Chapter 20: Sutton

Lucas didn’t try to pull me back, but he did keep a hold of my hand. Still, he noticed my shift in attitude.

“We’ll take this one step at a time, Sutton,” he said gently. “I’ll do whatever you need me to do to gain your trust. Just say the word.”

“It’s not that simple,” I replied.

“I don’t expect this to be easy,” he assured me. “But I want a fair chance. Is that something you think you can do?”

I chewed on my lip for a moment before nodding. I still felt that slight uneasy feeling of anxiety, like bile waiting at the end of my throat for the first opportunity to come up. Because in reality — what choice did I have? I could be stuck here scared and constantly on edge or I could try to have an open mind and have at least the illusion of contentment for a while.

“I have an idea,” Lucas said, drawing me from my thoughts. “Come with me.”

Still holding my hand, Lucas got up and pulled me behind him. Making his way through the house, he went back downstairs. He led me into a room that was set up as an office space with a simple but elegant desk, several bookshelves, and what I guessed were filing cabinets. There were also a few pieces of art on the walls and a large bay window that filled the room with natural light.

He released my hand, walked behind the desk, and pulled something from a drawer. Coming back to me, he wrapped an arm around my waist and guided me back to the hall. We ended up in the three-car garage where a silver SUV was parked in the middle spot. Lifting my hand, he pressed a key fob into my palm.

“It’s yours now,” he said.

I scoffed in disbelief. “What?”

“Go wherever you want to go, whenever you want,” he said. “Even if that’s packing up and disappearing. It’s yours. No strings.”

“But I can’t…”

“Yes, you can. And you will accept it,” Lucas said firmly. “You are not here against your will, Sutton. Consider this proof of that.”

A laugh escaped without my consent as I rubbed my forehead. “That’s a… valiant attempt,” I replied. “However, I still wouldn’t get very far. It wouldn’t take you long to find me stuck on the side of the road once I ran out of gas.” I handed the key back to him. “You need money to make any kind of progress. Of which, I have none. But thank you for the gesture.”

The muscles in his jaw twitched and he returned the fob to my palm. “That will be taken care of first thing in the morning,” he said.

I shook my head. “Then I’d owe you,” I argued. “Putting you in the position to demand things from me that I don’t want to give. No, I’m already in your debt for caring for me. I will repay you for that one day, but I won’t take anything else from you.”

Lucas forced his fingers through his hair with a frustrated grunt. Then his hand went to the nape of my neck, jerking me forward until his mouth was taking mine. The explosion of tingles temporarily overwhelmed me again. Just as it had before. Then my back hit the wall and he was pressed against me. My fingers fisted his shirt, giving into his demanding tongue as he took more from me. Not that I wasn’t giving it to him already.  

I’d never felt a kiss like his before. A burning erupted in my core and breathing suddenly became an afterthought. A rumble vibrated in Lucas’ chest as his hold on me tightened and his movements became more fervent. He wanted more. I wanted more. It was a feeling that was foreign to me but it was incredible all the same. I pressed closer — if that was even possible — not thinking about my actions anymore. Lucas’ hand slipped under the fabric of my shirt, gripping my waist. I gasped as his fingertips sent electricity coursing through me.

I was completely lost in his kiss when the sound of someone clearing their throat shocked me out of my fixation. Lucas lifted his head with a growl, looking toward the sound. My face flushed heavily as I tried to hide from view, mortified that someone had caught us in such an intimate situation.

“Just wanted to let you know that Tarrah was about to start making dinner,” a male voice told us.

“Fine,” Lucas gave a rough reply.

I swear I heard it followed by the sound of muffled laughter moving away. I felt Lucas’ eyes land on me again, but I was still too embarrassed by my bold and foolish behavior to look back at him. He sighed and kissed my temple.

“We’d better go help,” he said reluctantly. “Tarrah is good at a lot of things but cooking isn’t one of them.”

A pang of guilt twinged my chest. “She shouldn’t have to do any of it,” I said. “I’m supposed to be making dinner.”

“You’re not ‘supposed’ to be doing anything, Sutton,” Lucas admonished. “You’re not a slave anymore.”

“I didn’t mean it like that,” I insisted. “I want to do it. I need to do something to show that I appreciate what you all have done for me. Making a meal is literally the least I can do.”

“Okay, as long as you feel you’re up to it,” he replied.

I snorted out a burst of laughter. “You weren’t that worried about what I was up for a minute ago.”

He grabbed my chin with a growl, but a smile spread across his face. A smile that made me feel yet another wave of new things I’d never felt before.

“That was very, very wrong of me,” he said teasingly. “I’ll have to make it up to you. When you’re ready.”

I tucked my lip between my teeth, tempted to ask what he had in mind. But I didn’t get the chance to think twice about it before the sound of clattering metal echoed from the kitchen. Followed by bickering voices.

“I’d better go take over,” I said. “Before we all get ahead of ourselves.”