by Kendall Ryan
As if sensing my presence, Charlotte turned toward me, blinking against the sunlight streaming in through the blinds.
“Morning, sleepyhead.”
“What time is it?” she asked.
“Just after eight.”
Sitting up, she grabbed her phone and deleted a couple of text messages without bothering to read them. Probably just her friend in LA giving her a hard time about her lengthy stopover. Charlotte and I both knew that Wayne could have been pressured into having her car done sooner.
“You hungry?” I asked.
“Can I shower first?”
I nodded. “Take your time.”
That statement was all wrong. Time was the one thing we didn’t have. But Charlotte brushed her tangled hair away from her face and smiled weakly at me. That sad little smile tore through me like a knife.
“I’ll be downstairs,” I murmured, heading for the door. I found Duke in the kitchen fixing himself a plate of eggs.
“What’s on the agenda today?” he asked.
I cleared my throat, forcing down the knot that had formed. “Charlotte’s taking off today.”
“And that’s it, huh?”
“Yeah. Guess so.”
He slammed the skillet he’d just washed onto the counter. “Don’t be a dumb fuck. She’s perfect for you.”
He was wrong about that. She was way too good for someone like me, and I wouldn’t trap her into something she’d regret.
“I won’t ask her to stay.”
He shook his head. “Then show her why leaving would be stupid.”
Tingles started at the base of my spine as a plan formed in my mind. I needed to make a call, and my cell was still in my bedroom.
“Give me your phone,” I demanded.
Duke gave me that cocky crooked grin he always wore when he’d just outsmarted me, and handed me his phone.
Glancing toward the stairs to make sure there was no sight of Charlotte, I dialed the number for Wayne’s. Several rings later, I was almost convinced his lazy ass wasn’t even up yet when he finally answered.
“Yup,” he said.
“Wayne. It’s Luke Wilder.”
“What can I do for ya?”
“I’ve got a crisp hundred-dollar bill with your name on it if you can keep the Audi in the shop today.”
He was quiet, and I had the sinking feeling he was going to refuse to play along. Duke nodded, watching me.
“I just need one more day,” I said.
“All right then. I’ll see you tomorrow,” Wayne said and then clicked off.
A little while later, Charlotte came downstairs, her skin freshly scrubbed and dewy, and her damp hair hanging down her back.
“Wayne called to say things didn’t go according to plan, and he said to come by tomorrow morning.” She shrugged and took a seat at the breakfast table, but she didn’t seem particularly upset.
Duke smiled at me and took his plate of eggs to the other room, giving us some privacy.
Today was my last chance to show her everything our life could be if she’d only take a chance. I couldn’t waste this opportunity. Maybe, just maybe, if I played my cards right, she’d make the decision to stay all on her own.
“First, I’m going to feed you,” I said, setting down a mug of steaming coffee in front of Charlotte.
“And then what?”
“I think we can entertain ourselves for one more day, don’t you?”
• • •
After breakfast, Charlotte took my truck into town to check out of the inn and get her suitcase. While she was gone, I got to work, packing up a picnic basket while Molly supervised with a grin.
So far, I had cheese, crackers, fruit, hot dogs and buns, and a bottle of white wine. Molly was getting a little too much joy out of this, but without her help, the basket would have probably only contained a bottle of whiskey and a whole bunch of condoms.
After adding a couple of red plastic cups from the pantry, I surveyed my work. Not bad.
“Pass me those napkins,” I told Molly.
“Here, take these instead.” She handed me two cloth napkins, and then switched out my plastic cups for a pair of stemless wineglasses.
While I grabbed a blanket from the hall closet, Molly darted off, then emerged from her bedroom with a little package of salted caramel dark chocolate squares.
“These are your favorite,” I said. “Are you sure?”
She nodded. “Charlotte loves them too.”
I added those to the basket, along with graham crackers and a bag of marshmallows.
“Where are you taking her?” Molly asked.
“I’m thinking the swimming hole, a picnic, maybe a bonfire and a movie on the iPad if she likes the idea.”
Molly’s gaze went soft. “How sweet. It’ll be like your own private outdoor movie.”
“Yep. That’s the idea.” Privacy was my main goal, that and showing her all the pleasures life in a small town had to offer.
“Oh!” Molly ran to the hall closet. “You’re gonna need some pillows. Maybe a couple more blankets too.”
Tires crunching on gravel out front meant Charlotte was back, and I turned to Molly and handed her the blanket.
“Throw the pillows and blankets in the back of the truck for me, would you?”
Molly nodded and hurried toward the screen door.
I snatched up the basket and on second thought, grabbed the whiskey and condoms, tucking those in too. After all, a man could never be too prepared.
“What’s all this for?” Charlotte asked as she climbed out of the truck and handed me the keys.
I placed the basket behind the seat. “Just get your pretty little ass back in the truck, and you’ll see.” I swatted her behind playfully while Molly waved from the front porch.
“Yes, sir,” Charlotte muttered under her breath.
She fiddled with the radio until she found a station that suited her while I headed out toward the spot I had in mind. What we needed was privacy, and I knew just the place. About a half hour outside of town on a stretch of country road was a piece of land I’d looked at buying last year. Acres of rolling hills and shady pecan trees, and a rocky bluff overlooking the clearest, prettiest lake. It was completely secluded with no one for miles around.
The owner, an old man in his eighties, wasn’t ready to sell, but told me I was free to visit whenever I wanted to go fishing in the lake. I had a lot more on my mind today than catching a few catfish.
“Where are we headed?” Charlotte asked. “Am I dressed okay?”
Looking down at her delicious creamy thighs below a pair of cut-off jean shorts—thighs that I hoped would be wrapped around my neck later—I just grinned. “You’re perfect.”
A little while later, we pulled down the hidden single-lane road that was so narrow, twigs and branches brushed the sides of my truck as we drove on.
Charlotte gave me a worried look. “Will you tell me where you’re taking me? Because this is looking more and more like somewhere you go to get rid of a body.”
Chuckling at her, I finally pulled to a stop in a clearing overlooking the lake. “I figured I had one last day to show you all the pleasures of the simple life, and I didn’t want to waste it.”
She gazed out the windshield to the lake beyond, and as hard as I tried to decipher her expression, I couldn’t quite read it.
This was my last shot, and I was pulling out all the stops.
Chapter Nineteen
Charlotte
The asshat had conveniently forgotten to mention that I needed a bathing suit. But I couldn’t be mad because getting to see Luke, a whole lot of Luke, all tanned skin and rock-hard muscle, made it totally worth it. Plus, I’d never been skinny-dipping, so I got to cross that off my bucket list.
We played in the shallows for a while, and then he carried me out into deeper water and kissed me. He became aroused, and for a moment I thought we might mak
e love right there in the lake, but we didn’t. Instead, he dunked me and swam away laughing, which spawned a twenty-minute water battle.
Then we dressed and grabbed what Luke had brought. He led me on a hike around the lake, finally climbing up to a rocky bluff where we could see for miles. We spread out the blanket on a perfect spot and cuddled together, watching the clouds float by. It was truly the perfect day already, and it was barely even noon.
“You getting hungry yet?” Luke asked, leaning over to brush a wisp of hair away from my face.
“Maybe. What’s in that picnic basket?”
Smirking, he said, “You’ll just have to find out.”
We sat up, stacking up the oversized throw pillows behind us, and Luke arranged an impressive picnic. We munched on cheese and crackers, and sipped glasses of wine while chatting about everything and nothing.
“This is an awfully romantic date, Mr. Wilder. Explain to me again how it is that you’re still single?”
He chuckled and shook his head. “No, you’ve got it all wrong. This isn’t a date. I just needed to get you out of the house before the hookers that Duke hired came over.”
Knowing he was kidding, I nodded, keeping my expression serious. “I see. Good plan.”
He told me about the history of Shady Grove, and how his family came to be settled there. We laughed and ate, and then watched a movie on the iPad he’d brought. It was the perfect day.
When the sun began to set, I thought that was it, that it was time to pack up and go home. Instead, Luke went to gather firewood while I built a little stone ring several feet away from our blanket. Once he got a fire going, we roasted hot dogs on sticks and ate gooey burned marshmallows, chasing them with sips of his smoky whiskey.
I couldn’t recall a time when I’d enjoyed such simple pleasures. As sweet as it had been for Molly to throw me a going-away party, this was the best way to spend my last night here. It felt so right.
“You cold?” Luke asked, draping a heavy arm around me and pulling me close.
“A little.” I nodded.
“I’ll fix that.”
After he threw another log onto the fire, he stood up and grabbed a faded flannel shirt from his truck, then draped it around my shoulders. The shirt was soft and smelled like him, and I slipped my arms into the sleeves and buttoned it up.
“I’m a mess,” I said, smoothing my wavy air-dried hair into a ponytail high on my head. I could only imagine what I must look like.
“I like you like this,” Luke murmured, tilting my chin toward his to kiss my lips.
“You’re being awfully sweet. Are you trying to get lucky?” I whispered, pressing my lips to his again.
“That depends . . .”
“On?”
Luke lifted me into his lap, settling me over the firm ridge in his pants. “On if you can handle riding this all night long.” He thrust upward, forcing the breath from my lungs. “Because I don’t plan on stopping until the sun comes up.”
His mouth crashed against mine in a hungry kiss. The pressure building between my legs demanded attention, and I couldn’t help the whimper that fell from my lips.
He groaned when I shifted my hips, gripping my ass to work me over his straining cock as he kissed me again. After unbuttoning the flannel shirt, Luke let it drop from my shoulders and then stripped off my T-shirt and bra.
His warm, calloused palms covered my breasts, his thumbs stroking my nipples. “What do you say, sweetheart? Are you ready to ride my cock?”
Rising to my feet, I quickly stripped out of my shorts and underwear. Luke wasted no time unfastening his pants and shoving them down his hips. By the time I was back in his lap, he’d already sheathed himself in a condom.
“Come here, beautiful. Need to make sure you’re ready for me.”
While his mouth feasted on my breasts—kissing and nibbling and licking—his hand moved between us where he discovered that I was, in fact, already ready for him.
“I love it when you taste like my whiskey.” He groaned again, sliding one finger inside me.
Gripping his shoulders, I buried my face against his neck, kissing all the warm skin I could reach. “Luke . . .” I moaned his name, the need in my voice unmistakable.
Positioning me in his lap, he pressed forward slowly until our bodies were joined.
“Christ . . . you’re perfect,” he said, grunting as he pumped into me.
“Let me,” I whispered.
Placing his hands on my jaw, he brought my lips to his while I took control of our speed. I rocked my hips in his lap, finding the angle that suited me.
I patted his chest. “Lean back, big boy.”
Luke obeyed, resting on his elbows while he watched me with hooded eyes. “Just like that, baby. Nice and slow.”
Under the moon and stars with a fire crackling beside us, we found new ways to bring each other pleasure. And after we had both reached our climax, we lay spooned together under a blanket for a long time, his breathing slow and even as he stroked my hair.
I kept waiting for Luke to ask me to stay, waited for him to ask what was so important about getting to LA.
But he didn’t.
And I didn’t bring it up, even though I felt the weight of my secret pressing down on me with each passing heartbeat. Because now that we’d grown closer, keeping the truth from him this whole time suddenly felt very, very wrong.
“Luke, there’s something I never told you about back home . . . about why I left.”
“Shh.” He stroked my hair. “You don’t owe me an explanation. You wanted a fresh start, right?”
I nodded, my head still nestled against his chest. Tears welled in my eyes at how perfect and sweet this man was. He’d bared his soul to me in just one week’s time, and I hadn’t even been brave enough to return the favor. But for now, I knew he was right. I didn’t want to sully our last night together by talking about Prescott or any of the other stuff in my life. Compared to the man beside me, it was all meaningless.
Tomorrow had the power to change everything, so I kept my mouth shut and simply enjoyed being with him.
But I couldn’t help but wonder, come morning, would he ask me to stay, or would he let me go without a fight?
Chapter Twenty
Luke
Last night had been perfect. Charlotte and I had lain together under the stars until the moon was high, but when the temperature started to drop, we packed up for home, making love once more in my bed.
The day had been filled with sunshine and laughs and the hottest sex of my life, but in the end, it hadn’t really changed anything. Charlotte didn’t mention the future, and though I wondered where her head was at, I didn’t have the balls to bring it up.
If I had, I knew I’d probably end up begging her to stay, and I’d only come to regret it. Just like I had with my mom, and just like I had with Sarah. There were sayings about this exact situation—about being burned, or fool me once, shit like that—and I didn’t care to see history repeat itself.
Charlotte rose early, and I made coffee while she showered. When she was dressed, she came downstairs with her suitcase, her expression unreadable. She hugged Molly good-bye one last time while my sister shot me a questioning scowl.
Leave it, my expression said.
“Ready?” I asked after they exchanged phone numbers and promised to stay in touch.
Charlotte nodded.
I tossed her suitcase in the back of my truck and we got in, the silence hanging around us nearly deafening.
Without a word, Duke got in his truck to follow us over to Wayne’s. He knew without my saying that if she got in that car today, I’d be gutted. He also knew I’d head over to the bar and drink until I couldn’t walk anymore. He’d be there to drive me home, and later, to help me pick up the pieces.
When we pulled up, her shiny black Audi was parked out front. As we climbed out of my truck, Wayne came strolling out of the shop, and an imp
ending sense of doom settled over me.
This was it.
Chapter Twenty-One
Charlotte
We pulled to a stop in the same dusty gravel driveway I’d broken down in ten days ago. It was crazy how fast my life had changed since meeting Luke. It was crazy how deeply he, his family, and this little town had affected me.
I followed Wayne inside the shop to settle my bill and collect my key while Luke and his brother exchanged some tense words in the parking lot. I didn’t know why Duke was here, maybe just to say good-bye one last time, but it felt like something more than that. I tried not to think about it.
After giving my parents’ black credit card a healthy workout, there was no other reason to delay. Inhaling one last deep breath of fresh country air as I walked through the parking lot, I realized this was it.
While Duke helped me load my suitcase into the trunk of the car, Wayne and Luke stood and talked at the edge of the parking lot.
I could barely stand to look at Luke—it hurt too much. The thought that I might be speaking my last words to him cut me to the core. Yesterday had been incredible, probably the best day of my entire life, but that was all it was. One last day to enjoy each other before it all came to an end because he hadn’t asked me to stay, and I certainly wasn’t going to invite myself to.
If he really wanted me here, he would have made that clear. Luke wasn’t a man who minced words.
“You sure you have to go, sweetheart?” Duke asked, drawing me out of my thoughts.
I closed the trunk and turned to face him. Anger and frustration were etched into his features, but I sensed all his anger was directed at his brother, not me.
I gave him a sad smile.
“He’s an idiot to let you go,” Duke said, taking my hand and giving it a squeeze. “If you won’t stay for him, stay for me.”
His sensitivity touched me. I’d never seen the softer, more serious side of Duke, but it was obvious there was one.