His grandfather had already made the biggest decision
for him, forcing him into a marriage he didn't want. Luke
felt a sudden wave of bitter anger at the way the old man
was manipulating his life. This wasn't what he wanted,
dammit, but it was what he had to do unless he was willing
to see a subdivision spring up in place of the vineyards he'd
played in as a child. And if he had to do it, he would do it on
his terms. The old man had had a bride all picked out for
him. Old money, solid family, so well-bred she came with a
pedigree. He'd told Nick where he could stick his handpicked bride and her pedigree, and he'd asked Devon
Kowalski to marry him, knowing she was everything his
grandfather most despised.
Now, here was Cat, offering to take her place. Even if she
hadn't been absurdly young, he'd never gone for redheads,
preferring the cool gleam of blondes. But the thought of
those fiery curls spread across his pillow made his mouth
go dry and other body parts perk up in potentially
embarrassing ways.
He wanted her.
It was her eyes that pushed him over the edge. Or maybe
it was those legs. God, she had legs all the way up to her
neck, and those, big green eyes that always looked a little
sleepy, as if she'd just crawled out of bed and it might not
take too much to persuade her to crawl right back in. If it
hadn't been for the eyes and the legs and the husky little
laugh and that wide mouth with its full lower lip―maybe he
wouldn't be letting his zipper do quite so much of his
thinking.
But, as long as he was thinking with his zipper, he might
as well run with it, Luke decided. There were only a few
feet between them, leaving just enough time for him to see
her eyes widen before he was standing in front of her. She
tilted her head to look up at him, but she didn't have to tilt
it very much. In heels, she would only be inch or two
shorter than he was. He wanted to see black silk stockings,
spike heels and not another thing between him and that
long, lithe body.
He was going to do it, he realized. He was going take her
up on her crazy suggestion to take her stepsister place.
Maybe he'd even made the decision the minute she made
her proposal. Why else would he have sat here talking to
her about it? If he hadn't known, deep down, he was going
to do it, then he would have ushered her out after that first
stunned moment and gone about business of finding
himself a wife. But he hadn't. Because he wanted this,
wanted her.
"Part of the deal with Devon was that this would be a real
marriage," he murmured. He lifted one hand touched just a
fingertip to the pulse that was beating wildly at the base of
her throat. She swallowed hard, those tilted cat eyes
widening endlessly.
"I know." It was hardly more than a whisper. "She told
me."
"Do you have a problem with that?" Luke let his fingers
curve around her throat. "Do you have a problem with the
idea of sharing my bed?"
"N .... no."
"Are you sure?" His thumb stroked the sensitive skin
under her ear. "Maybe we should see if we're compatible?"
She stared up at him, her eyes deep and fathomless. "I
won't sleep with you tonight."
"Waiting for the papers to be signed?" His smile sharp
and hard. "Want that ring on your finger first?"
"Yes. No." She shuddered as he traced the outer of her
ear with his fingertip.
"Which is it, Cat?" He leaned down, deliberately using his
size to his advantage, crowding her.
"I...don't know you that well," she said. "And I've-er ...
never done that before."
"Never done what? Luke pulled back as one possibility
him. He left his hand where it was, fingers burned in firecolored silk of her hair.
"You're telling me you're a virgin?" His tone made
skepticism obvious. She blushed wildly but met his look
without flinching.
"It's not a crime."
"No, but it's damned unlikely." He eyed her speculatively.
Did she think he would get off on the idea of having a virgin
bride? Because none of his fantasies of her― and he had a
surprising number of them―involved initiating a beginner.
Or maybe she thought it would push the price up? But her
look was not so much triumphant as faintly embarrassed.
"You don't have to believe me," she said, lifting her chin.
"I'm not sleeping with you tonight."
Comments
There are no comments for this story
Be the first to respond and start the conversation.