Wilde For You (The Wilde Sisters Book 3) (8 page)

Luke’s hand stilled on the front door. “You researched my mom?”

“Yes. I wanted to plan a party that fit her personality. Her life. I couldn’t reach you to get that information and Lucy isn’t much of a conversationalist, so I looked her up. Google is awesome that way. The rest just fell in my lap. I didn’t do this to get you into bed. I swear. That was only a…perk.”

“You Googled my mom?” Sage nodded. “But I told you I wasn’t hiring you. I can’t pay you for your time.”

“Luke.” She approached him, still leaving some distance between them. “You’re a great guy. And it sounds like your mother is just as wonderful. I like planning, especially when it’s an event like this. Fundraising events are actually my specialty. I have a way of convincing companies to donate their services. I guess that’s how I give back as well.”

“So what’s with the badass vibe you like to give off?”

“I don’t know. I like to be in control, you know that. Planning a party keeps me in control.”

Luke stepped out of her reach. “Is this how you plan on controlling me?”

“No! I didn’t mean it like that. But if you’re going to be a pain in the ass about it all, just forget it.”

“What? The party or the sex?”

Not knowing if he was serious or kidding, Sage planted her hands on her hips. “The sex. The party is happening. If you don’t want to work with me, I’ll find your brother’s number and work with him instead.” She reached around Luke and opened the door. “But I won’t be putting out for him, so don’t even think of accusing me of being a whore again.”

Luke moved her hand away and shut the door. “I deserved that. I’m sorry.”

“For what? For being an ass or calling me a whore?”

“I didn’t call you a whore.”

“Implied. Same thing.”

“I did neither. I’m just…surprised is all. I didn’t expect you to…do so much.”

“It’s my job.”

“Is it?” Luke moved closer, invading her space. “Did you plan this amazing party because it’s your job or because you like me?”

“Maybe a little of both.”

“And I didn’t call you a whore. You joked that I paid you in the form of sex. That pissed me off. Now you’re pissed off because you think I implied it. Your head isn’t on straight and it’s messing with me big time.”

“Damn pregnancy hormones.”

“Shit.” Luke stepped back. “I seriously forgot. Did I hurt you? Is the baby okay?”

“Babies. There are two. I won’t be able to do naked yoga for very long, so we should exercise as much as possible while I can still see my toes.”

“You’re changing the subject.” People accused her of that all the time. Sage didn’t think she did, she just steered the conversations to the subject she wanted to discuss. “Are you okay, seriously?”

“Physically? Yes, I’m fine.”

“Meaning mentally you’re not?”

“Correct. I haven’t been myself lately. I’m not a nice person. So planning your mom’s party without a contract was very uncharacteristic of me. So not like me. Take advantage while you can. When the pregnancy hormones go away I’ll be one hundred percent bitch one hundred percent of the time.”

Luke leaned forward, invading her personal space, his eyes dark and his sexy stubble begging for her to scratch it. “Were you one hundred percent bitch when you offered to be a surrogate for your sister? I don’t think you can blame that decision on pregnancy hormones.”

“So do you want me to keep the party status quo or change things up? Your call.” Sage stumbled backward, tripping over the leg of the coffee table, thankfully staying upright and fighting for control of the conversation.

“Changing the subject again. I’ll let it go. For now.” Luke picked up the ties of her robe and pulled her body toward him. “Let’s keep things status quo. But no more working off the clock. Write up a contract for me.”

Sage waved his comment away. “I do a few pro bono cases a year. Consider this one of them. Besides, it’s not for you. It’s for Doreen Riley. Google puts her somewhere between Mother Theresa and Oprah”

“And I’m not Google-worthy?” He loosened the knot around her waist, sliding his hand under her robe and against her skin.

“Oh, I Googled you. Nice photo spread you did for the Twelve Months of Firefighters calendar.” Easter was her new favorite holiday. Seeing a shirtless Luke cuddling a baby bunny not only turned her on, it made her go soft in spots that were always hard.

“Not one of my proudest moments.” His hand traveled north, skimming her sides before roaming into the valley between her breasts.

“I was rather fond of it. You raised ten thousand dollars for your station. Impressive. But I also saw a few other headlines.” His touch distracted her, making her sound breathless, as if she couldn’t concentrate. Which she couldn’t. Not wanting him to think he had that much of an effect on her, she continued to quote the research she’d done on him. “You saved an Iraqi family during a roadside bomb, throwing your body in front of the woman’s children. You’ve rescued countless people from burning buildings.”

“And kittens. Don’t forget about the kittens stuck in the treetops.”

“Hm. I missed those articles.” She had embarrassed him, but he deserved the praise. Sage, on the other hand, had never done anything noble and Google-worthy.

“I’ll help you, I promise.” Of course he would. Luke Riley was the giving sort. In the community. In his family. In bed.

“Perfect. Get an invite list to me by the end of the day tomorrow.”

Luke nuzzled her neck and licked her earlobe. “Should I bring it by tomorrow night?”

“Oh,” Sage moaned. “Let me…check my…calendar.” Luke found her mouth and devoured her once again. He picked her up and she wrapped her legs around him as he carried her up the stairs. “Yes. Yes, I think I have an opening,” she said as they both fell into bed laughing.

Chapter Seven

Luke

The days before the party were hectic but fun. Luke was right out straight between work, checking in on his sisters and mom, keeping track of RSVPs, and finding time to be with Sage. He had yet to take her out on a real date. With both their busy schedules, the only time they had to connect was when Luke wasn’t working a night shift. He spent those evenings sprawled over Sage in her king-sized bed.

They talked shop over breakfast before she ran off to her yoga course or business meetings. Naked yoga should have been enough exercise for her, but she was starting to show and was self-conscious of her growing body. Luke liked it. Her curves softened her. Made her more vulnerable.

The day before his mother’s surprise party, he made a final walk-through of the inn with Sage—a twenty-minute appointment she squeezed in between other meetings when he wanted to stay and test out the guest rooms. Everything seemed to be in place, but what the hell did he know?

Blake was in town just for the party. He had to fly back to Texas Sunday morning to finish constructing a crazy-ass obstacle course run, and Graham had flown into Portland the night before. His mother never expected her kids to be home for her birthday and they’d all pretended to forget about it a few weeks ago. Granted, Rachael’s crisis was more important than anything else at the moment.

Celebrating his mother’s contribution to the world was the perfect distraction from the stress going on around them.

Colton Skyped in the morning of the party and Graham and Blake promised to bring Lucy, otherwise she’d be late or a no-show. Meanwhile Luke had the honor of driving his mother and Rachael. His sisters were both reluctant to come to the party, for very different reasons. Lucy still had a chip on her shoulder and tried to pretend parties were not her thing, while Rachael had yet to leave their mother’s house and grace society again. It would be her coming out party of sorts.

The external bruises had healed but she’d be forever scarred emotionally, as were all the Riley kids in some way, shape, or form. And they all dealt with their scars in different ways. The girls were more obvious, while Luke and Colton were serious and focused, and Blake and Graham worked hard to lighten the mood whenever possible.

Luke had it the easiest of all his siblings. Born to a teenage girl who thought she could handle the responsibility of a baby and soon realized it wasn’t all it was cracked up to be, he’d been left with a disgruntled aunt who eventually turned him over to foster care. He’d been adopted when he was ten after bouncing from foster home to foster home.

Unlike his siblings, he wasn’t the product of physical or mental abuse; Luke was a product of an unstable foster care system. Other than having no solid role model or parental figure in it, Luke’s life wasn’t all that terrible. At least, he didn’t think that at ten. He never knew what he was missing until the Rileys took him under their wing and showed him unconditional love and support. He was one of the lucky ones. Who knows what would have happened to him if Doreen hadn’t stumbled across his dirty, grungy face and empty lunch box when she was volunteering at his elementary school.

“Happy birthday, Ma.” Luke leaned down and kissed his mother’s cheek. “You look beautiful.”

“My birthday is long gone. Besides, it’s just another day on the calendar. What’s important is being with my family. I only wish your brothers were here.”

Blake and Graham had been in hiding since last night and would most likely be the highlight to Doreen’s night. Luke told her to dress up so she put on her favorite outfit. A purple long-sleeved dress with a fancy wide gold belt. Her shoulder-length blonde hair was natural and only showed a few streaks of gray. Many jealous elderly women couldn’t believe Doreen didn’t dye her hair.

“I told you kids not to make a fuss about my birthday. Too much excitement is going to put this old lady into an early grave.”

“Mom,” Rachael moaned. “That’s not funny. Most people think you’re forty.”

“Pssh. That’s because they’re more senile than me.”

“When was the last time you had a night out?”

“Just last week.”

Luke picked up her coat and helped his mother into it. “Playing cards with the ladies doesn’t count.”

“I was gone all day yesterday.”

“Volunteering at a homeless shelter and delivering Meals on Wheels.”

“Well, pretty soon they’ll be delivering to me.”

“Not as long as I’m here.” Rachael, wearing a conservative black pantsuit, slipped into her coat before helping their mother button hers.

“Yes, dear. We’ll talk about that tomorrow. I have some ideas.”

“Ma, not tonight. This is your night. Rachael can find her own leads.” Luke winked at Rachael, who mouthed
Thank you
in response. They’d talked about tonight and Rachael’s hesitation to venture out into the real world. She’d kept herself holed up in the house for the past few weeks and Luke thought being with friends and family would help her heal. He could read the fear in her eyes and bent down to whisper in her ear.

He slid a key into Rachael’s hand. “If it gets too much and you need some space, here’s a key to room 103.” Rachael nodded, tears filling her eyes. “One of us will be by your side the entire night, okay?” She hugged him quickly before turning to wipe her face.

Giving her some privacy, he opened the door for his mom and helped her down the front steps and into the front seat of his truck. Luke held open the back door for his sister as well. “Buckle up, ladies.”

“Are you going to tell me where we’re going? I’ve tried to pry it out of Rachael all week but she’s been mum.”

“That’s because Luke did all the planning himself.”

“Well, not really.”

“Really. Luke deserves all the credit.”

Luke looked up in his rear-view mirror and rolled his eyes. “I didn’t really do anything. And I had help.”

“From a girl,” Rachael teased.

“Oh? Have I met her?” his mother asked.

Normally he’d snip at his sister for calling him out, but the little ray of light in her eyes made him smile. The old Rachael was coming back.

“She’s been after him for a while. He was afraid to ask her out the first time and asked—”

“Hey!” Luke barked, which only made Rachael laugh louder. It was good to hear her laughter, even if it was at his own expense. “I don’t know who you’re getting your information from.”

“Lucy.”

“Oh, there’s a reliable source.”

Doreen and Keith took in Lucy right around the time Rachael took off for California with her asshole boyfriend. None of his siblings had been around much to make Lucy feel like a part of his family. Other than Keith’s funeral and a few holidays, Rachael hadn’t come home very often. And from the little he’d seen of Lucy and Rachael together the past week, they didn’t seem to argue, and didn’t dislike each other, but they were complete opposites. Maybe this party would help them form a bond.

“We’re almost there.” Luke turned on his blinker and steered his truck down route one.

“The ocean? It looks like we’re heading toward Seal Cove. I thought this place was mostly closed in the winter. The summer folks aren’t here and those that live year-round are even wealthier than the tourists.”

“I have connections.”

“And her name is…?”

“Zip it, kid.”

Luke pulled into the reserved parking space, the lot already overflowing, and rounded the hood to help his mom out of the truck. “Luke. What have you done?”

“Just a little party, Ma.” He kissed her cheek, hooking her arm in his. Rachael took her other arm as they escorted her to the front door. Rachael opened it and they stepped into the beautiful dining room filled with dozens upon dozens of people whose lives Doreen had touched over the years.

“Surprise!” They cheered. For the next twenty minutes people came out of the woodwork to congratulate Doreen. Luke stood back and took in the room. The tables were covered with white linen tablecloths, each decorated with a low-laying vase holding an assortment of flowers. Luke didn’t know the names of flowers, but recognized some as lilies and roses and then a bunch of other yellow and purple ones. His mother’s two favorite colors. Did he tell Sage that?

Little white votive candles surrounded the arrangements and a faint glow from wall sconces lit the rest of the space. Not too bright, but not so dark that you had to squint to see someone across the room. Soft music played in the background. Again, the perfect balance of noise, and not too overwhelming.

The buffet stations in the four corners of the room were calling his name. Starved, Luke made himself a mashed potato martini. He laughed when Sage suggested it last week, but when he made his concoction of potatoes, bacon, cheese, scallions, and sour cream and took a bite, he was in heaven. The best damned potatoes ever.

“You hungry?”

Rachael shook her head. “I’m going to sit in the kitchen for a bit.”

“Want me to go with you?”

“No. You enjoy. I’m okay, really.” She kissed his cheek before going through the doors to her safe haven.

Walking around the inn while eating his potatoes, Luke tried to not make it too obvious that he was looking for Sage, but he was.

She put this whole event together and she hadn’t even shown up. He’d been through the main dining room, the smaller closed-in porch, and even stuck his head in the kitchen, partially to check on Rachael, and partially to look for Sage. They never discussed her coming to the party but he assumed she’d be there, checking on details, making sure things were running smoothly.

He put his empty martini glass on a tray and swore. He was an insensitive ass. Of course she was pissed. She probably expected to come as his date, but he treated her like the party planner instead. Cursing again, he dug his cell out of his pocket.

“Kinda rude to be texting at Mom’s party.” Lucy grabbed his phone and scrolled through his texts.

“Give me my phone, Lucy.”

“Texting the chick?”

“Texting no one.” He grabbed his phone back, checked the screen to see what kind of damage she did—thankfully nothing—and shoved it back in his pocket.

“Your party planner looks high end. How much did she swindle from you?”

“Luce, come on. Give it a rest tonight, okay? For Mom.” Some day—soon, he hoped—Lucy would stop with the tough guy act.

“Fine. Food’s good anyway. When’s cake?”

He had made Lucy promise to stay at least until they cut the cake. “Mom hasn’t even had time to eat yet. Why don’t you make her a plate?”

“Fine. Whatever.” The one soft spot the girl had was towards their mom. She would act like a tough-as-nails bitch around the siblings, but toned it down when Doreen was around. The woman knew how to demand respect.

“Nice party, bro. Your girlfriend has fallen for you big time, huh?”

“Not you too, Blake.”

“What?” Blake grinned and shoved a puffed pastry in his mouth.

“The party was planned before we…never mind. It’s none of your business. Go mingle.”

“Not many single ladies at this gig, bro. Now that you’re whipped you trying to keep them at bay?”

Luke laughed and lightly punched his brother in the arm. “Go play on your monkey bars.”

“Gladly. Hey, we’ve got a gig coming to New England next year. I already signed you up.”

“Crawling in mud under barbed wire and getting shocked by electrical currents isn’t my idea of a good time.”

“Sure it is. Great place to pick up hot babes as well.” Blake winked before walking off.

Luke milled around, making small talk with his mother’s friends before he made his way back to his mom. “Having fun, Ma?”

“Luke, honey. This is wonderful. Too much, but wonderful. And Graham and Blake being here is the icing on the cake. I’d love to meet your…friend who helped you put this together. You must have been planning this for months.”

“I can’t take much credit. Sage—”

And as if on cue, she walked into the dining room and he’d swear the lights turned brighter, the music louder and smells turned…sensual. Luke noticed her eyes immediately. She looked around the room, first taking in the people, then the tables, the flowers, the candles. She inconspicuously picked up a dirty plate and fork that someone left on a table and moved them over to the tray designated for used dishes. Running her hand down the tablecloth, she smoothed out an invisible wrinkle, moved the vase over a fraction of a centimeter, and did the same at the next table.

It wasn’t until she was a few feet away that she noticed Luke. Her eyes widened in surprise, making her face seem smaller. The dark purple suit fit her beautifully. Only someone who knew she was pregnant could spot the little bump starting to form. And on her feet she wore another pair of sexy-as-sin shoes. Bright silver with freakishly high heels moving briskly toward him and his mother.

“How is everything? Do you need more wine? Is the food hot? I can turn the music down if it’s too loud.”