Cassie eased into a hot dream where she
imagined Luke's hand had traveled up higher on her leg, and he was
whispering words of love and longing while he brought her to a
spectacular climax.
When the truck started bouncing again, and
Luke's hand tightened on her thigh Cassie was jarred awake. "We
home?" she asked him, her heart pounding, as she let go of her
erotic dream reluctantly, then sleepily rubbed her eyes.
"Just be still..." he said quietly without
looking at her, and absently stroked her thigh again.
She laid perfectly still, but dug her nails
into her palm, as the lustful urges that had been increased tenfold
by her dream ramped up even more. She sucked in a breath and let it
out along with a little mewl.
His gaze swung to hers and he raised one
dark brow in question.
Breathlessly, she told him, "Either move
your hand off my thigh or finish the job."
Both eyebrows shot toward his hairline over
eyes that were filled with molten heat, then a grin kicked up the
corners of his mouth and his dimple popped out, causing her mouth
to go dry.
"I'd be happy to darlin'," he murmured in a
sexy drawl then skimmed his fingers up the seam of the scrubs until
he reached the spot that was aching for his touch at the V there.
His fingers hovered over her lightly and she could feel the heat of
them just millimeters from where she wanted them. Cassie gasped and
licked her lips then lifted her hips toward his hand trying to
increase the contact.
Instead of touching her though, his grin
widened then he lifted his hand and placed it on the steering wheel
and turned his focus to the road.
What a bastard
, she
thought! and jerked to a sitting position. He yelped and grabbed
himself when the heel of her cast caught him in the crotch when she
pulled her leg off of him.
Cassie smiled evilly then scooted to her
side of the truck and jerked the seatbelt back in place across her
chest. Served the bastard right if she'd flattened his nuts to
pancakes. He deserved it for teasing her like that. "Guess I'll
have to see if Cole's up for finishing the job then. He seems to be
the one who cleans up all your messes," she taunted then crossed
her arms under her breasts.
Cassie heard a rumbling in his chest, then
he slapped his hand against the steering wheel, and steered it to
the shoulder of the road. Cars whizzed past them as he turned and
gave her a hard look. She pushed back as far as she could against
the door, and looked at him.
His eyes were like a black hole dragging her
inside to drown her in his misery and anger. She couldn't ever
remember seeing Luke this angry. His face was mottled red and his
lips were peeled back over his teeth as he snarled, "You stay the
fuck away from Cole, do you hear me? He doesn't need you messing
with his head like you're doing with mine. The only messes he's
cleaned up are the ones
you
created."
God, why was she always antagonizing him?
Even when he was trying to help her, she needled him just to get a
rise. Probably because if she kept him angry, she didn't have to
deal with her feelings about the softer side of Luke. The one that
made her want to curl up against his chest and kiss him like she
used to and tell him that she loved him. And his walking away
yesterday, the finality of it, had opened her eyes wide to the fact
that she did still love him. As much as his actions made her hate
him sometimes.
If she wanted him to open up and tell her
what he'd meant by his shocking words at the lake yesterday, she
needed to rein in her mouth and do more listening. Her lower lip
trembled when she told him, "I'm sorry...I didn't mean it. You know
Cole and I are just friends."
Luke took a deep breath then blew it out
slowly, seeming as if he were trying to control his anger. He
dropped his eyes from hers to look at his hand in a fist on his
thigh. "Cassie, I can't do this with you anymore...."
She scooted over toward him on the seat
until she sat right beside him. She put her hand over his on his
thigh. "Do what, Luke?"
His chin wasn't too steady when he looked
into her eyes. His throat muscles worked a couple of times and then
he said, "Can't love you anymore. It's driving me
crazy....
you're
driving me crazy. One minute you're hot, the
next you freeze me out. I just can't take it anymore. That's why I
didn't come to the hospital last night." He shook his head, pulled
his hand from under hers then turned back to face the steering
wheel.
"Shove over, I'm taking you home."
She gasped, and jerked the keys from the
ignition, before tossing them on the dash.
"No--you're gonna listen to me for a second
first," she told him forcefully.
Luke's fists clenched on the wheel, and he
didn't look at her, or say a word. His face was hard and his jaw
worked as he gritted his teeth.
Cassie knew she had to frame her words right
or he was going to shut her down and take her home. She hesitated a
second contemplating, then said, "I told you yesterday that I still
love you. I meant it, Luke." She leaned up and put her hands on the
side of his face to make him look at her.
The emptiness in his eyes made her stutter,
"T-t-here's a lot we need to work out between us, I know. A lot
that needs to be said. It would have probably been said by now if I
hadn't been so stubborn and ornery. I haven't given you much of a
chance to say anything, I've been so busy fighting with you."
His lips were a flat line and he still
didn't say a word. She rubbed her thumb along the muscle ticking in
his jaw. "I'm sorry for that...
truly
sorry. I'll give you
that chance Luke, if you still want to talk," she told him and then
leaned forward and pressed her lips against his tenderly. "I don't
want to fight with you anymore," she whispered against his
unsmiling mouth.
She eased back down on the seat and moved
her hand down over his chest to cover his heart. It was beating
like a hummingbird's wings, which told her wasn't as unaffected by
her touch or what she'd said as he was trying to appear.
A little ray of hope parted the dark cloud
of hopelessness inside her. "Say something, Luke."
She saw his Adam's apple bob a couple of
times, then he said, "Okay, Cassie, I'll give it one more chance,
but that's it." He didn't sound like agreeing to that made him very
happy, or that he held much hope it'd work out.
Well, she had enough hope for the both of
them. "I only need one more darlin'," she told him and leaned up to
give him one more quick kiss before she scooted back on her side of
the truck.
After one more intense look, he reached up
on the dash and grabbed the keys. Luke seemed to be deep in thought
the rest of the ride to Bowie, and she didn't break the thoughtful
silence with needless words. She'd said her piece, and thank god
he'd listened...and agreed to try to untangle their issues. Her
heart was lighter than it had been in several days.
When Luke passed the turnoff to the ranch,
and kept going down the main road, she glanced over at him. "You
just missed the turn."
"We're not going to the ranch."
"So where are you taking me then?" she asked
and chuckled. "You really kidnapping me?"
He glanced over at her with a teasing glint
in his eyes. "Hey, you accused me of it, and put the thought in my
head. It's always been my fantasy to kidnap a hot blonde and tie
her to my bed. Guess it's about time I give it a go."
She felt blood rush to her face and moisture
to other body parts. His low sexy voice vibrated in her ears and
then sparks of desire traveled along her nerve endings straight to
her core. Visions of the big handsome lawman handcuffing her to his
bed and doing wild and wonderful things to her danced through her
head. Her heart kicked, her breathing picked up and she pinched her
thighs together to stop the throbbing there. It had been a long
time since sex had been anywhere near wild and wonderful for her.
About ten years now.
As delicious as that sounded though, she
couldn't forget her responsibilities at the ranch. "Luke, I really
need to go to the ranch. Dad--"
"Cole is handling the cows. And a nurse
showed up for your daddy yesterday after you left for the lake. Bud
and the other guys hauled in the equipment she brought with her,
and Imelda helped her set it up. You don't need to worry...just
relax for a change."
She heaved a relieved sigh and settled back
against the seat. "I owe you and Cole so much, Luke. Thank ya'll
for all you've have done since I've been back. I've been too
stubborn to tell you that."
"You're welcome," he sounded surprised.
A few minutes later, she realized they were
near the lake. She flipped off the air conditioner and rolled down
her window to inhale the rich fishy smell that always hung in the
air. She pulled the rubber band from her hair and ran her fingers
through it as the wind whipped her hair into a frenzy. She laughed
then asked, "So this fantasy of yours...it includes the lake?"
"Lake house," he corrected. "We're going to
the place Cole's daddy left him on the other side of the lake."
She squealed, then wished she hadn't when
pain pierced her brain and a wave of nausea rolled over her. "Oh
god, I thought that was gone," she said and leaned over her
knees.
"What the lake house?" he asked in confusion
looking over at her.
"No--the headache that makes me want to
throw up," she told him and groaned when another pain throbbed
inside her skull. "Jesus, Luke..."
"What can I do to help? Need me to pull
over?"
"No, I just need to get the prescriptions
the doctor gave me filled. They're in the bag I have with me, but
the pharmacy is way back in town. I forgot." She didn't forget, she
just hadn't planned on getting them filled or taking them. Cassie
didn't like the out-of-control loopy feeling pain medication gave
her. She never took it.
"That's not a problem. Let me get you to the
cabin and settled, then I'll go back to town for it. I need to buy
some groceries anyway."
She smiled her thanks as she sat back up and
leaned her head against the seat, letting the brisk wind from the
window cool her skin. "I'm sorry I'm such a pain in the butt."
"I like your butt," he said and chuckled.
"Just relax, cupcake. If you remember how to do that."
It had been a long time since she'd relaxed,
but she thought she could remember how. If she could just get her
head to stop pounding, and her stomach to stop heaving, maybe she'd
be able to do it.
They pulled up in front of a cozy little
wood cottage painted bright yellow with green shutters. The front
door was by stark contrast, painted navy blue. She hadn't been here
before, so she let her gaze wander around the yard. Two canoes were
leaned up against the side of the house, and she saw a floating
dock on the water down a gentle hill behind the house. A small
aluminum motorboat sat tied to the dock. There was a huge deck on
the backside of the house, but she could only see a portion of
it.
Luke hopped out of the truck and shut his
door. As she picked up her bag and reached for the handle on her
door, it was flung open and then he was standing there reaching
inside for her. Before she could say anything, Luke pulled her into
his arms then kicked the door shut.
"There's probably holes in the ground around
here, and I don't want you hurting yourself again," he said by way
of explanation as he walked with her up to the porch. He shifted
her weight, then used one hand to open the door then carried her
inside.
He didn't put her down once they were inside
the cabin though, he just walked swiftly across the large room and
turned down a short narrow hallway to the right. "You can put me
down now you know. They put a ball on the bottom of the cast, so I
can walk on it."
"Ain't happening, darlin'," he said and
stopped at a last door on the left at the end of the short hall.
Once he managed to open it, he walked across the room and gently
laid her on a huge king-sized bed covered in a wedding ring quilt.
"There you go." Luke smiled at her.
She sat up on her elbows and said in a whiny
voice, "Luke I can't stay in bed all day."
Luke put his hands on his hips and smiled
sexily. "I'll bet I could give you reasons to like it...when you're
feeling better, of course."
Blood rushed to her face and her mouth went
dry. She would love nothing better than to have him demonstrate
that incentive, but she knew he wouldn't, because she was hurt.
"Can't I go out on the back porch instead?"
"Not today, honey, you need to rest. Now lay
back," he ordered and pushed her shoulders into the mattress. When
he leaned across her to grab two of the other pillows on the bed
his chest brushed against her breasts. Cassie sucked in a breath
and held it while her nipples hardened to sharp points and darts of
desire coursed through her.
He raised back up with the pillows in his
hand, and she let the air trapped in her lungs escape slowly, but
the tingles remained as did the sexual tension between them. She
met his eyes and they glittered with desire telling her he was just
as aware of her as she was of him.