I thought this was going to be easy but Clara might actually drive me insane. I wasn’t sure how I was going to make it until Christmas.
CHAPTER 20
CLARA
My shopping trip ended up being a rousing success. Luke had stayed back at his penthouse to get some work done, and I had enjoyed a few hours to explore and try the city on for size.
The sidewalks hummed with thousands of people going about their day, each one with their own universe of drama and sorrows. The sky was gray and the wind was chilly but the energy was infectious. It lit a fire inside me no cloudy day could snuff out.
Some of that heat was because of Luke, I supposed. The man was sexy as hell, and he wanted me. I wanted him, too, but so did most of the women in the country. He was rich, famous, and had a smile that made me forget how to breathe when it was aimed at me. Obviously, I was attracted to him.
But the fact that he was interested in me? Now that changed the whole ballgame. Being flirty and teasing him had been fun when I figured he would never really be interested in a simple hometown gal like me. It was like flinging lit matches into a swimming pool, thinking there was no way anything would catch fire. Then it turned out the pool was filled with gasoline.
That was how he’d ended up fingering me in the back of a limo like we were a happy couple on prom. He’d made me come so hard I nearly clawed gouges in the leather seats.
And then the kiss last night? He’d pulled himself back from the brink but I had hoped he would keep going. As fun as things had been in the back of that limo, I hadn’t had a chance to get to know his body the way he’d gotten to know mine.
Curiosity had me dying, wondering if I had felt what I thought I’d felt back at the Christmas Spectacular, all those years ago. Luke had said it was a candy cane, but the thing that had poked me right in the sweet spot hadn’t felt like a thin swirl of minty sugar. There was a girth to it, and a heat that matched my own when I was sitting ontheLuke Whitaker’s lap.
That moment had regularly featured in late-night fantasies ever since. Now, after a decade of wondering, I was so close to finally confirming my suspicions.
Except he had been a gentleman and had gone to hide in his room. I had almost chased him in there with some flimsy excuse about being cold. Then I could have burrowed under the covers with him to see what he was working with.
For the moment, I had no choice but to continue wondering.
The bags grew heavy in my hand and I adjusted my grip. Luke was going to hate my purchases. I had to look through a few clothing stores, but eventually I found exactly what I wanted.
Everything else was ready for the Christmas party tonight. Kerri had loved my ideas, and she was all gas and no brakes. With her encouragement, I might have gone a tad overboard with the decorations for a simple office Christmas party, but it looked so good, the network had decided to feature it on some of their shows. Plus, some pretty famous athletes were going to swing by now, interested in seeing what all the fuss was about.
It had been a few years since my designs had been broadcast out into the world, and it felt damn good. With any luck, I would keep the momentum going and my meeting with Ganymede Raye would lead to a spot on a major production. It could be the foot in the door I’d been dreaming about.
And it was all thanks to Luke. Just one more reason to fall even more madly in love with him. One of these days, I would get his resolve to crack.
Bags in hand, I made my way back to the penthouse, feeling light as a snowflake on the breeze. When I walked in, Luke was sitting at his kitchen counter, working on his laptop. As a former quarterback, he had never been huge, but he still looked like a giant hunched over and tapping away at the keyboard.
Big as he was, it was easy to forget there was a sharp mind behind all the muscles, not to mention a giant heart he didn’t like showing to the world.
We locked gazes. His blue eyes burned with intensity when he looked at me. I had no trouble seeing it because I was feeling it too. The man had always been sexy, but after getting to know him better, spending time with him, my feelings had deepened.
The friction from earlier seemed to have eased up since I’d been gone. Maybe he had taken my advice and eaten a muffin or something. Or maybe he’d rubbed one out while I was away, easing the tension the old-fashioned way.
Either way, Luke seemed calmer. I felt less riled up too, definitely needing to put some distance between us to get myself together again. I wanted him, but I had to respect his choice to keep things innocent. He meant well.
“Have you been a good boy or a bad boy since I’ve been gone?” I asked him.
Luke looked at me with a puzzled expression, then got to his feet. “Listen, I wanted to say I’m sorry,” he said gruffy. “I know I can be a grouch sometimes. I didn’t sleep well. And the caffeinehadn’t properly kicked in yet.” He smiled softly. “And you were right. I ate something and felt a hell of a lot better.”
“I told you so,” I said with a grin.
“Okay, you don’t have to gloat.”
“I don’thaveto, no, but let me have a little fun.” I held up one of the shopping bags. “And I got you a present.”
His eyebrows perked up. “Oh, yeah?”
“Just keep an open mind.” I handed him the bag.
“That’s not a reassuring statement.” Luke looked skeptical. He pulled out a bundle wrapped in festive red tissue paper.
