“Right, well, we’ve got to go.” I took a step forward and grabbed Luke’s arm to steer him out the door. This was a mistake. His arm was hard and muscular and the heat that I always felt when he was near intensified a million times over at this platonic touch. And his scent…have I mentioned that he smelled amazing?
He did.
And being this close and touching him like this? The scent went right to my head and made me temporarily forget what we were doing and why.
“Hot date?” Dale mocked from behind us.
“Don’t be stupid, Dale,” I shot back.
I noticed that Luke didn’t look horrified by the suggestion, if anything his grin just grew. He probably found the thought hilarious.
Any second now my mother could come down from her office on the second floor. I nudged Luke again, but he didn’t seem like he had any plans of moving. “How’s the team looking this year, Dale?”
“Aw, bro.” Dale shook his head. “I can’t believe you’re not going to be coming back this season.”
“Yeah, well…” Luke shrugged. “I’ve got more important things to do.”
Dale’s ever-present grin turned taunting. His expression went from Dale-the-semi-normal-high schooler to Dale-the-most-annoying-younger-brother-on-the-planet. “What, like date my sister?”
I opened my mouth to protest but Luke spoke first.
“Maybe,” he said with a shrug.
The most alarming part wasn’t what he said, it was the way he said it. Like it was totally normal. Like he meant it. I gaped at him for a second and in that moment we were joined by a grinning Margo and a scowling Matt.
“Suzie just said this isn’t a date,” Matt said.
Margo, Dale, and I all turned to stare at my best friend since forever. My best friend who’d never once sounded so gruff and proprietorial and…macho. His tone was protective, and if I didn’t know any better I would say he was jealous.
But I knew better. We all did.
“Whoa, dude, he’s just kidding,” Margo said. “Right, Luke?”
Her expression said “Be cool, man” as she silently asked my new partner to ease the sudden weird tension in this foyer.
“Well?” Matt said, his expression alarmingly fierce. I waited in horror for him to say something chauvinistic and parental like what are your intentions toward Suzie?
To my surprise Luke didn’t laugh at Matt’s overprotective routine and he didn’t get annoyed either. He turned to face me instead. “This day trip is whatever Suzie wants it to be.”
And just like that my heart melted in my chest. Not so much the words but the way he looked at me. No one in the history of my life had ever looked at me like that.
Like I held all the power. Like I was in charge. Like I was respected and cherished and—
I turned away abruptly to face my gawking friends and get a grip on reality.
Oh sweet mercy, no wonder girls everywhere swooned at his feet. All eyes were on me, even Luke’s. Everyone was waiting for me to state what exactly this outing was.
“We’re just doing research for a project,” I said a little too loudly. I grabbed Luke’s arm and pulled him out of there before Dale could ask any more questions, Matt could make any weird vaguely threatening comments, or, worst of all—my mom could come and join in on the fun.
Luke leaned down as we hurried down the front steps of our porch. “Are you ashamed to be seen with me, Suzie Q?”
I let out a little huff of amusement, but any response was forgotten as he attempted to lead us toward the street where his car was parked. “Oh no,” I said, tugging him toward my parents’ SUV that I was allowed to borrow. “I’m driving.”
“Anyone ever tell you that you have control issues?” Luke asked mildly.
I hid my grin. DataG told me that all the time. Jokingly, of course. Well, mostly joking. At least, I thought he was joking…
“But I know the way,” he started to argue.
“Get in,” I said. I didn’t give him a chance to continue as I climbed in and started up the car. “I don’t trust you to drive,” I said. Then I eyed his car which looked like it had seen better days. “And I don’t trust your car to get us to the top of a mountain.”
“I see,” he said. “So what you’re saying is you have trust issues.”
I turned to see him smiling at me and for some reason I felt the urge to smile back. Instead I shot him an arch look. “I’m saying I have Luke issues.”
To my surprise he laughed, and the low sound made my lips curve upward even as I shivered. I felt his laughter in my bones and in my blood, and—
Don’t be stupid. I pulled my head out of the weird romantic cloud it had disappeared into at the sound of that genuine laugh. Just because other girls turned to mush around this guy didn’t mean I had to.
“So,” I said. “Where am I heading?”
We spent the better part of the hour-long drive talking about coding. Well, I talked. He asked questions. And he listened.
He was a surprisingly attentive listener and he’d been right about being a quick study judging by the questions he was asking. What should have been a long, awkward drive from hell was actually quite…pleasant.
Interesting, no less.
We didn’t discuss anything personal but for the first time since he’d walked into my computer club meeting a couple days ago I didn’t fear that I was totally doomed to have him for a partner.
I parked in a lot that had more than a few cars parked nearby. “What are these people doing up here?” I asked. “Surely we’re not all here to check out video game settings?”
He laughed and I made a mental note to stop saying anything that could even remotely be construed as joking because his laughter was unnerving. His mockery was preferable—at least that was to be expected. Plus, I knew how to handle being mocked, especially by hot guys like Luke. After these past six weeks of nonstop humiliation, I was pretty much an expert on the topic.
“Some of the cars are for employees,” he said as he led the way. “But some are local tourists using the ski lift to head up to some hiking trails they keep open during the off-season.”
“Really?” I turned to look at him as he led the way to the lodge’s front doors and held one open for me in a surprisingly chivalrous move.
He nodded. “It’s not super popular but some avid hikers are really into it.”
For the first time it dawned on me that this guy seemed well acquainted with this place. “Are you one of those avid hikers?”
He flashed me the lopsided grin that made my belly tighten in response. “Nah,” he said. “I’m an avid snowboarder.”
That I could imagine. Everything about Luke screamed fast-paced and high-energy. It wouldn’t surprise me at all to find out he was some sort of adrenaline junkie.
“During the summers I work here part-time,” he continued. “So I’ve gotten to know some of the regular hikers and I’ve been up there a few times to check it out.”
“You work here?”
He glanced over, possibly because my tone had gone high-pitched with surprise. I wasn’t even sure why I just had a hard time imagining him working. At all. Life seemed to come so easily for this guy, I guess I’d just kind of assumed he was a trust fund kid or something.
“Is that so shocking?” he asked, amusement lacing his voice as he gave a few waves and nods in response to the workers who greeted him by name.
“Yeah,” I said. “I mean no. I mean…” Ugh. Awkward much? “I mean I didn’t know that you had a summer job.”
He flashed me a grin. “What do you think I did all summer?”
I shrugged. “Party?”
His head fell back as he let out a loud laugh that had people looking and me fighting a laugh of my own at his genuine amusement. He looked over at me with a grin. “Well, you’re not wrong,” he said. “I have been known to go to some parties.”
Maybe it was the fact that we weren’t at Grover High or surrounded by my friends or his
, but for a second there I felt like I was with Margo and Matt. I felt…playful. Lighthearted. That might sound weird but it was true. I normally had all my defenses up around this guy but for a second there they came crashing down.
I pretended to study him as he led us over to a coffee shop that was open to the public. “I figured you went on vacations,” I continued.
“Also true.”
“And hung out with friends.”
He nodded. “That I do.”
“If rumors are correct, I’d imagine you hook up with a different girl every day of the week.”
I threw that in there casually but I had to fight a laugh at his look of surprise. “That’s what you think I do all summer? Hook up with random girls?”
I narrowed my eyes at him, but a teasing smile tugged at my lips. “Are the rumors wrong?”
He didn’t answer. Instead he shook his head with a sigh. “You definitely think the worst of me, don’t you?”
I shrugged. “You asked what I thought you did all summer.”
“I did, didn’t I?”
I nodded.
“I regret that now.” He said it so seriously I found a laugh slipping out unexpectedly. I pressed my lips together but it was too late.
He grinned. No, he smirked. Then he leaned over and lowered his voice. “I knew I’d get a laugh out of you eventually.”
He’d moved in so close I found myself holding my breath again out of self-preservation. Maybe it was the lightheadedness of being oxygen deprived that made my head spin and my heart race. It was probably the lack of air that made his gaze seem so heated, and his expression so intense.
“Luke! Good to see you back here, man.” The guy behind the coffee counter interrupted the moment, which was probably not a moment at all. I took three steps back nonetheless, just for good measure. And also so I could breathe normally.
Luke glanced over at me with a questioning look. “Do you want a coffee? Tea?”
“Hot chocolate,” I said quickly. I started to fish for some cash but he waved me off. “My treat.”
He was buying me my hot chocolate?
Do not read too much into this, Suzie. Just because you’ve never spent the day alone with a guy who was not family or Matt didn’t mean that this had to be weird.
And even if it was weird…there was hot chocolate.
Everyone knew that hot chocolate could solve every problem known to man. There was no doubt it could help my current crisis.
Not that being here was a crisis. It wasn’t. This was research. Just research. If it had, in fact, been a date, then maybe it would have been a crisis because I’d never been on a date and would have no idea how to act or what to say.
But it wasn’t a date, as we’d so firmly established back at my house. This was just school work. A project. This was all about the video game and the contest, and as long as I remembered that there was no reason to panic.
With that thought I managed to accept the drink and take a sip without panicking. I even followed him out into the crisp fall afternoon air and kept up a steady stream of conversation—all about the video game and potential settings—as he led me over to the ski lift where yet again he was greeted like the lodge’s very own prodigal son.
“How long has it been since you’ve been back here?” I asked.
He shot me a curious look. “I was here last weekend to pick up a shift for a friend.”
I nodded.
“Why?”
I pressed my lips together and considered not answering. But then it just sort of came out. “It must be nice to be so popular.”
I felt his stare on the top of my head as we moved forward in the super short lift line to take our place. I should stop talking. I shouldn’t speak. My mouth didn’t listen. “I mean, I always knew you were Mr. Cool Guy at school but I guess I didn’t realize that your popularity translated to other scenarios.”
Oh sweet mercy, somebody shut me up.
I clamped my lips together and stared straight ahead at the chair that was heading in our direction to take us to the top. That didn’t mean I couldn’t feel his eyes on me though.
“I guess I never really thought about it,” he said.
That had me glancing up in surprise. Not at the words but the tone. He sounded one hundred percent serious. And when I met his gaze he looked serious. Like he was actually giving it thought—like he was giving me thought. His gaze flickered over my face back to my eyes and I got the distinct and bizarre impression that he was trying to read something there. That he was trying to look inside me or read my mind or something.
I was so surprised by his calm, serious expression that I didn’t even jerk away when he reached a hand out and brushed a curl out of my face like it was the most natural thing in the world.
My lips parted with surprise and he gave me a small smile that was impossible to interpret.
And then once again the moment was broken by the ski lift operator telling us to get ready. Seconds later I was whisked off my feet and we were in the air. Side by side. Alone. Trapped together in a tiny little seat that dangled high above the ground.
I looked down and gasped.
“Have you ever ridden a ski lift before?”
“Um…not exactly.”
“Not exactly?”
I glanced over at him. “There’s that one at Coley Mountain that just goes up the bunny hill?” I started.
His low chuckle said I didn’t need to continue. “Not exactly the same thing, huh?”
I cleared my throat as nerves and excitement warred within me as I took in the steep drop below and the spectacular view above. “Not exactly.”
We rode in silence for a few minutes but I was still keenly aware of his presence. He was the kind of guy who couldn’t be ignored. Chalk it up to charisma or chemistry or just physical presence, but he seemed to exude a palpable energy. Right now that energy was oddly calming. He wasn’t trying to tease or mock or even make me laugh. He was just sitting there quietly letting me take it all in.
For the first time in forever I relaxed around him completely. Heck, for the first time in a long time I relaxed. Period. It was hard not to be at peace when the only sound was the wind and all that was around us was nature.
“I love it up here,” I said quietly.
“Me too.” His voice was just as quiet and when I snuck a look over at him I was surprised to find him looking out at the serenity around us with a look on his face that matched the way I felt. Awed. Peaceful.
Happy.
“Life’s problems have a way of falling to the wayside up here,” he said.
“It definitely puts it all in perspective,” I added. I opened my mouth to ask him what problems he was trying to forget but realized just in time that the question was unbelievably personal. Not to mention presumptuous.
“I wish you could see it in the winter,” he said, turning to me with a small smile. “You’ll have to use your imagination to see how I’m envisioning it.”
It didn’t take a lot of effort to see the whole mountain in my mind’s eye covered with white powdery snow, the trees whipping in the wind.
“I see it,” I said.
My words seemed to trigger his excitement. Like a light flipping on, his entire vibe went from low-key and peaceful to high-energy enthusiasm. “Here’s what I’m thinking.” He turned in his seat to face me, making the seat rock.
I gasped and then held my breath. But this time I wasn't holding my breath because he smelled so dang good, or because I was afraid of what I might say. It had everything to do with the way the car was swinging on the rails, rocking back and forth after Luke's jerky movements. I was terrified. My wide eyes and sudden pallor must have given me away because Luke reached out and grasped my arms. "It's okay," Luke said. "It's totally normal for it to swing like this."
I nodded. "Mmhmm.”
I didn't trust myself to open my mouth and say any more than that. If I did there was a very good chance that a squeak would come out, o
r maybe even a shriek. This was definitely not the calmest I’d ever been, nor the coolest. I was freaking out over here.
Luke's eyes scanned over my face, concern etching every feature and making him look almost caring. No, not almost. He looked like he truly cared. He looked concerned.
It was alarming. Almost as alarming as the way this chair rocked in the breeze.
"I take it the bunny lift didn't rock like this?" Luke asked.
I let out a breathy little laugh. "No, definitely not."
His hands were still on my arms but his grip loosened a bit as he leaned in closer and lowered his voice. "Just try and relax. Focus on me," he said. “Focus on the sound of my voice."
As if that was relaxing. The sound of his voice and his closeness were far from relaxing, but they were distracting and at this particular moment that was more than enough.
We stayed like that until we reached the top a couple minutes later. His hands firmly bracing my arms in a reassuring manner as he filled the silence with low steady talk all about video games settings and modifications.
Super sexy stuff.
But it worked. I was calm again once we reached the top. Luke led the way as we wandered around some of the easier, flatter trails. The conversation was largely about the game and Luke’s vision, which was…compelling. I didn’t want to admit it, not even to myself, but his idea had merit and he’d clearly given it a lot of thought. Like, for example, how we could merge X-Games style sports with the magical gifts and spells that are synonymous with MageLand. His knowledge of the game was expansive, and his vision impressive. But what really impressed me was the way he asked questions.
Maybe I just had too much Dale in my life but I sort of expected that Luke would treat the topic the way Dale would, which was to say, like a know-it-all. Dale hated to admit that he knew less than me about anything, even video games. I’d assumed Luke would be all high and mighty, too egotistical to admit any ignorance, but he not only admitted to his ignorance when it came to the coding side, he embraced it. There was no doubt that he was eager to learn.
“Whoa, slow down,” I said at one point as I tried to sip my hot chocolate while also navigating over some rocks.
My Virtual Prince Charming: Geeks Gone Wild #2 Page 7
