BooksBarbecue
Back Again, Rachel
Chapters (98)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Epigraph
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. 56
  60. 57
  61. 58
  62. 59
  63. 60
  64. 61
  65. 62
  66. 63
  67. 64
  68. 65
  69. 66
  70. 67
  71. 68
  72. 69
  73. 70
  74. 71
  75. 72
  76. 73
  77. 74
  78. 75
  79. 76
  80. 77
  81. 78
  82. 79
  83. 80
  84. 81
  85. 82
  86. 83
  87. 84
  88. 85
  89. 86
  90. 87
  91. 88
  92. 89
  93. 90
  94. 91
  95. 92
  96. 93
  97. 94
  98. Acknowledgements

I took a ragged breath. ‘My house. Come home with me. Just for tonight.’

He nodded, his face giving nothing away. ‘Thank you.’

*

Drive safely, I reminded myself, again. Drive safely.

Out in the countryside the roads were narrow and dark. The headlight of Luke’s bike, directly behind my car, lit my way.

We were the only two vehicles on the road.

It felt like the only two vehicles in the world.

I thought about Quin, of course I did. He would be very hurt and we might not survive, but there was an inevitability to this. It wasn’t exactly about desire, at least not for me, it was about saying a final goodbye.

And Kallie? No, I couldn’t do this to myself. Kallie wasn’t my responsibility.

The houses around mine were in darkness, everyone in bed, asleep. I watched Luke get off his bike. Even in the dark, he was unmistakeable. As he approached, I felt as if I were dreaming.

Then, suddenly, I landed back in my body. This was real.

By the circle of light thrown by the porch lamp, he hesitated. ‘Rachel, what is this?’

‘I don’t know. Yet. Do you?’

‘No. But it’s not nothing.’

My relief was brief. ‘Luke, what about Kallie?’

He took a breath. ‘What about Quin?’

Warily we watched each other and came to an unspoken agreement: this wasn’t something to be proud of but we knew what we were doing.

When we tumbled into the dimly lit hallway, Crunchie barked at Luke, but within moments was rolling over and displaying her belly. Luke got down on one knee, petting her, then he glanced up, that familiar dark gaze. ‘Does she need to go out?’

‘Benigno next door took her earlier.’

Crunchie was trying to lick him to death. Yeah, you and me both.

But enough of Crunchie. I whistled and pointed towards the kitchen. ‘Sorry,’ I whispered to her sorrowful face, shutting the door firmly and turning around—straight into the heat of Luke’s body.

He pressed me against the wall, shifting his feet, adjusting his stance so that his hips were level with mine. Cradling my face between his splayed fingers, he whispered into my mouth, ‘Babe.’

His breath, his lips, his warmth, his sweetness—as the kiss intensified, relief flooded in, filling me up.

‘Rachel.’ His mouth still on mine, he groaned, ‘You are gorgeous.’

Desperate to reach his skin, I was pushing his jacket from his shoulders. It hit the floor, then I began to unbutton his shirt.

‘I’ve wanted you so badly,’ he breathed. ‘Tonight has been hell.’

Together, our hands fumbled over his buttons. ‘Watching you,’ he said. ‘Wanting you. Worried that you’d leave and—’

Parting the dark cotton, warm from his body, his skin released a fragrant fug, an intense distillation so musky and sweet that I moaned. ‘You smell like you.’