SIXTEEN
LUKE WATCHED CLAIRE SLEEPINGIN the chair across from him. She’d fallen asleep almost as soon as the plane left the ground. He’d kept her up over half the night making love, taking them both to the edge over and over before he finally let them fall together. He’d held her in his arms, watching her drift into sleep and tried to figure out what had changed. The weekend had been amazing. Well except for the fact that it had done nothing to work Claire out of his system. If anything, now that he knew how good they were together – how fucking responsive she was – he wanted her more.
He wasn’t about to put a name to what they were doing together, but he sure as hell wasn’t ready for it to be over. Last night, their last night in the city, when they’d been making love it felt like a part of her was saying goodbye.
That wasn’t going to work for him. He’d gotten awfully used to having Claire in his bed. He liked falling asleep with her in his arms. Sliding out of sleep and inside of her every morning. He suspected she was planning on putting distance between them. He wasn’t about to let that happen.
The pilot announced their approach, and Luke reached over to stroke Claire’s cheek.
“Wake up, sweetheart. We’re almost home.” He said the word like he knew what it meant. He had houses or rather penthouses all over the country, in every city where he’d put up a building and some he hadn’t gotten around to yet. But he wasn’t sure where, if anywhere, he considered home. He shoved aside the image of Claire curled in his bed next to him out of his mind and gave her a gentle shake to wake her.
“What?” Her eyelids fluttered open, and he watched her consciousness return from wherever it went when she slept. She yawned and stretched, and when she looked at him again, the soft warmth in her eyes had shifted to something that looked an awful lot like resolve. That was okay. He had resolve to spare.
“We’re going to touch down in a few minutes.” As he said the words, the plane started the sharp dip that signaled its approach to the airport.
Claire stared out the window, effectively cutting him out of her thoughts. She wanted him. That had been abundantly clear while he was giving her all those screaming orgasms over the weekend and he sure as hell wanted her. If she’d decided to put some distance between them, it was nothing but a challenge, and he always rose to a challenge.
In moments the plane touched down and began to taxi to the hanger.
“Can you drop me at the job site so I can pick up my truck?” she asked, her voice holding none of the shared intimacy from the weekend.
“Of course, but don’t you want to go back to my place to change first. Your crew’s already on the job. A couple of hours won’t matter that much will it?”
She glanced down at the gray silk blouse and pencil skirt she’d worn for their flight out on Friday. She’d said she didn’t need any more of the clothes Anna had brought and insisted on wearing the clothes she came in. It suited him. The gray silk made her pale skin glow, and the pearls were back in place around her wrists and throat. He’d never had a chance to try binding her with the pearls, but he would.
“I’d rather pick up my truck and change at my place,” she said.
“Of course, if that’s what you want.” He left theyou’re not getting away from me that easilyunsaid.
The plane rolled to a stop, and he took her hand to lead her down the steps and across the tarmac. The spring heat surged up at them in waves. Instead of holding his hand and nestling against him as they made their way into the hanger, she pulled her hand back the first chance she got.Game on, he thought to himself.
If she wanted to pretend he hadn’t had his hands and mouth on every inch of her body, then he’d simply have to remind her.
He handed her into the waiting car and climbed in behind her, giving directions to the driver.
“If you’re sure you wouldn’t rather go home with me first.” He searched her face and saw her set her jaw.
“No, that’s okay. Just take me to the jobsite, please. If it’s not too much trouble.”
Her prim polite mannerism made him want to roll his eyes like a teenager or better yet, turn her over his knee. Instead, he sat back and watched the city glide past on the way to his building site. When the car pulled in front of the construction trailer, she finally looked him in the eyes and there was sadness in her expression.
“Thank you so much for everything. I won’t ever forget it.” She touched his cheek and leaned in to brush a kiss over his lips.
Luke wasn’t content with the chaste touch she offered him. He caught her wrist, his fingers sliding over the pearls and pulled her to him, taking control of the kiss and of her. Tasting and teasing, he coaxed her lips with his until she softened, sagging against him. When she opened for him, he slid his fingers into her hair, anchoring her in place while he plundered her mouth.
By the time he broke the kiss, her cheeks were flushed and her gaze was soft and unfocused. The pulse beat at her throat and her breath came in shallow gasps. Better. Much better.
“I know you have work to do,” he said. “I do, too. But I will see you tonight.”
She opened her mouth to say something, but closed it again without speaking and climbed out of the car. Luke and the driver waited until she climbed into her truck and backed out of the space before turning around and heading to his office. Claire was definitely going to be a challenge, but she was one that was sure as hell worth conquering.
IT WASAFTER four in the afternoon when Claire finally finished with her crew. She left them to wrap things up and made her way to her truck. If she hurried she could get a chunk of time in on the flip house. She froze when she saw Luke’s car parked by the construction trailer. After the kiss this morning, she knew she wouldn’t be able to resist him if he managed to corner her.
Their weekend together had cemented her feelings for him. She was in love with a man she didn’t think would ever be able to love her back. He’d been clear with her. He’d told her he wasn’t interested in a relationship. He hadn’t said anything to make her believe he’d changed his mind. As he moved inside her last night, taking her higher and higher on spiraling currents of pleasure, she’d tried to tell him good-bye with her body even as she fell harder for him. In order to protect what was left of her heart, she’d made herself a promise to put distance between them when they got back from the city.
The ride to the job site this morning proved that would be harder than she thought. She might decide to stay away, that didn’t mean Luke would willingly go along with her plans. After the long night and even longer day, she didn’t have the energy to resist him now. She wanted to plug in her headphones, sand some drywall until she couldn’t stand up anymore and then fall into bed so exhausted she didn’t care if she was alone.
Climbing into the cab of her truck, she quietly shut the door behind her, telling herself it was because she wanted to get to the job and not because she was too chicken to face Luke.
