An Echo in the Mafia (Echo Reid, Reid Family Book #1)

Part 23

"Hey! Ben... what's going on?" Echo asked, sounding more awkward than normal. She'd almost had a heart attack when she saw his name flash on her caller ID. Then after panicking for the first four rings, she realized she was being silly. Ben called her all the time and it wasn't unusual, she wouldn't be surprised if he was going to ask her to come down and have lunch with him.

"Hey weirdo, did I wake you?" He said, thinking she sounded a bit groggy.

"Yeah, but It's okay. It was about time I got up." She said, sitting up and running a hand through her hair which was still damped and tangled.

"Feel like getting dressed and having lunch with me?" He asked. Echo yawned, what she really wanted to do was stay in bed and sleep all day but she was so bad at saying no to Ben. 

"Okay... I'll text you when I'm on my way." She said, tossing her phone aside and staring at the ceiling. No, she really wasn't in a mood to get up. She wanted to stay in bed all day and think about the night before... and be angry over the night before... and just hate herself for having loved every second of the night before.

Luke... that man was insufferable- He just loved to bark out orders and make plans that were terribly inconvenient but she couldn't help it. She found herself doing what he asked, agreeing begrudgingly, fighting him every step of the way but ultimately finding that she would give in to him because she could not resist those dark eyes. She closed her eyes, remembering the way he'd kissed her, the way he ran his fingers through her hair and pulled her closer and closer until she had no choice but to keep kissing him- to steal back the breath he'd taken from her.

"Let's go home, I'd love to feed you in bed." He said with a chuckle as he finally pulled his lips away. She'd laughed at the suggestion, thinking it wasn't possible he could be serious. She was in awe of it, her arms had not left him and she could only sit there in bemusement...

"Hmmm" was the only sound she could manage to make as he continued to kiss her cheeks and neck.

"You smell amazing..." he said, looking for her lips again. "Marco... home."

Echo laughed again as he continued to kiss her.

"Stop that. He'll take you serious." Echo said and Luke pulled away.

"I'm dead serious. I'm going to take you home and kiss every last inch of you." Luke said, placing a hand on her neck and preparing her for another kiss but she stared at him, reality finally hitting her.

"I... I can't." She said, trying to find her voice. It was Luke that chuckled this time.

"What do you mean you can't? You're doing so well so far..." He said, his voice low and husky but she pulled away as he tried to pull her back.

"I can't." She said, her mind clearing. "I can't go home with you..."

Luke was confused as she began to pull away and scramble out of his lap.

"I shouldn't even be here with you." She said, putting a hand to her chest and trying to control her breathing.

"Echo, what are you talking about?" He said, reaching for her hand but she snatched it away with a shake of her head.

"I'm not going home with you." She said firmly this time, "And I think you should take me to my car."

Luke stared at her for several quiet moments, his jaw clenched. He had the urge to tell her that he would take her home, make love to her and feed her supper in bed as he wanted too but... he also had the urge to go and dump her at her car and never see her again. He took a deep breath and shook his head. He had the urge to do a million and a half things to her but instead of any of that...