Chapter 6

6

EMMA

I t's morning. The bed, the room, and the ceiling above me are completely new and unfamiliar. Oddly enough, I don't feel uncomfortable like I thought I would. I don't even feel nervous.

Luke was nothing short of a gentleman last night, making sure I was settled into my own room before going to bed. But Luke is more than that, isn't he? He's got an intensity, an aura about him, that draws me in like a moth to a flame. His broad shoulders and strong jaw make my knees go weak, and when he speaks in his deep, husky voice, my stomach flutters.

As wonderful as the sleep was, it wasn't nearly long enough. The curtains are open, and as the sun rises, it creeps into the room and makes it way too bright to continue sleeping. So, at the ridiculous time of 6:30 AM, I'm awake.

There's a drop in my stomach as I remember the fire last night. Then there's the overwhelming relief of knowing I'm safe and Luke is in the house with me.

My heart races as I make my bed. It's not something I really care about most days, but right now, the action of pulling the comforter straight and plumping my pillows feels strangely calming. As though if everything around me is in order, then things are going to be okay.

When I open the door to the hallway, it's silent. The house feels empty and still, which isn't unexpected. Luke has a life, obviously, and while I had been looking forward to seeing him, I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I'm not here as his responsibility or burden.

After washing up, I head towards the kitchen, hoping there will be coffee.

There is, and there's also a note propped on the counter next to a bowl of fruit.

"Make yourself at home, Emma. There's coffee and cereal. I'm working in the garage next door if you need anything. Let me know when you need to head back to the university. Your things are on the dining room table."

The note is cute enough to make me want to sit on the counter and kick my feet, but the logistics of the day are making me hesitant about getting too swept up in all of this. What does he mean about my things? I came here with nothing but the pajamas on my back, the slippers on my feet, and my phone clutched in my hand.

The house is big, but not obnoxiously so, and I locate the dining room table easily enough. The construction of Luke's home makes it look older, more regal, but it's clear that he's done a significant amount of work on the space himself, including changing things to a more modern open floor plan. Sitting in the middle of a dark cherry wood dining table is my big blue duffel bag, which I know was sitting beside me in the closet I hid in. How the heck did it get here?

Confused, I approach slowly and open the bag with one hand. Inside is an odd—if extensive variety—of my clothes, my toothbrush, a few pairs of shoes, a tangle of random charging cables, and perched on top of it all, my laptop. Leaning against the duffel bag is my white and pink tie-dyed tote with all my school books, supplies, and papers in it that I carry to class.

Holy crap. I feel like I'm in shock. How did Luke manage this? It's only been hours since we got here last night. Did he really return to my dorm and pack this stuff for me? I didn't even think they would let him in. It doesn't seem like my dorm manager likes anyone.

I feel my heart swelling. It's hard for me to express, but knowing that he thought enough to take care of me this way is enough to send a shiver down my spine and leave a little warmth in the pit of my stomach.

I have to find him and thank him. Maybe even get some answers about how he was able to pull this off. But mostly to thank him. And see him. And maybe see if he'll kiss me again.

Rushing to the bathroom, I brush my teeth and hair but don't bother getting dressed. The two-piece pink pajama set—shorts and a loose shirt—aren't exactly modest, but I don't care about that right now. He already saw what I was wearing all night last night as he rescued me from a freaking burning building after I had frozen up.

Slipping my feet back into my slippers, I pour two cups of coffee into the black coffee mugs I find in the cabinet above the coffee pot, and head out into the daylight. Luke's garage is next door, and it takes no time at all to see where the sound of a classic rock song is coming from. I just follow the noise and the smell of oil, gasoline, and leather.

I'm a little hesitant to walk through the large wooden door into what must be Luke's workspace and try to talk to him. After all, he's probably pretty busy and focused, and the last thing I want is to be an annoyance or a distraction.

Then again, he did give me permission to make myself at home and come here. It's not like I'm a stranger, right? Well, not anymore anyway. So, I steel myself, push back the door, and walk through.

When I step inside, my eyes immediately land on the large figure bent over a motorcycle, tinkering with the engine. Even from across the room, I can feel the heat radiating from him. His sleeves are rolled up to the elbow, exposing his forearms and the strong, corded muscles underneath. A fine layer of sweat coats his skin, making him look like he's just stepped off the cover of a magazine.

I can't help but stare, drinking in the sight of him. He's so strong, so confident, so utterly in control of himself. My breath catches in my throat, and I find myself taking a step closer, as if drawn by an invisible magnet.

"Hey there," Luke calls out without turning around.

My eyes widen. How did he know it was me? "Oh, uh, hi!"

"What are you doing up so early? You need rest, Emma."

I feel my cheeks flush as I try to gather myself. "I, uh, found my duffel bag. Luke, you didn't have to do that. You had to have been up all night."

Luke's strong, broad back ripples as he shrugs. He wipes his hands on a greasy towel, leaving a trail of dark stains on the fabric, but doesn't turn around.

"I'm always up at dawn," he says simply. "It's just what I do. And you needed your things." He finally turns and flashes a grin, and the sight of those straight white teeth sends a wave of want through me. "Plus, I grabbed your keys on the way out of the apartment last night. Figured I might need them in a pinch."

He comes forward and takes one of the cups out of my hand, taking a long drink and sighing contentedly before continuing. "The girl at the front desk still wouldn't let me in, though. So I slipped her a few bucks to go up and pack the bag for me."

I shake my head, amazed that he would go through all that trouble. "You didn't have to do that," I insist, feeling a blush rising on my cheeks. "I'm not a child who can't be trusted to look after herself."

He looks down at me with an intensity in his blue eyes that makes my knees go weak. "I'm aware," he says. "But you're also someone worth looking after."

Before I can stop it, words that I really wanted to keep to myself slip out. "Well, at least one man thinks so."

He raises his scarred eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Hating that I even brought it up, I sip at my coffee to buy time before reluctantly admitting, "I don't have a father. Or at least I don't know who he is. He was a one-night stand of my mom's when she was younger and when she told him she was pregnant he disappeared."

"What a fucking prick." Luke's voice is close to a snarl, which makes me jump. Woah. He really sounds like he's pissed.

I wave my hand through the air. "It's a long time ago. I don't know why I even mentioned it."

After Luke forces his shoulders to relax, he pauses for a moment, as if debating something in his head. "You might want to go back to the house and get ready for the day if you aren't able to sneak a few more hours of sleep in."

I shrug. "Sure. I hope I'm not making you uncomfortable, I just figured since you saw me in this last night…"

"Baby girl, trust me," Luke starts, "I'm far from uncomfortable. It's just that I can see a lot more of you through that outfit in the daylight than I could last night, and it's about to get me in trouble."

I look down at what I'm wearing and immediately flush. I didn't think the thin fabric of these pajamas was very revealing at all, but in the bright sunshine streaming through the open door, I could definitely see my nipples pressing against the fabric and a shadow of what lay beneath the flimsy material.

My eyes snap back up to Luke, my lips parting in shock. He's trying hard not to smile, his lips pressed firmly together and his jaw tense with what looks like an effort to stay quiet. My body immediately reacts to the look in his eyes and the heat emanating from his skin. My heart races and my stomach feels like a hoard of butterflies have taken up residence. I don't know what it is about this man, but the more he looks at me, the more I feel like my body is going up in flames.

He's the sexiest man I've ever met, and even though it's completely unlike me to have any thoughts in the gutter at all, I feel a pang between my legs at his words, his tone of voice, his look … his everything.

"Luke," I say, my voice coming out a bit shaky and unsteady. I swallow hard, trying to steady myself. I have no idea how I'm going to handle being around this man, this force of nature, and I suddenly feel a wave of nervousness. "What … what do you mean, trouble?" I ask, biting my lower lip.

He takes another step toward me. In my fuzzy slippers, the difference in our height is even more evident than usual. I tilt my head up to look him in the face as he gazes down at me. His blue eyes are smoldering, the intensity of his gaze almost too much for me to take in. My legs feel like they're made of jelly. I'm suddenly very glad that he's standing close enough to catch me if I start to fall.

"I mean," Luke says slowly, his voice a low rumble, "that you are so goddamn beautiful and tempting in those clothes that it's making me think all sorts of thoughts about what I'd like to do to you, Emma."

My jaw drops slightly, my heart beating so loudly in my ears that I'm not sure I heard him correctly. I should take his advice and go back to the house. I've had an eventful 24 hours, only a few hours of sleep, and I have an exam in a few hours. I really should listen to him.

But I don't. Keeping my hands as steady as I can, I set my own coffee cup down on the concrete floor, knowing good and well that the loose shirt is gaping at the neck and giving him an even better view than before. What has gotten into me?

Standing up straight again, I ask, "What sorts of things?" My voice trembles ever so slightly. It's as if he's cast a spell on me. I feel a pull to him that's almost overwhelming, like I'm a planet caught in his orbit.

Luke shakes his head slowly. His blue eyes are blazing, his full lips pressed into a tight line. He takes another step towards me, bringing our bodies almost close enough to touch. The scent of his cologne and the heady masculine aroma of his sweat make my head swim.

I don't know if it's the lack of sleep or the emotional exhaustion I'm still feeling, but I feel like my knees are going to give out. I take a deep breath and close my eyes for a moment, steadying myself. I can't let him see how much he's affecting me.

When I open my eyes again, I find that he's moved even closer to me, so that we're now only a few inches apart, his strong presence enveloping me like a cocoon.

He lifts one hand slowly and reaches out to touch my face, cupping my cheek gently in his rough, calloused palm. The contrast between his tough exterior and his tenderness is intoxicating, making me weak in the knees all over again.

I feel like my whole body is on fire. The mere touch of his skin against mine sends waves of desire through my veins, and I find myself leaning into him, wanting more. I can't believe the effect he's having on me. It's like nothing I've ever experienced before.

"What sorts of things, Luke?" I repeat. I know that he hears me this time because I feel his hand tighten slightly, pulling me in even closer to him.

His face is now only inches from mine, our bodies practically pressed together. The smell of him, the warmth, the electricity are almost too much to bear.

He gazes down at me with a smoldering look, his blue eyes filled with intensity and desire.

"I mean that I'm thinking about kissing you again, Emma." He pauses for a moment, seemingly wrestling with something inside of himself. "But this time I won't stop there. I mean, that I want to strip those clothes off you, spread your legs, and make you feel every inch of my thick cock."

The bluntness of his desires is a shock to my senses. And yet, at the same time, his words ignite a fire deep within me, a desire for more.

He pauses for a moment, giving me the chance to process what he's just said. To push him away if that's what I want to do. I take a breath and hold it, knowing I have a choice to make. But my heart, body, and soul already know the answer, and I reach up, pull his face to mine, and kiss him.

And just like that, his hands are on my body, sliding down my waist to grip my hips, pulling me closer until we are chest to chest, hips to hips. Our bodies seem to fit perfectly together, like two puzzle pieces locking into place. His mouth is hot and hungry against mine, our tongues tangling in an urgent dance of desire. His stubble is rough against my skin, but I don't care. All I can think about is the feel of his body against mine and the taste of his mouth.

My fingers tangle in his hair as we kiss, pulling him closer and closer as the fire inside me builds to a crescendo. His hands are everywhere now, roaming over my body with hunger and possessiveness. He cups my ass, squeezing and kneading the flesh as he grinds his hips against me. I can feel his hardness through his jeans, pressing against my center, and a small moan escapes my lips.

Luke's hands are on the hem of my shirt, pulling it up over my head and throwing it to the ground. The air in the garage is cool against my bare skin, and I gasp at the sudden exposure. My nipples are already hard and sensitive, and Luke's fingers find them easily. He teases and pinches them gently as I squirm against him, pleasure coursing through my body.

Then he's kissing me again, backing me up towards his tool bench until the back of my legs bumps against it. Luke sweeps the tools to the floor, and they clatter loudly against the concrete floor, but I barely hear it at all. He lifts me to sit on the edge of the bench now, and the coolness of the metal against my skin contrasts sharply with the heat radiating from him.

We break our kiss for only a moment as he tugs my sleep pants down my legs and tosses them aside, leaving me naked before him. The vulnerability of being on display like this only adds to my arousal. I know that the only thing on his mind is how much he wants me right now. It's an intoxicating feeling, and I lean into it. Having Luke still completely dressed makes this even more erotic, but there's something teasing at the corner of my mind. Something I need to tell him right now, and I'm going to, except he's kissing down my neck, and now his lips are hovering over my nipples.

I pull his head up with my hands.

"Wait! Wait, Luke." He pulls back, eyes burning, looking at me like I'm crazy. I'm panting, struggling to form words with my mind like this, but I force it out, "I'm, well … I'm a virgin."

His eyebrows shoot up. "A virgin? Fuck." He doesn't exactly pull away but stands up straighter, hands that were all but cupping my bare ass and moving up to my back instead. "Emma, you're naked on my tool bench right now, I'm harder than steel, and now is when you tell me this?"

My cheeks flame, my breathing still ragged. "Yes," I breathe out. "I … sorry. I didn't think we'd go this fast."

"No, baby girl. No. It's not a bad thing. Fuck, it might be the best news I've ever heard in my life." When he looks up at me with those burning blue eyes, there's a possession in them more intense than anything I've ever known. "It means I'm going to make you mine in every sense of the word." He tweaks my nipples with his fingers, making me gasp. "All mine."

His voice is almost a growl, and it sends a thrill through my body. My nipples harden even more under his touch, and I feel my pussy getting wet with need.

"I'm going to suck these pretty nipples now, Emma," he rumbles, lowering his head so the harshness of his beard rasps against the sensitive peaks. "And then I'm going to eat your pussy until you're coming on my face like a good little girl."

"Oh God," I whisper, my voice trembling. But I'm not afraid, not at all. I know this is right, even as my body quivers at his words. I'm exactly where I need to be. "Please, Luke. Make me yours."

As he laves his tongue against my sensitive bud, the intensity of his mouth on my skin overwhelms me. I've never felt like this before, this urgent need for someone. "Not Luke. Not when we're like this," he says against my skin. "Call me Daddy."

He wants me to call him Daddy?

It sounds so forbidden, so dirty...

But so damn hot.

I don't know what it is about being here on Luke's tool bench, completely naked, with my bare ass pressed against the cold, hard metal. It's not that he's so much older than I am, not that he's a biker, a member of a motorcycle club, one of the Iron Guardians.

It's that he wants to take care of me. It's that I want to let him.

His gaze as he looks up at me tells me all the dirty, dirty things he's going to do to my body. It's enough to nearly send me over the edge without even touching me. My pussy is wet with need, my clit already throbbing and aching for release. And he hasn't even started yet.

Luke runs his tongue down the side of my breast, teasing my sensitive skin. I squirm under his touch, desperate for more, but he takes his time, savoring every inch of me.

He pauses for a moment to suckle on my nipple, and I feel it harden against his mouth, the sensation shooting straight down to my core. My fingers grip the edge of the table as he continues his assault on my senses, my breath coming in shallow pants now.

"Oh, God. Luke, please..." I whimper, my voice barely above a whisper. But he doesn't stop. If anything, he picks up the pace, licking and sucking and nibbling until I can barely take it anymore. My whole body is on fire now, my pussy throbbing with need. I want more, need more. But he's not ready to give it to me, not yet. He's in charge now, and he's going to make sure I feel every second of it.

Luke trails his tongue down the plane of my stomach, swirling it around my navel before continuing lower, down to the sensitive skin of my inner thighs. He strokes my skin with his hands as he goes, and the contrast between the softness of his touch and the coarseness of his beard is enough to make my head spin.

"Such a good little girl," he murmurs against my skin as he nears the apex of my thighs, his hot breath making my already-damp pussy even wetter. "Such a good girl for me. Tell Daddy what you want."

"I-I want you," I manage to breathe out, my voice shaking with desire. "I want you t-to lick me. Make me come. Please."

"Anything you want, baby girl." Luke spreads my thighs with his rough hands, baring my soaked folds. He strokes his thumb gently up my slit, and I buck against him, desperate for more friction. He chuckles at my neediness, then bends his head, pressing a soft kiss against my clit.

I moan as he flicks his tongue out to tease my sensitive bud, the pleasure rippling through my body in waves. I reach down and tangle my fingers in his thick hair, pulling him closer as I grind against his mouth. Luke doesn't hesitate to oblige, devouring my pussy like a man on a mission, licking and sucking and teasing until I'm sure I'm going to lose my mind.

My breathing is coming in short, ragged gasps now as I chase the edge of my release, every nerve ending in my body on fire.

"God, Luke, please. I need … I need more. Please don't stop," I manage to pant out, my voice shaking with desire.

To my utter frustration, he does stop. Luke's hands are still kneading my thighs, but his brilliant mouth and tongue aren't on me anymore. "That's the wrong name, baby." His eyes burn with intensity, with pure unadulterated desire for me. I'm desperate for him now, my body craving more. And he's just … looking at me? "I want to hear you say it."

My cheeks flush red at his words. "You … you want me to call you..." I can't believe we're talking about this when I'm so worked up, but Luke is looking at me so seriously, I can't just ignore him. Swallowing hard, I force the words out. "Please, Daddy. I need more. Please lick my pussy."

"Such a good little girl," he growls against my skin before plunging back down. I let out a long, shuddering moan as his tongue swirls against my clit, the sensations driving me wild. I've never felt anything like this before. The sheer intensity of his mouth on my most intimate places is enough to send me over the edge within minutes. But he knows my body better than I do, and he keeps me just at the precipice, pushing me to the brink but not quite letting me tumble over.

"Please..." I whimper, my fingers digging into his shoulders as I squirm on the cold steel of the bench. He's relentless, keeping me balanced on the edge of ecstasy. My body feels like it's on fire, every nerve ending alight with need and desire. And still, he holds me there, teetering on the edge, until I'm practically begging for release. "Oh God. Luke … Daddy. Please, I can't..."

I can't finish my thought because Luke slowly starts to feed two of his thick fingers into me. My body resists at first, the thick digits stretching me open, but I relax into the burning pleasure of it, my pussy slowly accommodating him until he reaches a barrier.

"This is going to hurt for just a second, but I'm going to make you feel so good you won't even notice," he promises. "We've gotta do it this way if you're going to take my cock."

He pushes his fingers past that thin membrane, and a sharp pain stabs at me, then recedes, replaced with a dull throbbing. The pressure and friction of his fingers sliding over my G-spot sends my hips bucking. "Fuck, you're tight," he rumbles against my skin. "And so damn responsive. Come for me, baby. Let me taste it."

With that, he lowers his mouth, working my clit in it in earnest.

His thick fingers keep stroking that sensitive spot inside of me, and his mouth sucks and licks at my clit.

My back arches, and I buck my hips against him. "Daddy, please. I can't. I need. Oh God, Daddy. Luke..." I moan. Close. I'm so close!

He's merciless.

I feel Luke's hand reach up, fingers twisting one of my nipples between them, sending another wave of pleasure crashing over me. It's too much. I'm about to tip over the edge, and there's nothing I can do to stop it. "Please, Daddy. Please!" I cry out as I feel my orgasm start to build inside of me.

My legs tremble and I cry out as I finally go over the edge, my whole body shuddering from the intensity of it. Luke works me through it, staying with me as I come apart at the seams and slowly rebuild myself brick by brick. Finally, I crack my eyes open and look down.

He looks up at me with his brilliant blue eyes, a dark glint in them. I pull Luke up by his shirt, begging him for a kiss. He obliges, pressing his lips to mine. He tastes like me, his tongue exploring my mouth. My hands slide up underneath the soft cotton of his T-shirt, and I can feel his muscles rippling beneath my touch.

As my breathing slows, he breaks off the kiss and leans down, pressing his forehead to mine. "God, you're beautiful," he murmurs. "So fucking perfect. I'm not ever letting you go."

"Good," I manage to whisper, still breathless from his kisses and the mind-blowing orgasm I've just had. I never want to be apart from him, either.

That's a wild thing to think, right? I barely know him, but my heart feels like it knows him. Like it's always known him.

The thoughts are too heavy for the slow bliss still coursing through me, so I pull him into another kiss and let my hands travel down his T-shirt-clad muscled chest, heading for this belt buckle. When I get there, though, he hisses, grabbing my wrists to stop me.

"Not yet, sweetheart," Luke tells me roughly. "If you touch me, I'm not going to be able to stop, and I want to make it perfect for you."

I open my mouth to complain, but he's not having it. Luke kneels, grabs my pajamas off the floor, and slowly, carefully helps me to dress once more. My legs are shaking, and I have to hold onto his shoulders to get the task accomplished. Our laughter echoes off the garage walls, but finally, I'm dressed.

Luke kisses me gently on the forehead. "Go shower. Get dressed. Text your roommate and let her know you're okay, and text me when you're ready to head to class. If you prance your gorgeous ass back into this garage again, then I'm not going to be able to get any work done and you'll never get back to school."

He gives me a soft slap on the butt, which has me laughing again, and even though I want to put myself right back into his arms, I do as Luke suggests and head back to the house.

I fire off a message to Sarah, letting her know that I'm fine and that nothing in the dorm was damaged, and ask about her sister. It's still early, so it's no surprise when she doesn't respond right away. By the time I shower, eat a piece of toast, and make fresh, hot coffee, I feel more like myself and less like a sex-crazed nymph.

Still hungry, I pop another piece of bread into the toaster, stirring sugar into my drink and contemplating everything that just happened. Wow. It was definitely unexpected, but it all felt so good. So right. And there was the way he called me his "good little girl", which lit my heart on fire.

The toast pops up, and I put my mug down on the countertop and spread butter and marmalade on it. My phone vibrates from its place on the countertop, and I pick it up to find a text from Sarah.

Sarah: My sister is fine, thank God, but she'll be in the hospital for a few days. My professor is deferring my exam until I get back next week so no worries there. Thankfully it's the middle of the semester and not finals or I'd be screwed. Anyway! I jumped out of my skin when I read the email from the school about the fire, so I'm glad I heard from you first. Now I can focus on everything here.

Me: So glad to hear she's okay.

I'm hoping the conversation will end there so I don't have to tell her about my strange accommodations for the moment. But Sarah is more clever than that.

Sarah: Sooo did they let you back in after the fire department cleared the place? Because I heard from a classmate that you rode off into the night with some hottie on the back of a motorcycle....which could only be Luke. Where are you right now, Emma?

My cheeks are flaming red, but I decide to just get it over with and tell her what happened.

Me: Um, yeah. The whole dorm was closed, so Luke said I could crash in the guest bedroom last night.

I swear I can hear Sarah grinning through the phone.

Sarah: And? You didn't sleep in there, right? How big is that bed of his, and is it comfy? You didn't actually sleep at all, am I right? Tell me everything. Don't hold back any of the good parts!

Resigned, I call her and put the phone on speaker while I finish my breakfast, placing it back on the countertop so I could sip my coffee while Sarah pried details out of me.

"Fine. But you cannot tell ANYONE any of this. It's weird and a little embarrassing. I can trust you, right? Like, not a word to anyone else."

I hear an exasperated huff on the other end of the line. "Yes, you're my bestie! And this is me. We tell each other everything!"

Taking a deep breath, I try to explain. She doesn't seem to believe I stayed in the guest room, even if it is the truth. I also censor things about the garage, downplaying it to a steamy kiss, which she also doesn't buy.

"Oh, come on, Emma! We've known each other since freshman year when we got paired together for that group project in our Introduction to College course. It's not like I don't know you or that I'd spread gossip about you. You have to tell me more!"

"There is no more to tell," I respond, but she isn't having any of it.

"Surely you have more to say about this guy! Like what's he like or how hot was the kiss."

"Sarah, he's amazing and this kiss was amazing. Satisfied?"

"Did he touch your boobs?"

I laugh out loud, surprised. "Boobs?! You make it sound like we're in high school or something."

Apparently, this is enough to confirm her suspicions, and the conversation devolves from there, both of us giggling and joking without actually getting any further into the conversation. Finally, we end our call, with me promising to fill her in more once we get a chance to talk in person, and I text Luke that I'm ready to head to class.

When I look at Luke's motorcycle skeptically, he laughs.

"You rode fine with me last night."

"Yeah, well my legs weren't 50% jelly last night, which they totally are now. No thanks to you." If this is the only way for him to get me back to school, then so be it, but my thighs are already aching thinking about it. "Don't you have a car? I like the motorcycle. I do. But I'm a little sore."

The admission has Luke smirking. He crosses his arms across his chest and raises an eyebrow. "That's funny because I distinctly remember you asking for more, not to mention crying out as you came on my tongue."

My mouth drops open and I swat him playfully. "I was in a trance. I was under the spell of the most amazing orgasm ever," I tease him back, watching with delight as he grins down at me. His hands rest on my hips, and I swear it's all I can do to not reach up and kiss him. "I don't regret it. Not at all. It was incredible, but that doesn't make me any less sore."

"Lucky for you, then, that I do have a car." Luke leans over and kisses my forehead, leaving me breathless at the simple gesture. "I have a feeling you'll be on the back of my bike again soon, though."

My heart beats rapidly in my chest at the thought, but he doesn't give me a chance to respond, moving around the garage to a large metal panel with a padlock on it. I follow him, watching as he spins the combination on the lock, which makes a click before it comes open. The lock clangs to the cement floor, echoing around the garage, and the door opens with a loud creak, revealing a cherry red muscle car, complete with fins on the back and a shiny black hood. It's beautiful, and I can see how much he loves the car by the way his face lights up as he looks at it.

"Oh my gosh," I breathe, staring at the car. "This is amazing!"

He laughs and motions me over. "You can run your hand along the hood. She won't mind. You'll probably make her purr like a kitten."

"This is a girl, then?"

"She is." Luke's face gets a wistful look as he continues, "Her name is Scarlet and she's been my dream for a long time. I worked on her every summer as a teenager." He grins and pops open the driver's side door. "And then I kept going on the weekends after that until I was finished. She was the first thing I bought with my own money that I made, not from a paycheck, but by working my own jobs."

I trail my fingers over the hood of the car. It's a little warm from sitting in the closed garage for the night, and the metal is smooth to the touch. It's clear that a lot of love and attention has gone into restoring her, and it shows.

"I wish I had a talent like that. My skills are more book-related." I laugh self-consciously as he gets behind the wheel of the car. Luke rolls down his window and looks at me expectantly, as I climb into the passenger seat and put on my seatbelt. I love how comfortable I already feel in his presence, and I want to know everything about him. "Where did you learn about cars like this? And how to restore them? And how did you get your shop?"

"My father was a mechanic. He passed when I was in high school." Luke doesn't look at me when he tells me this, but I can tell by his expression and the way his voice changes that it's still a tough topic for him. "Anyway, I started going with him when he would do his side jobs, and just got more and more involved over the years. When I started to think about what to do with my life, it felt like the natural next step. It's the thing I know most about, and it gives me the opportunity to be my own boss and be my own man."

Luke pulls the car out into the road, and we're on our way. With a small frown, I reach out to touch his leg. "I'm sorry to hear about your father." He doesn't say anything, but his hand slips down from the steering wheel to rest on mine and squeezes it reassuringly.

We sit like that for the rest of the short drive, our hands joined across the middle of the seat, my body angled toward him as he drives. When we pull into a visitor space at the university, I feel my chest clench. I don't want to leave him. I know I'm being silly, but I can't help it.

"Go to class," he tells me, sensing my hesitation. "I'll see you when it's done. Just call me."

"I will," I promise. Then, shyly. "If they aren't letting us stay in our dorms yet..."

"Then you'll come back with me. Don't you worry about it."

I should be worried about my exams, my roommate, even the status of my dorm. But it's like Luke can read my mind—the only thing I can force myself to be concerned with is him. Knowing that I have another chance to stay at his house, and maybe sleep in his bed this time, it untangles one of the knots of worry in me.

"Can't wait." I lean over, kissing him briefly, knowing that if I let my lips linger on his, things will get heated and I'll never get out of the car.

There should be plenty of time for heated kisses and a lot of other things tonight.