The things we do for love. (14 page)

He also watched as she began to squirm about uncomf-ortably in her chair. Luke felt that familiar feeling again. That throbbing need picking up momentum.

Somehow, seeing her like that, just made her look even more sexier than she was. And she was very sexy, incredibly sexy Luke conceded. It would be so easy to…

“I was just teasing.” Luke let her off the hook. He’d had to, because if she had continued to look at him like that then he would have ended up ravishing her right here in public.

A sudden image of him laying her down on the table and… best not go there, he warned himself.

He could feel his body responding to it and when Cassie’s tongue had danced across her lips it was all he could do not to reach out a take what he wanted. Take what she was unknowingly offering him.

That would not have earned him any brownie points and Vera would be shouting at him later. Luke fought hard to keep himself planted in his chair. It took every ounce of strength and determination he had. His head chanted at him, don’t mess this up.

Cassie relaxed a little. Of course he was. He didn’t want to spend the afternoon with her. What had she been thinking?

“I think I should go.” Cassie stood on very shaky legs and Luke also stood. “No, it’s fine.” She told him quickly.

“Why don’t we walk around the lake? It’ll help our food go down.” Luke suggested.

“It’s fine.” She said breathlessly as she tried to convince him to stay.

“It will also help clear your head.” Cassie had the distinct impression that Luke was toying with her. “And my…” she thought she caught those two words but she did not hear the rest as he mumbled it.

She scraped back a lock of hair behind her ear in an agitated fashion. She didn’t want to be a toy for Luke. She just wanted to go home and get away from him. She wanted to hide from the overwhelming feelings he was stirring in her.

He had always had an effect on her ever since that first time she had seen him in court but it had been nothing like this heady awareness that was uncurling deep within her.

“Umm...”

“Please.” Luke interjected firmly before she could say anything else.

“I should…”

“One little walk.” Luke tried again.

“We shouldn’t…”

“That’s a matter of opinion. Come on Cassie. I am only suggesting a walk around the park not a fumble in the bushes.” Cassie blushed and Luke laughed.

“That’s not funny.” She admonished him.

“Trust me, I wasn’t trying to be. Come on, say yes.” He cajoled again. And before she could stop herself she heard the word.

“Okay.” Come out of her mouth and she groaned inwardly as she instantly regretted giving in.

This wasn’t going to be an easy task. To be in close proximity to a man that she would rather be in bed with than walking beside.

Cassie flushed at her scandalous thoughts and turned quickly so Luke would not see the high colour creeping up her face. What was wrong with her? It wasn’t like her to have such thoughts. Perhaps it was just tiredness. That was it, she was tired.

She was so lost in her misery that when Luke’s hand cupped her elbow she jumped visibly. If Luke had seen it, he did not say anything. Instead he began steering her from the cafe and out into the September air.

Chapter 17.

Before Cassie had any chance of coming to her senses she felt Luke steer her towards the path which ran around the large manmade lake.

She should excuse herself, she decided. Tell him she had a ton of work to do and leave. Why wasn’t she? It wouldn’t have been a lie after all. There was a whole heap of work sitting on her desk.

Cassie looked about her as she snuggled into her jacket. A group of kids ran past them on their way to the park. Their laughter filled the air.

It was a welcome diversion, though she was still acutely aware of Luke beside her. And, even though there was a definite chill beginning in the air she could still feel the heat from his body at her side. Very close to her side. Did he have to stand that close?

“You know I don’t know what you do.” Luke’s deep voice made her jump.

“Do?”

“Yes.”

“Do What?” she asked frowning incomprehensively.

“For a living... you know... a job. You must work if you are always paying Faye’s debts.”  Cassie stiffened at the mention of Faye’s name but then willed her body to relax as she reminded herself that Luke wasn’t accusing her of anything. She was being too over sensitive to the Faye issue she knew that but she couldn’t help it.

“Oh...” she fell silent.

“So…” Luke said in a coaxing voice.

“I am an illustrator.” She told him not going into any detail. She didn’t want to be having this conversation anyhow.

The less he knew about her the better as far as she was concerned. If he knew too much, then he had even more of an advantage over her and he already had far too much of that in her opinion.

Besides, now that Faye was in Australia there would be no reason to come into contact with Luke now. So there was definitely no point in becoming friends with the man. Cassie wanted it all to go away and be done with.

“You illustrate books?” Luke asked her now. It was obvious that he was not going to let it go.

“Books, flyer’s, advertising. Anything that needs illustrating really” She watched a group of ducks on the water for a few moments.

It helped to take her mind off the man walking by her side. No, she revised, it did no such thing she was still acutely aware of him.

Even the wind around them seemed to be against her. It whirled around carrying Luke’s scent and then shoving it in her face so that she had no choice but to breath it in.

“Does it pay?” he asked. For a moment she cast a sideways glance at him. There was no hint of amusement or derision. He seemed genuinely interested.

“I am not rich if that’s what you are asking but I’m not poor.” She sighed. “It pays reasonably well. I should be better off.” She admitted.

“Why aren’t you?”

“I was blessed with a Faye.” She shrugged. “They cost a fortune to run.” She told him.

“Have you thought of trading her in for another model?” Luke asked and she could hear the amusement in his voice and she smiled, even though she tried not to.

“For a while I did.”

“So why don’t you?”

“No one is willing to take her off my hands.” Luke laughed, a deep rich sound that Cassie found rather pleasing. “I can’t even manage a part exchange.”

“How about getting her in to be serviced. She probably needs a tune up.” Cassie shrugged.

“Not that easy. Anyway, I work hard and Faye works just as hard to get into trouble so that I have to spend it. Other than that the job itself pays well, if you manage to always find work. If not...” She shrugged letting her words trail off.

“Was that a dig at me?” Luke asked her.

“No, why would it?” Cassie asked him earnestly.

“You may not have noticed but it’s obvious that I’m not short of money.” Luke told her in a low voice, almost as if he were embarrassed by his wealth.

“Oh, no I didn’t mean anything by that.” She assured him quickly. “I didn’t realise that a doctor was paid so much.”

She regretted saying it the minute the words were out because it was obvious that he lived far above what a doctor’s salary would provide.

Now it looked like she had been fishing for information about him and she had been doing no such thing. Or perhaps it made her look like she was judging him. She wasn’t sure how he was taking her comment.

“Old family money I’m afraid.” His sarcastic tone came through his words.

Cassie found it odd that he would find it so disdainful. She, on the other hand, had been dirt poor all her life and would have no problem if she had a little more money than she did right now. Though, if she didn’t have a Faye she would be.

Not having to worry about how to pay the rent would be an invaluable asset to her life along with, not worrying about putting food on the table.

“Oh sorry I just thought... actually I don’t know what I thought.” She confessed to him.

“Perhaps you should ask your sister. She has some very interesting ideas.” Luke told her.

“Oh?”

“I am a top secret spy.” He told her.

“She never.” Cassie gasped in shock and then laughed as Luke nodded.

“She also thought I was a cat burglar in my spare time.” Luke laughed then at the memory.

Had Faye really said that? She probably had. Cassie knew Faye was prone to flights of fancy. But to actually accuse someone of that.

“She never did?”

“She did.” Luke assured her.

And then Cassie saw the funny side of that and laughed out loud, a happy giggly sound. It was a sound that Cassie hadn’t made for a long while and it felt good. “I like the sound of your laugh.” Luke told her and she immediately stopped.

“So you’re not a cat burglar then.” She asked him.

“Fraid not, I wish I was, it sounds so much more exhilarating than the truth.” Luke grimaced. “Neither am I a spy or a hired hitman.”

“Faye.” Cassie groaned. “I am sorry. She can be… she just can be.” Cassie grimaced. What else was there to say?

“You have no need to apologize. I much prefer those to the truth.”

“And what is the truth?” She asked and then stopped. Why had she asked that? It was none of her business. She did not want to get to know the man or had she forgotten that.

“Unfortunately, I was just born with a boring old silver spoon in my mouth. For which I have spent most of my life apologizing for.” Cassie looked at Luke’s profile and saw the derisive twist of his lip.

“Why would you need to apologise?” she asked him and he shrugged.

“I guess you get more respect if you earn your wealth.” Luke looked out across the water.

“But you do work hard.” Cassie challenged and she felt herself bristle on his behalf.

“Yes I do, but no matter how hard I work as a doctor it’s never going to make me rich and I will always be the chump that inherited money.” He told her ruefully.

“That’s unfair if you ask me.” She told him. She felt Luke’s eyes on her and she deliberately kept her eyes focused forward.

“Unfair, maybe but, that’s the way of life.”

“What made you become a doctor?” She asked him with genuine curiosity.

“I needed to feel my life had some purpose. I guess I could have sat around for the rest of my life going to parties and living the high life like many other members of my family but it always seemed so hollow.”

“Fair enough.” She said.

“What about you? What made you become an illustrator?” he turned the attention back to her which she disliked. She found she wanted to know more about him and his life even if it meant venturing into dangerous territory.

“I was good at it so I just allowed myself to be steered in that direction. I’ve not really given much thought as to whether I actually enjoy it.”

“Who steered you in that direction.

“My mother, and circumstances.”

“You did it for her.”

“Yeah but then Faye being Faye has meant that even if I wanted to change it or pursue something else I can’t. my job is money in the bank so to speak.”

“And owning a Faye means you need money.” Luke took a guess.

“Exactly. I don’t know, my mother wanted me to do it and I guess I just never challenged it.” Cassie realised how sad that actually sounded now that she said it out loud. “She never got to see me achieve it. She was…” she stopped and held her breath for a moment. It was best not to go over all that, what good would it do?

She had often thought about doing something else. Of challenging the decision. But, she had never expressed it to anyone. Why was it that Luke was able to draw that omission out of her without trying? She had practically volunteered it.

“Because she’s not here anymore.” Luke guessed.

“When she died...” Cassie stopped and bit her lip. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. She turned to look out over the lake so that she could compose herself. She did not want Luke to see her tears because then he would pity her and she didn’t want that.

“I’m sorry. What happened?” Luke asked softly and Cassie could feel his hand at her elbow soften.

“Pancreatic cancer” she told him her voice thick with emotion from the painful lump that was sitting at the back of her throat.

“That’s tough.”

“Yeah, but truthfully she would have died young anyway.”

“Because of her drinking.” Luke said and she nodded her head. “Was it really that bad?”

“Mum would start her day on the bottle, by lunchtime she couldn’t tell you the day or the year. Then she’d crash out by late afternoon and sleep until the morning where she would start all again.”

“Tough life.” Cassie instantly bristled.

“I managed.” She told him.

“And Faye helped.”

“I have always been able to manage on my own.” She said firmly.

“I’m sorry.”

“There’s no need to be. I told you, I can manage all on my own. I don’t need anyone.” She became defensive.

“Ah.”

“Ah?”

“Yes… Ah.”

“Ah… what?”

“Ah… something.” Luke said.

“What’s that supposed to mean.” She demanded feeling herself getting angry at him.