“Give me back the purse!” he tried to grab for it with a hand, but she almost wriggled free.
She held it out of his reach. “It is mine, fair and square.”
“Hardly fair.” Luke pointed out, breathless as he held her.
She wriggled and Luke thought she was trying to break free, but to his surprise she turned to face him. Her eyes were full of a wild excitement, and there was a cheeky grin on her face.
As she turned, her hair brushed across his face, and he drew in a breath. The smell of her possessed him. His muscles tensed. Her amber eyes found his. Her lips parted.
Luke was painfully aware of his heart seeming to strain against his chest. They were both panting. Her breath tickled his face. Her lips parted. They were so close.
“Luke…” she murmured, and touched a hand to his face.
Something inside him broke. His lips found hers, and nothing else mattered. The softness of her skin against his, the warmth of her seemed to course through his veins.
He felt her fingers entwine themselves in his hair. He lost himself in the smell of her. The way she tasted, of lavender and honey. He pulled her against him, a desperate need overcoming him.
.You should let go.Her words seemed to fill him. Her touch seemed to strip away all the noise. He let go. He was just Luke. And she was Emily. And that was all that mattered.
Something thudded to the ground and they broke apart. He placed her feet gently on the ground. His breathing was ragged. So was hers.
He leaned his forehead against hers. The world around him seemed to be spinning. He had kissed her. She had said his name. And then he had kissed her.
Giddiness threatened to overcome him, and when he saw the look on Emily’s face, everything hit him. She reached to touch his face again, but he caught her hand.
“I can’t.” he whispered.
And then he fled.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
As soon as she had felt Luke’s lips on hers, nothing else had seemed to matter. All the passing moments between them, all those little stabs of emotion she had not let herself feel.
The reason the thought of marrying his brother made her itch. The reason she had been so excited to share everything with Luke. She had feelings for him.
“I can’t do this.” Luke’s words came to her, punching through her haze of exhilaration.
And then he was gone.
Emily shook her head. She felt as though she were looking at the world through a fish bowl.
“What just happened?” she touched a finger to her lips. “He… He kissed me.”
She could still feel the warmth of him against her, still feel his arms around her. But he was not there. Rage flooded her.How dare he kiss me and then run away?
“No.” Emily clenched her hands into fists. “No. Whatever is happening between us, I am sick of dancing around it. He does not get to kiss me and then run away.”
She stormed in the direction she was sure he had gone. Emily was not sure what she would do when she found him. One part of her wanted to hit him, another wanted to kiss him again. She decided that she would make her mind up when she found the dratted man.
She found him leaning against a tree in a clearing, his head in his hands. He was breathing heavily. Her heart twisted, but she refused to give in.
She stormed towards him, letting her anger over take her. “What exactly do you think you are doing?”
He lifted his head as he saw her approaching and for a moment, she thought he would leave again.
“If you run again, I will only follow you.” Emily said.
Luke seemed to deflate. “Please, leave me alone.”
