Sweet Hill Temptation (A Short Story) (4 page)

“W-what?” she breathlessly asked. “Why?”

He was about to kick his own ass. Yes, he wanted her, so fucking bad. “I don’t have any condoms.”

She pulled back just enough to look at him, and she whispered, “I’m on the pill and clean.”

Holy shit, could this really happen? Luke had never been with a woman without a condom. Not even Annie that first time.

“I’m good too,” he said.

She nodded and kissed the side of his mouth, his jaw, his neck. He groaned, gripped the underside of her knee, and locked her leg against his hip.

“You sure?” he asked, reaching with his free hand to position himself at her entrance.

“Supersure.” She smiled.

That was all it took. When the tip of his cock met her slick heat, he didn’t need any more invitation. He thrust to the hilt.

Her eyes shot wide, and she gasped.

“You okay?” he asked, slowly retreating.

She was so tight, so wet, so ready. And he could feel all of her. No barriers. Just them. And it felt amazing. She wiggled a little against him, as if testing the waters, and his whole world hung in the balance in that moment. Waiting for the word to continue or stop.

“Don’t stop,” she said in that sexy voice he remembered hearing once before.

Thank God. Grabbing her other knee, he lifted her up. Balanced between his hold and the wall, she locked her legs around him and he sank inside her again.

“You feel so good,” she said, clutching his shoulders.

“So do you, baby.”

She fit him perfectly. Like warm silk gloving him. He knew right there that this could become addicting. The feel of her, all of her, tangled around him was like a drug. He withdrew and returned with another hard thrust, coaxing another moan from her. So he did it again. And again. Until all she would do was take it. Let him in. Let him take care of her.

Her ass banged against the wall, and the sound was like music to Luke’s ears, heightening his desire. But when her nails dug into his back, it spurred him like a wild bull, driving him even deeper, needing more.

“Luke,” she said between strangled breaths. “You’re going to … make me … again …”

He smiled and bit her bottom lip. “Good. Come on, baby. Come for me again.”

Nothing had ever brought him more satisfaction than that moment— Annie in his arms, coming apart for the second time around him. Because of him. It was like it was what he was meant to do. Bring her pleasure. Make her feel good.

That was what she did to him.

She had him crazed. Desperate for her. Gritting his teeth, he held back the ache in his gut and his own release, until she had hers.

Pumping faster, they held on to each other.

“Luke, yes!” She yelled his name to the ceiling, and he felt her flood him with her orgasm. He couldn’t hold back any longer. He was right there with her. A release so powerful it made him see stars and made his legs a little shaky.

Still breathing hard, Annie buried her face in his neck and hugged him like she didn’t want him to leave her. So he wouldn’t. Hopefully, he’d just changed her mind about keeping a distance, as she was saying earlier.

After long moments, she lifted her head and looked him in the eye. “Okay. Maybe I missed you a little.”

“A
h, crap. What now?” Annie said, walking up to her café, which had a small crowd of geriatric looky-loos surrounding her front door. She couldn’t possibly hope that they were forming a line to get in this early in the morning.

Since she’d left Luke sleeping last night, she was so wired that instead of rest, she’d pulled an all-nighter pacing around her home and thinking. There was no way anyone could know her business, right? Of course, this was Sweet Hill and everyone seemed to know everything.

“Good morning,” she said with a cheery smile, making her way through the bystanders to get to the front door.

She stopped dead in her tracks. There were three big crates of apples piled on top of one another, the name J
ACOBS
O
RCHARD
printed on the side. A big note was stuck to the top of the box of Pink Ladies:

When life gives you apples, make apple pie.
And yours is the best in town. Hope these help!
~Luke

The little old ladies surrounding her smiled. A couple of older gentlemen nodded and grunted, including Herb Lee, owner of Leeve It and Lube, across the street.

“This true?” he asked. “You making pie today with Jacobs apples?”

Annie looked at the crates, then at the crowd. They didn’t look hostile, or look at her like
she
was hostile. This was a good sign. Sure, Luke’s sign—basically a public banner of peace between her and him—also helped.

“Looks like I am.”

A few claps and cheers let out as she opened the door to the café and turned on the lights.

To her surprise, everyone followed her in. Herb hollered at his son, and a few other men from his shop who had also gathered, to pick up the crates and take them inside.

“Where do we put these, Miss Annie?” Joel Lee asked, hoisting up a crate.

“They can go in the kitchen in back. Thank you so much.”

And in a matter of seconds, her little place was full of people ordering coffee and happy to spend their morning waiting for apple pie.

Annie set straight to work, hustling between patrons, delivering coffee and scones, getting everyone settled, all while having a massive smile on her face.

The sentiment behind what Luke had done wasn’t lost on her. He put to bed the miniscandal of her slugging him, but in a way that the town would know they had made up without knowing they’d “made up.”

He must have delivered the apples at an ungodly hour, since she’d left him not too long ago. The gesture was incredible.

“Looks like you kids worked it out,” Nana said, shuffling into the café for her morning shift and peeking into the kitchen. “Gotta love them apples.” She smiled and tied her apron on.

Annie laughed and under her breath muttered, “You have no idea.”

It was only fair that Annie take him lunch since Luke had given her hundreds of dollars in apples that morning. Which was keeping the café pretty busy and putting the regulars back in their seats.

Pulling up to the loading dock, she got out, paper bag in hand, and searched for Luke. She found him bent over the forklift, messing with the engine.

She tilted her head, examining his amazing ass in those jeans, and a small sigh escaped. It just wasn’t fair for one man to possess all that hotness.

“Hey,” she called out.

He looked over his shoulder. “Hey, baby.”

Grabbing a rag from his back pocket and wiping his hands, he turned and walked toward her. Not hesitating for a second, he wrapped her up and kissed her like crazy.

Her eyes shot open in surprise, but when he ran his tongue along the seam of her lips, she parted them and let him in, basking in his crisp taste and masterful mouth.

“Thank you for the apples,” she said, a little breathless.

“You’re welcome. Thank you for wearing this dress.” His hand skated down to grab her ass as he delved his tongue deeper, consuming her, sweeping her up in his touches and slow, intense kiss.

Bag in hand, she wrapped her arms around his neck and drew him closer.

“Mmm, something smells good.”

She leaned back and smiled. “I brought you lunch. A pulled-pork sandwich and sweet-potato fries.”

“My favorite.” He brushed the tip of his nose against hers.

“I know.”

“God, you’re sexy when you’re thoughtful,” he said, nipping her chin. “Had me wondering why you took off last night.”

It would be easy to come back with something snarky. Point out the irony. But she didn’t, mostly because she wasn’t that girl. She knew why Luke had left the first time and she didn’t take off last night as some kind of payback. She just needed to think. Needed to figure out how far she was willing to fall again.

“I just wanted some space to get my mind right.”

He pulled back and stared at her. “Mind right about what?”

She shrugged. “About this situation. I know it was a one-time thing, but I’d appreciate you keeping it to yourself.”

“Hold up.” He took several steps back and crossed his arms, looking at her like he would a child who was about to be reprimanded. She tried not to get hypnotized by the way his T-shirt pulled tight over his chest and biceps.

“First of all, if you think last night was a one-time thing, I suggest you go back to wherever you do your thinking and try again. Because there is no way I’m letting you walk away that easy.”

“Excuse me?” Her gaze snapped to meet his.

“You heard me, Annabelle. I’m not interested in a one-night stand. You coming up here, charming me with delicious food, only to break my heart is just cruel.” He gave an exaggerated pout.

“Oh, please.” She rolled her eyes because she could tell Luke was trying his damnedest to keep a straight face. “I just assumed it was a one-night thing because—”

“Well, you assumed wrong.”

She let out a deep breath, having no idea what to say next.

“I’m sorry about how things ended last time. But I’m here, and I want you. For more than a single night. What is it you want, Annie?”

She blinked a few times, because honestly, no one had ever asked her that question. Not her mother when she came in and out of Annabelle’s life, not the town when rumors started up about her, not even Luke two years ago.

But he’s asking now.

“I may be interested in more than one night,” she said softly. What she was certain of was that she was tired of being left. “But it’s not that simple, Luke. I was on the town’s shit list, and had you not pulled that stunt with the apples, I might not have bounced back. I would have been serving an empty café today.”

“We do live in a gossipy town,” he said.

“Exactly. So starting something with you would be risky. One bad move and I’m back to White Trash Thompson, enemy number one of the Jacobs family.”

“Don’t ever call yourself that again,” Luke snapped. “You’re not trash. You’re ambitious. Most people here just don’t understand you.”

“And you do?”

He waited until she looked at him before he said, “Yes, I do.”

She pinched the bridge of her nose. Things were getting too heavy too quick. A few more words and looks from Luke and she was afraid she’d start believing him.

“Do you want your lunch or not?”

He smiled and took the bag. “Only if you’ll come in the orchard and share with me. We can talk more about us.”

“I can’t stay long,” she said, swaying on her feet. Once again, Luke Jacobs with his lethal smile and confident swagger had her attempting to balance with trembling knees.

“I don’t need long.” He took her hand and led her deep into the orchard, not stopping until the only things that surrounded them were rustling tree branches swaying in the breeze.

She sat beneath a Golden Delicious. Luke dropped the bag and gently pushed her to her back, instantly wedging himself between her legs. The grass tickled her shoulder blades, and Luke’s weight on top of her felt amazing. Like she was safe. Secure beneath him.

“What are you doing?”

“Making sure you hear me,” he said, hovering over her.

Oh, she was hearing him. She was also lifting her hips, wondering just how far they were about to go. But Luke stayed still, simply looking at her, and all she could see was him.

“I want you, Annabelle.” Putting his forearms on either side of her head, he balanced his weight atop her.

She could see his biceps bulge in her peripheral vision, and that safe feeling enveloped her once more.

“Do you want me?” he asked.

“Yes,” she whispered. That was a simple question with a simple answer. The rest—like tomorrow or details—didn’t enter her mind then. She wanted Luke.

“Good.” He grinned. “Because right here”—he skimmed her cheekbone with the back of his hand—“with you, is where I want to be.”

Her lips trembled. She wanted to respond. To argue with him and point out all the reasons that this was a bad idea. That while she felt a deep connection to him, they were very different people living in a town that recognized those differences.

“You and me together … it isn’t going to look right. People will talk.”

“I know you have a lot riding on your reputation, Annie. I don’t want to complicate that.” Only Luke would think about her reputation in this. His was spotless while hers was comprised of past mistakes, and everyone was watching to see how badly she would mess up again. “I’m not interested in keeping you, or us, a secret.”

He adjusted his hips, and the scrape of his jeans against her thighs made her body buzz like a freshly lit firework. She locked her legs around his middle and hugged him close. Fully clothed, lying on the ground, she just clung to him, wanting to somehow feel all that strength he offered.

“Luke …” It was the only word she could form. What else could she say? Could she really tell him no? Tell him she’d rather stay away from him than try and see if they could be more? That would be a lie. Because she did want more. But it wasn’t that easy.

She couldn’t control what people would say or think. She didn’t want to give anyone any reason to stand against her. She relied on Sweet Hill for her livelihood. A town that loved everything Jacobs. If she so much as breathed wrong in their direction, it could be a problem. People would know. And it would affect her business.

“Please, Annabelle.” His mouth was over hers, so close it was as if they were breathing for each other. So much heat and longing was in his eyes that she dared not deny him anything.

She was already so far past gone for Luke, she was ready to concede. And she’d do it with a smile on her face. Because right then, he looked at her in a way no one ever did.

“Yes,” she said.

With her thighs wrapped around his waist, she squeezed tighter and let herself enjoy the moment. The feeling of being totally and completely wrapped up in Luke Jacobs.

He whispered her name and kissed her. Soft, slow, and totally consuming. The connection that she felt two years ago, and again last night, came rushing full force with the power of his mouth working hers. It was a feeling she was already addicted to. Already wanting more of.

With the warm grass against her back, and an even warmer man against her front, they lay there for a moment, Luke simply kissing her. Not pushing too far. As if reassuring her that he would always be there. Something she desperately wanted to believe.

He pulled back just enough to say, “Have dinner with me tonight.”

She looked up at him. The sun was shining around him, making those green eyes of his sparkle.

“We haven’t even made it through lunch,” she said with a little laugh.

Brushing his lips against hers, he whispered, “Which is why I think tonight should be somewhere public. Otherwise, I may never eat anything but you.”

Her body shuddered and a whole new dose of desire rushed to every cell. Annie was lost. Totally and helplessly lost to him.

“Okay.”