by Nella Tyler
Luke had refused, knowing when he was being taken advantage of. As a result, most of his family turned their backs on him and left him pretty much adrift, the black yet rich sheep of the family.
I felt really bad for Luke –this was the time in life when he should really be enjoying his newfound wealth and status. Then again, maybe he had been perfectly happy and content with the way things were before he had inherited all that money. Now it was too late to go back, and I had a sense that he had no idea to move forward.
These thoughts kept me busy most of the day. By the time four o’clock came around and I was putting my supplies back into the cupboard, I heard a voice behind me.
"Are you finishing up for the day?"
I turned around and saw Luke standing a short distance behind me, wearing a pullover polo with a collar, tan chinos, loafers with no socks, and a grin. His grin was infectious, and I felt a surge of affection for him. "I am."
"I want to show you something before you leave."
I nodded and followed him as he left the kitchen area, moved down the hallway, and up the stairs. At the far end of the hall was a room with a locked door, much like his office. I rarely went in there. It was a spare bedroom, so I couldn't figure out why it was locked most of the time. As we neared the doorway, I was surprised to find a dress hanging from a hanger over the door.
It was a beautiful dress in a deep, rich, plum color. It looked like silk chiffon, so airy that the fit-and-flair silhouette would emphasize any shape. A pleated V-neck with narrow straps and wide empire waist gave it a simple yet elegant appearance. I glanced at Luke, who carefully watched me.
"You like it?"
"It's beautiful," I commented.
"If you like, you can wear it tonight on our date." He dipped his eyes, shifted his feet for a second as if embarrassed, and then glanced back up.
"I was out for a while this morning and saw it in a store window. When I saw it I knew it would suit you to a T…but, of course, if you would rather not, I understand."
I smiled at Luke, although my mind was whirling with curiosity and confusion. On the one hand, I was overwhelmed with his generosity, but on the other, could only wonder what he was doing. Last night the bathing suit in the swimming pool and then the kiss. Tonight a beautiful cocktail dress that must've cost hundreds of dollars. Still, the dress was beautiful, and I knew that I had nothing that could even compare to it in my closet back at my condo.
"If you'd like, you can use the bedroom in here to change. It will save you a trip back to your place, at least."
I thought about it for a moment, struggling with confusion. If I accepted the offer of the dress, was I also accepting any other advances? The same thought applied to the date tonight. Was he doing this to make me feel obligated to return favors? I didn't think so, but I wasn't sure.
I decided that I would wear the dress and we would go out to dinner, and if he didn't bring it up himself, I decided that I would bring up the topic myself. I needed to know where I stood with Luke. I didn't want to give him the impression that I was interested in anything extracurricular. Besides, I did enjoy the time we had spent in the pool last night, and I did also have to admit that the kiss he had given me before I left had been more than nice, as well.
Nevertheless, did I really want to get involved with my employer? At this very second, no, but he stood in front of me, oozing sexual charm, a handsome face, and an incredibly sexy and hopeful grin. Finally, I nodded. "The dress is beautiful, thank you, Luke. Just give me a few minutes to change and I’ll meet you downstairs, all right?"
Chapter 11
When I stepped into the room to get dressed, holding the beautiful cocktail gown up on its hanger, I was surprised to find a matching pair of shoes in a shoebox on the bed. I felt that the gesture was very thoughtful, but again wondered exactly what Luke's intentions were. That I was attracted to him was an understatement. Did he feel the same toward me? And if he did, what was I going to do about it?
I still felt a little funny accepting his personal attention, but perhaps at dinner he would make his intentions clear. Only then could I really decide what to do. I could read guys pretty well…most of the time. Luke was a curiosity. He was hot one minute, cold the next, as if he himself didn’t know what he thought about anything. Was that just a quirk of his personality? A result of his new status in life? I couldn’t know. Maybe the dinner date tonight would offer me a chance to get to know him a little better – maybe a lot better.
I quickly changed, leaving my work outfit lying folded nicely on an armless chair by the door. With a sigh and a hope to figure out what was going on between Luke and me, I stepped from the room. The hallway was empty. I was halfway down the stairs when Luke appeared at the bottom, staring up at me with what I could only term an expression of appreciation. Or at least, I hoped so.
"You look beautiful," he commented. "That color suits your skin tone very well."
I nodded in agreement. "It fits like a glove, doesn't it?" I loved the way the airy chiffon floated around my thighs. The structure of the dress was discreet, with the V-neck, the narrow straps at the top and the deep V-line in the back to the zipper offering just enough sexy to be appealing. The chiffon swirled around my legs, stopping just above the knee. I wore the dress barelegged and was more than comfortable in the two-inch high heels he had purchased.
I gave him a look, only half joking. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you managed to get my measurements and shoe size while I was asleep!"
He laughed. "I've always been good at guessing sizes," he admitted.
As I neared the bottom three steps, he lifted his hand toward me. Again, I felt he was behaving as a perfect gentleman. Despite his family’s behavior toward him now, it was obvious that he’d been raised a polite young man. Either that or his grandfather had raised him. I placed my hand in his, thrilled by its warmth and strength. Just recalling what he looked like under his dress slacks and shirt, sans tie, had my heart hammering again.
Who was Luke Benning, I wondered. What made him tick? I had spent less than a week in his home, but still hadn’t gotten an indication of what he liked, what he did for a living, and why he seemed so indecisive when it came to me. Of course, I was riddled with curiosity, but couldn't very well bring the topic up. I wasn't even supposed to know about his recent background, and the only reason I did was because I had asked my dad in passing, or so I had tried. My dad was a smart man. Telling him that one of my friends had bumped into Luke and wanted to know more about him seemed like a good excuse, but did my dad really buy it? I had no way of knowing. As with any other aspect of society, the grapevine among the rich and privileged was just as strong as those found in the hospital, a school, or an office building.
He led me to his car, and I lifted my eyebrow in surprise. I had expected him to drive a Beamer or something, but instead, he had guided me to a dark blue Jeep Renegade. Though, it did serve to give me another angle to Luke's personality. The Jeep was an outdoorsy, adventurous vehicle. I smiled. Maybe I would get a glimpse of the real Luke Benning tonight. Apparently, at least in one aspect of his life, he opted for serviceable over classy, though the vehicle was brand-new and appeared to be maxed out with the accessories, including chrome light covers, a grill, and running board.
Luke stepped to the car and opened the passenger door, and I smiled again. Okay, so he opted for comfort with customized leather seats. It still had a new car smell to it. So he opted for fun and serviceable, but had also went for all the perks. He was still an enigma.
After he climbed in, he started the car and pulled out of the driveway, taking a rather roundabout way into downtown Raleigh. The warm summer evening had brought a lot of residents and city dwellers outdoors and the town was ablaze with lights, pedestrian traffic, and laughter.
We didn't say too much during the car ride, but I enjoyed the drive. I felt at ease with him, even with the silence. For some reason, I didn’t feel compelled to fill it. He didn’t, either
. It was a comfortable silence, something that I rarely experienced with my previous boyfriends. To my surprise, he eventually pulled up to Saint Jacques restaurant. I know it served French and European cuisine, but I had never been there. I had heard about it, though; that a native of France owned it from Provence and that the owner had worked in a number of three-star Michelin restaurants in Europe. The food would be good.
We walked arm in arm to the front door, which the host opened for us as we approached. A hostess smiled her welcome and then led us to a far corner of the main room. We were seated in a quiet, private and secluded corner and handed menus. I had no idea what to order, so suggested that Luke do so. "I've never come here, have you?"
He nodded. “Many times."
"Then would you mind ordering for me?" I asked. "The only thing that I don't care for are snails and shellfish."
He laughed. "I like shellfish, but the snails I can do without," he agreed.
He spent several moments scanning the menu, but glanced up as the waiter appeared. Even the waiters and other servers were dressed to the hilt in black trousers, black long-sleeved shirts, and narrow red ties.
"Are you ready to order, Sir?" he asked.
"Yes, we'll start with two glasses of Dubonnet Blanc, on the rocks please, with a lemon twist."
He glanced at me for approval and I merely shrugged. A white wine, that’s all I knew.
“Would you care for an appetizer?”
Luke nodded. "Two goat cheese gratin salads and for the entrée, two orders of the salmon."
The waiter nodded and disappeared. "I hope those selections were all right,” Luke said. “The warm goat cheese gratin salad is really good. It's a small medallion of goat cheese grounded on a focaccia crostini on top of a small arugula salad. It has red grapes, pears, and a splash of pomegranate vinaigrette for the dressing. Does that sound okay to you?"
I nodded. In fact, my mouth was beginning to water. I hadn't had anything to eat all day. “It sounds perfect."
"The salmon is maple glazed and grilled and served on a bed of polenta cake dusted with apples. It's also served with green brussel sprout petals."
"I love salmon," I smiled. "Perfect choices."
"I aim to please," he grinned.
His grin caused my blood to rush to my face. Gads, he was sexy and I had to wonder if he even realized how good-looking he was. I tried to calm my racing pulse and opted for safer territory. We engaged in small talk, nothing serious. The glasses of wine were brought to our table. We sipped and continued talking about his house, what he still planned to do with it, and how I was getting along indoors with the work.
By the time our dinner salads had arrived, I was feeling very comfortable. I told him that I was getting along fine with my duties, resisting the urge to tell them it was my first job at all.
To be honest, I was growing quite enthralled with his charm. If I weren’t careful, I would find myself falling head over heels for him. He seemed more comfortable now, away from the house. He was the perfect host, knowing just when to break the silence and when to eat in silence. His questions were superficial and safe. I didn’t ask him too many in return, knowing that the ones I really wanted to ask were off limits, at least for now.
Despite the lack of serious topics, I felt that we had a fun and meaningful conversation. By the time the dinner plates arrived, I admitted to myself that I was having a really good time. He made me feel comfortable. I brushed off his behavior from the first day, when he’d spent nearly the entire day watching me, staring at me. Tonight, he was a totally different person – comfortable, secure with his persona. I liked this Luke.
By the middle of the entrée, our wine glasses were refilled. Following dinner, I opted for dessert, a chocolate mousse with raspberry coulis, while Luke chose a specialty of the house, vanilla ice cream stuffed with homemade merengue and rolled in powdered sugar and nuts and topped with white chocolate ganache.
To be honest, I was impressed with the restaurant, the menu, the service, and prestige of the place, as well as the fact that Luke had chosen this restaurant to bring me to. While I was used to fine dining, I had never been here. It had the reputation of being one of the best restaurants in the city and I had certainly enjoyed the decadent meal. Even with my family's money, I had never indulged in such a place as this. Added to my positive impression was Luke’s polite and gentlemanly charm. As I sat across the table from him for the evening, I couldn't help but feel incredibly attracted to him. He was so handsome. I wondered what it would feel like to have him kiss me again, to wrap his arms around me, to…well, no sense in going that far, I told myself.
Chapter 12
After dinner, I sat back in my chair, trying not to slouch. I was stuffed! The tab had been paid and we sat comfortably for several moments. "That was amazingly delicious," I complemented Luke on his dinner choices. "You made excellent selections. I feel as if I made a pig of myself tonight!"
He laughed. "No more so than me," he said. "While I prefer home cooking, it's nice to get out once in awhile and get pampered, don't you think?"
I smiled again. "Totally!"
"Well, I guess we can head back to the mansion so you can pick up your clothes and your purse." He paused. "I’ll have my driver take you home tonight again."
I shook my head. "No need, Luke, I feel fine."
He shook his head and spoke softly. "I pressed two glasses of wine on you. I would feel terrible if something happened. My driver can take you home, okay? For my own peace of mind?"
I stared at him, my eyes caressing his eyes, his strong cheekbones, and those wonderful lips. He seemed to really care, he really did. How could I refuse such concern and generosity? I finally nodded. He stood, came around to my chair and pulled it out as I stood. Then, placing my hand on his strong forearm, he led the way out of the restaurant.
I followed him to his car and once settled into the comfortable leather seats, relaxed to the point that I could have allowed myself to fall asleep on the ride home. We didn't speak, and rather than being awkward, the silence was again comforting. He turned on the stereo. I was surprised by the channel he had chosen, but loved the sound…Big Band from the 1940s, I thought. I never would have thought he was into swing. I think he saw me looking at him with a quizzical expression.
“Oh, don’t get me wrong,” he laughed. “I listen to just about everything. Tonight, I just feel like Benny Goodman. Tomorrow night it might be Ozzy or Rammstein. You never know.”
I smiled, leaning back in my seat. I wondered why he didn’t offer to drive me home himself. Then again, he had also had two glasses of wine. Better that his driver takes the longer distance, I reasoned.
By the time we got to the mansion, I was feeling a bit woozy, but not dizzy and certainly not drunk. Just super relaxed. He stepped out of the Jeep and moved around to my side of the car and opened the door, a gentle hand on my elbow as he helped me out. We walked up the front porch steps to the door and he opened it.
As we stood in the foyer he gestured toward the living room off to the left. "Go ahead and sit down, Molly," he invited. "I’ll call for my driver. While we wait, would you care for a nightcap?"
I knew what nightcaps meant, and I also knew that I shouldn't have anything more to drink, especially since I had already had two large glasses of wine. I didn't want a repeat of last night and have Luke thinking I was some kind of a lush. Or easy. Not like that skank he was going out with. I should ask him about that. No, not now.
The house was quiet, it was just the two of us, and the intoxication of his presence and even the still unanswered questions in my mind regarding the kiss he had given me last night played over and over in my head. Maybe I would take this opportunity to find out exactly what his intentions were.
"Okay Luke, but make it weak, whatever it is, will you?"
He nodded and disappeared briefly, reappearing with a cocktail glass in one hand, a chilled beer bottle in the other. I took the drink he offered and sipped. I could tast
e mango and pineapple in it, and perhaps vodka, although I certainly wasn't an expert at my liquors. We began to talk some more, sitting side by side on the couch. My thoughts were a bit on the fuzzy side and I kept losing track of the conversation. Between that and the food I had eaten, I could hardly keep my eyes open. I blinked and tried to stay focused, stiffening my spine.
I don't know how it happened, but one drink turned into two, and the next thing I knew, I felt so rubbery and deliciously warm that I could've just sagged back on the couch and slept there all night.
"I suppose I should be going," I finally mumbled. I wasn't slurring – yet – but I knew that one more drink would tip me over the edge. I glanced at Luke, who was again watching me. I frowned. He seemed to hold his liquor quite well and appeared perfectly normal. "But there is one thing I wanted to ask you about, Luke, if you don't mind?"
He finished off his drink, placed the empty bottle on the coffee table in front of the sofa, and turned slightly toward me, his arm on the back of the sofa and draped over my shoulders, almost touching them. I could feel its heat. His left knee brushed up against my right knee. Zing. A wave of heat not caused by alcohol surged through me. Crap. Was this chemistry or what?
“Certainly, Molly, ask me anything."
"It's a little embarrassing, but I want to talk about the kiss you gave me last night…"
"Ah…the kiss," he nodded and lifted an eyebrow. "What about it, Molly?"
Ugh. He was going to make me say it. "Well, I suppose I should ask what your intentions are," I finally shrugged. "After all, I'm your maid-"