Page 16 of Night Fury
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It had been a good night. Dani and Greg had stayed for dinner, beef Wellington with scalloped potatoes, carrots, and garlic butter biscuits. They’d talked for a while before Dani promised to come over tomorrow with Greg following later in the afternoon.
Luke pushed them out the door when they tried to help him clean up. He didn’t want them to see what had become his nightly routine of saving a plate for Johanna, just in case today was the day she woke up. He always packed a sealed container and stored it in his refrigerator. If she didn’t wake by the next morning, he would freeze whatever he could or eat the serving for lunch. To others it might be pathetic, but to Luke it was all a part of taking care of his mate. Hopeful delusions still involved hope, and he liked that a lot more than he liked being angry.
Nothing had changed when Luke entered Johanna’s room, so he kissed her head and settled into the chair beside her bed for a little while, sketching her again. This time she was a spirit, a beautiful muse whispering in her lover’s ear, inspiring his thoughts at all hours of the day, which wasn’t far from the truth.
Eventually, his lines became sloppy as his eyes grew tired. With a sigh and one more look at Johanna, he picked up his sketching materials and deposited them in his studio. After taking a shower and changing his clothes, Luke grabbed his pillow and blanket from his bedroom and carried them through to Johanna’s room, laying them out on the couch.
A small shuffle made him turn to look at the bed. Johanna’s eyes were still closed, but he came over to her anyway. He stood by her side for a few moments before sitting down on the bed and taking her hand in his. Then he tucked a piece of her golden hair behind her ear and whispered, “You’re safe. I’m right here, and I’m not going anywhere. You’re not alone anymore, I promise.”
Luke leaned down to kiss her forehead goodnight, but when he pulled back ocean blue eyes stared up at him. For a solid minute he didn’t move, didn’t speak, didn’t breathe.
Please don’t be a dream, please don’t be a dream. That’s too cruel. Please be real.
“Johanna?” He said her name softly, scared that if he spoke louder all of this would somehow be whisked away.
She blinked, opened her mouth, closed it, then opened it again.
“Luke?” she managed quietly.
His heart skipped a beat, his muscles tensed and every cell in his body came alive. He had to close his fist around her pillow to keep from yanking her into his arms. “You’re awake!”
CHAPTER 9
“A-Awake?” Johanna asked.
Her throat was dry. Each time she swallowed, her saliva felt thick, sticky, but the feeling worsened when she looked into Luke’s gray-green eyes. She couldn’t look away from them. They captivated her. Every second that passed they broke through some unknown barrier, sinking deeper and deeper into her soul. He was leaning above her, supported by the arm beside her head. His stomach lightly rubbed against hers every time he took a breath, every timeshetook a shaky breath.
He was undeniable.
While having a mate wasn’t something typical between a witch or psychic pair, Johanna knew all about mate bonds. She knew what they felt like, what they pushed for, and it was clear to her that not only were they mates, but their bond was incredibly strong. It flowed through her, lighting her body aflame. Every piece of her felt as if it had been dormant for weeks, months,decades,but was now shocked awake.
His lips twitched, drawing her gaze as they spread into a slow smile. She had to bite her lip to keep from doing something stupid, like moaning. Then she parted her own lips and he inhaled, as if stealing the very air that left her. When she licked her lips, he bent forward, closer, and she wanted a taste just as badly as he seemed to. Beside her, the pillow tilted as Luke gripped it tight, but the hand near her hip that covered her own caressed her skin so softly, so featherlight yet achingly familiar.
Why did this feel familiar? When have we done this before?
The thought died in her mind as he neared her. Johanna lifted her hand, fingers aching to touch his face, to pull him closer and align with him, but the action made her hiss as something jabbed the inside of her arm. That single sound cut through the overwhelming chemistry between them, and Luke pulled away, leaving Johanna somewhere between gratefulness and disappointment. She moved to sit up, and Luke inched toward her. At the widening of her eyes, he grinned.
“Let me help you.”
A shy smile spread across her lips before she nodded. Being mindful of what she now recognized were IVs in her arms, she placed her hands on Luke’s broad shoulders, feeling his muscles tense under her touch. A blush spread across her skin, and she tilted her head away.
Luke wrapped his arm around her to support her as she slowly sat up. He fluffed her pillow before sliding to the side of her. Then his arms were under her body, and Johanna squeaked as he picked her up with ease. This was the first time in her adult life someone had moved her without a second thought, but Luke carefully placed her down against the headboard as if she weighed nothing. She wiggled, settling into the mattress. He still had a gleeful smile on his face, almost like he held a secret, something she’d forgotten. Whatever it was, she could tell it meant the world to him.
Johanna took a moment to look at him then, really look at him. His hair was wet, slightly wavy, while the ends held a curl. The dark strands fell to his eyes. He had high cheekbones, like a regal king, and she liked how the flesh around them changed when he smiled. She liked his lips too, liked how full and wide they were. His beard was a shadow around his face, connecting all the pieces together in a map Johanna wanted to follow with her fingers.
Her gaze traveled lower, taking in the span of his neck, his corded muscles big enough to show strength, but not overdone. They were muscles with a purpose. Johanna could tell Luke was a protector. He wouldn’t hesitate to run into a burning building for someone he loved.
Suddenly, Johanna wanted to be that person. She wanted to be protected by him, wrapped in his strong arms, pressed against the width of his chest. She wanted to trail her fingers down his cut abs … No, she wanted to taste them, to follow the panes of his body with her tongue until she reached—
“See something you like?”
Johanna jumped. Her eyes met Luke’s and found them swimming with a mixture of amusement and something darker, more intense. She turned away, knowing she was blushing again, and heard his soft laugh. He took hold of her wrist, drawing her attention back to him, and motioned to the IV in her arm. “Let me take these out for you to help you feel a little more comfortable.”
She nodded as he removed the tape.
“This will only hurt for a moment, okay?” Luke pulled the needle out and Johanna let out a soft hiss. But then he bent forward, and she watched in shock and fascination as he closed his mouth over the growing drop of blood. He swiped his tongue over it and her toes curled under the blanket. A second and third swipe had her clenching her thighs together, but then he pulled away.
