Come Away With Me (4 page)

Where is that music coming from? I realize my phone is ringing inside my purse, still slung across my body and I break our intimate contact to rummage through and find it. Maroon 5 is whaling on about being at a payphone, and Luke’s smile breaks into a big grin as I answer the call.

“Hi, Jules.” I mouth roommate at him at his raised eyebrow.

“Nat! You haven’t answered my texts. Are you okay?” She sounds annoyed and I roll my eyes.

“I’m fine. Sorry, I didn’t see your texts. My phone has been in my bag, I must not have heard it.” I take another step back from Luke trying to clear my head and he rests his hands on those lean hips.

“Do you have dinner plans?”

“Dinner?”

Luke leans in and whispers in my free ear, “I’m making you dinner.” He winks at me – winks! – and then walks around me toward the kitchen leaving me to my call.

“Um, yeah, I have dinner plans.” I wince, knowing that I’m about to get the Jules Third Degree.

“Oh?” I know her expertly plucked brows are raised. I so do not want to have this conversation with Luke in ear-shot. I hear Adele start to sing and turn around to see Luke has paused by a sound system, fiddling with his iPod.

“Yeah, something just came up.

Why? What’s going on?” Luke is now in the kitchen, rummaging around in his fridge, and I have a great view of his jean-clad ass.
Holy crap
.

“I was going to invite you along to go to dinner with some of my coworkers, but if you have plans I’ll just see you tonight.” There is a pause. “Is it the mugger?”

I gasp. Leave it to Jules! “Maybe.”

“Awesome! Have fun, be safe, take pictures if you can. Toodles!” And she’s hung up and I can’t help but laugh at her. Oh, to have my friend’s carefree attitude.

“So, that was your roommate?” Luke asks as he pours us both a glass of white wine. I take a sip and am pleasantly surprised by its fruity sweetness.

“Yeah, she was checking up on me.” I sit at the lightly colored granite breakfast bar and page through my texts. I have three, all from Jules.

Hey Nat, wanna go to dinner tonight?

Nat? Turn your phone on!

Natalie, I’m making reservations…

dinner?

Oops. I lay my iPhone on the counter top and take another swallow of wine.

Luke’s watching me.

“Sorry, that was rude.” I smile apologetically. “She was worried when I didn’t respond to her texts.

Luke shakes his head. “You are definitely not rude, Natalie. So, how do you feel about alfredo sauce?”

I grin at his flirty tone. “I have a long standing love affair with alfredo sauce.”

“Really?” He chuckles and tucks a strand of my now messy hair behind my ear. “Lucky alfredo sauce.”

He turns around again and starts pulling out pots and pans and ingredients from his pantry and fridge. He’s so…

competent in the kitchen.

When he whips back around to start making order of his chaos, he sees me watching him and gives me a half smile.

“What are you thinking?”

“You’re very competent in the kitchen.”

“Why thank you.” He bows grandly and makes me laugh.

“Who taught you to cook?”

“My mom.” He puts a pot of water on to boil and starts grating cheese.

“What can I do to help?”

“Sit there and be beautiful.”

I blush. “Really, I want to help.”

“Okay, you grate this cheese and I’ll get the chicken going.”

I happily come around the island and take over the cheese grating, watching Luke move about his kitchen with ease.

Soon the room smells of grilling chicken, making my mouth water. Luke moves up behind me and puts his arms around me, checking the cheese status, without actually touching me.

My skin is on fire. Touch me! Hold me! But he doesn’t; before I know it he’s moved away and my body is almost quivering with need.

I don’t remember ever feeling this physical pull to a man before. It’s a little scary, but it’s a lot of fun.

“Okay, I think we’re almost ready to dish up. Can you strain this pasta?” I gladly assist him as he finishes the sauce, and my stomach growls.

Mmmm… a sexy man who can cook!

Luke pulls down plates, silverware and napkins. “Let’s eat outside, enjoy the view.”

“Great idea.” I smile as we dish up, grab our wine and head out to the deck off the great room. The outside eating space is spectacular. Warm tones of reds and browns, the table seats six, and there is a huge stainless steel grill with outdoor kitchen counters, fridge and sink.

We sit and my nerves from our earlier delicious kiss are gone, and I’m just plain hungry.

“Hungry?” he asks, reading my mind.

“Starving!”

“Dig in.”

I take a bite and close my eyes.

“Mmm… s’really good.”

I cover my mouth with my napkin and laugh. Luke’s eyes dance and he smirks, taking a drink of his wine.

“I’m glad you like it.”

“So,” I scoop up another bite. “Your mom taught you to cook?”

“Yeah, she always said that all of her children needed to be able to feed themselves after we left the nest.” I watch him stab some chicken with his fork.

“How many siblings do you have?”

“I have one brother and one sister.”

“Older, younger?” I ask. God, this man can cook.

“Older sister, younger brother.”

“And what do they do?”

“Samantha, my sister, is an editor for Seattle Magazine.” Luke’s eyes are full of pride. “Mark is wasting away his college education as a fisherman in Alaska.”

“I take it you don’t approve?” I raise my brow at him as I take a sip of wine.

“Well, he’s young. I guess it’s good he sows his wild oats now.” Luke shrugs.

“Your parents?” I like hearing him talk about his family. He clearly loves them very much.

“They live in Redmond. Dad works for

Microsoft

and

Mom

is

a

homemaker.” He glances down at my empty plate.

“It was delicious, thank you.” I lean back in my chair and stretch out my legs.

“You’re very welcome.” He looks so young with his shy smile. “Would you like some more?”

“Oh no, I’m full.” I pat my belly and gaze out at the water. “This is a fantastic view.”

“Yes, it is.” I look over at him, and he’s gazing at me. My cheeks warm.

“You’re very complimentary.”

“You’re easy to compliment.”

I smirk.

He tilts his head to the side and picks my hand up in his, bringing it to his mouth. This is the first time he’s touched me since that thigh-clenching kiss and I sigh at the heat of his touch.

“You are quite beautiful, Natalie.

Why don’t you believe that?”

I’m stupefied. No one has ever called me out on my insecurities because I’ve never shown them to anyone. I shrug.

“I’m happy you think so.”

He frowns at my answer but doesn’t press me. “I do.”

“I wish I had my camera.” I don’t realize I’ve said this out loud, and I feel him tense beside me.

“Why?” his voice is cold, and looking into his eyes, they’re arctic.

“Because of this view.” I gesture out to the water. “This would make a wonderful image.”

He relaxes beside me. “Maybe one day you’ll be able to capture it.”

“There’s that ‘one day’ again.” I grin at him and he grins back.

“One day.” He says again and I can’t help but feel a little giddy inside. I shiver a bit as a breeze rolls through his patio. The sun has set, and the sky is all purple and orange, and it’s cooling off.

“Are you cold?” he asks.

“No, I’m good.”

“Really?”

“I’m a tiny bit cold, but I don’t want to go inside.”

“I’ll be back.” With that he stands and gathers our dirty plates.

“Hey, I’ll clean up. You cooked.”

“Nonsense. You’re my guest, Natalie. Besides I have a housekeeper who will do most of it in the morning.

Sit. Stay.” He pins me with a serious gaze, then heads inside.

He’s so bossy. I think I like it. No one has ever had the audacity to be bossy with me before. It’s fun.

I hear the iPod change from Adele to something soft and bluesy and a few moments later he’s back with a plush green blanket and my iPhone.

“The light was blinking on your phone; I thought you might want to check it.” He hands it to me, but before I can look at it he holds his hand out to me.

“Come with me.”

“Where are we going?”

“Just over there.” He points to a plush loveseat closer to the edge of the patio.

I take his hand and he leads me over and I sit, sinking into the cushions. He sits beside me and drapes us both in the blanket. His arm is draped around me.

“This is quick.” I look into his blue gaze, unsure if being in his arms like this, this quickly is altogether safe, yet I want to be here.

“We’re just admiring a pretty view, Natalie.” He pulls me closer to him, runs his hand down my side and I lean on his shoulder. I remember my phone in my hand and pull it out from under the blanket to read it, not bothering to hide it from Luke.

Hey gorgeous, plans tonight?

It’s my friend Grant, and while we haven’t had sex in a while, sometimes, if we’re drunk or lonely, we indulge. I haven’t heard from him in weeks, and of course it has to be now, as I’m curled up in this sexy man’s arms that he texts me.

Crap, crap, crap.
Luke tenses beside me, and I cringe, but hit reply, still not pulling it out of his eyesight. I have nothing to hide.

Yeah, I have plans. Sorry.

Luke doesn’t relax beside me and I know he’s mad. Shit.

Grant responds almost immediately.

Tomorrow?

Sorry, Grant, not interested.

Okay, bye Nat.

I put my phone in my pocket and just lean my head back on Luke’s shoulder, not saying anything. What can I say? He lets out a sigh and tightens his hold on me, not saying anything for a long time.

Finally I glance up at him.

“Are you okay?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Um, I don’t know. Just checking.”

The last two words are whispered. He seems mad at me, but I didn’t do anything wrong. I told the guy to take a hike!

Suddenly he shimmies and pulls his iPhone out of his pocket. “What’s your phone number?”

My wide gaze finds his and he raises a brow. I rattle it off to him and he punches it into his phone. “What’s your last name?”

“Conner.” He finishes programming my name and number into his phone and I close my eyes and inhale his clean scent while he continues to fiddle with his gadget.

My phone buzzes in my pocket.

I retrieve my phone from my pocket and pull it out of the blanket.

“Oh my, look at that, I have a text!

Whoever could it be?” I bat my eyelashes at him and smile sweetly.

Luke laughs. “Maybe you should check it.”

“Oh! Good idea.” I chuckle and slide the arrow at the bottom of the screen, waking the phone up and open the text from a phone number I don’t recognize.

I want to squeal like a school girl, but simply smile and open the message.

Hey Natalie, save this number.

You’re going to be seeing it a lot. –Luke Williams I grin at him, and save the number and his name to my phone.

“So,” the smile leaves his face and he’s serious again. I pull back, out of his grasp, and turn my body toward him, my leg tucked under the opposite knee, mentally preparing myself for a serious conversation.

“So?”

“So,” he gazes at me almost warily and I feel a moment of alarm. “Who’s Grant?”

“Just a friend.” I shrug.

He raises an eyebrow. “That wasn’t just a friendly text, Natalie. I am a man, I know the difference.”

I cringe and look back out over the darkening water.

“Look at me.” His voice is sharp and I whip my eyes back to his.

“He is just a friend, Luke. Yes, there has been a physical relationship there in the past, but it’s been a while.”

“How long is a while?”

“Months.”

“How many months?”

“Since last fall.”

“Is there anyone else?”

“Why is this any of your business?”

“Because you’re the first woman I’ve brought into my home and all I can think about is getting your beautiful body naked and fucking you senseless. I need to know if there is any competition. I don’t share, Natalie.” His eyes are on fire, his beautiful lips parted as he breathes heavily, and his hands are in fists.

I open my mouth to speak, and close it again. Holy Jesus, he wants to fuck me.

Well, back at you, bossy man.

“Saying that you don’t share implies that I’m already yours, Luke.”

“Aren’t you?” he whispers.

This is too much. I’ve known the man less than twenty four hours and he wants to stake a claim! Part of me is yelling Yes!
but that damn reasonable side rears her ugly head and shakes her head adamantly
No!

I stand abruptly, untangling myself from the blanket.

“Look, Luke…” He’s suddenly at my side, his strong hand on my chin trapping my gaze in his.

“Answer my question, please.” His touch is gentle, but his gaze is raw, and it pulls at me in a way I’ve never known.

“There is no one.” I whisper.

“Thank Christ.” And his lips are on mine, but instead of the passionate fervor I’m craving, his lips are gentle and tender, as though he’s memorizing my mouth with his lips. He lets go of my chin and wraps my hair in his hand while the other curls around my low back and he pulls me to him, my front against his, and I moan low in my throat.

His chest and stomach are hard muscle.

I wrap my arms around him and hold him to me, my hands clasping onto his back.

Bravely, I close my teeth over his lower lip and suck him gently into my mouth. His eyes fly open, meeting mine, and he plunges his tongue in my mouth, sliding it along mine in a beautiful rhythm. Our breathing is ragged, and my hands just can’t stop moving up and down his back, feeling the hard muscles flex as he moves against me.

Both of his hands slide down to my backside and he clenches it tightly while nibbling from the side of my mouth down my neck.

“Oh my,” I lean my forehead against him and I feel him smile against my neck.