26. Keke

Chapter 26

Keke

“ K eke?” Luke calls out as he enters the condo.

I don’t answer. I’m bawling into my hands while I rock myself back and forth on the end of my bed, hoping he’ll leave me alone.

“Keke?” he hollers again. “I know you’re here, I saw your car outside.”

Dammit.

He softly knocks on my door before cracking it open. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

I look up at him through puffy eyes. “What’s wrong? You really have to ask?”

“I didn’t mean for it to come out like that. I was just?—”

“Just what? Doing your job?” I interrupt, frustration flaring in my voice. “You went out there to entertain those women, and now I have to deal with the consequences. You made a fool of me, Luke!”

“Keke, please?—”

“I thought we were building something real,” I whisper. “But it was all just a game to you, wasn’t it?”

“No!” he insists, his tone full of desperation. “I care about you, Keke. I really do. That was all for the auction, to get bids! There was nothing else behind it.”

My frustration boils over. “You don’t get it! I was trying to help you fix your image, but instead, I completely fucked it up.”

He takes a deep breath. “Keke, listen to me. You didn’t fuck my image up, and even if you had, I don’t give a shit about that anymore. I want to be there for you, for our child.”

I blink at him, my mind going blank. “Wait, what?”

He swallows hard, his confession hanging in the air between us. “I want to be a dad, Keke. I want to do this together. You’re not alone.”

No way. “You have lipstick all over your face. How much do you really want to settle down?”

“They grabbed me, Keke. I didn’t know it was even happening until they did it. I was too focused on chasing after you to do much of anything to stop them.”

That makes sense, but the memory of that kiss still sticks in my head, causing doubt to creep in. I’m not sure what to think.

“Are you sure you’re ready to do that? Can you really change?”

“I can, and I will,” he says firmly. “I’m ready to step up, and I want you to be a part of my life. For real this time, no fake relationship. I want us to be a family.”

My eyes fill with tears. I can’t believe I’m hearing this. “You’re serious? After everything?”

“Absolutely,” he replies, his voice steady. “I know it’s scary, but we’ll figure it out together. I’m not perfect, but I want to try. With you.”

“What about your image? Your career?”

“I don’t care about any of that right now,” he says, taking my hands in his. “What matters is you and our baby. I want to support you. I want to be there for both of you.”

I stare at our hands joined together. This is all too much. “You don’t know what you’re asking, Luke. This isn’t just a game anymore. It’s a life.”

“I know and I want to make it a good life. Together.”

“And if this all blows up in our faces? If I can’t handle it?”

“We’ll figure it out,” he promises, squeezing my hands gently. “I’ll be there for you and our baby, no matter what.”

“And when the press gets wind of this?”

“According to Whitney, they already have. It’s you and me against the world, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“You really mean that?”

“Absolutely. And I promise to work hard to become the best dad I can be.”

“I’m not sure what to think of all this?—”

“I get it but I swear, I’ll do whatever it takes.”

I sigh deeply.

“Whitney and I will come up with a plan. We can manage this. We’ll make sure the team is on board, too. We’ll control the narrative.”

“I don’t give a shit about the narrative. You’re what’s important. I gotta know if you’re in this with me.”

Warmth spreads throughout my chest as fresh tears bubble up to the surface, a sob choking me. “You don’t mean that.”

“Of course, I do.”

“I’ve fucked your whole life up, Luke! We only went bare because I’m on birth control. I should have never agreed to any of it. And what’s worse, I end up blurting out in front of the whole world that I’m pregnant! How can you even look at me right now? I ruined everything!”

“We raised almost a quarter of a million dollars. Whitney says with the story blowing up, it’s going to draw more attention to the shelter. It might not be how we planned it, but tonight was definitely a success.”

I laugh flatly while wiping away tears. He passes me a box of tissues. “A success?”

He sits next to me on the bed and smiles. “Do you know how cute you are when your nose is all pink?”

“Shut up,” I say with a weak laugh.

“I mean it, baby. You’re precious.”

“You’re just trying to?—”

“Trying to what?” He smirks. “I’ve already gotten you pregnant and we saved the shelter, which means we saved my job. What else would I possibly be trying to do?”

I smirk back. “I don’t know. Make me feel better?”

“On it.” He kisses me as he lays me back on the bed.

“I meant that’s what you were trying to do.”

“It is. That’s what I’m trying to do right now,” he murmurs against my throat before kissing me there. I don’t want to fight anymore. I want to embrace this, to lean into the feelings I have for him. My heart races as I reach for him, pulling him closer. He gently pulls my dress down my shoulder and murmurs, “Tell me what you want.”

“I want you, Luke,” I admit, my voice barely above a whisper. “I want you here with me, always.”

He closes the distance, capturing my lips with his in a passionate kiss. The world melts away, and all I can feel is him—his warmth, his tenderness, the way he makes me feel alive whenever he’s near. Every fear, every doubt fades as I melt into him.

We lose ourselves in the kiss, our bodies gravitating toward one another. I can feel the desperation in his touch, the urgency of the moment crashing over us. We yank one another’s clothes out of the way, grasping and pulling until we’re both naked.

He pins my wrists to the bed as he kisses down my body, stopping over my heart and declaring, “Mine.” He then releases my hands to slide me up until we’re centered on the mattress. Luke reaches between my legs, and when he feels how wet I am, a primal growl escapes his throat. The sound turns me on even more. Instinctively, I claw at his shoulder as I grind on his hand. I couldn’t have stopped if I wanted to.

My first orgasm comes fast. He climbs on top of me as it ends, the feel of him sending me over the edge again. He pins me down once more, this time while he’s buried deep inside. His day-old scruff scratches my cheek as he moans in my ear, “That’s my girl. Come on my cock.”

My climax overtakes me as heat floods my limbs, setting me on fire for him. I cry out, and he nibbles on my throat as I scream his name. Finally, it ebbs, and Luke pulls me with him as he sits up, legs outstretched behind me.

He uses my ass as a handle, pulling and pushing me on his length until I can take over the ride myself. I kiss him every chance I get and not gently. I practically feed on his mouth.

He swats my ass when I bite his lip, and I grind harder on him, letting my urges take over. His hips pop up, thrusting himself deeper into me until he’s bouncing me on his dick. My whole body tenses up, ready for another release. He growls, “Fuck yes, baby.”

I’m going to come again. I sink my teeth into his shoulder as I erupt on him. He snarls as he wraps his arms around me, pressing me tight against him. Never before have I felt so animalistic or been so turned on.

But there’s something else there. Love? No. Love isn’t real.

Is it?

I shudder in his arms as he pulls out, flipping me over onto my side. He spoons me then slides in from behind, an arm around my waist to keep me close. Luke murmurs my name in my ear as he lazily thrusts in and out. His hand traces over my hip and down until he finds my clit.

I’m still lit up from before and I whimper, “Too much?”

“That sounds more like a question than a statement,” he whispers as he keeps at it.

My pussy aches, a delicious throbbing, and I’m not sure I want him to stop. Ever.

He goes deep, and I shake in his arms. “That’s it, baby. Just let it go. I’ve got you.”

Blissful, pulsing heat takes over as I come again, my sense of self evaporating. My worries seem to disappear along with the rest of the world. Nothing else matters right now except for us.

Luke warns, “I’m going to come soon.”

“Yes,” I whisper. “Come for me.”

“Fuck,” he grunts as he spills inside me, his body trembling as he empties himself. He pulls out and rolls me onto my back, kissing me over and over, until he hardens up again.

“This is just the beginning,” he whispers as he thrusts deep.

I lose myself in the comfort of Luke, unsure if I ever want to return.