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  "I have class today," I protest as he pulls into the parking garage.

  "Hopefully someone takes notes for you," Luke replies and pulls into his assigned parking space.

  I open my mouth to argue, but I have to throw up again. I open the car door and make it to the trash can next to the elevator without a second to spare. Luke is there a moment later, hand on my back. The elevator opens and I assume he's pushed the button to call for it, but I realize it's someone exiting the elevator as Luke says, "Good morning, Mrs. Hudson." She replies and heels click away from us before I look up.

  I am beyond humiliated. "I'm sorry," I say as Luke leads me into the empty elevator and pushes the button for the penthouse.

  "For?"

  "Everything. Specifically for looking like a drunk whore in front of your fancy neighbors."

  "You don't look like a whore. Not one I'd bring home anyway."

  I look at him and I know I have tears in my eyes about to fall but I'm trying to fight them.

  "Hey, hey." He crosses the space between us in the elevator and wipes them away with his thumbs. "I'm kidding."

  "Don't." I pull away and back up. "I smell disgusting."

  He pulls me into him anyway and kisses the top of my head. "You do," he agrees. "But I don't care."

  We take a shower together, but Luke does all the work, insisting on washing my hair and scrubbing me from head to toe. When we're done he hands me a toothbrush already loaded with a swipe of toothpaste and then returns with a glass of orange juice and two Advil before he tucks me under his covers, buck naked.

  I think he's going to join me in bed but when I look up he's buttoning a crisp gray shirt. "You're going to work?" I try to keep the whine out of my voice.

  "Yes, those of us not hungover have jobs to do." He loops a blue tie around his neck and begins twisting it into a perfect knot.

  "Fine, leave me here and go to work. I'm sure you have an appointment calendar full of women waiting for you to knock them up." I guess I'm done trying to keep the whining to myself.

  Luke just smirks. "Thank you for reminding me," he says as he opens the drawer beside the bed and riffles around. "I need to pick up condoms today."

  "Why?" I'm instantly on alert. We haven't used condoms since Thanksgiving. Does he not trust me anymore after I blacked out last night?

  "How many times have you thrown up today"—he pauses—"so far?"

  "Three."

  "Did you take your pill this morning?"

  "Yes." I see where he's going with this. "That I've already thrown back up." I fluff the pillow and turn on my side, watching him. "You're perfect for me."

  "Why is that?" He shrugs into his suit coat. "Is it the way my cock is just a little too big to fit into your tight pussy and I have to stretch you out every time we fuck?"

  Even though I’m hungover, the blood rushes to my pussy and I squirm under the sheets and press my thighs tighter together.

  "Sophie?"

  "Huh, what?" I'm so focused on not sticking my hand under the covers to rub myself while he's still in the room I've missed what he was saying.

  "Why am I perfect for you?" He leans over the bed and kisses my forehead before rising and sliding a watch over his wrist. He smiles at me as his gaze drops to the place where my legs meet under the covers. He knows exactly what distracted me.

  "You're the only one more paranoid than I am about an unplanned pregnancy."

  He pauses then for the briefest second and gnaws at his bottom lip. "Mrs. Gieger is coming today, so put some clothes on if you get out of bed. I've already informed her to skip the bedroom if you're still sleeping."

  "I don't have any clothes here."

  "You don't need clothes to sleep off your hangover and masturbate."

  "Luke!" I hide my face behind my hands, which is apparently funny because he laughs.

  "I've seen every last inch of you, Sophie. I've had your legs spread in stirrups with my hand in your pussy and you're embarrassed that I know damn well you're dying for me to leave so you can slide your hand under the covers and rub your clit until you come?"

  "Yes," I mumble, face still behind my hands.

  "Okay," Luke replies. "Do you want me to bring home a few supplies from the hospital so we can play kinky doctor tonight?"

  Damn him. "Uh-huh," I mutter, still not looking at him.

  "Use your words, Sophie, I need to hear you say it."

  "Yes!" I sit up with the sheet clutched to my chest. "Yes, I want that." I throw a pillow at him. "Now go away."

  Luke is laughing at me again as he turns to exit the bedroom.

  "Wait."

  He stops and turns back, halfway to the door. He raises an eyebrow in question.

  "You're not mad?"

  His jaw clenches. "I'm furious."

  "Oh."

  "But we're okay, Sophie. As long as you're safe and I know where you are, we're okay."

  I nod.

  "I'd like to turn you over my knee and spank the shit out of you, and before you get excited, I don't mean that erotically."

  "I'm sorry," I whisper.

  "I know," he replies.

  * * *

  Mrs. Gieger has washed and dried my clothing and I'm sitting in Luke's den when I hear him enter the condo that evening. He's hanging his coat in the front closet when I reach him. There's a black medical bag at his feet. I stop short and stare at it, my pussy clenching involuntarily. Clearing my throat, I ask Luke how his day was.

  "Great," he responds. "Are you feeling better?"

  "Much," I agree. My eyes dart to the bag.

  Luke ignores the bag and steps around it to embrace me. "Should we go out to dinner?"

  Dammit, no. "We could order pizza?" I suggest.

  "No, we should go out."

  Er. "How about Serafina?" We won't even need coats and we could be back in an hour if there's no wait.

  "Hmm." Luke strokes my back, winding his fingers in my hair. "I was thinking Lombardi's. It's your favorite."

  "That's forty-five minutes away!" I blurt out.

  Luke steps back and frowns. "You've been cooped up inside all day, I thought you'd enjoy a drive and dinner out."

  I am a horrible slut. All I can think about is what's in that bag and what Luke might do to me with it. I steal one last look at the bag and place a smile on my face. "You're right, that sounds nice."

  Luke pauses, silently staring at me before one side of his mouth gives him away. "You don't want to go anywhere, you shameless hussy. You're practically gagging for me to pick up my little black bag and drag you by the hair into the bedroom."

  I swallow. That's all true.

  "Go to my office," he says instead.

  Turns out his desk is a nice height for an impromptu exam table.

  Chapter 25

  "I feel like I'm inside a snow globe!" I've got a blanket wrapped around me with my nose an inch from the terrace doors in Luke's bedroom. It's early, the sun still rising. Behind me Luke is still lying in bed, propped up on pillows, watching me.

  Below me Philadelphia is covered in a blanket of snow with more falling. "It's beautiful." I turn and flash Luke a grin. "I love this view during the snow."

  "I love you."

  Did I hear that correctly? I take a moment and then turn my attention away from the snow swirling outside to focus on Luke. The comforter is resting at his waist, his chest bare.

  "Come back to bed." He holds out a hand, beckoning me to him. I walk slowly back to bed but stop short of climbing back in. Did it just slip out? Did he mean to say it? Did he actually say it or did I mistake him? Crap. Now I’m just standing here and it’s awkward. Should I tell him I couldn’t hear him? No. It’s too late for that. Now I’m nervous. I fidget and peek at him under my lashes.

  He smirks. "You want me to say it again?"

  "Yeah."

  "Get your ass back in bed."

  I sigh and roll my eyes as he laughs.

  "I love you, Sophie," he repeats and I grin. "Now
get your ass back in bed so I can show you how much."

  "I want waffles," I say when I've regained the ability to speak. "I love waffles." I turn my head and grin at Luke.

  "What else do you love?"

  "Syrup."

  "And?"

  "Whipped cream."

  "You can suck whipped cream off my cock if you want."

  "I love sucking your cock."

  "You'd love my cock in your ass even more."

  "Maybe later." I wink.

  He rolls on top of me then and pins my hands above my head while biting my neck. "Tease."

  I buck underneath him, trying to get some friction on my clit, but he holds himself out of reach. "You're the tease, Doctor."

  "You want it right now?" He moves both of my hands into one of his and uses his free hand to tease me. He slides a finger into me, coating it with my fluids and the come he just left in me, then slides it back into my ass.

  I grunt or moan or whimper, I'm not sure what's coming out of my mouth. He's done this before with his finger and I like it. It's so wrong, forbidden, dirty. The sensations are different yet similar.

  "Tell me you want it, Sophie."

  "No." I shake my head, but I grind myself against his hand, encouraging him. He slides his finger out and adds a second as he slides back in.

  "Mmm." I suck in my bottom lip and breathe out. Then Luke places his thumb on my clit and starts working me into a frenzy as he spreads his fingers inside of my ass, stretching me.

  "You like it, baby?"

  "Yes."

  "Tell me you want my cock in your ass."

  "No. Make me come."

  "Such a demanding little hussy."

  "Please, Luke!" I'm near inconsolable with need right now. I just came ten minutes ago but I am on edge again, I need the release.

  Luke slides down my body and replaces his thumb with his mouth and sucks my clit between his teeth and bites gently. I come so hard I think I black out for a second. He pulls me to him and strokes the back of my head, then carries me from the bed to the walk-in shower where he proceeds to lather me in suds from head to toe. But it doesn't feel sexual. It just feels like being cared for.

  I lean back, relaxing into Luke's chest with the water streaming over us. He washes my hair and then pulls my right arm up and bends it, placing my hand on the back of his neck. I massage his neck with my fingers as he lathers my breast with more suds. I sigh in contentment. I could stay in this shower all day if I didn't want waffles so badly.

  Wait a minute. "Are you giving me a breast exam right now?" I ask.

  Luke removes my right hand from his neck and replaces it with my left. "Yes."

  I drop my arm. "Luke, that is so weird."

  He picks my hand up and puts it back on his neck. "Are you checking yourself every month?" He kisses my earlobe.

  "No," I admit. I'm twenty-one, I want to add sulkily. My boobs are perfect.

  "I don't want anything to happen to your perfect tits," he says as he continues. "They're mine."

  Well, that was a pretty caveman thing to say. Yet I want to bend over and tell him to fuck me however he wants, so I guess it was effective. I turn around instead, interrupting his exam, and wrap my arms around his neck so I can pull him close enough to kiss. Then I push him away and step out of the shower.

  "Hey," he protests.

  "Waffles!" I call out as I dry off.

  * * *

  "We need to go shopping this weekend," Luke announces as he enters the kitchen a few minutes later.

  "How domestic," I reply. "And here I thought Mrs. Gieger did all your shopping. You don't like to put lube on her grocery lists?"

  He smacks my behind and then cages me in by placing both hands on the counter around me. "I have plenty of lube, you impertinent slut, just say the word." He kisses my neck then pushes off the counter. "You need a dress."

  "For?" I ask.

  "For the hospital gala. I told you about it."

  "I'm certain you didn't." He didn't. Gina did.

  "I'll need you to attend with me, Sophie. It's next weekend, so we need to find you a dress today."

  "I'm meeting Boyd for lunch."

  Luke's jaw ticks and he rubs his temple. "Why?"

  "Why?" I question as I move a waffle from the maker to a plate. "He's my brother. Do I need a reason to have lunch with him?"

  "Yes."

  "Excuse me?" I stop with a measuring cup mid-pour over the waffle iron. Luke has moved to the Keurig and is watching the coffee drip into a mug.

  "Was I unclear?"

  I stare at him for a moment, dumbfounded, then finish pouring batter into the waffle maker before returning my attention to Luke. He's leaning against the counter, arms crossed, sipping from his mug.

  "You're the boss of when I see my brother?"

  "You're my responsibility."

  I'm not sure if I should laugh or slap him. "Okay," I reply, drawing out the word. It's not okay, but Luke should be well versed at his age in the subtleties of the female response. There are about twenty definitions to the word okay when speaking to a woman.

  "The last time you saw Boyd he got you drunk." Luke takes the plate I offer him and sits at the breakfast table in front of the window, but his eyes are on me. I remove the last waffle from the maker and drop it on my plate before sitting across from him.

  "Boyd didn't get me drunk, I got myself drunk." I shake the can of whipped cream as I speak.

  "He shouldn't have let you."

  "Let me?" This conversation is getting more ridiculous by the second. "He doesn't own me, so why is he responsible for me?"

  "Don't be cute, Sophie. He should have taken better care of you."

  "Give him a break, Luke."

  The fingers of Luke's left hand tap on the table. "I should get to know him then. What time is lunch?"

  "I just walked right into that, didn't I?"

  Luke smiles, smug in the knowledge that he got what he wanted. "You don't want to have lunch with both of us?"

  I shrug. "Seems awkward."

  He leans back in his chair and smirks. "I'm awkward?"

  "You're never awkward and you know it." He's dressed for the day in a gray sweater and dark jeans. His hair is still damp from the shower and I want to sit on his lap and breathe in his aftershave while running my fingers through his hair, but we have things to do.

  "Just be…" I trail off.

  Luke raises a brow at me in question.

  I sigh. "Nice."

  "Whatever you want, Sophie." He's so agreeable. When he gets what he wants.

  * * *

  We walk to Joan Shepp, an upscale store just up the street from Luke's, to look for a dress for this gala. Well, Luke discusses options with a saleswoman—I just stand there fidgeting.

  "She'll try all of these," Luke says, indicating the selection the saleswoman has pulled.

  "Luke, no." I pull at his arm. I don't think I want any of these dresses. This store is making me nervous. I cannot afford to shop here.

  "You haven't even tried them on yet. If you don't like any of these we can try another store after lunch."

  Alone in a dressing room I undress and finger the price tags. I know a dress from Target isn't going to cut it in Luke's world, but I didn't realize the discrepancy was so great. Three thousand, six hundred and ninety-five dollars. Eighteen hundred dollars. Two thousand, four hundred and twenty-five dollars. Wait, here's a bargain—nine hundred and fifteen dollars. I'm sure Luke intends to pay, but I have no frame of reference for this. The nicest dress I've ever worn was to my prom and my prom date most certainly did not take me to the store and buy my dress.

  There's a knock on the door. It's the saleswoman asking how the dresses are fitting and letting me know that the gentleman would like to see the fit.

  I groan and pull the "cheap" dress off the hanger and slide it on. It's pretty, gray and slinky with a plunging neckline. I'm not wearing heels so it drags on the floor. I pinch the fabric at mid-thigh with my f
ingertips to raise the hem and walk out to find Luke. He's texting but stops and frowns when he sees my face.

  "What's wrong? You don't like this one?" His gaze runs up and down my form. "It fits you perfectly."

  I shake my head no. "Can we leave?" I ask quietly. Luke examines my face, waiting for more from me, but it's not coming.

  "Okay," he agrees, but I can tell he's confused.

  I strip out of the dress and change back into my jeans and sweater as quickly as possible and sigh in relief.

  We exit the shop and walk towards Market Street. We're meeting Boyd at the Capital Grille.

  "Care to explain, Sophie?" Luke interrupts my thoughts as we walk. His eyes are focused ahead.

  I shrug.

  "Words, please."

  "I don't want you to buy me a dress."

  "Why not?"

  I shrug again.

  "Sophie." His tone indicates he's not amused.

  "I just don't."

  He's quiet then as we walk, our feet crunching over the shoveled sidewalks, cars swooshing past us on the street.

  "Did you want me to find another date so you can stay home?"

  "Like Gina?" I retort.

  "What the hell does Gina have to do with this?" He sounds close to exhausted with me but I shrug again. I'm pretty sure based on the tick in his jaw that he'd be spanking my ass right now if we weren't in the middle of the street. I know I'm behaving like a brat, but I don't have any answers for Luke. I don't know how to express why the dress bothers me, but it does. Maybe it signifies how different we are. Buying expensive dresses and attending galas is not anything I see in my future, even after graduation.

  "This is a black-tie event, Sophie, you need an appropriate dress if you're going to attend, and I'd like you to attend."

  "I want to go with you." I trail off and then Luke gets a call, so I'm saved from elaborating. We've reached the Capital Grille on Chestnut, where we’re meeting Boyd for lunch. Luke indicates I should go in while he finishes his call and I gladly take the opportunity to postpone this conversation.