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Lindy ends up inviting him to eat with us. I don’t know if I have ever been more pissed off in my entire life. Not at her, but at myself for forgetting that his ass lived down here now. He keeps touching her, and it is driving me crazy. I want to rip his fucking arm off, but I hold myself back because I know Lindy would flip out if I did. When he asks her if it would be okay if he came up this weekend, I decide that I have had enough. I slip my chair up next to hers and wrap my arm around her shoulders.

"I think Ma is planning on cooking out this weekend. She wanted us all to come over there."

Lindy looks at me and scrunches up her forehead. "She called me this morning, but she didn’t mention that. But there is no way I can tell your mom no. Wanda gets a little crabby when you don’t do what she wants," she says with a laugh and looks over at Chad. She gives him a small smile. "Sorry. I guess I have plans."

Chad jerks his eyes to mine and gives me a look that says he knows I am making this shit up as I go along. I just flash him a quick smile and make a mental note to call Mom as soon as we get home. We make small talk for a few more minutes. Then, Lindy excuses herself and heads to the bathroom.

"She is your Lindy?" Chad asks as soon as she is out of earshot.

"Yes, and I guess she’
s your Melinda." I state the obvious.

He shakes his head at me. "You
messed her up bad, man. You need to stay the hell away from her."

I lean in so that my face is only inches from his. "That is not going to happen. She is mine, and you need to leave her the hell alone!"

He pulls back and looks at me. "I can’t let you hurt her again."

"I won’t," I say with conviction.

"If you do, it will break her in a way that may not be fixable," he says, leaning towards me again.

I look him in the eye, clenching my hands to keep from pounding him in the face. "That will not happen. I love her. I have always loved her. You know that, man."

He slowly nods his head. "I know you do, but shit Luke. I love her too."

I nod back. "I know that, Chad. But you don’t love her the way I do."

"What the hell do you mean by that?" he snarls.

I take a drink of my beer. "If Lindy walked out of your life today and never returned, what would you do?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Just answer the question. What would you do if you never saw Lindy again?"

"I don’t know, man. It would hurt like hell," he says, anger filling his voice.

"I know it would, but what would you do?" I ask for the third time.

"I would have to move on. I would do what I had to do to live without her," he finally answers, sounding frustrated.

I smile sarcastically at Chad, because I know that I have won. "That’s how I know you don’t love her like I do." He looks at me like I am crazy as hell. I can tell he wants to kick my ass as bad as I do his. "If she walked out of my life again, I would fucking die. I might still be breathing, but my soul would be dead."

He shakes his head. "Shit, man. What am I supposed to do with that?"

I look him straight in the eyes.
"You stand down and let me have my chance with Lindy."

He stares at me for a few minute
s, before he responds in a pain-filled voice. "Fine, I’ll step back, but if you mess up again, I will be there to pick up the pieces. When I do, I won’t let her go again."

"Fair enough," I agree, and let out the breath that I had been holding since I first saw Lindy in his arms.

We just finish our conversation, when Lindy rushes back to the table. "We have to go now!" she screams, as she grabs my arm and pulls me from my seat.

She is shaking like a damn leaf. There is no doubt in my mind that she is scared as hell. "What’s wrong?"

"Tara got sick at work, so she came home early and went to bed. While she was sleeping, someone broke in. When she heard them in the house, she thought it was us," Lindy says, choking back tears.

"What happened then?" I ask, while I pull her into my arms.

"She came out of her room to see what we were doing. Whoever was there was waiting in the hall for her. As soon as she walked out, they hit her in the back of the head with something. Now she’s in the hospital," she finishes and breaks into tears.

Tara can be a pain in the ass, but I have always thought of her as a sister. "Let’s go." I wrap my arm around Lindy and walk out the door, without even saying goodbye to Chad.

CHAPTER FIVE

"Why are you shaking?" Lucas asks, as he crawls in the bed.

"I heard something outside, and I got scared," she answers.

"Don’t worry, Lindy Lou. I’ll protect you."

LINDY

It takes us nearly forty-five minutes to get to the hospital. As soon as we walk through the door, I see Mom, Lucas’ parents, and Chris sitting near the sign-in desk. I rush up to them, and pull Mom into a hug. "How is Tara?"

She hugs me back and answers, "She’s got a slight concussion and is a little sore. But other than that, she’s okay."

I look around and realize that I don’t see Tara’s mom. "Where is Abbie?"

"She’s back with Tara. Only one person can be back there at a time," Wanda answers, explaining why they are all sitting in the waiting room and not with Tara.

"I bet she is a wreck," I say more to myself than anyone else.

"She is. I have never seen Abbie so scared," Mom agrees.

"I am too. I cannot believe someone would hurt her, or even that some sicko was in our house in the first place," I say while shaking my head in disbelief.

"Don’t you think you girls should move home until this guy is found?" Mom asks, but it sounds more like an order.

"I can understand what you are feeling right now, Maggie. I don’t think that’s necessary. I’ll be there from now on. I
will
keep them safe. I promise you," Lucas answers for me.

"Tara will be coming home with us until she is feeling better. That dick gave her a hell of a knock on the head. I want to watch over her for a few days. After that, we can talk about her moving back," Chris says, leaving no room for discussion.

"That settles it then. You will be coming home tonight," Mom says, assuming the decision has been made.

I look up at Lucas, and it looks like someone has just slapped him in his face. "I can take care of Lindy." His voice sounds strained.

"No offense, Maggie, but Lucas can protect our girl better than you can. What are you going to do if this guy breaks into your house? How are you going to take care of her?" Paul asks.

"I took care of her her entire life," Mom says defensively.

"You did take good care of Lindy, but I have to agree with Luke and Paul. She needs a man with her right now. The Mirror Man only targets women who live alone. I don’t think that he realized that Luke had moved in with the girls yet, or he probably would have never entered their house." Chris takes a breath. "I’m not worried about you being in your house without a man, because you don’t fall in the right age range for this bastard. But if Lindy moves in with you, that could change. You could both be in danger."

"Was it the same guy who’s been breaking into all the houses? The one that fucks with the mirrors?" Lucas asks.

Chris shrugs his shoulders. "We’re not sure, because there were no broken mirrors this time. But we think that Tara surprised him before he could get down to business."

Thinking about that man being in my house makes me shiver.

"If it was him, he is escalating. Last time, he ripped up the furniture. This time, he was physical. It may not have been planned, but once that line is crossed, they don’t go back. If he came in on Maggie and you alone, he could hurt you a lot worse than he did Tara," Paul adds.

The thought of putting Mom in danger makes the decision for me. "I am staying at my house. As long as Lucas is living there, I will be safe."

Mom looks like she wants to argue, but Lucas cuts her off. "When I am at work, you go over to your mom’s. I don’t want you home alone until this fucker is caught."

I nod in agreement and look at Mom. "I will be fine. I promise."

LUCAS

As I walk into Tara’s room, I wonder if she will even want me here. I might still care a hell of a lot about this girl, but I doubt she even considers me a friend anymore. I make my way to her bed. She has her eyes closed, and she has a pained expression on her face. As soon as I see the bruise covering her left temple, my anger flares. If I ever get my hands on the bastard that did this to her, I will tear his ass apart.

"I know that it’s you, Luke," she says without opening her eyes.

"And how is that?"

"I heard you walking down the hall. It sounded like a herd of elephants. You always did stomp instead of step," she says with a smile and opens her eyes.

I can’t help but chuckle. "I will try to take soft steps from now on."

"Where were you and Lindy today?" she asks, the smile leaving her face.

Shit. She is lying in the hospital and still ready to fight for her friend. "I took her to the beach."

Tara blows out a slow breath. "What are you doing, Luke? I cannot watch you hurt her again. If you are playing her, I will figure out some way to stop you."

"I won’t hurt her. I promise that I will never fuck up again."

She gives me a little laugh. "That’s not possible. You’re a man. You will fuck up eventually. You all do. All I want is for you to promise to do your best. She has always loved you. If you break her heart again, I am not sure she will able to take it."

I grab Tara’s hand and give her the promise that she needs. "I swear that I will do my best not to hurt her ever again."

"Fine then. You have my permission to try to get in her panties." She gives me a little smile. "But, why don’t you try it on a bed this time? Shit, I would be happy with a couch or even the back seat of her car. Anywhere, but a damn bathroom floor."

I burst into laughter.

*****

Lindy and I are just walking into the house when my phone rings. I pull it out and look at the screen. Kelsey again. Shit, this is the third time today the bitch has called. I thought that I laid it out to her yesterday, but she just won’t give up. I power my phone down and walk to the couch.

As soon as I sit down, Lindy comes over and snuggles into my side. "I cannot believe that someone broke into our home. I’m happy they didn’t hurt Tara even worse than they did, but the thought of what could have happened makes me sick to my stomach."

I wrap my arms around her and pull her even closer. "She’ll be fine, baby. And I will keep you safe"

We sit quietly for a long time, before she looks up and kisses me softly. "Thank you for today."

"Anytime, Lindy Lou," I say against her lips.

"Goodnight, Lucas." She doesn’t even give me the chance to say goodnight, before she gets off the couch and leaves the room. I stand up, adjust my hard cock, and head to my own room.

LINDY

I have been lying in my bed tossing and turning for nearly two hours. I am just too nervous to sleep. Every time I close my eyes I see Tara's bruised face. What if the guy that did it comes back while I'm sleeping? What if Lucas doesn't hear him come in? Shit. Now, I am scaring myself. I lay there for a few more minutes but jump up when I hear a scraping sound against the side of the house. I fly to Lucas' room and barge in without knocking. I run right to his bed and jump in.

Lucas wakes up suddenly and grabs me. He rolls over on top of me and draws back his fist, but stops as soon as he realizes that it's me. He rolls over to his back and starts to breathe in and out loudly. "Damn it, Lindy. You scared the shit out of me. I could have hurt you."

I am still breathing hard from the mad dash to his room and shaking from the close call with Lucas' fist. "I'm sorry. I got scared and didn't think to knock."

He blows out a frustrated breath, pulls my body into his, and wraps his arms around me. "What scared you, Lindy Lou?"

"Something is scraping against the side of the house."

He gives me a tight a squeeze. "It's just a branch. There is a low hanging tree, not far from your window. I'll trim it as soon as I get home from work tomorrow."

"Oh. I guess I need to go back to my room then," I say but do not get up. Instead, I snuggle closer to his body.

Lucas chuckles and kisses the top of my head. "You want to sleep here tonight?"

"Well, if you’re scared, I’ll stay," I say, laughing at my own joke.

He laughs and gives me another squeeze. "I’m terrified."

I am just starting to nod off when I feel his hardness pressed against my stomach. Instantly I feel myself getting wet. I throw my leg over his and rub myself against his thigh. Lucas’ hold tightens on me. "What are you doing, babe?"

"I don’t know," I whisper.

I truly don’t. I never initiated any type of sexual activity with Chad. I did kiss him first a time or two, but that was it. I cannot stop myself from pushing into Lucas again. When I make contact, I let out a soft moan.

"Lindy
, baby. You've got to stop. If not, I won’t be able to hold back. I will bury myself so deep in you that you won’t be able to tell where I end and you begin."

His words make me suck in a deep breath. Am I ready for that? Can I take a chance that he really has changed? I know that there is no way I can do this without knowing how he feels about me. "What do you want from me?"

Lucas looks puzzled. "Right now, I want a taste of your pussy, but I have a feeling that’s not what you mean."

His words send a chill down my spine. I lean into his body and feel his hardness pressing into my thigh. "I can feel that you want that, but what I mean is … what do you want from me outside of this bed?"

He pulls me up his body and places my face right in front of his. "I want everything that you are willing to give me. There is something I have been wanting to tell you since I was twelve years old. I love you, Lindy James."

Those are the words I have been wanting to hear for most of my life. They are also the words that push me over the edge. I slam my mouth onto his. Within minutes, he flips me onto my back. He jerks my tee over my head and starts to suck on my nipple. It feels like heaven. "God baby, you are so fucking beautiful." His hands travel down to my panties and slide in. Then two of his fingers sink deep into me. I buck up against him and let out a loud moan. "You are so fucking tight. I can’t wait to be inside you."

His words make me freeze up. I remember the pain that comes along with him being inside me. I know it is only supposed to hurt the first time, but it has been so long for me. This will probably be like my first time all over again.

"What’s wrong?" Lucas asks and pulls his fingers out of me. "Shit, baby. I am sorry. I thought this was what you wanted. We don’t have to do anything. We can wait."

"No, I want to. I’m just kind of nervous," I admit, knowing that I sound like a child.

"Why are you so nervous, baby?"

I look into his face. "It really hurt last time. It’s been so long that I think it might hurt again. But I want to. I just want to take it slow this time."

Lucas’ body tightens up. "How long has it been?"

I let out a nervous sigh. "It’s been almost four years."

He rolls off of me and onto his back. Then, he pulls me into his side. "You and Chad?"

I shake my head. "No."

"So, it was just that one time?" he asks.

I place my head on his chest and nod.

"Shit, I have a lot to make up for then, don’t I?" he asks, but he doesn’t wait for a response.

Instead, he covers my mouth with his. This time we take it much slower. His kisses move from my mouth to my neck, while one of his hands massages my breast. The other is making a slow path up and down my thigh. He rolls me onto my back and places his body between my legs. I push myself up to him, only his boxers and my panties keeping us apart.

He growls, "Baby, you’ve got to stop that shit. I want to be inside you so fucking bad, but I am trying to take this slow."

I make the decision that slow is no longer the way to go, and I reach down and wrap my hand around his cock. "I am done with slow. I want you inside me now!" I say, as I rub the fabric of his boxers up and down his length.

Lucas moans loudly
, then jumps up to his knees and jerks my panties off. He pushes his boxers down and wraps his hand around his dick. He strokes himself as he looks down at my body. "God, Lindy. You are so fucking beautiful."

He lines himself up with my entrance and looks at me. "I’m clean. I know you are. Are you okay with me going in bare? I don’t want anything between us."

I nod my head, but need to tell him that I could get pregnant, "But, I’m not on the pill."

"I can pull out," he says, but it sounds more like a question.

I let out a soft moan, as he slowly sinks into me. It does hurt a little, but it’s a completely different feeling from the first time. It’s more a feeling of being full. It is foreign to me, but I love it. I push up to take him deeper, and he lets out a deep moan.