by Melody Grace
They all laughed, but Natalie still noticed everyone take a moment with their thoughts. She was grateful, too. She had so much to be thankful for this year, and not just all the things that weren’t in her life anymore: fear, anxiety, insecurity. Those days were gone, and in their place was something so much brighter. A table full of friends, a new beginning.
And the man sitting beside her, with a smile that could make her heart melt.
Natalie felt a wave of gratitude so strong it took her breath away. Not just for everyone else in the room, but for herself, too: the strength she hadn’t even known she possessed until she needed it the most.
Somebody passed her a plate, and Natalie realized they were all ready to begin. Luke caught her eye and leaned closer, his expression grave. “Remember, sides will only slow you down.”
Natalie laughed, a real belly laugh. Earl made the first slice in the turkey, and as if hearing a starter’s pistol, all the Kinsella siblings reached to grab the nearest dish.
“Now, let’s eat!”
11
They ate for hours, until Natalie was very glad she’d picked a loose dress to wear instead of those tight jeans.
“Everyone just ignore the fact my top button is undone,” Alice groaned, sitting back in her chair.
“You should have said so—I’d have loaned you a pair of my maternity pants!” Lila told her. She tugged her waistband. “See: tons of extra room.”
Natalie eyed Luke, who was wolfing down his third—or was that fourth?—slice of pie. “How?” she asked in amazement. “Why?”
He grinned. “All our training paid off. I couldn’t have done it without you.”
She laughed, feeling warm and full and so relaxed, she could have nodded off next to the fireplace—just like Earl had done.
Cassie got up and moved closer to Earl, until Jackson stopped her with a warning. “Hey.”
“What? It’s tradition!” Cassie protested. “Fall asleep around here at your own peril.”
Natalie arched an eyebrow. “Do I want to know?” she asked Luke.
He shook his head, looking mischievous. “We maybe have a habit of . . . pranking any Kinsella unlucky enough to snooze in public.”
“Uh-oh.”
“One time, Aidan had been driving all night and passed out on the couch,” Cassie said with a pixie’s smile. “He woke up with a Sharpie moustache. And horns.”
“But that was ages ago,” Luke added hurriedly. He adopted a mock-serious look. “We’re all mature, grown adults now.”
Jackson barked out a laugh. “It was last year!”
“Still, let Earl sleep in peace,” Luke said. “Temporary peace accord, for Thanksgiving.”
“You’re just saying that before the pie kicks in and you take a nap,” Cassie said as she began to clear the plates.
Natalie rose to help out. “Please, sit, you’re a guest,” Luke insisted, but she shook her head.
“Let me help. All I’ve done tonight is stir a sauce.”
“And brought us these amazing chocolates,” Lila added. She reached for another, caramel smeared on her chin. “Somebody take them away before I eat them all.”
“My pleasure.” Alice whipped them out of reach.
“Hey! I didn’t mean it!”
Natalie smiled, following Cassie into the kitchen, where she was stacking dishes by the sink. “Don’t worry about actually cleaning anything,” Cassie said. “We always make the guys do that. One family tradition worth keeping, don’t you think?”
“I won’t argue with that.”
Natalie set the things down, and when she looked up, she found Cassie staring at her thoughtfully. “You’re not how I imagined,” Cassie said.
Natalie blinked. “I didn’t know you imagined anything.”
Cassie gave a shrug. “I guess coming so soon after Jess, I was expecting someone . . . I don’t know. Sweet and biddable. Whoops, I shouldn’t have said anything,” she added, looking anything but apologetic. “You do know about Jess, don’t you?”
Natalie gazed back evenly. “Would you care if I didn’t?”
Cassie broke into a grin. “See, like I said. You’re definitely not biddable.” Then her expression turned serious again. “Luke is the best guy I know,” she said quietly. “He’s kind and good and loyal. Well, usually.”
Another pointed look. Clearly, Cassie was holding a grudge about the end of Luke’s last relationship, but Natalie wasn’t going to get in the middle of that.
“I agree,” she said pleasantly. “Which is why I’m dating him.”
Just then, Luke appeared in the doorway. He looked back and forth between them. “Everything OK?” he asked.
“Fine and dandy,” Cassie said, “I’ve just been telling Natalie some old family stories. The really embarrassing ones.”
Natalie played along. “Yes, she’s been spilling all your secrets.”
“Like what happened at your thirteenth birthday party,” Cassie added, and Luke’s eyes widened in panic.
“No!”
Natalie laughed at his reaction. “She didn’t,” she reassured him. “But now I’m curious.”
Luke shook his head. “We’ll take it to the grave, won’t we?” He shot Cassie a warning look.
“Fine, fine.” She gave an exaggerated sigh. “You and Jackson are no fun anymore. What do they put in the water in this town, anyway? You’re all pairing off.”
“Better watch out, or you’ll find somebody too,” Luke teased.
“Ha!” Cassie snorted. “I’d like to see someone who can handle me.”
“Don’t you think that says more about you than anyone else?” Luke shot back, and Natalie could have sworn she saw Cassie’s smile waver.
Maybe his sister wasn’t as invincible as she liked to make out.
Then Cassie yawned. “Aren’t you late getting started on the dishes?” she asked. “You’ll be up all night.”
“What a shame, I have to take Natalie home now,” Luke said, breaking into a grin. “And Jackson is heading out with Alice, too, so looks like you’re the one who needs to get your ass into gear.” He tossed a dishcloth at her and pulled Natalie out of the room to the sounds of Cassie’s protests.
“Maybe we should stay,” she said, feeling guilty. “And help with the cleanup . . .”
Luke smiled. “Believe me, she’s been skipping out on dish duty her whole life. This is just making up for lost time. Besides,” he added, his smile turning sultry. “Would you rather scrub dirty dishes, or have me drive you home . . . Alone?”
Natalie’s pulse skipped.
OK, so maybe it made her a bad person, but who could resist a choice like that? She remembered—vividly—what happened the last time Luke had walked her to her door, and already, her blood ran hotter, imagining his lips on hers . . . his body pressing closer . . . his hands—
“You’re right,” she managed to reply, her cheeks flushing. “Cassie can handle cleanup on her own.”
* * *
They said their goodbyes and headed out in Luke’s truck, making their way back along the winding, dark highway. Natalie was glad she’d decided to walk to dinner; an awkward goodbye as she got back behind the wheel didn’t have the same romance as Luke’s headlights cutting through the dark and the cool breeze whipping through the open window. They chatted easily about his family and gossip from town, but Natalie found it hard to focus, the curl of anticipation twisting tighter in her bloodstream.
All she could think about was kissing him again.
Luke parked in front of the store. “So . . .” he began, drawing out the word.
Natalie was trying to come up with a pretext to invite him up. At least, something subtler than just, Kiss me now. “Would you like some tea?” she asked, and then immediately scolded herself.
How much more obvious could she get?
“I’d love some,” Luke said immediately. “Or maybe some of that amazing hot chocolate you were drinking the other night?”
“Done
,” she said as they got out of his truck. “But it might take a little while.”
Luke’s eyes met hers in the darkness. “I’m sure we’ll think of a way to fill the time.”
Natalie’s heart skipped.
She was already flushing as she unlocked the door and let him upstairs, flipping on the lights when they reached the apartment. “I know it’s small,” she said, self-conscious about the compact rooms. She’d done her best to make things cozy, with a brightly-patterned throw over the old armchair and some oil paintings she’d found in a thrift store, hanging on the wall. “But I don’t need much space, and it’s right above the shop . . .”
“It’s perfect.” Luke cut her off. He added a wry smile. “You’re talking to the guy who’s crashing in his grandfather’s old garage, remember?”
“Oh, right.” Natalie relaxed. Somehow, Luke always found a way to put her at ease. “Have you thought about finding a place of your own?” she asked, crossing to the narrow galley kitchen and fetching down her favorite brass double-boiler pan. She might not have much in the way of home decoration, but her kitchen cabinets were stuffed to bursting.
“I’ve been asking around.” Luke leaned against a counter, watching as she collected the ingredients and set out two huge mugs. “I’d love more space and a workshop for my furniture. Not to mention the privacy,” he added with a roguish smile. “But the truth is, Earl is getting older. I’m not so sure about leaving him on his own.”
Natalie looked up. “You’re worried he might have another stroke?”
“Or a fall, or some emergency when nobody’s around.” Luke’s smile faded. “I know he seems pretty healthy, but he can be stubborn as hell. He wouldn’t ask for help even if he needed it. So, me and Jackson figure as long as one of us is around . . . We’ll have things covered.”
“You’re a good grandson,” Natalie said. But of course, she shouldn’t be surprised. Luke had proven time and time again that he cared about his family and the people in his life. No matter how casually he tried to play it—shrugging now, as if it was no big deal—he was more than the good-time guy he made himself out to be.
“I’ve had enough of my family to last the night,” Luke said, changing the subject. “Now tell me, how do we make this chocolatey marvel?”
Natalie laughed. “It’s simple. So simple, I need to swear you to secrecy, so people don’t just make their own instead of buying it from the shop.”
Luke made a motion of zipping his mouth shut. “My lips, sealed.”
His lips . . .
Natalie dragged her eyes away from his mouth. Instead, she opened up a package of dark chocolate, flooding the room with a rich, bitter smell.
Luke moved closer, as if drawn by the scent. His shoulder brushed hers, and Natalie felt the heat ricochet through her whole body, sparking every nerve in her body to life.
“We just need this to melt,” she explained, although she was already well on her way to molten. She broke pieces into the top part of the saucepan, and set the bottom half with a thin layer of water to boil, trying to focus on the task. “Add some spices and cream, let it simmer, and voila!”
Luke stole a piece and placed it on his tongue. “Wow, that’s intense,” he said, tasting. He caught her eye, and Natalie wondered if he meant the chocolate or the chemistry that was buzzing between them, electric in the tiny kitchen.
“It’s ninety percent cocoa solids,” Natalie blurted, feeling breathless. “Most candy bars are only ten or twenty percent.”
“Is that so?” Luke’s voice dropped to a seductive rasp. He was still watching her with that steady gaze that took her breath away, but this time, she was close enough to feel the hot whisper of his breath; see every eyelash framing his dark, liquid eyes.
Luke reached out and gently brushed a lock of hair from her eyes. His fingertips skimmed across her cheek, and she inhaled at the rush. It felt like every cell in her body was suddenly craving him, aching for him.
And when he kissed her, Natalie felt like she’d been waiting all her life for the feel of his mouth against hers.
Yes . . .
Sweet and hot, firm and tender. Their lips found each other, searching; their tongues slid in a seductive dance. Natalie sank into his embrace with a blissful sigh, wondering what had taken her so long.
Wondering why she spent a single moment not kissing this man.
Luke backed her up against the counter, taking her face between his hands. He kissed her so slowly, so thoroughly, that Natalie was left trembling in his arms. She reached up, locking her arms around his neck, holding on for dear life as the kiss turned scorching.
Hotter. Wilder. Deeper.
Luke pulled her closer, his hands roving over her body now, and Natalie couldn’t hold back. She slid her hands over the broad planes of his shoulders, savoring every ridge and blade of muscle beneath his sweater and pressing eagerly into his touch. His palm slid higher, across the swell of her breast, and she moaned against his mouth, shameless. Wanting him.
He lifted her, setting her on the edge of the countertop, his mouth moving now to kiss a blazing trail down her bare neck. Natalie wrapped her legs around his waist, cradling him close against her. Even through the layers of their clothing she could feel him, hot and hard, and she arched against him, moaning again as her dress bunched on her thighs, his hands moving higher, and his mouth found that sweet spot, right there above her collarbone.
She wanted to lose herself in his touch and never come up for air. She wanted—
A strange whistling noise cut through her lusty daze.
Luke broke away, looking as dazed and breathless as she felt. His hair was ruffled and his shirt was askew.
I did that, Natalie thought with pride, and she reached for him again, ready to continue the job. But Luke stepped back.
“Is something burning?” he asked, his expression turning to a frown.
Natalie blinked.
“The chocolate!” she exclaimed, leaping down from the counter. She rushed to the stove, snatching the smoking pot from the flame and hurling it fast into the sink.
But not fast enough. Suddenly, the fire alarm started wailing in a deafening siren. Natalie froze, stunned at the noise.
“Quick, open the window!” Luke yelled. He grabbed a dishcloth and fanned around the alarm console, trying to disperse the smoke.
Natalie rushed around every window in the apartment, flinging them wide, but the sound only seemed to grow louder.
“Why won’t it stop?” Luke yelled.
“I don’t know!” she yelled back. “It’s linked to the system downstairs, for industrial fires!”
Somewhere, her phone began to ring.
Natalie dug it from her jacket pocket, but she could barely hear the voice on the other end of the line.
“. . . emergency . . . confirm . . . OK?”
“No, it’s fine!” she tried yelling. “False alarm!”
“. . . send someone . . . safety . . .”
“Really,” she begged at full volume. “Please don’t send the fire trucks. It’s a false alarm!”
The noise suddenly cut, leaving her voice echoing clear across the square.
“I think they heard you,” Luke said with a chuckle. He’d climbed up on the counter, still waving his dishcloth, trying to wrench the alarm from the wall.
Natalie exhaled, sinking back against the wall. Her ears were ringing, and her heart was still racing from the shock . . . And Luke’s kisses, too.
Just when things were finally heating up between them!
Luke hopped down. “I know things were getting pretty steamy back there,” he said with a wry grin. “But that’s the first time I’ve had a date literally go up in smoke.”
“I’m just glad the alarm went off when it did,” Natalie said, looking around. Sure, it was a small apartment, but she preferred it un-burned. “I’d completely forgotten about that pan.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Luke flashed her a heart-stopping smi
le, and suddenly, Natalie remembered exactly what—or rather, who—had been distracting her from the flame.
Her stomach did another slow flip. But now that she’d had a chance to catch her breath, Natalie hesitated.
Just where did Luke think tonight was leading?
As if reading her mind, he straightened his shirt. “I should probably be getting back,” he said, running a hand through the hair where Natalie’s fingers had been buried only moments before. “Before we send the whole building up in flames.”
“You probably should,” she agreed, relieved that he didn’t mind putting the brakes on things . . . At least for tonight. She wasn’t ready to take things further just yet. Even so, she couldn’t resist leaning up on her tiptoes and claiming his mouth for one more kiss, pressing close to savor the feel of him. The bittersweet, rich taste . . .
“But you never got your hot chocolate!” Natalie realized, pulling away.
Luke grinned. “I’ll take another rain check,” he said, holding her close. “Along with that free-for-all in the store.”
“You remember that, huh?” Natalie teased, looping her arms around his waist.
“How could I forget?” Luke smiled down at her, then pressed a soft kiss on her forehead. “How about you and me give this date thing another try?” he asked, heading for the door. “This time, no family chaperones.”
“Or interruptions from the fire department,” Natalie added.
“Saturday?”
She nodded happily. “Saturday. I can’t wait.”
12
But Natalie had to wait. At least through a long, restless night, caught up in aching sensual dreams that left her panting. Just what might have happened if that fire alarm hadn’t sounded when it did . . .
What might still happen with Luke on their next date . . .
Natalie’s imagination ran riot, and she was almost relieved when her alarm sounded at seven a.m., calling her up for the morning walk she’d somehow agreed to with Alice.
“Remind me again why we thought this was a good idea?” Alice met her in the Sweetbriar square, bundled up in a coat and scarf against the early chill.
