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Sally hesitated. She should ask him what was wrong. Easy enough to say, but her courage failed, and she walked purposefully toward the back of the cabin and the tiny room where she’d left her new belongings earlier. As soon as she was out of sight, she released the breath she’d been holding to maintain her forced smile. Perhaps it was Jen’s presence that made them fit together so well. Sally had never been alone like this with Luke before. If Jen was there, they’d be worrying about where everyone would sleep in this cabin obviously intended to house only two people. Luke would no doubt insist that she and Jen take the bed and he’d make do on the couch. Maybe they needed her daughter as a buffer between them.
She flipped on a lamp by the bed and pawed through a department store sack for something to sleep in, then changed her mind, grabbing a new toothbrush instead. There was barely enough room to turn around in the bathroom, but she managed to wash her face, brush her teeth and comb her hair without claustrophobia setting in. Her mind was a whirl of questions and regret. Luke was attracted to her—Sally had no doubt about that. And she couldn’t imagine anybody more right for her. So what was the problem? To find out, she’d have to put on her big-girl panties and have a grown-up conversation.
Sally groaned, picturing the very small swaths of fabric she’d purchased for panties earlier in the day.I guess they’ll work just as well.She pulled her long-sleeved T-shirt off, unsnapped her bra and let it slide down her arms, then unbuttoned her jeans and kicked them off as she moved toward the bed. Luke’s duffel sat at the foot, and she plucked the same light blue, button-up shirt from its place at the top of the bag and slipped her arms in, letting it settle comfortably around her shoulders. Securing the front and smoothing her hair, which fell in waves down her back, Sally returned to the door and pulled it open, stepping into the front room just as Luke turned from the sink, a glass of wine in each hand.
Her smile fell back in place and she held it, even when something unidentifiable flared in Luke’s eyes and a muscle flexed in his jaw.
“Mind if I wear your shirt again?” She stepped toward him.
His gaze swept over her body before he frowned and seemed to finally remember the wine he held. He offered her one of the glasses. “I don’t usually let women wear my shirts, but I’ll make an exception for you.”
Sally accepted the wine, expecting a smile, a wink or, at the very least, his trademark grin. He’d told her this morning, in no uncertain terms, he appreciated how she looked in his shirt. In the bathroom at the motel, she’d felt the evidence of his arousal firsthand. Yet, he seemed almost annoyed with her now, his gaze wandering away as he brought the wineglass to his lips. Their banter, returning to the cabin, had been light and easy…intimate…exciting. Then, in the space of a kiss, everything had changed.
For the first time in nearly twenty-four hours, Sally felt safe…because Luke was with her. Because he cared about her and Jen and had brought them to a place of refuge. At least for tonight, she could rest easier, and she’d wanted this night with Luke…for a very long time.
The evidence of the miles that separated them was subtle, but Sally felt it in every nerve and synapse. Emotions tingled across her skin like small bursts of electricity, which was probably why she ignored her better judgment and reached out to touch Luke’s forearm. From the way he jumped, he must have felt it too.
Dark eyes settled on her. With no way to read what he was thinking, Sally stepped into him, raising her lips to touch his, absorbing the heady taste of the merlot still lingering there.
Luke responded, capturing her mouth with undisguised hunger…for a few seconds before his jaw tensed, and he quickly stepped away, walking toward the couch that sat in the middle of the room. Over his shoulder, his voice sounded dry and raspy. “Let’s sit down. We should talk.”
Sally turned and watched him retreat.Great. What every girl wants to hear on her first real date. Let’s talk?At least she was starting to catch on—he did have something on his mind, and her heart told her she’d jumped in blind again, trusting him. With emotions racing to make a fool of her, she wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to hear what he had to say. Gone was the Luke who’d proposed to her earlier in the day, replaced by a man who apparently wasn’t comfortable even looking at her. Anger surfaced, and she shook her head. She set her glass on the counter and placed her hands on her hips. How was she going to get out of this one without having her heart shattered?
When Luke reached the couch and turned, it was obvious he’d expected her to follow, and surprise widened his eyes for an instant. His glance dropped to where her hands sat at her waist, before his gaze met hers. “Sally…” Without taking his eyes from hers, he bent to place his wineglass on the coffee table in front of the couch. “Something wrong?” A tentative grin appeared but didn’t dim the caution in his eyes.
Too little, too late.Sally drew a tired breath. “Seriously, Luke? Don’t you think we should start a relationship…before you break up with me?” A short laugh, shamefully close to hysteria, escaped her, and she dropped her gaze to the floor.
“What are you—?” He took a step toward her.
Quickly, Sally raised her hands, hoping to convince him to stay where he was. “You know what? It’s okay. For whatever reason, you’ve changed your mind about wanting to be with me. I don’t even want to know why. Let’s just be glad you realized it before we did something crazy.” She dropped her hands and backed away, turning and breaking into a jog, desperate to reach the bedroom before her tears betrayed her.
One stride from the seclusion of the other room, Luke reached her, lifting her off her feet and pulling her against his muscled body. A heartbeat later, his arms cushioned her impact as they collided with the sturdy bedroom door.
Giving her no time to collect her breath, Luke covered her mouth, his tongue demanding entry between her lips, effectively stopping any arguments she’d thought to voice. Her hands, pushing for space between them, soon fisted in his T-shirt to pull him closer as he branded her with his scorching kiss. He positioned his hips against her abdomen, and the full length of his arousal pinned her to the door. She reveled in his hard thickness and arched against him, causing a chain reaction of grinding bodies and groping hands.
His mouth left hers to push the blue shirt far enough out of the way to bare one breast. He sucked the taut nipple between his teeth, scraping it teasingly. Sally hissed and reached for the waistband of his jeans, undid the button and threw open the zipper. Encased in the black cotton briefs he wore, his shaft pushed through the opening she’d made, and she gripped him through the fabric, her fingers barely able to meet as she squeezed.
Luke tore his lips from her breast and regret marred his features. “Aw hell, babe. Let’s slow this down for a minute.” He gripped her elbows, took a step back and held her at arm’s length. “Where did you get the crazy idea I was breaking up with you?”
In the grip of a lust more powerful than she’d ever imagined, Sally stared at him blankly for a moment, willing her brain to catch up. She shook her head, trying to remember anything that had transpired before the last two minutes. A self-conscious laugh escaped and brought a relieved smile from Luke.
“Believe me, that’s the last thing on my mind.” He released one elbow and brushed the hair back from her eyes.
“But you…you got all distant on me. You walked away.” She pointed at him accusingly. “You said we needed totalk. That’s never a good sign. I figured you finally realized what a bad deal you’d made.” Sally clung to his smile, savoring the love that shone from his eyes. “If you’re not looking for a way out of this, what do we need to talk about?”
He cocked his head and looked into her eyes. “Babe, I told you how I feel about you. That wasn’t just some line I made up to get you in the sack. I don’twantout of this.”
“What then?”
Luke stepped closer. “After we left Daniel’s cabin tonight, I started thinking about the way I’ve been acting. Pressuring you. Wanting you to make a commitment you’re obviously not ready to make. Asking you to marry me. Buying condoms. Shit! That was a douchebag thing to do. Hell, it was only this morning you forgave me for my last stunt. I need to know you want this night together as much as I do. If you’re not ready, I’ll wait as long as it takes. That’s a promise.”
Too good to be true—the words flashed on the screen of her mind in neon orange, a last-ditch warning that she fully intended to ignore. Sally caressed Luke’s cheek as she dismissed any remaining doubts about the man who held her heart in his hands. “But I do—I am. I don’t want to wait. I mean—part of me doesn’t even believe you’re here, much less that you want to stay. But I think I could get used to the idea.”
Luke’s smile brought a sparkle to his eyes. “It’s about time you realized we’re meant to be.” He reached for her, lifting her against him until her shoulders were even with his and then wrapped himself around her until she couldn’t tell where she ended and he began.
Despite the events of the past twenty-four hours and the hard truth that she might be on the run for the rest of her life, Sally couldn’t hold back an exultant laugh as she flung her arms around his neck. Truly free of regret for the first time in years, she leaned close to his ear. “I hope I live up to your overactive imagination.”
He pulled back and met her gaze, all seriousness. “You’re so much more than I ever imagined.” His voice rasped and sent a shiver of anticipation through her as his lips captured hers, igniting a fire deep within her belly.
