As I flipped my head back over again, my breath caught as I saw Luke standing next to his sister, taking me in, his eyes devouring me with such desire my legs almost gave out.
My gaze darted from his, but it was too late. He’d cast his spell on me.
“Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful,” he murmured, as Mia gave me the last few instructions, but I barely heard her. His words shook me to my core. I worked on autopilot as I fought down the emotions running through me as Luke looked on. The way he looked at me held such promise for something more, but I refused to get my hopes up.
“We did it,” Mia announced, hopping on her toes. “I can’t wait to begin painting. I only use the photographs to capture certain aspects. I’m no photographer. In fact, I suck so horribly that no one but me will get to see these.”
“That’s completely unfair,” I laughed. “I had counted on getting to see them all afternoon.”
“You’ll get to see my paintings as long as you stick around. I promise, but you should let my brother capture you with the lens. I bet it would be breathtaking.”
I glanced at Luke and his gaze hardened before he looked away. He obviously didn’t like being put on the spot by his sister.
“Will you be needing anything else with Hannah?” Luke asked his sister.
Mia looked amused as she watched her brother. She shook her head and flashed a smile in my direction. “I do need to return the dress to the boutique.”
Luke shook his head. “No. I don’t want her to change. It’ll work well for where I want to take her tonight. Tell Melanie I’ll cover it.”
My heart fluttered as his gaze fell to mine, and I wondered how on earth I’d be able to resist him.
Luke
“Anything out of the ordinary?” I asked Mitch.
He took a sip of coffee and shook his head. “Nothing, sir. They’re around the corner. While Hannah was taking a break, Mia told me this would be the last group of shots.”
“Is that so?” I glanced behind the house and saw my sister. “I’ll take over from here, Mitch. You can go home now.”
“Thank you, Mr. Fletcher. Call me if you need anything.”
“Will do.”
Mitch walked away as I slowly made my way over to where my sister was kneeling down, adjusting her camera. She glanced at me and beamed as she pointed toward a pergola. My gaze followed her finger and my heart nearly stopped. Hannah had her head flipped over, her blond hair flowing as her fingertips gently teased the strands. Her body was wrapped in a crimson dress that hugged every curve, leaving very little to the imagination.
She flipped her head back up, her gaze catching mine.
“Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.” I hadn’t meant to say it aloud, but she literally took my breath away.
My sister began taking more shots, and I watched how Hannah’s gaze teased the camera. With every movement of her hips, swing of her arms, all I could think of was holding her tight. It took everything I had not to rush over to where she stood and press my mouth against hers. It was unfair of me to assume that she’d even want that.
I had our plans all set for tomorrow, but the idea of spending tonight with her was all I could think about. There had to be a way to convince her to have dinner with me. Not even hearing what my sister and Hannah were talking about I interrupted, “Will you be needing anything else with Hannah?”
“I do need to return the dress to the boutique.” Mia grinned at me, completely amused.
“No. I don’t want her to change. It’ll work well for where I want to take her tonight. Tell Melanie I’ll cover it.”
Hannah’s eyes fell to the ground, and I wondered if I was too forward, too presumptuous. I hadn’t even asked her.
“Whatever your plans are, I hope dinner is somehow included,” Hannah replied, her eyes meeting mine as she took a step forward.
Mia quickly gathered her things and gave me a quick hug and whispered next to my ear. “Be careful,” before turning to wave goodbye to Hannah.
“Thanks for such a great start,” Mia said. “I’ll see ya back at the house.”
Hannah nodded but her gaze quickly connected with mine as Mia walked away. Hannah looked like she wanted to tell me something, like there was something bothering her. I hoped it wasn’t about tomorrow. God, how I hoped that wasn’t it.
“You are absolutely radiant in front of the lens,” I said. What I wouldn’t give to get her in front of my camera, but there was no way she would agree. I already knew that.
“Thank you. It turned out to be really fun. I can’t wait to see what your sister does…” Hannah’s voice trailed off as she slid into her flip-flops. She was only a foot away, and the breeze carried a light floral scent that smelled as wonderful as I’d imagined. Hannah smiled and glanced at the house behind me. “Such a great location.”
“It is. You should see it in the summer. There really is nowhere else like it.” I slid my hand along her waist. As innocent as the gesture might be, I was unable to help myself from touching her. Her body tensed, but she didn’t pull away. Instead, she gathered the long skirt of her dress in her hand and looked up at me, her big brown eyes curious. My gaze fell to her lips, but her words interrupted my plan.
“Is this your way of getting out of tomorrow?” she teased.
I laughed and shook my head, taking a step back. I needed to get a hold of myself, but it was pure agony being so close to her and not being able to do what I wanted to do.
“Far from it,” I answered, leading her to my car that was parked out front. I opened the passenger door and watched her climb in, my eyes glimpsing her naked legs.
Closing the door, I grabbed my phone and quickly made a call to ensure a table would be ready for us.
I felt her gaze on me as I slid onto the seat.
“All set for dinner. I hope you like seafood.”
“I love it,” she said, her smile fading.
“Everything okay?” I asked, putting the car in gear.
She sighed and glanced out the window. “Actually, no.”
Her answer took me by surprise. “You want to tell me about it?”
I glimpsed a slight tremble of her hand, and without thinking, I linked my free hand with hers.
“Not yet.”
We drove along the coast, mostly silent as Hannah looked out the window. I felt her body tense more and more, and I worried I shouldn’t have made her come to dinner.
I turned the car into the parking lot of the restaurant and parked. It was set on a cliff and on a normal night, the view would be the focus of dinner. Not tonight.
Hannah’s eyes were filled with dread and it tore me up inside to see such pain set so deep within her. I wanted so badly to take away all of her hurt, but I knew that was impossible. Giving up sorrow was never that easy. Instead, I traced my fingers along her arm. Her breath caught and she shifted slightly in the seat.
“Ready to go in?” I asked.
“I am.” She gave me a quick look over her shoulder as she climbed out of the car. “And I’m starved,” she added.
I stepped out of the car and watched as she stood by the edge of the cliff, watching the waves crash into the boulders. There was a long stretch of beach that was framed by these awesome cliffs. I had hoped to take her for a walk later, but now I wasn’t so sure. I walked up behind Hannah and slid my fingers along her shoulder. Feeling her body tremble slightly, she turned to face me. Her eyes glistened as she dotted away the tears with her fingertips.
“Sorry. Something caught me off guard…” she stopped and turned to face me. “Have you ever wanted a do over?”
“Many times,” I said, wiping away the stray tears that stained her cheeks. I knew not to press. I needed to trust that she would tell me, that she would trust me eventually.
She bit her lip and glanced over my shoulder toward the restaurant.
“Ready?” I asked.
She nodded as I slipped my hand into hers. As we walked in silence toward the restaurant, I th
ought about my parents, the loss I felt every day for them, the grief that never subsided and the anger toward whoever wanted them gone. It was that same loss I sensed in Hannah. Someone she loved was ripped away from her. There was more to Hannah’s story than what I’d been able to dig up, and I wasn’t sure which ghosts were worse for her.
I opened the door and she walked through it, letting go of my hand.
“Mr. Fletcher, it’s nice to see you again.” The hostess flashed me a warm smile, but it slipped slightly as she glimpsed Hannah. She grabbed two menus and motioned for us to follow. The restaurant was perched on the cliff overlooking the ocean, and the architecture took full advantage of that feature with windows facing every direction. A koi pond was centered in the middle of the restaurant, which the hostess led us around, and I caught Hannah slowing to take a peek. The waitress set the menus down and pulled out the chair for Hannah. I took a seat and thanked the hostess before she left.
“Gorgeous views,” Hannah said, scanning the sunset. “Sometimes I imagine making a life for myself in California and then I wake up.”
“Maybe I can help you make that a reality,” I replied, holding her gaze.
The sommelier appeared and Hannah looked relieved to have the interruption.
“Would you care for wine this evening?”
I looked at Hannah and raised a brow. She glanced at me and blushed. “Whatever is fine.”
“We’ll take a bottle of the Merlot, Harlow’s Vineyard,” I responded.
“Very nice selection.” The sommelier smiled and walked away.
“Why are you so interested in helping me?” Hannah asked, bringing her gaze to meet mine.
“I like you.”
“You don’t know me,” Hannah replied, taking a sip of water. My gaze strayed down her collarbone, and I forced myself to look away. But her skin was intoxicating. She was intoxicating.
“I know you enough to know I’d like to get to know you more,” I replied, returning my gaze to hers. “So let’s start from the beginning.”
Hannah
I took a sip of the wine and glanced at Luke. The sound of other diners echoed through the space, giving us a sense of privacy.
“Do you not like it?” Luke’s deep voice washed over me.
“No. Yes. It’s good, nice flavor,” I replied, feeling the connection deepen between us.
Luke smirked and sat back in the chair. The intensity that his gaze held made my body react, just a look from Luke made my body sizzle.
“What’s your favorite drink? Would you like a cocktail instead?” he asked.
“No. This is wonderful.” I took another sip to prove my point.
Luke leaned forward, his gaze steadying on mine. “What do you feel comfortable telling me?”
My body began feeling warm, and I glanced at my almost empty glass of wine. Luke still had most of his in the glass.
The server came to our table and Luke ordered our meals.
“I can keep you safe,” Luke began. “But there will come a point when you will get tired of running, tired of always looking over your shoulder.”
“How can you be so sure that you can keep me safe?” I asked.
“It’s what I do,” he replied. “But if you open up to me, it would make my job a hell of a lot easier.”
My stomach knotted. Had I been confusing his intentions? Maybe I was just a pity case to satisfy his do-gooding tendencies.
“Is this all part of the job? Something you do with every client?”
“Which part?” he asked.
“Dinner.”
I caught a glimpse of mischief in his green eyes as he debated what to say, and before I had a chance to say no to more wine, the sommelier refilled my glass.
“I may meet with potential clients over dinner, if it suits their schedule,” he replied, a bit of a smile tracing his lips.
The sting of his words surprised me, but I wasn’t sure what I’d expected.
“I don’t really think that’s what you’re asking, though,” he continued, his eyes amused.
I saw desire in his eyes. The same desire I felt. My stomach knotted as his eyes darkened with the knowledge of what he did to me.
“You seem like you have it all together,” I said at last. “And I can’t fathom why you’d want to spend time with someone who, well, doesn’t.”
Luke smiled and reached over to my hand and held it across the table. “I’ll let you in on a little secret.”
“What’s that?” I asked, leaning forward.
“I don’t have my shit together. Not at all.”
I laughed as he squeezed my hand gently before letting go.
“You could’ve fooled me,” I replied, glancing around the restaurant.
“I’m good at what I do. No doubt about it. Professionally, things came together for me. But personally? Not a chance.” He took a sip of wine and studied me. His gaze darkened. “There’s something about you that I think can change that for me, if you stop running.”
I was frozen in place by his gaze and the feelings shooting through me. I shook my head.
“I’m afraid of what they’ll do to me,” I whispered.
Luke pressed his lips together and let out a sigh. “I know. But Hannah, what are you going to do when you get tired of running? They’ll still be out there, unless you deal with it, deal with them.”
“I know you’re right. But I’ve barely had time to come to terms with anything and…”
The waiter placed our meals down and asked if we’d like anything else. We both shook our heads, and I glanced back at Luke, his eyes still on me.
“And I know there is no winning with these people,” I finished.
“How much has my sister told you about our background?” he asked, taking me off guard.
“She told me that your parents had been murdered by family.”
He nodded. “That’s partially true.”
“What do you mean?”
“The people who ordered their deaths are still out there. We don’t know who they are or why they targeted my family.”
“I thought your aunt and uncle?” I stopped myself.
“They carried out the act, the actual murders,” he replied, his gaze darkening. “But according to them, someone else made them do it.”
“How can you make someone commit murder?”
“Exactly my thought, but if I were to believe what my aunt and uncle said, they were doing it to save themselves, their own family. They botched the job, actually, but they never told the authorities who ordered them to do it. They were too fearful for their children’s lives to say anything more so they were sentenced to prison and that’s where they’ve stayed.”
“How so?” I asked, my mouth feeling extremely parched.
“We were supposed to be in the house when it caught fire. For some reason, my mom wanted me to take Mia to get a Blizzard, just out of the blue at ten o’clock at night. I didn’t want to, but she wouldn’t let up so I finally did. We came back to a house in flames.”
“I’m so sorry,” I whispered. “How’d your aunt and uncle get caught?”
“A series of mistakes led the authorities straight to my aunt and uncle.”
“That’s why you’re so protective of Mia…”
“I’d be far more protective if she’d let me, but she’s tired of running. She wanted to live normally. Who wouldn’t? My job has allowed me to channel all of my energy into protecting people. I couldn’t save my parents, but I can save others. I can help you.”
“There are so many people involved,” I said, taking a bite of halibut. It was delicious even though I no longer felt like eating. “It seems impossible to put together all the pieces.”
“Why do you think you need to?” Luke asked.
“It won’t make sense unless I can prove what I think is going on.”
“That’s usually the job for the authorities,” he offered.
“It worked well for you,” I said, without realizing it.
“Sorry. That came out wrong. I didn’t—”
“No need to apologize. I know exactly what you mean. But what makes you so certain you can get the proof you need?”
“I have most of it already.”
“And that’s why they want you alive?”
I nodded. “But I can tell you there are just as many minutes in the day when I fantasize about leaving it all behind, not trying to bring any justice about, just wanting to hide and start over.”
“You don’t have to go through this alone.”
I didn’t answer. I wanted to believe him, but everyone I’d ever trusted turned out to be a monster in disguise.
“Let me try another way…” Luke glanced out the window before returning his steely gaze to mine. “Running into you at the Starbucks was meant to happen. Just like taking my sister out for a Blizzard was fate stepping in. Let fate step in, Hannah. Don’t go at this alone.” The muscle in his jaw tensed as he waited for my reaction.
My heart was pounding but not as much as my head. The feeling of wanting to flee was still at the surface of every thought, but as I looked into Luke’s eyes I knew I belonged exactly where I was tonight. I wanted to believe there was a way out of this mess, and he made me feel like there was.
“Remember how you promised to go on a date with me if I could find a place that was built upon dreams and filled with nothing but happiness?”
I nodded, smiling. “I didn’t actually think you’d come up with a place.”
“Ouch,” he laughed. “How about starting now, we just enjoy our date tonight? Put everything else aside until another day?”
“So tonight is a date?” I grinned.
“I thought that was rather obvious.”
“You’ve seen where I’ve come from. I wouldn’t assume anything is that obvious,” I laughed, finishing off my second glass of wine.
“Speaking of that, how do you like living with my sister?” Luke asked.
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