His Sister's Wedding

by Carol Rose

  She knew the Chateau by its reputation only, never before having been to the restaurant that sat like a jewel on the shore of Lake Tohepe Kaliga. According to its reputation, the five-star restaurant catered to those wealthy enough to possess very discerning palates.

  This kind of evening would take a chunk out of anyone's budget, particularly if that someone had a small business and was putting a sister through college.

  Lillie turned to voice an instinctive protest, swallowing it when she realized they had stopped in front of the restaurant and a doorman was opening the car door for her.

  This was one of those moments when a man could misread a woman's well-intentioned comment. If Luke wanted to take her out and spend a fortune, he wouldn't appreciate her questioning the money.

  Pulling the car to a stop next to the parking attendant, he got out.

  "Hungry?" Luke smiled at her as he took her hand and led her into the restaurant.

  "Yes," she responded, feeling completely off-balance. Never had she expected a dinner this elegant from Luke. He just didn't seem the type to wine and dine a woman.

  Inside, the Chateau was lit by beautiful chandeliers and softly glowing candles at every table. The tables were covered with linen and gleaming cutlery with sophisticated flower arrangements gracing each one.

  In the background, classical music played.

  Lillie watched Luke as he spoke to the maitre'D. With his dark suit jacket molded across his broad shoulders, he almost seemed like a different man.

  Immediately, a waiter appeared to lead them to a table situated next to a great expanse of window overlooking a garden. Spangled with a hundred hidden lights, the green lawn ran down a slope to the edge of the lake. Beyond the shore, the water glittered like black diamonds, reflecting a heavy golden moon.

  The beauty of it caught at Lillie like a dream. She could imagine lovers lost in such a place, winding their way through the trees and artfully arranged shrubbery.

  After the waiter held a low-voiced conversation with Luke regarding which wine they'd prefer, the man disappeared as quietly as a ghost, leaving them alone.

  Luke stretched his hand across the table to clasp hers. "You look terrific." His smile widened, the sudden devilish glint in his eyes more like the Luke she knew. "But I'd have loved to see their reaction if you wore that red dress you tried on at the bridal shop."

  A startled laugh escaped her. "The waiter would throw a tablecloth over me."

  "He doesn't look like he has much appreciation for natural beauty," Luke agreed, his dark eyes skimming her face.

  Lillie smiled self-consciously, unprepared for this new, almost gallant side of the man who'd invaded her dreams.

  "I was only teasing you the other day," he said softly. "I never meant to upset you so much."

  "You only meant to upset me a little," she concluded with a lift of her eyebrow.

  "That's right," Luke chuckled. "For some reason, I like getting a response from you." The heated look in his eyes seemed to scorch her.

  Drawing her hand back to fuss with her napkin, Lillie searched for a smooth change of subject. "So, are you making any progress with the vice-president of that company you want to work with?"

  He leaned back in his chair. "I'm almost finished with my proposal."

  "What made you go into landscape design?" She'd wondered about that as her curiosity about him grew.

  "I fell into it." Luke shrugged. "I needed a way to work my way through college. Mac McPherson gave me a job."

  "But something made you stay in the field," Lillie persisted. "You got a degree in it, right?"

  "Yes." Luke's face turned thoughtful. "I like the solidness of it. Putting something into the ground and watching it grow. I get to arrange each project the way I want it and I get immediate results."

  "You're not a desk job type," she murmured.

  He shook his head, ruefully. "I'd go nuts. I don't mind the details of the office stuff for the business, but I couldn't ever see myself working for some big corporation."

  "Your wine, sir." The waiter appeared at the table.

  Lillie watched Luke as he went through the ritual of tasting the wine.

  She'd been wrong to dismiss him as a Neanderthal in the beginning. True, he did have a problem sharing his emotions, but she couldn't doubt that he had passion. She saw it when he talked about his work, the complete sense of commitment in his face. The only subject that brought more conviction to his voice was Melanie.

  Loyal to a fault--he'd jump off a cliff to save his sister. Why couldn't he find room in his heart to forgive his mother? It was hard to make sense of the combination of devotion and apparent callousness.

  As she watched him across the candlelight, Lillie heard again his mother's words. Bob is great at sweet words and big promises, but he isn't the type of man you can rely on.

  Certainly, no one could ever say that about Luke. He might have his faults, but unreliability wasn't one of them.

  More than once, Lillie had heard her mother giving thanks for her father's steadfast nature. He'd remained committed to her in every word and deed through the toughest of times.

  "Would you care to order now?" Their waiter murmured.

  All through dinner, Lillie puzzled over the thoughts chasing through her mind. Just what was love? What made one man commit for a lifetime to one woman? In all her fantasies, her dream lover poured out his emotions for her like a fountain--openly and without reservation. Wasn't communication just as important to love as loyalty?

  Eating her meal on auto pilot, she responded politely to Luke's conversation, but her heart kept up its struggle. Everything in the atmosphere conspired to keep her tangled up. The soft music and beautiful surroundings. The seductive garden in the moonlight.

  And Luke across the table, looking good enough to eat.

  Lillie lay down her fork, giving up on any pretense of hunger.

  "Luke!" An older man in a dinner jacket materialized beside their table. "Henri told me you were here with your lovely date."

  Luke stood to clasp the other man's hand. "How are you, Tom?"

  "We're doing well," the man glanced conspiratorially at Lillie, "as you will see when you get the check."

  "I'm sure I will." Luke's smile was easy. "Tom, this is Lillie Parker. Lillie, Tom Clarenden. He owns the Chateau."

  "Nice to meet you," she murmured, wondering at the connection between the two men.

  "Your gardens are magnificent as always," Tom said, nodding toward the window.

  Luke laughed. "They're your gardens. I just planted them."

  "You do more than that, my friend. You keep them groomed to perfection."

  "I'm glad you're pleased with our work."

  "Very pleased." The older man smiled at Lillie. "You must bring him back soon. This is his first visit for dinner. He usually just comes here to work."

  Lillie smiled back, unsure what to say. Would she and Luke even see each other after the wedding?

  The drive home was even more quiet. Unable to resolve the churning in her mind, Lillie lapsed into silence.

  "Are you sure you don't want to go dancing?" Luke asked as he pulled the car into her drive.

  "I'm really tired." She met his gaze briefly, her heart hammering at the warmth she'd never seen there before. "But it was a lovely dinner."

  Getting out of the car, she made her way up the sidewalk, his presence behind her sending all her senses into chaos.

  Her key slipped into the lock and turned smoothly.

  "I appreciate you accepting my offer of truce," he said, his face intent in the glare of the porch light.

  He stood there, so solid and strong, an unspoken question in his eyes. She knew she'd been too quiet all evening. Luke probably had no idea of what was going on in her head.

  Without thinking, Lillie slid her arms around his neck and reached up to kiss him.

  His arms closed around her in an instant, bringing her up tight against his body. What started as an impulse to re
assure him, turned swiftly into something much more potent. With his lips crushing hers, she felt the thunder of his heart through his shirt.

  Surrounded in his touch, the sweep of his tongue against hers, the heat of him flooding her, Lillie kissed him for all she was worth. Luke so rarely needed reassuring; she couldn't let the moment pass.

  Pressed against him, her breath tangled in his, Lillie lost herself in him, felt herself evaporate in the heat of his tongue against hers. For an instant, she knew completeness, soul-deep connection, the marvel of union.

  Pulling back minutes later, Lillie gasped out, "Good night," and fled into the house before she surrendered to her desire. She wanted Luke too much, wanted...everything with him. But would he ever allow himself to really love again?

  * * *

  Lillie shut the door to Luke's office. Tamping down her nervousness at seeing him again after their date last weekend, she pushed up the sleeves of her pink top and wished she'd worn something cooler over her leggings.

  At least, she'd managed to anchor her riotous curls in a high pony tail--not the most professional look, but better than having it escape into unruly ringlets.

  Luke had been too much in her thoughts, staking claim to her dreams and disrupting her peace of mind. All her preconceived ideas about love seemed tumbled by him, his presence, his touch. She didn't know what to think anymore, only that he held an energy that made her vibrate. Just coming here made her tremble in anticipation.

  The office was empty, only the hum of the air conditioner giving evidence that someone was still here on a Saturday afternoon. Opening a door at the back of the utilitarian office, Lillie found herself in a store room, rimmed by heavy shelves stocked with gallons of pesticides and fertilizers.

  Wrinkling her nose at the acrid, chemical-laden air, she crossed to another door at the back of the room.

  A tall, open-air warehouse extended beyond the store room, consisting of a concrete floor with a metal-frame roof supported by posts all around. The air was fresh here, still thick with heat, but redolent of woodsy, earthy smells. Beyond neat piles of bags and bales, Lillie saw rows of shrubs ready to be planted.

  She spotted Luke in an instant, his head and torso visible through the taller shrubs. Getting a grip on her unruly pulse, Lillie coached herself

  That was the plan. Unfortunately, Luke had a way of disrupting the best of plans. Just the thought of him standing on her porch, the faintest uncertainty in his eyes after the fabulous dinner he'd arranged, touched her heart.

  Lillie glanced around. The warehouse was empty except for Luke and herself.

  Walking briskly down the wide aisle between the various stacks of landscape supplies, Lillie tucked the cake design book more securely under one arm. As she came closer, she saw that he was standing in the middle of some kind of display.

  He looked better than fantasy, a t-shirt molding his broad shoulders, his muscular thighs encased in well-worn jeans.

  Luke stood, critically surveying what looked like a miniature lawn. Tastefully arranged shrubs of differing heights and appearances were clustered around a square of artificial turf, ringed by a stone fence. Bright flowers overflowed their pots and huddled near a bench.

  "Hello," Lillie called cheerfully, determined to get the better of her thundering heart.

  Luke swung around, startled out of his concentration on the project. A welcoming smile dawned in his eyes. "Hi."

  "I brought a sample book for you to pick the cake design." Stopping at the edge of the artificial turf, she glanced around at the display. "I thought you did your landscape designs on paper. Isn't this a lot of work to do for each new job?"

  Luke shook his head. "It isn't for a job. I'm laying out a mock-up to photograph for my proposal. A lot of companies want this contract. I'll have tough competition for attention."

  Glancing around the display, Lillie had to acknowledge his talent. The plants were arranged in soft clusters, as if they'd sprung naturally from the concrete floor.

  "What do you think of it?" He appeared at her elbow.

  Something in his face caught her attention, a combination of focused concentration and confidence. She'd seen the same purposefulness in him every time his business was mentioned.

  A sudden flash of irritation hit her, followed quickly by a spurt of humor. He was serious enough about his own work, while not hesitating to view her work lightheartedly. When she thought about standing in the bridal shop dressed like Scarlett O'Hara, she wanted to bash him with something.

  Lillie put the sample book down on a wooden bench and pretended to give the display studious attention. She might have accepted his offer of a truce, but that didn't rule out a little pay-back. "Well," she murmured, "it's nice, but it needs something."

  "It does?" Luke frowned as he scanned his design.

  "Uh hmmm." She paced over to a graceful willow in a five gallon pot, trying to appear as if she were deep in thought. "I know! You need an attention-getter. Something to get the vice president to sit up and notice you. A gimmick!"

  "I don't know," Luke hesitated. "This is a business contract."

  "All the more reason to add a little pizzazz," Lillie insisted, keeping her face earnest and her voice strong with enthusiasm. "Ultimately, you have to appeal to the company's customer--women are the major household purchasers." She edged behind a thick border, enjoying the sensation that she'd chosen to tight-rope walk over the tiger's den. He made her want to push boundaries, to challenge him.

  "And you think this design won't appeal to women?" Luke wrinkled his forehead, skepticism evident on his face.

  "I know!" Lillie gasped as if inspiration had hit her. "You could take off your shirt and be working in the display photograph."

  "What!?"

  Clasping her hands in enthusiasm that wasn't totally feigned, Lillie continued. "You could wear really short cut-offs and some work boots. Maybe have a bandanna knotted around your neck. You could make this a selling point for your business--sexy gardeners! The women customers would go wild!"

  Across the booth, Luke glared at her with wrathful eyes. A short, disbelieving laugh erupted from him. "You can't be serious."

  "Oh, but I'm perfectly serious," she protested, fluttering her eyelashes at him. "Remember the commercial a few years back with all those women gawking at that construction worker on his soda break? The actor was drop-dead gorgeous. You're almost as attractive as him." She struggled not to giggle at the expression on his face.

  Something flickered in Luke's eyes, as if his sense of humor warred with his concentration on the display.

  "You could make it a theme on all your jobs," she chattered, staring danger in the face heedlessly. "Hire great-looking hunks for your crew. You'll have companies flocking to you."

  A dawning smile tugged at the corners of Luke's mouth.

  "This is my business you're making fun of," he warned her softly. "Don't you know how sensitive men are about their livelihoods?"

  "I don't know what you mean," Lillie fluttered, stepping over to place the bench's bulk between them. "I'm just trying to be helpful. I'm just sharing my 'professional romantic's' point of view."

  Luke leaned forward, his body taut, arms braced on a section of stone fencing. "You are?" His tone was soft, but fire lit his eyes.

  Lillie took another step back. "Oh, yes. I know how important this is to you. I think this bare-chested thing could be your ticket to phenomenal success."

  Laughter bubbled in her, threatening to erupt as she spoke. "Bored housewives everywhere would stand in line to hire you. All you'd have to do is flex a little."

  "That does it." Luke vaulted over the fence toward her.

  Self-preservation sent Lillie dashing in the opposite direction, skidding around the display and turning to dodge through the stands of shrubs. Adrenalin, laughter and excitement exploded in her chest, her breath catching with each giggle. She heard him behind her as she veered around a stack of bagged pine mulch at the back of the shed.

  T
hey circled the stack, facing each other, the predator and the prey, each focused on gaining the advantage.

  "I don't know what you're so upset about," she gasped as she dodged a bush. "You should be complimented."

  "I'm not upset," Luke growled, his face filled with menace, promise, and a joyful exultation in the chase. "I'm very grateful for your help. I'll show you how much when I get my hands on you."

  Lillie's step faltered at the thought. Heat and hunger surged in her veins, a rush of tumult that didn't still her laughter, but made her heart thunder faster. Quicker than a flash, she ended the stalemate, rushing to the left, dodging between square stacks of baled peat moss.

  Knowing she'd caught him by surprise, she whipped around a high stack with a momentary sense of safety. He couldn't see her here. Hesitating only a second, she ran around the pile, hoping to confuse him by heading back toward the display.

  Intent on reaching the display, Lillie shrieked in surprise when Luke grabbed her from behind.

  Laughing and gasping for air, she didn't resist as he hauled her around to pin her against the tall stack of baled peat moss.

  "Don't you know better than to mess with a man about his work?" he asked, close enough that she could feel the warmth of his body. He held her there, trapped between his chest and the earthy scent of peat, his strong hands inescapable.

  Lillie stared up at him, not wanting to escape, feeling as if she were drowning in sensation and longing. He loomed over her, the tug of his masculinity sapping her of everything but a blazing hunger.

  Laughter died as their gazes locked, smoldering coals bursting into flames between them.

  She met his kiss as he lowered his head. It seemed so long since she'd tasted his lips, desire radiating from him. Luke dragged her to him, his powerful arms locking around her body.

  He kissed her like a man who'd discovered light and life, as if he'd never kissed before and now found himself consumed in the activity. Pinned against him, Lillie felt the swell and bunch of his shoulder muscles beneath the thin covering of his shirt. Heat exploded between them, hotter than the Florida afternoon, soaking into her body like an answer to an ache.