Sandra felt the hair on the back of her neck prickle at the implication someone would choose his boating shop over hers. She studied his face. He could be baiting her. She couldn’t read anything from his expression. A clap of thunder rang out overhead and the rain thumped hard against the windows, causing an uncontrollable shiver to run the length of her spine. She was swiftly running out of arguments, she realized.
“You have a point,” she grudgingly conceded. “If you’ll play fair, I will too.”
Luke gave Sandra a warm smile. An unexpected light glittered in his eyes. “It’s a deal then,” he said with a nod. “We’ll be friends.”
Sandra stretched her arm out and offered him her hand. She hoped the small gesture would make it clear that she had no intentions of becoming romantically involved despite the sensuous kisses they’d shared hours before.
“Friends?” Her voice sounded far away in her own ears as she waited to see if he would accept her hand. After what seemed an eternity, the warmth of his hand met hers.
“Friends,” he said finally in a deep voice. Triumph shone on his face. “Now, what do you say to dinner?” he asked, releasing her hand with a smile.
Sandra laughed realizing how hungry she was. “Sounds good to me.”
The food tasted delicious; fresh green salad, rice, bakery bread and a light white zinfandel wine all added to the flavor of the shish kebabs. Sandra had never known a bachelor could be so proficient in the kitchen. They talked about her move from Oklahoma, sailing stories and the people of Fort Walton. Sandra thought she recognized an edge in Luke’s voice when she mentioned meeting Hank. Whether Luke simply didn’t like Hank or if it was his invitation to Sandra he disapproved of she couldn’t tell.
“The dinner was excellent,” she told Luke, sitting back in her chair and looking down at her empty plate.
“I thought you’d enjoy it. Scrimp kebabs are one of my favorites.”
The rhythmic pounding of the rain combined with the dinner wine made Sandra feel sleepy and content. And only a short hour ago she’d been furious at Luke. So mad in fact, she’d seriously considered walking home in the rain. She stared past Luke’s wide shoulders, out the window. All she could see were streaks of water glistening upon the black pane. How long would the storm continue? It had been raging since they’d sat down to eat. Would he wait until it ended to take her home? she wondered, unsure now if she wanted to leave.
“That storm sure made its way here soon enough.” Luke commented, breaking through Sandra’s thoughts.
“Will we be safe here?” she asked as she watched the hall light sway from side to side. “I know you said she’s as sound as a house, but we’re right on the tip of the bay.” As if in reply, the walls creaked disapprovingly against the force of the upcoming wind.
“You bet we’re safe. As safe as you’d be at home in the Sea Breeze, anyway.” He smiled and met Sandra’s gaze. He had the most unusual eyes, she decided. When he was mad the blue of his iris’ were crisp and cold looking like a slab of ice, but when his mood turned, they were the warm blue in a summer sky.
“Why don’t we go downstairs and finish our wine? It’s a bit more stable on the lower floors.” His voice sounded low and melodic, almost hypnotic, cutting through her musings. She’d only drunk two glasses of wine. Were they influencing her judgement?
Over dinner, she’d enjoyed Luke’s company and let her guard down, again. She hadn’t stuck to her resolve to leave at all. She wondered if she would be any better at turning away his embrace. She needed to leave soon. Looking down at her wrist watch, she strained to read the digital face on her Timex. Nine-thirty, she sighed with relief.
“I really must go. My father’s attorney will be over tomorrow at ten o’clock to settle some of the paper work on the estate.” Sandra eased up from her chair and stood motionless as Luke studied her from head to toe. He knew why she wanted to leave, she thought and cursed herself for being so obvious.
“I’ll go down and get you a poncho and find the keys to the truck,” he said and left without further explanation.
Sandra watched Luke disappear into the dark galleys of the boat. Listening to his footsteps tread evenly against the planks, his leather soles squeaking lightly with each stride, her heart fluttered with the fall of each of his steps. A part of her, she realized, never wanted to leave Luke’s side.
Shadowed lights flickered through the stairwell. Another clap of thunder sounder; the boat shook. Sandra wrapped her arms around her chest for support as she stared at the flashing bolts of light. What had gotten into her? She was acting like a love starved teenager or at the least a love starved adult. It hadn’t been that long since she’d had a man in her life. There had been Andy. Still was, she supposed. Their relationship was open ended without any parameters. It wasn’t like he loved her, however, they met one another’s needs for companionship. Sure, she’d always hoped for more. She’d simply never met up with the right man, assuming that there was such a thing.
Feeling Luke’s warm presence beside her, Sandra looked up with a start. Luke had entered the room without her hearing him. She must have been deep in thought. Holding out a bright yellow poncho for her in one arm, he placed his other arm around her shoulders and stroked the bare skin of her arm. Waves of heat flooded her body.
“These coastal storms can be unnerving,” he said in a throaty baritone. “We should be fine getting you home, though, as long as we take it slow.”
Sandra accepted the poncho and moved away from his touch. Despite the restless pounding of her heart, she managed to button up the last button on the coat. “I’m ready to go.” She muttered, turning towards the door and giving him her back. She had to put some distance between herself and Luke while she still had the strength to do so.
CHAPTER SIX
Luke watched Sandra out of the corner of his eye as he tightened his grip on the truck’s steering wheel. From the way she clung to the opposite end of the bench seat, you’d thought he were a monster. One thing was clear, she didn’t want him near her, he thought bitterly. Her only reason being he owned The Emerald Boat. He knew she found him attractive. Not that she’d admit it. He’d felt her body move into his embrace. He’d read the smoky passion written in her eyes after they’d kissed.
Staring ahead at the road, he turned into the lane leading across the Pensacola Bridge. He hadn’t meant to keep the shop a secret from her. How could he, for heaven sake? Everyone in the area knew him. Then again, he’d forgotten to mention he wanted to buy the Sea Breeze from her, too. Not that his omission surprised him. Every time he got near the woman, he found himself occupied by other things, like the fragrance of her hair or the slight dimple in her chin.
Why did it make any difference to her what he did for a living? he wondered. And what had she meant when she told him, business was war, in no uncertain terms? Did she honestly believe he lay awake nights scheming up ways to take the Sea Breeze from her? It was true that he’d like to buy the business, though that most certainly wasn’t what he wanted from her now. Maybe in the beginning, but not now. Surely, she wasn’t serious when she’d told him she’d run him out of business. Regardless of anything else, Luke had to admit the woman had spunk. He’d always considered Ben a bit on the feisty side, even stubborn, but he couldn’t ever remember being as put out with Benjamin Harris as he was with his daughter right at the moment. Ben had been slower to anger than Sandra. Like his daughter, though, once riled, he’d plant his heels so deep that there wouldn’t be any reasoning with him. Somehow, he suspected stubbornness might be a family trait. If so, Sandra had inherited her full share.
By habit, Luke let the truck turn onto the bridge turn off, the tires screeching their resistance. Stealing a glance at Sandra, he noticed her clinging to the arm rest, fighting to maintain her stronghold on the opposite side of the vehicle. A twinge of guilt stabbed at him and he eased his foot off the accelerator. Driving like a maniac wouldn’t help matters. Being a poor driver would be just one more co
mplaint among a whole list she already had against him. For the life of him, he didn’t know why he even cared what she thought, but he did. Something about Sandra always brought his emotions to a head. Was it simply because she was Ben’s daughter and he missed his friend or was it more?
“What are you doing trying to scare me into selling out?” she asked interrupting his thoughts.
Luke shot her a cool stare, but continued to keep his speed to the posted limit, though his knuckles whitened with his grip. “If I wanted the Sea Breeze that badly,” he began through gritted teeth, “do you really think I’d stoop to scaring a woman out of it?”
Silence engulfed the car, making Luke’s skin prickle. He’d expected her to lash back at him, tell him what a creep he was. Instead, she sat silent. The hint of a smile lifted the corners of her mouth. Good grief, she must be planning his funeral, he thought. He couldn’t imagine anything else that could make her smile at that moment.
“Luke Caldwell,” she began in a voice as soft as a kitten’s purr, “I want you to know, if I’d ever ridden in a car with you before tonight, I’d never have agreed to go sailing with you.”
“I suppose that means that next time, you’ll drive?” They both laughed, simultaneously. Their argument suddenly seemed trivial. Why had he become so upset? He couldn’t remember ever getting mad over a woman’s rejection. It simply reinforced what he already knew. Sandra Harris was certainly not cut from your typical bolt of cloth. In a sailmaker’s loft, she’d be the high tech. Kevlar next to the cotton sailcloth. Her beauty wasn’t the kind you’d search out across a crowded room. Her features were attractive in a subtle way that grew on you. He was beginning to care about Sandra in a way he hadn’t cared about someone in a long time.
Sandra leaned back in the seat and tried to relax. The small confines of Luke’s truck unnerved her. It had been hard enough to ignore the man sitting mere feet away when she still had the pretense of being mad at him. Now with that shattered, she had no defenses left.
Catching Luke’s gaze in her direction, every muscle in her body tensed. Her right hand clenched the arm rest tighter. Calm down. Relax, you’ll be home in a moment, she reprimanded herself and took in a deep breath. The spicy aroma of his aftershave and the clean scent of freshly fallen rain filled her lungs. A part of her ached to ease over next to him, to bury her head in his chest and soak up his masculine fragrance. Another part of her wanted to escape. Luke Caldwell held way too much control over her. Control wasn’t something she wanted to surrender to anyone, much less Luke.
As they cleared the Bay Bridge, Sandra realized Luke would be pulling into the drive of the Sea Breeze in a matter of minutes. Her only hope, she decided, would be to go straight inside and avoid him on the way in. Between the hint of wine rushing through her veins and the essence of the man sitting mere feet from her, she didn’t trust herself to even shake his hand goodnight. All it would take is one light touch to send an array of impulses tingling up her arms, warming her inside out. Before she’d know what had hit her, she’d in his arms. Not that he could sway her head to sell the Sea Breeze. No amount of wine or sexual attraction could change her mind. She simply didn’t need the distraction in her life and she didn’t want to involve herself with someone she’d inevitably have to compete against. Luke might genuinely believe the things he’d said about not being a direct competitor, but she sure didn’t. In war, only one person won. There were never awards for second place.
The sound of the truck’s tires crunching down on the shell gravel in the Sea Breeze’s parking lot made her stomach knot. The brakes gripped the vehicle to a halt. This was it. She’d have to get out quick or she’d miss her chance. Grabbing the door handle, she turned it and pushed her way out of the cab. Taking several steps towards the shop, she suddenly realized Luke was waiting for her in front of the truck. Her breath caught as her heart tripled its beat. She stared up into his eyes. Was he experiencing the same feelings? Did he hang on her every touch, every smile and word? She wondered.
“What’s the hurry?” His voice sounded deep, husky, masculine. His somber eyes held Sandra’s. Their smoky blue hue reflected her passion. His face was hard; his lips were puckered into an endearing pout. She pulled her gaze from his, down to his bare calves.
“I really do have to go,” she blurted out, staring at the hard sinuous muscles in his tan legs. Unfortunately, fixating on his legs didn’t seem to be any the less unsettling than his blue eyes. “I do have a . . . busy day tomorrow.”
“A gentleman always walks a lady to her door,” he told her, a devilish grin playing upon his face. His eyes met hers in a challenge.
“You consider yourself a gentleman then?”
“Yes, of course. Are you implying otherwise? What kind of cad do you take me for?” he asked in feigned mock innocence as he laced his arm into hers, leading her towards the shop as if directing her onto a formal dance floor.
When they reached the side door, he released her arm allowing her to fit her house key into the lock. As the latch slid open, she hesitated not daring to open the door wide enough to allow him to follow her in. She could feel the warmth of his body inches away from hers. Indecision clung to her every breath. Turning to say goodnight, her eyes caught the v-shaped neckline of Luke’s shirt. Through the top open buttons on his collar, inky black curls showed. Her throat grew dry. Was there nothing about this man that wasn’t enticing? She looked up into his face, wondering if he could read her thoughts. His lips, full and luscious, curled in a smile that shown of anticipation.
He stroked a strand of hair back from her face. His touch dipped behind her ear and trailed a lingering path down her neck. Sandra took in a deep, raged breath. “I really must . . .”
He touched his index finger to her lips, stopping her words in mid-sentence. “This, Ms. Harris, has nothing to do with business,” he stated in a low whisper. Before she had time to wonder what her meant, Luke’s mouth came down upon hers, gentle and hot. He nibbled at the edges of her mouth, teasing and inviting her to join him.
At the touch of his tongue’s caress, a current of passion washed over Sandra, leaving her weak and entangled in a cobweb of emotions. Her knees buckled beneath her and she sank into the hardness of his body. This shouldn’t be happening, her common sense nagged at her out of the far corners of her mind. The only thing she knew about Luke Caldwell was that he wanted her business and supposedly had been her father’s best friend. Neither attributes spoke of his having an upstanding character. In fact, if she were to listen to reason, she should run into the house, as fast as she could and void him at all costs. As their kiss deepened, a whimper of both despair and pleasure escaped from her and all reason left her senses. Like the incoming tide’s effect on a child’s sand castle, Sandra felt her defenses crashing under the waves of his consuming touch.
Then she felt his body tense as though doing battle with his own thoughts. His kiss lightened to a mere caress. She felt his gaze warm upon her face. Looking up at him through half lidded eyes, her senses slowly fell back into place. What was she doing in this man’s arms? she wondered in dismay, though the realization wasn’t enough to make her pull free. A part of her needed this man. A part of her welcomed his embrace.
She searched his features, trying to find an unspoken clue to his thoughts and emotions. His eyes held a gentleness and awe in them that she had never seen before, as though he were looking at a priceless painting and not her. He stood motionless. His muscles were taunt as if he were afraid to move or he might break something. Sandra felt her heart swell in her chest, while inside her thoughts a panic button sent a nervous chill up her spine. No man had ever looked at her with so much blatant passion or so much adoration.
“What do you think, my mermaid?” A sensuous, lazy smile formed upon his parted lips. “Should we call it a night or have the stars just begun to shine?”
“I really . . . should go in,” she whispered, not knowing if she were asking him inside or asking him to leave. She couldn’t
seem to break through the passion filled fog that flooded her thoughts nor could she totally abandon all reason. A cool damp mist sprayed her feet. A crack of thunder told her, it must be raining again, though she didn’t look away from Luke. The contours of his face shadowed, lent him an alluring quality that all but emanated danger with his wide shoulders and his forceful stance. A flicker of lightening revealed the pale scar against the dark skin of his neck she’d seen earlier.
Sandra heard herself sigh with resignation. There was no denying, she desired him with every fiber of her being. With only the slightest push, she knew she would surrender herself to him, a man she’d known less than a week. Her better judgement kept warning her, she’d regret letting down her guard. At the moment, however, her better judgement didn’t have a chance.
“You have your meeting tomorrow.” Luke’s deep voice reminded her as she noticed a sullenness steal over him.
“Right.” A dull edge clung to her voice as she pulled away from his light touch. She couldn’t believe he was dismissing her, telling her to run along to bed before she got into trouble. Raking her hand through her bangs, a large lump froze in her throat. She pressed her lips tightly together into a frown. She knew she shouldn’t be upset with him. She’d been waiting for him to make the decision for both of them. However, a very real part of her wanted him to take that final step that closed her fate and silenced her reason. In her heart, she knew he’d wanted that too. What a time for noble intentions to rear their ugly heads. She wasn’t sure what Luke’s motives were, but he appeared intent on saying goodnight.
Realizing he was waiting for her to speak, Sandra blurted out the first thing that popped into her head. “Thank you for the dinner. I’m sure we will be seeing one another around town.” She immediately wanted to usher the clipped words back into her mouth. Watching Luke’s face, she waited for what she had said to sink in. His expression remained unchanged except for a subtle twinkle of amusement in his eyes. Sandra wished she could find the humor in the situation.
Sea Star Legacy Page 10