Explosive Desire (Love With a Price Book 4)

by N. J. Young

  “Doctor—oh!” At the sound of Brandie’s voice, Harper leapt back from him and nearly stumbled over the couch behind her. Luke reached out to steady her. A bright pink flush stained the fair skin of her cheeks, and her eyes had taken on a heavy, dazed look.

  “B-Brandie,” she said, turning her back to the door and taking a few deep breaths. “What can I do for you?” Fuck, her voice was so husky. What would she sound like when she came? When she was crying out for him?

  “I-I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt.” Brandie looked back and forward between him and Harper. “I just … um, triage is backing up is all. I’ll just um … I’ll just tell everyone they can hold their horses. No one’s dying, so … you know, take your time.” The red-faced nurse scurried out as quickly as she’d come in, and the door shut behind her.

  Luke chuckled. “Well, I think we may have surprised her.”

  Harper covered her face with both hands and groaned. “That girl is the queen of gossip. She’s going to tell everyone that I was … that we, that we were…” She waved her hands around her head.

  “Kissing?” Luke wrapped his arms around Harper from behind and lowered his head, pressing his lips to the back of her neck and loving the little shiver that went through her. He practically groaned as he nuzzled her, enjoying her light floral scent. “As long as everyone will know we were kissing, you might as well say yes and go out with me. Saturday night. What do you say?”

  She took a shaky breath, and her hands rested on the arms circling her waist. “Six o’clock Saturday evening, right?”

  “Mmm-hmm.” His kisses trailed along the nape of her neck.

  Another shaky breath escaped her, accompanied with the slightest little moan. “Okay, Mr. Price.” She cleared her throat, turning to face him. “It looks like you’ve got yourself a date.”

  Chapter Seven

  Discarded outfits littered Harper’s bedroom floor. This was ridiculous. It wasn’t as though this was her first date. So why was she so concerned about what she was wearing? This was a barbecue, for goodness sake—a cookout with a bunch of people … including Luke … and his entire family. Her stomach turned over, and she thought about calling and canceling for about the hundredth time that week.

  But every time she had thought about that, she’d seen him, and her heart would melt at the sight of his broad shoulders and sparkling dark eyes with the jeweled flecks of blue. After that day a week ago when he’d come to her rescue from the hostile Mr. Riggs, she’d initially been mortified at everything that had taken place. She’d gone on a verbal spew and told him about her entire life, things she’d never talked about with anyone. Then they’d made out in the doctor’s lounge, where they’d been caught. Then she’d agreed to go out with him. She should be embarrassed as hell.

  Yet she wasn’t. Even though she’d worked the late shifts all week, Luke was there every day when it was time for her lunch break. On Monday, when he’d seen her usual lunch of ramen noodles and a candy bar, he’d given her a stern look, and then proceeded to bring her lunch every day after. He’d presented her with a delicious lunch from Price B&G, courtesy of Linzee, each day. She’d enjoyed lasagna, a white truffle cheeseburger, lobster mac-and-cheese, and southwestern chicken salad. Even though she’d probably gained ten pounds in the past week, she’d never eaten so well.

  But that wasn’t even the best part. No, the best part was that Luke ate with her. They would sit out in the hospital courtyard, eat lunch, and talk. He’d told her all about his four siblings, and about how much he missed his dad who’d passed away a few years ago.

  Harper had only had a couple of past relationships, and both of those had only lasted a few months. In the short time she’d known Luke Price, she’d come to know him better than either of the men she’d been involved with. And with every little thing she learned about him, she fell for him that much more.

  It scared her, but it excited her at the same time. She decided to embrace the excitement part. She glanced at the clock on the wall then pulled on a navy sundress with red and yellow flowers. That was going to have to do, or she was going to be late.

  Grabbing her purse and the heavy box she’d left next to the door, she made her way downstairs. She managed to pop the trunk with the button on her keychain and carefully set the box inside that contained half a case of wine. If there were going to be as many people there as she suspected, she thought she could at least make a contribution to the party.

  She slammed her trunk shut and clutched her purse as she rushed around to climb behind the steering wheel. And that’s when she saw it.

  No. No. No. Not now. Not today. She immediately closed her eyes and counted to ten, but when she opened them, it was still there—that light blue envelope underneath her windshield wiper.

  This week had been perfect. There had been no more letters, and she really thought that maybe, just maybe, the stalker had finally given up. Her hope was that he’d caught wind that she’d spoken to the police, and it had scared him off. But she’d obviously been wrong.

  Stepping out of her car slowly, she stared at the envelope, the flap of it blowing in the light breeze. She shouldn’t touch it. She should call the police. And that would ruin the whole day. What would the Price family think? Just from the stories Luke had told her, she’d gotten the strong feeling they were very protective of him. She wanted them to like her, wanted to fit in. How would they feel if she showed up, full of drama? She didn’t want to give them a reason not to like her before they even met her. No, she didn’t want to do that at all.

  Her foot tapped lightly against the pavement as she considered her options. Maybe she didn’t have to ruin her day. She quickly ran back up to her apartment and grabbed a Ziploc baggie. When she came back to her car, she carefully picked up the letter and deposited it in the baggie. Detective Grayson would be at the barbecue. Why call him now and raise a fuss when she would see him in just a few minutes anyway? Then she could discreetly pull him aside and give him the letter.

  Once again, she climbed behind the wheel of her car. She stared at the letter, now encased in plastic, lying on her passenger seat. She needed to tell Luke. But if she told him immediately, he would go all serious protective on her.

  Blowing out a breath, she picked up the letter, fingering the envelope through the plastic. Finally, she shoved it in her purse. Things with Luke had been perfect all week. She just wanted a few more hours of perfect. Then she would tell him. What difference could just a few hours make?

  ****

  A few moments later, Harper pulled her Honda Accord up along the front curb of Sally Price’s house, and her jaw dropped open. House was an understatement. Mansion would have been a much more apt description. The large colonial style home was perfectly kept, the pristine lawn immaculately manicured. And in a second, Harper’s insecurities rushed back. She was so caught up in her own head she almost didn’t notice the person pulling up behind her. It wasn’t until Detective Grayson stepped out of his truck, along with another man she didn’t know, that she snapped out of her thoughts.

  She quickly got out, clutching her purse, where she’d shoved the most recent letter.

  “Dr. Love!” The detective gave her a bright smile. “I’m glad to see you here.”

  She returned his smile. “Please, call me Harper.” Turning to introduce herself to his friend, she had to stifle a gasp. The man was startlingly handsome in a rugged kind of way. But that wasn’t what got her attention. He had a jagged scar that ran along the side of his face, from his temple almost to his jaw. His nose was a bit crooked, indicating that it had been broken, and he wore a serious expression.

  Grayson gestured toward his friend. “Harper, this is Zach Quigley.”

  The man said nothing as he crossed his arms and regarded her.

  Gray frowned at his friend. “For God’s sake, Q, save the attitude for Becca. At least be nice to the doc. After all, she did patch up Luke.”

  The man named Q did smile then, his face sp
litting into a large grin. “Ah, you’re that doctor. Taking on Luke, you must be a very brave woman. Good luck, sweetheart.”

  “I … taking on Luke?”

  Gray’s blue eyes rolled as he slammed the door to his car. “Ignore him. He likes speaking in riddles.” He gestured with his arm. “Shall we go in the backyard? I think that’s where everyone is.”

  “Um…” She cast Q a furtive glance. “I was actually hoping I could speak to you alone for a second first.”

  Gray frowned as Q gave her a curious look. “I guess I’ll see you inside.” He eyed her for a few more seconds before he finally turned and walked away.

  Gray didn’t look away from her. “Another letter?” he finally asked when Q was out of earshot.

  Her shoulders slumped. “How did you know?”

  “It’s easy to tell something’s wrong, Harper. When did you get it?”

  She gave a half shrug. “Just now, before I came. I went out to my car, and it was under the windshield wiper.”

  Gray raised an annoyed brow. “I thought I said not to touch the letters. Why didn’t you call me?”

  “I didn’t touch it!” She reached into her purse and drew out the Ziploc baggie.

  He stared at it for a moment, then looked at her face. “Did you open it?”

  “Of course not.” She’d only thought about it.

  Instead of taking it, Gray turned back to his car and opened the door. He leaned in and shuffled around inside, then came back out with a pair of latex gloves, which he pulled on his big hands.

  Harper held her breath as she watched him open the bag and pull out the letter with two fingers. He gently unfolded it, scanning it quickly with his blue eyes.

  Harper didn’t think it was a very good sign when Gray uttered a low curse. “What is it?” She swallowed, not sure she really wanted to know.

  Gray turned the paper to face her and she leaned in to read the one line.

  I’m done waiting. It’s my turn now.

  A feeling of unease skittered down her spine. “What does that mean? It’s his turn?”

  The detective’s face was grim. “I don’t know. But it certainly can’t mean anything good.” He carefully put the letter back in the plastic baggie before stripping off his gloves. “I’m calling a forensic team now. I want someone on this. They’ll come by and pick up the letter so we can start testing it for fingerprints. In the meantime, grab Luke. You two go somewhere and lay low. This asshole can’t get to you if he can’t find you.”

  Run? He wanted her to run and hide?

  “No.” She didn’t run and hide. She wasn’t that scared girl anymore.

  Gray’s eyebrows shot straight up, and she got the very distinct impression that he was not used to someone telling him no. “I beg your pardon. What did you just say to me?”

  His voice had deepened to that rich tone she’d heard Luke use occasionally over the last week, and she had to back up a step. But still, she jutted out a hip and held her ground. “I said no … sir.” She added that last bit because it just felt polite. “I want to face this head on. I’m not running. I don’t run.” Not anymore.

  Gray stared at her for a very long moment then nodded. “I’m not sure how Luke is going to feel about that.”

  She swallowed. “I’d like to wait a little while to tell Luke.” Gray opened his mouth to speak, but she kept talking, her words coming out in a rush. “Just until you hear back on the fingerprints. I want to know if there’s a reason for him to worry. Because he will worry. You know him, Gray. He’ll freak out.”

  Gray ran a hand through his hair. “Fuck. I don’t like this, Harper. He’s one of my best friends. And he cares about you.”

  “I’m not talking about keeping it from him forever. I just want a few hours.” One perfect night. “I just want one night.” Because there was something inside of her that told her it was already starting to slip away.

  “There you are, Pretty!” Luke’s voice called out from the front door. At the sound of Luke’s voice, her heart sped up. She forced a smile to her lips and gave him a finger wave, but her eyes jerked back to the detective. “Please, Gray. Just a few hours.”

  He glanced up to where Luke was bounding off the front porch and sighed. “A few hours, Harper. When we get the forensics back, that’s it. No more secrets.”

  She nodded as Luke reached her and gathered her in a bear hug.

  Chapter Eight

  Something was up with her, but Luke couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was. Harper seemed … distracted. He chalked it up to nervousness, and began to wonder if maybe inviting her to meet his entire family on their first date might not have been the best idea.

  “She’s absolutely lovely, sweetheart.” Sally Price’s arm went around Luke, and she gave him a gentle squeeze. “I’m so glad you brought her.”

  He smiled down at his mother and put an arm around her shoulders. “I am, too.” He looked across the pool to the gazebo where Harper was chatting with Carly and Tori. Carly was his brother Dylan’s girlfriend, and Tori was daring enough to be marrying his brother Ethan in the fall.

  “She really seems to be fitting in, doesn’t she?” Luke had always been amazed at people who could act so natural in a new crowd. He was not good at it, but Harper seemed like the type of person who never met a stranger.

  “I’ll say she fits in.” Dylan Price walked up holding a bottle of Boulevard beer. “Even Becca seems charmed by her.”

  Luke followed his brother’s gaze to where their youngest sister sat at a patio table. She looked sullen as she nursed an iced tea. Even though she wore sunglasses the size of flying saucers, it was easy to see where she was looking. “She doesn’t look too happy now. Did something happen?”

  Ethan walked up to join the conversation. “What do you think happened?” He jerked his head to the left, motioning to the other side of the pool where a bar had been set up, complete with tables, barstools, and a bartender. Because Sally Price didn’t do anything unless she went all out.

  Gray and Q sat at one of the tall tables by the bar, seemingly engrossed in a serious conversation. Each of them would occasionally cast a furtive glance Becca’s way. Every time one of them did, his sister’s face seemed to tighten.

  Luke winced. He still didn’t understand exactly what was going on among the three of them. Gray and Q were clearly too old for Becca, but the one time he’d told her that, she’d nearly punched him. Both men obviously had feelings for her as well. She used to flirt with them incessantly, but something had changed last February. Something had happened. And since then, whenever Becca was in the same room—or the same yard—as the two men, you could cut the tension with a knife.

  “Mom, maybe it wasn’t such a great idea to invite Gray and Q.” Even though the two men were his good friends, he hated to see his sister so unhappy. Still, he almost preferred that to the alternative. Gray and Q dated women together. They were discreet about it, but it’s just how they worked, as if one of them wasn’t really complete without the other. It was an accepted practice at the Calico. Luke had been there many nights when the two of them were topping a woman. But when their interest had turned to his sister, he hadn’t dealt with it very well.

  At his pushing, they’d both promised to keep their hands off of Rebecca. While that had relieved him at the time, he was beginning to wonder if them keeping their distance from her was a huge mistake.

  Sally sighed heavily. “Maybe you’re right. I just thought if the three of them could talk in a relaxed environment, they could work out whatever’s going on between them.”

  Dylan took a swig of his beer and pondered his sister for a moment. “She hasn’t mentioned to you at all what happened?” he asked Luke. “She tells you everything.”

  “Not this.” Luke shook his head. “And I’ve asked, but every time I do, she shuts down.”

  Ethan glanced from Becca to where the two objects of her interest sat at the bar. “Well, whatever’s going on, I get the feeling that i
t won’t be too much longer before everything comes to a head.”

  After a moment, Dylan clapped his hand on Luke’s back, seemingly anxious to change the subject. “Tell us about your new girl,” he said with a grin. “Is she a real doctor, or do you two just play doctor?”

  A bark of laughter came from Ethan. “Your role-playing’s extending to parties? That’s freaky, dude.”

  Luke offered his brother an arctic glare and would have included a specific hand gesture if his mom hadn’t been standing with them.

  Sally slapped Ethan’s arm in admonishment.

  “What?” Ethan poorly feigned innocent. “Dylan started it.”

  Their mother propped her hands on her hips and arched a brow at her sons. “Now, I don’t want either of you teasing your brother. Harper is a lovely woman.”

  “Yeah, she is,” Ethan agreed. He looked across to where Harper was obviously telling a story. She was waving her hands around as if she were about to take flight, and both Tori and Carly erupted in giggles. “Mom, are you sure you’re not paying her to date Luke? She seems awfully perfect.”

  “Asshole,” Luke grumbled.

  “Now, boys, stop that!” Sally chastised all of them as Luke stood and looked at Harper. Really looked at her. Even though he knew his brothers were joking, they didn’t realize how close they’d come to his own insecurities. They were the ones with the charm and the easy smiles and the big baby blues that women seemed to fall over themselves for. What the hell was Harper doing with him? He was sullen, lacking the effervescence of his siblings.

  He watched as Harper turned. Her sundress hung perfectly over her full hips, and even though it was a fairly conservative dress, her cleavage was quite visible at the top, hinting at the gorgeous breasts he was aching to play with. In addition to being beautiful and sexy as hell, she made him laugh. He’d looked forward to lunch with her every day this week. He’d never been able to just sit and talk to someone like he could talk to Harper.