CHAPTER 45

DONT MAKE ME SHUT YOU OUT AGAIN...

The next morning, Abigail woke to a cold bed.

Luke’s side of the mattress was untouched he hadn’t come in at all last night like he kept coming into her life on and off whenever he liked this minute his loving next his cold.

She stared at the empty space beside her, the sheets smooth and undisturbed, as if he’d erased himself from her world. That was the cruelest part not the distance, but the precision with which he could remove his presence when he wanted to.

Her chest tightened. She had tolerated his silences before, but this one felt heavier, like a wall closing in on her.

By the time she went downstairs, the smell of coffee lingered faintly in the air. Luke was already at the dining table, dressed sharp in a fitted black shirt and slacks, his sleeves rolled halfway up his forearms. His head was bent slightly as he scrolled through something on his tablet, the light from the tall windows catching the edges of his jawline.

He didn’t look up when she entered.

Abigail sat down across from him. “Morning,” she tried.

No answer. Not even a flicker in his eyes.

Something in her snapped.

“Luke,” she said firmly, “I’m not doing this anymore. If you want to be angry, fine. But you’re not going to treat me like I’m invisible.”

That made him pause. Slowly, he set the tablet down on the table, his eyes lifting to hers calm, unreadable, but with that shadow of danger she’d come to recognize.

“Invisible?” His tone was low. “You’ve been anything but invisible, Abigail. You’ve been right in front of me… making choices you knew I wouldn’t approve of.”

She leaned forward, her voice sharp. “So this is about control again? You’re punishing me because I didn’t do exactly what you wanted?”

His jaw flexed, his gaze hardening. “I’m punishing you because you don’t seem to understand what’s at stake when you ignore me. You put yourself at risk and expect me to just…” His voice broke off for a moment, a muscle in his neck twitching. “I’m angry because I care. And when you make me care too much, I start to lose my temper.”

Her breath caught. For a long second, neither moved.

Then Abigail rose from her chair and walked around the table. She stopped in front of him, her hands braced against the table’s edge. “Then say it. Say you care. Say you’re mad because you..”

Before she could finish, he stood abruptly, the chair scraping back. His hands found her waist, strong and unyielding, and in one swift motion, he pulled her flush against his chest.

“I care too damn much,” he growled, his breath warm against her ear. “And you make me insane and honestly I don't like it my new person with you…i don't want it.”

The tension between them snapped into something else entirely heated, consuming. His mouth crashed onto hers, the kiss rough and hungry, as if he had been starving for days.

Abigail clutched at his shirt, twisting the fabric in her fists to anchor herself as he deepened the kiss, his tongue sweeping in to claim her mouth with a dominance that stole her breath.

He broke away just long enough to lift her effortlessly onto the dining table, the sound of plates and cutlery clinking as he shoved them aside without care. His hands roamed down her thighs, sliding her closer until her knees framed his hips.

She gasped when his mouth trailed to her jaw, then lower, to the soft skin of her neck. His lips were hot, his kisses slow but deliberate, and every scrape of his teeth sent shivers darting down her spine.

“Luke” she tried, her voice breathless.

“Not a word,” he murmured against her throat, his tone dark, commanding. “You’ve talked enough. Now I’m going to remind you exactly who you belong to.”

Her skin tingled as his hands slid under her shirt, calloused palms gliding over the warm curve of her waist, up to the swell of her breasts. She arched into him, the sudden contact making her exhale a shaky breath.

His thumb brushed over her nipple through the thin fabric of her bra, teasing, then pressing just enough to make her bite her lip. He leaned back slightly to watch her reaction, his eyes dark and heated.

“You look better like this,” he said lowly. “Breathless. Wanting.”

She felt her face flush. “You’re infuriating.”

“And yet” He tugged her shirt over her head in one fluid motion, letting it drop to the floor. “You’re still here.”

His mouth closed over the curve of her breast through the lace, his teeth grazing her sensitive skin before he pulled the fabric down, exposing her completely. The sudden rush of air followed by the wet heat of his mouth made her head tilt back, a soft sound escaping her throat.

Luke’s hands were relentless, mapping every inch of her firm, possessive, as if he had to touch everything just to prove it was his. He kissed down her stomach, each brush of his lips slower than the last, until she was trembling from the anticipation.

Her fingers threaded through his hair, and for once, he didn’t resist her guiding touch. He looked up at her briefly, his lips curling into a faint smirk. “Say my name.”

“Luke…” It came out as more of a gasp than a word.

That was all he needed. He closed the remaining space between them, his mouth and hands working in tandem until she was clutching the edge of the table, her head falling forward, her breath coming in sharp, uneven bursts.

When he finally came back up to kiss her again, the taste of her still lingered on his lips, and the kiss turned softer but no less intense.

The urgency built between them until he was pulling her toward him, lowering her from the table without breaking the connection between their mouths. They moved together as if they’d been starved for this, for each other, for too long.

When it was over, they stayed pressed close, foreheads touching, breathing in sync.

Luke’s voice was quiet but firm. “Don’t make me shut you out again, Abigail. I don’t like who I become when I do.”

She swallowed, still catching her breath. “Then don’t give me a reason to feel like you’re shutting me out.”

This time, he didn’t argue. He just kissed her again slower, almost reverent as if sealing a truce neither of them wanted to breath.