Be Mine (14 page)

"H
ow about we go out to town and have a regular Sunday."

Gracie laughed. "And a regular Sunday is what?"

"Browsing the shops." Luke enclosed her in his arms, his hands on her lower back, pulling her closer. He brushed his nose against her jaw, tracing her cheek before he bit her earlobe. When she moaned, he licked and sucked the sting away. "Or we can stay here and I can eat you. I can suck your clit and lap your honey."

She shivered and nearly melted had it not been for Luke holding her close. She placed her arms around his waist, inhaling his clean scent and sighed. "Honestly? I'm sore."

"Hmm...we can't have that, can we?" His voice deepened. "And since I'm guilty as charged, let me make it up to you."

"Good." Gracie gave him a peck on the cheek. "I'll change to denims and grab my bag. Then we can window shop."

That wasn't exactly what he wanted, but he couldn't help grinning. Yeah, window shopping would do him good. The anticipation of making love to her at the end of that day would more than make up for it.

The sun decided to take over and by the time they arrived and found a parking space, it had stopped raining. Water and small puddles trapped in pockets between the cobblestones glinted like diamonds in the daylight. The city streets were starting to crowd with early shoppers, the Christmas market already in full swing. They browsed through Saint Anne's Square, eating their sandwiches as they explored the stalls, the aroma of cooked food, mulled wine, and chocolate creating a cornucopia of gastronomic delights. The narrow walkways around the stalls made for a picture of congested traffic with people as cars.

They were looking at the display of bracelets in the Links of London store window when someone accidentally bumped into both of them. Gracie slightly pitched forward, grabbing at Luke while at the same time bracing her arm against the glass.

"Sorry!" a girl's voice squealed behind them, the explanation rushed. "It's so crowded. I'm really sorry."

They both turned to look at the strawberry blonde haired girl wrapped in a checkered coat. She carried a few high street and plain plastic bags in one hand and a coffee cup in the other. She looked to be in her early twenties. Her high cheekbones and nose were red from the cold. Her eyes, perfectly made up with pale and earth eye shadows and mascara, sparkled as though she was enjoying the pre-Christmas madness. She had a ready but apologetic smile that showed her pearly whites. She had a black haired female companion with her, who was less exuberant and who had a scowl on her face at being nudged as well from behind.

"That's okay." Gracie smiled. "No harm done." She turned to Luke, whose face was carved in stone. She turned to look at the girl, her face pale underneath her dusky complexion, her mouth parted in what looked like shock, dismay, and was that remorse?

"Let's go, Gracie." Luke gripped her arm in an almost vice like grip. "Let's get out of the crowd so that we don't bump into people."

"Luke!" Where the bloody hell did that rudeness come from? Gracie turned to look at the girl in bewilderment. Her eyes flashed with anger at the put down before sadness replaced it. Gracie was at a loss. Was she one of Luke's past weekenders? The thought made her realize her own position and the green-eyed monster suddenly reared its head. Luke pulled her none too gently away from the girl, who stared at them until the crowd swelled into the gap like the closing of the Red Sea.

Gracie kept up with Luke's longer strides, half running. When they were out of the crowds close to the entrance of the Royal Exchange, she wrenched her arm from his grasp.

"What the hell, Luke? That was bloody rude." Her eyes flashed dangerously.

Instead of retorting, Luke raked his hair before taking her in his arms so fiercely that her breath whooshed out of her into his shirt. Luke was trembling. Dear God, why was he shaking? What was this all about?

"Luke?" Gracie looked up at his face, fixing the lock of hair that fell over his forehead. His eyes went from inscrutable, unreadable, before a curtain lifted to allow her to see.

Broken.

People were beginning to stare. Taking Luke's hand, she graciously pushed their way through the less dense crowd, going against the flow of people and through a corridor between Starbucks and Austin Reed. They entered the Sandinista bar and found a cubicle in the corner away from the door, away from prying eyes. After the bright autumn sunlight, the bar's dark interior was a haven from the crowd. Hardly anyone was inside. After giving their order, Gracie watched as Luke leaned back against the seat, his eyes closed. She moved away so that she could undo her jacket, but Luke's hand jack-knifed.

"Don't go," he said quietly. "Please don't go."

She placed her hand over his. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm just going to remove my jacket." He let go of her arm, the jacket rustling away from her body and on to the seat. Luke's hand was never far and when she placed her hand in his again, he caught it. As though some unseen force propelled him, he moved and captured her mouth in his. The moment his tongue swept inside her mouth, all coherent thought disappeared. Gracie melted in Luke's arms, opening herself to his tongue, his mouth, giving in to the ache of wanting him, of tasting him because she couldn't get enough. He cupped her face with both hands, slanting his mouth for a deeper invasion. But this kiss was also desperate almost needy, a side that she didn't believe was in him. Gracie dimly heard their coffees arriving by the clink of china and the gentle thud on the wooden table. She didn't even notice the server leaving. Luke ended the kiss and placed his forehead against hers, both their breaths heavy.

"Thanks, I needed that."

Gracie smiled against his mouth, her hands covering his. "And you have it. I'm here."

For as long as you need me.

They moved apart to get their coffee. Gracie looked at the bar. The server busied himself with another customer. Gracie liked their discretion.

"This place looks like a cantina." Luke observed the tiny lights suspended over the place.

"Yes, it does," Gracie agreed. "And their coffee is good. Nicaraguan." She took a sip and sighed in pleasure.

Luke did the same and nodded. "I was an arse outside."

"Is that your way of apologizing?" she teased.

He smirked. He looked as though he was in control, but Gracie could see that his mouth was pinched. "Probably."

She looked at the dark liquid in her cup, scenting the aroma and taking it into her lungs.

"Aren't you going to ask me?"

She looked at him. "Who she was?"

He waited.

She shook her head. "Whoever you were in the past isn't my business, Luke. By tomorrow, I'll be the same."

"Gracie, you are not going to be left in my past. Didn't we agree that we'll take it slow?" He reached out to cup her neck underneath her hair, caressing her.

"I'm going to make a sound if you keep doing that."

He snickered. "Go ahead."

"Exhibitionist."

"Who, me? Who's going to moan?"

Gracie sighed, shaking her head when she heard Luke laugh softly. She removed his hand and entwined her fingers with his.

"By now you should already feel it in your bones that I'm not letting you go."

She was thrilled by what he said as though the sun decided to visit the centre of her heart even if her mind urged for caution. "One day at a time then."

Luke seemed to accept that because he eased his grip on her hand. He gathered her to his side, keeping a possessive arm around her waist.

"I was never involved with her," he started.

"You don't have to say anything." She looked at him, putting her finger against his mouth. He gave it a kiss before his mouth quirked to the side.

"I want to."

"Okay," she said the word slowly, still wondering why it was so important for him to tell her, bracing herself in case his answer hurt. "Who is she?"

"My sister."

Seeing Felicity after all this time blindsided Luke. His only reaction was to take Gracie away from a girl who had never done him any harm.

Except be part of their father's legal family.

"Oh my God, Luke..."

He gave a slight wince.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Gracie looked at him in bewilderment. "Why did we go away?"

"Because I'm a bastard."

"Luke!" She gasped.

"No, I really am. Our father got my mother pregnant. He promised to marry her only for her to realize that he was already married."

"Oh."

Shit, she was moving away. Literally. Figuratively, he wasn't sure. She left his side to drink from her cup. Luke's chest squeezed painfully. This was what he was afraid of.

"If you don't want to be with me, I'm cool with that." He didn't mean to be harsh, but he was beginning to hurt like a mother.

"No! No, that's not it. Oh, dear God, no." She laughed softly and bit her lip, shaking her head.

He frowned, and he couldn't stop himself from rubbing his chest to ease the ache. Relief was a great balm too. "Then what is it?"

"He did the same to me." Gracie's voice was so soft, Luke thought he misheard her.

For a moment, Luke stared at her before realization dawned. "Oh shit." Luke exhaled. "I'm so sorry."

"It wasn't your fault," Gracie replied offhandedly.

"Neither was it yours, babe." He pulled her back to him and kissed her hair. "I'm beginning to understand why."

"Why what?"

"Why you won't let me in."

Gracie remained silent before she finally spoke. "I still have a lot to work through."

"And I'll be there for you."

She looked up at him, her eyes crinkling. "Wow,” she said softly. “Who would have thought that the ruthless Luke Bryce was a romantic."

At that moment Luke wanted to give her the world.

"Only with you, Gracie Sinclair. Only with you," he said before taking her lips in his.

Gracie sighed when he ended it. "Tell me about your sister."

He blew out a breath. He wanted to know more about Jonathan Sinclair to know what he did to Gracie. That would have to wait. "There's nothing to tell, really. I never had any contact with them."

"But you recognized her."

He nodded. "She was the only one who tried to contact me. Among all my father's daughters."

"What happened?"

"I pushed her away," he said quietly.

"Why?" Her face was aghast.

"I didn't want to have anything to do with my father's family. I don't want to have anything to do with them now."

"But she made the effort—"

"It was just a ruse," he interrupted, remembering the humiliation and devastation of not finding Felicity at their agreed meeting point. "I went to the place she told me to meet her. She wasn't there. Her mother and her two other sisters were."

Luke could still remember the day. He had hopes of an olive branch being extended to him. Felicity had been so excited. He heard it in her voice when they spoke on the phone, and he couldn't help his own excitement build. He'd always been alone. It would be fantastic to be able to have a sister.

He continued. "I asked where Felicity was. They said she had to go somewhere. I said I was supposed to meet her. Sue, her mother, said that Felicity never intended to meet me before reminding me that I was a bastard and that her daughters would not sully themselves with the likes of me."

Gracie gasped. Luke saw her blink back the tears. "Oh my God..."

"So." He smirked. "That's why I wanted to leave."

"Didn't Felicity try to explain afterwards?"

"She tried." He nodded. "I didn't give a fuck. I still don’t. They were all the same."

Suddenly, Gracie threw her arms around him and held him tight. He stiffened. He didn't want her pity. He tried pushing her away. She clung to him. The more he pushed, the more she tightened her hold.

"Don't let go, Luke," she whispered in his ear, her breath against his cheek, against his throat. "I'm here. Don't let go."

He crushed her, holding her tight. Gracie's mere presence was enough to break through the tightly knit ball of anger inside his gut, covering it and taking it as hers. It was as though a huge weight had lifted. The albatross he dragged with him all this time was finally unchained. He didn't know how long this feeling of letting go would last. He just knew that he had never felt immense relief as much as he did now.

Immense peace.

They left the bar, and Luke couldn't get to their destination as fast as he wanted. He went to the reception desk of the hotel and got them a room. The fire in Gracie's eyes inflamed his own and their hands wrenched each other’s clothes, their mouths the only part that connected them. Luke laid her down on the bed, his heart hammering inside his chest and head, his mouth running through every inch of her body, his body heating up with a hunger he couldn't control, fuelled by her moans. He dipped his fingers inside her, and when she winced, he stopped.