SEVENTEEN
LUKE HAD NEVER META more infuriating woman in his life. If he hadn’t known how shaken she was from the break-in, he’d be tempted to throttle her. As it was, he was holding onto his control by a thread.
What the fuck was he supposed to do now? There was no way in Hell he was leaving her alone in this house. He didn’t think whoever did the painting was coming back tonight, but he wasn’t taking a chance. He’d already sent a message to his security head while Claire was busy with the police. He’d have guys watching the place tonight, and tomorrow they’d figure out how to keep it safe until she could sell it. He wasn’t about to tell her about it though.
He also wasn’t about to let her guilt him into doing something or push him away. He didn’t talk about where he came from ever. That wasn’t about to change, but he’d be damned if he let her drive him out of her life. He knew that’s what she was thinking when he left the construction trailer and found her gone for the day without saying a word to him. This thing between them, whatever it was, was too good to let it slip away.
“Come on,” he said, grabbing her arm and turning her to face him. The tears shining in her eyes almost undid him, but he doubted she’d welcome his comfort now. “Let’s call a truce and go get something to eat. We can come right back,” he said before she could object.
“Take out,” she said, brushing away the unshed tears.
“Take out it is.” He was going to owe Eric big time.
LUKE PULLEDINTO the alley behind Comme Ci, sent a quick text and in moments a young man wearing chef whites and checked pants came out the back door carrying a bag. He handed it to Luke who in turn passed it to Claire.
“Do you mind setting this on the floor?”
“Not at all, but why in the world did we come to Comme Ci for take-out? There are a ton of fast food places or other restaurants where we could have eaten.”
The rush of adrenaline from the break-in and their argument seemed to have left her. She looked tired and vulnerable, and he didn’t want to pick a fight with her or rise to her bait. He just wanted to take care of her.
“Believe me,” he said. “I would much rather go into the restaurant to eat, but I’m not pushing my luck with you tonight. I don’t want to eat fast food, and Eric knows me. When I call, he puts something together he knows I will like, and I don’t have to think about it. It saves time, and it’s worth it.”
He glanced over and watched her wrestle with saying anything else, but in the end, silence won out.
They drove the short distance to the outskirts of the city. Before they made the turn into the neighborhood with Claire’s flip, Luke pulled the Veyron into the parking lot of a twenty-four hour WalMart.
“What are you doing?” Claire asked when he parked the car and turned off the engine.
“Buying sleeping bags. If we’re spending the night at the house, I at least want a little padding between me and the floor.”
“You don’t have to do that. You’ve got to be exhausted, and I know you have things you have to do tomorrow.”
“Not any more than you. I would much rather sleep in my own bed with you in my arms, but if you’re staying at the house, so am I. I mean it Claire. I’m not bending on this. You can’t stay there by yourself.”
He heard her draw in a shaky breath, exhaling with a sigh before she spoke.
“I don’t think they’ll be back tonight, do you?” she asked.
“No, I don’t, but that doesn’t change anything.”
“Yes it does. Take me to your place.”
“Are you sure?” he asked, trying not to groan in relief.
She nodded, and before she could change her mind, he turned on the car and slid it into gear.
SOME KINDOF strong independent woman she turned out to be. Less than twenty-four hours since she decided to put some distance between she and Luke, and she was already back in his bed. She stood her ground and insisted she would spend the night at the flip house, but was that where she was? Nope. It was another stellar example of how she caved for him, even when he didn’t ask her to.
Jesus, she was a mess, but she knew how tired he must be, and she couldn’t stand the idea of him sleeping on the floor. The fact that he was willing to do it anyway melted her heart.
She didn’t know what it meant, except that she was screwed. The idea worried her more than she’d ever let on, but there didn’t seem to be anything she could deny Luke. She watched him walk out of the bathroom with a towel slung low over his hips, the thin line of dark hair trailing down his stomach and under the white terry cloth. Chewing on her bottom lip, she watched him stalk closer, wanting him more with every step.
When he got to the side of the bed, she reached for the towel and tugged, freeing his already thickening cock. She stretched out on her stomach, grabbed his hips and slid him into her mouth.
“Fuck yes,” he said with a satisfying groan.
She might be at his mercy but at least maybe she could make him lose some of his control as well. Hooking her feet together behind her, she went to work in earnest, wrapping her lips around the long hard length of him, sucking his cock with slow steady strokes. She cupped his heavy balls, teasing the tight wrinkled skin with her fingertips while her mouth worked the velvet covered steel of his cock.
