Probably not, she thought sadly, because old habits were tough to break.
Chapter Eight
“So, um, why can’t I stay at a hotel again?” Terri picked at an imaginary piece of lint on her pant leg while she waited for Luke to answer. She had assumed that “leaving” meant relocating, like, to a hotel. She hadn’t realized what he really meant was that she would be staying with him. Now, as they drove down dark and twisting roads trying to avoid the congested main streets, she wondered what she would have to do to get out of this mess. It was completely unprofessional.
Luke passed her a look of exasperation. “Terri, you know why. If you go to a hotel it will be too easy for him to find you. Security isn’t something the Motel 6 is really concerned with, and besides, it’s a dump. You do not want to stay there.”
The tone in his voice made Terri wonder if Luke had been there before. She certainly never had, and by the way he curled his lip up disdainfully, she supposed she shouldn’t want to either.
“But still,” she pressed on. “I don’t think it’s really appropriate for me to be staying in my boss’s house, do you? It’s bad enough that you will have to drive me to work tomorrow since I had to leave my car behind, and once the girls get a load of that, they’re going to talk.” She turned worried eyes on him. “I don’t fit in as it is, Luke. This is going to make things so much worse.”
Luke glanced her way several times before reaching out and placing a reassuring hand on her knee. “You let me handle everything. No worries.”
She couldn’t see how that was possible, but his warm smile eased her somewhat and Terri relaxed back in the seat and turned her head to stare out the window. There was no point in arguing. Luke was determined to see things done his way. From what little she knew about him, she could tell that he was a very capable and trustworthy man, and if he said not to worry, she would try not to.
***
Luke didn’t live in a house in some quaint little neighborhood with picket fences and immaculate lawns. Instead, he drove her clear into the country, the city lights fading into the distance until they were nothing but memory. Luke turned the car onto a path cut between dense copses of trees barely visible from the road, one that only a person well-acquainted with the landscape would ever recognize.
It was dark as pitch, making the dim glow from the dash controls seem almost glaring.
And thank God for headlights. They cut a narrow path down the middle of a pitted, packed dirt road that had Terri gripping the sides of her seat so she wouldn’t hit her head on the roof.
Terri had always wanted to be adventurous and, just once, take the scenic route through life, but now that she was on it, it didn’t seem nearly as glamorous. Just when she thought the ride would never end, the path broke open to reveal a modest house with a peaked roof and low hanging porch.
“You live here?” Terri asked as she studied her surroundings.
“I should hope so. Otherwise, someone is about to get a big surprise when we walk in the front door.” Terri flashed him a look of annoyance. “It was my grandfather’s,” he explained. “He died a few years ago, and rather than let it get sold off or torn down, I bought it. It’s a great house.”
She could see that it was. Well-built, sturdy, perfectly aged to blend with its surroundings, she could imagine that it would be like a slice of paradise compared to city life.
Tucking the car into a bare area next to the house that she assumed acted as a regular parking space; Luke cut the engine and got out of the car. Before she had a chance to open the door herself, he was there, offering her his hand. Smiling, she took it, and allowed him to pull her from the car.
“Someone taught you manners,” she said appreciatively, then backed up a couple steps so he could fish around in the back seat for her bags.
“Mothers are good for that sort of thing,” came his gruff reply. Ducking his head to clear the opening as he backed out, he rose to his full height and offered her a boyish grin. He held out his hand to her again. “Shall we?”
Terri nodded and absently slipped her hand into his, then followed him up a set of wooden stairs that creaked under their weight.
“You really should leave a light on,” she said, echoing his earlier words to her. “You never know who’s lurking in the shadows.”
Luke grinned as he slid his key into the lock and pushed the door open wide. “You’re funny, Terri. Very funny,” he said, his voice ringing with good humor. “Welcome to my humble abode.” Together they stepped inside and Terri watched as Luke walked around the room, clicking on lamps as he went and filling the small space with warmth.
Luke looked so massive, his large frame overpowering the room. She studied his profile, her eyes tracing the strong lines of his jaw and the curve of his full lips. Bending to flip on a squat television straight out of the seventies, the room suddenly filled with the low murmur of a nightly sports newscast, and for some inexplicable reason, she noticed that his dark hair curled up against his shirt collar, making her fingers itch to reach out and touch it. He was lovely to look at, and not for the first time did she wonder what it might be like to be cared for by a man of his caliber.
A secret smile curved her lips and she made herself look away. No use in pining after something you couldn’t, and shouldn’t, have.
When she finally did look up, Terri found herself looking into Luke’s denim-blue eyes reflected in a large mirror hanging on the wall, and a furious blush rose up to color her cheeks. When their eyes locked, Luke lifted one amused eyebrow and a knowing smirk tilted one corner of his mouth.
Desperate to shake her embarrassment and shift the focus away from her, Terri asked, “So, uh, you live in the woods, huh?”
Luke smiled proudly. “It’s the best worst place I could imagine.”
“Alone?” Terri asked, trying not to sound too interested, and failing. “No girlfriend or anything to keep you company?”
His shoulders lifted and fell. “Company is overrated. After working the club all night, I find that I like the quiet all the more.”
Terri’s gaze fell to her feet—ignoring the giddy feeling that bubbled just below the surface at his answer—as she sifted through her brain for something to say other than the questions that she wanted to ask. Like, if he didn’t like company, then why had he brought her here? And how did a guy like him manage to not have a girlfriend? She figured someone like him would have been snapped up the second he stepped foot out of the nest. The longer her brain churned the more questions she asked herself, until she began to grow suspicious. What was wrong with a guy his age, without any romantic connections, who lived in a house in the middle of nowhere? Something had to be up, because for some reason she had a really tough time viewing Luke as anything less than comfortable in his own skin.
There was one other option that Terri had never considered, and she was aware that asking it could be an incredibly insensitive and tactless, but, well, Terri was the one alone in the woods with a man who, aside from being her boss, she didn’t really know anything about.
“You’re not gay, are you?” she blurted.
There was a long, tense pause, in which Terri wished a trap door would open at her feet and swallow her up.
“Wow. In all these years, you are the first to discover my secret,” he finally said with a teasing gleam in his eye.
“God, I’m so sorry,” she said hastily, her face burning hot. Despite her embarrassment, she couldn’t help but notice how much and how easily Luke smiled. The complete opposite of Randy, who seemed to have a permanent scowl etched on his face. It was refreshing to be around.
“Don’t worry about it,” Luke said, drawing Terri back to the moment. “To answer your question, no, I’m not gay. It’s like I said, I just enjoy being alone most of the time.”
“Oh,” Terri said, dropping her gaze and trying to ignore the odd pang in her chest. “I can find somewhere else to stay, you know. It might not be until tomorrow, but I’m sure—”
Luke held up a hand, stopping her midsentence. “You’re staying here, and that’s final. Would you like something to drink?”
Glad for the change of subject, she passed him a relieved smile and followed him to the kitchen. His place wasn’t what she expected at all. Honestly, she wasn’t sure what she expected, but it definitely wasn’t the muted beige walls or the nondescript modern furniture. He had knocked down a few walls, creating an open concept that suited him, though.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Luke said as he crossed into the open kitchen. “That I must be incredibly boring. I’m afraid the décor isn’t exactly representative of wealth and success.”
“You have wealth and success?” Terri asked as she made a slow trek to the counter and pulled up a stool. The question was mostly teasing, but part of her really wanted to know, because what she was seeing didn’t reflect it.
“I own a night club that is packed nearly every night it’s open. What do you think?”
And didn’t that just answer her question. Scanning the clean countertops and the stainless steel appliances, she realized that, although Luke might have money, he didn’t flaunt it, and that made him all the more appealing in her eyes. “Actually,” she mused, “I always found people who were loaded to be obnoxious and stuffy.”
Luke narrowed his eyes at her, a playful smile tipping the corners of his mouth. “Are you calling me stuffy?”
A laugh erupted from deep in Terri’s stomach. “Not at all. I think you are the least stuffy person I know. A little serious, maybe, but not stuffy.”
Luke grinned and held up a bottle of Zinfandel, yet another example of how he downplayed his wealth, in a silent question. She nodded, and accepted the glass he slid toward her.
“I never pegged you for the wine type,” Terri commented, taking a small sip of the mildly fruity drink. To be perfectly honest, she wasn’t much of a drinker at all, especially considering her history, but she tried to get a little of it down anyway for the sake of being a good guest.
“I’m not,” Luke said, surprising her as he recapped the wine and placed it in the fridge. He came back with a bottle of beer and Terri had to work to suppress the discomfort that ratcheted up her spine. “Beer is much more up my alley.”
Terri just nodded, thinking of all the beers Randy had guzzled down just before he went off on a tangent that usually ended in a part of her body being black and blue for days. How would Luke react, she wondered as she watched the muscles in his throat work to swallow the golden liquid.
They drank quietly, and Terri was feeling the burn of alcohol from throat to chest when Luke finally tossed his bottle in the trash and moved away from the counter. “Come on,” he said, motioning her to follow, “I’ll show you where you’ll be staying.”
Setting her drink down, Terri slipped off the stool and waited for Luke to gather her bags, then followed along behind him.
***
The room he showed her to was more of a suite than a standard bedroom.
Terri was floored. For all the effort to remain subdued, Luke didn’t hold back here. The bed was huge, probably a king, and was topped with a luxurious duvet and matching pillows that looked like he had taken them straight from a magazine. When she looked up, she found that even the ceiling was painted in a charcoal grey that matched the linens and drapes, making the room somehow cozier instead of oppressive. As if that wasn’t enough, there was an en suite that made her stifle a gasp. The room was dominated by soft-black slate tiles that extended into the shower where glass doors provided a seamless transition. Bright-white double sinks and shiny stainless fixtures gave the room a sleek, modern feel. Terri felt like she had just stepped into a luxury hotel.
“Do you like?” Luke asked, placing her bags on the foot of the bed. “I put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into that room, but I think it turned out. Just don’t look too closely at the corners. Oddly enough, power tools and I don’t get along well.”
Terri jerked her head around in surprise. “Seriously? That’s incredible.” She turned back to the bathroom, appreciating it through new eyes. “I feel like I’m on vacation or something,” she said, coming back into the room to join him.
“Well, I don’t know about a vacation. No room service.” He grimaced. “But I hear the chef is amazing with an omelet, and you’re welcome to stay as long as you want.”
Terri didn’t know what to say, except thank you. She had expected nothing more than a couch to rest her head for a couple nights, not an open invitation to a place that already felt more like a home than her own house.
“Well, I guess I’ll leave you to it then,” Luke said, backing out the door.
Terri couldn’t resist making the small jab. “What? You’re not even going to check behind the shower curtains or under the bed before you leave?”
Turning, Luke passed her an easy smile. “I don’t need to. You’re safe here, Terri. I’d defy anything to get past these walls.” Then Luke left her to get settled in and make herself comfortable.
Terri collapsed onto the bed and took in her new surroundings. Here, she felt safe and secure, sheltered from the storm brewing outside. Here, she could almost forget that she had any worries, or that her soon-to-be ex-husband was probably out to kill her, or at the very least make her life a living hell. Here, Terri could relax, and she would be forever grateful to Luke for making that possible.
Doing her level best to ignore the warm feeling blooming in the center of her chest, Terri unzipped one of the bags and got to work finding a place for all of her things. When she finished with that chore, which took her no time at all, she fumbled with what to do with herself next. As if to answer her unspoken question, her stomach growled loudly.
Venturing into the kitchen, she pulled up short and willed herself into the shadows as she watched the scene play out before her.
Luke, in nothing but a pair of low slung exercise shorts, moved around the kitchen, pulled out an oversized pan, and set it on the stove. He poured a bit of oil inside, swirled it around and set the flame to high. Pivoting around, he opened the fridge, thought about his next move, then pulled out a container, a bottle filled with brown liquid, and a selection of vegetables.
Emptying one of the containers into the pan, Luke turned his attention to the vegetables and started chopping them. Terri leaned against the wall, watching raptly. She had never seen a man so at home in a kitchen before.
Then his deep, rumbling voice split through her daydream like the crack of a whip.
“If you’re going to watch, you might as well help,” he said without looking up.
Surprised and somewhat chagrined, Terri strode to his side with a false air of confidence. “What do you want me to do?” she asked, glancing at the sizzling pan, which held a mound of white rice.
“Can you cook?”
“Sometimes.”
Luke snorted. “What can you cook ‘sometimes’?”
Terri shrugged. “Toast, eggs…I’m a much better baker, though.”
“You bake?” he asked with a lift of one thick eyebrow.
“Yes, very well, too, thank you very much.” She was smiling, and the easy feeling she got while around him both warmed her and worried her. She’d never had many friends, and there were so many reasons she shouldn’t be friends with Luke. He was her boss, for starters, and she couldn’t forget that as long as Randy was gunning for her, Luke was also a target. And the tiny spark of attraction she might be having toward him? Well, she wasn’t even going to acknowledge that.
“Well, since I can’t trust you with the stove,”—he handed her the large knife he’d been using to chop the vegetables—“you can take over the helm here.”
Terri got to chopping, being very careful of her fingers, which made her slow, but she liked having all her digits so kept her pace. Behind her, Luke added the brown liquid, which had turned out to be teriyaki sauce, and a delicious aroma punched her in the gut, causing her stomach to rumble.
“Geez,” Luk
e said, coming up behind her. “What have you done?” Baffled, Terri looked down at the pile of carrots but couldn’t find a problem. Positioning himself behind her, Luke reached around, placing his hands over hers, and cuffed the hand holding the knife. “Like this,” he said, his breath fanning her ear.
Terri couldn’t think clearly with him standing so close. Luke guided her hand, making perfect, thin slices through the carrot. “Large chunks don’t cook up well in a stir-fry,” he explained. “The smaller the better.”
When they finished with the carrot, he pulled a large onion over and began slicing through that, too. Tears stung her eyes and her nose began to run, but Terri refused to break the connection, enjoying the sensation of being held far more than she should.
“Do you smell that?” Terri asked a while later, wrinkling her nose. “I think its smoke.”
With a curse, Luke broke away, dashed to the stove and yanked the pan off the burner. “Well,” he said, using a wooden spoon to move the slightly burned rice around, “I think it’s still edible.”
“Good to hear, because I’m starving.” She brought the expertly chopped vegetables to him and watched as he plopped them into the pan and returned it to the fire, this time keeping an extra close eye on it.
When dinner was ready, they took their plates to a small seating area overlooking the dark forest beyond, and Terri curled up, resting her plate in her lap. She moaned at the first bite, too wrapped up in the explosion of rich flavor on her tongue to be embarrassed. “This is really good,” she said around a mouthful of food.
Luke broke into a grin. “Thanks. Don’t forget you had a hand in it.”
“Hardly,” she scoffed. “You forget that I needed help to slice a simple carrot.”
Her Only Salvation Page 7
