Beautiful Storm (San Francisco End Game #1)

CHAPTER THREE

Amelia

W ho the hell am I? And what is he doing to me? Ignoring the fact that Luke called me beautiful, I roll my eyes in protest and wait for what he does next.

He groans as he stands, before huffing out a laugh and effortlessly throwing me over his shoulder, eliciting a squeal as he spins me around, rushing across the room.

When we reach the bed, Luke tosses me onto the mattress and grips my ankles, while I bite back a moan. I work hard on remembering who I am, but I struggle to think of anything other than the man in front of me as he pulls me toward the edge, completely obliterating my previous notions on sex. I liked vanilla. I loved vanilla.

But this is something else entirely and I’m losing my mind.

After spreading my legs, Luke wastes no time settling himself between them, swirling his tongue through my heat until I cry out again. Digging my nails into the bed, I claw at the sheets…needing something to keep me grounded. This isn’t me . At all. But God only knows why I’d want to be me right now when I’m enjoying this too much. It’s addictive.

“Are you ready for more?” Luke asks, his voice penetrating my thoughts as he stands up, and I instantly miss his touch. While I’d love nothing more than to quip back with some smart-ass response, we’re beyond that, and I’d do just about anything for “more” right now.

“Yes,” I rush out, sitting up to grab the back of his neck, pulling him onto the bed, unable to meet his stare as I whisper, “I need you inside me. Now .” I’ve never been more hungry for it.

Luke groans and I swear his length throbs against me as he grabs my chin and forces me to look at him. I barely take a breath before he crushes his mouth to mine, completely devouring me as he groans again, the vibrations sending a spark straight to my core as I taste myself on his lips.

The kiss is messy, rushed, passionate, and so goddamn intoxicating I don’t think I’ll be able to break away. But Luke does, and when he releases me from his hold, he lifts to his knees, giving me the perfect view of his abs as he palms his cock over his pants. “Jesus, Amelia. Don’t look at me like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like you want me.”

“I don’t want you,” I say honestly, because that’s not what I’m craving. “I want what you’re about to do to me…and I’m going to need you to hurry it up.”

His lips pull into a smirk as his eyes light up, staring at me as though I just gave him the ammunition he needs to take me down. And maybe I did. But I’m in too deep to care.

Without a word or smart-ass response—which is a little unnerving—Luke gets off the bed and slowly removes his pants. I sense his gaze on my face, but my eyes stay firmly locked on his chest, letting myself enjoy it while I can. He really is a stunning specimen of a man. Such a pity he knows it, acting like he’s selflessly letting all women reap the benefits.

Although, I suppose he is.

As I stare, I picture his abs tensing while I lick a path across his perfectly rigid muscles, and it’s not until he clears his throat that I’m snapped out of my thoughts. He steps out of his briefs and I lift my gaze, meeting his eyes when he stands tall. “Your turn,” he says, crawling back on the bed, slowly running his hands up my legs until he reaches the hem of my dress.

My skin tingles with his touch, and my body warms at the intensity of his stare.

“This is new,” he muses as he points to my chest, his other hand palming my leg. “The Amelia I remember wouldn’t have her tits out like this.”

I internally flinch but hold my gaze. “Don’t do that,” I scoff, though he’s not wrong. I’ve been dressing differently since I ended my marriage. But I’ve been doing it for me, not other people. And this one’s further out of my comfort zone. “Don’t pretend you know me. I’m not that girl anymore.”

“Oh, I know. You may have hated me back then, but you were never this feisty. I like the new you.”

Once again ignoring his slight compliment, I raise an eyebrow and change the subject. “Do I need to undress myself or do you want to do it?”

“Decisions. Decisions.” Luke runs his finger across his bottom lip, making me bite down on mine as my breath quickens. “How about you do it,” he decides. “Let me enjoy the view.”

With my pulse racing, I rise to the challenge and grab his hand, making a show of removing it from my body before clasping my hands around my hem. With painstakingly slow movements, I lift to my knees and drag the material along my skin, gliding my dress over my head. I’m supposed to be teasing him, but the second I remember my panties lying somewhere on the floor on the other side of the room, my core pulses, picturing his expression as I expose myself.

With my dress off, I toss it on the bed, and it’s not until I reach for my bra that I finally let myself glance Luke’s way. Our eyes meet and I almost gasp at his expression. The way he stares at me is primal. There’s a fire in his eyes that makes my heart pound out of control…like he wants me more than air…as though he’ll die if he doesn’t get another taste.

And no one has ever looked at me that way.

God, he’s good.

Now I know what he meant when he told me not to look at him like I want him. It’s hard to take.

Dropping my gaze, I remove my bra and throw it in the direction of my dress as my insides twist into knots. I’m naked and exposed and more vulnerable than I’ve ever been before, but I’ve also never felt so alive. Luke grabs my clothes and tosses them to the floor before moving closer and crowding my space, forcing me to fall back onto the bed.

Without a word, he squeezes my breasts before running his hands along my skin, his palms burning a path as they glide down my body, only stopping after he’s wrapped his fingers around my ankles.

Lifting my legs, Luke pushes my knees against my chest before spreading them wide and moving to settle between them. He’s exposing me more than I’d usually be comfortable with, but despite my rapid heartbeat, I welcome it.

My breath catches as Luke stares at me for a beat before releasing his grip on one ankle and reaching for his length, drawing my eyes to his cock for the first time.

And he’s sheathed.

How long was I stuck in my head?

“You’re so ready for me,” he rasps, his eyes once again locked on my center. “And fuck, I’m ready for you.”

Am I ready? I swallow a lump in my throat because now that it’s happening, I’m not so sure.

Leaning forward, Luke lines himself up with my entrance, and when his tip presses against me, I clench around him. Since I’ve only been with Preston, I don’t have a lot to compare to, but it’s not hard to see that he’s longer than Preston was. And definitely thicker.

As if sensing my nerves, Luke rolls his thumbs over my clit, making me forget all my troubles as a spark ignites inside me, my body instantly relaxing while I focus on his movements. God, he’s so good at this. And yes, I say God, because he deserves some credit for his creation.

My head falls to the bed as a new tension builds low in my belly, and I’m just about to demand Luke’s mouth again when he pushes an inch inside me. I cry out as it burns, but there’s a pleasure to the pain that makes it all worth it.

“Jesus Christ,” he groans between his teeth. “You are so fucking tight.”

An irregular sex life will do that to a person, but I’m not about to say that. “Just…ah…give me a second.” I wait for his impatient groan, but he shocks me when he pauses, his eyes locked on mine.

“Take what you need. Move when you’re ready. There’s no rush.”

What ? Don’t be a gentleman now, Luke. I can’t handle that.

I nod slowly and take a deep breath, letting the tension go while Luke teases me with his fingers, his movements lighting up my entire body. And I want more.

After wrapping my legs around him, I roll my hips and dig my heels into his back, pulling him closer as he slips farther inside me, sinking deeper until he’s buried to the hilt. And this time the burn is like fireworks. Like a new high I never knew I was chasing and—

“Oh God.”

“Fuuuck. Yes. Can I move?”

“Please. Yes.” Don’t make me beg.

Luke rocks his hips, starting a gentle rhythm as I adjust to having him inside me. But the second I push back, showing him I’m ready, it’s on.

We thrash around, slamming into each other as the pressure increases between my legs. His fingers bite into my skin and I welcome the pain, all of it adding to the moment. To the intense feeling working its way through my body.

Wrapping my arms around his neck, I pull at his hair, loving the way he groans at my touch before crashing his lips to mine, instantly swirling his tongue in my mouth.

We find our rhythm, and it doesn’t take long for the tension to build in my middle again, but my orgasm sits just out of reach. I’ve only ever been able to come with a finger, and I doubt this will be any different because— “ Holy shit. ”

Luke lifts my hips, changing the angle as he drills into me and my God. The pleasure intensifies and I’m just about to beg for more when he pulls out of me and rubs his length over my clit before slowly pushing back in. My body jerks as he repeats his movements, and on his third go, he has me flying over the edge, crying out his name as my release consumes me.

“Fuck, Amelia. Jesus .” Luke pumps harder, clenching his teeth as I buck against him, meeting his fervor. “Yes.”

He lets out a guttural groan before his body shakes and his cock pulses inside me, giving me another burst of this new ecstasy.

Our movements slow and when my body starts to relax, Luke stills inside me, unmoving while my heart slams against my rib cage.

Time slows, and I’m not sure how long it’s been when he lets out a soft groan and drops onto the bed beside me, curling his arm around my waist, his fingers dancing across my stomach.

Goosebumps coat my already warm skin and I have to bite back another satisfied mewl. That was epic. There is no other way to describe it. Hayley was right. His experience does work in my favor. In everyone’s favor. There was nothing lazy about that. It was heated and intoxicating and so goddamn passionate.

But it was Luke. Shit .

This is what he does. He’s practically a professional.

Clearing my throat, I jump up and search for my clothes, ignoring the fact that my insides still pulse from the best sex of my life. “Thanks for the service,” I say, trying to hide as I wriggle into my thong. “I trust you can let yourself out.”

Luke chuckles as he stands, and I catch sight of his Adonis body, my eyes drawn to the deep grooves that run in a V, guiding my gaze toward his thick, dangerous weapon. Ugh. What is wrong with me? True, it should be considered a weapon with the way it just broke me, but I’m over thirty; I shouldn’t be thinking this way. And I definitely shouldn’t be imagining all the ways I’d like him to continue to destroy me. Dammit . Why does he have to be Luke?

“Want a picture to remember me by?” he asks, and I mentally curse myself, knowing he’s just caught me staring.

“The awful image I have burned into my brain is more than enough, thank you. But I appreciate the offer.” I turn away, grabbing my bra and dress from where they landed on the floor, ignoring Luke when he chuckles again until a string of curses flies from his mouth.

“Fuck. Fucking fuck.”

“What’s the matter?” I ask. “Did you just fall in love with me?” I laugh to myself until Luke falls silent, drawing my attention. “What happened?”

He points to his cock before pointing to the condom on the bed, confusing the hell out of me. “Um…”

“It broke , Amelia. It fucking broke.”

I stare at him as the color drains from his face before bursting out laughing.

“It’s not funny,” he says. “You need to—”

“I’m on the pill.” I stare at him until he looks my way. “You can stop panicking. Surely this isn’t the first time something like this has happened to you. Considering how much you get around.”

Luke’s entire body deflates but he still manages to roll his eyes before muttering, “Thank God.”

I roll my eyes right back, then turn around and continue to dress until his presence fills the space behind me. “Tell me, Amelia”—he trails off as though waiting for me to react—“will this little interaction of ours make it into your diary? Will it be accompanied by a photo?”

“What?” The. Hell. I flinch but catch myself before turning around, keeping my expression passive when I face him.

Luke suppresses a smirk, seeing through my facade, and I tense. “Oh, sorry. Was it supposed to be a secret?”

That little asshole. Ugh . He knew about my diary? How is that possible? And for how long?

“Why are you here, Luke?”

“Have you already forgotten you invited me in?”

“No, I meant…I thought I cut you from my life years ago.”

Luke winces. At least I think it’s a wince, but when he laughs a little sardonically, I’m not so sure. “You thought you cut me out?” He scoffs. “I was glad to see you go.”

“Then why talk to me at all tonight?” I throw my hands in the air and spin around, storming toward the door.

“I saw you and couldn’t help myself.” He pulls on his shirt but leaves the buttons undone, letting it hang from his ripped body as he picks up his jacket, trying to mess with my head. And it’s working. “I wanted to talk to the woman that’s continued to affect my life years after she left it.” Huh ? “Then I couldn’t walk away when you stepped headfirst into trouble.”

“I, what?” I’m not asking about the trouble, as he alluded to that before. But…what did I do to affect him?

“You almost cost me my football career,” he answers my silent question. “Multiple times. It was years before I stopped having to explain myself.”

“Your football career?” I huff out an incredulous laugh. That’s it? “Are you kidding me, Luke? You almost cost me my life .”

“Bullshit.” Luke huffs before shaking his head as though I'm exaggerating. And I wish I was. “That didn’t happen or I’d have known about it. Your beautiful temple was unharmed.”

“Unharmed?” He can’t be serious. I went to the hospital for smoke inhalation. I still get bronchitis occasionally, which I never had before that fire. To this day, I still have no idea why the police let me off while Luke got in trouble, but I’ve always known better than to question it out loud.

Luke stares me down, his serious expression never wavering. He honestly thinks he did nothing wrong. “You know what? Never mind. I’m okay now.” I open the door and smile. It takes a lot to ignore the fact that he called me beautiful a second time, but I’m proud to say I push the information out of my mind. It’s been a long time since I cared what Luke thought about me—over ten years—and I’m not about to start again. “Goodnight, Luke.” I step aside and gesture for him to leave. “I’d say it was a pleasure, but it wasn’t.”

“Feeling is mutual, but I appreciate you scratching an itch.” He buttons his pants as he walks but stops when he reaches me, his expression full of something I can’t quite decipher.

“I should have said this a long time ago,” I say, pinning him with a glare. “If you ever see me again, pretend you don’t know me. I’m done.”

“Works for me. Bye, Amelia.” He stares into my eyes as he delivers his parting message and a shiver runs through me, waiting for more. But after shaking his head, he walks away, beelining for the stairs instead of waiting for the elevator, never once looking back.

“Good riddance,” I say as he turns the corner, not loud enough for him to hear me, but enough to be satisfied I made the last remark. Good riddance.

And what the hell was all that?

I ’m not sure how long I lie on the untainted side of the bed staring at the ceiling, but it feels like I’ve barely closed my eyes when my alarm goes off.

I curse the heavens until I remember the massage I booked and the world is good again. That’s exactly what I need. A moment to myself. A moment to forget life and focus on my body. While not focusing on the fact that it hurts in all the right places and feels so good it’s already craving more. My body…not me… it . It’s a physical response, nothing more, and I have no doubt it would be the same with someone else.

I refuse to believe that was a Luke thing.

Plenty of guys have experience. I just have to find someone else to set my body on fire. Then I’ll forget all about last night.

Like it never happened.

Just a blip on my radar.

A moment that changed me, sure , but a single moment all the same.

Nothing more.

Because no matter how alive Luke made me feel, he’s still Luke , and any chance of a relationship—sexual or otherwise— burned along with the memory of the last time I ever genuinely cared for him.

And that fire still haunts me.

So no. There’s no going back. They’re called one-nightstands for a reason. And this one is staying in the past.