The next morning Lara lay in Luke’s bed daydreaming as she listened to him snoring softly. She’d been awake for a while now thinking about Luke’s mother and how she’d betrayed him. Who did that? No wonder Luke was leery of commitment. She’d like five minutes alone with the woman, but that was wishful thinking and it wasn’t her place.
It did, however, explain a lot about Luke’s reputation with women and his skewed ideas on relationships. It’s a wonder he even let her sleep over. To her that signaled commitment, but to him it probably just seemed convenient since she was also helping him out with the house and his knee.
It was probably best she knew. The more time she spent with him the harder it was becoming for her to not daydream about some kind of future with him. Luke’s issues with women were not hers to fix. So she would continue on as they had been and enjoy the bliss she’d discovered in his arms until it was time to leave.
She dozed a bit longer before she finally got up. Sleeping in was now a luxury, and being wrapped up next to Luke’s hard, warm body was something she shouldn’t get used to.
She left Luke’s bed as quietly as she could when nature called. She looked down at his relaxed, handsome face. A flash of last night’s events hit her; his mouth and hands all over her body inspired her to return to bed as soon as possible.
She splashed cold water on her face, reached for a towel, and bumped a plastic bottle onto the floor. She patted her face and bent down to retrieve it, her plan for silence forgotten. The name on the prescription bottle read Lucas Garibaldi. The name of the drug—Adderall. What was Luke doing with an ADHD med?
She would swear that when they’d gone over his medical history at his first session he didn’t mention it. Her heart began to thud as she remembered JR’s words, “It’d be a shame to disappoint all those adoring fans of his if they found out he’d been . . .” Been what? Living a lie?
She squeezed the bottle in her hands and cursed herself as all kinds of fool. She knew the signs of a user. Had been trained during her pursuit of her degree and had several patients she’d dealt with at the clinic. And then there was her ex. Alcohol had been his choice, but all substance abusers had one thing in common. They were proficient at lying and in the art of cover-up.
Her body rigid with anger, she marched into the bedroom and whipped the sheets off Luke’s sleeping form. Damn, he had a great butt. Her gaze traveled up his backside and onto his wide shoulders. The arms that had held her last night were cradling his lying, cheating, fat head. She let him have it.
“Luke, get your ass out of bed. We need to talk.”
A groggy “what the fuck” came from the man she now worried placing her trust in was a bad move.
Downstairs in the kitchen she rummaged around, banging cupboards and slamming objects on the counter. She found a bottle of whiskey, probably left over from Maverick’s days of hard drinking, and thought about fixing herself an Irish coffee but dismissed that thought. She needed her wits about her to deal with the shit storm that’d now become her life.
She heard Luke’s footsteps, what sounded like a thud, followed by shouts of “Lara?” and “Jesus H . . .” and “Come back here.” She knew his knee wouldn’t allow him to bound out of bed and immediately down the stairs, which gave her time to cool down and think about how she wanted to approach this.
She placed the prescription bottle on the island, poured some coffee and let Indy outside to take care of business. The curly-haired ball of fur had quickly found a spot in her heart.
She sat down on one of the lounge chairs and let the lake view and clear blue skies soothe her temper while she waited. Indy ran over and sat down next to her. Lara began rubbing his belly. She closed her eyes and listened to the distant rush of the river’s current on the east side of the house. She’d finally settled down her pounding heart rate when she heard Luke’s cane, tap-tap, on the concrete patio.
“You’re spoiling him. He’s going to expect me to rub his belly every morning after you leave.” He made his way to a patio chair and turned it to face her.
Which might be sooner than you think. Lara squinted at him as he adjusted his large frame into a comfortable position and propped his bum leg on the end of her lounge chair. She noticed he was clutching something in his right hand. The orangish bottle she’d left on the kitchen island.
“So, this what set you off this morning?” he asked.
“Actually, yes. You didn’t say anything to me about a prescription for Adderall when we went over your medical history. And I need to hear you say this prescription is legitimate and that you have some type of diagnosis to go along with it.”
“This is not the usual topic of conversation I have the morning after some medal-worthy sex.”
“Making light of this will just make me get up and leave.”
When he didn’t respond she looked over at him again and saw something on his face she would have never associated with the all-star catcher.
Vulnerability. And perhaps shame. She nudged Indy up and toward Luke’s chair. He leaned down and placed the pup on his lap and began scratching the sweet spot behind Indy’s left ear.
“I have a doctor’s prescription, and yes, I was diagnosed when I was seven with attention deficit hyperactivity.”
Luke’s voice had a raw edge to it. She’d hit a nerve, that was for sure. And there was a story behind why he’d been hiding his diagnosis from her.
“What the hell is going on here, Lara? So I didn’t tell you about the Adderall. It’s not a subject I typically advertise.”
“Why?”
“I have my reasons.”
“Care to share?”
“Maybe. I’ve never told anyone, and other than filling out forms for the league to satisfy the intent-to-use clause, no one knows, except Mav. I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t tell anyone, but I haven’t purposely kept it a secret from him.”
She finished off her coffee and prepared herself for fireworks. “JR said something to me before you rescued me, and I need you to tell me the truth, Luke. Have you ever used steroids?”
The shock on his face said it all.
“What the hell? You’re going to take that piece of crap’s word as gospel?” Luke, knee and puppy forgotten, lifted himself out of the chair and groaned, while poor Indy yelped and jumped off his lap.
“I didn’t. Not at first. Then I saw the bottle in your medicine cabinet and my mind jumped to what JR said and . . .” She held out her hands and stopped talking before she said something that she couldn’t take back.
So she took the coward’s way out and headed back into the house. “Give me a minute. I’ll be right back. I’m going to get you an ice pack for your knee.”
“I don’t need an ice pack, dammit. Come back here and tell me what you thought.”
Seeing the pissed-off look on his face, she ignored him and raced inside. He’d just have to wait until she got back to hear the “why.” Treatment first.
It had been less than two minutes since she left and he looked like he was ready to spit nails or take her over his knee . . . the good one. She liked that idea, but first she needed to smooth things over.
She placed the ice pack on his knee and sat back down. “Any pain? I should’ve asked before. I can get you a painkiller if you need one.”
“No, no, I’m fine. Just tell me what that asshole said.”
“He was obviously trying to drive a wedge between us, and he was desperate for whatever he thought was in that drawer, but at no time was I worried he’d hurt me. He was after something he thought I had access to, now that Manny wasn’t around.”
“Damn, sounds like he’s back using again.”
“Again? You mean he’s used before?”
“Yes. And got caught. Back in his second year in the league. He was suspended, went through rehab, and was traded a year later to our team long before T. S. bought out the former owner. I was hoping T.S. or Blake would have let him go by now.”
“Do you think he’s been using since then? He’s gotta be over thirty now, and with the way the league has been cracking down on performance-enhancing drugs I can’t believe he hasn’t been tested in all that time.” Lara knew little about the rules pertaining to PEDs but she was pretty sure when someone was caught once, they’d be subject to random, if not yearly, testing.
“No. But I don’t doubt he’s using now. He’s gone through a few rough seasons and he had some muscle pulls last year. Plus, he’s been a raging bear on road trips. Damn, I can’t believe I didn’t connect it before.”
Lara shook her head. “It’s not your job, Luke.”
“I’m the senior player on the team, Lara. I make it a point to touch base with our guys. Make sure everyone’s maintaining themselves, you know.”
He rubbed his hand over the stubble of his jaw, drawing Lara’s gaze to his long fingers. Fingers that had done wicked things to her last night. And hopefully would again if they could get through this.
“So what are we going to do about . . .” Luke waved his hand at the pill bottle.
“Um, so you really have ADHD?”
“Yeah. I’ve tried different things like increasing my exercise and changing my diet, but I can’t control it without the meds, although I’m on the lowest dose the doc will agree to.”
She shifted her weight and sat on the end of his lounge chair. “I’m sorry, Luke. And I’m really sorry I tore the covers off you and yelled.” She smiled and placed her hands on either side of his torso and put her forehead on his. “Can you ever forgive me?” Her voice had gone whisper soft with desire.
“Oh, I think I can come up with a few things that would make me forget being rudely awakened and accused of illegal drug use.”
She sighed. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For not blowing up at me and tossing me out on my ass for accusing you.”
Luke draped her across his lap and adjusted his bad knee so she wouldn’t be sitting on it. “Darling, it’s such a cute ass and I’d hate for anything to happen to it. Now about that makeup sex. I’m ready when you are.”
“Really? That’s all you want. I mean you don’t want me to do something embarrassing like wear a sign in public or make me sing in front of your teammates or—”
“You know, those are all great ideas. Maybe I should reconsider.”
“No! No. Makeup sex it is.”
Luke grinned. “Makeup sex. Outside.”
“Outside? You mean like now, in the daylight?” Lara wasn’t too sure she could follow through on his request. Now maybe if it was after dark, and they’d had a glass of wine . . .
“No one can see us, darling. Well, unless you count that one guy across the lake with the high powered telescope—”
“What!? How do you know he has a tele—”
“But I’m sure he’s at work.”
“Lucas Garibaldi, that’s not funny.”
He cupped her face and snaked his arm under her shirt and cradled a breast in his hand. He flicked her nipple. “No, and neither is this. This . . . this is all I want.”
Lara’s neck rolled backward and she closed her eyes. Well, here was another first that she couldn’t deny him. Sex, outside. In the daylight. Only for Luke.
“Although we don’t have much time. I need to head over to the stadium for my reprimand hearing.”
Lara stopped moving and looked closely at Luke. “What do you think they’ll do?”
“Not sure. Probably a fine and a suspension. They’ll wait till I’m off the DL to do it though. Could be a game, could be five. Anyway, it won’t be anything I don’t deserve.”
“I’m sure that doesn’t make it easier. Knowing you’re off all this time because of the knee, and then when you’re better you still have to sit on the bench.”
Luke reached up and thumbed her lips and grinned. “Yes, but you know what will make it better right now?”
Lara sucked on his thumb. “What?”
“Have you spread out on this lounger while I taste you and watch you come.”
Lara’s core tightened and her pussy tingled at the suggestion. Who was she to say no? “Wha-what about . . . aah!”
Luke lifted her up and slid off the chair, all while placing her back on it in one less-than-smooth motion. He laughed at her and gently pushed her back to lie flat. “Darling, I’ve been picturing you out here in the sunshine posed just like this, except without clothes. Can you do this for me, baby?”
She nodded and felt her face flush. She quickly undressed while he watched her every move. When she was done he placed his hands on her upper thighs and frowned. No, not a frown—he looked intent. Like a man determined to please his woman.
“Open for me, darling. That’s it, nice and wide.” He groaned as she complied. “Damn, you’re so wet.” He placed his palm on her and pressed down while running his thumb between her folds. “So damn pretty.”
The pressure was almost enough to send her over the edge. That quickly, he turned her on. All thoughts of modesty vanished as the only thing she wanted at this very moment was happening. The promise of another explosive orgasm from Luke.
She lifted her hips in a plea for him to move his hand. He chuckled and looked her in the eye. “I’m going to make you scream, darling. Hold on.”
He plunged two fingers inside her at the same time he captured her lips in a deep kiss that lasted forever. He stroked her until her legs shook. She became greedy and wanted it faster, so she began rotating her hips to match his strokes.
He trailed his kisses down to her breasts and sucked her nipples until she felt the sharp sting of her orgasm hit. At the last minute he withdrew his fingers and grabbed her legs. She whimpered from the lack of contact until she saw what he was doing.
“You’re not coming yet. Not until I taste you, darling.”
He pushed her legs open even wider, and leaning on his good knee he speared her feminine lips and began thrusting his tongue in and out of her. She gripped the sides of the lounger. “Oh, Luke. God, yes. That feels so good.”
He continued to stroke her until again she felt the rise of her orgasm. When it started, he returned his fingers to her pussy and suckled her clit, stroking her as she exploded. She felt herself spasm around his fingers and lifted herself up into him so the pressure from his tongue was intensified on her clit.
She screamed his name as she rode the longest orgasm of her life. Luke crooned soft words of encouragement to her as he now licked and petted her. Tiny white lights appeared behind her lids while he pinched her nipples and she rode his tongue.
As her body relaxed from the intensity, Luke trailed openmouthed kisses up her stomach and onto her breasts before resting his head in the crook of her neck.
“That was exactly what I’d hoped for, darling.”
Lara was speechless. She continued to take in deep breaths and wrapped her arms around her lover and began to stroke his back. “That was . . . spectacular. Now it’s your turn.” She got up to move, but he held her down.
“No time. I’m going to be late as it is. But it was worth every second.” He looked in her eyes and for a minute Lara thought he was going to say something else. Something she might not be ready for.
Instead, he sat back on his haunches and carefully rose up, taking care not to put too much pressure on his bad knee. “I’m going to carry this picture of you with me all day. You’re gorgeous, Lara. Thank you.”
Confused at his words, she blinked several times and then smiled. “You don’t have to thank me, Luke. It should be the other way around. You were . . . that was—perfect.”
He winked at her. “I’ll see you later this afternoon for our session. Then tonight we’ll pick another part of the house to christen.”
She watched him and his fine posterior walk back into the house. Damn, he had a lot of rooms. If they were going to have sex in them all, she was going to need a lot of naps.