knew close to nothing about the woman. What if she worked for a trade magazine or a trashy photographer? Shit, he needed to be more careful.
Relief poured through him when he found her in his favourite spot in his entire home—curled up on his black leather chair watching the city below. His relief turned to sorrow when he heard soft sobs coming from her. A few times last night he’d seen pain-filled desperation cross her face. He guessed they all had something to be sad about.
He sat on the floor, facing her, and took her hand. She didn’t take her eyes off the view outside the window. If she wanted to talk, she would. He wouldn’t push her to tell him anything. They had no real history, and even though he felt something for her, it wasn’t his place to be her emotional dumping ground.
They sat like that for a long while as the sky lightened. Her tears finally dried and she shifted in her seat, but still held onto his hand.
“I bet the view is beautiful from here no matter what time of year.” Her voice was barely above a whisper.
“I like it best in winter. When snow blankets the park, it makes me wish I was a kid again.”
“I wish I could go back,” Nichole said.
“Sometimes, I do too.” He remembered his youth, filled with one modelling gig after another. He’d never had time to play or be a kid.
“You have Bryan. Why would you want to leave him?”
The anger and bitterness in her voice shocked him. “We’ve only just met. Sure, we’ve been on a few dates, but I don’t have him.”
“Yeah, but I can tell. You love him.”
He didn’t want to think about love or emotions. He felt something for Bryan, but putting a label on their relationship right now wasn’t worth the pain and heartache he’d get later if Bryan walked out. “Nichole, what’s really bothering you? You had a great time last night, right? You wanted to be here—or was I wrong about that?”
She huffed out a breath and squeezed her eyes shut. Luke waited, not sure if he wanted to push her to talk about this. Obviously Nichole had something that was bothering the heck out of her, but did he even want to try to help her fix her situation?
“Last month I was a part of a happy family. Charisa and Derek were the loves of my life. We all lived together in what I thought was bliss. Then things changed.”
“What things?” Luke asked.
“They started spending more time together without me about six months ago. In the beginning I thought nothing of it. I worked double duty most days because I’m saving for college. Then last month they admitted to loving each other exclusively.”
“Exclusively, as in you were kicked out?”
“Yeah, and I’d been with Charisa long before Derek stepped into the picture.”
“Any chance they’ll want you back after a few weeks? Maybe they’ll figure out they want you in their lives again.”
Nichole hiccupped in a huge sob. “No, Charisa is pregnant. They planned the whole thing. Derek said it would be sick for a child to be raised around that type of relationship.” Huge tears ran down her face.
Luke hopped up off the floor and sat in the chair, pulling Nichole into his lap. She curled up on him and cried herself to sleep. After the sun came up a noise sounded behind Luke, so he glanced over his shoulder. Bryan leaned up against the doorjamb, his cock at half-mast.
Lust and something a little stronger flowed through Luke. The ‘something more’ scared the shit out of him because he didn’t want to want Bryan, not like that. Nichole’s words kept needling his mind, pricking him over and over again, bringing out the pain of loneliness. He didn’t have Bryan, the way Nichole thought he did. They were fuck buddies and nothing more. Hell, they hadn’t even been fuck buddies until last night. Emotions weren’t part of his life and they couldn’t be right now. He liked Bryan but he’d been screwed too many times to let emotions play into his decisions.
He placed his fingers on
Relief poured through him when he found her in his favourite spot in his entire home—curled up on his black leather chair watching the city below. His relief turned to sorrow when he heard soft sobs coming from her. A few times last night he’d seen pain-filled desperation cross her face. He guessed they all had something to be sad about.
He sat on the floor, facing her, and took her hand. She didn’t take her eyes off the view outside the window. If she wanted to talk, she would. He wouldn’t push her to tell him anything. They had no real history, and even though he felt something for her, it wasn’t his place to be her emotional dumping ground.
They sat like that for a long while as the sky lightened. Her tears finally dried and she shifted in her seat, but still held onto his hand.
“I bet the view is beautiful from here no matter what time of year.” Her voice was barely above a whisper.
“I like it best in winter. When snow blankets the park, it makes me wish I was a kid again.”
“I wish I could go back,” Nichole said.
“Sometimes, I do too.” He remembered his youth, filled with one modelling gig after another. He’d never had time to play or be a kid.
“You have Bryan. Why would you want to leave him?”
The anger and bitterness in her voice shocked him. “We’ve only just met. Sure, we’ve been on a few dates, but I don’t have him.”
“Yeah, but I can tell. You love him.”
He didn’t want to think about love or emotions. He felt something for Bryan, but putting a label on their relationship right now wasn’t worth the pain and heartache he’d get later if Bryan walked out. “Nichole, what’s really bothering you? You had a great time last night, right? You wanted to be here—or was I wrong about that?”
She huffed out a breath and squeezed her eyes shut. Luke waited, not sure if he wanted to push her to talk about this. Obviously Nichole had something that was bothering the heck out of her, but did he even want to try to help her fix her situation?
“Last month I was a part of a happy family. Charisa and Derek were the loves of my life. We all lived together in what I thought was bliss. Then things changed.”
“What things?” Luke asked.
“They started spending more time together without me about six months ago. In the beginning I thought nothing of it. I worked double duty most days because I’m saving for college. Then last month they admitted to loving each other exclusively.”
“Exclusively, as in you were kicked out?”
“Yeah, and I’d been with Charisa long before Derek stepped into the picture.”
“Any chance they’ll want you back after a few weeks? Maybe they’ll figure out they want you in their lives again.”
Nichole hiccupped in a huge sob. “No, Charisa is pregnant. They planned the whole thing. Derek said it would be sick for a child to be raised around that type of relationship.” Huge tears ran down her face.
Luke hopped up off the floor and sat in the chair, pulling Nichole into his lap. She curled up on him and cried herself to sleep. After the sun came up a noise sounded behind Luke, so he glanced over his shoulder. Bryan leaned up against the doorjamb, his cock at half-mast.
Lust and something a little stronger flowed through Luke. The ‘something more’ scared the shit out of him because he didn’t want to want Bryan, not like that. Nichole’s words kept needling his mind, pricking him over and over again, bringing out the pain of loneliness. He didn’t have Bryan, the way Nichole thought he did. They were fuck buddies and nothing more. Hell, they hadn’t even been fuck buddies until last night. Emotions weren’t part of his life and they couldn’t be right now. He liked Bryan but he’d been screwed too many times to let emotions play into his decisions.
He placed his fingers on
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