Lucky for Her

by Stephanie Taylor

  “I get it.” Lana chuckled, but wasn’t amused at his morning antics.

  “Get over here and give me a kiss, beautiful.” He held out one hand for her while he scrambled some eggs with the other. He looked just as at home in the kitchen as she did, but it did make sense. Up until yesterday, he’d had to fend for himself if he wanted to eat.

  Hesitant, Lana lifted a brow. “Is that a demand or a request?”

  “A request.” He tried too hard to give her a sweet smile. She saw right through him.

  Remembering their truce, she decided to give him what he wanted. After all, she enjoyed his kisses and if they were going to be married for any length of time, they’d need to establish some sort of routine. A good morning kiss every day seemed harmless enough.

  She was pleased to see that he didn’t pressure her for more when she simply placed her lips on his. The chaste kiss wasn’t enough to cause her to want more, but the alluring smell of his cologne mixed with bacon and coffee was.

  Pulling away, she bit her bottom lip and tucked her hair behind her ear. “I’ll take the couch tonight.”

  “Does that mean you’ll be joining me?”

  Lana shook her head and rolled her eyes.

  “No. It means you can have the bed tonight and rest a little better. I can sleep on a sack of potatoes as long as it’s dark outside.”

  Lucky turned his attention back to the eggs. “Well, how about this?”

  “Hmm?” She bit off a piece of bacon and chewed appreciatively.

  “How about we both take the bed and you just trust me not to do anything you don’t want?”

  Swallowing down the meat that suddenly felt like sandpaper, she grabbed a glass of orange juice sitting in front of her.

  “No. It’s too soon.”

  “Okay. Fair enough. I just thought we could both sleep well. I’d hate to see you wake up on the wrong side of the bed.”

  “It’s not pretty,” she assured him.

  Eggs finished, he whirled around to scoop some onto her plate. Her upraised hand stopped him.

  “Can’t eat them. I’m allergic.”

  “Oh.” For a moment, he looked a little lost, but finally he grinned. “Note to self: Lana is allergic to eggs.”

  He hurriedly piled the eggs on his plate, along with the bacon and poured them each a cup of coffee.

  “I don’t drink coffee,” she announced, feeling a little embarrassed.

  “What?”

  “I only drink tea.”

  A disbelieving look was shot over his shoulder. “How do you survive?”

  “It’s not easy. I love the smell of coffee, just not the taste. From what my boss used to tell me, I can make a pretty mean cup, though.”

  “How is not drinking coffee even human?”

  Lana laughed again as he poured hot water into a kettle and turned on the stove.

  “So you’re high maintenance.”

  “No way.” With his arms crossed over his broad chest and his muscles showing a brilliant display of hills and valleys, she appreciated the hard work he’d put into his appearance over the years.

  “No eggs, no coffee. Don’t tell me you don’t like chocolate.”

  “Chocolate can soothe the soul, Lucky,” she said as seriously as possible. “Don’t ever joke about chocolate.”

  Shaking his head in amusement, he just stared at her. “Favorite season?”

  “Fall.”

  “Color?”

  “Purple.”

  “Favorite food?”

  “Italian.”

  “So you fixed dinner for yourself last night and just pretended it was for me, too. Favorite Muppet?”

  Uninhibited, she threw her head back and laughed. “Miss Piggy!”

  “I don’t think this is going to work, Lana. Maybe we should divorce right now and save ourselves the heartache. A Miss Piggy loving bacon eater who only drinks tea. What have I done?”

  She loved this side of him. He seemed so relaxed and composed, yet so aware of every move she made. Did they teach them that in police training?

  “Is there anything to do around here?” she asked. They weren’t far from town, but they were just far enough outside of it that she wouldn’t want to have to make the drive unless necessary.

  “How do you feel about hiking?”

  “I’m game.”

  “I thought we could go hiking this morning and have a picnic while we’re out. Then I’d like to take you out to a real dinner at Gina’s tonight.”

  “The steak place?”

  “That’s the one.”

  “That’s too much, Lucky. Maybe we could just grill here or something.”

  “Nothing is too much for my beautiful wife.”

  She hated it when he called her that. She didn’t feel like his wife any more than he felt like her husband. Convinced he was doing it just to addle her brain, she shrugged.

  “Whatever you want. Just remember I’m eating for two. And I’m apparently high maintenance, so I might get expensive.”

  “Two steaks for you, then. And I’ll be happy to buy you whatever you want.”

  About an hour later, Lucky had lunch packed in a small picnic basket and they set out on their journey on a hiking trail close to their cabin. He’d advised her to wear a bathing suit, a suggestion that had caused quite a bit of bickering, but in the end, he’d won. She had a feeling she was going to have to brush up on her arguing skills so she could win occasionally. Being at odds with a police officer, who was trained to interrogate, wasn’t the best place to be.

  The sweltering summer heat was almost bearable in the shade. As they made their way through the hiking trail, Lana rediscovered the beauty of nature. It had been years since she’d gone walking or just enjoyed a stroll with birds chirping around her. Today, she reveled in the small squirrels that dashed across their path, and Lucky stopped her once to show her a baby snake sun bathing on a rock. Frightened the mother was near, Lana was afraid to linger too long. Lucky took pleasure in clucking like a chicken as she scurried away.

  A couple of hours into their journey, the sound of rushing water filled her ears.

  “What’s that?” she marveled.

  “Um…Water?”

  With a look of derision, she propped her hand on her hip. “Is that where you’re taking me?”

  “It sure is. The perfect place to relax.”

  As they rounded the clearing at the waterfall, Lana’s hair pushed away from her face in the breeze and the beauty of Mother Nature once again surrounded her. Directly ahead was a huge waterfall that fell into a beautiful lagoon below. The water was bright turquoise.

  A light mist sprayed her face, cooling her down from their long trek through the woods.

  Lucky was a gentleman and took her hand to steady her over the damp rocks when they began making their way to a clearing for the picnic. As she stepped over the first one, trying to get a feel for her balance, she slipped. Letting out a yelp, Lana prepared herself for the fall, but strong hands caught her under the arms halfway down.

  “Phew. That was close. But remind me when you’re nine months pregnant not to do this. I don’t think my back can take it.” Letting out a strained sound, he hefted her up.

  With squinted eyes, Lana tried to think of something witty to say, but her sense of humor failed her. Carefully, he made sure her balance was steady before stepping away.

  “Got it?” he asked, keeping his hand held out.

  “I’m okay,” she assured him and looked to the smooth rock next to her that might be safer to land on should her behind meet it.

  As they maneuvered their way over the rocks, occasionally Lucky would stop to help her. Once he pulled her a little too close and sent Lana’s emotions into overdrive. She slipped several times after that.

  Finally, they stood on the clearing. Lucky smiled at her and opened his arms wide. “What do you think?”

  “It’s amazing,” she admitted honestly, looking around. Where she stood, the mist was a
little thicker and she could feel condensation forming across her brow and catching in her hair.

  She watched him spread out a blanket over the large, flat rock and take the food from the picnic basket. He’d made them sandwiches and brought a generous amount of water and tea to hydrate them. Lana hadn’t had to remind him that water intake was essential for the baby. Somehow he’d known.

  “So,” she asked as she nursed her water a little while later. Lucky was finishing up his sandwich and halted momentarily.

  “Yeah?”

  “How many other girls have you brought here?” She thought his cheeks turned pink but couldn’t be sure if it was from her question or the heat.

  He shot her a charming grin. “None as pretty as you.”

  “Sweet, but that doesn’t answer my question.”

  Suddenly, the waterfall fascinated him. He chewed slowly and when he finally swallowed, his eyes met hers.

  “You’re not the first. I’m sorry if that disappoints you.”

  Lana shrugged it off, trying to tell herself she didn’t care. But in some strange way, she did. She didn’t pretend to know why.

  “So what happens next? Do we swim and have a romantic moment and end up making love in the water?”

  Lucky’s eyebrows rose into a deep arch above his striking eyes. “No. You deserve more than that.”

  “You’ve given me the impression your goal is to get me into bed as soon as humanly possible. Why else would you bring me here?”

  Lucky heaved a deep breath and shifted his weight so he looped an arm around his leg.

  “It’s a beautiful place. We were close by and I thought you might like it. I didn’t intend to tell you I brought someone else here. You brought that up.”

  “You could have lied to me.” What was the old saying? What she didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her? In this case, she agreed.

  His head snapped toward her. “I don’t lie, Lana. So if you intend to ask me something, make real sure that you want to know the answer.”

  She thought about that for a moment. It spoke measures about his character. But could someone really be that honest?

  Yes, she was an honest person. Why did it seem so far-fetched that he might be, too? Confused, Lana pushed her wet hair away from her face.

  “It seems like all I do is apologize lately. I’m sorry. It’s none of my business who you brought here or why.”

  Lucky scooted over to her so close she could feel the heat from his body. His brown eyes searched hers intently. Without warning, he leaned in and touched his lips to hers, but pulled quickly away.

  “This isn’t the part where we get romantic and make love,” he said.

  Lana just stared.

  “This is just the part where we enjoy making out a little.”

  The smile erupted from Lana before she could stop it. Then she giggled. “Is that right?”

  “Uh huh,” he whispered and speared his hands through her hair, urging her closer. She didn’t fight him, but somewhere in the back of her mind she realized how completely alone they were. They hadn’t seen a single soul on their hike here and none since their arrival.

  A thrill of excitement shot through her. At the moment, her body forgot all the years of abuse and neglect from James and reminded her of exactly what she wanted. Knowing they were alone and able to be as wild as they wanted only fueled her desire.

  She pushed Lucky back onto the blanket and straddled him. Shock registered on his face and Lana beamed. His hands fell possessively against her thighs and she loved how small she felt under his giant hands.

  Lana tucked her hair behind her ear and lay against the length of him, kissing the underside of his jaw. The mist had cooled her skin, but inside of her a different type of heat built. His warm arms came around her waist and then his hands slipped under her shirt, rubbing her back. Her senses were so heightened that goose bumps pebbled her skin.

  “Do you have any idea how many times I dreamed about this in high school?”

  Intrigued, Lana kept silent, knowing he would eventually elaborate.

  “I used to lie in bed at night, thinking of ways to lose weight so you’d notice me.”

  She kissed his neck this time, running her hands through his hair.

  “Obviously, I never did lose any weight, but I did get you to notice me.”

  “When you asked me to the prom.”

  “Yeah. You noticed me enough to say no.”

  “Let’s not talk about that.”

  “Would things be different, Lana, if I were still overweight?”

  Rising up on her hands, she looked down into his strained face. She owed him no less than pure honesty, just as he’d given her.

  Tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear again, she sat up, resting against his bent legs. He followed her up, propping himself up with his hands behind him.

  “I don’t know, Lucky. I mean, there’s no denying that you’re attractive now.”

  “But…” he urged, keeping his eyes trained on her face.

  She bit her lip, afraid to admit it but wanting to give him the truth. “I think it would change things, yes.”

  The waterfall was back in his line of vision as he nodded solemnly. Then, practically dumping her on the blanket, he stood.

  “I think I need to go for a swim,” he said. She watched in amazement as he dove into the water, shoes and all and came up a good distance away.

  Lana hated that he’d asked her such a question. The honest answer was she didn’t really know how she would feel if he was overweight. She guessed that the physical attraction she felt for him wouldn’t be as strong, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t still be the same person on the inside.

  It was so cliché to think about, but it was the truth. Looks weren’t the most important thing. Her father had tried to tell her that the evening she’d admitted he had asked her to the prom, but she hadn’t listened and, in fact, had argued that her reputation would be ruined if she went to the prom with someone like him.

  What had she been thinking?

  Aside from health purposes, it dawned on her then that Lucky would still be the same person he was now. And in a few months, the tables would be turned and she would be overweight, her belly bursting. Would he find her attractive then?

  She knew the answer was no.

  “You gonna sit there and day dream or come in and join me?” he called.

  Lana wasn’t about to waste any more time wondering about things that didn’t matter. They were married and he offered her protection from James and a father for her baby. Even if he did gain weight in the future, and it was a real possibility, their relationship wasn’t physical. She couldn’t say it would always be that way given her reaction to him, but she didn’t think it was possible to say there wouldn’t always be something there. When she was honest with herself, even in high school, she’d felt something toward him.

  Not attraction or even gratitude; it was as if they were kindred spirits, and he had seemed to recognize it long before she did.

  With a smile, she stood. She had Lucky’s full attention. First, she pulled her shirt off, revealing the swimsuit top underneath. She hadn’t bought one in years, but this one had been so lightly used, it still looked good. After a quick glance to make sure Lucky was still watching – and he was – she turned to present her back and unbuttoned her shorts. As she stepped out of them, she bent low, giving him a good view of her derriere.

  When she turned, his eyes were wide and his Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat.

  “I bet you dreamed a little about this, too,” she called to him.

  “You have no idea,” he returned.

  “Is it everything you expected?”

  “Get out here and let me show you.”

  With a giggle, she dove in and swam over to him. She was barely above the water before Lucky’s mouth was on hers, hot and slick. Kissing him back wasn’t a hardship, but as his hands roamed her body, touching her in secret places and massaging her skin
so she went limp against him, she realized the real problem was stopping without giving them both what they wanted.

  “Lucky,” she said, grasping at his shoulders and trying to ignore the way he fit between her legs so perfectly. “We have to stop.”

  “No, we don’t,” he said and went back to his heated manipulations. She gasped as his hands cupped her behind and hauled her against him.

  For the life of her, she couldn’t say no. But she couldn’t say yes, either. Sleeping with Lucky would be mixing business with pleasure, and it just wasn’t smart. But the man could kiss and he was determined to make her forget all the good reasons why they shouldn’t make love.

  “Lucky,” she tried again, her body on fire everywhere he touched or kissed her.

  “Just hush,” he whispered.

  It was then she realized he was drifting them toward the blanket. She knew if they got to it, there would be no going back. Her body was ready, and if her thoughts would just shut off, they could have some mind-blowing sex.

  But Lana didn’t want it to be just sex. And that was the entirety between her and Lucky. Pure, physical lust.

  “Do you love me?” she asked, knowing this was the only way to snap him out of his one-track mind.

  “What?” he asked, frowning.

  “Do you love me?”

  Just as she suspected, Lucky stopped moving them, and his frown deepened.

  “What kind of question is that?”

  “I want to know the answer.”

  “You know I don’t love you, Lana. That wasn’t part of the deal.”

  “Neither was sex.”

  His full lips pressed together in a tight line. “Touché.”

  Lucky started to swim away, but she grabbed him.

  “That doesn’t mean I don’t want to.”

  “Make up your mind.”

  “I just don’t want you to think it has anything to do with high school, or…anything really. I just have to keep my head on straight. I can’t do that when you’re around me.”

  His temper worked its way through his pulsing jaw. Piercing eyes nailed her in the water.

  “Should I gain some weight to make sure this doesn’t happen anymore?”

  It was ridiculous for her to feel so bereft as he swam away from her and lifted himself out of the water. It was even more ridiculous for her to feel like she’d done something wrong. Her sanity hung on a tattered line ready to break at any moment.