She’d gone to dinner to find out about Miguel, not to spew her private drama all over Luke. But one comment about her sister, then the call from Dad, and the floodgates opened. It felt so good to talk to another adult who seemed to care what she had to say. It wasn’t a one-sided conversation like she was used to. Luke asked questions about her work and family, and genuinely seemed to want the answers. She couldn’t remember the last time she and Daniel had a serious, meaningful conversation like that.
Which was probably why she agreed to go back to his place. Cass wanted to talk about Miguel. It had absolutely nothing to do with wanting to get to know Luke. Nope. Not at all.
Luke pulled his red sports car to the curb on 19th Street in front of a line of brick row homes, then got out. She exited her car and looked around the neighborhood. It was the same street she’d had her Uber pick her up from.
Pretty typical Baltimore. Similar to where she lived across town. Unevenly paved roads. Worn cement sidewalks. Wide front porches. It had character. History. Personality.
Walking up beside her, Luke stared at the view in front of them. “I know you might not recognize it since you were asleep when I carried you in the other night”—he glanced at her out the corner of his eye—“and you ran out so fast the morning after, I’m not sure you noticed anything except your ride waiting by the curb.” He let the comment hang in the air between them.
Smooth transition. “Sorry about that.”
He continued to face forward, but kept shooting sidelong looks her way as they walked. “Big important appointment to get to, huh?”
She didn’t want to lie. But she couldn’t come right out and say it, either.
“I love my sister. I really miss her.” It was the truth. She did love and miss her sister. It just wasn’t the reason she’d been in the park. That eased a little of her anxiety about lying.
This time he craned his neck to look at her fully. “That’s what you’re sticking with? The story about your sister?”
They reached the first step leading to the front porch. Cass halted to a stop. “Yes, why?” Nerves made her voice come out like a high-pitched squeal.
He stopped, too, but much less abrupt, and faced her with a doubtful expression. “You mean to tell me you ran out of the house the other morning because you had to get to the park right that second to think about your sister?” She was about to open her mouth and respond, but he went on. “Not to mention, she isn’t even here in Maryland. She’s hundreds of miles away. So not much to rush for, is there?”
He had a lot of room to talk.
She placed a hand on her hip and let her tone reflect her growing irritation. “And you mean to tell me that you had to take pictures in the middle of a desolate park on one of the coldest days of the year?” He seemed like he was going to say something, but she jumped back in. “And it’s not even your actual job.” She lifted her eyebrows and waited for him to respond. It works both ways, buddy.
He scratched his ear as his jaw worked. “I didn’t have a choice in that.”
“Ha,” she said. “Typical. It’s always someone else’s fault, isn’t it?” Just like Daniel. He had to have sex with the one who shall remain nameless. It wasn’t his fault. The woman must have tripped and landed on top of him.
“Yes,” Luke responded, “in this instance, it wasn’t my choice.”
She crossed her arms, not only in defiance but because the temperature was vicious without the sun. “Oh, really? Please, tell me the all-important reason you had to take pictures in the park in freezing temperatures.”
He gave her a peeved look as if he realized how whipped he sounded. “My best friend’s getting married. His fiancée wanted engagement pictures. I was told to get my ass to the park to do it or else.”
Oh. She’d seen the man and woman posing, but didn’t really give it much thought at the time. She’d been so focused on Miguel and the other boys.
“Well,” she said, her temper cooling, “as far as explanations go, that’s not a bad one.”
One corner of his mouth quirked. “Do you wanna go inside to warm up? Your face looks like a frozen blueberry.” His finger swiped down the bridge of her nose, making heat spark across her cheeks. The touch was meant to be casual, but her body didn’t get the memo. It reacted as if he’d just asked her inside to get down and dirty. And she wasn’t against the idea.
Her hands flew to her cheeks in an attempt to cover up her involuntary reaction. Whoa, girl. Get a grip!
He gestured with a lift of his arm for her to go first. As she walked up the stairs, his hand landed along the base of her spine. She worked to control her breathing and do her best not to lean into him as she waited for him to unlock the door. It would’ve been so natural to do it. He was the perfect height. Her shoulder came up to his underarm, so he could easily wrap his arm around her and keep her warm and safe.
She could be attracted to Luke all she wanted. Nothing was going to happen.
Miguel. This is about Miguel.
Keeping that thought in mind, she took a larger-than-necessary step through the door. He entered and turned once to look outside. He scratched his ear again, and she could have sworn he mumbled something resembling, “Tough shit,” before sliding his right hand into his pants pocket.
He hooked the collars of their jackets on a coat rack next to the door. “Would you like something to eat? I’m sure there’s something leftover in the fridge.”
She paused and turned to look at him. “We just left the restaurant. If you were still hungry, we could’ve—”
“Drink,” he said quickly. “I meant drink. Do you want something to drink?”
“Uh, sure, whatever you’re having. Thank you.”
He flipped on a table lamp in the living room and then the overhead light in the kitchen. Other than that, the house was dark and silent.
Taking in the decor of the room, she was more than a little surprised. Copper-colored carpet. Beige sofa with navy and brown flowers. Oak tables. Small TV on a metal bookcase. She didn’t take him for a ’70s aficionado, but then again he only lived here. It all must be the older women’s furniture.
“Where are the ladies tonight?” she asked.
“Out,” he said, from the other room. “No clue where. Bingo. Church. A nightclub. Honestly, I have trouble keeping up with their schedule.”
The thought made her chuckle. Maybel, Estelle, and Celia didn’t seem like the type of old ladies to sit around and let the days pass in boredom.
Some things clattered, the sound of an item landing hard on the counter, then the cabinet doors closed. “They lead the neighborhood watch if you can believe that,” he said.
“Really?” She thought about the ladies and the way they’d practically interrogated her in her office, and she could believe it.
He reentered the living room with a steaming cup, and Cass nearly jumped on him to retrieve it. “Thank you.” Gripping the mug, she waited for the heat to melt her hands.
Luke pressed a button to turn the TV on. A basketball game appeared on the screen. Since it didn’t seem like he was going to change the channel, she figured it was some important game he couldn’t stand to miss.
When she shot him a questioning glance, he shrugged and placed the remote on the table. “Can’t stand the silence.”
Her heart clenched. What guy would admit that to someone he just met? Plus, she completely empathized. There had been many nights she’d left the TV on in the bedroom, desperately trying to fall asleep in the stillness, waiting for Daniel to get home. It seemed they both understood what it was like to be lonely.
Cass settled on the couch, blowing into her extra hot drink. When Luke sat beside her, his thigh touching hers, she forced the sudden lump in her throat down. Something about his energy, his charisma set her on edge. It made her blood pulse in her veins like millions of extra heartbeats.
She cleared her throat and got her mind in the proper direction. Miguel. “So, back to my question.”
He swallowed and released a sharp exhale. “Damn, that’s hot. Which one?”
“About photography. I’m confused. You’re so afraid of your friend’s fiancée that you braved twelve-degree weather just to help out?” That wasn’t what she was most concerned about, but it was a good way to get back on topic.
“Pretty much,” he said with a playful slant to his lips. “I value my life.”
His free hand rested on her thigh, just below where her skirt ended. The touch sent a flurry of tingles through her. She liked his touch. A lot.
“You value your life?” she asked, breathy.
His fingers idly toyed with the skin at her knee. It was so casual, so normal, that she wasn’t sure if he realized he was doing it. “My friend’s fiancée can be really freaking mean when she wants to be.”
“Yeah, but what about the other things you said. You mentioned stash and Serrano. What does all of that mean?”
His fingers froze. “I told you—I was worried you were trying to sell drugs to those high school kids. Stash is another term for drugs.”
Of course he would choose the most obvious question to answer first. She scooted an inch or two to the left, creating space between them. “What about Serrano? Who’s that?”
He pulled his hand back and balled it into a fist. Sipping from his cup, he took his time swallowing before placing it on the table in front of them. “I don’t remember saying that.”
Loud, blaring alarms went off all over her body. Every night Daniel had told her he was working late. Every message she’d left him and never got back. Every time she lay awake in bed wondering if he was okay…it was that kind of warning. Luke was telling her what he wanted her to hear. He wasn’t being honest.
“Really?” she asked. “You don’t remember insisting that I was moving in on Serrano’s territory and pushing my own stash?”
“I don’t.” His voice didn’t break, but his left eye twitched.
Coincidence? Maybe. But probably not.
Luke moved closer, not only resting his leg against hers, but also his hip, side, and shoulder. He took the liberty to drape an arm behind her. Almost as if he was just placing it on the sofa. But then he curled the opposite shoulder forward and went back to tracing circles against the top of her thigh. “Has anyone ever told you how amazing you smell?”
“No.”
“I find that hard to believe.” He lowered his nose to her neck and inhaled. “It’s intoxicating. It’s been driving me crazy all night.”
He smelled amazing, too. Clean. Brisk. Refreshing. She almost closed her eyes and savored the sensations stirring inside her. His warm breath fanned her skin and sent quivers down her spine, gathering at her stomach. It would be so easy to arch into him and let his lips make contact. Being kissed just below her ear was her favorite precursor, and a surefire move in the direction of yes, you will get some. She would grip the back of his head, digging her nails in, and hold him where she needed him.
His hooded gaze found hers and a slow curve splayed his lips. His rough finger trailed down the column of her neck, and she damn near climbed on top of him.
But since that wasn’t what tonight was, and she couldn’t afford to get distracted, she pulled back to get a handle on her body’s reactions.
The blue in his eyes glowed as if he’d just won some sort of competition. “You have no idea the things that went through my head the night we met,” he said in a husky voice. “Then having you in my bed and not being able to do anything about it…” He made a rough sound. “And seeing you in this dress.” His hand toyed with the tie at her waist. “But you’re here now.”
Yes, she was here now. And she was going to take advantage of it.
She snapped her fingers in front of his face, making him blink and jerk back. “Concentrate.”
He crossed an ankle over the other knee, but kept the motion on her leg going, moving north with each spin. A finger flipped the hem of her skirt up once, twice. A shudder rolled through her before she caught herself.
Cass smashed a hand over his, stopping his ascent. He countered by squeezing her thigh muscle with his large, open palm. She didn’t anticipate the jolt of energy that surged up her leg from such a seemingly insignificant move.
She cleared her throat and said, “Serrano. Elaborate.”
Cass removed her hand from his, but he kept his on her leg, like it belonged there. Like he owned it or something. The heat, the power, the electricity was evident. And he knew it, goddamn it. He knew what that one simple touch would do to her. As if the smug gleam in his eyes wasn’t enough to prove his point, he laid it on thicker with an even smugger smirk.
“I don’t know what you’re referring to,” he said. “Sorry.”
Lowering his mouth, he dipped to her neck again. The hand at the back of the sofa came around and tangled in her hair. She wanted to purr. Another move she loved. The man was batting a thousand tonight with turning her on. There was something so erotic about his mouth at her neck and his hands in her hair, holding her—no, forcing her to do as he commanded. Cass hated being commanded to do anything. But when it came to her pleasure, she’d follow a capable partner wherever he deemed necessary.
It appeared that if that partner was Luke, she’d take instruction like a master.
“Nothing?” she breathed. “Not even a teeny tiny little bit?”
He made a noncoherent murmur.
“Luke,” she said, pulling back with effort. “Seriously. Talk to me.”
He paused, his body rigid. After a moment, he said, “Not even a teeny tiny bit.”
A different kind of heat bubbled inside her. One that worked its way toward her hands and made her ball them into fists. One that ventured to her jaw and made her clench down.
What. A. Liar.
Just like Daniel.
Cass pulled away to place her coffee next to his on the table and got to her feet. “Thanks for dinner. It was nice knowing you.”
Luke leaped from the sofa. “Wait. Why are you leaving so fast again? Don’t tell me you turn into a pumpkin at”—he glanced at his watch—“nine thirty.”
She reached for her coat next to the door. “It’s late. I have more packing to do. And I can’t stand liars.”
He was behind her in an instant, standing inches from her back. Her body betrayed her for a second, leaning onto her heels toward him.
He placed a hand over hers, stopping her from taking her jacket off the hook. “Stay.”
The touch sent charged currents up her arm. She closed her eyes and inhaled a long, slow breath to keep her sanity in check. She kept her expression flat when she turned, meeting his soft, blue gaze.
“Please,” he said softly.
Cass watched his features go from self-assured to vulnerable in that half a second. She couldn’t help but be slightly amazed at the change. What did it matter to him if she came or went? Why would he care either way?
She had to know…
“Give me one good reason,” she said.
He never took his eyes off hers. “Because I want you to.”
She waited for him to crack. It had to be there. That tiny blip of hesitation again.
Cass waited, but it didn’t come. Luke’s face didn’t change. The vulnerability was still there, but he was totally serious. He wanted her to stay for no other reason than because he wanted her to.
She didn’t want to go, but she wasn’t dealing with another Daniel.
Letting her hand drop, she faced him fully.
“If I’m going to stay,” she started, “then we’re going to have ground rules.”
His lips tightened, like he knew what was coming. “What kind of ground rules?”
“Honesty. That’s the first one. I’m not dealing with any more liars. Think you can handle that?”
His shoulders relaxed and so did his expression. “Both sides? The rules apply to you, too?”
She pulled back, offended he’d suggest it would be one way. “Of course.”
“All right, deal.” That was quick. Maybe this wasn’t the best idea after all. His smile transformed into something wolfish, then she really started to worry what she’d gotten herself into. “Let’s add a little fun to it, though.”
“Fun?” Oh, no. “What do you mean ‘fun’?”
His smile broadened, making her feel like she was being run over by a Mack truck and yet loving the entire experience. Damn his naughty smile and those accompanying dimples.
Stay strong, Stone.
“You ask me something, and I’ll tell you the truth,” he said. “But then I get to ask you something right back, whatever I want, and you have to be honest, too. No skirting the question. Deal?”
This wasn’t what she’d signed up for. She’d given up plenty of stuff about herself already. She wasn’t keen on the idea of sharing more with him. Not when she wasn’t even sure he was telling her the truth about himself to begin with.
He was still smiling and seemed to be enjoying—she was sure—watching how fast her emotions flew across her face.
But really, what could be the harm? She’d be lying if she said she didn’t want to know more. It would be her first real opportunity since Daniel to flirt with a man. An insanely good-looking man who made her pant from just one look. It was uncustomary for her to do anything that she wanted to do. The prospect was appealing. “Fine. Deal.”
Then he shot her with a glance so mischievous, she felt it all the way down to the insides of her thighs. Yep, she’d just gotten roped into something she was going to regret.
Luke gently pulled her back to the sofa. They both sat, and she hesitantly turned to face him. “I’ll go first.”
Still grinning, he gestured for her to proceed.
Crap. If he wasn’t going to fight her, that meant he already had a question lined up. He was buttering her up.
In Walked Trouble (Under Covers) Page 9