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He knew women found him attractive. He knew Claudia found him very attractive. Hell—she loved him. She’d always loved him. That was what she’d told him. So why couldn’t he get her to take the leap with him?
He rubbed his hands through his hair in frustration and then across his jaw. The slight rasp of his whiskers had him reaching automatically for his shaving cream and he opened his palm and squirted a dollop in, watching it foam up.
He slapped it on, remembering how Claudia had touched his face the other night and the conversation they’d had in bed when she’d suggested he grew some stubble. Shaving was London, he’d told her, stubble was Crescent Cove.
His hand stopped then as an idea slowly dawned and he smiled at his reflection before turning on the tap and ducking over the sink to wash it all away.
* * *
Claudia looked up from the reception desk a couple of hours later as Luke approached. He was in boardies and a T-shirt and no shoes and there was an overnight shadow on his jaw that did funny things to her equilibrium.
‘Morning,’ he said, acknowledging both her and Isis. ‘Jonah and I are heading north to catch some waves,’ he said. ‘Be back in a couple of hours.’
Claudia couldn’t tear her eyes off his jawline. ‘Uh-huh,’ she said.
She and Isis watched him walk away. ‘Mmm. Captain Sexy-Stubble,’ Isis murmured.
The next morning was the same. More surfing, more unshaven jaw. By the third morning he had a very definite three-day growth and it was all Claudia could do not to reach out and touch it.
‘Not shaving these days?’ Claudia said, trying to sound nonchalant.
‘Nah, shaving’s for city boys.’ He grinned and winked at Isis before heading out of the door again.
‘Oh, he’s playing dirty now,’ Isis said as they watched him walk away.
Claudia pursed her lips, refusing to say anything.
But damn, she’d known he’d look hot with stubble.
* * *
She was waiting for him when he returned in the afternoon, the connecting door wide open.
‘I know what you’re doing,’ she said, entering his room as soon as she heard his door open. His boardies were damp and his hair was wet and the shaggy jawline was the cherry on top of his very delicious beach-bum look.
Luke suppressed a smile. ‘Oh? What’s that?’
She crossed her arms. ‘The stubble.’
He stroked the back of his hand up his throat. ‘You want to touch it, don’t you?’ He grinned.
Claudia glared. ‘Luke.’
Luke sighed at the reprimand in her voice. ‘Claude,’ he said, moving towards her until he was just a hand’s reach away. ‘I’ve thrown my shaving foam in the bin. I’m not going back to London. I’m done with London.’
He reached for her then, tentatively at first, sliding a hand onto her waist. When she didn’t push him away, he tugged her closer. He looked into her eyes, a kaleidoscope of conflict.
‘I love you. I’m setting up business right here and I’m never shaving regularly again. Now how about you stop being all sacrificial and stoic and just kiss me already?’
Claudia wanted to. She wanted to very badly. She wanted to throw caution to the wind and let him ravage her with his stubbly kisses. ‘The Tropicana has never been your dream. I can’t...’ She paused, searching for the right words. ‘I wouldn’t survive if you decided it wasn’t enough for you some time down the track.’
Luke smiled at her gently. ‘The Tropicana is big enough for both our dreams. And besides...the Tropicana is you and you’re my dream. I love you. Nothing else matters. Nothing.’
He leaned into her neck and nuzzled it where her pulse beat frantically and was satisfied by her low, throaty moan.
‘Tell me you love me,’ he said, pulling away.
Claudia ran a finger along his jawline from ear to chin, loving the spikiness against her skin. ‘You know I do.’
Luke went for her throat again, moving higher this time. ‘Tell me.’
Claudia angled her neck and shut her eyes as a wave of goose bumps sounded a warning call to the rest of her body. ‘I love you.’
And, damn, didn’t it feel good to get it off her chest?
Luke nipped her triumphantly and she gasped, grabbing two handfuls of his shirt and pulling him closer. ‘Don’t stop,’ she moaned. She’d been lying awake for nights thinking about him in the next room, grinding her heels into the bed to stop herself from going to him.
Luke smiled as he stroked his tongue where his teeth had just been. ‘I’m never going to stop,’ he said.
‘I’m going to hold you to that,’ she murmured.
