The next morning Luke woke early and showered and dressed before Ellie or Rachel stirred. He was down in the diner with a couple of hours to spare before his first delivery arrived. He cleaned, again, set up for the breakfast food and took an unnecessary inventory. When the bread was delivered he signed for it and put it away just before Caesar arrived. He helped out with the breakfast rush with little or no words escaping his mouth. People seemed to pick up on his mood and all chat was cut down to the bare minimum. They came in, ordered, ate, paid and left.
Luke didn't seem to notice and went about his usual routine with little or not thought to those around him. His mind was fixated on something else. Her lips. Her hair. Her fingers. Her breasts. Her body. Her moans. He didn't need to close his eyes to see her, didn't need to think too hard to feel her. Her image was emblazoned on his mind across every single nerve making his body tingle.
By the time lunch time arrived he was still moving through the motions. Ellie and Rachel had left to go shopping and he bristled at the sight of them as they walked arm in arm to the bus stop, laughing and chatting along the way.
He hated himself for feeling this way but he couldn't help it. Rachel was back in his life but not in the way he had once wished for. She had wormed her way in despite his best attempts to keep her at bay. She was still sleeping on his couch, living out of her duffel bag, hinting at how much she wanted them to be a family, some hint more subtle than others. His fingers came up to his lips as he remembered her clumsy attempt to kiss him but it wasn't a patch on the experience he had shared with Lorelai.
Lorelai.
He paused in what he was doing, to let himself wallow in her. He could almost smell her. He glanced down at his watch and realized he had another three hours to go before he could even think about closing. He looked around the diner at the evening patrons who were starting to build up. Then over his shoulder at Cesar who was cooking at the grill humming with a smile as he plated up a couple of burgers and fries.
"Order up!" Cesar called out then turned back to the kitchen, wiping his hands on his apron.
Luke took the order and delivered it to the right table then came back to the kitchen and leaned into the arch.
"Hey Caesar," he called out and Caesar looked up with a surprised look on his face as it was almost the first words Luke had spoken up all day. "Do you reckon you would be ok to close tonight?"
"Sure thing boss."
"And open up in the morning?"
"Yeah sure, you going somewhere?"
"Yeah. Out."
He tossed the rag he was holding onto the shelf by the sink then patted his pockets to make sure he had his wallet and keys. He picked up the phone and called the apartment upstairs to leave a message for Ellie then left. He left the diner, walked past his truck and all but marched through town to the bar. He pushed open the heavy door and made his way to the edge of the bar. He sat down and ordered a beer and a short, downed the whiskey in one, then sipped his beer. When he was finished that he ordered the same again. Then again, and again until the bartender questioned his ability to manage his liquor.
"I'm fine.' Luke said and he tossed the money onto the counter. The bartender looked him over. It was a slow night in the bar, most of his regulars were already packing up, and this guy seemed to be tame in comparison to the quality of drunks he usually got.
He served him up his pint and short and watched as he down the short and sipped his pint like he had done with the rest of his rounds.
Luke managed to get two more rounds out of the bartender before he was cut off. He rolled his eyes. Tossed enough money on the counter to close his tab then stood up and walked out. When he was met with the cold night air the sudden effect of all the alcohol in his system hit him like a sledgehammer in his stomach. he felt like he had been spinning in loops and was wondering why the world around him was spinning to wildly out of control.
He took a deep breath and tried to steady himself, closed his eyes over and immediately regretted that decision. He let his shoulder fall against the building and waited for everything to stop hurting long enough for him to start moving. His journey home was much slower than his march away from the diner. he stumbled and dragged himself back but by the time he made it to the town square he was about ready to collapse. He made it to the gazebo in the centre of the square and all but fell onto the bench there.
He wasn't sure how long he was there for but when he felt someone prodding his shoulder he tried to bat it away before opening his eyes. Lorelai hovered over him, her hands braced on her knees and her hair fell down around her face as she studied him with a worried expression on her face.
"Luke?"
"Lorelai?" he tried to sit up but everything around him spun and pushing him back against the bench.
"Are you ok?" She pressed a hand to his shoulder to steady him when the smell of alcohol hit her. "Whoa… Luke you are steamed!" she chuckled.
"I'm fine." He brushed her hand off him and stood up. He braced himself off the rail of the gazebo and started to make his way back home. Lorelai followed him, trailing his course home and resting a hand on his back to steady him when he stumbled. When he got to the door of the diner he struggled to get the keys in to open it so she brushed his hands aside and opened it for him then helped him in. He made his way through the diner, clumsily banging into tables and chairs as he rounded the counter to the stairs up to his apartment.
He leaned against the archway to catch his breath and steady the world around him and turned his head to see her standing beside him with both hands on his chest to keep him standing upright.
"Lorelai Gilmore…"
"Luke…"
"Danes. Luke Danes."
Lorelai chuckled. "I know your name Luke. You need to get to bed, sleep off this stupor."
"Yeah...bed." He let his eyes roam all over her but they settled on her lips. She watched his eyes and felt a shiver settle over her torso. He started to lean forward, reached one hand up to her shoulder and pulled her towards him and against all her better judgement she let him.
Until the apartment door at the top of the stairs swung open. The light at the top of the landing came on and they both turned away from their kiss to see Rachel approaching.
"Luke?"
Luke chuckled and he looked back to Lorelai. He made to kiss her again, not seeming to care that Rachel was coming down the stairs. But Lorelai leaned away. She braced her hands on his shoulders and pushed him back into the wall but he craned his neck to get closer to her. Rachel made it to the bottom of the stairs and let her eyes flick between the two of them.
"I found him passed out on the gazebo. I wasn't sure if he would make it home ok…"
"I can take it from here." Rachel let Lorelai step back then slipped her arm around Luke's waist and turned him towards the stairs. "Lock up on your way out," she said over her shoulder as Luke draped his arm around her shoulder and leaned against her as they walked up the stairs. Lorelai turned away as quick as she could and left.
Rachel got Luke through the apartment and into his room without much effort. At the sight of his own bed be started his nightly routine. He pulled his shirt off over his head. Toed his shoes off and pulled his belt open. Rachel pulled his duvet back and opened his bed out then sat on the edge of the bed and watched as he dropped his jeans and kicked them into the corner of the room. He came over to where she was sitting then fell into the bed behind her. He reached up and dragged his hand down her spine with a sleepy sigh.
"G'night…" he uttered, a breathy release as he found oblivion.
Rachel looked over her shoulder at him. He had one arm bent up over his head and the other hand resting on his chest. His head was turned away from her and he was already asleep. She lowered her head onto the pillow and slowly pulled the duvet up around her. She lay on her side, and slowly inched her body towards him so her butt was pressed lightly against his side. It only took a few squeezes of her butt cheeks for him to turn towards her. He spooned up behind her, wrapped one arm around her torso and pulled her back against him, tucking her butt against his crotch and burying his head against her neck and he sighed. Rachel smiled and snuggled against him then sighed and let her eyes close over.
The light in the room seemed brighter than the sun. And Luke felt like there was a marching band playing the graduation song next to his bed. But all of that discomfort paled in comparison to the sensation of her butt curled into him and her back against his chest. He tightened his grip on her and let his fingers slip under her top to draw soft circles into her warm skin. He pressed his face into her neck, brushed her hair aside and kissed her shoulder, then snuggled back into her for a moment longer.
When the pain and nausea washed away long enough for him to open his eyes he slowly blinked them open and waited for the white wash of the morning sun to clear enough for him to see. Where he expected to see black curly hair cascading on her pale skin, instead he saw shaggy brunette hair tossed over an olive shoulder. It took him a moment to realize what he was looking at and when he did he pulled back. He scrambled off the bed and pressed his back to the wall behind him.
"What the hell are you doing here?" he said and he looked around the room as if he would get clues as to what had happened. He spotted his jeans and shirt crumpled in a pile on the floor next to his shoes. He tried desperately to think about what happened but he was coming up with a blank.
"Luke…"
"I don't know what happened here last night, but whatever it was, was a mistake." He reached behind him and grabbed a pair of sweats from the drawer then pulled them on and reached for a tee shirt.
"Luke, nothing happened!" She stood up and walked over to him but he tried to walk past her. "Luke, will you stand still for a minute." She pressed her hands to his chest and stilled him.
He looked down at her, his head spun, an unbearable noise bounced around making it hard for him to concentrate on her words.
"Seriously, nothing happened. Not that it shouldn't have… but it didn't." She trailed her hands down from his shoulders, down his arms to his hands and interlocked their fingers. He looked down at their hands then back up at her face. She smiled crookedly then stepped up on her tiptoes and leaned in to kiss him, just as a soft knock sounded at the door and Ellie walked in.
"Oh, sorry, guys…" she chuckled and backed out of the room, closing the door softly behind her. The interruption was enough for Luke to break out of the cocoon she was creating around them. He released his hands from her grasp and stepped back.
"What are you doing in my room?"
"You were pretty well oiled last night."
"Rachel, this is ridiculous." He sat on the edge of the bed, put his elbows on his knees and planted his face in his hands.
Rachel looked at him for a moment then walked over and crossed the room to sit next to him. She nudged him with her shoulder.
"That woman you came home with last night...was that the woman you were dating?"
Luke's head shot up and he turned to stare at her with wild eyes. "What woman?"
"Last night when you came home you were hanging off this woman...tall...dark curly hair."
"No, god please no…"
Rachel chuckled. "Man you were out of it. Don't you remember?"
"I remember sitting in Vinnys."
"Nothing else?"
"Not really."
He let his head fall back into his hands and groaned aloud. Rachel looked at him for a moment longer then leaned against him.
"Luke." When he made no response she spoke again. "Luke. Look at me." He tipped his head towards her so he could see her from one eye. "I'm gonna leave."
"Leave?" He sat up straighter and looked at her warily. "The room? The flat? The town?"
"Town."
"For how long."
Rachel shrugged. "I was offered a job in Chicago."
"A job? What job? When?" He turned to face her now, one hand on the bed behind him and a frown on his face as his hungover brain struggled to keep up.
"Last week. It's as house photographer for the Chicago Sun Times."
"Wow...that's...pretty amazing." He smiled and nodded his head. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"I guess I was hoping you'd come round to playing happy families with me and maybe...maybe you could come to Chicago with me."
"Rach…"
"I know, I know." She chuckled and shook her head as she looked away from him. "You'd never leave Stars Hollow."
"This is my home. My diner. Ellie is in school here, she is happy here too."
"Well, there's that too."
"What?"
"I want Ellie to come live with me for a while."
Every drop of blood in Luke's body drained to his toes. His nerves tingled and the hair on the back of his neck stood up on end. "Are you insane?"
"Luke you've had her for 14 years-"
"Because you left!" He stood up and started to pace the room.
"But now I'm back."
"And you want to pick up where you left off."
"I want to spend time with my daughter." She shrugged and watched him pace. "She wants to go with me."
Those words stopped Luke in place and he whirled on his heel to face her. "What? You talked to her about this?"
"Yeah, we talk Luke, that's what mothers and daughters do."
Luke scoffed. He ran his finger through his hair and willed his brain to catch up with what was happening around him.
"I'm leaving on Friday. The paper is giving me an apartment for the first few weeks, then I'll find my own place. Ellie is finished school in two weeks for the summer, and then I want her to come out to me."
"To live? With you? In Chicago?"
"She can stay with me for the summer, and if she likes it, she can...just stay."
"Jesus Christ Rachel…" Luke laughed but it wasn't a sound filled with mirth. In fact it was riddled with fear and pain. His breath was caught by a lump in his chest and he didn't seem to be able to inhale enough to get past what was happening.
"Think about it." She stood up and brushed down the front of her clothes then walked slowly towards the door.
She opened it a bit then turned to face him with a crooked smile. "The offer still stands if you want to join us."
Luke looked at her in shock unable to contain the bare emotion that tainted his normally serene features as she winked and walked out of the room.
Luke's day passed in a blur. He rocked back and forth between feeling nausea from his hangover and the prospect of Ellie leaving. He couldn't focus and it was obvious to those around him that his mind was not on the job. After delivering the wrong order for the umpteenth time, Caesar grabbed his shoulders and steered him out of the diner and back towards his apartment, giving him orders to stay out of work for the rest of the day, longer if he needed it.
Luke stood at the bottom of the stairs and looked up towards his apartment door but couldn't face the prospect of walking up there to be greeted only by emptiness. Ellie and Rachel had gone out to the mall for the day and he hated the thought that they were together somewhere, planning a life together, without him.
He turned and walked out the back door. Stormed passed his truck and just kept walking. He walked through the square, up Cherry Lane, passed Lorelai's house without even slowing and just kept walking. His hands swung by his sides as his strides quickened and soon he was running full tilt down the road ignoring passing traffic and the route he was taking. His legs ached, it had been so long since he sprinted anywhere. His lungs begged him to stop and the pounding headache behind his eyes urged him to slow but he kept running.
He wiped his brow with his arm to stop the sweat that was rolling off his forehead from distorting his vision but it wasn't enough and when his foot caught on a fallen branch by the side of the road he went careening down to the ground, his arms outstretched to brace himself for impact. He tucked and rolled and aimed his body for the rolling ditch next to the road. He tumbled and fell over a few times before finally coming to a halt on his back panting and aching from the fall.
He closed his eyes and let his body rest, his lungs find a natural rhythm and his head cope with the pain that reverberated around him. After a few moments longer than he needed he opened his eyes and moved to sit up. He braced his hands behind him and winced at the shooting pain that bounced around his left wrist. He moved his hand to the front and looked at the already swelling joint and frowned. He flexed his fingers gingerly and made a fist but was unable to tighten it fully. He circled the wrist with his other hand and tightened his grip on it to test how far the pain was reaching but it was all located only a couple of inches from the bottom of his hand.
A sprain, he realized with a grimace and he pulled himself onto his feet and dusted the dirt off his clothes with his good hand. He climbed out of the ditch and looked up and down the road to get his bearings. He wasn't mindful of which way he was running and frankly had no idea where he had ended up but knowing the direction he had come from he started to retrace his steps. His legs ached, his back was sore , his left wrist was throbbing in time with his head and he could taste the bitter copper flavor of blood in his mouth. He didn't care to wipe his face and knew it was covered in cuts and scratches from his fall but he wanted to feel that niggling pain, needed to feel it to keep himself in the moment. because he knew the minute he succumbed to the thoughts and fears that were edging into the corners of his mind he would be lost to the panic of losing her.
It felt like he had been walking for hours. The sky had darkened and unfamiliar dark clouds tainted the sky above him. He welcomed the rain though and felt like it would add to his mood more than a shining sun in a clear blue sky could. With his arms hanging by his sides he slowly made his way back to Stars Hollow and had just reached the outskirts of town when he heard a car beeping in the road behind him. Without looking he waved it by but the horn continued to beep. He heard the engine slow and someone call his name.
Lorelai.
His body sagged but he kept on walking. The car stopped behind him and he heard the car door open and close followed by the sound of hurried footsteps before a hand closed around his arm and forced him to turn.
"Luke, what are you doing out here?"
The rain was falling heavier now and when he looked at her he felt tears spring to his eyes and he welcomed the disguise of the falling water on his cheeks. But she wasn't fooled. She pulled his arm and dragged him back to the Jeep, shoved him inside then hurried around to the other side and climbed in beside him. She took a moment to glance over at him, then started the engine and drove him back to her home. WIthout a word she parked and climbed out, came round to his door and led him into her house. He remained silent as she stood in the hallway and pulled off her sodden jacket. She brushed her wet hair back from her face and tied it into a messy ponytail then turned to Luke to see he hadn't moved from the shadow of her doorway.
She stepped over to him and undid his coat and peeled it off his broad shoulders. When he winced as she pulled his arms out she looked down at his hands and noticed his left wrist was swollen and the color had changed to a light red and blue bruise.
"Oh Luke…" She lifted his wrist to take a closer look. "What happened? He didn't seem to notice she was speaking to him or for that matter where he was. He started to shiver and she realized he was soaked through.
"Luke you are in shock, you have to get out of those wet clothes."
She took his other hand and let him upstairs. She left him standing in her bedroom and went into the bathroom to start the shower. When she had it hot enough she returned to his side to see he hadn't moved but his shivering had intensified. She urged him into the bathroom and started to undress him. Took off his shirt and tee then pushed him towards the shower and told him to undress the rest. She left a couple of towels on the counter and closed the door behind her. She listened by the door for a few moments then when she heard him rustling around and undressing she gathered his sodden clothes and brought them down to run them through the wash.
Luke stepped below the spray and let its warmth cover his body. He rinsed the combined grime from his run and fall off then lathered more soap in his hands and repeated the process. When the water started to cool he stepped out and turned it off then dried off with the towels she had left out for him. He stood in front of the mirror as he wrapped a towel around his waist then braced his hands off the edge of the sink and let his chin fall to his chest.
He took a few shaky breaths then rinsed his mouth out with her mouthwash and stood up straighter. he took a closer look at his wrist and winced in pain but tried to ignore it. Leaning forward he looked at his face and the several cuts and gashes that covered the side of his forehead. He traced his fingertips along the cuts and tested them by pressing on them gently until one of the deeper ones started to bleed again.
"Dammit." He wadded up some tissue and dabbed the cut to staunch the flow of blood. When it finally stopped he tossed the tissue into the trash and turned to walk out of the bedroom. He was half surprised and half not to see her sitting on the edge of the bed waiting for him. He gripped the towel around his waist and slowly walked over to sit next to her.
"You ok?" she asked and she looked at him carefully, trying to gauge his reaction both to her question and her presence.
He wanted to nod, assure her that he as fine. He thought of shrugging to show his inability to answer but instead all he could do was blink to hold back the tears that sprang forth unbidden. He dropped his head to look at his feet in an effort to hide his reaction but it was too late. She had caught it and it shot right to her heart and squeezed it tightly. When a tear fell onto her carpet silently she reached an arm around his shoulders and pulled him against her.
His head rested on the front of her shoulder and he continued to cry, his tears falling one by one, trailing wet tracks over his cheeks and wetting her skirt. She brushed the hair from his face, rubbed his back and whispered soothing noises against the top of his head. His hands fell limply between his legs and he made no move to deepen her embrace. After a moment he was shivering again and she realized he must be freezing and still have remnants of shock racking his body.
She pushed him back then stood by the bed. She pulled the duvet over and urged him into the soft mattress and pulled it back over him. She moved to walk away but his hand snatched hers. When she looked down at him she saw his tears were still falling on her pillow and his eyes watched her carefully. "I'll be right back."
She went downstairs and filled a mug with boiling water then stirred in the peppermint tea bag before tossing it into the trash and carrying it up to the room. She left it on the bedside table then picked up the towel he had discarded from between the sheets and draped it over the back of the chair by the end of the bed. He had curled into a tight ball, his hands balled up under his chin, His knees up towards his chest and his head almost off the pillow. She sat at the edge of the bed and without hesitation brushed his hair off his face soothingly. His tears slowed and eventually dried but his shivering continued. His face was contorted in a mixture of panic and pain.
She stood up from the edge of the bed and circled the room then climbed up behind him and spooned in next to him. She draped one arm over his side and the other she burrowed beneath his neck to rest on his chest and held him against her. He was still and unyielding but she held fast, rested her forehead against the back of his head and murmured soothing noises near his ear.
His arms trembled, his torso shook and he rubbed his feet together to get warm but it was no use. Lorelai tried to rub her warmth into him but with the barrier of the duvet between them it was fruitless. She released him, kicked off her shoes and dropped her cardigan then lifted the duvet and climbed in beside him.
This time when she snuggled up to him she had one hand under his arm resting on his torso and the other found its place under his neck and against his chest. She felt a strange combination of heat from his body and cold from his shock as she pulled him against her body and tried to soothe his fears away. He didn't resist for a single second and instead rested against her and pulled her arms tighter around him. His shivers continued for a few minutes more then she felt his body start to relax against hers and his breathing slowed. He closed his eyes, tightened his grip on her arms and sighed.
Lorelai held him for as long as he needed. Let her breath warm the back of his neck and her fingers lightly stroke his stomach as he slept. His grip on her slackened and she felt his heart beating in a more relaxed and controlled manner beneath her other hand. His chest rose and fell along with her and a soft snore escaped his lips. She smiled against his shoulder and pressed a soft kiss there then rested her head back into her own pillow and closed her eyes too.
When Luke awoke he was surprised to feel a hand that was not his own resting on his hip and another stretched out in front of him protruding from beneath his neck. He closed his eyes and clocked all the sensations that were setting off alarms he couldn't describe over his body. Her legs were curled up behind his, his butt was nestled against her crotch. Her chest was pressed against his bare back, though she was wearing some sort of silken top that felt soft and smooth against his skin. Her head was resting against his back, between his shoulders and her warm breath caressed his skin.
Luke took a deep shaky breath and slowly released it as he basked in the sensation of being enveloped in her arms. He wanted to tighten his grip on her but feared he would wake her up, and then she would move or leave so instead he settled for the sensation of lying with her now for as long as he could.
"You're awake."
Her voice was whispered but in the stillness of the room it was louder than either of them had expected. It wasn't a question but more a statement and she followed it with a soft kiss between his shoulder blades and her hand moving slowly against his hip bone.
He nodded his head, afraid to speak lest he say something that would break this spell that shimmered between them.
"Do you want to talk?"
Luke shook his head vigorously against the pillow and pressed it in further then screwed his eyes tightly shut to block out the panic that was already starting to bubble up from the pit of his stomach. He fully expected her to sit up behind him and push him away, demand he provide her with an answer but instead she moved her hand from his hip, across his stomach, splayed her fingers out and pressed him closer.
He sighed with relief and relaxed his muscles then took a few deep shaky breaths and closed his eyes again. Her fingers gently stroked his stomach and he moved one of his hands up to her other hand to interlock their fingers then moved it to his lips to press a soft kiss to her knuckles.
"Rachel is leaving." he spoke suddenly and softly and Lorelai wasn't sure she had heard him correctly. Her fingers stilled on his skin, confused and wondering if he was upset that she was leaving or there was something more. "She is moving to Chicago and she wants to take Ellie with her."
"Oh…" Lorelai admonished herself at the wave of relief that washed over her when she realized he wasn't dreading Rachel leaving.
"I think...I think Ellie wants to go with her."
"Oh Luke," Lorelai pushed herself up behind him and rested her chin on his shoulder. "No, don't think like that. She would never leave you."
"They already talked about it. Rachel said-"
"Rachel said...what did Ellie say?" Luke closed his eyes over. "Did you talk to Ellie about this?" He shook his head. "You need to talk to her. Don't let Rachel get in between what you and Ellie have."
"I can't…"
"Luke-"
"I can't Lorelai, I can't bear to hear Ellie say she wants to leave."
Lorelai took a breath and kissed his shoulder. "You can't let her go without talking to her."
"I know."
"So is that why you were running in the rain on the side of the road?"
He nodded. "Caesar kicked me out of the diner. I started walking then I just kept going. I guess I just needed to get it out of my system."
"Is it out now?"
He smirked and nodded his head then turned it towards her and caught her eyes. "Thanks." He offered her a tight lipped smile and gripped her hand tighter. She rested her chin back on his shoulder and smiled.
"Anytime."
They stayed like that for a few minutes more, neither of them wanting to move, but neither of them able to push the boundaries any more and take this connection to the next level. After a moment when the silence between them became more stifled than comfortable he looked away and glanced at the clock by her bedside table. It was just after eight pm and he realized that he needed to get home, needed to talk to Ellie and decide what their next move would be together. But the thought of pulling himself away from Lorelai's embrace terrified him. The thought that he might not be able to get back into this cocoon of hers was enough to make him want to stay.
"Its getting late," she said as she too spied the time and ever so slowly she started to pull away from him. He followed her motion and rolled onto his back but captured her hand to stop her from rolling even further away.
"Almost too late…" he said and she looked down to see him watching her with a focused gaze.
"Too late?"
"Almost…"
His hand trailed up her arm to her shoulder, circled her neck and cupped the back of her head then pulled her down to him for a long soft slow kiss. One of her hands was trapped beneath his neck, but the other was splayed out on his stomach, her fingers touching the the dusting of hair that tapered lower and as she followed it idly she came to the sudden and shocking realization that he was naked.
She broke the kiss and looked down to where her hand was, though she couldn't see it beneath the duvet. Resting on his pubic bone, her little finger edging on his pubic hair mere inches away from what she expected to be his erect cock. When she looked back up at him he had the good sense to look a little embarrassed and he shrugged before he pulled her head back down to continue kissing her.
When she didn't push him away he became more bold, he rolled onto his side, her hand moved from his front to his hip and he inched closer to her with one hand on her hip all without letting his lips leave hers. She moaned when his fingers gripped her tighter and leaned towards him only to confirm her earlier suspicions about his cock. His hand moved up her hip to her side, under her silk blouse to her back and stroked her skin in featherlight touches that sent tingling alarms shoot up her spine to the base of her skull.
He opened her lips with his tongue and caressed the warm wet heat of her mouth as his hand came back down to circle her ass and lift her thigh to hook her leg over his hip. Now with his cock pressed against her she started to reciprocate and move against him rather than be a soft malleable body for him to pose.
The skirt she was wearing was a black pleated cotton mix that was easily displaced but caused a barrier between them that he needed to be rid of. He ran his fingers along the waistband until he found the clasp then undid it and tugged the zipper down. Without removing his lips from her he pulled it down and urged her up enough to slip it out from under her, then hooked his foot into it and removed it completely. She smiled against his lips and he chuckled.
"Not done yet…" he said and he moved his kissing attention from her lips to her jaw, her neck and her ear as his fingers searched her top for a snap, button, zipper, tie, anything that would help him get it off her.
She was chuckling as she felt him searching until finally his frustration bubbled up and he stopped kissing her.
"Where is the...how do i…?"
She stretched her arms above her head and he realized this was a pullover top so he slowly stroked his hands from her belly, over the sides of her breasts to her arms and pulled it off over her head then discarded it off the side of the bed.
"Better?" she teased as her arms fell back onto his shoulders and she leaned in to kiss him again.
"Almost…" he said as he eyed her light pink lacy bra that encased her breasts.
"Man, you are never satisfied," she teased as she arched her back and pressed her breasts against his chest.
"Not when it comes to you, Lorelai Gilmore." He spoke with a lilt of jest in his voice but when his eyes looked at her she saw he was entirely serious and it made the smile she wore fade then disappear. He rolled her onto her back and rested on his side beside her. He circled her neck with his hand then dragged it down her chest, between her breasts and over her flat stomach to her panties. She gasped at the sensation and squirmed beneath his touch, all too aware of his erection pressing into her hip. His fingers brushed the band of her panties from one hip to the other then repeated the motion only this time one finger slipped beneath the elastic. She moaned with anticipation and sighed as his hand started to move back up her body.
One hand gently cupped her breast and his thumb grazed over the stiff peak of her nipple. She grunted and pushed her breast into his hand but before she could feel any more friction his hand was on her other breast pressing her nipple into his palm and circling it gently. His long fingers found the front clasp of her bra and with one flick opened it. She thought he would hesitate a moment before pulling it off her, tease her some more, but instead he brushed the fabic aside and immediately covered one bared nipple with his lips, while the other he lavished attention from his hand.
She gasped at the sensation of his tongue rasping against her pebbled tip followed by a gentle bite from his teeth. Her hand gripped a fistful of hair and she moaned as he blew cold air over her now wet skin. When he leaned over to treat her other breast to the same attention his free hand trailed down her body and cupped her mound. Her hips bucked beneath his touch and he was relieved to find her panties already warm and damp from his attention. He wasn't sure he would be able to hold out for a full on foreplay session as well as the main event.
"Luke…" she gasped when he released her breast and moved his lips up her throat to her jaw to seek out her lips.
His hand slipped beneath the elastic of her panties and gently stroked his way from the top of her pubic bone to her very core. When his fingers pushed past her folds he pressed his tongue past her lips and mimicked the motion of his tongue with his fingers. She moved against him in rhythm, trying desperately to speed him up but he resisted for as long as he could. Then when her free hand moved to his stomach, tickled his hair there then trailed lower to wrap her fingers around his shaft he almost jumped out of the bed.
She held fast, her grip tightened and released in a soft rhythm before she started to stroke him in time with the motion of his tongue. When her thumb brushed across the tip of his cock he broke their kiss with a guttural moan. He sat up and pulled her panties down then let his hands roam up her thighs to urge her legs apart. She opened her arms to welcome his weight as he nestled against her. She caught his face between his hands and kissed him deeply and circled her hips against him making him squirm.
"Wait, gimme a sec…"
He lifted his weight off her and moved his hips. His wrist was throbbing with pain but there was no way it was going to stop him from completing what he had started. But he wasn't able to hold his weight with one hand and place his cock where he most wanted it to be. She seemed to notice his dilemma and moved her hands from his hips to his cock. She stroked him from base to tip a few times then opened her legs wider and brushed the top of his cock from her clit to her entrance as she rolled her hips towards him.
He wanted to push into her, bury himself inside her but he was enjoying her taking control and wanted to see what she was going to do, where she would lead him, how long she would last. He concentrated on ignoring the pain in his wrist and instead let the sensations she was creating course through him. She pressed his tip to her clit and moved it back and forth as she pressed her hips towards him and just when he thought he wasn't going to be able to hold out any longer she moved his tip lower, pressed it between her folds and placed it right at her entrance. She released her grip on him, wanting instead to hand control over to him and when her hands regained their position on his hips she looked up at him with a crooked smile and licked her lips.
Luke looked at her face, her shimmering eyes, holding back the dregs of laughter, her rosy cheeks kiss swollen lips, wet from his kisses and her tongue, and he bit his lip as he moved his hips and in one smooth slow motion entered her to the very hilt of his cock.
Her eyes fluttered closed but he kept his open, unwilling to lose even a single second of this. He rested his weight on her pelvis for a moment then lifted off her, pulled his cock almost all the way out then pushed back into her, this time faster, harder. She moaned again, this one deeper and lasted longer. He wanted to catalogue each and every one and spend his life trying to reach new pitches of moans to pass from her lips.
He moved his hand to stroke her breast as his hips moved in a slow steady rhythm. He dragged his fingers over her ribs, loving the sensation of the rippling beneath her skin as he pushed into her then moved his hand lower to her hip and around to cup her ass. He lifted her ass to meet his thrusts and she circled her hips with every push.
His chest was low enough so that her breasts brushed against him and he could feel her taut nipples rubbing through his chest hair. That mere sensation was enough to make him cum now, hard, fast and unstoppable but throw in the mix of her hips moving against his, her hot wet crotch enveloping his cock with every stroke, her ass clenching every time he pushed into her and her hands stroking him from every angle she could reach.
"Oh yeah…" she rasped a breathy moan that diluted her voice and it made goosebumps break out along his neck and spine.
He started to move faster, harder. Pushed into her with rougher thrusts than he had meant to. She reached above her head to brace her hands off the headboard and counter his movements that made him slow down but her whimpering told him she needed this, wanted this as much as he so he sped back up.
He moved his hands to grip her hips, sat up fully on his haunches and pulled her against him with every thrust. Their skin, now slick with sweat slapped loudly, punctured only with their heavy breathing moans and gasps when they were fully connected.
"God...Lorelai…" he warned when he knew he was about to reach his limit.
"Now Luke…" she urged the trembling bubble of her orgasm was already building beyond her usual limits and she moved one hand to cover her own breast, stroke her own nipple in a greedy effort to enhance it even further.
He watched her fingers move against her skin and felt the heat rush from his body to his core. He looked down to where his cock moved in and out of her, a blur of skin and sensations, his glistening from her juices, hers throbbing against his cock as her bubble exploded and her voice declared her orgasm welcome home. Her inner muscles twitched and stroked him with every movement and he tried to hold out to let her ride her wave but when her breathy moans found his ears he lost his reserve. His fingers gripped her hips tighter he pushed into her deeper then with only one last effort of resistance he felt his desire burst from him. He filled her and continued to move his thrusts only slowing when his cock had finally spilled its load inside her.
"Jesus…" he let his chin hit his chest then slowly released his grip on her hip and lowered them back to the bed before lowering himself on top of her and resting his head on the pillow next to hers, within the crook of her neck.
Her hands stroked his back and she turned her head to kiss his cheek. He made to move off her but she held him fast, wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his shoulders to make sure he stayed where he was.
"Stay." she whispered against his ear then kissed his lobe and tightened her grip on him,
"I'm crushing you."
"You're not."
He hugged her tighter then with both of his arms beneath her circling her back and holding her to him he rolled over so she was lying on top of him instead.
"Now I'm crushing you," she said with a chuckle.
"Not likely."
They lay like that long enough for their bodies to dry and start to chill, still connected both inside and out and it wasn't until Luke looked at the clock and saw it was just after nine that he realized he needed to get home. Needed to face the music that awaited him.
"I better go." He stroked her hair and kissed her forehead and when she made no response he tried another tactic and instead made his cock twitch against her. As he predicted that got her attention and she looked up at him with a smile.
"Doing that's not gonna make me let you leave any sooner."
"Sorry...but I really do have to go."
"I know." She kissed his cheek then slowly rolled off him.
He rolled in the opposite direction and stood up to walk across the room. When he reached the bathroom she wolf whistled and caught him shaking his head as he closed the door behind him. While he was in the bathroom she got out of bed and pulled on a pair of blue and red checkered pyjama bottoms and a red tank top. She gathered up her discarded clothes from earlier and tossed them into the laundry basket then realized with a smile all his clothes were down in the dryer except for his jeans which she knew would be sodden wet from the rain and being crumpled on her bathroom floor. She made the bed and sat on the end of it to see what way he would tackle this situation.
As expected the bathroom door opened a crack and he looked out from behind it with a crooked smile.
"So...um…"
"Everything ok Luke?"
"My jeans…"
"Yeah?"
He looked at her on the bed and realized she knew exactly his predicament and instead of cowering behind the bathroom door he was going to turn the tables. He pulled the door open wider and stepped out his crumpled wet jeans dangling from his hand as he crossed the room towards her. Her mirth was lost by the sight of him walking so casually towards her, completely naked and semi erect in her bedroom.
"Oh...I see." she said, her breaking voice betraying her outlying confidence.
"Do you?" he said with a smirk as he stopped right in front of her and rested his hands on his hips brazenly. "Do you see?"
"I see plenty." She looked up at him and smiled and he bent down to kiss her. What was meant to be a chaste soft kiss of affection turned into a heated duelling kiss of desire. Her hands came up his legs, up the back of his thighs, cupped his ass then trailed to his front and gripped his shaft in a tight slow moving stroke.
"Lorelai," he muttered against her lips.
She chuckled. "You can't go parading around my room like that and not expect me to react."
"Well I wouldn't go parading around your room if you hadn't taken my clothes away."
"You have your jeans," she spoke softly, her lips brushing his jaw and her hands still moving against his cock.
"Too wet."
"Dirty."
She felt his eye roll and chuckled then pushed his shoulders back and pulled his hips forward so he was standing between her legs, his cock now fully erect from her ministrations. She braced one hand around the base of his shaft and the other on his ass as she moved her mouth to his tip and let her tongue appear to lick it gently.
"Gah…" He tried to jerk his hips away but she held fast and pulled him back into position. She glanced up at him and caught him watching her intently then licked her lips and moved her head to take him in her mouth completely. "Oh god…" he let his head fall back and looked up at the ceiling. She dragged her lips up to his tip, used her tongue against the underside and took him in right to the base again.
The hand she had on his ass encouraged his movements in a rhythmic fashion as she licked and sucked on him incessantly. He dropped the wet jeans he was holding and buried his hands in her hair, moved her head to the position he needed her suction to be then moved his hips along with her strokes.
Her hot wet mouth enveloped him as her tongue circled his tip and when he thought he could take no more she hummed her pleasure while he was fully in her mouth and he felt it reverberate up his spine to the hair on the back of his neck.
"Jesus, oh yeah…" he grunted and resisted the urge to move his hips faster though her fingers on his ass tried to break his resolve. "Lorelai, wait...I'm…oh…"
His voice was mixed with his grunts, her fingers caressed his ass and pulled him in deeper and she moved her head faster as she hummed against him then released his base to reach for his balls and stroked and squeezed them in time with the motions from her tongue. In one flash of motion she released his cock and sucked his balls into her mouth, moved them around with her tongue, hummed and smiled when he cried out at the sensation. She released him and took his cock back into her hot mouth in one swift stroke sucking him into the hilt, letting his tip hit the back of her throat before moaning around him as she dragged her lips to his tip.
"Now...move now," he warned her but her grip on him tightened. He looked down at her, sucking him in and out in a blur of desire and when her eyes fluttered open and looked back up to him he felt his control snap inside him and like an overstretched elastic it broke through his body and he felt it settle in his toes and up his spine. She sucked on his twitching cock, swallowing what he emptied into her mouth in sharp spurts until he was spent.
The hands on her head moved to her shoulders to keep himself upright as he tried to regain focus from the spinning room and his bones that seemed to have turned to jelly. She held him in her mouth a moment longer then slowly dragged her lips up from his base to her tip, circled it with her tongue once more then released him with an audible sucking pop. Luke fell to his knees, captured her face between his hands and kissed her gruffly.
"You're incredible." he uttered against her between kisses then pulled her into his arms for a tight hug.
"You're not so bad yourself."
"Lorelai...I…" he leaned back from her and held her at arm's length, his hands gripping her forearms tightly.
"Shhh Luke…" she pressed her fingers to his lips and replaced them with her own lips in a soft kiss. "Don't."
"I don't want this to be just this."
"Luke, we're fine. You need to go to Ellie, talk to Ellie. I'll be here." She pulled him against her for a hug and felt his arms circle her back. He kissed her neck, her shoulder then pulled back enough to kiss her throat and lips.
"I really had better go," he uttered between kisses.
"I know."
"I wish I could stay."
"I know that too." She smiled and they both stood up. "Let me get you something to wear."
"It's fine, I'll wear these."
"They are still wet."
"I'll change when I get home."
"Okay, your tops are down in the dryer."
"Thanks."
With some effort he managed to pull on his damp jeans then he carried his boots and followed her down to the kitchen. She took his tops from the dryer and shook them out then handed them to him and shrugged when she noticed how wrinkled they were. He pulled them on without comment then sat down to put on his boots. After tying his laces he stood up and hitched his jeans then turned to walk out to her lobby to grab his coat.
"Thanks for...you know." Lorelai smiled and Luke rolled his eyes. "Not that. But well yeah thanks for that too but that's not what I meant-"
"Relax, I know what you meant." she stroked his arm and he pulled her into a hug, held her head against his chest and her pressed her lower back so her whole body was aligned with his. "Are you going to be ok?"
"Yeah." He nodded. "I need to talk to Ellie."
"Good."
"I think I'll take her out tomorrow, just the two of us and we can talk it all out without...without interference."
"That sounds like a great idea."
"Can I um...can I take you out?"
Lorelai pulled her head back and looked up at him. His face was a mixture of fear and hope. She smiled and nodded her head. "I'd like that."
"Great." he smiled with relief and bent his head to kiss her. "Maybe I'll see you in the diner soon?"
"Probably."
"Good." he kissed her again then stepped out the door and closed it behind him.
Lorelai watched him through the frosted glass until she could no longer make out his shape then she raced up to her room and looked out the window until he turned the corner of her street to make his way home.
Luke walked slowly and felt the tension in his shoulders rise with every step he took closer to home and more so, every step he took away from Lorelai. The diner was closed and when he walked through it he was relieved at the sight of the chairs on the table, counters wiped and kitchen ready for the breakfast in the morning. He trudged his way up the stairs and walked into the apartment to find Rachel and Ellie sitting on the couch watching a movie and sharing a bowl of popcorn.
"Hey Dad!" Ellie said happily and Luke noticed how she was wrapped around her mother's arm, had her head on her mother's shoulder and her legs across her mother's lap. Rachel watched as he noticed their close connection and smiled triumphantly when he looked at her face. Luke's face turned to stone and he excused himself and went to his room. He lay on his bed and listened to their chatter and laughter as they watched the movie until finally it was over. They cleared their snacks away and Rachel guided a tired Ellie to bed then he listened to the rustle of sheets as she made herself comfortable on the couch. He waited for a while longer then when he thought she was asleep he went back out to the living room. He was standing by the TV staring down at her and wondering how one person could come into his life and mess it up so thoroughly when her soft voice broke the silence.
"Thinking about joining me?" she asked with a chuckle as she pushed the blanket to the side as if to make room for him.
"Not in the slightest." His words stung and she quickly fixed her bed again.
"What then?"
"I'll talk to Ellie tomorrow." he perched himself on the edge of the coffee table in front of the couch. "You need to back off, no more persuading her and promising her how amazing Chicago will be. But I'll talk to her tomorrow, without you and if she really wants to go...I won't stand in her way."
"Really?"
"Really."
"Great Luke."
"Can you do that? Can you stop being a voice in her ear? a voice of promises and everything you think she wants to hear?" Rachel nodded her head. "Okay then." He slapped his knees and stood up. "I'll talk to her tomorrow." He walked into his bedroom and closed the door behind him then stripped and fell into bed.