Chapter 20

Kate

Luke brushed aside the hair from my face, watching my lips as I talked. He laid down on his side while I sat criss-cross in front of him, the both of us enjoying the peacefulness of our secluded beach. I recounted what I saw with my father the night before, telling him how I was glad that the last image I would have of him would be a happy one.

"So you feel better about it?" he asked after I had finished.

"Yes," I said, looking down at my hands. "I needed some closure. This was the best way."

He nodded. "I'm glad."

"But…"

Luke smiled up at me, amused. "But what?"

"Your father… I feel really bad about him."

Luke sighed. "My father will learn to accept you. He has to learn not to have a problem with you, or else I can't be around him."

"Luke, you can't turn on everyone in your life who doesn't approve of me."

"They shouldn't have a reason not to. They knew you before and they loved you, why is now any different?"

"It's very different because I'm a vampire."

Luke sighed. "Still."

I laid down beside Luke, facing him. "Did your father say anything about me after I left?"

Luke pursed his lips. "Not really. But I told him what I just told you."

"Oh."

"But Robert seems to like you, despite who you are. What did you do to him?" he asked, giving me a amused grin.

"What do you mean?"

"He can't stop talking about you, or the little game you two played."

I chuckled. "He's cute. I like the newcomer," I grinned at him. "Do the other guys hate me?" I asked.

Luke shook his head. "It's hard to tell. Most of the time they're all business, but sometimes I manage to get a few thoughts out of them. They are unsure of how to react to you." Luke looked away and shook his head. "I don't see how it's so hard to understand and accept you."

I took his hand in mine. "Luke, they don't think the way you do. It's not the same with them, even if they can read your thoughts and see for themselves. Just give them time—I suppose that applies for your father as well."

His face looked so worried—his mouth set in a firm line, his eyes scowling into the distance. It was apparent that he was under a lot of stress because of our status, and I wanted to ease that. As I watched his lips, I desperately wanted to kiss them, to feel them relax under my own lips.

I ran my finger down the contours of his chest, creating a line of ice down his fiery skin. Goose bumps arose down the front of his body, and he closed his eyes, simply feeling my touch. Happy that I was getting him to unwind, I lifted my finger to his shoulder, and went down the top of his arm as he lounged on his side. My finger lingered on his elbow, then crawled down to the crook of his elbow. I was suddenly curious—I never heard Luke's heartbeat, the one that had been kept from me all this time.

Luke's eyes flashed open and he watched me as I pressed my two fingers to where his pulse should be.

"I just want to feel it, to make sure it's there," I assured him.

Sure enough, his blood pulsed underneath my pressure, warm and thick. My mouth reflexively watered, but I maintained my strength.

Luke suddenly reached out and pulled me closer to him, leaning in to kiss me on the lips.

"Your strength amazes me," he murmured into my ear, then returning his lips to mine. "I'd never thought it would be this easy."

He pulled me up onto his chest and wrapped his arms around my waist, crushing me to him, seemingly completely unbothered by my hard vampire skin. He squeezed me earnestly, enjoying the fact that he needn't be cautious around me anymore.

His fingers snaked into my hair, the tips of the fingers on his other hand sliding into the sweat pants he lent me, then squeezed at my sides.

"Luke," I breathed once our lips broke for a second.

He immediately broke off. "What? Did I hurt you? Is this too fast?"

I furrowed my brows at him, inching my lips back onto his. "No. Not at all—"

"Maybe we should stop…" he started, and sat up, causing me to fall into his lap. I kept my arms looped around his neck.

"What? No! Why?" I asked, frustration taking over.

"Kate—This…We shouldn't," he said, shaking his head.

I rolled my head back and groaned. "Please don't start this again. I am completely capable, more than capable. We don't need to take it slow anymore—I think we're past that now."

"Are you sure?" he asked, narrowing his eyes as he scrutinized me.

"Luke, please! I don't think I would object if you asked me to marry you right now!"

He stared at me for a moment, looking hard into my eyes, his lips set apart. When he spoke, his voice was low. "You wouldn't?"

"You've considered it?" I asked, surprised by his delayed response.

"Of course I have, Kate. I firmly believe that you are my soulmate, remember? Why wouldn't I marry you?"

"So why shouldn't we have sex?" I asked, cocking my head to the side.

He stared at me for a moment, his mouth opened, then closed. I saw his objections lost in the internal debate going on inside his head and smiled triumphantly. I leaned in to kiss him and he didn't back down. Pushing him to the ground again, he got back in the game and kissed me back. I hitched up my leg against his hip and lowered my hands down to loop my fingers into the belt loops of his jeans.

As our lips moved swiftly and passionately together, again his fingers tightened on my waist and slid up under my shirt. His thumb, hooked on the outside, pulled my shirt up with his hands. I raised myself off him for a second to allow for him to pull my shirt over my head and toss it to the sandy ground beneath us.