Wrecked (Crystal Book Billionaires) (15 page)

I tensed up, the only part of my body able to move being my eyes. They roved down the length of the table as Uncle Joe began talking. “Could be deer,” he said.

“I saw some out there this morning,” I offered, then quickly took a bite of salad.

“Luke, do you like to garden?” Aunt Ginger asked.

He rested his forearms on the table, which instantly brought all of my attention to the tight muscles running up and down the length of his arms. “I’ve tried it before, but I have to admit I’m not very good at it. My ex-girlfriend gave me some herb plants last year, and I killed them right away.”

The simple word “girlfriend” lit a hot flame of jealousy in my belly. I tried to remind myself of the prefix he’d put in front of the word. As far as I knew, Luke was still single… And would hopefully stay that way until the day he popped a ring on my finger.

“So you live all alone?” Aunt Ginger asked.

“Yes, ma’am. But I like it.”

She batted her eyelashes. “Surely you must get lonely there.”

I stared at my aunt. Either she was trying to warm Luke up for my sake, or she was hitting on him herself. Either way, it was damn impressive.

Luke shrugged and smiled lightly at her. “I did at first. Crystal Brook is a wonderful place though. I’ve made a lot of friends here over the last couple years.”

“How’s Grace doing at the food pantry?” Uncle Joe asked.

I grimaced, unable to look at anything but the vase of wildflowers in the middle of the table.

“She’s doing great,” Luke said. “We’re real lucky to have her.”

Despite how much I wanted him to feel that way about me, I knew he didn’t. Not yet anyway. He was a good liar though.

“And Luke, tell us one more thing, if you don’t mind,” Aunt Ginger said. “Why did you end up in Crystal Brook?”

I shifted my weight in my seat so I could see more of Luke’s face. He smiled slightly, as if he were in on some private joke the rest of us knew nothing about. “I just wanted something new,” he answered, a thoughtful look washing across his face. “Something I’d never had before. I grew up surrounded by a lot of self-involved people. My parents… they’re not horrible. They were good to me, and they love me very much. But beyond my brothers and me, money is what’s most important to them. I don’t think they ever really think much about the world outside of our family. Probably because they’ve never been challenged to…”

He looked straight at Aunt Ginger. “But anyway, I’d stopped in Crystal Brook one time on a road trip during college. Some friends and I were driving from Atlanta to Tennessee and decided to go the long way. Everyone here just seemed so caring and genuine. So when I was looking for somewhere to, I guess, escape to, I thought of this town.” He shrugged. “As a bonus point, I didn’t know a single soul here.”

Aunt Ginger nodded. “I think this town is very lucky to have you.” She picked up her fork and knife and began cutting her salad into shreds. “Did Grace tell you she’s a city girl herself? She’s from L.A.”

Luke’s hot gaze fell on me, and I instantly squirmed in my seat. “She told me.”

“Did you talk to your friend again, Grace?” Uncle Joe asked. “What’s her name? Dwayne’s daughter?”

I swiveled my gaze down the length of the table. “No, I didn’t,” I forcefully answered, hoping the tone of my voice implied I didn’t want to talk about Rainy. If she were brought up, then Eli would no doubt be mentioned, and Luke did
not
need to know anything about my interest in other men.

“What about your boyfriend?” Uncle Joe said. “Did you talk to him?”

Quickly, I shut my eyes, watching as red dots spun in the darkness.
For the love of all that’s holy… Why Uncle Joe, why?

When I opened my eyes, Luke was gazing at me in curiosity.

“He’s not my boyfriend,” I explained to Uncle Joe. “And he never was.”

Uncle Joe munched loudly on some lettuce. “You seemed pretty upset about him the other day.”

“I was upset about
Rainy,”
I corrected him. “I was upset about my best friend stabbing me in the back.”

“Oh,” he said, looking wildly confused.

My cheeks hot, I turned to Luke. “Rainy is… or
was
my best friend.”

“Something happened?” he asked, ducking his head to aim a leveled gaze at me.

My lips were incredibly dry, despite the gloss I’d applied right before coming into the kitchen. I licked them and tried to figure out what my next answer would be. “She just, uh, kept some things from me.”

“Hm.” From the short answer, I got that Luke knew one hundred percent that
I
was keeping some things from
him.

I sucked in a deep breath. All right. Here went nothing.

“There was this guy I used to like,” I explained. “And she started seeing him while I was still into him.”

“Ah.”

“I mean, I’m not anymore,” I quickly added, rolling my eyes. “God, I’m so over that douche.”

Uncle Joe made a sound of annoyance, but I ignored him.

“That’s a shame,” Luke said. “Friends are important. It would be awful if a woman came between my best friend and me.”

“Yeah,” I agreed, relieved that I’d successfully navigated my way into safer waters.

The conversation turned to upcoming events at the library, and then Luke asked Uncle Joe what he did for a living. I was right, he worked at a bank. When all the plates were cleared, Luke offered to help clean up, but Uncle Joe shooed him away.

“Come back for dinner some other time,” he said. “And then we’ll see. Maybe you can take out the trash or something.”

“All right.” Luke smiled. “Thank you.”

He shook Uncle Joe’s hand and gave Aunt Ginger a kiss on the cheek. My knees almost buckled at the sight. Luke certainly had the best manners out of any guy I’d ever been into, and it kicked his attractiveness up one big notch.

“Grace can walk you out,” Aunt Ginger said, turning to get busy at the dishwasher.

So she was trying to hook Luke and me up. I would have to find some massive way to thank her. Maybe once Luke and I were married, I could dedicate a whole botanical garden to her.

Luke followed me down the hall and out onto the dark porch. The lamp from the living room illuminated the two rocking chairs out there just slightly, but other than that the only light came from the lamp posts and the house across the street.

Luke shut the door behind us, and I gazed up at him, feeling more confident since I could only make out half of his face. It was funny, really. Usually, I wasn’t nervous around guys. I’d learned long ago just how easy it could be to wrap them around my finger and make them do my bidding.

But with Luke it was different. Maybe it was because, unlike all those other boys, I knew he didn’t like me. His disapproval made me self-conscious and unsure for the first time in a long time.

“Thanks again,” I told him. “You know, for bringing me my phone.”

“Don’t worry. You didn’t get any new messages. I read through all your texts just to make sure.”

I gaped at him. His face was so serious I half believed what he said. When he finally smiled, I let out a relieved laugh and then remembered that my phone had a pass code on it anyway.

I wanted to mention Eli again, just to doubly assure Luke that I was no longer interested in him, but that would probably be pushing it. Instead, I gazed down at my hands. Six days away from home and they already didn’t look like mine. The French manicure I’d gotten a week and a half ago was chipping. I curled my fingertips into my palms, not wanting Luke to notice their state.

A board creaked as Luke took a step towards the ground. He stopped at the top of the steps though and turned around to look at me, half of his face still in shadow. “You’re a lot harder to figure out than I thought.”

My heart lifted. After what had happened between us, that statement could only be taken as a compliment.

I lifted my chin. “So what have you got figured out so far?”

He didn’t smile. “Just that I never know what to expect next from you.”

“Oh.” His sad tone made the last comment sound like anything
but
a compliment.

Abruptly, Luke’s fingers were on my cheek. Their touch was light, feeling more like the brush of a feather than anything else. I sucked in a breath and froze. His hand trailed down my jaw then cupped my chin. All the while he gazed at me, only one of his eyes visible in the poor lighting.

His hand lifted my face higher, and he took a step forward. With a swift duck of his head, his lips were against mine. Every inch of my skin was still numb with shock. Was he kissing me, or was I just dreaming?

After a second, my body woke up, and I fully felt the pressure of his mouth against mine. The movement of his lips came slow and deliberate. I kissed back, and he responded with more force, the tip of his tongue just barely touching my own.

A shiver ran down my back, the little tremors from it spanning out and shaking my fingers and toes. One kiss from Luke Anderson and the term “magic touch” took on a whole new meaning.

He broke off the kiss but didn’t move away, his face staying a couple inches away from mine and his hand still on my skin.

“You’d leave here in a heartbeat if you got the chance,” he whispered. “Wouldn’t you?”

I choked on my words. “Y-yeah. Of course I would.”

I mentally slapped myself. I’d said the wrong thing again; spoken without thinking. I was still shaking from the aftershocks of his kiss though. He’d swooped in with his question during a time when my mind was all foggy.

His hand dropped away, and he moved back to lean against the railing. “I don’t know what to make of you.”

I bit my bottom lip. “I think we’ve established that. But I also don’t think I’m as horrible as you seem to believe I am.”

“You showing up at the food pantry seems like an awfully big coincidence.”

“It’s a small town,” I said, almost too quickly.

Even though I couldn’t see much more than the outline of his body now, I felt his eyes running up and down me. “I know,” he murmured, in what could only be described as a bedroom voice.

A rush of warmth entered the spot between my legs. The man had to know the effect he was having on me. He was knowingly teasing me… and maybe even enjoying it.

“I’m not an idiot, Grace.”

My jaw ticked. “I don’t think you are.”

He crossed his arms. “I know what’s probably going through the mind of a person in your position. My guess is your family just lost almost everything you own, not just the company. You’ve never worked a real day before. You’re used to being taking care of. It only makes sense that you would be on the hunt to find someone to take the helm in your life.”

Heat — a new kind incredibly different from the one in my lady parts — filled me up. The accusation was a cruel one, never mind that it was true. What Luke conveniently skimmed over, though, was how I was only doing what
anyone
in my position would be expected to do. Women married for security all the time. For God’s sake, that was one of the main reasons the establishment of marriage had been created in the first place. For Luke to blame me for being the victim of a society and way of life I couldn’t help but be born into was downright cruel.

“You really don’t know me,” I replied as coolly as could be managed.

“It’s interesting that you were so into this other guy, and now you seem so into me.”

My body went rigid. “I already told you that’s in the past. It’s my friend I’m angry with. As far as Eli, he was just some random boy. By the way, you’re awfully full of yourself to just assume I’m so into you.”

“You didn’t have feelings for him last week, before you met me?” he asked, completely ignoring the last thing I’d said.

I scoffed. “Why are you grilling me about this? I’m going to guess you had feelings for someone else last week. Or maybe you still do. Life’s not all pretty and orderly, Luke. I know that much. Sometimes we fall for two people at one time. Sometimes we’re still trying to get over one person when another one comes into our life. Go ahead and tell me none of the above has ever happened to you.”

He didn’t respond. I’d hit the bulls eye.

“And anyway, the way you talk makes it sound like you can’t stand me, and yet you just kissed me. So what’s that about?”

Both of his arms stretched up. My body jerked, hoping he would reach out and embrace me. Instead, he just looped his hands behind his head.

A long silence passed and it seemed like he wouldn’t respond. When he did answer, his voice was thick and low. “In some ways you’re irresistible.”

“You are too,” I replied, praying the confession helped my cause.

He laughed. “Yeah, it’s a shame isn’t it?”

“Why’s that?”

“Because we can’t be together.”

The finality in his words was unquestionable.

“You act like it’s a done deal.”

“It is.”

I scoffed. “I know you want me, Luke. If I took two steps right now and put my arms around you, do you really think you would resist me?”

My heart fitfully hammered on while it waited for his answer.

“I can’t deny my attraction,” he finally responded. “But sometimes we want things that are bad for us.”

“Ugh,” I groaned, seriously starting to get sick of the whole conversation. I straightened my back and took a slow step towards him… and then another one. He tensed as my body came within inches of his. My sight had adjusted to the darkness, and I could see his pupils dilating.

Making my voice as seductive as I could, I leaned forward to brush my lips against his ear. “You think whatever you want, Luke,” I whispered. “But not everything I do is about you.”

I heard him gulp.

Satisfied, I took a step back.

“I’m not half as stupid as you think I am,” I told him.

And with that, I turned with a flounce and went back inside.

*

I stared at the white popcorn ceiling, running the scene from the night before over in my head for only the tenth time.

I’d blown it, for sure. After the way, I’d poked and prodded Luke on the porch there could be no way he was even infinitesimally still interested in me.