Breaking Through (Atlanta #3) (9 page)

"Fine. This is all about Afghanistan."

"Bullshit."

Luke glared at him in angry shock. How did he know? He brought his fist up to the speed bag again.

"Your face doesn't have
Army
written on it," Marcus observed through narrow eyes. "This is new. What the hell happened tonight?"

Fuck
. Without thinking of another option fast enough, Luke spilled the entire story with the exception of Jenna's name.

"
That's
what has you so worked up? You had a good date?"

"No! Didn't you hear me at all? I had a good date and I'll fuck it up with all the stupid shit in my life."

"Get off the equipment, you idiot. Why don't you go home to write me a damn essay about what a moron you are," Marcus said shaking his head. "I can't believe you almost made me late because a beautiful girl went out with you and wanted you to call her again."

"Shut the hell up," Luke grumbled, throwing a hard punch into the speed bag again, causing it to bounce wildly.

"Think about this, ok?" Marcus stopped him and stared him down. "She didn't care you have anger, which means she's smart enough to see past it. Don't assume she can't handle your shit. If she's as amazing as you describe, she'll handle your shit
for
you. Erin did for me. At least give this girl a chance. Don't be stupid enough to walk away."

Luke threw one final punch and walked to the locker room without another word. Marcus pissed him off, but made sense. Still, even if Jenna could handle his shit, was it fair to expect her to? He shook his head and threw his sweaty clothes into a gym bag. While he was taking a quick shower, Marcus called into the locker room.
 

"I'm heading out. Hit the lights before you go. Be here tomorrow at two so I can kick your ass again," he called over the noise of the shower. "And come back any night you need to."

Luke heard a set of keys hit the floor in front of his locker.
What?
Marcus trusted him with the entire gym? Luke's chest got a little tight at the thought. Before his time in the Army, Luke was a party-hungry pain-in-the-ass and got suspended from high school more than once. He barely graduated. With no other options, he went straight into the military at age eighteen. So basically, his whole life was spent under someone else's responsibility, and nearly always as a fuck-up.

Now Luke was a year out of the Army, twenty-five, and Marcus wouldn't let him be a fuck-up anymore. Luke now had a real job, an apartment, a budget, and the responsibility of keys to the gym. He hadn't earned such trust, but Marcus took a leap of faith with him. Fuck-up wasn't an option if Luke wanted all the good things in his life to stay there.

The responsibility intimidated him, but Luke understood the significance of this. Marcus was forcing him to finally step up, working on the assumption Luke would succeed. No one ever had that kind of faith in him before. And now Jenna knew of his anger and smiled at him anyway. He had a job and a place to live. This all felt an awful lot like hope.

A second date. Jenna beamed because he called her every day for a week, and asked her for
a second date
. The first had gone well, she knew, but the thought of Luke Baylor, this gorgeous man, wanting to go out with her again…that was beyond inspiring. Jenna thought of herself as simple, even plain compared to Cassie's style or Erin's sophistication, but Luke called her for a second date anyway.

Happily, she spent Saturday afternoon that next weekend primping, spending nearly an hour on her mani/pedi. She took an hour-long soak in her apartment's big iron tub, complete with a subtle floral-and-spice bath oil. By the time she was done with her body and hair, Jenna was smooth all over with a delicate, feminine scent and soft waves in her blond tresses.
 

She donned her favorite low-rise jeans and a ice-blue cotton top which rested softly on her frame and barely skimmed along the denim. The same canvas flats from their first date finished off the outfit and Jenna was ready to go with a half-hour to spare. She absent-mindedly tidied up her already-tidy apartment while she waited for the distinctive sound of Luke's motorcycle. She couldn't think of much else than riding with him again.
 

She didn't even care that his heavy helmet would flatten her hair. Riding with Luke was exciting and intimate. She loved the feel of her legs wrapped up on either side of him and her arms keeping her solidly pressed against the rest of his frame. And with her arms around him, she could feel every rock-hard muscle of his back, chest, and abs. Massive effort was required to keep from squeezing her hands along every strong, defined line. She may be shy, but that didn't stop her from fantasizing about his touch. After a week away, she only wanted to hold him again, and kiss him again, and maybe even…well,
more
.

Right on time, Jenna heard his bike's engine from the end of the street grow louder as he pulled up to her apartment. Only moments later Luke knocked at the door, standing there all muscles and deep green eyes.

"Hi," Jenna said with a shy smile when she opened the door.

"Hey," he returned with a grin. "You ready?"

Jenna nodded and grabbed her small, cross-body canvas purse from the foyer table before she locked the door behind her.
 

"What are we going to see?" she asked.

"That depends. Should I be selfish or nice?"

Jenna laughed. "That depends on the selfish choice."

"Fast and Furious 6," he smiled hopefully.

"And the nice choice?"

"Whatever you want to see. I'll even tolerate The Great Gatsby with the more-than-annoying DiCaprio."

"No need for all that," she grinned sweetly. "I'm good with Fast and Furious."

"Good woman," he smiled, pulling her in for a kiss already. "God, you smell good."

And that's when she saw the depth in his eyes again. She recognized the dark heat behind his stare. His gaze demonstrated strong desire. Tension seemed to crackle between them.
 

He remained the gentleman, but when he kissed her and breathed her in, his muscles went taught. His hands nearly gripped her waist, even though he maintained a controlled touch. She could have sworn there was something heavy brewing behind his eyes. If she was right, the storm there was powerful and beautiful.

He took her hand, a little stronger this evening than their last date, and led her down to his motorcycle. She grinned when she saw two helmets hanging from the handlebars this time, one of them cherry-red.
He bought me a helmet,
she realized. Her stomach did a flip flop.

He handed it to her without a word as he straddled the bike. Each pulled on their helmets and Jenna mounted the bike behind him.

"Hold tight," he said loudly as he kicked the engine to life.
 

Luke couldn't get the scent of her out of his head. Some erotic combination of cloves and roses wafted gently from her soft body every time she moved. He wasn't sure why he found her scent so sexy, except that he found everything about her completely enticing. Her petite, delicate frame with its gentle, full curves nearly shouted for attention from his hands. She was walking sex. God, she was beautiful…and hot…and right there pushed up against him. He wasn't sure how much longer he could keep himself in check. He
wanted
her. Now. But instead, he would be forced to only hold her hand during a movie.

The film they chose was an attention-grabbing thrill-ride, but his only focus was her. He squeezed her hand and massaged her thigh while they sat. He couldn't stop himself. Jenna didn't seem to mind. In fact, she responded by resting her head on his shoulder and reaching her hand across her body toward his arm. And then, like a shock of electricity, her delicate hand rested on his bicep…and gripped.
Holy fuck, that felt good
. He looked down at her hand and noticed her pretty, feminine pink nails. He wanted to suck her fingers in his mouth and run his tongue along the tips of those nails.
 

Shit
, she squeezed his arm again. She kept her hand there and moved her fingers strongly on his muscle, much like the attention he paid her thigh. The longer they sat together, the stronger she allowed their touch to progress. Once after she squeezed his arm, she turned her head slightly and kissed his bicep.
Jesus
. He flexed in response without meaning to. He could have sworn her breathing hitched when he did. She kissed his arm again, and he still couldn't get her scent out of his mind.

Thank God Marcus had been teaching him control. If not, he may have pulled her to his lap and let his hands wander wherever he wanted them to…right there in the theater. The pointless movie lasted too damn long as far as Luke was concerned. He wanted her, and he knew he wouldn't be able to control himself once they left the theater. With every grip of her hand on his arm, he was more certain she wouldn't want him to control himself anyway.
 

For whatever reason, she saw past the darkness of his often-hard exterior and saw good in him. She wanted him anyway, and he wanted her desperately right back. Considering the weak filter between his brain and his mouth, he'd probably end up telling her how much he wanted her the minute they walked out the door. Jenna was his angel…a beautiful, sweet angel he wanted to throw down and fuck hard.

Jenna couldn't believe how bold she was being, but she instinctively knew her confidence came from his strength. He strongly caressed her thigh, which gave her permission to squeeze his bicep like she'd wanted to when she first saw that arm holding his little daughter. And because she was caught up in the bold vibe along with him, she even leaned over and kissed his strong muscle before she realized what she was doing.
 

His body was powerful, his presence was exciting, and she found herself
wanting
him. She wasn't ready to throw herself at him, but based on the strength of his touch, she wouldn't need to be any more forward than she already dared.
 

As they were leaving the theater, Luke held Jenna's hand even more strongly than before, gripping her possessively. An exciting, nervous energy coursed through her entire body. What a beautiful, hot connection. She was
certain
she wouldn't have to throw herself at him. From what she could tell, Luke wanted her. At least she hoped so.

Hope became reality when Luke suddenly pulled her around the side of the theater and a few yards down a dark alley. He pushed her solidly against the side brick wall of the old building. With one hand, he cupped her head with a tight grip, and with the other he used the same tight grip on her ass-cheek. He immediately moved his lips passionately to her neck.
 

Jenna was both shocked and excited by his sudden, crushing need for her. Nothing like this happened last week with the exception of two gentle, controlled kisses. But tonight, the beautiful storm behind his eyes flared into an open, swirling tempest. He wanted her as much as she wanted him. The sensation was unbelievable to her.

"Jenna…" Luke nearly groaned. "You are so sweet…and I want you. I want so fucking much. I want to take you home and fuck you 'til you scream my name. I want to make you mine. Tonight. In your bed. Say yes, baby…please say yes…"

What?? Who talks like that? Fuck you 'til you scream? Holy crap!
His intensity ran deeper than she ever expected. His raw desire and honesty hit her straight between her thighs. A shiver of excitement and anticipation ran up her spine and made her gasp. Jenna nodded her answer, unable to find words.
 

"Oh, fuck yes…" Luke breathed, gripping her even stronger.
 

Jenna's mind was reeling. She'd never been with anyone so strong or blunt before, and she found his words oddly arousing.
Everything
about him was arousing. This was an entirely new experience for her. The link between her mind and body was only strengthened by his hot touch and passionate words. This was not seduction; this was raw, all-consuming desire. To think she could elicit so much passion from someone so physically beautiful and emotionally deep sent Jenna flying.
 

He spent more time almost aggressively kissing and groping her in the alley, pulling her leg up around his hip and pushing his tongue in her mouth with desperation. She kissed him as strongly as she could. She held on to him with everything she had, and his thick erection pressed on her the entire time. He didn't seem to want to let her go. She couldn't believe how much he wanted her. Finally, he eased his body off hers and allowed her to stand on her own. He adjusted his pants over his obviously impressive manhood. He took her face strongly in his hands and gazed heatedly into her eyes.
 

"Keep yourself against me on the way home. I want to feel your tits pushed up on my back and your hands around me the whole time.
Tight
around me. Don't ease up."

With wide eyes Jenna nodded. She could barely stand, let alone walk, but somehow she let him guide her to his bike. He helped her with her helmet and watched over his shoulder as she climbed onto the motorcycle behind him. She squeezed her thighs against him and pushed herself against his back like he told her to. Her hands pulled flat and tight against his chiseled abs.

"Tighter," he said right before he pulled his own helmet on.

Jenna complied instantly. Before that moment, she never would have believed a simple, strong, one-word command would turn her on. Luke Baylor knew exactly what he wanted and wasn't afraid to ask for it. Instead of feeling whatever Jenna thought she
should
feel about his hot words and demands, all she experienced was a sense of confidence. Being with him would be both exciting and simple. He would take what he wanted and she would willingly give. And knowing in the back of her mind how dedicated and loving he was toward his daughter comforted Jenna with a sense of safety. Luke was good to the core, despite his rough edges. He offered Jenna nothing but passion.

Luke smoothly pulled his bike into traffic and eased them quickly toward Jenna's house. She kept herself as tight against him as she could for the entire trip. When a stoplight halted their progress, he dropped his feet to the ground and moved one hand to grip her thigh, strongly moving his thumb against her knee. Luke pulled her close to him every chance he got. Jenna never before felt so wanted.