He stared down at her with dark, unreadable eyes. His gaze drifted to her lips, then lifted. He was thinking about kissing her. She wanted him to kiss her. Heat radiated off of him, calling to her. She told herself to act, to move. Why wasn’t she moving? Getting this back where it belonged.
“Good night, Julie,” he finally said, brushing his fingers down her cheek, sending a whole different kind of shiver down her spine. And then, just like that, he was gone, already at the door, and ordering, “Come lock up,” a moment before she heard it slam behind him.
Julie did as he said, fighting the urge to call his name and drag him onto the bed. It was too late. He was gone. She flipped the lock and let her back settle against the door.
This was good. No complications. It’s what she wanted, the way she lived. It was what was right. Only, it didn’t feel right at all.
***
Luke had stood in Julie’s room, hot, hard, and all about stripping her down and hearing her moan his name, but he’d somehow walked away. He’d left her behind. He’d succeeded in sticking to his plan to see where this thing between them would lead, besides the bedroom. He’d also ensured sleep was impossible.
By dawn, he was out of bed. Thirty minutes later he was showered, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, and packed to leave. He spent the next hour and a half researching Judge Moore, and his connections, and passing along leads by email to Blake.
By seven, determined to keep Julie from running off without him, fairly confident that’s what she would do, he was at her door with two cups of steaming coffee in hand. He’d seen the confusion on her face, and he knew she wasn’t sure how to deal with him outside the bedroom. She’d figure it out. He’d help her. They’d figure it out together. He’d show her they weren’t the sum of their passion, but rather their passion was a sum of much more that she wasn’t ready to put a name to. He wasn’t sure he was either, but they had to do something because avoiding each other wasn’t an option. Their lives were too intermingled.
He knocked on her door with his foot, the idea of seeing her again shooting fire through his veins. He stood there a minute and kicked at the door again. No answer. He cursed, knowing he’d been right about her leaving him behind, and she’d still outsmarted him. She was gone, probably while he’d been sitting at his computer.
Luke set the coffee by her door so he didn’t spill it all over himself and headed back to his room. He dialed the front desk and sure enough, she’d checked out. Well, she wasn’t going anywhere without him. He’d already pulled strings and made sure they were on the same flight going home, seated next to each other.
***
Forty-five minutes later, Luke was inside the airport, past security, and searching for Julie. He spotted her at counter of one of the gates, the dark blue jeans she wore accenting her curves, her long blond hair loose around her slender shoulders, and the short-sleeved red silk blouse showing off her pearly white skin. She was gorgeous. She also seemed to be flustered, as was the customer service rep, and since he was pretty sure he was the cause, he hurried toward them.
“I don’t understand how you put all those other people on a flight out but you say my name isn’t on that ledger. I recognize most of them from my flight.” Julie was asking the lady as Luke appeared beside her, and settled his hand on Julie’s back. Her head swung around in surprise. “Luke?”
He grinned at her. “Not expecting me, I guess?” She looked guilty. Luke looked at the service rep, whom he’d met several times. “Sue, how are you?”
The twenty-something woman smiled and flipped her dark hair over her shoulders. “Hey Luke, I’m good,” she said with a flirty little grin.
“I’m glad to hear it,” he said with a smile. “I believe you should have a reservation for myself and Ms. Harrison on the next flight, under a special security clearance.”
“What?” Julie asked, turning to him. “What reservation?”
“I would have told you if I had the chance,” he said. “I pulled some strings to get us on the first flight out.”
“No,” Julie insisted. “They just called those names and I wasn’t one of them.”
“Actually,” Sue said. “You are on the first flight out. It’s a reserved flight for priority travelers. I missed the reservation because of the way it was flagged by Luke’s name.”
Luke arched a brow at Julie. “Now would be the time to have your seat moved away from mine if you want to.”
Her expression softened. “I don’t want that.”
“You sure about that?”
Pink flooded her cheeks. “Yes. I’m sure.”
“Here you go,” Sue said. “Two tickets. You’re all set.”
Luke held Julie’s stare a moment and then accepted the tickets. “Thanks, Sue.”
“We should begin boarding in about fifteen minutes,” she informed them.
“Excellent,” he said, and he and Julie stepped away from the counter, where he teasingly asked, “How about some coffee? I’m guessing you haven’t had your standard two cups of coffee this morning, since you took off from your room so early.”
“Luke, I-”
“Don’t know what to do about me,” he finished for her. “Ditto me about you, but I’m betting we don’t have a chance of figuring it out without some caffeine.”
She sighed. “I’ll buy. It’s the least I can do considering you got us on this flight and I, well, you know.”
“I know,” he said, not about to let her off the hook for running off and leaving him at the hotel. “And since I brought you coffee when I showed up at your door this morning, I’ll let you provide this round.”
“You brought me coffee?”
“That’s right.”
She glanced at a clock. “You showed up early.”
“You left earlier.”
“You knew what I was going to do.”
“Just not how early.” He lowered his voice. “I know you better than you think.”
Surprise flashed on her face before she quickly joked, “Then you know I’m dangerous without coffee.” She started walking.
Luke smiled and followed. She was still running, but he had a good feeling he was catching up.
A few minutes later, they sat down in the waiting area, cups in hand. She sipped her white mocha. “I still don’t know how you drink your coffee straight-up black.”
“It’s the only way I got it the past few years,” he said.
“I remember you saying that,” she commented, settling fully into her seat and crossing her legs. “You’re a civilian now though. We need to convert you to a real coffee drinker.”
“What can I say?” He leaned back to bring his gaze level with hers. “I know what I like.” And he liked her.
Awareness thickened between them. “I remember that about you, too,” she said softly.
“What else do you remember?”
She traced her lips with her tongue, pulling his gaze down to their glistening wetness. Hunger rose inside him, the need to kiss her, to taste her. To know her as he once had.
Her lashes fluttered, long and dark against her pale cheeks, before she surprised him by confessing, “I remember a lot of things.”
“Good,” he said. “Then we can compare memories.”
Her eyes opened and she met his gaze. The warmth and desire he saw there punched him in the gut. The sexual tension between them was going to kill him. He ached for her, burned for her.
Her cell phone rang. Neither of them moved. It rang again. She swallowed hard. “I should get that. My assistant and I were playing phone tag this morning.”
He grabbed her purse and handed it to her. She retrieved her phone. “It’s her.” She hit the answer button and he watched shock roll over her face. “Dead?” She sat straight up. “How? When?””
“Who?” Luke asked, having a bad feeling he knew the answer.
Julie cast him a worried look and she covered the phone. “Elizabeth Moore. They say she committed suicide and....I just can??
?t believe it. Luke, she’s...dead.”
Luke inhaled a sharp breath. Just what had Julie been dragged into?
“Consciously or not, greed and power are deadly partners.”
Chapter Five
Luke texted Blake while Julie finished her call to her assistant, telling him of Elizabeth Moore’s death. Blake’s reply was typical Blake. “Holy shit, man, you know how to find trouble. How’d you stay alive in the jungles without me?”
Normally, he’d have replied with some brotherly love like ATF does research while SEALs get their man, but now wasn’t one of those moments. Instead, he said, “Worried about Julie’s involvement.” And Blake had replied, “Enough said. I’m on it now. And no, before you say it, I won’t tell the bride and groom.”
Julie ended her call and immediately hit a button before he could stop her. ”I have to reach the judge,” she said. “The funeral is tomorrow. That’s fast. Can a funeral even happen that fast?”
“Apparently they can,” he said, assuming they were cremating the body, too. “Let me guess. She overdosed?”
“Yes. How’d you know?”
“Still on that lucky streak.”
“Voice mail,” she said, and quickly left an urgent message before saying, “Luke, she wasn’t suicidal. If anything she was fighting to survive.” The boarding announcement for their flight sounded and Julie grimaced. “I really wanted to talk to the judge before the flight.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t,” Luke said. “You’re upset and you need to handle him cautiously. You need to distance yourself from this for all kinds of reasons, namely your safety.”
“I should have done more,” she fretted. “I should have–”
“Don’t do that to yourself,” he insisted, his hand settling on her leg. “You didn’t have anything to go on but her threat.”
She turned to him. “Yes, but–”
He leaned in and kissed her, determined to give her something else to think about. Her lips were soft, delicate, perfect and what was meant to be a brush of his mouth to hers became a lingering caress. “No buts,” he whispered, brushing her hair from her face. “You aren’t to blame for her death.”
Her teeth scraped her lip. “I can’t turn a blind eye to this, Luke. It’s not who I am.”
“I’ll find out what happened. You have my word.” He leaned back to study her. “Trust me to do that. I won’t let you down.”
The boarding call sounded again, but still they didn’t move. He held his breath, waiting for her reply, knowing trust wasn’t something Julie gave easily, and not to anyone he knew of but Lauren.
“Yes,” she finally said. “Okay. Thank you, Luke.”
“Good,” he said, and while this wasn’t how he wanted to take a step forward with Julie, it was still a step. He drew her hand in his and they stood up. “Let’s go home.”
She nodded. “Yes. Home sounds good and safe.”
Luke just hoped she was right about that. He wasn’t so sure.
***
Julie could still taste Luke’s kiss on her lips as she settled into a window seat and adjusted her seat belt. He slid in beside her, his knee brushing hers, making her heart flutter in her chest. She was confused about Luke and tormented about Elizabeth. She replayed the meeting in her office, tried to think of what else she should have, or could have, done. She should have done something.
“Julie,” he said, trying to get her attention, and she realized she was staring blindly out of the window.
Her head whipped around. “I have to go to the funeral.”
He drew her hand in his. “Honey, relax.”
“I’m trying and failing,” she said, and she didn’t have it in her to pull her hand away, to fight this thing with Luke, to protect herself from heartache. “This is so not normal for me.”
He reached up and brushed his knuckles gently across her cheek. “I know that. You know the wedding rehearsal and dinner is tomorrow night.”
“Yes, but I took off of work tomorrow so I should have time for both.”
“I’ll go with you to the funeral.”
She shifted in her seat to face him. “You don’t have to do that.”
“I want to come with you.”
She wanted him to. Oh God, she so wanted him to. Warning bells went off in her head. This was headed to heartache. She was vulnerable right now, raw and open, and– “I’ll be fine by myself.”
“I’m going with you.”
“No. I need to go by myself.” She didn’t want to start depending on Luke and lose her ability to stand on her own.
“You need me there with you,” he said softly. “And if you aren’t willing to admit that, I’m fine with that. But I need to be there with you. I’m in this with you and I’m staying in.”
“You don’t have to do this, Luke. You have no obligation–”
“Who said anything about obligation?”
“I’m Lauren’s best friend, and–”
He kissed her again, his fingers curling around her neck, his tongue flickering into her mouth for one brief taste. “I’m not going to let you deal with this alone.”
She didn’t know how to reply. Alone was all she knew. Alone was where she’d end up after they were over and she didn’t want to forget how to be that way and still be happy. Her stomach suddenly churned and she knew it was stress and lack of sleep.
She sank down in her chair. “I’m not feeling so good all of the sudden.” She glanced at him.
“Do you want me to get you a Sprite?”
“No. Thank you.” She let her lashes lower. “I need to rest my eyes.”
Luke ran his hand over her hand. “Rest, sweetheart,” he said. “Sleep will do you good.”
Yes. Sleep. When was the last time she’d slept well? Not since before Elizabeth Moore visited her office. She inhaled, drawing in Luke’s comforting scent, and drifted off.
***
Julie felt a tickle against her ear, but she tried to ignore it. She was wrapped in a warm cocoon of sleep and comfort.
“Julie, wake up.”
“Hmm, I don’t want to,” she replied and snuggled further against… Her eyes popped open. Her senses were instantly alert, her nose filling with the spicy male scent of Luke. She blinked and slowly looked up, her lids still heavy from sleep.
Luke stared down at her with his gorgeous, chocolate brown eyes.
Suddenly she realized she lay in the crook of his arm, her hand on his chest, and her head on his shoulder. Her memory slowly returned as she glanced around and realized she was on a plane. She wasn’t sure how she had ended up sleeping in his arms but her subconscious mind seemed to know exactly where she wanted to be.
Slowly, he lowered his head and brushed his lips across hers. Once, twice, and then a third time in short, soft caresses.
Her lashes fluttered to her cheeks as she absorbed the pressure of his lips with warm acceptance. Oh god, she had missed him. He made her feel so much, so deeply, and no matter how it scared her, she needed this, needed him.
“Luke?” she whispered, not sure it wasn’t a dream.
His lips quirked. “Expecting someone else? We’re about to land. I didn’t want the jolt to scare you.”
“Um,” she said forcing herself to move away from him and sit up. “Thanks.”
“How do you feel?” he asked.
“Better,” she said, the funny feeling in her stomach now gone. “A lot better. I’ve never handled sleep deprivation well. It just about killed me in law school. I guess I should thank you for being my pillow.”
“Then I guess I owe you the same thank you,” he said. “I fell asleep, too.”
They’d slept curled up together like a couple and clearly she’d slept like a baby. She turned to the window, the runway fast approaching. They were almost home all right, and most definitely out of one-night-stand-land, she knew that now. She wasn’t pretending otherwise. But she needed some time to process it, to figure out what it meant, and how to respond. She’d neve
r let herself consider going where she seemed to be headed with Luke. She either had to dare to let it happen or she had to shut it down. Both had consequences she had to consider, especially with Lauren being her only close friend, her only family. Luke was about to be her family as well.
Once they were off the plane, Julie tried to make her escape, but Luke didn’t let it happen. He was with her at baggage claim and with her in the cab line.
When a car pulled forward, she turned to say goodbye to Luke, only to find him giving both her bag and his to the driver. “You live across town from me,” she said.
“I’m coming by your place to check things out,” he said. “Just to be safe.”
“I’m going to my office.”
“After you stop by your house, right?”
“Yes,” she admitted reluctantly.
“Then let me check it out just to be safe.”
She considered arguing, but it was a problem she hadn’t considered. Her house being dangerous. Someone there, waiting on her, to make her dead like they had Elizabeth. She slid into the car without complaint.
“You’re making me paranoid,” she whispered when they were on the road.
“You said you were already feeling paranoid.”
“You’re making it worse.”
“Come stay the night with me.”
She laughed. “Right. Like that would raise some eyebrows. You live in a private building with your two brothers and Lauren.”
“They all know we have something between us.”
“I’m not staying with you tonight.”
“Fine then,” he said. “I’ll sleep on your couch.”
“You’re not sleeping on my couch.”
“We can talk about it later.”
“There’s nothing to talk about,” she insisted.
“You’re right. There isn’t.”
“Luke–”
He kissed her, stealing her words with a hot caress of his tongue. “Stop doing that,” she ordered, pressing her hands against his chest and wishing he’d do it again.