The things we do for love. (9 page)

Chapter 12.

“Sorry.” She managed to mumble sometime later as she looked up straight into laughing blue eyes. Her mouth went dry and she shuddered as Luke Pearson looked down at her.

He was far too close for comfort. She tried to command herself to move away from him, to put some distance between them. But, Cassie was unable to move. Her body not listening to her mind and so she stood there with her hands flayed on his chest and looking up into his eyes.

The silence stretched out between them and Cassie wasn’t sure what to do. She could feel high spots of colour forming on her cheeks under the scrutiny of his piercing gaze. She mentally tried to give herself a shake.

She needed to do something instead of standing here like a dummy with his hands still on her upper arms. The heat from his body warming her at an alarming rate.

“It was entirely my fault. I should have been looking where I was going.” Luke’s warm deep, sultry voice raked across her nerves and a delicious tingle ran down her spine.

“I...” her voice trailed off. She had to snap out of her daze. She realised that she was making a complete fool of herself.

It wasn’t as if Faye had done enough damage to her image. Cassie herself was making it so much worse.

“Are you okay?” Luke asked her as his eyes searched her face. Luke was being nice to her. Actually being nice. 

He even looked concerned but then of course he was a doctor and he probably was taught in medical school how to look concerned. That didn’t mean that he cared, she reminded herself.

“Yes.” She finally managed to say and she took a step back. Luke still held her arms and the warmth of his fingers permeated her skin. Her head swam dizzyingly.

“...If you’re sure?” Luke withdrew his hands from her arms and Cassie felt the cool air hit her heated skin. She nodded and even managed a weak smile.

“Say, everything alright?” Adam came over and Cassie turned to look at him.

She noted the mischievous glint in his eyes immediately as he cast a look first in her direction and then at Luke.

He extended a hand out toward Luke. “I’m Adam Taylor.” Luke took his hand in a firm shake. “Ooh, that’s a good firm grip you have there.” Adam began and then he winked at Cassie. “You must be Dr Luke Pearson.”

“That would be correct.” Luke replied with a small grimace.

“Cassie has been telling me all about you.”

“I’m sure she has.” Luke agreed in a sardonic tone.

“Adam.” She warned him.

“It’s okay, nothing bad.” He smiled a vibrantly bright wide smile at both of them.

“That does surprise me.” Luke told Adam.

Cassie was beginning to feel quite awkward and she shuffled from one foot to the other.

“She has only nice things to say. Cassie doesn’t have a mean bone in her body.” Adam was telling Luke now. “Have you noticed that?” Adam asked him.

“Yes I have.” Luke told him.

“Her bones… or her body?” Adam asked.

“Adam.” Cassie gasped in shock. What was he doing. How embarrassing.

“It’s hard to miss.” Luke said. What was going on? This was surreal at best.

“Yes, it is.” Adam agreed.

“Maybe we should be going and let Dr Pearson get back to his dinner.” Cassie told Adam in as firm a voice as she could muster.

Adam, however, completely ignored her and carried on regardless. He appeared to have his own agenda and that made Cassie nervous. Very nervous.

“We’re not keeping you are we? Good.” Adam asked then carried on not giving Luke a chance to respond. “Actually it’s a spot of luck that we ran into you. I was just saying to Cassie that it’s lucky that Damian Lucifer is going away for a while. I bet you’re pleased about that.” Adam asked in as innocent tone as he could muster. Cassie wanted to stamp on his foot very hard.

“Adam.” She gasped at him.

“I’m sorry.” Luke said.

“Damien Lucifer.” Adam supplied again helpfully.

“I have no idea who that is.”

“Sorry, my bad… Faye. It’s my nickname for her.”

“We should go.” Cassie tried.

“She’s going away?” Luke asked looking surprised but pleased. Or maybe that was relieved.

Cassie bristled at that, but then, had to remind herself of all the things Faye had done to the poor man and she relaxed slightly. Of course she understood and actually couldn’t really blame him. If she had been him she would have been throwing a wild party and jumping for joy.

“She is going to spend some time with our father in Australia.” Cassie told him courteously. There was no reason why she couldn’t tell him. It wasn’t a big hush-hush secret after all.

“Mmmm... Maybe he’ll be able to straighten her out a bit.” Luke told her.

“What’s that supposed to mean.” Cassie immediately went on the offensive.

“I’m saying she needs a firmer hand than you have got.” She was told promptly.

“Cassie has always been a little soft with her. But then she practically brought her up you know.”

“No I didn’t know.” Luke said. Adam dropped his voice as he continued.

“Well, it’s not like their mother was any good in that particular department.”

“Adam.” Cassie warned her friend, or soon to be ex friend if he kept it up.

Luke’s face visibly relaxed and he added soothingly. “I am sorry, I had no idea you’d had a difficult time. It wasn’t a dig at you. She just needs someone willing to stand up to her.” His voice sounded genuine but it did nothing to soothe Cassie’s raw nerves.

“Huh...” was all Cassie said on that subject. If she had said any more then chances were there would be an argument between the two of them.

That would be a disaster. With a sister like Faye, she needed to remain the peace keeper. If there was ever another situation between Luke and her sister she was going to need to deal with it.

“Oh, don’t mind the party pooper here. She doesn’t exactly get on with her father.” Adam told him.

She was going to kick him in a minute. He had no right telling Luke about her family issues and just as soon as she could she would tell him. “Their father walked out on them and left them with a mother who spent most of her time staring down the bottom of a bottle.”

“Adam.” Cassie’s voice rose as she snapped at him.

“Shame really, but there you have it. We can’t all have fantastic parents now can we.”

“I’m sorry.” Luke told Cassie and he really looked as if he had meant it which made Cassie even more uncomfortable. She wasn’t a charity case and she didn’t need anyone’s pity, especially if it came from Luke Pearson.

“Spent all of their childhood years drunk as a skunk in a bunk.” Adam said now.

“I am going to kill you.” Cassie told him.

“Perhaps this isn’t something Cassie would like openly discussed.” Luke tried to defend her. Which she decided was quite sweet of him.

“Of course you are right, sorry darling. Still, at least you won’t have to put up with Damien Lucifer for a while.” Adam continued relentlessly.

“Adam.” Her voice rose shrilly.

“She hates that nickname for her sister.” Adam told Luke.

“It’s rather fitting.” Luke commented.

“That’s not fair.” Cassie said hotly.

“Don’t mind her. It’s been an… emotionally charged day.”

“It has.” Luke agreed. “How long is a while?” Luke asked as his demeanour brightened up.

Cassie bit her tongue hard, reminding herself that now was not the time to be drawn into an argument with him. She would only prove that she was no better than her sister.

“Months by all accounts. I was telling Cassie tonight that it was a good thing. She needs the break just look at those dark circles under her eyes.” Adam grabbed her chin with his fingers and thumb, and lifted her face upward towards Luke for his inspection. And he pulled on her so that she had to step forward, closer to Luke.

Luke watched her closely. Something gleamed in his eye. She wasn’t sure what it was but it made her tense. She felt the heat rise in her cheeks as she stood there motionless while Luke took in every line and curve of her face. “Poor thing hasn’t been sleeping and she’s had to put in extra hours to find the money.”

“Can’t Faye pay her own debts?” Luke asked as his eyes narrowed on her face. Cassie wanted to tear her eyes away from his. That penetrating gaze seemed to bore into her soul.

“Faye? Pay for the mistakes she makes.” Adam laughed a deep hearty laugh. “Do me a favour. Are we even living on the same planet? This is Faye we are talking about. Unfortunately, it’s left up to poor Cassie to deal with it all.”

“Adam.” Cassie warned her friend who was not being such a good friend as she would have liked right about now.

He let go of her chin and she took a step back, she didn’t get very far though because a hand came to rest on the small of her back and she looked back up at Luke.

He was sporting a very weird look that she could not decipher, and his hand on her back… well. His thumb was stroking her spine and she swallowed as her body sang with giddy joy. She wished he would stop. She should step back. But she seemed powerless to do anything.

“It’s been like that since I’ve known her and that’s been over ten years now.” Adam lowered his tone a little before continuing. “I keep telling her that she should let Faye learn by her own mistakes then she won’t make them anymore. Don’t you agree?”

“Yes.” Luke said, she noticed that his voice had dropped and become huskier.

“But Cassie can’t help herself. I swear she’s not long for this world the way Faye carries on.” Adam sighed deeply. “I try and help out when I can but really, that sister needs to be committed.”

“She needs help, that’s true.” Luke agreed with Adam.

“That’s why we were here tonight. After such a fraught day Cassie was in much need of chocolate and sex.” Cassie smacked Adam’s arm hard and he had to step sideways to stop himself from toppling over. She was definitely going to kill him. “It always works, doesn’t it?” He looked expectantly at Luke.

“Well the chocolate doesn’t.” he commented dryly.

“I knew I would like you.” Adam smiled a big smile. “And you are right, but the sex does. It’s because of the tension that’s released when a woman or… ouch.” Adam winced as Cassie’s foot hit his shin. “She’s cute when she’s embar-rassed. Don’t you agree.”

“There is a certain charm.” Luke agreed with Adam. His hand still on her back, that had now become quite tense. His thumb changing tactic and began stroking her in a circular motion. She held her breath. this was torture.

“Poor Cassie. Having such a sister. I tell you she is going to be worn down and beat by the time she’s forty and probably dead by fifty. All that worry you see. Not good for anyone. Stress accumulates you know.”

“Adam.” Cassie warned her friend again. She didn’t know what he was up to but she had to put a stop to it now before he went too far. Okay, too late, he had already gone too far. But, she knew Adam and she knew that he could go a lot further.

“Perhaps you could help her out?” Adam suggested.

“With what?” Luke asked.

“With releasing all that… tension.” Cassie gasped in shock as her heart suddenly raced in her chest. If there was ever a time for the ground to open up and swallow her up now would be it.

“I’ll see what I can do.” Luke told him.

“That is music to my ears and I think that just might be my cue.” He smiled at Luke.

“Yes, I think it probably is.” Luke agreed casting one last look at Cassie. “It would appear that you are making your date uncomfortable.”

Adam was making her uncomfortable? What about Luke. He was making her very uncomfortable. In a different way maybe, but still uncomfortable. Luke’s hand began to slip away from her back. As it did so his fingers grazed up her spine slowly. Caressing the skin right up to between her shoulders.

Cassie’s spine arched before she could stop the reaction and a little kind of whimper escaped from her lips. Adam zeroed in on it immediately and smiled widely.

“...Date? Oh... yes... of course.” A large smiled spread over Adam’s face and that mischievous glint was back in his eye. “Well I guess we can’t stand here all day chatting” Adam agreed. “And it looks like we are keeping you from your meal. It was nice to have finally met you.” And before Cassie could say or do anything Adam had put a possessive arm around her waist and corralled her towards the door at a speed that took Cassie’s breath.

“What are you up to?” She managed to hiss at him as they reached the exit to the restaurant.

“Making him think about you and hopefully make him just a teensy bit jealous too. Now that will be a nice little bonus.” Adam informed her and chanced a glance behind him as they got to the door.

“Fat chance.” she scoffed at him.

“That’s where you are wrong my dear. He’s still standing there clenching his fists and there is thunder brewing in those rather aesthetically pleasing eyes of his.” She made to turn round but Adam held her firm and marched her out the door. “No you don’t”

“Why are you doing this?” she asked unsure what had gotten into her friend tonight. There were times when he could be a little over the top. But tonight he had been so far over the top.