She reached out to discover that Luke was already up and about. Rolling over, she pulled the covers up under her chin and watched as he finished dressing.
"Luke...I...I..." she murmured.
Oh God. Luke looked at her and had the sinking feeling that she was going to ask him to forget that the afternoon had ever happened. She had that look in her eyes, that look he had seen too many times before.
"You can forget about asking me to forget about this, Lorelai. Not gonna happen." Luke pulled his socks on as he looked at her. "You weren't lying to me this afternoon. Your body certainly wasn't lying to me." He smirked at her. "I know you. I know what you like, Lorelai, and not just in bed…"
Lorelai was now sitting up, clutching the covers to her chest.
"I'm not going to forget that anytime soon. Or ever."
Luke walked over to the bed and sat next to Lorelai, gently smoothing her hair.
His voice mellowed to a whisper. "And I won't ever forget the sacrifice you made for me. So I could be with April."
He continued stroking her hair.
"You have to go."
"Yeah, it's late afternoon, I do have to get back…back to being Hagrid the field trip dad…"
Lorelai's face fell.
"But," Luke continued, noticing her sad face, "I want you to have dinner with us tonight. Meet the gang. The other chaperones and teachers…April's friends…" he hesitantly suggested. "If you want to, that is…" he quickly added as he gauged her reaction.
"Very much," she proclaimed, as she wrapped her arms around him.
"I think you need a little extra naptime after all your…activity this afternoon," Luke suggested, laughing. "I'll leave the info for you…" he assured as he lowered her down on the bed, "and a wake-up call? For five PM?"
When she opened her eyes again, he was gone.
-----
Lorelai stood in the hallway, staring up at the room number. Rocking back and forth on her heels, she tried to steady her nerves. Why was she so nervous in her own hotel? What if the other dad answered the door? Would he think that Luke had a honey in every field trip town they went to? What if April answered? What if the phone rang and she was alone and it was Anna?
After he'd left earlier that day, Lorelai had taken him up on his suggested nap, and then freshened up. Showering, all the while in a daze, she wondered if it had all been just a dream: their talk, the dinner invitation that backed up Luke's new commitment to include her in his life with April, their lovemaking--wait, had Luke actually uttered the words "screw you senseless?" The memory of Luke's mouth, of his lips and tongue everywhere--and of him inside her--told her that he had not only used the words, he'd thoroughly followed through on his promise.
Damn him. Damn him to hell. Leave it to Luke to show up unexpectedly and unannounced. Of all the damn hotels in all the world, he had to end up at hers. 'Nice going, Rick,' she thought to herself…
And then he had the nerve to probe, to push, to force her to face what she desperately had tried to ignore: that they had something worth fighting for. And that now, he was indeed all in in a whole new way. And he still wanted her.
But self-preservation matter, she told herself, as she recalled the downward spiral she had fallen into after they broke up. She needed to take care of herself. And even more, she ended to take care of Luke. Anna, no matter what Luke said, was pretty much still a threat to him and his relationship with his daughter. Could she take that risk, could she bring herself to do it? She couldn't just...abandon him like that. It wouldn't make things any better, or easier. She was going to have to trust him again. And the bastard had left the ball in her court.
Damn.
Shit. He was right; it was probably better to face Anna and ensure Luke's rights.
So here she was, at Luke's door. She took a deep breath and raised her hand to knock, when the door opened.
"Lorelai." Luke greeted her nonchalantly, standing there in sweats and t-shirt.
"Luke."
"I uh...come in…" Luke stepped back and waited for her to pass.
"Are you sure this is OK--"
"Ms. Gilmore!" April greeted her from her perch on the couch in front of the TV.
"April!" Lorelai was surprised to see her in Luke's room. "I'm Lorelai…not Ms. Gilmore," she smiled.
"Come in, Lorelai. Your name is pretty."
She walked past Luke and stepped into his hotel suite, further taking in the scene. TV on: check. Kid in front of TV: check. She turned as he came up behind her, rubbing a hand through his hair as he repositioned his ball cap.
She gave him a small smile. "I've uh…been sleeping the day away…"
"Really," he responded dryly, nervously looking over in April's direction.
"And you? How was your day?" she coquettishly added.
"Uh...the opposite, actually. I was trying to get some sleep part of the afternoon. For some reason, though," Luke smirked, "I couldn't."
"Well I hope you sleep well tonight."
"Back atcha."
-----
Dinner went surprisingly well. Lorelai briefly wondered what sort of back story Luke had supplied the other adults. No one seemed to find it strange that his "fiancée" lived so far away.
Returning to the hotel, they walked April to the room she shared with her three schoolmates, and bid her goodnight. Lorelai was touched as she watched Luke hug his daughter, and then accept a kiss on the cheek from her.
"Let's go back to my room," Luke suggested after April's door closed.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Lorelai questioned. "What about your roomie?"
"Uh…he and one of the teachers…"
"Got it."
"So Lorelai," he continued as they reached his room. "I...I thought we should..."
"Talk?" She looked up after finishing his thought, pleased to see him looking so calm and thoughtful.
"Yeah. Talk," Luke nodded. "Make yourself at home. Beer?"
"Beer would be nice."
As he entered the small kitchenette area, Lorelai glanced around the room, looking at everything and at nothing. Finally, she sat down on the couch and drank in the ambiance of the room, which she was just now experiencing as a guest.
She saw one of his flannel shirts draped over a chair, and reaching out for it, Lorelai pulled it to her, softly stroking it, taking in its familiar feel. Then she brought it to her nose and breathed in. It smelled of Luke. Of Luke's skin, and his soap—not hotel soap, she noted. It was the most comforting thing she'd felt in weeks (except for his body, she shyly thought.) Lorelai took the shirt and wrapped it around her shoulders, effectively wrapping herself in him. Then, returning to the matters at hand, she sighed and wondered for the hundredth time how they were going to deal with things.
There were things that she now knew for sure; that she needed to tell him. First and foremost, she didn't want their friendship to end, she knew that. And she wasn't angry about April...well, not really. She was resigned and even happy about her presence in Luke's life. What she was resigned to was the fact that, no matter how she wished otherwise, things would change between them because of Anna.
Anna would, like Christopher, always be there. She couldn't erase that. But how could they move on? Would they be able to work out an arrangement that Luke could live with? Would there always be awkwardness? If Anna did anything else that restricted his access to April, would Luke resent her, avoid her, end up hating her? They had come so close to hating each other over this. The mere thought of the recent past made her heart twist painfully into knots.
But she now knew that she couldn't give Luke up again. Ever. When she was around Luke, it was so easy to give in, just as she had this afternoon. She let her heart--and, to be honest, her body--lead the way. She really did love him, she suddenly realized.
She didn't hear him return with the beer. Lorelai suddenly found herself sitting there on the couch with slow, hot tears running down her cheeks, even as she felt his touch on her shoulder. She didn't startle, but instead closed her eyes. She heard Luke place the beer on the coffee table, then felt him gently turn her face to his. She opened her eyes after he pressed soft kisses on each lid; looking up into his eyes, she began to tremble as he kissed her tears away.
"Oh Lorelai..."
She shook her head and tried to regain her composure.
"We sure messed things up…" she said.
Luke reached out and folded her in his arms. She pressed her face into his chest, overwhelmed with emotion. For a time they sat in silence, as he rested his chin on top of her head. Lorelai eventually took some deep breaths and calmed herself.
"You're wearing my shirt…" he said when he noticed her more calm state.
"Your shirt..." Her voice cracked. "I missed your flannel, burger boy."
Luke smiled, gently smoothing her hair.
"Will you let me be with you tonight?"
Luke swallowed, touched by the tone in her voice.
"I mean, since your roommate is gone…" Lorelai clarified.
Luke nodded his yes, and then continued. "You were wonderful this afternoon…" Luke told her.
"No, you were."
"No, you were…"
They laughed.
"Do me a favor?" Luke asked.
"Depends," Lorelai responded, a familiar tone of mischief back in her voice.
"Come to bed, dressed only in that shirt…"
------
Lying in Luke's bed, Lorelai could only think how right this felt. She shifted her body as he spooned behind her. Her breathing began to increase when she felt Luke's erection press into her back. And then she felt him suckle her earlobe.
"Oh god," she whispered.
Luke silently reached around under the flannel she wore and found a nipple, pinching it ever so lightly.
"Oh!"
Cupping her breast, Luke began rocking ever-so-slowly against her. "Do you trust me?" he whispered.
"Oh Luke…"
"Do you trust me?" he asked again. "I want you. Just like this."
"Oh Luke..."
"Tell me, Lorelai."
"Yes. Yes."
Luke eased her forward, putting gentle pressure on her back. Lorelai rested her arms on the pillow and raised her hips, presenting herself to him. "That's it...oh yeah," she heard him say.
It didn't bother her that she was suddenly in one of the most vulnerable positions she'd ever been in with a man. She didn't have time to think about it, for Luke's lips and teeth and stubble were busy.
"Oh god! Oh yes, yes."
"Ooh yeah, that's it," Luke said as he pressed inside, filling her once again.
She smiled for a second, as these were quite possibly the most words Luke had ever said to her during sex.
And then she was taken. Completely and utterly taken. With each thrust, all she could do was moan, responding without shame or worry. She didn't care that she was whimpering; she just ached, wanting to feel him deeper. This was Luke. He was the one. And if it had taken two break-ups, being irredeemably drunk and having an ill-advised dalliance with Christopher for her to learn that, so be it.
"Oh, god! Luke! Luke..." Lorelai's climax hit full force, causing her to spasm, then cry out as her limbs went numb and she collapsed back onto the bed. Luke stayed within her, thrusting a few more times into her body until he came, her name literally becoming the sound of his pleasure as he pressed his face into her shoulder.
-----
Lorelai felt cold. Rocky Mountain weather, she thought. Opening her eyes, she smiled as she heard Luke softly snoring in her ear. Gently, she removed his hand from her hip and sat up. She reached for Luke's flannel and blanketed her body with it, yawning. She wondered how long they'd been asleep. It was definitely not morning yet.
Lying back down, she turned and watched Luke sleep. She couldn't help sighing as she thought of the day that had passed. Luke had indeed, screwed her senseless, she quietly giggled. And then she also sighed as she thought of the next day to come. Luke would be leaving again. And the really hard work would come: they would have to trust in each other, believe that they would make it.
Lorelai sighed as the moonlight filtering through the window caught her eye. She listened to Luke's breathing and silently made a new entry at the top of tomorrow's to-do list: Tell Trish I quit.
TBC…