Like it or not, she was going to have to let him stay. But she wasn’t about to make it easy on him. If he really wanted to be a partner, he was going to have to work. She was tired of carrying everyone. Lucas Kane would have to pull his weight, or she would send him packing. But as long as he was here, she might as well make the best of the situation.
Pretending to weigh her options, Kati finally nodded. “All right,” she agreed, her voice none too happy. “But I’m warning you, you pull your own weight, do what you’re told and stay out of trouble. Understand?”
“Kati.” Laughing softly, Luke dropped his hands to her shoulders and gave her a little shake. “I’m your partner. You don’t have to give me orders.”
Kati blinked up at him as his words echoed through her head. She had never dealt with a man, any man who could hold his own and pull his weight. It wasn’t going to be easy, but she at least had to try. It was the only thing to do under the circumstances.
“Luke…I’m—I’m sorry. I’m not usually so—so—” Kati searched for a word adequate enough to describe her behavior.
“So rude?” Luke offered helpfully.
Kati nodded and flushed.
“And cantankerous?”
She nodded again, growing redder.
“Crotchety and bad-tempered?” His husky voice was filled with humor and Kati couldn’t help but smile. Under the circumstances, he was being very kind. She wasn’t so sure she could have been as generous if the situations were reversed.
“You left out ill-mannered,” she told him, sighing. Her strength and resistance defused, Kati rested her forehead against his broad chest, feeling like an idiot for all the things she had said and done to him since he had walked into the diner.
“I was getting to that,” he said softly, lifting a hand to stroke the back of her hair. Just for a moment, she allowed herself the pleasure of his comfort.
“You know what your problem is?” he asked, and her head snapped up.
Five minutes and already he was going to tell her what her problems were! What did she expect from a friend of her brother? Her defenses instantly went up.
“No,” she snapped, feeling unaccountably threatened, “but I have a feeling you’re about to tell me!”
“Your problem is you’re used to dealing with little boys who pretend to be men.” His voice dropped to a husky whisper that caused her pulse to dance deliriously. “I’m not your little brother, Kati. I’m a man.”
“A man,” she repeated dully. The word echoed through her mind and she couldn’t help but wonder how on Earth such a harmless word could suddenly sound so ominous.
“Yes, Kati,” he said huskily. “A man.” The big calloused hands that had so gently stroked her hair now slipped around her waist, pulling her closer. Kati’s breathing slowed, and her thoughts tangled like thread on a spindle as he gathered her reluctant body close.
Suddenly wary, Kati stiffened as the heat of his body warmed hers. Maybe she couldn’t do anything about this partnership business, but she sure could do something about this physical attraction that arced between them.
“Please?” she whispered, her eyes pleading. She raised a hand to his chest to put some distance between them, but the rapid beat of his heart beneath his shirt frightened her beyond measure. It matched the rate of hers.
“Please what?” Luke was so close, his sweet breath beat upon her skin until she was certain he could see her quivering. “Did you know you smelled good?” he whispered, burying his face in her luxuriant hair. She wiggled uncomfortably.
“Do the women you know smell bad?” Kati asked flippantly, wanting only to break the thread that seemed to be tugging her closer to him.
“Oh, Kati.” A deep masculine chuckle broke loose from his chest. Tightening his arms around her, Luke brought his mouth ever so close to hers.
She tried to take a deep breath, but somehow she couldn’t, the air seemed to jostle her rib cage. Instinctively, she licked her lips, knowing he was going to kiss her yet feeling powerless to stop him. Her eyes met his. Knots tightened her stomach and she felt like she’d been stuck in a vise. There was something in his eyes, something she couldn’t identify, but she knew it frightened her.
“Kati.” His words came out a soft moan and her lips fell open in breathless anticipation as she raised her face to his.
It was wrong, her mind screamed, but her body and her senses paid no heed. Guilt and fear evaporated like fog on a misty morning as Luke’s lips gently lowered over hers.
The first touch of his mouth was brief and light, like a ray of sun glancing off the first spring flower. Her eyes jerked open in stunned disbelief as his touch jolted through her, weakening her limbs and stunning her already dazed senses.
Sensing her fear, Luke’s lips slowly caressed her, drawing and coaxing a response until her lashes lowered again and she sighed, not knowing if it was desire or despair that rocked her.
Shyly, she kissed him back, letting her own lips follow the movement of his. Luke coiled his fingers through her silky mass of curls, pulling her closer. She slid her arms around him, enjoying the masculine feel of him. He was all muscle and hardness, and she allowed her senses the full pleasure of him as her hands caressed his broad back, his wide shoulders.
Expertly his mouth explored hers, demanding a response her traitorous body gave. Tantalizing shock waves rippled through her, leaving burning desire in their wake. She drank in his sweetness, knowing she was growing more intoxicated with each nerve-splitting second.
Luke sighed against her mouth, his breathing shallow and ragged. Lifting his head, his blue eyes settled on her swollen lips and a flush crept up her face.
“A man, Kati,” he said firmly, tapping the end of her nose affectionately. “Try not to forget it.”
Astonishment widened her eyes as Luke turned and walked from the kitchen. As if in a trance, Kati lifted a hand to touch her swollen lips, feeling an unexpected quickening in her pulse. A man, her mind echoed, and she shook her head. How on Earth could she forget? But more importantly, how on Earth was she going to get rid of him?
Chapter Four
Where is he?” Kati demanded the next morning as she yanked open the screen door to the diner.
“Who?” Bessie rounded the counter to pour fresh coffee for Vera. Vera’s ears perked up at the sight of Kati.
“My partner,” Kati hissed, making the word sound as angry as she felt.
“Luke?” Bessie frowned. “Honey, he’s out back in the kitchen. Why?” Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. “What’s got you so riled up this morning, Kati Rose?”
“At four o’clock this morning I heard—” Kati stopped abruptly. Vera was leaning out of the booth in an effort to hear and was in imminent danger of falling flat on her well-made-up face. Grabbing Bessie by the arm, Kati steered her into a corner and deliberately lowered her voice. “I don’t know what Luke was doing in my diner in the middle of the night, but I heard the most ungodly noises coming from down here. Doesn’t the man know I live right upstairs?” she hissed. “I don’t know what he was doing in my diner at that hour, but if he thinks—”
“Kati, wait—he’s wasn’t doing—Luke didn’t—” Bessie stopped abruptly at Kati’s scowl.
“Don’t tell me you’re going to start sticking up for him?” Kati demanded, one brow arching in surprise.
“Kati Rose Ryan!” Bessie huffed indignantly. “I’m not sticking up for anyone. But before you go getting yourself all worked up, you’d better go see just what the man’s been doing!”
“I can just imagine what he’s been doing,” Kati muttered, turning and storming across the diner with Bessie right on her heels.
“Luke?’ Kati called, pushing through the swinging door and stopping so abruptly Bessie bumped into her. “Luke! Where are you?”
“Right here,” Luke said from somewhere inside the refrigerator. All she could see was a pair of long jeans-clad legs and a rather large pair of feet.
“What are you doing i
n my refrigerator?” Kati demanded, resisting the urge to rush over and slam the refrigerator door shut, preferably with him in it! The sight of someone, particularly him in her kitchen first thing in the morning immediately set her off. All her protective instincts rose to the surface. This was her private domain, and she wasn’t accustomed to finding someone in here nosing around.
“Oh, Lordy,” Bessie muttered, shaking her head and rolling her eyes toward the heavens.
“Your kitchen?” Luke said mildly, pulling his head out to look at her. “I thought we settled all this last night.” One dark brow lifted in mild censure and Kati silently cursed her quick tongue.
“Sorry,” she said, forcing herself to be polite. “Poor choice of words. By the way, what are you doing?”
“Just rearranging some supplies.” Luke closed the refrigerator door, and Kati tried not to grind her teeth. For a man who didn’t know anything about the restaurant business, he certainly seemed right at home. The man apparently hadn’t wasted any time trying to take over!
Glaring at him, she noted absently that he was dressed much the same as yesterday. A pair of faded jeans clung to his lean hips and long legs. His shirt today was brown plaid, complemented with pearl snap buttons left open at the collar. Kati tried to ignore the flash of bare bronzed skin and dark curly hair that peeked through the opening. She was not about to be sidetracked by a handsome face or a beautiful pair of baby-blue eyes.
“You look pretty worked up this morning, Kati,” Luke teased, his eyes dancing wickedly. “What’s the matter, karma out of whack again?”
His words caused her temper to flare. Clenching her fists at her side, Kati took a threatening step closer, fully intending to throw him out bodily, if need be. Patience, she cautioned herself, coming to an abrupt halt. She couldn’t let him get to her. Once Luke got wind of the kind of work involved in the day-to-day running of a diner, she had no doubt he would bolt as fast as his long legs could carry him. Until then, she had to control her temper and her tongue. But that didn’t prevent her mind from imagining all the things she’d like to do to him.
“I want to know what you were doing in my—” Kati inhaled slowly, trying to calm herself, “—in the diner in the middle of the night, making enough racket to raise the dead!” Inching closer until she was practically toe to toe with the man, Kati looked up into his amused face, not certain if the rapid thump of her pulse was from her anger or from the man’s nearness. “Did you think I wouldn’t hear you?” she asked incredulously. “I live right upstairs!”
“Now, Kati Rose,” Bessie soothed. “It’s not his fault. Luke here didn’t know you lived upstairs and besides…” Her voice trailed off as Kati slowly turned and fixed her with a glare.
“What were you doing?” Kati asked him again.
“Just what you told me to do,” Luke said with a lazy smile. He leaned his hip against the counter and poured himself a cup of coffee.
“What I told you to do?” Kati’s eyes narrowed suspiciously, wondering what kind of game he was playing. “The only thing I told you to do was leave. And I don’t recall that you paid much attention. You’re still here,” she couldn’t help adding.
Luke drained his cup and set it down on the counter. He reached out, dropped his hands to her shoulders and spun her around before she could open her mouth to protest. Kati’s eyes widened and a soft whimper escaped her lips. A brand new commercial stove with the latest up-to-date features sat proudly in the corner.
“Oh, my word!” Kati breathed softly, letting her eyes caress the new appliance. When she told him to fix the stove, she had no idea the man would go out and buy her a new one! Blinking away her shock, Kati turned to him, her brows furrowed in confusion. “But how—when—I don’t understand.”
“Told you so,” Bessie gloated, sliding her hands in the pockets of her apron and smiling smugly.
“What happened to the old stove?” Kati asked, shaking her head in confusion. This was totally unexpected and left her feeling slightly off balance.
“You told me yesterday you wanted the stove fixed by today,” Luke said calmly. “Now we both know that my knowledge of the restaurant business isn’t exactly extensive. But I do know when an appliance is beyond repair.” He shrugged. “Yesterday I ordered the new stove. I was going to tell you, but when I came in here yesterday afternoon, you had your hands full with Tibbits. And after Tibbits left, well…” His eyes gleamed wickedly and Kati shifted her frame. Did he have to remind her about the kiss they shared? She’d been trying hard to forget it!
Flustered now, Kati turned her gaze to the new stove. Her gratefulness was all mixed up with her fear. What business did he have buying her a new stove? she wondered crossly. Even if he did own half the diner, he had no right. He hadn’t even asked her! She didn’t want, nor would she accept any help from this man. Not money, not labor and most especially not his kindness!
This was her diner, Kati thought fiercely. Hers! She’d learned the hard way never to depend on anyone but herself, and that wasn’t about to change now, partner or no partner! She didn’t need him, or his newfangled appliances! Resentment burned deep, coiling her nerves as tight as a rope.
“How did you get it in here?” Kati asked suddenly, watching Bessie and Luke exchange furtive glances. Why did she get the feeling that something was going on here, and she was going to be the last one to know? Kati glanced from one to the other and they both grinned.
“I gave him my key,” Bessie finally announced, and Kati’s eyes widened in stunned disbelief.
“You what?” Bessie, her loyal devoted employee, had apparently crossed over to the enemy! What kind of spell had Lucas Kane cast over the usually cautious woman? Kati wondered. Probably the same charming one he had cast over her last night, Kati mused, trying not to smile.
“How’d you expect him to get the stove in,” Bessie inquired, as if daring Kati to object, “through the window?”
That was just the point, Kati thought in panic. She didn’t want Lucas Kane in here, she wanted him out! The sooner the better.
“Don’t you have some work to do?” Kati asked Bessie pointedly, giving her the eye.
“Don’t need no building to fall on me to let me know I’m not wanted,” Bessie huffed, pushing through the swinging door.
Feeling Luke’s eyes on her, Kati quickly turned away. The way he was looking at her dragged up a longing from somewhere deep inside, and she found herself slightly breathless. Perhaps she shouldn’t have been so quick to send Bessie out front. She wasn’t certain she wanted to be alone with this man, wasn’t sure she trusted herself to be alone with him.
“We had a heck of a time getting the stove through the door,” Luke explained, rubbing his chin absently. “It took longer than I expected, so I made breakfast for the deliverymen. Don’t worry, I paid for the food. If you’ll check the register, you’ll see the money’s in there.”
“I wasn’t concerned about the money for the food,” she said lamely, feeling a sudden bout of shame for her behavior. She knew he was standing right behind her and the urge to bolt grew strong. “Must have cost a fortune,” she murmured, struggling to keep the conversation going and on a professional level. When there was no answer forthcoming, Kati tilted her head a bit until his face came into view. Her eyes slid over his features, and she felt herself inexplicably drawn to him. Lord, he was handsome!
“Did it?” Kati finally stammered, finding her voice.
“Depends on what your idea of a fortune is.” His eyes snared hers as he propelled her around by the shoulders. Kati squirmed uncomfortably as the warmth of his hands seeped through the thin cotton of her blouse, sending her heart thumping into overtime. How could his eyes be so blue, she wondered, knowing it would be much easier to keep this man at bay if he wasn’t so darn good looking and good natured. Why couldn’t the man have three chins and a big ol’ black wart? she wondered miserably. Certainly then, well, she amended mentally, maybe then she’d be able to keep her wits about her. Kat
i had a feeling nothing could detract from this man’s virility. It throbbed from every inch of him.
“You’re not going to say it, are you?” Luke asked, his eyes glinting in humor.
“Say what?” she inquired, trying to pretend that his nearness wasn’t affecting her.
“That you were wrong about me.” A lopsided grin spread across his face, and she caught a flash of perfectly white teeth.
“Wrong!” She had no idea her face was as transparent as a bride’s nighty!
“Yes, wrong. And that you’re sorry,” he went on, totally ignoring her outburst.
“Sorry!” She tried to duck out from under his hands, but his fingers only tightened on her shoulders, holding her in place.
“Yes, sorry,” he repeated, his smile growing wider. “And a thank-you, wouldn’t hurt either,” he suggested, lifting a hand to brush a wad of curls off her cheek. She tried to ignore the intimate gesture, but the reckless thud of her heart made Luke hard to ignore. His fingers were callused against her skin, but his touch was unbelievably gentle. She was shocked at the feminine instincts that throbbed to life at his simple touch. Bravely, Kati met his gaze. There was something in his eyes, something that caused her resentment to melt like wax under a flame.
“Oh, all right!” she finally grumbled, more annoyed at herself than at him. “I was wrong. I’m sorry. And thank you.”
“Don’t you ever get tired of handling everything yourself?” Luke asked, and Kati took a deep breath. His question caught her totally off guard.
She was strong—now. She had worked hard and long not to need or want anyone, ever, and she wasn’t about to let one handsome blue-eyed son of a gun roar into her life unwelcome, and unwanted, and upset the settled order of things.
“No,” she said firmly, shaking her head. “I don’t need anyone.”
“You don’t?” Luke countered, sliding his hands to the nape of her neck. Slowly, he tilted her head back until she was forced to look at him. His blue eyes probed hers, wondering and asking, and Kati tried to turn away, knowing she couldn’t—no, wouldn’t give him the answers he sought. Tension vibrated the air. “It’s not a character flaw to need someone, Kati.” His words were soft, his eyes kind, and Kati felt her heart flutter.
Kane and Mabel Page 5