Undone (8 page)

“I have my ways,” Luke said with a sly smile.

They ate their ice cream and finished off the wine, laughing and joking.

Luke checked his watch and sighed. “I should probably head out, let you get some more studying done.”

“Okay. I should review my notes for tomorrow’s classes.”

Luke stood and pulled Embry into his arms, hugging her tight. “Thank you for tonight, beautiful.”

She pulled back to give him a surprised look. “I should be the one thanking you. This was an amazing first date.”

“I’m glad you thought so.”

“You set the bar pretty high for yourself though,” she joked. “I’ll expect nothing less than a private chef next time.”

“As long as there is a next time, you can have whatever you want,” Luke said.

Embry loved how sweet he was even when she was giving him a hard time. “I’d like that.” She pushed up on her toes and touched her lips to his. They were startled out of their moment by Embry’s phone blasting Morgan’s ringtone. “Sorry, let me just grab that quick. Morgan’s probably checking to make sure I’m still alive. I was supposed to give her on-the-minute updates.” Embry answered her phone saying, “You have either the most amazing or the most horrible timing ever.”

“Did I interrupt again?” Morgan laughed.

“Yes. Again.”

“Sorry, babe. So he’s still there, huh? Date must be going well.”

“Yes, Luke is still here. Yes”—Embry smiled at Luke—”we had a nice night. He’s just heading out so I can get some studying done.”

“Cool. I want details. I’m leaving campus now. I had a late night in the library. I’ll stop in on my way home.”

Embry heard the click as Morgan hung up, and she stared at her phone. “How does she do that?”

Luke folded her in his arms as he kissed a path up her neck. “Do what?”

“Morgan just invited herself over,” she said, laughing. “I told you I’m never alone for long.”

“Good, I don’t like the thought of you alone.” He looked down at her intently. “I better get my goodnight kiss before we’re interrupted.”

Embry didn’t have a chance to answer. Luke’s lips covered hers, and his tongue swept into her mouth. Embry went with it, enjoying the slow rhythm of the kiss. She pulled back first, placed a chaste kiss on his lips, and nuzzled into his chest. She loved his spicy, sexy scent and the feel of his arms wrapped around her.

Luke gazed down at her once more, and shot her a panty-dropping smile as he released her. He walked out the door, turning at the landing. “Night, Embry.”

“Night,” she said as she stood in the doorway.

“Morgan,” Luke said, on his way down the stairs.

“Oh hey, Luke, fancy seeing you here,” her best friend called as she passed him. Looking up at Embry, Morgan sighed. “He’s dreamy.”

“Tell me about it.” Embry pulled Morgan inside to catch her up on their date.

The next few weeks flew by. Embry’s work load was more than anything she could have imagined, but she somehow kept up. On top of her class schedule and homework, she was working on research for Professor Coleman and trying to make time to see Luke.

They texted almost every day and talked on the phone as much as possible, but with little free time, they had no choice but to slow things down and really get to know each other. Luke seemed reluctant to talk about his family, but from the little he’d said, Embry pictured a well-off southern family. She imagined his parents living in a large plantation house surrounded by weeping willows and gorgeous old oak trees. She had no idea if that was accurate, but she liked to think so.

His father owned some sort of corporation in Georgia, and Luke’s brother, Camden, helped run the company. Luke used to handle the legal side of the family business, but he was taking a step back and focusing on his solo practice . His favorite color was blue—which, coincidentally, had become Embry’s new favorite since it reminded her of his gorgeous eyes. He worked out religiously, lived for Georgia football, and loved southern cooking and country music. The football team and music preferences were something she would have to work on.

Luke hadn’t been around campus much, and when he was, he was almost … stand-offish. They’d met for lunch a few times at his office in Oyster Bay, and Embry got the feeling he didn’t want to be seen around campus with her. Morgan chocked it up to their age difference or him being uncomfortable that he was working with one of the professors and dating a student. Embry thought maybe he just didn’t want to get too serious. Either way, she didn’t want to scare him off, so she left it alone and enjoyed what time she did have with him.

Embry walked across campus with Jeremy for a coffee break. The café in their law school was pretty good, but she wasn’t human without her Starbucks. Luckily, the student hub had one.

“So who’s on deck for this weekend?” Embry asked, elbowing Jeremy’s arm.

“Don’t you mean ‘what’?” he responded.

She raised an eyebrow. “You know exactly what I mean.”

Jeremy rolled his eyes. “Can’t get anything past you.”

“Well?”

“Fine,” he said, faking annoyance. “Kim, section five.”

“Ah hah!” She pumped her fist in the air. “I knew it!”

“I’ve never seen another girl get so excited about my hookups.”

“Well most other girls don’t have money riding on it. Morgan and I have been betting on who you bang. She thought for sure you’d go for a girl in section three, because they’re pretty much a sure thing. But I bet on section five. It’s like the Holy Grail, and you, my friend”—she pointed at Jeremy—”go for the challenge!”

Jeremy stared at Embry in disbelief.

“You just made me twenty bucks!” she said.

“You realize this is not normal behavior, right?”

“What? Betting on your man-whoring ways?”

“Yes.”

Embry stopped, her hands on her hips. “Are you really going to tell me it bothers you?”

“No. Actually, I was thinking I should get a cut. We can work out some kind of an arrangement …” His eyes crinkled and then widened as though he had just come up with a brilliant idea. “Insider banging!”

“Oh my God.”

“You know, like insider trading! I’ll drop hints about what girls I’m scoping out, and together we’ll take Morgan for all she’s worth.”

“Wow, Jer,” Embry said, shaking her head.

“What?”

“Your indecency knows no bounds. Just … wow.”

“Too much?” he asked.

“Nope, just enough,” she said, laughing.

They reached Starbucks, and Jeremy held open the door. Embry walked inside and froze, her mouth falling open. Sitting in a large, stuffed chair by the window, and looking gorgeous, was Luke. As if he felt her gaze, he slowly turned his head, his eyes flicking up to meet hers. His lips tipped into a small smile.

She lifted her hand to wave as Jeremy collided with her back.

“Whoa,” he said, gripping her shoulders and turning her slightly. “You all right, Bree?”

Flustered and embarrassed, Embry shook his hands off and got in line. “I’m fine.” She hadn’t told Jeremy that she was seeing Luke. She hadn’t told anyone, except Morgan. It was still too new and she wasn’t ready to share him.

They ordered their drinks. Embry chanced a glance back at Luke, but his back was to her. He was packing up and leaving before even giving her the chance to say hello. The insecure part of her flinched, hurt by his hasty departure. Why didn’t he say hello? Was he upset that she was with Jeremy? But her phone beeped a few minutes later, the text from Luke easing her worries.

Sorry had to run to meet a client. Busy tonight?

Nope. 3-day weekend :) Plans?

I’ll pick you up at 4 outside of school.

Can’t wait

Embry spent the rest of the day on cloud nine, excited to finally get some alone time with Luke. At four, she sat on a bench outside the law school waiting for him. She pulled off her cardigan and sat soaking up the sun in a white eyelet dress that hit above her knee. It was unseasonably warm for September, and she was enjoying the Indian summer. She was about to text Luke when Professor Coleman walked out of the law school.

“Hello, Embry.”

“Hi, Professor Coleman. Heading out for the weekend?” she asked.

“Yes, it’s much needed. Any good plans for you?”

Embry saw Luke’s black Range Rover pull into the parking lot. “Nothing special. Mostly studying.” She gathered her things, but Luke drove right by, heading toward the other side of campus.
Weird
.

“Well, I hope you take some time to enjoy the extra day off,” Coleman said, waving and walking to the parking lot.

Embry’s phone beeped, alerting her to a new text.

Had to run into the Admin building, meet me around the corner?

She had no idea what Luke could have needed in the administrative building, but she gathered her things and walked around the school. Insecurity raised its ugly head once more, making her question his motives. Did he not want Professor Coleman to see him with her? She mulled over the possibility. She had no idea why Luke was so twitchy around campus, but she wasn’t ready to talk to him about it. Their relationship wasn’t serious, and she didn’t want to overreact about something that might be nothing.

In the parking lot in front of the administrative building, Luke sat in his Rover with the windows down. The strains of a country song she didn’t recognize floated through the air. She headed toward the car as he slid out and walked around to meet her. Embry gave him a once-over. In flip flops, worn blue jeans, a black tee that hugged every muscle, and his eyes hidden behind aviators, he looked downright edible.

Luke practically rushed Embry, sweeping her into his arms and nuzzling her neck. “Hi, beautiful.”

All questions and insecurities melted from her mind as his arms tightened around her. “Hey there,” she said, kissing his cheek.

Luke continued to stand in the parking lot, holding Embry off the ground.

“Um, Luke? Can you put me down?

“Nope, don’t want to. I haven’t seen you all week. This feels nice.”

“It’s good to see you, too,” Embry said, wiggling in his arms, “but you’re cutting off the blood flow to my lower extremities.”

“Fine, we need all extremities in working order.” Luke set her down and shot her one of his stunning smiles. He helped Embry up into the SUV before leaning in for a quick kiss. “You look beautiful.”

“Thanks. You do, too.”

Luke chuckled then shook his head and walked around to his side of the car.

“What?” Embry asked, after he hopped in.

“You called me beautiful.”

“Well you are.”

“No, I’m a man,” Luke said. “We’re rugged and burly. You can’t just go around calling rugged, burly men beautiful.”

“Hah, whatever. I’ll pick another adjective so I don’t risk stealing your man card and damaging your burly, manly ego. You look sexy.”

Luke looked at Embry over his sunglasses. “Now that’s more like it. Buckle up, sweetheart.” He twined his fingers with hers and eased out of the parking lot.

“Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise.”

“You know how I feel about surprises,” Embry complained.

“Yep. Which makes it even more fun to surprise you.”

Embry let out an exasperated breath, released Luke’s hand, and crossed her arms.

Luke grabbed her hand again and pulled it to his mouth, brushing his lips across her knuckles. He shot her a sideways look. “You really want to know?”

Embry perked up, excited. “Yes, please!”

“Well I guess it’s not really a surprise. I want you to myself for a few hours, so I figured we’d drive around aimlessly. That way there’s no way Morg—”

“Don’t say it!” Embry lunged to cover Luke’s mouth with her hand.

“Don’t say what?” Luke mumbled beneath her hand.

“Don’t say her name. You’ll jinx us! She’s like State Farm. You say her name, and she appears out of thin air!” Embry said through her laughter.

She removed her hand from Luke’s mouth and settled back in her seat. Morgan had a knack for interrupting Luke and Embry whenever they were together. Whether she was inviting herself along for lunch, showing up unannounced, or calling, she always found a way to make herself known. Embry didn’t mind, but she was looking forward to some one-on-one time with Luke.