornin’, any time now.”
“Do they expect payment on delivery or are they going to invoice me?”
“Luke’s taken care of it.”
I went silent.
“Ava, you there?” Shirleen asked.