She took his lower lip between her teeth and Luke groaned into her mouth. This was one of his favorites, she recalled, as he nudged her knees apart and stood pressed against her as she remained on the counter.
"Luke!" she moaned.
Luke continued to kiss her, grateful that the diner was shielded against intrusive eyes. And while his mouth was definitely busy, his hands were not idle, reacquainting themselves with her torso.
When it came time to yield to the need for air, he pulled her against him, letting her rest her head against his chest. She could feel the wild pulsing of his heart, and that emboldened her. She pulled her top down, and reached blindly for his hands, placing them on her breasts. Luke leaned down to kiss her there, where his thumbs met to form a vee, his breath hot.
Lorelai dropped her head back to allow him access.
Luke continued kissing her lightly on her shoulders and neck. He moved a leg between hers, bending his knee so that his thigh came into contact with her center. The friction sent a little jolt through her.
Stop. Stop this now before it goes too far.
His mouth moved up her neck and back to her lips. Now his lips were tugging at hers more insistently. His tongue darted out and teased her mouth into opening again. The heat of his tongue stroking along hers sent molten honey sliding through her veins. His arms slid around her, pulling her off the counter and closer to him.
Lorelai returned the kiss, slipping her tongue into his mouth. Her arms twined around his neck as she laced her fingers through his hair, mouths moving deeply against, in out, and with, each other.
For several minutes, they continued to explore, relearning smell, taste, form and texture. There was not even the diner--just the part of them that touched. Everything that had been part of Lorelai and Luke's thoughts had disappeared: April, Rory, diner owner, innkeeper, mom of a college grad--all gone. Lorelai, reduced to living in a world of Luke, wondered if he was likewise drowning in the sensation of her.
Breathless, they parted and she looked up at him. His eyes were full of wonder and tenderness.
"Lorelai, can I kiss you again?" His gaze turned hungry and his hands were already tightening on her in anticipation.
No! Stop now. Stop while you can.
"I, oh..." Lorelai trailed off as he once again began rocking her against his leg. She trembled. It had been so long since anyone had held her like this. Holding her so that she knew, really knew, that she was beloved. It was happening now, it was Luke, filling her with a drunken languor. She was hypnotized by the gentle rhythm he set. By his wet swollen lips. By his darkened eyes watching her intently.
The soft aching sound of her name as he whispered it was her undoing.
I can't. I can't stop this. This is what I want. He is who I want.
He stopped and pulled her roughly against him.
Oh my god, she thought. I never knew how much I love him. I can't believe this.
"Oh, Luke," she murmured, reaching up to remove the blue cap, placing it behind her on the counter.
Lorelai thought she had loved him with passion when they were previously engaged, but the urgency she now felt clearly surpassed anything she'd felt so long ago. She pulled his head down and kissed him hard, to be recompensed by his fingers tugging at her skirt.
Without thinking, Lorelai stepped out of her skirt and panties as she frantically pushed at his shirt. Luke pushed her hands away and he himself quickly undid his belt and dropped his jeans to his ankles. He stepped out of them, kicking them clear across the diner floor, a feat which elicited a giggle from Lorelai. He toed off his shoes and stripped off his t-shirt. Bending down, he hurriedly tore off his shoes and socks. As he stood, he disposed of his boxers as he ran his hands up her legs and cupped her buttocks.
Finally, after so many months, after so many distant encounters, they were here. Home. Skin on skin, the contact was dizzying. Their mouths sought each other's lips, eyelids, throats, ears in a frenzy.
Between breaths, Lorelai felt as if she was falling and then realized that Luke had pulled her down to the floor, placing her onto his shirt.
"Oh yes. Luke."
Luke rolled so he was atop her, his mouth hotly afire as he slowly worked his way towards her breasts. Lorelai arched up beneath him to encourage him. His erection prodded her hips and she shifted so that he ended up between her legs, pressing heavily against her, making her dizzy with lust.
"Luke," she groaned as he nuzzled her left breast. A light sweat broke out across her body as she began to shiver.
She pressed his mouth against her and he obliged, swirling his tongue over a nipple before pulling it into his mouth and suckling gently. He moved to her other breast and Lorelai could only think, Luke. This is real. This is Luke.
"I meant it," she whispered.
Luke stopped his ministrations and looked up.
"The song. Always love you," she continued.
"I know," he quietly replied, as her hands re-surveyed the terrain of his shoulders and back, mapping out the surface she'd once known so well. She could feel how his muscles flexed beneath her hands and knew that his tension and nervousness matched hers.
And then, he stopped.
Lorelai moaned in frustration and flushed red with the embarrassment of confusion.
Luke lifted his body from hers, and knelt to her side. Bending to kiss her stomach, he murmured "this is wrong" and straightened.
Lorelai reached to try to pull him back onto her, but he resisted.
"This is wrong, Lorelai."
"Oh," she replied, embarrassed.
"I need you, Lorelai."
Lorelai was confused. His voice was still hoarse, and thick with desire, just like before...but this was wrong...?
Yet he was still lovingly looking down at her.
"Luke, please," she tried, hoping he was just trying to catch his breath.
He took her hand in his and reached behind her, grabbing his t-shirt and placing it over her.
"You must be cold." His eyes met hers and she realized, for the first time in her life, how much she truly loved him. Deep inside her, a surge of love welled up, and she knew, instinctively, what his next words would be.
"I love you too much to do this on the floor."
She swallowed, and nodded.
"We should go somewhere, somewhere special..." he continued. "You deserve special."
"No, I d..." she began to deny.
"You deserve special," Luke emphatically repeated, as he carefully settled down behind her, positioning her between his legs, her weight supported by his chest. "Before. I didn't show you enough, how special..."
"How special this is..." she agreed with him.
She sank against him, her hair covering his chest as he continued holding her.
And then the giggles began.
Lorelai bit her lip to suppress the giggles but simply couldn't.
"What?" Luke asked, with mock irritation.
"I don't want to wait," she petulantly gasped.
"We can wait," Luke countered.
"Special, smecial. There's one room open at the inn..." Lorelai offered. "We could go there...right now...I've redecorated since you last stayed there..."
"Don't care what it looks like," Luke gruffed back at her, and moved to get up, quickly dressing.
A moment later, Lorelai took the hand he'd stretched in her direction and let him pull her up.
"You ok?" he asked.
"I'm fine, Luke. Give me a sec." Her voice was soft.
Lorelai looked over at him as he retrieved her clothing. She was sure that he could see her frustration and knowing him, he was secretly pleased.
"You picked a hell of a time to practice chastity, Luke," she whispered into his chest as she helped him finish dressing her.
"Let me walk you home, Lorelai."
She pouted.
"Definitely, you're going home. Gotta save something for later."
Lorelai's heart sang at the promise of "later", as Luke guided her out of the diner. Lorelai's hand found his as they began walking. Finally, their silence was companionable, no longer awkward.
"Why, Lorelai? Why, I mean, why tonight, you could have stopped the song..." Luke interrupted as they rounded the corner.
Why had she continued singing, Lorelai mused. Rory would have understood, so why did she continue singing to Luke like a woman possessed?
"Because I will always love you," she answered.
So now they were in front of her house, acting like teenagers on a date, wondering if she should go along with his plan to wait, or make him come to his senses and drag him up to her room.
Lorelai retrieved her key before they reached the door.
Luke placed a soft kiss on her forehead at the door, then reached for the key in her hand.
"I'll get that," he said and unlocked the door, as he placed his hand on the small of her back to usher her in.
"Well, good night," he mumbled, apparently resolute in his plan.
"Luke." Her hand gripped his arm. She kissed him.
"Can you take a few days away from the inn?" he softly asked. "After Rory graduates?"
"Oh yeah?" she replied. "Got some plans?"
"Yeah. Thought I'd take you out on the boat. You know, up the coast a bit."
"And?"
"And?" he countered.
"Well, I might get seasick, you know. So how about we first get a room at a nice B&B?"
Luke grinned.
"And then," Lorelai continued, "I'm going to torture you for making us wait."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah." She poked him in the chest. "I'm going to make love to you slowly, and talk the whole time, and laugh, and tell jokes and drive you crazy."
"Don't know what I did to deserve this abuse," he joked, as he placed a quick kiss on her lips, then turned to leave.
"Goodnight, Lorelai."
"G'night, party-pooper," she pouted.
When the door closed, she ran to the sofa and called her best friend.
"Rory? Are you still at the bar? You'll never guess..."