Suddenly, she didn’t care anymore about the hurt she’d be carrying around over the last few years. Whatever Luke had to say to her, Kelly decided, she’d definitely listen. After all, she’d been in love with him nearly her entire life.
But, right now, all she wanted to do was get close to him. Kelly looked into his eyes. “Dance with me?”
Luke grimaced, as he held her gaze. “I’ve never learned how.”
Kelly realized that her mouth was hanging open, so she quickly snapped it shut. “You’ve never danced before?”
Shoving his hands into his pants pockets, he shrugged. “You gotta remember, that when I was in high school, Princess, I never had the chance to go to dances or any of the usual stuff. I was on probation–remember?” he admitted gruffly.
And Kelly was still indignant about the punishment he’d received for those robberies. After all, it was his stepfather and stepbrother who’d forced him into stealing property from all the summer homes around the lake. But then again, Luke had been lucky not to have to go into a detention center. They’d allowed Kelly’s grandfather to be his foster parent. Jim Callahan was the retired chief of police here in the town of Crystal Rock, and, despite his age, Jim was in excellent health. When his grandson, Dan, had offered to help, Jim had taken charge of fourteen-year old Luke, when his stepbrother and stepfather had been sentenced and put in jail. “I guess I was kind of young to notice things like that.”
Luke gave her a rueful smile.
There were a few other couples mingling nearby on the gazebo. Soft music continued piping out through the speakers, and echoed hauntingly across the calm water of the lake.
“Come on. It’s easy–just follow me.” Kelly stepped into Luke’s arms, where she promptly rested her head on his shoulder.
And Luke moved easily with the music; his movements slow and natural as he led her around the perimeter of the gazebo. The tantalizing scent of Luke’s cologne wafted through her senses as he held her tightly wrapped within his arms. There’d been hugs and occasional pecks on the cheek from Luke when they’d both been growing up. But even back then she’d known; Kelly had never experienced this sense of rightness before when she’d been in any other man’s arms. Absorbed in the man and the music, Kelly whispered, “You’re a natural.”
She felt the touch of his lips as they brushed against her brow. “That’s only because we’re so right together, Princess,” he answered hoarsely, echoing her thoughts.
Stunned, Kelly halted. She eased back gently within his arms so she could gaze into his eyes. Silvery-gray, they glistened intensely under the light of the moon.
He hesitated, seeming to be staring at her mouth. But before he could do or say more, a laugh shot out from the opposite end of the gazebo, reminding them that they weren’t alone.
The music pouring out from the speakers finally came to an end.
“Maybe we shouldn’t go for that walk along the beach?” Luke was studying her gown. He’d been touching her a great deal when they’d been dancing, and the rough callused skin of his fingertips brushed gently across her bare shoulders when he spoke.
When Kelly shivered, it wasn’t because she was cold. “Nah–I’d still like to go. Everyone in the wedding party had rooms reserved for the entire weekend, since the rehearsal dinner was last night. So I’ve got a change of clothes in my room.”
“I brought along some other clothes too. Somehow, I managed to get a single booked for tonight,” Luke observed.
Kelly smiled. “Okay. So–why don’t we go our separate ways to change clothes, and then meet back up in the lobby?”
Luke nodded his agreement. “You won’t be missed at the reception?”
“Nah. Kate and Murphy have probably gone up to their suite. We’re all supposed to meet for brunch in the morning, anyway.”
For a moment Luke stilled, as they stared into each other’s eyes. But then he reached for her hand. They began to stroll across the bridge that led back to the pathway, and continued to remain quiet as they entered the inn from the solarium door. As they made their way past the crowded reception, Ethan was standing with a group of Kelly’s friends, and tried to divert her attention–they’d danced several times throughout the night–but Kelly waved him off with her hand and gave him a rueful smile.
When Luke stared at Ethan and glared, Kelly began inwardly jumping for joy. Luke appeared to be jealous–definitely a good sign.
Still seeming to be slightly impatient, Luke hesitated when they reached the elevator. “Would you like me for me to go on up with you to your room, and wait for you to change? We might get diverted otherwise.”
Kelly gave him a lopsided grin. “Did you mean that I might get diverted?”
“Yeah,” Luke growled. As the doors for the elevator opened, he promptly reached out for her arm and yanked her inside with him.
Kelly burst into laughter.
Luke glared at Kelly. But then, shaking his head dazedly, he began to laugh. “God, I’m acting like an idiot! I don’t know how to handle this, Princess. I used to stay away from you for exactly this same reason, you know.”
Taken aback, she became serious, staring into his eyes. “No, I didn’t,” she answered softly. “And therein lies our problem.”
She continued to stare into his steely-gray eyes until the elevator door opened, breaking the spell. Kelly reached for Luke’s hand, and he clasped hers warmly.
Moving out from the elevator, Kelly pulled Luke along until they stood before a door at the end of the hallway. Slipping her hand from his, she began digging through the clutch she’d been carrying. After pulling out the key card, she swiped it through the sensor.
Luke let out a long low whistle as they entered the suite. “Wow, Kel. I’ve never seen the inside of these rooms before. My room downstairs is nice, but it’s small, since it’s just a single.”
Kelly nodded her agreement, staring around her at the luxurious contemporary space. The suites on the uppermost level included a kitchen and dining room, and were bright and airy, because of the skylights and huge sliding glass doors leading outdoors. Booked for the bridesmaids, this four-bedroom suite was even more impressive since it overlooked the lake.
Hesitating, she swallowed, staring at Luke as he loosened his tie. He seemed larger than life as he stood there staring back. At six-foot two, Luke had been tall, thin and wiry as a teen. But he’d filled out nicely once her grandfather had taken Luke under his wing. Even now, it made her want to cry thinking of the abuse that Luke must’ve dealt with as a kid. Kelly cleared her throat, as she motioned with her hand to the other end of the living room. “My room’s right over there. I’ll only be a minute.”
Silently, Luke nodded.
Kelly spun on her heels and made her way into the bedroom. Leaving the door cracked, she shuffled through the clothes she’d left in her suitcase. Pulling out a pair of jeans and a gauzy, printed crop top, she jumped at the sound of Luke’s voice.
“Those are casual clothes?” he asked dryly. Posed against the doorframe of the bedroom, Luke looked sexy as hell with his legs and arms crossed. He was staring at her heatedly. Sometime in the last few minutes, he’d taken off his cap and the jacket of his uniform. He’d apparently rolled up the sleeves and half unbuttoned his shirt after removing his tie.
Kelly swallowed. She hadn’t even heard him approach. “I…well–like to look my best?”
“Yeah,” he growled. “You’ve always looked pretty damned fabulous to me, Princess,” he replied, entering the room. Looking intently at Kelly first, and then at the bedroom door, he deliberately snapped it shut.
And then he turned and raised a brow.
Kelly froze. Was this really going to happen…now?
Apparently taking her silence as acceptance, Luke began to approach her. He gave her a moment to back out. And then he slid his hand around her neck as he bent down for a kiss.
Finally. She turned into him, and his hands framed her face, holding her still and steady while his mou
th ravaged hers. His mood was teasing, but the meeting of their lips was decidedly serious. And all the tension of the day blew up into this one explosive kiss.
As Kelly’s last remaining remnant of control snapped, she was kissing him back, and running her hands around his waist, her fingers seeking the skin beneath his shirt.
For their very first time, she kissed him with her whole self, concealing nothing–and the kiss seemed to leave Luke just as shaken as she was. Her hands were resting on his wrists, as her fingertips noticed the accelerating of his pulse, and she felt a physical shock as his body molded perfectly against hers. What she saw in Luke’s eyes told her he was just as stunned as she was. She felt the kiss along the length of her spine as she arched to match the curve of her body with his.
He was hot and hard, and she was so needy. Her nipples were firm, and pressed tautly against the fabric of her gown. Between her legs, she could feel the rise of moist heat. She wanted to rip off Luke’s shirt. She wanted to run her fingers down from over his shoulders to his waist, through the softness of the hair that dusted his chest. But even that wasn’t enough–she wanted to explore every inch of his sexy muscular body.
Luke touched Kate in ways that had nothing to do with his hands in her hair, his mouth on her skin, or the joining of their bodies. What he offered her was the raw honesty of emotion and the fierce passion of a soul that’d never been exposed.
It seemed like everything was happening much too quickly. Luke spun her around smoothly, unzipping her gown, until it slithered off her body onto the ground. He unlaced her purple camisole from behind, halting occasionally, she supposed, to get a grip on his shaking fingers. Even though this felt like the most natural situation in the world, she’d only noticed his shaking fingers, because she was shaking too. “It figures you’d even have the sexiest underwear I’ve ever seen,” he muttered irritably.
She turned her head, raising a brow. “And just how much hands on experience do you happen to have–with sexy underwear, that is?”
When Luke raised his brow in challenge, Kelly added quickly, “On second thought, I don’t think I really want to know.”
Luke grunted as Kelly’s camisole dropped to the floor on top of her gown.
His eyes roved over her nearly naked body with obvious appreciation.
Kelly reached over with her hands to unbutton Luke’s shirt. Once she drew the shirt down over his arms and let it drop, he cleared his throat and swallowed. It was her turn to look at him with approval. She’d seen Luke a bunch of times without a shirt as a scrawny teenager. But now…damn, the man was ripped. And sexy, too–she couldn’t help thinking–for about the millionth time today. Showing a hint of the eagle tattoo that covered his upper back, black and gold ink feathered down like wings over his shoulders. After unlatching his belt, Kelly set to work on the fastenings of Luke’s uniform pants, and finally slipped off both his pants and boxers.
But Luke wasn’t letting her look too hard at him. He backed up to the bedside table, dimming the light of the lamp discreetly. Suddenly lifting her from her feet, he threw her onto the bed. She hit the top of the bed with a whoosh, and she squealed with surprise as Luke began laughing wickedly.
After her initial shock, she grinned at Luke when he dove into the bed beside her. She finally understood–he was attempting to lighten the mood. No way—was he really as nervous as she was? Yeah, he must be—he’d probably dimmed the light because he hadn’t wanted her to see his scars.
All of a sudden, his mood turned serious. “This is the last thing I expected to happen, Kel–you know that, don’t you?”
She nodded her understanding. “I still don’t get why we had to wait so long, Luke–if you’ve been feeling the same way that I have all along.”
“Baby,” he said, softly. “I’m still not so sure that we should be taking it this far–with me going away. You’re just so young and beautiful.” He hesitated. “And if something should happen to me…”
She lightly covered Luke’s mouth with her hand. “Shhh–don’t talk like that,” she answered fiercely. “Let’s just take this one day at a time.”
After staring into her eyes for a long hard moment, Luke finally nodded his acceptance. His hand moved through her hair, pulling out the pins that held it up. Cupping the back of her head, he tilted her face towards his. When his mouth touched hers, a spark of heat shot straight through her.
She closed her eyes, sinking into the kiss, letting herself do nothing but feel. Her senses were alive with something wonderful. Kelly couldn’t help thinking that fate had always meant for this to happen, so she didn’t feel guilty–she just felt good–remarkably, incredibly good.
Luke suddenly slipped out from the bed, and picked up his pants to pull his wallet from a pocket. After removing a condom, he laid his wallet on the nightstand, and suited himself up. He stared at Kelly for a moment until, after hesitating, she nodded a slightly discernible ‘yes.’
Luke glowered. “So–you’re on birth control then, Kel?”
“Tell me, Luke,” she answered dryly. “What was I supposed to do–wait for you, when you told me it was never gonna happen between the two of us? I haven’t dated a bunch of guys, but I dated someone for nearly a year.”
Luke grinned wryly, becoming sheepish. “Yeah, babe…I see what you’re saying. But I still can’t help being jealous,” he muttered. With that comment, he pulled her back into his arms and kissed her deeply.
But soon, she discovered, kissing him just wasn’t enough. Kelly fell on her back, as Luke slid down the remaining swatch of lace from her hips. And then his body covered hers. Every point of contact felt warm, from their mouths, to their breasts, to their groins–where she felt his arousal, hot, hard and ready.
Kelly loved everything about him–his weight, his scent, and the power in his hard muscular body. She wanted more of him–all of him.
“I’ve been thinking about this for so damned long now, I’m not so sure I’m gonna be able to take my time with you, Kel,” he whispered with urgency.
“Then don’t,” she answered fiercely.
When Luke thrust into her and filled her, it was the most glorious sensation she’d ever experienced. Hesitantly, one of Luke’s hands slid across her hips and caressed her inner thigh. He teased her, straying closer to the center of their joining, until she trapped his hand between them. His fingers grazed her most intimately, and the intensity in response to his touch caused her to arch and cry out incoherently. His mouth covered hers, cutting off the sound as if he was tasting her pleasure.
But instinct couldn’t be denied, not for long, as Luke flexed his spine, and withdrew and thrust again. Kelly caught the rhythm of retreat and possession. Dragging him down, she kissed Luke voraciously, and commandingly urged him on.
Ultimately, she went beyond thought, as their pounding rhythm rocked, razed, and compulsively drove them both. Clutching tightly, their fingers were entwined, as they raced harder, more forcefully to reach the peak.
Completion finally found them. She cried out and convulsed around him, powerfully, and on a groan he surrendered and went along with her. An elemental tide of pure sensation wracked through them and wrung them out–shattering them both.
Kelly realized, as she dropped into lethargic satisfaction, that the tension that’d been strung so tightly between her and Luke was vibrating now, since the pleasure between them had finally become tangible.
“Kelly,” he whispered, but then he stopped.
She waited for him to finish. But when he didn’t, she finally asked softly, “What?”
He shook his head hesitantly, and then he kissed her long, strong, and tenderly, like he was never going to let her go. Closing her eyes, and sinking into the kiss, she did nothing but savor it. She ran her hands up and down his back, loving the weight of him in her arms, the way he moved and touched her.
And the way he made her know that she was wanted and loved.
Not that they’d spoken of love. Maybe for Luke it was
just desire and physical attraction? But Kelly stretched out under the covers and turned her head, studying Luke hard. No–his eyes weren’t just filled with desire; they were filled with love. But he’d be leaving again soon, and Kelly was deathly afraid that he’d be gone from here tomorrow, without making a commitment.
Leaving her with a broken heart.
CHAPTER
FOUR
She was so beautiful and sexy, and yet there was also an appealing innocence about her. It was a potent combination and one he should’ve probably tried to resist. He’d hadn’t had the slightest intention of letting their relationship turn physical when he’d decided to visit Crystal Rock and speak with her–especially knowing he’d be shipping out overseas.
Loving the scent of Kelly’s lightly perfumed skin, that reminded him of lilacs–not to mention the rightness of the feel of her in his arms–Luke sighed, burying his head into her shoulder. “I wish I didn’t have to leave.” Luke felt the weight of Kelly’s hand at the base of his neck. Lightly, she ran her fingers over his closely-shaven scalp, stroking gently and soothingly, before dragging her fingers down over the length of his back.
The beginnings of daylight dimly saturated the room, and Luke froze when he realized where Kelly’s hands were exploring. The scars.
“Tell me something about yourself, Luke?” she asked softly. Her fingers ran lightly over the long thin markings of the eagle tattoo, feathering down over his shoulder. “Why the tattoo? It’s faded since you were a teenager, hasn’t it?”
Ah, she knew what she was doing then, by intentionally tracing the scars. Taking in a deep staggered breath, Luke came to a decision–he just couldn’t tell her everything. “I’m pretty sure you know why the tat’s there, Kel.”
Kelly answered hesitantly, “To cover the scars on your back?”
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