The things we do for love. (13 page)

Chapter 16.

It took her several moments to realise that he was actually standing there and not just a figment of her imagination. Her eyes swept over the tired hard lines etched on his face. He looked just as tired as she felt.

He looked better for it though, she conceded. That so wasn’t fair. How did he manage to make exhaustion look that good? she thought ungenerously. The luck some people were born with. 

She, on the other hand felt like a train wreck, which was just as well because she looked like one too. All pale skin, hollow cheeks, dark circles and sunken eyes. Very fetching.

“What are you doing here?” she asked him in a rough hoarse voice. Was that her voice? It sounded thick and sultry, not like her at all.

“I had morning surgery.” He told her giving her a lopsided grin and, without thinking she found herself returning his smile. But then, she caught herself quickly and the smile died on her lips. She really shouldn’t encourage him.

“Oh...” There it was again, acting like she couldn’t string a sentence together. Why did he have that effect on her?

Usually she was an articulate intelligent woman but when Luke was around her mind turned to mush and her body sprang into life. The combination was quite lethal.

“The hospital is just across the road.” Luke explained and an awkward silence fell. Cassie sat up straighter in her chair and commanded her brain to function.

“Yes I know it is.” She retorted in such a harsh tone that even she winced. What was wrong with her?  Her bad mood wasn’t his fault after all. Well actually, it kind of was. If he hadn’t kept creeping into her thoughts, then she would have got a lot more sleep than she did last night.

“Of course you do. It’s not like you could miss it.” Luke flashed the most disarming smile and Cassie’s insides grew warm.

“It’s big enough.” She agreed and despite herself she began to feel a small smile begin to tug at her lips.

“And it is very ugly.”

“That it is.” She agreed.

“And I have always thought, a very un-fetching shade of grey.” He added. “May I join you?” she was asked politely.

Their eyes met and Cassie could see the sparks flashing there. It was as though he were challenging her to say no, or perhaps challenging her to say yes. Cassie wasn’t sure.

All she was sure of was that her heart had upped a gear and was skipping along in her chest as her mouth went dry and her stomach flipped.

“Um.” Get a grip, she told herself sternly. “Of course.” She told him and with a shaky hand she waved in the direction of the chair on the opposite side of the table.

“Thank you.” She watched in fascination as he eased his tall muscular frame into the chair. The waitress came over with a cup of coffee and what looked like a bacon sandwich. “Thank you.” He said again, this time to the waitress. The waitress smiled and winked at him then looked him up and down before walking away.

She didn’t blame the other woman. He was a very eye catching man, very tall, very muscular, very male. Her body had recognised that the very first time she had seen him.

“Not very healthy.” She teased him. He looked over at her the remnants of her lunch and then raised a laconic eyebrow.

“...Because yours is very healthy.” He retorted back quickly.

“Comfort food.” She said and then wished she hadn’t. she wriggled in her seat.

“You are in need of some comfort?” Luke asked her and she felt the savage kick inside.

“I guess.” She said, not wanting to elaborate. She really should learn to keep a rein on that tongue of her. “Besides, I’m not afraid of a heart attack.” She joked as she tried to deflect his attention away from what she had said.

“That’s the problem, not many people are until they have one.” He told her. Phew, it had worked. Cassie relaxed a little.

He flashed a wicked grin to take the sting out of his words and her stomach somersaulted and her heart flipped about in her chest. “Did your sister get off alright?” he asked her in a cool tone as he took a sip of coffee.

His eyes never leaving her face. He was studying her intently and Cassie felt very exposed and uncomfortable. She knew that he was taking in everything. Every line and contour of her face. Every reaction to his questions. Yes, he was taking everything in, that she did not doubt.

“Don’t worry she’s gone. She’s on the plane as we speak.” She told him dryly.

“Good.” He exclaimed. Luke relaxed visibly.

“There’s no need for that attitude.” She immediately bristled over the comment. “I know she’s a pain and I do appreciate she has made your life a living nightmare recently but she is my sister.” There, she thought, take that.

“You misunderstood.”

“I did.” She didn’t think so.

“Well no, you didn’t.” See, she knew that she hadn’t. “I am glad that she has gone for my sake.”

“Hopefully by the time she gets back she would have forgotten all about you.” She suggested, one could hope, and Luke nodded.

“She will find someone else to pick on soon I am sure. It’s not the only reason I am glad she is gone.”

“It’s not?” She asked him.

“No, I’m glad she’s gone for your sake.”

“Me.” She squeaked.

“You need the break from dealing with everything she throws at you.”

“I am fine.” She bristled.

“Are you?” Luke asked.

“I am always fine.” She took a sip of her tea as she tried to hide her discomfort. She moved about in her chair and straightened her spine.

“Ah…” Luke said, like he had just had an epiphany or revelation about something.

“Ah… what?” she asked.

“Ah… nothing.” Luke told her.

“Ah… something.” She accused him. He stared into her eyes for a while before he finally told her.

“I am very sorry. I did not realise that you do not like any one showing concern for you. Duly noted.” Yes, she had no doubt that it was.

“I just don’t need your concern.” She informed him. Trying to make light of it, she did not want him thinking that it was a big deal to her.

“What do you need?”

“Nothing and no one.” She bolstered immediately.

“Ah…”

“There you go again with the Ah…”

“I meant nothing by it. Well, no that’s not strictly true. What I was saying is I may have only been dealing with your sister for a few months but you’ve had years of it and that can’t be easy for you.” Luke told her as he began to tuck into his sandwich with great relish.

“I would rather not talk about my sister. Thank you.” She told him bitingly. Faye wasn’t here to defend herself and Cassie did not want to argue about her either.

“I would rather not talk about your sister.” Luke agreed. Cassie took in a breath. She had had enough now. She was not going to sit here whilst he said nasty things about her sister whether he was justified or not.

Cassie made to get up but Luke was too quick. His hand snaked around her wrist and held it firmly. She gasped in shock and tried to pull her wrist out of his hand. His hand tightened around her in response.

She retreated back into her chair but Luke still held on to her wrist. She was sure that he could feel her pulse pounding against his thumb. It was pounding so hard she thought her heart would burst out of her chest any minute. She felt her skin prickle. “I am sorry. Please let’s start this again.”

“Look, just let go. I can get out of your hair and then you don’t have to deal with me.” She told him and Luke looked across at her for several long minutes. He had an odd look on his face that Cassie could not interpret.

“Please stay.” He spoke in a whisper. Cassie opened her mouth to say something but then closed it again and then she nodded unable to trust herself to speak. “So what does bring you here?” he asked her as his thumb began to slowly rub the inside of her wrist. Soothing the pulse that beat there. It did not work. the pulse was still going at break neck speed.

And now little tingles of delight were rushing up her arm. She felt the ripple of pleasure on her skin as it raced up her arm. Cassie was unable to stop a shiver. Did he know what that was doing to her insides? She wondered.

“I... I went f...f... for a w... walk.” She stammered as she silently begged Luke to stop what he was doing. Luke’s gazed caught Cassie’s and she was trapped unable to move or breathe.

“...From your house? That’s quite a walk.” His brows furred together slightly.

“Two point three miles.” She agreed and began tugging her arm trying to free her wrist. Without a word Luke’s hand relaxed and his fingers uncurled slowly until there was enough room for her to remove her arm.

So why then did she hesitate? Why did she leave her arm resting there in the curve of his hand for a few more moments? Allowing herself a chance to be caught up in the delicious warmth of his skin as it imbedded itself into her skin.

Luke’s eyes narrowed into slits and she swallowed self-consciously. He had noticed, damn it. A slow sensual smile began to play on his lips and a perceptive glint sparkled in his eyes.

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“Which was?”

“What brings you here. To this coffee shop.”

“Faye and I used to come here when Mum…” She broke off.

“What are your plans for the afternoon?” He asked her. His voice low and deep like liquid honey.

“Um... nothing really” She told him roughly. Personally she didn’t think it was any of his business. She did not say that though, instead deciding that it was best to remain silent.

She didn’t want to encourage him. The sooner this was over the better as far as she was concerned. Cassie didn’t know how to talk to this man.

Mainly because she had spent all of the time that they had been in each other’s company arguing with him, defending Faye, or pleading and begging forgiveness from him.

In an odd way she had grown comfortable with that. This though, was different and it made her feel at a disadvantage and next to Luke she was very disadvantaged.

“Perhaps we could spend it together?” Really. She frowned. What would they do? What would they say? They didn’t have anything in common. They didn’t run in the same circle of friends so it would be hard to find common ground.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” She began. She felt like a deer caught in the lights of a truck that was hurtling towards her at great speed.

“You don’t?”

“No.” Cassie told him.

“Why not?” Luke asked her in a quiet innocent tone. Was he being serious? She searched his face and it dawned on her that he indeed was being serious.

“Because.”

“Ah.” He said.

“Ah… what?”

“Ah… nothing.” He shrugged.

“Ah… something.” She accused him and then she huffed. “Look, we don’t really know each other.” Really. That was the best you could come up with, Cassie’s inner voice chided her.

Though it may have been true because chances were that if it hadn’t been for Faye and her waitressing for his party some months back there was no way they would have ever met.

Luke Pearson was rich, maybe not super rich or billionaire rich but he was still a very wealthy man who moved in entirely different social circles.

According to the glossy magazines he also had quite an entourage of women. Not that she believed everything that she read in those things. At the restaurant he had been alone but, that didn’t prove anything either way.

“Surely that’s a good reason to spend time together.” Luke smiled lazily at her as he lifted one sardonic eyebrow at her.

“I… well yes. I guess. But.” She stopped on account that she knew she was making a fool of herself.

“So then that’s settled.” Luke corralled.

“No, it’s not settled. I did not agree to anything.” She told him tartly.

“What’s the matter Cassie? Afraid?” Luke challenged her in a soft low voice.

“I…” she licked her suddenly dry lips and then wished she hadn’t when she watched Luke’s eyes follow the movement. She even noticed how they darkened. Was it her or had it got uncomfortably warm in here?

Cassie gazed at Luke and every sound in the cafe stopped. She was aware only of his seductive eyes and the beating wildly out of control heart in her chest.

Afraid. Was she? Well, yes she was. He was a sexy man, very masculine and sure of himself and she was... Well, she was an illustrator who lived with an idiotic brainless sister and had no real life outside of those two things. Wow, how depressing was that?

“There I was thinking you were made of stronger stuff. So, are you.” He paused.

“Am I what?”

“Afraid?”

“Of what?” She managed to croak through parched lips.

“Me.” He said simply. She didn’t dare breathe. Every inch of her skin prickled and every hair stood to attention. Was it that obvious? Was she so transparent? She flushed with shame.

“I...” Cassie stopped.

Luke regarded Cassie carefully, taking in the flush on her skin. The worried look in her eyes, like she was a rabbit looking down the barrel of a gun and realising that there was nowhere to run.