by Mandy Baxter
“Can I have my hand back?” Her eyes met his, and a spark ignited deep in the center of his chest. She could always get to him with nothing more than a look. Women threw themselves at him nightly. Hell, some of them vowed never to wash their hands again after one touch. But the one woman that had mattered—the only woman—treated the contact as though he were trying to spread some sort of communicable disease.
Awesome.
“All right.” He released her hand, but damn, he didn’t want to let her go. “Don’t want to keep your boy waiting, do you?”
“No.” Kayleigh’s voice dropped to a murmur and she looked away. “I don’t.”
For a moment, she stood perfectly still and Luke’s heart pounded in his fucking chest. The urge to crush her to him, to make her remember how good it had been between them was almost too powerful to resist. Deep down, she had to feel it, too. Why else would she still be standing there with indecision marring her brow?
“Don’t get into too much trouble while you’re here, Lucifer.” Her body turned though her eyes lingered on him as she headed for the door. “This town is too small for the broken hearts you’re bound to leave in your wake.”
A gust of cool spring air wafted over him with her exit and Luke inhaled the scent of sage and lilacs, all Kayleigh.
“That was sort of rude.”
Luke swallowed an agitated sigh and turned back to find the expectant cashier leaning over the counter toward him. Sometime between him paying for the wine and turning to talk to Kayleigh, she’d applied a metric fuck-ton’s worth of lip gloss, making her lips look like plastic monstrosities. He was pretty sure there was a song in there, somewhere …
“Not everyone’s a fan,” Luke replied with a tight-mouthed smile.
“You’d have to be crazy not to be.” She leaned over the counter, her arms hugged tight under her breasts giving Luke an unhindered—not to mention enhanced—view of her cleavage. “Good thing for you, Lucifer, that you’ve got a bona fide fangirl right here in front of you.”
She wasn’t even trying to play coy at this point, giving Luke a smoldering fuck-me gaze that traveled the length of his body and settled on his crotch before working its way back up to his eyes. A slow, seductive smile curved her mouth before she drew one corner of her over-glossed bottom lip between her teeth. “My shift’s over in a couple of hours. Wanna stick around until I get off?”
The double entendre was about as subtle as a smack upside the head. There was no doubt that Luke could screw his way through town and leave a few happy—and probably a couple of pissed off—women in his wake on his way out. But the thought of taking Glossed ‘n’ Ready to bed was as about as appealing as eating a handful of gravel after seeing Kayleigh again.
“I appreciate the offer, honey,” Luke said, careful to keep the disdain from his voice, “but I’m already—”
“Not even in town an hour and you’re already gettin’ yourself into trouble?” Luke breathed a sigh of relief at the sound of his brother’s voice. Talk about divine intervention. “Maybe I oughtta be carrying my checkbook for the next week or so. You know, in case you need to be bailed out of jail.”
Ha. Ha. Okay, so sophomore year he got pinched joyriding with Tommy Davis’s dad’s tractor. But that was the one and only time Ryder had ever had to come get him from the county jail. He turned to face his older brother and gave him an appraising stare. “You look a little thicker since I saw you last. I guess the little lady is feeding you all right.”
Ryder responded with a snort and a bright smile that belied his show of annoyance. Luke had only met his brother’s girlfriend Lara once—at the Super Bowl—but it had been clear from their love-struck grins, possessive expressions, and over-the-top grabby hands that this was a relationship that was going to go the distance.
“If you ask me, it’s you that’s lookin’ doughy, little brother. A few weeks out on the ranch would do you some good.”
Good-natured ribbing was the foundation of the Blackwell brothers’ relationship. Something that Luke had missed while on the road. “I can still buck more hay than you.” He sized up his slightly shorter “big” brother and shook his head. “You’re not as young as you used to be.”
“Neither are you,” Ryder pointed out. “I wasn’t expecting you until tomorrow.”
“Yeah. I got antsy. Had to get the fuck outta L.A. I booked a room at the Holiday Inn for tonight since I didn’t give you a heads-up,” Luke said. “Pretty swanky digs, huh?” The cashier perked up at the mention of his hotel and Luke stifled a groan. He probably should have taken this conversation outside and away from eager ears.
“Like I need a heads-up,” Ryder replied. “Just give me a sec to pay for this wine and we’re out of here.”
Thank. Fuck. The last thing Luke needed was a surprise visit from the lip gloss brigade at one in the morning or for a greedy hotel employee to tip off the paparazzi as to his whereabouts. “Thanks, man. But seriously, what is it with everyone turning into wine fanatics? What’s wrong with a cold beer?”
Ryder chuckled. “When you have a woman to impress, we’ll talk about it.”
Much to the cashier’s disappointment, Luke headed for the door as he waited for Ryder. Running from his problems wasn’t ideal, but maybe he’d be able to shoulder the stress a little better with family at his back—and if he had anything to say about it, Kayleigh by his side.
* * *
“Okay, what in the hell is wrong with you?” Kayleigh’s friend Rachael leaned in close and snatched a square of Beaufort cheese and a slice of pear from the tray. “And don’t try to tell me it’s work stress because you are straight-up rattled. There’s no way those adorable little kidlets have you this distracted.”
Why had Luke chosen tonight of all nights to show back up into her life? Let’s go get some dinner. Maybe we could share the wine after? Just the memory of the low, suggestive timbre of his voice sent chills dancing over her skin. After so much time had passed, it pissed her off that he could still affect her so instantly. And with such raw intensity, turning her body traitor as she’d fought the urge to lean into him and get a hell of a lot closer.
“Kayleigh?”
“Sorry.” She gave herself a mental slap to the face. Rachael was wearing a giddy, knowing grin that tied Kayleigh’s stomach into knots. Did she know that Luke was in town? If so, who else knew? She swallowed down a groan as she pictured the gossip spreading like wildfire. “You’re right. I am rattled.”
“How did you find out?” Rachael whispered, her eyes as big as dinner plates.
Kayleigh’s eyes slid to the right, where Spencer was chatting with Rachael’s husband, Colton, and she brought her voice down to a whisper. “How did you find out?”
“Colton told me.” Rachael picked up the fruit-and-cheese tray and followed Kayleigh from the kitchen to the dining room. “Spencer told him yesterday.” She set the platter down next to the roasted game hens and rosemary-seasoned new potatoes and put her wineglass next to a plate.
Spencer knew Luke was in town? The churning knot of nerves in her stomach unfurled and took flight, rocketing right up her throat. “How in the hell did Spencer find out?” She damned near choked on the words as she tried to keep her voice down to a vehement hiss.
“What?” Rachael’s brow furrowed. “Are we talking about the same thing?”
Her panic quickly turned to confusion. Were they? She had no idea …
“Okay ladies, what are y’all gossiping about over here?”
Kayleigh sloshed the wine over the lip of her glass as she set it down on the table. She’d only been seeing Spencer for a couple of months but he knew about her history with Luke. Hell, anyone who’d grown up in the county knew about it. Even though Spencer had graduated high school before Kayleigh was a freshman, and he didn’t really know Luke, he’d always had a strange grudge against the Blackwell family. The fact that Kayleigh was still friendly with Ryder even rubbed him the wrong way. Needless to say, Kayleigh did her best t
o keep any talk of the Blackwells—or her history with Luke—off the table.
“Girl stuff. None of your business,” Rachael teased.
Spencer eased up behind her and placed a kiss on Kayleigh’s cheek. Rather than lean into the contact, every muscle in her body seized up. She’d rubbed her “date” in Luke’s face and she was ashamed of it. And now, she was ashamed of the fact that she was standing next to an attentive, successful, generally decent guy and all she could think about was the not-so-decent one she’d left staring after her at the bistro.
“Hey?” Spencer asked close to her ear. “Are you okay?”
“Fine.” Kayleigh gave a nervous laugh. “Just starved. Let’s eat.”
By the time her third glass of pinot kicked in, Kayleigh wished she was more interested in eating dinner. The table tilted at an angle and every word out of Spencer’s mouth seemed a thousand times funnier than usual. Rachael was giving her some serious side-eye and after she’d served up a few pieces of poorly sliced cheesecake, Kayleigh was more than ready to put this miserable evening behind her and go to bed.
Spencer cleared his throat and picked up his wineglass as he stood from the table. His gaze landed on Kayleigh and a warm smile lit his face. Her mouth went dry and taking a deep enough breath to fill her lungs with the necessary oxygen to stay conscious was damned near impossible as her heart began to hammer in her rib cage like a stampede of wild stallions. What was he about to do? Oh, god. Kayleigh’s gaze slid to Rachael, her eyes as big as dinner plates and glistening with happy anticipation.
Spencer wasn’t going to do what she thought he was going to do … was he?
“Kayleigh.” Spencer reached for his pocket, producing a black velvet box and her vision darkened at the periphery. “I know it hasn’t been that long, but—”
“Luke Blackwell is in town.” Kayleigh shot up out of her seat, the words exploding from her lips in a nearly incoherent rush. “I saw him at the bistro tonight and he asked me out for dinner.”
A dark cloud settled over Spencer’s once bright expression and an uncomfortable silence settled on the table. Colton shifted in his seat and Rachael’s eyes were glued to Kayleigh, even larger than they’d been before and her mouth forming a silent “oh” of shock.
Are you insane? She hadn’t meant to stand up and blurt out some sort of confession as though she’d stripped naked and screwed Luke right in the center of downtown. Hell, aside from the spark on her skin when he took her hand in his, their encounter had been as innocent as a run-in with one of her students’ parents at the grocery store. Though admittedly, none of her students’ parents greeted her with an offer to get naked … But the prospect of what Spencer had been about to do sent a tremor of fear through her center and she’d used the first available excuse at her disposal to stop him.
She liked Spencer. But he wasn’t Mister Right. More like … Mister Right Now.
“I have an early morning tomorrow, maybe we should take off, Rach.” Colton placed his napkin on the table and scooted his chair back. Rachael, on the other hand, seemed to be glued to her seat, her eyes bugging out of her head. They’d been friends since elementary school, Kayleigh didn’t need to have telepathy to know the questions spinning around in her friend’s head.
“Rachael.”
“What? Oh, yeah.” She looked over at Colton and then from Spencer to Kayleigh. “I have to show a house in the morning, too. So … yeah…” Colton was already up and headed out of the dining room leaving Rachael to bring up the rear. “Thanks for dinner, guys. I’ll talk to you later, Kayleigh.”
Spencer remained silent, his lips drawn into a tight line, blue eyes as hard and cold as ice. When the door shut behind Rachael, Kayleigh sank back into her chair but Spencer remained standing. He let out a forceful sigh and pinned her with an accusing glare. “I think we need to talk, don’t you?”
It was going to be a long night.
THREE
The great thing about small communities: you didn’t have to search too hard to find what—or who—you were looking for. Especially when she was living in her parents’ old house. Luke pulled up into Kayleigh’s driveway, his gut churning like an angry sea. Jealousy burned him from the inside out even though he knew he had no right to feel it. His heart still had a claim on her, even if she’d chosen to forget it.
For a few minutes he simply sat in the car with the engine running, headlights off. A man with even a lick of common sense would have turned his ass around and gotten out of there. But Luke never was one to play it safe. Besides, the spark that had ignited in Kayleigh’s eyes when he’d taken her hand was more than enough evidence that no matter how many years separated them, there would always be a fire that burned hot between them. And he wasn’t leaving there until she begged to feel the heat from those flames.
The porch light sparked to life and Luke recalled the many times that same light had flicked on when Kayleigh spent a little too much time out in the driveway with Luke after one of their dates. Fuck, he could practically taste the sweetness of her mouth now, feel the petal softness of her lips. His fingers tightened on the steering wheel as the front door swung open. So help him, if the boyfriend was standing on the other side of that door, it would be all he could do to keep from pressing his foot on the gas pedal and running the fucker over. Lucifer Blackwell, indeed.
He eased his foot off the gas when Kayleigh stepped out onto the porch. Bathed in the soft light of the bulb, her skin all but glowed. Luke’s gaze traveled down the length of her body and the baggy T-shirt that hung down just below her hips. The boyfriend’s? The steering wheel creaked under his grip.
He rolled down the window and drew a deep breath of crisp spring air. She placed a hand on her cocked hip. Her head fell to the side and with it, a cascade of auburn curls. “Are you going to sit out in my driveway all night, or are you coming in?” Without waiting for a response, she turned and went back inside, leaving the front door wide open.
Hot. Damn.
Luke’s brain short-circuited at the sight of Kayleigh’s ass, the round half-moons of her bare cheeks peeking out from her booty shorts. He fumbled with the key and the engine grated in protest as he turned the ignition on rather than off. He’d be buying this rental if he didn’t watch out, but with his brain so full of Kayleigh, there wasn’t room for anything else.
Like one of those zombie parasites that took control of its host’s brain, lust dug its way into his, taking over his motor functions, and he had no choice but to obey. He killed the engine and hopped out of the Escalade, strolling up the front porch steps with a swagger that contradicted his pounding heart. He kicked the door closed behind him and froze just inside the tiny foyer. Christ, the place hadn’t changed much since he was a kid. Talk about surreal. It made him feel even more like he was crossing some sort of line. Pushing the boundaries of what was decent. And it sent a thrill chasing through his bloodstream.
Kayleigh was curled up on the couch, a fluffy blanket tucked around her legs and hiding all of that glorious bare skin from his view. Luke’s mouth went dry and his tongue might as well have been coated with a layer of fur. He couldn’t have talked if he’d wanted to, which was probably a good thing because the only thoughts in his head were of how beautiful she looked, and how badly he wanted to fuck her.
There was definitely a song there …
“I broke up with my boyfriend tonight.” Kayleigh gave a rueful laugh that was tinged with sorrow. Her eyes came up to meet his and for the first time, Luke noticed that they were red and puffy as though she’d been crying. “Who in the hell does that? I mean, seriously? Who in their right mind breaks up with a perfectly good guy because her ex blows into town?”
Luke’s heart soared at her words despite the grief that lined her face. He’d never intended to hurt her by approaching her at the bistro, but damn it, he couldn’t deny that her loss was his gain. “I’m sorry, honey.” That was the truth. He was sorry she hurt. Wished he could take that pain from her. “But if it was
so easy to cut him loose, then maybe he wasn’t the guy for you.”
Her bark of laughter ended on a sob. “No, I guess he wasn’t. Apparently I’m a glutton for punishment. I only want men who don’t want me back.”
The words sliced through him like a razor blade, cutting deep into his flesh. Luke stayed rooted to his spot on the carpet, incapable of taking a single step. God, just standing near her cleared the clutter from his mind. For months he’d suffered artistically. Emotionally. Gone through the motions like a fucking zombie. Regurgitated lyrics that no longer meant a damn thing to him. He’d been hollow. But in Kayleigh’s presence, he felt full to bursting.
Kayleigh sniffed and wiped at her eyes. “What are you doing here, Luke? Why did you come back?”
“The truth?” Was that even an option? If she knew how badly he’d fucked himself over would she kick him out the door before he even got the chance to explain himself?
“I think I deserve it, don’t you?”
She deserved so much more than the truth. So much more than him. But Luke was a selfish bastard and he’d decided a long time ago that life wasn’t worth livin’ if he wasn’t willing to go balls out for everything he wanted. Right now, he wanted her. A slow smile crept onto his face and he hiked a casual shoulder. “What would you say if I told you that I came home because of you?”
A slow shuddering sigh released from between her parted lips. “You really are a son of a bitch, Luke.”
Probably. She wasn’t the first woman to tell him that at any rate. Luke put one foot in front of the other as he stalked toward her perch on the living room couch. The deep chocolate brown of her eyes glistened with unshed tears and her cheeks flushed crimson. Sorrow and rage, soft rain and a raging fire. Kayleigh had always been a walking contradiction. His muse. The basis for every raw emotion he’d ever put to paper. She took his breath away.
“I drive a Prius and I teach kindergarten. Most nights I crawl into bed with a book and on the weekends, I’m either hanging out at the lake or catching up on laundry. My life is far from exciting and I’m okay with that. I haven’t changed, Luke. I’m still all of the things you were trying to get away from, so you’ll excuse me if I think that your excuse for showing up here is total bullshit.”