by Nina Lindsey
Pleasure fluttered through Polly, and she nudged him with her elbow. He continued typing on his phone without looking up.
LUKE: Are you a parking ticket? Because you have fine written all over you.
POLLY: Oh my god. Don’t tell me CEO Stone is really just a cheesy pick-up artist in disguise.
LUKE: Okay, I won’t tell you that.
POLLY: For the record, you don’t need pick-up lines with me.
LUKE: For the record, you had me at “Hi.”
They both looked up at the same time, their gazes meeting with a current of hot tenderness. A slow grin spread across Luke’s face as he put his phone back into his pocket. He leaned over and brushed his lips across her cheek to her ear. His breath tickled her skin, sending a shiver down her spine.
“Dance with me,” he said.
“Really?” Polly looked at the writhing mass of people. “You sure?”
Luke again maneuvered out of the chair as the dance crowd undulated wildly. He grabbed her hand and tugged her to her feet. She followed him through the crush of sweaty, damp bodies. Because he was so tall and broad-shouldered, people automatically moved aside to make room for him. Within seconds, they were in the middle of the floor, the hot air compressing around them.
This had been her idea. Polly started bumping around as best she could considering there were thrashing bodies closing in on her from all sides. The music pounded inside her head, hurting her ears, eyes, and even her nose.
But she couldn’t let Luke know that this craziness wasn’t exactly what she’d planned when she’d decided to take him out for a night of drinks and dancing. Polly hadn’t been to the club in well over a year, but now that the universe had put Luke Stone right in front of her, she had to keep her promise to show him a good time.
“Woo hoo!” She swiveled her hips and turned in a circle, narrowly missing colliding with the girl to her right. “This place rocks!”
Luke put his hands out three times to stop other people from crashing into them. Polly spun around again just as a guy bumped her from behind.
Luke caught her around the waist, and for an instant the world receded as she remembered him catching her that night at the Troll’s House. Except this time, she was in full possession of her senses, and the solid strength of his body came right up against hers. He tightened his hands around her.
“Okay?” he shouted.
Polly nodded, a flush of embarrassment crawling up her neck. What was she thinking bringing CEO Stone to a club like this? He was a man accustomed to going to the opera or the theater, not a hole in the wall so crowded it was probably a fire hazard.
“Maybe we should go—” she began, but then he settled her hips against his and started to dance with her.
Polly drew in a breath, surprised and flustered by the sensation of his strong body moving to the noise that passed for music. The lead singer screeched something into the mic, and a piercing feedback rattled her ears.
The crowd surged and yelled. Luke’s grip tightened. Sweat dripped down her neck. She slipped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest. The fact that they were both getting hot and sticky intensified the throbbing sensation in her blood.
The world receded farther. Luke spread his hands over her rear, moving them in slow circles. Even past the noise, she heard his heavy heartbeat. And then it was just the two of them, their bodies sealed together and rocking slowly in a rhythm of their own making. He pressed his lips against her temple. She breathed in his scent of soap, shaving cream, and heat. A melty feeling swirled through her.
“Mosh pit!” someone yelled.
Luke lifted his head, his eyes crinkling with wry amusement. “A mosh pit might be a little too much fun for me.”
“Me too.” Polly curled her fingers around his as they made their way back to the table and squeezed into their chairs. She grabbed the beer, which was stale and flat, but still cold.
An agonized scream from the Riders caused the crowd to surge joyfully. Luke shot to his feet, getting in front of Polly as a boy started to stumble into their table.
Next thing she knew, the boy was crashing into Luke, who then grabbed him to keep him from going down. The table tipped. The beer splashed all over both the floor and Luke’s shirtfront.
“Sorry, man!” the boy yelled.
Luke said something in response as he steadied the kid back on his feet. The boy ran off into the mosh pit again.
“Your shirt.” Polly fumbled for the tissues in her pocket and began wiping down Luke’s wet shirt. Greasy streaks appeared over the beer stains, and she realized she was trying to clean him up with the same tissues she’d used to scrub the gunk off the table.
“Oh no.” She grimaced at the realization that his very expensive shirt had been ruined. “I’m so sorry.”
Luke straightened an overturned chair. “You okay?”
“I’m fine.” Though her head was starting to throb anew.
“Let’s get some air.” He helped her out of her chair and guided her through the crush to the door.
Once outside, she gulped in the fresh, night air and sagged against the building. “Well, that was interesting.”
Luke brushed a lock of hair off her sweaty forehead. “And fun.”
She looked at him dubiously, though her heart warmed with gratitude toward him for making the most of what could have been a disastrous evening. “Thank you.”
“Thank you.” He nodded toward the street. “Come on. Let’s go get cleaned up.”
Polly hadn’t even realized the beer had also splashed onto her, despite Luke’s heroic attempt to protect her. They walked back to his car, which miraculously hadn’t been stolen in the somewhat dodgy neighborhood, and headed back to his house.
“Since we both need showers, you should stay here tonight.” He ushered her inside.
“I don’t have any extra clothes.”
“There’s some in the guest bedroom.”
Of course there were. Luke’s bachelor pad was outfitted for…a bachelor pad.
Ignoring the reminder that she was not part of his usual strata of high-class women, who would have taken him to the opera instead of a sweaty, overloud club, Polly followed him up the stairs. Her gaze fixated on the row of windows that overlooked the inner courtyard and shimmering pool.
“Do you ever swim?” she asked.
“I do laps sometimes. Why?”
“The pool just doesn’t look like it’s ever been used.”
“My brother Evan comes over to swim every now and then.” He paused to look at her. “You can use it, if you want.”
“Will you swim with me?”
“Now?”
“Sure.” She poked him in the side. “It’ll be fun.”
He shrugged. “Okay. You can probably find a suit in the dresser in the guest bedroom.”
Polly didn’t love the idea of wearing a swimsuit that might have been worn by another woman, but she walked into the guest bedroom to riffle through the drawers. The lowest one contained several brand-new swimsuits in different styles and a stack of ridiculously plush towels.
She stripped off her clothes and glimpsed herself in the mirror. Then, not sure if she was exercising bad judgment or being outrageously flirtatious—there seemed to be a fine line between the two—she wrapped her naked body in a towel and headed out of the room.
She went down to the pool, astonished at how stepping into the courtyard was like entering a private oasis—plants and trees lined the walls, a small waterfall cascaded from a rock garden at one end, and cushy seating areas were arranged near a fireplace. Spotlights glowed on the water, and overhead the sky blazed with stars through the glass roof.
Polly sat on the edge of the pool and dangled her feet in the water. She turned her head when the door opened and Luke approached. He was breathtakingly masculine in navy swimming trunks and nothing else, his muscular chest with all its smooth lines and planes crafted with the precision of a sugar sculpture.
; His gaze skimmed appreciatively over her and lingered on the valley of her cleavage where she had knotted the towel.
“Do I get to see?” he asked, his voice a deep caress over her skin.
A touch of nervousness wound through her. “Maybe later.”
He lowered himself alongside her, his thigh brushing hers. She shifted, making sure her towel was still secure.
“Speaking of fun,” Luke put his feet in the water beside hers, “or in this case, a complete lack thereof…I wanted to ask if you’d go to the opening of a museum exhibition with me on the twenty-first.”
“Really?” Polly did a quick calculation. That was three weeks away. She guessed that meant he intended for their relationship to continue at least that long. “That sounds fancy.”
“It is.” His breath expelled on a sigh. “It’s a fundraising dinner for my mother’s foundation, and my aunt Julia is the one organizing it. She’s expecting me to bring a date or she’ll unleash her ninja match-making skills on me.”
“I take it that’s a bad thing?”
“With her, it is. Besides, I don’t want to be match-made with anyone except you.”
Polly tried not to let that little remark nestle right in the middle of her heart.
“Will the rest of your family be there?”
“Some of them. If that’s a deal-breaker, I get it.”
“It’s not.” She paused, then confessed, “I don’t think there are any deal-breakers here.”
He glanced at her. “None?”
“Well, if you turn out to be a secret ultra-villain, I might have some reservations,” Polly said, “or if your favorite band is Black Sabbath, then we’re done. But other than that, no.”
“Does that mean you’ll come to the exhibition opening?”
“That depends. Are you asking me as a date or just a woman you take to social events?”
“Definitely a date.”
“Then I accept. Thank you for asking me.”
They exchanged smiles. Curious though Polly was about everything—Luke’s family, his mother, the foundation, even his match-making aunt—she suppressed the questions bubbling in her mind. The deeper she delved into Luke’s life, the more difficult it would be to extricate herself when the time came.
Whenever that might be.
She nudged her hip against his. “So you’ve never been in love, huh?”
“Why do you ask?”
“You said love was just about pheromones or whatever. So I assume you’ve never actually been in love, or you decided the feeling was like a post-workout endorphin rush.”
Luke shrugged. “I’ve had that rush for a woman, yeah. But it doesn’t last.”
Because by definition, a rush didn’t last. Especially a sugar rush. Sure, you enjoyed the bag of candy while you were wolfing it down, but eventually you ended up with plunging glucose levels and a stomachache.
Polly flicked her toes in the water, creating a series of ripples.
I can’t make you any promises.
You deserve something long-lasting and I can’t give that to you.
His words echoed in her mind, even though she wasn’t supposed to want anything long-lasting. At least, not from him. She’d just wanted a good time, some fun, as she jumpstarted her life again.
No, she hadn’t thought about what would come after the jumpstart, but that was the point, right? Live in the moment. Eat the whole bag of candy.
She pulled her feet out of the water and stood, clutching the towel around her. She walked around to the far end of the pool, her feet making wet footprints on the travertine patio. She stopped at the edge of the deep end and looked into the water, seeing only lingering ripples and the hazy blur of her own reflection.
Her heart kicked against her ribs. She glanced up at Luke, almost feeling the burn of his gaze as he watched her. Gathering her courage, she took hold of the knot in the towel.
In one motion, she yanked it off and tossed the towel behind her. The cooler air brushed against her naked body for an instant before she dove headfirst into the pool.
The water enveloped her in a wave, as cool and refreshing as lemonade spilling down her throat on a sweltering day. She swam deeper until her lungs protested, and then she shot upward and broke through the surface with a gasp.
She swiped the water off her face. Luke was still watching her, only his expression was hotter, his body lined with erotic tension. Polly flipped her wet hair away from her forehead.
“You coming in?” she called.
“Actually I might want to watch you swimming like a mermaid,” he replied. “I heartily approve of your choice of bathing suit.”
She swam closer to him, deliberately looking at his swim trunks.
“Have you ever skinny dipped before?” she asked.
“If I have, it wasn’t memorable.”
“Come on in, then.” She paused, treading water. “I’ll make it memorable for you.”
“Peach.” Luke got to his feet, his gaze never leaving her. “You make everything memorable.”
He hitched his fingers into the waistband of his trunks. Polly’s breath caught, her heartbeat ratcheting up as he slid the trunks slowly off. He kicked them to the side and stood there with his hands on his hips, as if he knew quite well that just the sight of his naked body had a devastating effect on her senses.
After walking to the deep end, he dove into the pool, his body splitting through the water like a knife and disappearing beneath the surface. The sight of his long, muscular form coming right toward her sparked a pleasurable rush of apprehension. She turned and started to go in the other direction, wondering if she could outswim him. He came up beside her with the speed and grace of a shark.
With a breathless laugh, she swam faster. Luke’s hand clamped around her ankle. Flailing, she tried to yank herself away, but his grip was inexorable, and he grabbed her other leg and pulled her toward him. She surrendered quicker than she would have liked. They both stilled at the same time.
Polly was breathing fast, even though she hadn’t even swam the length of the pool. Luke’s eyes collided with hers. Water drops cascaded down the hard planes of his face and made his eyelashes all spiky. His gaze tracked over her neck to where her breasts bobbed just above the surface of the water.
She splashed him suddenly, letting out a shriek of laughter at his surprised look. She bolted away, but only made it a few feet before his arms clamped around her waist and hauled her back against his body.
All the breath escaped her lungs as he moved her over to the side of the pool, his hands coming around to caress her breasts. His lips, cold with water, pressed against her neck.
Polly turned, her spine raining with shivers. She looked up into his face, his strong features that had become so familiar and dear to her. A warm, rich feeling flooded her heart.
“Tell me you believe in love,” she whispered.
His eyes flickered with an indefinable emotion. “I believe in you.”
And then he was kissing her before she even realized he’d moved closer. Her whole body zinged with heat. His mouth crushed against hers, hot and demanding. She gasped, her arms going up of their own volition to twine around his shoulders as she sank under the onslaught of his kiss.
Oh heavens…
Faint dizziness spun through her head as the kiss deepened. A flame kindled low in her belly.
Luke moved them both through the water until her back touched the edge of the pool, then he grasped her waist and lifted her onto the travertine patio.
Water streamed from Polly’s hair down her face and body. She stared at him, struck by the feral glint in his eyes, his damp hair casting his features into sharp relief.
Divested of corporate trappings, he exuded a primitive sex appeal, one that made her feel sinuous and free, like a wild strawberry plant flourishing in a sun-drenched field. He flicked his tongue against her pulse before covering her mouth with his again.
“Wait,” she murmured, pressing his shoulders
.
He lifted his head. “What?”
“Remember when I told you I’ve always dreamed of having sex on a huge bed with feather pillows?” she asked breathlessly.
Luke gave a choked laugh. “I believe you said a four-poster bed with feather pillows.”
“Whatever.” She put her hand on the back of his head. “Let’s do it now.”
He gave her another long deep kiss before hauling himself out of the water. Still dripping, he bent to slide one arm beneath her legs and the other around her back. He picked her up effortlessly and strode toward his bedroom.
And though the water quickly cooled on Polly’s skin and left her cold and clammy, the unbearable sexiness of being masterfully carried to Luke’s bedroom heated her from the inside out. He lowered her onto the gorgeous bed and straddled her body.
She thought they were both ready to get right down to the main event, but instead he lowered his head to press light kisses across her face. He stroked his hands through her damp hair and kissed her forehead, her eyelids, her nose, her lips, all the way down to her neck. He licked away a few lingering drops of water from her throat, then moved lower to kiss and caress her breasts.
By the time he’d moved back up to kiss her mouth, she was almost panting with need. After rolling on a condom, he pressed her thighs farther apart and slowly eased into her. She inhaled sharply, every nerve heightened. His jaw clenched with self-restraint as he leaned over her to brace his hands on either side of her head.
“Peach,” he whispered, his hot breath stirring the locks of hair on her forehead. “Open wider. Let me in.”
Hadn’t she done that already? In a daze, she hooked her legs around the backs of his thighs. Let him into her life, her body, even into her heart…?
He groaned, sinking into her like a key fitting into a well-oiled lock. Polly surrendered, falling into the swirl of lust as they moved together, rocking and thrusting. Tension coiled in her nerves. She came with a cry, her body lifting off the bed. He plunged inside her, hard shudders wracking him as he succumbed to his own pleasure.
They collapsed on the bed together. He wrapped his arm around her, hauling her against his side. Their breathing slowed, and Polly resisted the urge to sink into the pull of sleep.