That was one of the things that pushed her to come back home. Then, within the week of her return, Caleb offered her a job. That was perhaps the highest compliment and honor she’d ever received, because she knew how selective he could be.
He’d run a successful, multimillion-dollar investment company for many years. The company started with his father and was handed down to him. He made his mark by hiring not only the best people, but people who could keep the ethos he had about the place of caring and doing what was right for their clients.
So when he actually asked her to work for him, she knew the extent of his offer and felt honored by it.
She also didn’t feel like the offer came as a result of the close relationship their families had. If anything, he made her work harder, but it was work she enjoyed.
And the perk of working here was this truly beautiful office that had been decorated just for her.
From where she was based, she had a perfect view of the Millennium Park and the Cloud Gate, which she adored. The oblique sculpture was wondrous with its reflection of Chicago’s beautiful skyline and the expanse of clouds above it.
She had the privilege of long French windows that opened out to welcome in the languid air that was mixed with wondrous scents from the bakery across the street and the glorious line of cafés and restaurants.
She had everything at her fingertips.
A wolf whistle caught her attention, taking her eyes away from her computer screen.
She looked up and straightened when she saw Luke standing by her opened door.
“Luke?” she said, looking at him in disbelief.
“Hey there. Can I come in?” He smiled.
“Of course.”
Whoa, she didn’t expect to see him today, and had to admit that his presence threw her off guard. When she left the party on Saturday, she wondered when she would see him again. She imagined running into him at some point, like if maybe he came to the apartment to visit Jessica. Or maybe if he came here to see his dad.
She didn’t realize it would be this soon, though, or that he would come here, into her office.
This setting was very different to being in a room full of people. Sure, her door was open and she could see some of the staff milling about through the glass window, but they were inside her office, separate from everyone else.
“Seems like this was the only way I could catch up with you.” He smiled, drawing her attention to the sparkle in his eyes and his gorgeous dimples.
Looking at him momentarily distracted her from the realization that he was here to see her.
“Me, oh, you’re here to see me?” She hoped that didn’t sound weird in any way, or like she wasn’t appreciative of the visit.
“Yes. I seem to be missing a hug, and a peck on the cheek wouldn’t hurt either. I have just returned from a war zone.”
She smiled and stood up, shaking her head. “You haven’t changed.”
“If it’s not broken there’s nothing to fix, baby.” He winked at her, exuding complete sexiness. Natalie couldn’t pretend that him calling her baby didn’t make her nerves scatter.
She wasn’t normally like this, so affected by a man that she felt nervous, but her body naturally reacted to him. It always did, against her will.
“Come here.” He crooked his finger and beckoned her to come closer.
She did and he moved to her, too, with his arms spread wide.
The minute he touched her, enveloping her into a warm embrace, she felt that spark ripple through her heart. This time, though, it seemed to have more effect, simply because of the contact.
He held her to him for a few seconds, surrounding her with the fresh woodland scent of his after shave and his alluring masculinity. His chest felt solid, like a concrete wall, with ripples of strong, corded muscles she could feel underneath.
He loosened his hold on her and she stepped back to move out of the hug, but he secured his grip to her waist.
“Not so fast.” He smiled, beaming down at her. “How has it been ten years since I last saw you?”
She didn’t know how to answer that.
What should she say?
Somehow, saying that the deep embarrassment she felt from his rejection didn’t seem like a plausible reason to stay away for so long.
“I’m sorry. That’s my fault, for being so busy,” she replied. That seemed like the best thing to say.
He released her and gave her a look that suggested he didn’t quite believe her.
“Busy.” He looked around the office. “I can see that. Is my dad treating you good?”
“He is. Definitely.” She nodded. “He allows me to work how I want to, and pretty much gives me free rein with my job.”
He looked pleased to hear that. “As long as you’re happy. You look happy. Are you?”
“I think so.” That was the honest answer. “I’m happy here. I love my job.”
“Okay. So where are you not happy?” The corners of his mouth lifted into a slow, easy smile.
She gazed at him, taking in the look of warmth that he gave her. “Well, I wasn’t happy weeks ago when we didn’t know what happened to you.”
Something flickered in his eyes. It looked like guilt.
He looked at her for a few seconds, then reached out and brushed the edge of her cheek, allowing his finger to linger at her jaw.
“You shouldn’t worry about me, baby. I’m like a cat. I have nine lives.”
“So there’ll be a time when the lives run out?”
“Not yet. I’m pretty certain I’m on my fifth life,” he joked and lowered his hand. “Got four more.”
“Okay. How are you?”
“I’m good, but I came here to see you, not talk about me. If you want to talk about me, you have to come see me.”
He hadn’t changed in the sense of his personality, but there was something that had changed in the way he looked at her.
“You want me to come and see you?”
“Yes.” He smiled a smile that oozed seduction and held her gaze.
“And do what? Hang out by the old lake house?” That was meant to be a joke because that was what they did as kids.
Every day after school held a host of adventures with Captain Luke at the lake house and the surrounding woodlands.
“Sounds like a plan.”
“A plan? Luke, I doubt we’d get away with jumping into the river, and we’re a little too old to play hide and seek.”
He chuckled. “I’m sure we can think of something to do. I’d like to see more of you while I’m here.”
Something in her tightened. He said while he was here, as in while he was home. So that meant he was going to be leaving to go back.
“You’re going back?” She couldn’t help the sadness in her voice. It resonated from her fears for him.
It was stupid; no one had mentioned anything about him staying. She just thought that something as big as what had happened to him may be the thing to get him to change his mind and see the danger in his chosen career.
“Not going to let a little thing like the possibility of death scare me away.” He gave her a cheeky smile and she had to wonder if he was being sarcastic.
“It’s not funny. I thought you died.” She hadn’t meant to show so much emotion but couldn’t stop herself.
“We’re back there again, aren’t we?” The smile broadened on his handsome face.
“Back where?” She didn’t know what he meant.
“To the place where we’re talking about me staying or going. It’s like a déjà vu moment. Except you’re wearing more clothes, but I’m just as turned on.”
Heat rushed to her cheeks and made them burn.
She didn’t know what the hell to make of what he said.
There was the embarrassed feeling that swept over her from the memory, but she was under the impression that he didn’t want her. So she wouldn’t have expected him to be turned on in any way at all.
And now?
&nb
sp; He chuckled at her confusion. “Don’t think too hard, baby. Let’s see what happens.” He surprised her by stepping forward and lowering to kiss her forehead. “We were missing some sort of kiss. The déjà vu moment called for it.” He winked at her as he backed away and smiled as he walked out the door.
All she could do was stare as she watched him leave. Confusion riddled her body useless, and her brain blanked of any other thought besides Luke and his obvious flirtation.
Again that spark rippled through her heart, but instead of leaving her, it stayed with her.
Chapter 5
Luke
* * *
He did that on purpose.
Never being the kind of man to beat about the bush and take tentative steps towards anything, he just decided to push the limits with her to see what would happen.
They never got to talk about their encounter years ago, and he didn’t exactly think it would be something she would want to discuss.
Five seconds of being in her presence took his mind right back there, and he found himself thinking about what it would have been like to be with her.
Just once.
His aim was to see if she still felt anything for him, and he was satisfied with her reaction. He’d seen her cheeks warm at the mention of her wearing more clothes than she had on that night. On her brown skin the blush that crept into her cheeks was striking.
And the desire that filled her eyes made him want to turn that chaste kiss on her forehead into the heated one he wanted to give her years ago.
Shit. He knew that she should probably be the last thing on his mind right now since he actually was in a state of flux and he should be focusing on what he was going to do with his life.
And pursuing a woman who would hate it if he went back to the Marines would just add to the debacle of his disheveled brain.
It would, however, be much simpler if that disheveled brain of his wasn’t telling him that he and Natalie had unfinished business.
When he got back to his parents’ house, Evan was there waiting for him in the sitting room.
Luke laughed and shook his head when he saw him; the guy had barely left his side since the party.
“Lunch break treats, bro.” Evan held up a bag of donuts. “But it looks like your mom’s cooking up a feast.”
Luke could smell the food from outside. It was a mixture of everything good.
His mother had been serving up all manner of meals daily. And when it wasn’t her, it was Natalie’s parents. All divine dishes fit for God himself.
The problem in all of it, though, was the excessiveness of it.
His mother waved at him through the archway that led into the kitchen. He waved back and sat opposite Evan on the sofa.
“I’m going to be seriously out of shape if this continues,” Luke chuckled.
“Can that even happen to you?” Evan laughed. “I’m starting to get the donut cop pouch.” He pointed to his belly, which didn’t look as bad as he probably thought because Evan was in good shape. He looked average and didn’t need to do much more than the standard exercise most guys did.
“No way, man, you’re good. Me though, I need to say no to all this food. Imagine six months of this.” Luke laughed.
He couldn’t imagine it, and didn’t want to. He’d considered getting his own place for that time, too, but didn’t want to jump at the chance too soon, so as not to offend his parents.
When he first left for the Marines, he thought he could maintain his contract on a condo he rented by the lake. That became unmanageable because he was sometimes away for many months at a time, depending on the mission. One year his family only saw him at Christmas for three days, and that was it.
It was just easier to stay with them when he was on leave. He wondered, though, if maybe he should just buy a house. A bachelor pad where he could have the time and space to do what he wanted and heal.
“It sounds like an ideal life to me.” Evan chuckled. “Anyhow, the guys want to arrange a getaway. A wild weekend.”
Mischief flickered in his friend’s eyes, which meant they planned to get up to all sorts of craziness that would most likely involve hooking up with all sorts of random women.
Luke was used to their wild weekends. Way back when.
However, the last time he went with them, he realized he’d outgrown it. It was just over a year ago and they went to Vegas like they always did.
Prior to that, they went months before for Darnel’s bachelor weekend. It was supposed to be Darnel’s last weekend as a free man. That was the part that bugged Luke. Luke was all up for fun, the crazy drinking and hot women, but he always thought that when you found that one woman who belonged to you and you belonged to her, that meant loyalty and trust.
The idea of celebrating freedom like that really got to him and disgusted him when he saw the way Darnel behaved with the strippers. The man was all over them and took not one, but two back to his room.
Luke couldn’t believe the complete disrespect, but he let that pass.
However, when he went back to Vegas for another wild weekend months later for the supposed downtime Darnel said he required from his then-pregnant wife, there was no way anything could be overlooked.
Luke watched in pure disgust as Darnel took two women up to his room, and he knew they wouldn’t just be talking.
Luke was so bothered by it that he was compelled to talk to his friend about it the following morning, to which he was told that what happened in Vegas stayed in Vegas.
That was the answer.
Louise, Darnel’s wife, was a sweet woman. She reminded Luke a little of Natalie because they were the kind of women you settle down with. Sweet, beautiful, the full package that should keep their men satisfied for the forever they’d be signing up to with marriage. Darnel’s wife didn’t deserve to be cheated on, and Luke would have no part in it.
“I’ll pass, man,” he told Evan.
“Oh come on, man. You haven’t joined us in eons. It would be perfect. You always do good with a woman on your arm. Vegas is the best place to grab the hottest women.” Evan looked at him with excitement.
“I’m good here. There’s plenty of hot women in Chicago.” Luke smiled because he had one in mind.
And just like that he started thinking about Natalie again.
Evan made a face at him. “They aren’t wild like the women in Vegas.”
“Maybe I don’t want wild.” Luke rested back in his chair and conjured up the image of Natalie.
He liked her hair today. It was down, hanging in loose, graceful waves across her back. When it was down it gave her a sultry, sexy look.
When it was up, like on Saturday, it highlighted her high cheekbones and gave her a youthful appearance.
The woman was sexy and beautiful, whatever she did with her hair. Then there was her body.
The teenaged Natalie that threw herself at him was a damn tease in his mind, but the goddess she was now was mind blowing, and he wouldn’t have minded seeing the woman she’d grown into.
She’d grown into her womanly curves, and the body she had now looked like God had taken his own sweet time to sculpt her to perfection.
“Luke.” Evan said his name with a little more insistence like he’d been calling him before.
Luke sat up and looked at him. “Sorry, man. I zoned out. What?”
Evan smirked. “I said it sounds like you have a woman on your mind. And now you look like you do.”
Luke chuckled. “I always have a woman on my mind.” That was true since he’d always thought of Natalie in some form of way.
“Alright. I hear ya, and see you too. The brotha is changing. Once upon a time you’d be the one arranging our wild trips to Vegas,” Evan pointed out.
“Then I got older.”
“And wiser. Is that what you’ll say next?”
Luke shook his head. “No, I’m not wiser. Not in the least.” If he were wise, he’d know what he was going to do with his life. He’d have the
answers to everything he desired. He’d know how to stop feeling guilty for being the only guy to survive that last mission. He’d stop feeling bad that it was him who survived and not one of the other guys who had responsibilities. They had wives, children, families who loved and depended on them.
Those people would be devastated forever.
“You gave us quite a scare there, Luke,” Evan said, pulling in a deep sigh.
“I’m sorry.” He’d been saying sorry a lot since he got back.
“It’s hard. Being someone’s friend and waiting for the day when you hear that they died.”
The comment took Luke by surprise. Of all the guys, Evan was his closest friend.
It was actually him who put the idea in Luke’s mind many many years ago to serve his country.
Evan wasn’t the big, burly cop he was now. He used to be the lanky geek with thick, dark-rimmed glasses everyone picked on. He was the prime target for bullies, and the fact that his family didn’t have much money only made him more of a target.
Luke was his only friend. Evan looked his worst when they were about twelve. The bullies pushed him into the lake knowing he couldn’t swim, knowing he would drown. Luke dove in after him and saved him. Then he took on the bullies one by one and literally beat them to a pulp.
He got in trouble for that big time, but the trouble at the time was worth it because he knew at that moment he’d been given his calling in life—to protect those who couldn’t protect themselves—and he took that ethos one step further by deciding to not only protect his country, but those who needed him, wherever he was based. He’d keep the peace, stop the terrorists and militants where he could.
Even if it killed him.
But at what cost?
As he looked at Evan now, he saw the toll the last few weeks had taken on him and he felt bad for it.
“I didn’t mean for any of you to go through all that grief,” Luke offered.
“I know, and I guess I don’t mean to make it look like I’m giving you the guilt trip. But I wouldn’t be a friend if you didn’t know that I care. And I do wonder if this is what you want your life to be like.”
Only You Page 4