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“I wanted to thank you for everything.”
He said nothing, but his eyes softened. I rejoined Luke on the white leather couch. He was still holding the icepack. His hand was white with cold and a wave of sympathy rippled through me.
“Here, let me take it,” I took it from him. The goose bumps on my armrose as I inched closer to him. Our faces were close, and he was looking at me with his hard, blue eyes that always made me feel vulnerable. “Your friend doesn’t seem to like me very much.”
“He’s just suspicious. Usually the girls I’m with are gold diggers.”
That took me aback. “Do I look like a gold digger?”
His shoulder shrugged under my hand. “You don’t act like one. That’s probably why he’s confused.”
“He will figure this out andrealize it’s all a sham.” There was a sharp, painful feeling in my chest. None of this felt fake. I looked at his face, trying to register his feelings. I wanted him to say something.
Before I could stop myself, my hand flew to his hair, and I brushed the dark strands off his forehead. He closed his eyes and sighed, his neck craning over the couch as his shoulders sagged. “I’m worried about my father. He will get the wrong idea from those photos because I used to get into fights at football matches.”
That poised, dignified Luke would do something so pedestrian made me want to laugh. The two images clashed horribly. It made little sense. It was like seeing the Queen of England throwing back a pint at a dive bar.
“Maybe you should call him now and explain it all before it’s in the papers.”
Luke made a dissenting sound. “It’ll just make it worse if I bring attention to it.” His eyes opened and blazed with intensity. “I don’t have to explain myself to him.”
Luke sighed as I stroked his hair, dragging my fingertips across his scalp.
“I’m going to take itoff for a few minutes.” I set the icepack on the coffee table and smiled at Luke’s grumpy expression. Myhair fell like a curtain between our faces as I gave him a kiss on his frozen cheek. His skin was so cold it burned my lips. The blue eyes watched me as I leaned back and resumed my stroking of his hair.
“Why are you doing this?” His voice was as chilly as his skin.
“You know, not everyone has an ulterior motive revolving around screwing you over.”
“Not in my world.” He shook his head. “It'srare for someone to approach me without expecting something in return.”
A dull longing throbbed inside my chest. I would never take advantage of you. “You don’t give people a chance.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Luke, the first night we met you shoved an NDA in my face.”
He looked bewildered. “So?”
“If you do that with everyone you meet, you will never trust anyone. Sometimes, you have to take a risk to get what you want.” I spoke more about myself than him. My cheeks heatedas Luke gave me a shrewd look. “I was always afraid of men. Well, ever since my childhood. Being alone with men made me panic, so I didn't date. I never had boyfriends. I avoided the whole thing, even though a part of me was desperately lonely. It wasn’t reasonable.” I looked at him. “Just like it’s not sensible to make everyone you know sign an NDA.”
He sighed and waved me off. “For all I know, this is part of your con.”
“You’re the one who interviewed my foster parents,” I said in a shaking voice. “I’m not lying about that. I’ve had a lot of bad experiences, Luke. They warped my perception of people, just like yours have. A part of me knows that they ruined me.”
Heat flushed under my skin and my hand fell from Luke’s neck to clench into a fist at my side. I hated what they had done.
His thigh bumped against my leg as he slid closer and rubbed my back. “They didn’t ruin you, Jess.”
“How would you know?”
“Because I spent the whole day with you, didn’t I? You’re funny, low-maintenance, and easy to get along with. Not to mention gorgeous.”
The grittiness in his voice curled between my legs. Gorgeous. He called me gorgeous.
“You kept kissing me at every opportunity.”
I turned my head, feeling Luke’s hot breath on my cheek. “That’s my job.”
