Loose Ends (Magnolia Series Book 1) (7 page)

Her eyes followed his muscular body as he rounded the hood of the truck and slid into his own seat. The air in the cab was filled with tension so thick, you could
practically see and smell it. Speaking of smelling things, Luke was heavenly. Was it his cologne or soap that made him smell so good she wanted to lick him like her own personal lollipop? He didn’t start the truck immediately which put her more on edge. Ava continued to stare out the front window so she didn’t see regret when she finally decided to glance his way. It felt like hours before he spoke.

“Ava.” He said her name and it snapped her attention to him.

“Huh?”

“Seatbelt.” He pointed to the fact she hadn’t bothered to slip on her seatbelt.

“Oh, right.” She slipped it over her chest and
clicked
it into place. It took a bit of wiggling around to make it comfortable; her breasts were still sensitive from being aroused by Luke.

“Thanks.” He then started the engine and pulled away from the curb.

Ava wasn’t sure what sort of conversation she should start, if any. They’d kind of skipped past “how are you, how’s your day been” and to “take off your clothes, let me fuck you into oblivion” in a matter of thirty minutes. The awkwardness she’d expected when walking to his truck had materialized and here she sat, hands twisting in her lap, wondering why she’d agreed to continue this date after all that’d transpired.

***

Luke drove his truck down the two-lane highway leading out of the city limits and to his home. Ava sat silent beside him and he suspected she felt just as uncomfortable as he did. Things had gotten out of hand quickly back in her shop and he knew he was to blame. She’d taunted and challenged him but he should’ve been the one to put a stop to it. He knew better. This wasn’t a fucking vacation for him. It was a job. An extremely well-paying job that he needed to do and get the hell out. But it was okay to have a bit of fun while you worked, wasn’t it? If Ava was on board with the idea of having a fling then it shouldn’t really be against company policy. He chuckled to himself.
Company policy.
The people he worked for didn’t own a multi-billion dollar cooperation. They were goddamned criminals. Who gave a rat’s ass if he had some fun on the side? They didn’t need to know about it. They had their own agenda in the big scheme of things anyway; he was still trying to figure out what exactly it was. But now wasn’t the time to stew over those facts. He’d promised Ava a date, and he would follow through.

“You can talk, you know.” Luke let out a husky laugh.

“I really don’t know what to say.” She shrugged and continued to stare at the road ahead of them.

“I don’t either. How about we start over?” he offered.

She shifted in her seat to face him. Her small hand darted out. “I’m Ava, I run a small salon and I’ve lived here for two years.” She gave a smile that would knock a normal man flat on his ass. Luke wasn’t a normal man and he happened to be sitting down already.

He extended his free hand and took hers. “I’m Luke, and I’m a pain in the ass. Nice to meet you, Ava.” He offered her a genuine smile, something he wasn’t used to doing. In his line of work, it was all about giving someone the
illusion
of security. Make them feel safe and hit them when they least expected it. But with Ava, it came naturally to give her at least something real.

“I won’t disagree with you, but you’re the nicest pain in the ass I’ve ever met.”

“I’ll take that as a checkmark in the pro column.”

“Where’re we headed?” She looked around and noticed the tree-lined gravel driveway up ahead.

“My house. You mentioned something about southern homes. Thought you’d like to take a walk back through time.”

Her eyes lit up with excitement. “Really? Wow, this is so great. I’ve always wanted to take a tour of one. I’ve just never had the time.”

“You have the time now. I’m glad you’re excited about it. Fair warning though, I’m in the process of fixing it up so it’s not one hundred percent yet.” That was one thing Luke hadn’t lied about. His grandmother really had passed away, but it wasn’t recently. Millie had been gone for six years. She’d left her estate to Luke but he’d been too damn busy to do anything with it. When he located Ava in Biloxi, it was the perfect cover for this job.

“It could be mostly in ruins and I’d be fine with it. Thank you for bringing me here,” she said just as the two-story plantation home came into view. Ava sat forward to get a better look as they drove closer. “Luke, this is spectacular.” She looked at him like he’d handed her the key to unlock another dimension.

“It kind of is.” He was proud of the home and its history. It’d been in the family since before the Civil War. After this job was through, he wasn’t sure what would become of it. His dad would stick a boot in his ass if he sold it;
that
was for certain.

“I can’t wait to go inside. Does it have the original furniture still?” She was practically bouncing in her seat. Who knew a house would make Ava come alive like that?

“Most of it’s in storage for now. I’d like to have some of it worked on and restored back to its original glory.”

Before Luke could put the truck in park and shut the engine off, Ava was unbuckled and had her door open. She bounded out of the vehicle like a child running down the street to catch up with the ice cream truck. Something pulled in his chest as he watched her take in the visual splendor around her. He wasn’t a man who felt many emotions. Shutting himself down was part of his job; he didn’t become attached to things and people. They were all disposable in one way or another; that was just a way of life for him. His mother enforced that lesson at a very young age. She’d showed him that even though you had people who loved and cared about you, it was okay to walk away and act like they didn’t mean jack shit. So he’d adapted that way of thinking when he’d decided to go into his current field of work.

“Can I see the inside now?” Ava pulled him from his past and back to the present.

“Sure, come on.” His key ring twisted around his finger and he climbed the few steps to the front door. He looked back at a glowing Ava and felt the pull just a little bit more. It was one thing to be attracted to her in a purely sexual manner, but to have strange feelings begin to break through…he had to squash them before something bad happened.

***

“Wow, I love this place!” Ava exclaimed while venturing from room to room in the quintessential 19
th
century plantation home. With its high ceilings and arched entryways, Ava felt like she’d been transported back to a time when petticoats and ball gowns were part of daily life. But the one thing that took her breath away was the grand staircase that greeted her as soon as she walked through the front door. The bottom was wide but as the steps ascended, they narrowed. The hand-carved railings and spindles were so intricately done, she felt sorry for the craftsman who’d had to sit and whittle them out once upon a time. Above the foyer hung a brilliant crystal chandelier. “Is that original?” she asked Luke, pointing to the fixture above her head.

“It is. When my grandmother moved in it still held candles to light the entryway and the foyer. But she had it redesigned to allow for electricity.”

Ava spun around and watched as the gleaming sunlight from the arched window above the door streaked through, causing the chandelier to throw off glittering rainbows all across the hardwood floor. This was like something out of a movie. Even though—like Luke had said—things weren’t one hundred percent, it was still stunning in her eyes.

“Would you rather live in a place like this, or your beach house?” Luke questioned.

“I think they both have their special qualities. But I would live here, hands down.” Ava laughed.

“Because of the space?” He took a seat on one of the wider steps at the bottom of the staircase, propping his elbows on his knees.

“Not at all. I love the history of it. If these walls could talk, I’m sure they could keep us entertained for days upon end.” She felt herself becoming wistful at the thought.

“I’m sure they could. Come on, I’ll show you my favorite part.” Luke surprised her by standing and grabbing her hand, tugging her gently behind him. He took her through another arched doorway and soon they were out in the cool evening air.

“I can see why it’s your favorite.” Ava stepped forward and was standing on a wrap-around porch. Semi-dilapidated wooden rocking chairs lined the porch and Ava thought she’d seen one of them move slightly with the breeze.

“I like to sit out here and think.” Luke met her as she leaned against the railing.

“You’re so lucky to have a place like this in your family.” Her voice cracked a bit and she tried to hide it by clearing her throat.

“Do you have a family home?”

“No. My parents are long gone. They died in a plane crash when I was nine. I lived with an aunt and uncle until I turned 18. I got a scholarship to attend cosmetology school and moved to Chi…California.” She caught herself before she spilled the beans about where she was actually from.

“Sorry to hear that.” Luke’s voice was full of sympathy.

“Don’t be. I don’t remember much about them. Dad worked for some investment firm and my mom was always out with her girlfriends. I was basically raised by a nanny.”  More sadness crept in. “Anyway, that’s all long gone. I don’t really want to ruin the night by talking about my woes. Sorry if I depressed you on the first date.” The sad thing was, none of the story about her parents was real except the part about them being deceased. She’d made up an elaborate tale about them and eventually it seemed real even to her.

In the shadowed night Ava could see Luke move closer. He pinned her to the railing with his hips and cupped her cheeks in his rough hands. “You didn’t depress me.” Before she knew what was happening, his lips were softly pressed against hers. This time the kiss didn’t hold any sort of urgency. He was slow and deliberate with his ministrations as he tenderly explored her closed lips with his. But Ava wanted, no, needed more. She parted her lips and accepted him inside, silently begging him to deepen what he’d started. Instead, Luke backed away just a bit.

“You’re seriously killing me here, Ava.”

“I know we’ve just met and this is technically our first date. I don’t do things like this. In fact my last relationship was over two years ago.” She knew she was rambling.

“I can’t have the kind of relationship you want.” Luke ran a hand through his hair and let out a groan of frustration.

“That’s the thing, I don’t want one,” she admitted truthfully.

“What
do
you want?” He eyed her quizzically.

“I want to see why we have this crazy chemistry. Maybe if we do this, and get it out of our systems, we won’t feel like we’re so out of control around each other.”

“So a ‘hit it and quit it’ type of thing?” he asked.

“Sure, if that’s what you want to call it. No strings. Just you and I putting this thing to bed, so-to-speak.”

“Are you sure that’s what you want?”

“One thousand percent certain.” Even though Ava said it, she really wasn’t sure. Every woman dreamed of a fulfilling relationship. Not just a fling that fizzled out once one person got bored with the other. But she wanted Luke, her body craved him. She needed to see why her own body betrayed her when she was near him. She wanted to feel what it was like to have all his sexual attention placed on her. He was a focused, driven man. She wanted those things lavished on her for even just one night.

“Okay,” he stated firmly.

“Okay?”

“Yes, okay.” He stalked toward her again and didn’t take his time claiming her mouth. His lips nearly crushed hers and he slipped his tongue past the seam of her lips to meld with hers. It wasn’t fair that a man possessed the ability to kiss like that. He was essentially a hitman to her libido, he had her in his sights, and when he took the shot, she was done for.

***

Luke’s body came alive when his lips connected with Ava’s. There was no doubt about his attraction to the sexy blonde who exuded innocence and mystery. She wasn’t like the other women he’d been with, no, she was special. He didn’t want to admit it, though. His brain kept telling him that this was the worst idea he’d ever conceived in his entire life. But that didn’t stop him. Maybe he was thinking with his ‘little head’ instead of the big one but it felt good when his body hummed with pure arousal around her.

As the kiss deepened, Luke felt Ava’s hands bunch in the fabric of his t-shirt. She pulled him closer and he felt the heat of her hand all the way to his toes. He wanted more. There was a different heat he needed now. He broke the kiss and grabbed ahold of her face in both hands.

“Are you certain you want this?” The question came out before he had a chance to think about it. He hoped she didn’t change her mind. Sure, he’d live, but the blue balls would send him careening into a shitty mood. Ava nodded. “One last chance. You can back out and I’ll take you home. But if you say yes, I’m going to make sure I worship every part of your body tonight.”

“Stop talking. If I didn’t want this, I would’ve been gone thirty minutes ago.”

That was the green light for Luke. His hands couldn’t move fast enough to roam her still-clothed body—he would take care of that soon, too. The visual he had of her naked and willing sent chills down his spine and a more urgent ache through his shaft. Each hand slid down her
slim sides taking in the slight curve at her waistline, and grabbing onto her hips. Both hands dug in, showing her that for tonight, she was his. She’d know it soon enough. Trailing back up, Luke grabbed the hem of her shirt and gingerly pulled it over her head revealing a pink satin bra. Her rounded breasts pushed against the material—nipples revealing just how turned on she was at the moment.