by Jo McNally
They jumped apart from each other. A little voice in Whitney’s head told her this was no way to have a relationship, even as bed buddies. But the voice in her heart was stronger. Once the car passed, she gave a stupefied Luke a wink and wave.
“I’ll be waiting for you on the porch when you get home tonight.”
Her plan was to leave him speechless, but Luke turned the tables on her.
“Don’t.”
Her heart fell. “What?”
He tossed something in her direction and she caught it. It was a key ring.
“The big key is the tasting room. The small one’s my place. It’ll be a late night for me. If you’re waiting, you may as well be comfortable.” He turned to get in the truck. “My bed’s pretty comfortable, don’t you think?”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
THE ONLY INDICATION Whitney had taken him up on his offer was the soft glow of a lamp shining through the window when Luke parked his truck a little before two in the morning. He’d craned his neck as he drove up the driveway to see if there was a light there, and the sight made him grin like a schoolboy. He’d nearly sprinted from the truck to the door, in a ridiculous hurry to get up to the apartment. This wasn’t his usual keep-a-safe-distance method of dating. He was giving her too much power. Hell, he’d given her his keys.
But the moment he opened the door upstairs, all second thoughts evaporated. Whitney was asleep in his bed, stretched out under the sheets. She was wearing one of his T-shirts again, her dark hair splayed across the pillow. In front of the bed lay his usually territorial dog. Molly raised her head and watched him enter, her little stub of a tail wagging furiously. But she didn’t leave Whitney’s side, almost as if she was afraid to wake her. He wouldn’t have predicted his dog would switch loyalties that fast. Then again, none of this could have been predicted. A beautiful woman warming his bed, with him peeling off his clothes as quickly and quietly as possible to join her.
He turned off the light and slid between the sheets. Whitney sighed softly and moved her back against the warmth of his body, making a little kitten sound when he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in. They stayed like that for a long time, with his face in her hair and his leg thrown over hers. It felt...right. Like he was coming home, coming to where he belonged. To a place he never dreamed he’d experience. Or deserve. But here he was, breathing in the perfect scent of Whitney, feeling her satin skin against his.
It had been a long day after too little sleep, followed by long hours on his feet at the bar. He’d given her his key so it would be easier. So they could have more sex like last night. But now? Now all he wanted to do was lie here and hold her, listening to her soft breath going in and out. He didn’t want to break the moment by seeking more. He closed his eyes and gave in to peace that swept over him.
He didn’t wake for another two hours. Neither of them had moved, but he heard the change in her breathing and knew Whitney was awake, too. He nuzzled the back of her neck, and sure enough, she let out another one of those kitten sighs and moved against him. His body responded instantly, no longer looking for peace. When she felt his erection harden against her, she started to grind her hips. He nipped her shoulder.
“Naughty girl.” Another grind against him, causing him to bite back a groan.
Whitney let out a soft, throaty laugh. “You started it.”
“Hmm. I’m going to finish it, too.” He turned her in his arms. Her face was lit only with the soft moonlight coming through the window. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed against him.
“You’re not going to finish it alone, are you?”
He kissed her, and nearly got sidetracked. Damn, her kisses were good. He spoke against her lips, reluctant to let them go.
“One thing you can be assured of, sweetheart. I won’t be finishing alone.” His hands slid under the T-shirt, and she wiggled against him to remove it over her head. Killing him slowly in the process. “Whitney...”
“Right here, Luke.” Her hand reached between them and slid lower. “Right here.”
He sucked in a sharp breath as she reached her target, tempted to roll back and let her continue. But he’d made a promise, and he wasn’t going to let her take control this time. Maybe later. But not now.
He moved to the side, away from her grasp, and slid on a condom. Then he rolled on top of her, covering her mouth with his and raising her hands up to rest on either side of her head. Their fingers intertwined, and her grip tightened fiercely as he sank into her. He didn’t move at first, overcome with sensation. It was the same as it had been last night. Just as right. Just as perfect.
She whispered his name, so much pleading in the single syllable. He started to move, and her hips rose up in response. They were perfectly synchronized, moving in rhythm to some unknown beat. It was slow at first, then faster and deeper, until they were panting and moaning and sweating and making unintelligible sounds as the sheets twisted beneath them. He kept his promise—they came at the same moment. She cried out his name, while he moaned hers into her shoulder, pressing his teeth against her skin.
A word entered his mind that he’d never considered before, as he lay there on top of her and waited for his heart to stop thrashing in his chest. The word was...forever. He could see what forever would look like with Whitney. Coming home to her every night. Forever. Waking up with her in his arms. Forever. Making love to her—because no way was it just sex anymore—forever. The idea should have sent him running, but instead, he kissed her skin and lifted his head to look into her eyes.
“Hey.” Her voice was thick and husky.
“Hey, yourself.”
“So...” She tried to move, then stopped when she felt him go hard again. “Already?”
“With you? Yeah. Always.” Forever.
“Well, I hate to disappoint you, but I may need a minute.” She shifted again, and he rolled to his side to give her space to breathe. But not much. He couldn’t let her go yet. She snuggled up to him after he disposed of the condom, but he could tell her mind was somewhere else.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I’m just...processing. I’ve never woken up in someone’s arms like that. Sleeping together before sex. It was...different.” Her body relaxed in his arms. “Why didn’t you wake me when you got home?”
“I don’t know. You were so beautiful...so peaceful...that I just wanted to hold you. It was pretty incredible to slide into bed after a long day and fall asleep wrapped up in you.” He brushed his lips across her ear. “It’s new for me, too, but I like it.”
“Yes, I think I do, too.” She moved her head to expose more of her long neck for him to explore. “But what does that mean? What are we doing?”
He traced a trail of kisses down to her throat. “Do we need to analyze it right now?”
A long sigh of surrender was her only answer. They made love again. Slowly. Tenderly. The only sounds were the shush of the sheets moving beneath them and their breathing. One would hold a breath, then the other, followed by a low moan as the breaths released. Fingers explored as hips rose and fell. It was a dance, and the dance was more intoxicating than any wine. He was lost in her. Falling for her. Throwing caution to the wind as he rocked into her and knew. He’d never be the same after this. Whatever was coming, good or bad, there’d be no recovery for him. This... Whitney...had altered his life in ways he couldn’t see. It was frightening. And he didn’t care, burying himself in her with a shuddering cry. He didn’t care what was coming, as long as he could have this now.
Luke had no idea how much time passed before a movement woke him. Whitney was dressed, slipping into her shoes in the soft light of predawn. He reached out and touched her, almost as if to reassure himself she wasn’t a dream. She turned and smiled, twisting her hair back into a knot. She was doing the same to his heart.
“The sun will be up soon.” Her voice was bar
ely above a whisper. “I don’t want a repeat of yesterday morning, trying not to get caught by Helen.”
He stilled, feeling a familiar sting of pain. It reminded him of being back in school, where even the kids who were nice to him in private would shun him publicly. They couldn’t afford to be seen hanging around with a Rutledge boy.
“Luke? What’s wrong?” She leaned over and pressed her lips to his.
“Would it be so awful if people knew we were...whatever?”
Now it was her turn to go still.
“I think the issue is the ‘whatever’ part of the equation. We don’t even know what we’re doing yet, and I think we should figure that out before sharing it with anyone.”
She was right, of course. Practical Whitney, always looking at the big picture. The problem was, he didn’t want to define what they were doing. Putting a label on it would make it...ordinary. Were they dating? Was she his girlfriend now? He was in unfamiliar territory here.
“Okay.” He returned her kiss, resisting the urge to pull her back into bed and remove those pesky clothes she had on. “I’ll walk you downstairs.”
“I don’t need a chaperone.”
He sat up. “Bully for you. I’m still walking you downstairs.” He tugged on a pair of jeans. “If we’re up, Molly’s up. And if Molly’s up, she’s gonna want to go out.” The dog was already sitting, ears perked and head tilted, ready to go. Her energy was boundless, especially in the morning.
The three of them went down through the tasting room and out into the cool air. There was a hint of fall in the air already. Whitney gave him a quick kiss and turned to go to the main house. He should let her go. He had to let her go. Instead, he caught up with her with three long strides, spinning her around and tugging her up against him in the parking lot. Whitney moved into his arms without protest, resting her head on his shoulder. The predawn light was soft and blurry around them. She was right where she belonged. He rested his cheek on her head. “Is it weird that I don’t want to let this end?” He wasn’t sure if he was talking about the night or whatever this was turning into between them.
“If it is, then we’re weird together.” Her arms slid around his waist and they started to sway. She looked into his eyes. “Are we dancing again?”
“Hard not to when they’re playing our song.” Right on cue, a couple of birds starting twittering in the trees by the carriage house.
She laughed, the sound blending perfectly with the birds’ song. Luke had somehow stepped into an animated fairy-tale movie, where little bluebirds would soon be on their shoulders and forest animals would step up to watch their predawn dance. He knew for damn sure he’d never imagined that before.
She gave him a squeeze. “You like to dance, huh?”
“No.” He kissed the top of her head. “It’s you.” She looked up in confusion as he told her the truth, unable to do otherwise when he was staring into her golden eyes. “It’s you that makes me want to dance, Whitney. Anytime. Any place.”
Her lips parted, but she didn’t speak right away, just looked at him and weighed his words. Then she laughed softly, and dropped her head back down, moving with him to the rhythm of their own sultry slow dance. “Damn, you’re good.”
After a minute, he reluctantly stepped back. “You go on.” She turned away, and he called her name. She looked over her shoulder. A smart man would say never mind and let her walk away. For good. This whole thing was bound to crash and burn. They’d both get hurt. But Luke had never claimed to be a smart man. “Will I see you tonight?”
She gave him a soft chuckle. “I’m game if you are.”
“Okay, then.”
She went around the back of Helen’s house, where he knew she’d find the spare key under the mat and sneak upstairs before Helen woke. Like some lovesick teen, he wondered if he could sneak right up there behind her. That would be a bad idea on so many levels. Molly leaned against his leg, looking up with her tongue lolling.
“Yeah, yeah. I hear you, dog. There’s work to be done. But first, a shower and coffee.”
* * *
WHITNEY QUIETLY SLIPPED out the back door five nights later, ignoring her increasing guilt over keeping secrets from Helen. She’d been sneaking out like this all week. Tiptoeing down the stairs in the dark, going out the back, then running to the carriage house, where she’d usually find Luke waiting in the doorway.
Sleeping together night after night had definitely moved them into the relationship category. She was having a relationship with Luke Rutledge. In Rendezvous Falls. Where she was not going to be staying. Even if she had picked up another new client—Bridget at the pub had recommended her to Jeff at the beverage supply company, and he’d dropped off a shoebox full of spreadsheets, checkbooks and receipts yesterday. A little messier than the diner or the pub, but it looked pretty straightforward. She moved around the corner of the house. Picking up a few odd jobs while she was here wasn’t really a commitment. But this thing with Luke? That was starting to feel very much like a commitment, and the shocking part was that she liked the feeling.
She was halfway across the parking lot when the door to the tasting room opened, sending soft light onto the carriage house porch. Luke stood in the doorway. She picked up her pace, then started jogging toward him. His arms opened and she actually leaped into them. She leaped. Into a man’s arms. It was a first. Luke swung her inside and kicked the door shut behind her, kissing her senseless the whole time.
They were up the stairs, undressed and in bed in what seemed like less than a minute. Condom on, him on top and the deep connection that made them one. A blur of exquisite movement, a white-hot orgasm, followed by a long, trembling embrace. It was an addiction. She was addicted to making love with Luke Rutledge. And right now? As she lay in his arms trying to find her breath? She wasn’t interested in a cure.
He rolled over on his side, and she could feel the vibration of his laughter.
“Did we even say hello?” he asked.
“I don’t think we said much of anything.” She kissed his chin. “Hi.”
He gave her a warm smile. “Hi.”
Luke shifted, taking her with him as he tossed the pillows into the corner and leaned against them. She ended up tucked snugly under his arm, and they had a beautiful view out the window of the moon rising over the lake far below. He gave her a little squeeze.
“Does it bother you? The no-talking thing with us? The way we avoid each other when the sun’s up?”
Whitney hesitated. She was normally the one who analyzed things and sought out logic. But she wasn’t sure she wanted to analyze what was happening here. She was a little afraid of what she might find if they pulled back the curtain.
“We talked a lot that first night.”
“That’s not an answer.”
She craned her neck to look up at him. “You’re the guy who embraces the strong silent act. Now you’re worried about our lack of communication?”
He let out a long breath. “That’s still not an answer. I’m not saying we need to be BFFs, but it’s beginning to feel like we’re vampires. Like we only exist after sundown.” He grinned. “Mind you, I like what happens after sundown, but...”
“Luke Rutledge, are you saying I’m making you feel cheap?”
He laughed. He’d been laughing a lot this week.
“Not exactly. But I want to make sure you don’t feel that way.” He ran his hand through his hair. “I just don’t want to assume anything, if that makes sense.”
Her chest tightened. He was worried about her feelings. A tremor went through her, and Luke tugged the blanket up around them. She was safe in this corner with him. She was home.
“Luke, I don’t know what we’re doing. On paper, this relationship makes no sense. But here we are, and it’s...incredible. Shocking, but incredible.”
He thought about that for a moment. “So...this
is a relationship?”
“It’s more than a one-night stand, so I guess the default definition is that it’s a relationship. But don’t ask me to define it in any more detail than that, because I can’t.” She nodded against his chest, knowing one of the things that was bothering them both. “We should let Helen know. I don’t like keeping secrets.”
“Agreed. That way I can kiss you in the sunlight, and I’ve really been wanting to do that.”
She didn’t answer right away, lost in wondering what that would be like—kissing Luke in the light of the day. They were entering dangerous territory now. Sharing their relationship, or whatever this was. Making it more than just sweet-hot sex in this bed. Making it real. Her stomach fluttered.
“I think I’d like that, too.” She settled back against him with a sigh. “Helen told me how you came to work at the winery, after Tony caught you stealing from their garden.”
Luke went still, then nodded against her head. “I was a punk-ass kid.”
“You were trying to feed your family.”
A rumble of low laughter went through him. “Great. I suggest we talk more, and the first subject that comes up is my bad behavior and my train wreck of a family.”
“It wasn’t bad behavior if it was for a good cause.” Whitney was surprised to hear those words come out of her mouth. As an auditor, there was no excuse for bad behavior. Wrong was wrong. Period.
“Is Whitney Foster giving me a free pass? Are you feeling feverish?” He put his hand on her forehead and she swatted him away.
“You were just a kid. Kids are a lot more likely to get free passes than adults, who should be better problem solvers.”
“Yeah, you’d think that.” He went quiet, slowly running his hand up and down her back.
