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

He laughed, his teeth flashing in the semi-darkness. ‘Who else would I smell like?’

‘The night you came over, raging about Kate and Devin, you were different.’

He flinched. ‘…That night. I’m sorry.’

‘No. Shush.’ Pulling his head down to kiss him again, my fingers got tangled in his curls. ‘I’ve missed your hair,’ I whispered.

‘I’ve missed your everything.’

Stroking the smooth skin of his stomach, I slid my thumb along the line of silky dark hair that arrowed downwards from his belly button. Arriving at his waistband, my fingertips moved to his belt buckle and as they slid over the scratched metal, his sharp hiss of breath was audible.

Suddenly anxious, I looked up at him. Maybe he’d misunderstood this. Maybe I had?

‘Oh God, Rachel.’ His voice was husky. ‘Don’t stop.’

‘If this is just because you’re horny…Then don’t do it. Please.’

Holding my gaze, his hands worked on something. There was the click and jingle of his buckle. Glancing down, I saw that his belt hung open and his top button had been popped. ‘I’m yours.’ Then he added, ‘If you want me.’

I could have laughed. ‘Do you want me?’

He indicated his body, the thick bulge, listing to the right, beneath his zip. ‘Not much point denying it, is there?’

The heat of his hand was on my thigh, sliding under my dress and upwards. When his fingertips touched the bare skin at the top of my hold-ups, he flinched. ‘Jesus, Rachel.’ His voice sounded choked. ‘Can we take this upstairs?’

I wanted to laugh with delight. I loved when he said things like that, stuff that was borderline cheesy.

In my bedroom, the lamp gave off a mellow glow. I lay Luke, shirtless, on my bed. ‘Let me do this. Please.’ I slipped my hands along his satin-smooth shoulders and the tangle of silver and braided leather around his neck.

With deliberate care, I undressed him. His boots first, then I moved to his jeans. Propped on his elbows, he watched with grim anticipation. ‘Rachel.’ His voice was low and urgent, his jaw clenched. ‘You couldn’t hurry things up? I’m dying here.’

‘This will be my only chance. I want to remember everything.’ I unzipped his jeans and inched them from his body, savouring his hair-roughened legs, the paler skin at the tops of his thighs, then all the drama of his crotch, as his erection sprang from his underwear.

I couldn’t stop myself from burying my face and inhaling the musky fragrance. ‘If only they could bottle it.’

He laughed, suddenly appearing light-hearted—then vaulted from the bed. ‘Babe, I’m sorry.’ He reached for me. ‘I’ve been patient long enough.’

It was like ballet, the ease with which he unzipped my dress. It fell to the floor and I stepped out from it, sensation flaring as my bare skin touched off his.