by Levine, Nina
“Long flight?” a man asks me from behind.
I turn to find one of the best looking men I’ve seen in a long time smiling at me. “How can you tell?”
He grins. “I can’t. I was just trying to initiate conversation.”
I laugh. Clearly I’m out of practice with this flirting thing. “Oh… well, I’ve just flown in from LA.”
He whistles low. “Ouch.”
“Yes. I won’t be doing that flight again in a hurry.”
“You know what would help with the exhaustion?”
I cock my head. “What?”
His smile spreads right across his face, lighting his eyes up. “A drink with me.”
“Ummm… I was thinking a swim could be good. I’m not sure about a drink. It’d probably put me to sleep.” My gaze drops to take in the suit he’s wearing. Whoa, this dude is built under that suit. I lift my gaze again to find heat in those gorgeous blue eyes of his.
I could do a drink with him.
Who are you kidding, Callie? You’re not even interested in him.
I could be.
Could not.
Shut up. I could.
“How about you get your swim in while I change out of this suit and then I’ll buy you a drink?”
I smile. “Sounds good. In about an hour?”
He nods. “I’ll meet you at the bar.”
As I check in, I try to muster up some interest in the guy.
He’s hot.
He’s dressed well.
He’s friendly.
Did I mention, hot?
And yet, I hardly see him when I look at him.
All I see—all I ever see—is Luke’s face.
“What are your plans for the rest of your holiday here?”
I sip some of my vodka and look at the guy sitting across from me—the suit I met when I checked in. I’ve been with him for the last hour and I was ready to leave about fifty-five minutes ago. I’m bored. There’s no spark between us at all and yet I know he wants more time with me. He’s already told me he’s staying here for a week for a conference. I’ve been very cagey about my plans because I don’t want to encourage him.
I check my watch.
Five minutes before the hour is up and I can escape. It would have been rude not to stay for at least an hour.
“I’m actually here for a wedding, so I’m busy with my friends. I think they’ve got nearly every minute scheduled.” I laugh. It’s fake as hell. “I’ll be more exhausted by the end of this holiday than when I arrived.”
His smile fades a little. I think he’s realised he’s got no shot here when he stands and says, “It was great meeting you. I hope we can maybe find some time together in the next few days.” He passes me his business card. “Call me if you’re free.”
I watch as he leaves and then look down at the card.
You’ve gotta be kidding me.
A fucking business card?
I throw it down on the table and drain the vodka from my glass.
“A new friend?”
My heart stumbles over itself as I look up to find Luke sliding into the empty seat across from me.
“Ummm, no… not really… no… God, no.” Good God, I am tongue-tied and my mouth needs to stop opening and words need to stop coming out of it.
He smirks. “I figured as much.”
I shift in my seat, squeezing my legs together. This man still affects me as much as he did when we first met. His cocky attitude is still in place, I see. Some things never change. “How did you figure as much?”
His smirk sits firmly in place and his eyes twinkle. “Baby, it was written all over your body the whole time the jerk was sitting in front of you.”
“Oh really? How?” He’s been watching me all this time?
“When you don’t like someone, but you have to spend time with them, your whole body stiffens into this awkward pose where you kind of lean forward with your back so damn straight it looks like the most uncomfortable position in the world. And you have this strained look on your face that makes me think you’re probably grinding your teeth. And then there’s the way you tap your foot. All dead giveaways.”
I stare at him.
My breathing is shaky and I feel light-headed.
I’m not prepared for this.
I thought I was, but I’m so far from prepared it’s laughable.
When I don’t respond, he leans forward a little. “How are you, Callie?”
I think I may have just moaned.
I hope it wasn’t out loud.
That voice, though.
God, how I’ve missed that voice.
“I’m doing okay. Things could be better, but I guess that’s life, right?”
He nods. “Yes, it is.”
“How are you?”
“Well, if you asked Avery, she’d tell you I’m still a moody bastard, and I guess she’s right. I don’t function well without you.”
Oh, God.
He’s not holding back any punches.
I smile. “Yeah, you always were a moody bastard when you didn’t have me keeping you in line.”
He grins and settles back into his seat. “I miss you.”
I sigh. “I miss you, too, Luke.”
He eyes my empty glass. “You want another drink?”
I quirk a brow. “You’re going to allow me to have another one?”
He stands. “Smartass.” Jerking his chin at the glass, he says, “Vodka?”
I nod. “Thank you.”
I do the only respectable thing I can do as he walks to the bar—I check out his ass.
This may get messy.
Because, goddamn it, Luke owns my heart and it looks like I still own his.
When he returns, he places two drinks on the table. Vodka for me, whisky for him.
“Where is everyone?” I ask as I drink some of mine.
“Their flight was cancelled due to bad weather in Brisbane. They won’t be here until tomorrow.”
“I’m confused. Why are you here, but not them?”
“When Mum booked the flights, they were short a seat so she booked me on an earlier flight because I was the only one not tied down to a commitment today.”
“So, it’s just you and me then…” My voice drifts off with my thoughts.
“Just us, Callie,” he murmurs.
Yes, very messy.
“How’s Sean?” I blurt out, desperate to steer the conversation in another direction.
His lips twitch. He knows what I’m doing. But he plays along. “He’s doing really well. Started school this year and loves it. And he’s spending time every week with Jolene, which has really settled him.”
Happiness floats through me at that news. “How is Jolene?”
He drinks some whisky and eyes me over the rim of the glass. “Surprisingly good. She’s come a long way. The appeal is coming up in a few months, and she’s found a way to think positive thoughts about it. The fact they were able to match DNA evidence from the original murder investigation to Alanis should ensure the appeal is successful. And her relationship with Sean just blows me away.”
I smile. “That’s so good to hear. It sounds like you guys are happy.”
His eyes hold mine. “We’re divorced, Callie.”
I nod. “I know.”
We sit in silence for a couple of minutes, just watching each other. I feel the most relaxed I’ve felt since we broke up. Just being with him makes me happy.
He finishes his drink and places the glass on the table. Standing, he says, “You wanna have dinner together later?”
I try to push the disappointment I’m feeling away. I’m unsuccessful, though, because I was just settling into our conversation. I nod. “I’d like that.”
“I’ll come get you at seven?”
“Sounds good. You want my room number?” I dig in my bag to locate it because I can’t remember it.
“No. I already know it,” he says. “I’ll see you then.”
He leaves me sitting in stunned silence.
He knows my room number.
He was watching me.
I can only hope this won’t get messy.
Or maybe we’ll finally figure out a way to make messy work for us.
Luke arrives early.
I’m not ready.
The room is in chaos, and so am I.
I fling the door open and eye him wildly. “You’re early.” It comes out like an accusation.
His lips twitch as his eyes roam my body. “Tell me you don’t answer the door like that to everyone. Please.”
I look down at what I’m wearing.
Oh, hell.
What the fuck was I thinking?
I throw my arms across my body trying to cover myself. I’ve answered the door dressed only in my lingerie—one of my bras that covers very little and pushes my tits up and out, and panties that consist mostly of string. Well, it may as well be string.
He walks into my room. “There’s no need to cover up. I’ve seen it all before, Callie.”
Ignoring him, I wrench open the cupboard and locate the dress I’ve decided to wear tonight. I rip it off the coat hanger and throw it over my head. In my haste, the zipper gets stuck in my hair.
Fuck.
Please, God, fix this.
Now.
I wiggle and squirm trying to either get the dress on or off. At this point, I don’t care which works so long as the dress isn’t sitting where it is, covering my face with my arms up in the air and my body exposed to Luke.
“Here, let me help,” he says. Before I can protest, he moves close—so close—and places his hands on my dress. He begins trying to separate my hair from the zip, and I commence hyperventilating. His body is way too close for me.
Why did I say yes to dinner?
He eventually untangles my hair from the zip, and just when I’m sending prayers of thanks to the heavens, he slides the dress into place. His hands smooth the dress over my body before moving to do up the zip.
In desperation to stop the madness, I spin around and slap his hands away. “I’ve got this,” I mutter.
He watches me with amusement but doesn’t argue. I step in front of the mirror and almost die when I see the birds nest my hair is now in.
Can this night get any worse?
I head into the bathroom to fix it. Thankfully Luke stays put in the other room. I hear the TV switch on and sigh in relief. He’s got something to occupy himself while I do my hair and make-up.
It takes a good fifteen minutes to make myself presentable. When I head out of the bathroom, I find Luke lounging on my bed, his back to the bedhead, his legs spread out in front of him, ankles crossed.
My heart skips a beat at the sight, and I reach for the wall to steady myself.
He doesn’t seem to notice, thank God, and I continue on my way to finish getting ready.
“I just need to pack my bag.”
He frowns. “Pack your bag?”
I nod at the side of the bed he’s not occupying. “Yeah, my handbag. I dumped everything on the bed when I was looking for something earlier.”
He glances at my handbag contents strewn across the bed and then looks back up at me. “I saw that.”
I narrow my eyes at him and wave my hand in his direction. “What? What is that about?”
“What?”
“That amusement that just crossed your face.”
“Nothing.” He turns his attention back to the television, and I decide to ignore whatever just happened.
I begin sorting through the items on the bed to decide what to pack, and I realise what he was amused by. God, I look like a horny bitch—I’ve got three different bullet vibrators sitting on the bed that I packed in my handbag for this trip. Because you can never have enough of those things.
Especially not when you’ve just done a long stint back in sex-drought land.
I leave them on the bed, finish sorting myself out, and announce, “I’m ready.”
He flicks the television off and leaves the bed to guide me out of the room and to the elevator.
We’re the only people in the elevator and as I check Luke out, I suddenly worry that I’m not going to make it through this night without trying to jump his bones.
He’s wearing a dark grey T-shirt that hugs his muscles in ways I want to hug them, and jeans that cling to his ass.
Goddamn you, Hardy.
Why do you have to be so freaking sexy?
His lips twitch when he catches me checking him out. “You wanna go back to the room and grab one of those bullets?”
I refrain from poking my tongue at him. “Well, they do get the job done,” I mutter.
“Not as well as other things.”
“When one can’t have other things, she has to rely on what she has available.”
He cocks his head. “She hasn’t had anything else to rely on?”
I hold his gaze. “Not in a good eight months.”
My reward for this conversation comes when his nostrils flare and his voice deepens. “She needs a refresher course.”
The elevator reaches our destination and the doors open. Saving me.
He places his hand on my back and guides me towards the restaurant. Ten minutes later, I’m sitting across from him for the second time today.
The waiter places a vodka in front of me and a whisky in front of Luke. I reach for mine straight away and take a gulp. “What time is everyone arriving tomorrow?”
“Around lunchtime. Do you have any plans for the morning?”
“No. You?”
He shakes his head. “The beach looks like a good option.”
“I’m thinking a sleep in at least.”
“How was your flight?”
“Long. And I was sandwiched between two huge guys. I’m all for arm porn, but not on a long flight. I need my space.”
One of his hands is resting on the table, and it clenches as I say that, before reaching for his whisky. He throws some back. “Tell me about the last eight months. What have you been up to?”
“Pretty much just work and writing.”
“What do you do in your spare time?”
Clearly not guys.
“Not much really. I’ve gone out a little bit, seen some sights and met a few people, but mostly I’ve been writing heaps. I’ve almost finished writing two books. How about you?”
“Work and Sean keep me busy.”
I want to desperately ask him if he’s been seeing anyone. Avery’s told me he hasn’t, but maybe she just doesn’t know. I don’t ask him. Instead, I say, “Your mum sounds really happy. I love that.”
“I think this guy might actually last the distance.”
“Why?”
“Because he doesn’t put up with too much of her shit. He’s pulled her into line.”
I purse my lips. “See, why do you say it like that?”
“Like what?”
“When you say he’s pulled her into line, it insinuates she needed someone to do that for her. I don’t see her that way.”
“How do you see her, Callie?”
“I know your mum let you down when you were growing up, and she’s admitted that to me also. But I see her trying. And I absolutely adore her love for life and for love. She’s just trying to find someone to love her unconditionally, Luke. So what if she’s a little unconventional in her approach? Why does she need to be pulled into any kind of line?”
He thinks about what I say, but in the end, I don’t convince him. “I don’t understand her need for constant male attention. I never have. But George seems to be a man who does understand it. He humours her.”
“Well, let’s not forget, you also don’t understand the need to get married.”
“I’ve reconsidered my view on that,” he murmurs.
“I’m glad. Mostly because I figure that means you’ve moved past your hurt, and that was all I wanted for you. I’m so glad to see you happy, Luke. You seem more at peace with life.”
He rubs the pad of his thumb over the rim of his glass. “I’ve made peace with most things in my life. I’ve still got a way to go with others.” I can’t help but feel he’s talking about me.
“Hopefully, time will help,” I say softly.
He stares at me. “Hopefully, it won’t need to.”
My tummy flutters, but maybe I’m misunderstanding his meaning.
The waiter brings our food and effectively ends that conversation. After he leaves, we discuss the fact I haven’t eaten good Aussie food in ages and then just never return to the previous topic. I devour my steak and salad. So good. I’ve loved sampling the food in the States, but there’s nothing like coming home and eating the food you grew up with.
We decide against dessert because I’ve spent most of dinner yawning. I’m exhausted from the flight and sleep beckons so we make our way upstairs.
Luke’s eyes find mine as I unlock the door to my room. “Sleep well, baby.”
Baby.
I’ve missed hearing that word from Luke’s mouth.
“Thank you for dinner.”
His gaze dips to my mouth and my breathing slows. The time passes just as slowly while I wait to see what he does. A couple pass us, laughing loudly, pulling us out of the moment, and his eyes find mine again. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
The only thing that stops disappointment filling me completely is the fact he presses his lips to my forehead and lays a kiss there before he leaves.
46
Callie
I wake the next day to a knock on my door. I pull the covers over my head and do my best to ignore it. It’s probably housekeeping. However, the knocking only gets louder and then Luke calls out, “Callie, you in there?”
I quickly check my phone for the time.
It’s just after eleven.
Jesus, I slept a lot of hours.
“I have coffee,” he continues.
Sold.
I shove the covers off and pad to the door. I don’t even care that my hair is probably a sight and that I never took my make-up off last night. I also push out of my mind that I’m wearing nothing but a sheer babydoll that barely covers my ass.
I need coffee.
He hands over the coffee when I open the door. “You just wake up?”