HIM
of the Christiansen account, while the other part of me thinks that he is simply this demented and needs some serious help. Whatever his evil plan is, I will never let him sabotage my hard work at Facade. I've built a good rapport for myself; I have established great interpersonal relationships that have opened several doors for me. Brady is just jealous of that and how many new and returning clients go over him to come to me.Because of his distasteful attitude, arrogance, and lack of people skills, he is falling short. I need to stay strong and stand my ground. I cannot let him break me. I'm stronger than him, and I will fight my way to the top. Nothing can stop me. I've worked way too hard for someone like Brady to take it all away from me. I will succeed, and I will triumph.
Luke grabs hold of my hand, and I'm released from my "This is Sparta" clouded bubble. I watch his hand as it interlocks into mine. It's swollen and very bruised. His blood-stained knuckles remind me of what I witnessed him do to Brady's face last night. It's something I can envision he did to his ex-girlfriend's brother when he saw his house engulfed in flames knowing his mother was inside. I can only imagine what he would do to Brady if he were to find out about what he did to me before last night.
I'm worried about what might happen to Luke if Brady decides to press charges. He went to prison the last time he was in a fight and had beaten the guy to a bloody pulp. Brady deserved every second of it, as did that guy who burnt Luke's house down and badly hurt his mother. The justice system doesn't work that way; unfortunately, you cannot defend another's life without receiving consequences.
Do I report how Brady forced himself on me and how he fondled me inappropriately at work yesterday morning to save Luke from another prison sentence? I have no proof that what happened at his parents even took place, other than the bruises on my arms that I lied about and said happened during the club incident. I don't know what to do. All I do know is that I do not want Luke to go to jail again because of me. He was only protecting me.
"Ali, will you, would you, officially be my girlfriend?" Luke stammers in an almost shy way.
My anxiety and stress over the issues that have assembled over the past few days is instantly lifted. I look over my shoulder at Luke. His dreamy eyes and gorgeous lips stare motionless in front of me.
"Yes. I would love to be your girlfriend," I reply with a ginormous smile.
Luke pulls me close to him and kisses me. It's a short but sweet kiss.
"You're so beautiful, Ali," he whispers as he runs his thumb over my bottom lip.
Luke gently crawls on top of me while never breaking his stare. At this very moment, time feels as if it has slowed down, and Luke and I are the only two people alive on the planet. No one else and nothing else matters right now, just us. The way he looks at me brings me to another world; I can forget everything bad happening in my life and be carefree.
He runs his thumbs over my eyebrows, down the sides of my face, across my cheeks and lips, as he holds himself up with his forearms. The rest of his body is lying snug between my thighs. I can feel his flaccid penis against my stomach. I am so hungry for him, but at the same time, I'm content at the very moment we have encountered. It's a sweet, sensual, and special moment that I want to engulf myself in.
I am so consumed by him, by us, and how flawlessly we fit. We are absorbed by one another, and it's very enchanting. I feel like my life has been given back to me, like I'm coming home, into my own body. He unravels all my insecurities and makes me more confident in myself than ever before. I feel so safe with him. I surrender deeply and melt into nothingness.
Chapter Sixty-Five
"Ali, are you guys decent?" Ris calls out as she knocks and slowly opens my bedroom door.
Luke rolls off me as Ris comes into view. I pull the covers up over my chest. It's not like Ris hasn't seen me nude before, but both Luke and I are naked. So it feels a bit awkward.
"Sorry to interrupt you guys, but my dad just called and would like us to head over to his house soon," she states.
"Okay, we will shower quickly and get ready," I reply.
Ris smiles and leaves my room. I wonder if she only filled her father in on what happened last night or if she told him more. I'm not sure how long she stayed with her dad after Luke and I came inside the apartment. I hope Mr. O'Connor can help us keep Luke out of serious trouble.
Luke and I shower, and I try not to think dirty thoughts while we are here, since we need to make it quick. Ris's father is not going to wait around all day for us. We get dressed without any funny business besides, well, some minor distractions, but we still manage to make it out of my room in just under a half-hour.
We head out of the apartment and pile into Ris's Mercedes. It does not take long for us to get to her parent's house. They live in a large condo across town on the historic third ward, on the Kinnickinnic River. The concierge service greets us at the front entrance, but Ris shoos them away and walks right on by. We enter the foyer, and Ris gestures for us to hurry up. I've been to her parent's condo a few times but not under these circumstances. We reach the