"What?" she asked, confused and sensing his hesitation.
"I thought you'd...never want to see me, be with me, again…like this…"
"What?" she reiterated.
"I treated you horribly, it wasn't until you left that I figured that out, Lorelai."
"Luke, that's the last thing I thought of."
He nodded. "I'm glad. Do you know...what it is you want?" he asked quietly. "From me…from us?"
Lorelai opened her mouth...and no words came out. Not a thing. She wanted to tell him that she wanted all of him, to share his life, to share his family, to be a stepmother to April and a mother to their future children. She wanted to wear their matching jogging suits to any of April's sports events (though she kind of surmised that April, like Rory, was not a sporty girl…) She wanted to walk Paul Anka together with Luke. Lorelai wanted to come home to him every night and know that there was no other place he would be.
A long finger began to trace the line of her jaw. "Whatever it is, Lorelai, we can make it work. We'll make it work." Luke's fingers cupped her chin and she found herself mesmerized by his gaze. "Just tell me what you need. I promise, we'll work through the April issue."
She reached up and grasped his fingers and kissed his hand. It felt wonderful to taste him upon her lips, so natural, as if none of the bad things had happened. With each touch, her mouth automatically responded, wanting more. One finger, two…until by the fifth, she was also watching as the tip of Luke's tongue traced his bottom lip.
"Luke," she murmured. "Our problems--they were my fault too. And know this," she added as she placed a final kiss across his knuckles, "your daughter could never be an issue to me…"
"No more," Luke replied, "but if we're going to do this--" he waved towards the bed, "I need to tell you what I need, what I want."
Lorelai stared back at him.
"I want more than this…" he waved towards the bed once again. "What do we do later today? Tomorrow? And the day after, I leave. And you're staying here…"
Lorelai smiled, sadly resigned, and extricated herself from his embrace. "You're right…we can't be doing this. You're going back home--" She fought to keep the tears from starting again. "And I must stay here. Otherwise Anna…"
"I told you, Anna will no longer be a problem."
"And Christopher."
"Lorelai, if we do this, he cannot be part of it. That's all I want."
Luke looked at her as they stood in the doorway to the bedroom, as if willing her to talk to him.
"I want everything with you, Luke," Lorelai finally admitted. "To share your life, to help you with April…and not to take over, I realize I'm not her parent."
Luke nodded his understanding.
"And I want...remember when I told you that kids would be nice?"
He nodded again, remembering the night of her proposal.
"I meant it."
"But…"
"But I'm scared. Because I'm here and you'll be way over there back home…"
"Can you get out of your contract?"
She nodded. "Probably. But I need…"
"A commitment. A date," Luke finished her thoughts.
"And with the whole Anna business…"
"How about you work on getting back home…and we'll set the date as soon as you're back."
"Deal."
"But no more Christopher. I want to erase him, Lorelai, erase him…"
Luke lunged forward and took her head into his hands. Immediately, her mouth opened and met his. They sank into the kiss, leaning in the doorway as Lorelai relaxed her body and wrapped her arms around Luke's waist. She gasped as he lifted her off the floor and carried her to the bed. He placed her on it, and then lay atop her, covering her with his body. As her body was pressed deep into the mattress, Luke reclaimed her mouth.
"Mine," he whisper-growled, leaving no doubt as to what he meant by erasing Christopher.
In response, Lorelai unequivocally stated "Yours" and wrapped her legs around him and arched up. Luke groaned "Mine" again and possessively kissed her, ending with a not-so-gentle bite on her shoulder. He roughly pulled her shirt over her head, and moved a hand to one breast, as she helped him remove her bra. She whimpered, then whispered, "You're mine, too, you know" between kisses.
Luke suddenly stopped. "Do you have any idea how miserable I've been, Lorelai?"
"No--I don't!"
"Miserable. Pathetic. Oh, I held it at bay around April," Luke took a deep breath, "but I missed you. I need you."
"I'm afraid, Luke."
"Of what?"
"Of screwing up again. And losing you. To April."
As she confessed her insecurities, Lorelai bit her lip; a tear forming in the corner of one eye.
"I'm sorry. I was jealous of you," Luke answered. "But I've learned that we have something worth keeping, Lorelai. Something worth fighting for." Luke leaned forward and rested his forehead against hers.
Lorelai brought her hand up to touch his face; he pressed a kiss into her palm.
She sighed. "Can we do this again, Luke?"
"I think we can, Lorelai. As long as there's communication." Luke looked rather sheepish. "Liz had a talk with me." He looked at her, seemingly faraway with his thoughts.
"What?"
"Well, it may take a team of mules, but eventually, I get there…"
She kissed him in response.
"God, Lorelai, look at you." It was as if he suddenly realized that she was laying there topless, just for him.
Lorelai blushed.
"So beautiful, so gorgeous, Lorelai."
Lorelai blushed even more.
"I love it when you blush…" Luke whispered,
as he kissed her cheek, and then her neck as she placed one hand on the back of his head, encouraging him.
Lorelai's body screamed of her need as she pressed against him and moaned softly as Luke's hands continued to explore.
Slowly, Luke took his time exploring her body with his lips and tongue. Her neck. Her left shoulder, then her right. Exploring the swell of each breast; paying reverent attention to each nipple. Finally, he deftly slid the remainder of her clothing off of her, so that she lay completely nude before him.
Luke stared at her in awe, and swallowed hard.
"Lorelai..." He parted her legs and knelt between them, running his fingertips lightly against first her outer, then her inner thighs. "Let me. Please," he pleaded as he rubbed the stubble of his cheek against one thigh.
Lorelai acquiesced, resting her arms on either side of her head, letting her legs fall open.
For the longest time that afternoon, Lorelai floated in sensations of physical bliss as Luke made love to her with his mouth. She realized that he was doing more than that--he was also worshipping her. Each kiss, each touch was tender, soft, coaxing. She yielded to him as she never had before with him or with any other man in her life. She sighed with delight as he re-learned her body's intimate secrets. She felt his smile when she groaned deeply as he pushed his tongue inside. And just before her eyes rolled back, she gasped and looked down at him and moaned his name, over and over.
Luke stopped, mission accomplished, and met her eyes between pressing kisses onto her tummy. Sated, Lorelai realized the one thing wrong with what they'd been doing: Luke was still fully dressed.
Lorelai reached towards his waist and tugged at the waistband of his sweats. Arousal began anew as he followed her cue and peeled off his clothing, matter-of-factly.
"You're so perfect…" she uttered.
"No…I'm just me…" he whispered in response. And as he stood there, he watched her eyes take in every inch of his body.
Sitting up slowly, never taking her eyes off him, she huskily whispered: "C'mere." She patted a spot on the bed next to her. Luke obeyed, when to his surprise, Lorelai suddenly rolled over him and off the bed, ending up on her knees in front of him. She was breathing heavily, then leaned forward and licked his tip. Luke immediately groaned, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. She licked him again, lightly, then ran her tongue up his full length before taking him into her mouth for the first time in weeks.
Oh fuck, he thought. She made him feel so good.
Lorelai let him slide back out and then back in again, continuing the out-in motion. Luke's eyes grew wide as she suckled his head, running the tip of her tongue underneath it, and then eased him down her throat again, keeping him there this time as she hummed some indecipherable tune, sending the most delightful vibrations through his body.
"Oh fuck...Lorelai..."
She brought her hands up to briefly entwine with his as she sucked. And then suddenly, she felt his hands hesitantly grope on either side of her head, weaving through her hair as he groaned. Looking up, she smiled her most wicked smile as she watched his glassy eyes.
Luke began to fidget, as he moving his hips forward. She sensed that he was close. Then, he suddenly muttered, "Uh! Stop...Lorelai, stop." He pulled out and held her head in his hands, panting. She looked up at him in confusion, wondering what she'd done wrong. Luke refocused his gaze on her.
"I want to screw you senseless…" he gasped, as he tugged her up and towards him.
TBC…