Swallowing the lump in her throat, she said, “Yes.”
She expected to see relief in those gray eyes. Maybe even pleasure. But he remained emotionless. A thousand questions bit at her tongue but she held them at bay. She didn’t want to ruin anything. This night had been too wonderful to destroy with after-sex questions. What’s going to happen? What does this mean? Where do we go from here?
Tonight they’d all go unanswered.
“The ocean is beautiful at night,” he murmured, holding her tighter. “Peaceful.”
She rested her cheek against his shoulder. “That’s one of the things I like best about living here. God, I love the ocean.” She sighed. “My parents did too.”
The heat of his hand seeped into her back. “Do you still miss them, Ellie?”
“Every day.” She tilted her head to look up at him. “Do you miss your mother?”
His eyes grew cloudy, a swirl of black and gray tinted with pain. “Yes.” His Adam’s apple bobbed. “It’s her birthday next week. The day I dread year after year.”
“Dread?” she echoed, confused.
“My dad,” he explained in a hoarse voice. “He calls me every year and invites me to spend Mom’s birthday with them.”
Them? Ellie’s confusion deepened but she couldn’t find a tactful way to voice her questions. Though he rarely talked about her, Ellie knew Luke’s mother had died when he was in college. Since Ellie knew what it was like to lose a parent, she’d never pushed Luke to talk about his mom, but now she had to wonder if the loss had affected the surviving Russell men more than she’d thought.
“He still hasn’t accepted the fact that she’s dead,” Luke said, sparing her from coming up with a way to ask about it. “He acts like she’s still alive. He cooks dinner for two every night, for Christ’s sake.”
“I’m sorry, Luke. I didn’t know.”
He pinned her down with a harsh look. “Oh no, don’t say it like that. I know what you’re thinking.”
She slipped out of his embrace. “Excuse me?”
“My father isn’t crazy, Ellie. I won’t send him away.”
Shock spilled into her bloodstream. “That’s not what I was thinking at all.”
“No?” Sarcasm sliced through his tone. “That’s what Robin suggested I do. She couldn’t stand the fact that I refused to cut him out of my life. Apparently a loony father-in-law put a damper on her plans.”
Ellie grabbed for his arm and dug her fingers into his skin, gluing her gaze to his. “Well, I’m not Robin. I would never ask you to cut off your own father.”
She dropped his arm and hugged her chest tightly, trying to keep her anger at bay, but the very fact that he’d compared her to his ex made her want to spit nails. Didn’t he know her by now? She’d lost both her parents, for God’s sake, she’d never advise someone to shun the only family they had left.
“You know what I was thinking when I said I was sorry?” she shot out. “I was thinking how long it’s been since I’ve seen your dad and how I’d like to visit him again.”
Luke blinked. “What?”
“You heard me.”
“Why would you want to visit him?”
She erased the distance between them and touched his cheek. “Because I remember him being a wonderful man and it breaks my heart knowing he’s in pain.”
“You’d really want to see him like that?”
“He needs human contact, Luke. The more he’s alone the more he’ll start to slip away. I don’t think you should ever stop seeing him. It’s your job to show him he’s still got something to live for. Your job to keep him connected to reality.”
The side of Luke’s mouth lifted in a smile. He drew her into his arms and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “I’m sorry I compared you to Robin. I know you’re nothing like her.”
Ellie pressed her face against his collarbone and breathed in the spicy scent of his bare skin. “It’s okay.”
She felt his warm breath on her hair. “It’s just…I feel so bad for him, Ellie. He’s just wasting his life away. He won’t even let himself mourn the woman he loved.”
With a ball of emotion lodged in her throat, she leaned up and pressed her mouth to his in a slow, soft kiss.
“What was that for?” he asked when she pulled back.
Tenderness reflected in his gray eyes, stealing her breath. She tried to speak but all that came out was, “I just…I…”
Love you.
The thought should have shocked her, but it didn’t. Instead it filled her with a sense of tranquility. She thought about the first time she’d met him. He’d driven Josh home in his beat-up old Volkswagen, dressed in a denim jacket riddled with holes, his dark hair cut in a sexy, shaggy way that made her heart thump. Maybe she’d fallen in love with him then, that very first day. Or maybe it had happened when he’d held her in his arms tonight like she was a fragile piece of china. She couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment but she didn’t need to.
All that mattered was the burst of love and tenderness that overflowed in her heart right now.
“Dance with me,” she murmured, twining her arms around his neck.
He chuckled. “There’s no music.”
“Yes there is. You just need to listen.”
He slid his hands to her hips as she pressed her cheek to his chest. And they danced, under the moonlight, to the symphony of waves and wind and gulls. After a while, even the sounds of the night seemed to fade away. They were the only people on the beach, in the world, and at that moment, nothing else mattered.
A flood of urgency rushed through her suddenly, as if tonight would be the last night she had with Luke. She kissed him again.
He seemed surprised by her hurried kisses, but he responded quickly, weaving his fingers through her hair and angling her mouth for better access. Their tongues dueled, until he let out a low groan and parted her robe with his hands.
He lowered her onto the sand and dragged his mouth across her breasts, while she stared up at the ink-colored sky and the white moon that overpowered it. Then she closed her eyes and sighed with pleasure as Luke teased her body with his tongue. His mouth hovered between her thighs, and, feeling wanton, she parted her legs and greedily took all that he gave.
Lying there under the vast sky, with the breeze dancing across her exposed body, thrilled her. “I want you inside,” she whispered, running her hand through his messy hair and nudging him.
He slid up her body, shucking his boxers, and in an instant he plunged his cock inside her. Utter completion.
Feeling him throbbing inside her, she arched her hips to meet his hurried thrusts. She heard the waves crashing on the shore, as loud and powerful as the wave building inside her. She clung to him, her breaths jerky and erratic, and when the first surge of climax swelled, she cried out his name.
Pleasure like nothing she’d ever experienced, ever dreamed of, filled every nerve ending. It made her shudder and writhe, moan and whimper. Luke leaned down and kissed her, swallowing her cries with his hot mouth, before letting out a cry of his own. She held him as he let go, kissed his face and chest as he jerked inside her. When he collapsed on top of her, his chest slick with sweat, his breath warm against her neck, she held him tighter.
She didn’t know how long they lay there, didn’t care.
“Ellie, I…” His voice faltered, but the sheer emotion flickering in his eyes, the satisfaction and tenderness, told her all she needed to know.
Chapter Twelve
Luke woke up with a smile and a hard-on. Christ, how was this humanely possible? He’d made love to Ellie nearly half a dozen times during the night, yet his cock still throbbed. He wanted her. Again. And again. And again.
Her warm sleeping body was spooned against his back, and he rolled over so he could look at her. Smiling, he watched the rise and fall of her chest, the way her eyelids fluttered as if she were having an action-packed dream. Was she dreaming of him? He hoped so.
Sliding out of the tangle
of sheets, he got up and quietly walked to the bathroom. Then he tiptoed down the hall toward the kitchen and started brewing a pot of coffee for him and tea for Ellie.
Sipping his morning coffee, he entered the living room and rummaged through his jacket pocket for his cell phone. When he flipped it on, he found thirteen messages in his inbox. All from Josh, of course. Yet he had no desire to return a single one.
“Luke?”
He turned to see her in the doorway, wearing an oversized T-shirt. Even with the sleepy expression on her face, the sight of her took his breath away.
Ellie walked toward him, planted a soft kiss on his lips and then pulled back with a smile. “Good morning.”
“Morning.”
He handed her a cup of tea and her smile widened. “Thanks,” she said, looking touched. “Do you want to sit outside?”
With a nod, he followed her through the patio doors and they sat at the table. Sipping her tea, she watched him over the rim of her mug. “I wanted to talk to you about something.” Clasping the cup between her fingers, she met his gaze. “I’ve been thinking of going back to San Francisco.” Her expression clouded. “More so now that I don’t have a job.”
“Josh will be happy,” he said ruefully.
“What about you? Does that make you happy?”
“Bringing you home is the reason I came here, remember?”
Her eyes darkened. “I see.”
“You see what?”
She dropped her cup on the table, and the dark liquid splashed over the rim and stained the white wicker. Standing up, she shot a cool look in his direction. “Everything. I see everything.”
Her icy tone grated his nerves. Damn, when had she become so difficult to read? Before she could march through the back door into the bungalow, he bounded toward her and grabbed her arm. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“It means you succeeded.” He was surprised to see hurt flickering in those blue eyes. “You came here to drag me home, and I know you, Luke, you would’ve done everything to achieve that goal. Even taking me to bed.”
Her harsh accusation hung in the humid morning air, causing anger to spiral through him in sharp waves. He couldn’t believe the words had even exited her mouth. He hadn’t come here to sleep with her. She was insane if she actually believed that.
He wanted to laugh with disbelief. From the second he’d seen her up on that stage, shaking her hips and wiggling her ass, he’d fought against that carnal need pleading with him to take her. Two weeks of living in a constant state of arousal, two weeks of fighting the temptation that was Ellie. And she was accusing him of using sex to pressure her?
“I can’t believe you even said that,” he snapped, unable to keep the hurt from his voice.
“Isn’t it the truth?” she shot back.
“I told you last night that the games were over, and I meant it. I had no ulterior motive in sleeping with you.”
“Then why did you? We both know you’re not looking for a relationship.”
“And what if I am?”
She faltered. “What?”
“Did you ever stop to think that maybe I want to be with you?”
“Do you?”
Their eyes locked and he just stared at her, searching for an answer. Everything about her distracted him. The scent of her hair. The way her T-shirt outlined those small breasts. Her bare legs. He knew that he wanted her, physically, sexually. But did he want to be with her? After the way Robin had turned his life upside down, the answer should’ve been no. After seeing his father’s slow and painful disintegration these last ten years, the answer should’ve been no.
So why was the word yes biting at his tongue?
“Luke?” Her gaze pierced through him and went straight to his heart, made it squeeze.
“What the hell is going on here?” came an angry male voice.
Simultaneously, both he and Ellie swiveled their heads in time to see Josh appear from the side of the bungalow.
Luke’s gaze went from Josh’s enraged face, down to his own bare chest and boxers, to Ellie’s barely-clad body, then back to Josh.
Oh shit.
Ellie pulled her jeans up to her hips, straightened out the hem of her T-shirt and shot a glance at Luke, who was throwing on clothes like a madman. The bedroom seemed to lose its soft romantic air as they dressed. Not surprising, considering that Josh was pacing her living room at the moment, waiting to pounce on them.
She’d dealt with her brother’s overprotective nature and short temper long enough to know that he wasn’t happy with what he’d walked in on. Sure, she could lie, tell him that Luke had just stopped by this morning—and decided to shed his clothing for some inexplicable reason—but Josh wasn’t stupid.
“We could say nothing happened,” she said feebly, more to herself than to Luke.
Zipping up his jeans, he just stared at her. “Have you ever been able to lie to him?”
“No.” She sighed. “Look, let me go out there alone. I’ll handle this.” He opened his mouth to object but she held up her hand. “Please.”
With a brisk nod, Luke buttoned his fly and sat down on the edge of the bed, looking oddly nervous.
Watching him rake his fingers through his hair, she wished Josh hadn’t chosen to show up at the most inopportune moment. She and Luke had been…getting somewhere. Where, she didn’t know, but she suspected he’d been about to say something important. Something that couldn’t wait.
But her brother couldn’t wait, either. Patience had never been Josh’s strong suit.
Straightening her shoulders, she walked into the living room, prepared for a confrontation. When he heard her footsteps, Josh stopped pacing and looked at her.
The sight of him sent a familiar rush of warmth and fondness to her chest. God, she’d missed him. Her gaze swept over his short brown hair, the exact shade as hers, his serious blue eyes. Even the starched white shirt and shiny loafers warmed her heart. This was Josh, her protector, her annoying older brother, the big-shot lawyer who loved a good verbal sparring.
“Ellie…” He stopped, then opened his arms, and in a second she was crushed in his embrace. “I missed you, kiddo.”
She hugged him tightly as every pang of homesickness she’d experienced these past two months slipped away. “I missed you too.”
He kissed her forehead before pulling back, his eyes trained on hers. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
His features softened for a moment, before hardening to stone. “Where’s Russell?”
“In the bedroom.”
“Get him out here. Now.” Her brother looked livid.
She set her jaw. “No. Not before I say something to you.”
Josh let out a sarcastic laugh. “I’m the one with something to say, Elenore. After the way you took off like that, you’re in no position to give orders.”
Irritation sparked through her. “Sit down, Joshua.”
He arched a brow. “I’d rather stand.”
“Fine.” She drew in a long breath. “I don’t want you freaking out on Luke.”
Josh crossed his arms over his chest, staring her down. “Why shouldn’t I? I asked him to find you and bring you home, not take advantage of you.”
She rolled her eyes. “He didn’t take advantage of me.”
“Did you sleep with him?”
The fact that the question came from her older brother sent a wave of discomfort to her stomach. “That’s none of your business.”
“Which means yes.” Josh scowled. “I’m going to kick his ass for doing this to you.”
She rubbed her face in frustration. “Josh—”
“What the hell was he thinking? He was supposed to bring you home, not take you to bed. He was supposed to protect you.”
“Luke isn’t my bodyguard. He’s not responsible for my safety. Neither are you. Oh, and another thing,” she continued, enjoying being the one in charge. “I don’t appreciate you going behind my back a
nd getting my friends to lie to me.”
Josh had the decency to look guilty. “About that… Look, kiddo, Vivian didn’t want to lie to you. I practically twisted her arm to keep my being in town a secret.”
At Josh’s words, Ellie experienced a quick tug of shame. She remembered the cold way she’d dismissed Vivian in the dressing room last night and the shame deepened. She hadn’t even given Viv the chance to explain, hadn’t been willing to hear her out. What kind of friend did that make her?
“So you decided to show your face, huh?” The sudden sneer in Josh’s voice was so startling it took her a second to realize he wasn’t talking to her, but to Luke, who’d just sauntered into the living room.
“I told you to let me handle it,” she said to Luke with annoyance.
“I didn’t hear any yelling so I was worried he might’ve killed you.”
Josh’s eyes were on fire. “Don’t even think about making jokes at a time like this.”
Luke sighed. “A time like this? Jesus, it’s not the fucking Apocalypse.”
“You slept with my sister!”
Again, Ellie had no interest in discussing her sex life with her brother, so she quickly spoke up. “Josh, quit being an ass. And Luke, don’t antagonize him.”
“I wasn’t being an ass,” Josh said defensively.
“I wasn’t antagonizing him,” Luke grumbled.
Oh brother. And these two accused her of being immature.
She raked a hand through her hair and glared at them both. “I know we’ve got a lot to talk about it, but to be honest, I really don’t feel like it right now.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Josh snapped.
“Just what it sounds like. I don’t want to talk right now.”
“Ellie,” Luke started.
“That goes for you too.” She let out a frustrated breath, suddenly wishing Vivian were here. Viv was always good at helping her collect her thoughts.
And right now, her thoughts were all over the place. What had Luke been about to say before Josh stormed in? She had her suspicions, but she wished he’d gotten a chance to tell her what was on his mind. And she really wished she could figure out what was on her mind, how she felt about everything that happened last night.