by Ramona Gray
“No. Why would I? I’m not looking to settle down and besides, a long-distance relationship never works.”
“They don’t,” Amy agreed. “Which is why it’s nice that you have a lovely, sweet woman just twenty feet away.”
“I’m sure I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Luke said. He opened the bag and pulled out the sandwich and soup. Jane had ordered his favourite and he took the lid off the soup. “Is that it, Amy?”
“Almost,” she said. “Are you going to family dinner this weekend?”
“Yes,” he said before spooning soup into his mouth. “Are you?”
“No. I’m flying out for a girls’ weekend on Friday night.”
“Oh.” He tried to hide his disappointment. If Amy brought Jane to dinner at his parents’, he’d have a perfectly valid excuse to be near her.
“Which is why I was hoping you would pick Jane up for dinner,” Amy continued. “Don’t let her tell you no, okay? Mom already told her she was welcome to come to dinner without me.”
“Uh, sure, I can do that. No problem,” Luke said.
“What are your plans for the weekend?” Amy asked.
“I don’t know, why?”
“Well, Jane is painting her room on Friday night and I thought it would be nice if you went over and helped her.”
Luke frowned at her. “Why would I do that? She’s my assistant, not my friend.”
“Just thought I’d throw it out there,” Amy said innocently as she stood. “I’ve got some casserole with my name on it to heat up. Bye, Lukie.”
“We need to talk about my Paris trip,” he said.
She rolled her eyes and collapsed back in the chair. “You’ve got five minutes.”
“I won’t need five minutes,” he said. “It was a bust. Neither Pierre or Julien would give me a firm yes on investing in the company. They like your designs, they’re impressed with our distribution strategy but they think our digital storefront in a word - sucks.”
Amy frowned. “It can’t be that bad. We sell plenty of clothes online.”
Luke shrugged. “Honestly, it’s not that great. I think if we want international investors, we need to upgrade our digital presence. We could hire an in-house team that’s dedicated to maintaining and marketing our digital channel.”
“Fine with me,” Amy said breezily.
Luke smiled a little. “We need to convince Mark it’s worth the extra money. If you can meet with him and - ”
“Nope,” Amy said. “You meet with him. You have more influence over him than I do, anyway.”
“Bullshit,” Luke said. “You’ve got him wrapped around your finger, Amy. You have since we were kids. He thinks of you as his baby sister and he - ”
“I’m not his sister!” Amy snapped.
Luke blinked at her. “We grew up together. You’re as much a sister to him as you are to me. Why are you pissed about that?”
“I’m not,” she said.
“Okay,” Luke said after a moment, “so, you meet with Mark and convince him to find money in the budget for an upgrade and I’ll - ”
“No,” Amy said again before standing. “I’ve told you before, I don’t want anything to do with the business side.” She winked and smiled at him but both looked forced. “I just want to make pretty things, remember?”
“Amy, I’m really busy. It would help if you could meet with Mark.”
“I said no,” she retorted. “Either convince Mark yourself that this is a good idea or fire him and hire a CFO who does think it’s a good idea.”
Luke’s mouth dropped open. “Ames,” he said cautiously, “what the hell is going on with you? You want me to fire Mark?”
She sighed and rubbed at the back of her neck. “No, of course not. I’m just tired today. Let me know what you and Mark decide, okay?”
She reached across his desk and squeezed his hand before leaving the office.
* * *
Jane added a final strip of painters’ tape to the baseboard before standing and surveying her work. It was almost seven and she debated whether to start painting tonight or leave it for the morning.
She wandered out of the bedroom and down the stairs to the kitchen. She poured herself a glass of water and grabbed some crackers to munch on. Even after three weeks of living with Amy, she couldn’t get over her delight at always having food to eat. She suddenly smiled. She’d stopped to see Mama J after work and after nearly a week and a half of confusion, her foster mom was alert and actually knew who she was. She had exclaimed repeatedly about how good Jane looked and they had a good visit before Mama J started to tire.
She smiled again and drank some water. It was so good to have the old Mama J back. She was starting to worry that this was it, that the Mama J she knew and loved was gone forever. To have her back made her nearly giddy with happiness.
She grabbed some cheese from the fridge and cut a few slices to add to her crackers. She needed to feel happy right now. The last five days at work with Luke were nearly agonizing in their awkwardness. Every time she looked at him, she would remember the way he had stared at her, the low rasp of his voice when he said he wanted his dick in her mouth.
A little shudder of pleasure went through her belly and she scowled. God, she had to stop thinking about it. Luke was as uncomfortable and awkward around her– if not more – as she was around him. It wasn’t until yesterday afternoon that he’d really looked at her for more than a few seconds.
She finished her food and drank the rest of her water before washing her hands. It wasn’t that late. She’d try and get the first coat of paint on tonight and finish the rest in the morning before she visited Mama J.
She put her glass in the dishwasher, jumping a little when the doorbell rang. She walked to the front door and peered through the peephole. Her mouth dropped open and she pulled self-consciously at her t-shirt and yoga pants before opening the door.
“Hi, Luke.”
“Hi, Jane.”
“Um, Amy isn’t here.”
“I know. Can I come in?” He asked.
“Oh, of course,” she said. He stepped inside and shut the door before taking off his jacket. He was wearing a t-shirt and worn jeans and she tried not to drool at the way his shirt clung to his broad chest.
“I’m here to help, ” he said.
“Help with what?” She asked in confusion.
“Painting. Amy mentioned you were painting your room and asked me to help.”
“Oh, well that’s really nice of you but I can’t ask you to give up your Friday night to help me paint.”
He took his boots off and hung his jacket on the hook. “I don’t mind.”
“I’m sure you have better things to do,” she said.
“Nope,” he replied. He squeezed past her and started down the hall to the stairs. She stayed where she was and he glanced at her over his shoulder. “Ready to paint?”
“Um, yes, okay,” she said before following him up the stairs.
She tried not to blush when they were standing in her room together. There was no need for it to be weird. Her bed was covered in furniture and pictures – it wasn’t like they were going to start having sex or something.
She blushed at the thought and Luke gave her an odd look. “Are you okay?”
“Yes,” she said. “I, uh, I finished taping.”
“Looks good,” he said. “Do you prefer to cut in or roll?”
“It doesn’t matter,” she said. “Honestly, I’m probably not great at either.”
“Well, I happen to be an expert at cutting in,” he said with a small grin, “so I’ll do that. Okay?”
“Okay.”
She watched as he pried open the paint can and stirred it before grabbing a brush and carrying it and the paint can to the step-ladder. He climbed the ladder and placed the paint can on the top of it before dipping the brush into it.
As he swiped the brush along the ceiling, she opened the second can and stirred the paint before pouring
it into the tray and grabbing the roller. She began to roll the opposite wall, as Luke said, “I like the colour.”
“Thank you,” she said. There were a few moments of silence and feeling awkward, she said, “So, I never got the chance to ask how your holiday was.”
“It was good,” he replied. “I love Paris.”
“Someday I’ll go there,” she said.
“You should,” he replied. “It has amazing architecture and history.”
“Do you travel a lot?” She asked.
He considered her question for a moment before nodding. “More than the average person, I think. How about you?”
“No. I’ve never been out of the state.”
“You didn’t travel with your parents before…”
He trailed off and she shook her head. “No, not really. We didn’t have a lot of money for travelling.”
“We didn’t either,” he said. “It’s probably why both Amy and I like to travel so much now.”
“I really want to go to Ireland,” she said.
“I went there a few years ago,” he replied. “It’s worth a visit.”
“I read online that you can stay in an actual castle,” she said as she rolled more paint onto the wall. “How cool would it be to sleep in a castle?”
“Very cool,” he said with a small grin.
She laughed. “You’ve slept in a castle in Ireland, haven’t you?”
“Guilty,” he said.
“Well, it’s definitely on my bucket list,” she said. “Some day I’ll save enough money to make the trip.”
“I was thinking I would give you a raise,” he said.
She blinked at the rapid change in topic. “I’m sorry?”
“A raise,” he repeated.
“For what? My job duties haven’t changed.”
He laughed. “Are you really trying to talk me out of giving you a raise?”
She flushed. “I don’t want a raise that I don’t deserve.”
“You deserve it,” he said. “I’ll talk to HR on Monday about it.”
“Well, thank you,” she said.
“You’re welcome. How is your foster mom doing?”
For a moment, she wondered if she was dreaming. Luke was being so friendly and downright chatty and she’d never seen this side of him before.
“Jane?” He prompted.
“She’s good. She had a bad week but I visited her tonight and she was very alert.”
“That’s good,” he said.
“I was starting to,” she paused and he gave her an encouraging look, “I was starting to be afraid that she was lost forever. This was the longest stretch she’s gone with being this confused.”
“I’m sorry,” he said. “That must be really difficult for – shit!”
He had knocked the paint can with his arm and she watched in horror as it tipped over and spilled down the front of his shirt. He grabbed at the can, light blue paint coating his arms and hands and spilling onto the drop cloth on the floor as he uttered another string of curses. He finally righted the paint can and dropped the brush on the floor as he jumped off the step-ladder.
Jane hurried forward, trying not to laugh as she stared at the paint soaking through his shirt.
“Fuck!” He said.
“Bend over,” she said.
He bent obediently, more paint dripping from his shirt to the floor, and she reached over him and grabbed the back of his shirt. She pulled it over his head and dropped it to the floor with a wet plop.
He straightened and stared at the paint on the drop cloth. “Christ, what a mess.”
She giggled as he held his paint-covered hands out in front of him. He gave her a mock scowl and she laughed harder. “It’s just paint. A little soap and water and you’ll be good as new.”
“I look like a Smurf.”
“Yeah, you do,” she giggled.
He arched an eyebrow at her. “Be careful or I’ll share.”
“You wouldn’t dare,” she said as he took a step toward her.
“Wouldn’t I?” He said with a wicked grin.
She started to back away. His grin widened and he quickly wiped his hand across her flat abdomen. She stared at the smear of paint.
“Jerk!”
He laughed and smeared more paint on the thigh of her yoga pants. She suddenly bent and dipped both hands in the pool of paint on the drop cloth before slapping her hands against his flat abdomen.
He growled at her, an honest-to-god growl that sent a little shiver down her back, before grabbing her around the waist and yanking her toward him. She stumbled over his paint-sodden shirt and fell against his hard chest as he wiped more smears of paint across the back of her t-shirt.
She laughed and squirmed against him. “Stop!”
“It’s just paint,” he said. “A little soap and water and you’ll be good as new.”
“Hey!” She squealed when he spread paint in a line across first her right cheek and then her left before making one on her forehead.
“Now you’re an extra in Braveheart,” he said.
She laughed and pushed at his chest, leaving more paint smeared across his skin. “I look terrible in a kilt.”
She was still pressed against his body and he studied her mouth. Suddenly nervous, she bit at her bottom lip and watched as the playful look in his eyes was replaced with desire.
“Luke,” she whispered.
“Ms. Smith,” he rasped before bending his head and kissing her. She clutched at his broad shoulders as he traced her lips with his tongue.
“Open,” he murmured against her mouth.
She parted her lips and he dipped his tongue between them, touching her teeth delicately before sliding past them to explore and taste. She moaned and returned his kiss. Her fingers dug into his warm skin as his big hand moved to her ass and squeezed it.
She rubbed her belly against the hardness she could feel pressing against it and he groaned harshly, his hand tightening on her ass. His other hand cupped her breast and she arched her back as he rubbed his thumb over her hardening nipple.
He kissed her throat before nipping it. She jerked against him and he licked his way to her ear and sucked on her earlobe.
“I want you so much, Jane,” he whispered.
“I want you too,” she gasped. She traced the dark hair on his chest as he squeezed her ass again and trailed kisses across the line of her jaw.
He slid his hand under her shirt and pulled the cup of her bra down. She cried out when he pulled on her nipple before teasing it with the pad of his thumb. He kissed her again, sucking roughly on her bottom lip before licking it with his warm tongue.
“Please, Luke,” she moaned.
“I want to fuck you, Ms. Smith,” he whispered into her ear.
She moaned again. Her panties were soaking wet and she couldn’t stop rubbing her lower body against him.
“I want to find out how tight your little pussy is,” he breathed. “I want to know what you look like coming all over my dick.”
“Oh God,” she moaned.
“Do you want that too?” He pinched her nipple and she arched her back again before nodding frantically.
“Yes. God, yes!”
“Good,” he said. “Let’s go to the shower and – “
“Well, that’s the shortest girls’ weekend of my life. Wait four friggin’ hours in the airport just to have our flight cancelled because there’s a blizzard two states over that’s headed our – holy shit!”
Luke tore away from her so quickly that she nearly fell. He cursed and kept her upright with one hand on her elbow. Her face flaming, Jane turned around and readjusted her bra before taking a deep breath and turning back.
“Um, hi, Amy.”
“Hey, you two,” Amy said with a cheerful grin. “I’d ask how painting is going but from the looks of it – not so great. You guys know that the paint is supposed to go on the walls, not on your bodies, right?”
“I spilled the paint,” Luke
said. His face was red and he stared self-consciously at the smears of paint on his bare upper body as Amy leaned against the doorway. “What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be on a plane?”
“I am but it was cancelled due to poor weather,” Amy said. She studied the both of them. “I’m so sorry I interrupted your painting. I’ll head to my room and leave you two alone.”
“No!” Jane and Luke both shouted.
Luke cleared his throat. “Uh, no, that’s fine. I’ll clean this mess up and then head home. I’ll come back in the morning and help you finish, Jane.”
“That’s okay,” Jane said as she stared at the floor. “I can clean it up myself and it won’t take me long to finish tomorrow.”
“No,” Luke protested. “I made the mess, I’ll clean it up.”
“It’s fine, really,” Jane said. “Thank you but it’s probably, uh, better if you go home now.”
“Nonsense,” Amy said. “I was thinking of heading to a movie anyway.”
“It’s fine,” Luke said. “Jane’s right. I should get home and shower.”
“You can shower here,” Amy said.
Luke glared at her and she smiled sweetly at him. “You don’t want to get paint on your car, Lukie.”
“I’ll risk it,” he muttered. “Bye, Jane. I’m sorry I made such a mess.”
“It’s fine, really. Bye, Luke.”
Without looking at either of them and leaving his shirt on the floor, Luke brushed past Amy. They stood silently until they heard the front door slam. Jane cleared her throat. “Well, I’d better get this cleaned up.”
“I’m so sorry, Janie,” Amy said. “I feel awful.”
“For what?” Jane said. “You didn’t do anything.”
“Like hell I didn’t. You and my brother were about to get busy and I ruined the whole mood.”
“We weren’t,” Jane protested. “We were trying to, uh, clean up the paint mess.”
“With your mouths?” Amy said.
“You didn’t see what you thought you saw,” Jane said. “We weren’t doing anything.”
Amy snorted laughter before grabbing Jane’s arms. She steered her across the room, skirting around the puddle of paint, and stood Jane in front of the mirror mounted on the back of the door.