He twitched in his sleep, squeezing her breast.
Harper bit her lip. She didn’t know Luke well, but she was fairly certain he wouldn’t like waking up in such a ... vulnerable position.
She was going to have to sneak out. After she enjoyed this for another thirty seconds.
She nuzzled in and breathed in his scent. His chest rose rhythmically against her back, his hard thighs cradling her.
She deserved a medal for leaving this bed. She held her breath and gently pried his hand off her chest. Holding up Luke’s arm, she inched away from his perfect body. And cursed herself as she did it.
Maneuvering to the edge of the bed, she eased into a sitting position.
Even in his sleep, Luke was sexy. Inky long lashes brushed his sculpted cheekbones. Except for those lashes, there was nothing delicate about him. He was built with power and strength. She let her gaze linger on the lines of his arm. The sinewy muscle of his biceps gave way to the sensual ink on his forearm.
She would have to ask him what it meant. A little conversation on their trip would help keep her mind off the memory of waking up with him pressed against her.
Feeling like she had been hit by a small car, Harper gingerly snuck down to the kitchen where she started a pot of coffee before opening the fridge. Considering the state of the rest of his house — there was nothing but a stack of boxes in the dining room — she didn’t have high hopes for a bachelor’s kitchen inventory, but was happy to find eggs one day away from expiration, milk, cheese and the remains of a loaf of bread. Scrambled egg sandwiches would start the day off.
The swelling in her face had gone down, thankfully. But the bruising had gotten uglier. Everything else ached. She had even discovered a baseball-sized bruise on her butt cheek. Hopefully that ham-fisted asshole was crying like a baby in a cell somewhere and Gloria had gotten her first good night’s sleep in years.
Harper found Luke’s laptop on the counter and, as the eggs cooked, checked Craigslist for job listings in Fremont. There were a few that would do, at least temporarily. It was almost a shame that she didn’t know someone here in Benevolence. The sleepy town and its nosy residents gave off a good vibe. No one could be lonely here.
But the job market was probably nonexistent. Besides, Harper thought as she rummaged for sugar, if she stayed, she would make a fool of herself over Luke.
And who wouldn’t? He was hot, protective, and those eyes. “Definitely a bad idea,” she murmured to herself.
“Do you always talk to yourself when you cook?” The room got warmer and the air cracklier when Luke walked in.
She glanced up from the frying pan to where he stood near the refrigerator, studying her. He still wore the pajama pants, but had added a t-shirt. Damn.
“Good morning,” she said cheerfully, trying to shove the carnal thoughts out of her head.
“Morning. What’s all this?” He nodded towards the stove.
He looked guarded. Harper handed him an empty mug.
“Breakfast. It’s a thank you for letting me stay here.”
He took the mug and after a second’s hesitation made his way to the coffee.
She watched him out of the corner of her eye while he poured and she plated. What would it be like to have this view every morning?
***
“Ireally appreciate this,” Harper said, sliding into Luke’s truck.
He waited until she fastened her seatbelt and then started the engine. “You already said that.”
“Well, I didn’t want you to think I’d gotten less grateful since breakfast.” She looked out the window as they backed down the driveway and pulled onto the street. The town rolled by, neat and tidy. Well-maintained houses hugged the main street and historic brick buildings housed businesses with cute names like Common Grounds and the Sparkle Shop.
Growing up, she had dreamed of a town like this. A place to belong. They drove past the high school with its wide green lawn and football stadium. She wondered how different things would have been for her had life begun here.
“You’re quiet.” Luke observed, glancing at her.
“Just thinking. Did you play football? In high school, I mean.”
Luke stopped for a red light. “Yeah. And ran track.”
“Very athletic.” Harper commented.
