Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 41918 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 210(@200wpm)___ 168(@250wpm)___ 140(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 41918 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 210(@200wpm)___ 168(@250wpm)___ 140(@300wpm)
"Lucky for you, then, that I do have a car." Luke leans over and kisses my forehead, leaving me breathless at the simple gesture. "I have a feeling you'll be on the back of my bike again soon, though."
My heart beats rapidly in my chest at the thought, but he doesn't give me a chance to respond, moving around the garage to a large metal panel with a padlock on it. I follow him, watching as he spins the combination on the lock, which makes a click before it comes open. The lock clangs to the cement floor, echoing around the garage, and the door opens with a loud creak, revealing a cherry red muscle car, complete with fins on the back and a shiny black hood. It's beautiful, and I can see how much he loves the car by the way his face lights up as he looks at it.
"Oh my gosh," I breathe, staring at the car. "This is amazing!"
He laughs and motions me over. "You can run your hand along the hood. She won't mind. You'll probably make her purr like a kitten."
"This is a girl, then?"
"She is." Luke's face gets a wistful look as he continues, "Her name is Scarlet and she's been my dream for a long time. I worked on her every summer as a teenager.” He grins and pops open the driver's side door. "And then I kept going on the weekends after that until I was finished. She was the first thing I bought with my own money that I made, not from a paycheck, but by working my own jobs.”
I trail my fingers over the hood of the car. It's a little warm from sitting in the closed garage for the night, and the metal is smooth to the touch. It's clear that a lot of love and attention has gone into restoring her, and it shows.
"I wish I had a talent like that. My skills are more book-related." I laugh self-consciously as he gets behind the wheel of the car. Luke rolls down his window and looks at me expectantly, as I climb into the passenger seat and put on my seatbelt. I love how comfortable I already feel in his presence, and I want to know everything about him. "Where did you learn about cars like this? And how to restore them? And how did you get your shop?"
"My father was a mechanic. He passed when I was in high school." Luke doesn't look at me when he tells me this, but I can tell by his expression and the way his voice changes that it's still a tough topic for him. "Anyway, I started going with him when he would do his side jobs, and just got more and more involved over the years. When I started to think about what to do with my life, it felt like the natural next step. It's the thing I know most about, and it gives me the opportunity to be my own boss and be my own man."
Luke pulls the car out into the road, and we're on our way. With a small frown, I reach out to touch his leg. "I'm sorry to hear about your father." He doesn't say anything, but his hand slips down from the steering wheel to rest on mine and squeezes it reassuringly.
We sit like that for the rest of the short drive, our hands joined across the middle of the seat, my body angled toward him as he drives. When we pull into a visitor space at the university, I feel my chest clench. I don't want to leave him. I know I'm being silly, but I can't help it.
"Go to class," he tells me, sensing my hesitation. "I'll see you when it's done. Just call me."
"I will," I promise. Then, shyly. "If they aren't letting us stay in our dorms yet..."
"Then you'll come back with me. Don't you worry about it."
I should be worried about my exams, my roommate, even the status of my dorm. But it's like Luke can read my mind—the only thing I can force myself to be concerned with is him. Knowing that I have another chance to stay at his house, and maybe sleep in his bed this time, it untangles one of the knots of worry in me.
"Can't wait." I lean over, kissing him briefly, knowing that if I let my lips linger on his, things will get heated and I'll never get out of the car.
There should be plenty of time for heated kisses and a lot of other things tonight.
7
LUKE
Watching Emma's hips sway as she walks into the university, I can only whistle low to myself in appreciation. Damn, how in the hell did I successfully manage to bag this girl already?
The plan had always been to make her mine, but I never imagined Emma would melt into my arms so easily. It's like the connection I feel is just as strong for her. It's a relief. I don't know how long I could have possibly resisted her.