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“I love you,” he whispers to Ainsley as he bows down and gives her sleeping head a kiss on the forehead. “Good night, sweet girl.”
I fight the quivering feeling in my chest.
Luke might be a stranger to us in many ways, but he is Ainsley’s dad. I’m soon going to have to make the decision on when to tell her. So far, he’s been doing and saying all the right things, each visit making it harder for me to deny that he might be true to his word.
I hope it lasts.
As he walks out of her room, I start down the stairs and over to the couch, folding the blanket. Luke stands by the kitchen island and slides his wallet and phone into his pocket.
“We had fun tonight. She was asleep by eight, I promise. I just didn’t have the heart to bring her up. She’s cozier than a blanket.” His voice is groggy, his hair is wildly disheveled, and he has a faint drool stain on his shirt from Ainsley.
“You want a coffee?” I offer. “You have a long drive back to Walden.”
He shakes his head and grabs the cat carrier that he arrived with tonight. “Joe and I have a room in a hotel in town.”
“You didn’t have to do that.”
He raises a brow. “Were you planning on me sleeping here?”
“No,” I answer quickly. “I know we were joking about you sleeping in my bed, but the thought of you staying here is out of the question.”
“I know, Jillian. Relax. That’s why I got a room in town—so I could be close. They don’t allow pets, so I’m gonna have to sneak this guy in somehow. Come on, Joe.”
Joe reluctantly pads over to Luke who places him in the carrier.
As Luke and Joe walk out the front door, I cross my arms and follow them to Luke’s truck. It dawns on me that this isn’t how I envisioned the end of the night to go. I would have bet money I’d be given the third-degree on every detail about my date. I let out a harrumph sound at how very wrong I was.
“What’s that for?” Luke asks as he places Joe’s carrier on the front seat.
“Nothing,” I say, to which he gives me a look of intrigue. He stands there, staring at me, so I explain, “I’m surprised you didn’t ask about my night.”
With a furrow of his brows, he stares at the ground for a beat, then looks at me. “That’s because I don’t want to know.”
I purse my lips. “Oh.”
“The guy took you on a helicopter to Manhattan. I can’t compete with that.”
“It’s not a competition.”
His back straightens, bringing him to his full height, and he looks down at me.
“You sure about that?”
His eyes darken as the weight of his body leans in. I stand tall, not fighting his intrusion, as the man who was asleep not too long ago is now awaken with primal vigor.
“Luke,” I breathe out his name as I look up into his face. His eyes yearn and his pleads.
“You want me to ask, which makes me think he tried to kiss you, which can’t compare to the way I can.”
My heart races in my chest, and a surge of adrenaline pumps through my veins. I press my body against his. My mouth is dry as I breathe heavily.
“I barely remember what that was like.”
“Liar.”
He leans in and kisses me.
With his hand on my neck, he pulls me in for a kiss that has me sighing into his mouth and relishing in the thickness of his tongue, his hot breath, and his powerful fist on my hip.
