Desperate Arrangement: Bouncing Back, Book IV

33

The first thing Johanna felt when she woke was Lukas's firm chest beneath her head, his steady heartbeat lulling her into a soothing calm. She swallowed, uncertain how to process the tenderness with which he'd explored every inch of her body the night before. She hadn't wanted him to stop, savoring the gentle attention he paid to her needs and his own.

She felt him stretch out his lower body before his lips pressed softly against the top of her head, his arms tightening around her bare form. Sighing, he moved one arm behind his head.

"Hi," she whispered. Tilting her head, she peeked at his face from behind her lashes. The lines of his face were no longer etched with a shadow of urgent need. Instead, they held a serene calm, the morning light playing with his youthful features. She nestled into his body, letting their warmth blend as she sighed contentedly.

"Good morning," he murmured. Groaning slightly, he added, "I'd love to stay and cuddle, but I really need to use the bathroom right now."

Gently moving her to the side, Lukas got out of bed and pulled on his robe. He glanced at her, frowning when she didn't move to join him. His first thought was that he'd hurt her, but when he followed her gaze, he realized she was staring at the robe. "You didn't get one for yourself yesterday?"

She shook her head. "No. It didn't cross my mind that I might need it."

"We'll get one today, okay? I want to take you out for a while, just the two of us. No guards, no friends, and no family. Just me, you, and an entire day alone," he said, leaning over to kiss her forehead.

Stepping out of the room, he checked his father and brother's bedrooms. Finding them empty, he called out to them but got no answer. Shrugging, he used the bathroom and made his way back to Johanna. When he returned to the room, he had to stifle a laugh as she stared worriedly at the small stain of red on the white sheets. "Are you alright?"

"I made a mess," she sobbed, her voice trembling.

"So I'll order a new mattress. It's not a big deal, Schatz," Lukas said, calling her treasure in German. His voice was soothing and calm as he asked, "Are you in any pain?"

She stopped, realizing that what he was worried about wasn't the bed, but her wellbeing. Raising her eyes to him, her lip trembling, she found that she was starting to feel differently toward the man she'd married. "N-no, I'm not in pain, Luke."

He paused with his hand on the handle of the closet, then turned to her. "What did you call me?"

"I... I..." Edging toward the door, Johanna was surprised when he pinned her to the wall with a soul-shattering kiss. She felt the warmth of his body pressing against hers, reminding her of the night before in a twisted sort of way. Each time his hands and lips passed over her previously untouched flesh, she’d felt the spark of attraction pass between them.

He panted as he broke away from her, eyes glittering with excitement and pride. Tenderly stroking her cheek, he whispered hotly in her ear. "Repeat what you called me, Johanna. I want to hear you say it again."

Shyly raising her teal eyes to meet his grey ones, she licked her lips, a small smile forming on her face. Wanting to be as strong as he made her feel, she held his gaze as she said, "I called you ‘Luke’.”

"That's the first time you've called me anything but my actual name," he murmured against her lips, his voice filled with emotion.

"For a moment, I thought I’d made you mad," she said, letting out a sound that was a mix of a half-sob and a half-laugh.

"Let's get dressed and head out for some breakfast. I know this little coffee shop down the road that serves really good breakfast sandwiches," he replied as he dug out some clothes.

She blinked at him, her eyes widening slightly. "What should I wear?"

"Something comfortable," he suggested. "Did you get a pair of sneakers yesterday, or did the girls talk you into heels?"

Johanna laughed, the light, airy sound filling the room. He couldn't help but notice the effect it had on him as a certain appendage responded eagerly to her playful mood. She pulled out a pair of clean underwear, socks, and a bra. Moving to the closet, she chose a knee-length dark blue skirt and a baby pink shirt. "Kennedy made sure I got sneakers and low-heeled boots. I think the boots would pair well with my outfit, don’t you?"

"Yeah, she’s good like that," Lukas commented with a nod. Noting the footwear were much more practical than anything Sky would have chosen, he grinned at the simplistic design. “You really are perfect for me, aren’t you? Those would look great with that outfit, Anna.”

Once they were dressed, he led her out of the apartment. As they rounded the corner of the guard station in the parking garage, they ran into Robbie. Growling in frustration, Lukas snapped at the guard manning the location. The growing darkness within him was new, triggered by the man's leering gaze at Johanna. "Eyes on your work before I gouge them out, Soldier."

"Yes, Sir!" The guard's eyes filled with fear. Never before had Master Trace’s youngest son snapped at them, but it seemed the girl was the cause of his newfound courage.

Robert laughed, "Damn, kid, you run away single and come back with the prettiest little wife in the world. How you feeling?"

"I’m great, Rob. Johanna, this is Robert Drake, my friend and trainer. He's been teaching me boxing," Lukas said, hugging Johanna closer.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Robbie. Luke talked about you a lot in Germany," she said, holding out her hand.

Taking her hand, Robert, a black man with dark brown hair and amber-brown eyes, scoffed. "If you don't mind my saying so, you are a very beautiful girl, Johanna. You struck gold when you got with our little Lukie, though. Well, I gotta go run some errands for my uncle. Where are you two headed?"

"I was going to take her to Cain's Diner for breakfast," Lukas replied.

"Sweet, that's on my way. I can drop you off if you want." Robert said. Their connection, built on common ground and their love of boxing, had grown significantly over the months they worked together.

"That'd be awesome, thanks." Lukas breathed, a contented grin splitting his face.

As Robert drove through the winding, heavily populated streets, Johanna turned her teal eyes to Lukas. "You didn't get mad when he called me beautiful."

"For what? Telling the truth?" He tilted her head up, brushing his lips against hers. "Johanna, you are beautiful. On another note, I wanted to talk to you about a second wedding. My father's going to want to have one that's not rushed so that he can be a part of the setup and all the good stuff he’s complaining about missing out on."

She smiled, laughing softly at the reminder of her father-in-law’s incessant criticisms. "I can agree to that seeing as it’s all he can speak of lately. Can I invite Julian to the wedding here?"

"If that's what you want for your special day, then yeah. I'd love to see the guy again." Lukas told her.

“How is it only my special day? I thought it was for both of us,” she nudged him, finally falling into a playful version of herself now that she knew she was safe.

Snickering, Robert shook his head from the driver’s seat as he pulled up to Cain’s Diner. “She’s got you there, Dude.”

“Oh, blow me,” Lukas grunted as he helped Johanna out of the car. “Swing the leg closest to the door out, put your foot down, and step out. That’s how you can protect your, ahem, assets from prying eyes.”

When they first walked in, they were greeted by a friendly waitress who led them to a booth by the window. Lukas held Johanna's hand as they slid into their seats, their eyes meeting in a shared moment of contentment.

Lukas glanced at the menu and chuckled. "It's been a while since I've been here. See that young-looking waitress? She’s the owner’s granddaughter. Her name is Ginger, but regulars here know her as Ginny. So what do you feel like having?"

Johanna scanned the menu, her teal eyes lighting up. "Well, the special looks good. Bacon, eggs, homemade hash browns, and toast actually sounds like the perfect start to our day. I’d rather a cup of tea, for my drink, however."

“If you want perfect, look in a mirror,” Lukas muttered, his face flushing as his mouth ran away with his common sense. “Um, yeah. The house special looks good to me, too.”

"Welcome back, Lukas. Are you ready to order?" The waitress, Ginger, asked, pen poised over her notepad.

Lukas nodded. "Your house special, Ginny. Coffee for me and tea for my gorgeous wife, please and thanks."

While they waited, Lukas shared his past, making Johanna laugh at his youthful misadventures. Not the soft, timid laughter she’d been voicing, but a full, belly-deep laugh that had her in tears. Something, she advised, was another first for her as every time she wanted to laugh her family would ridicule her into silence.

"Did you really get stuck in a treehouse?" she asked, giggling.

Lukas grinned. "My brother and Memphis, they were around nine at the time, thought it would be funny to take the ladder away, so I had to wait for my dad to come home and get me down. After that, Dad nailed the ladder to the tree with nine-inch nails and added a rope ladder inside. Mark got grounded, and I got ice cream.”