Gambling on Love (Stories of Serendipity #6)

by Anne Conley

  She seemed to regain a little strength when the door closed behind them. “Is this real, Luke? Did he dose me? Am I hallucinating?” She was taking in her surroundings with a look akin to awe, and Luke felt a pang in his chest. She’d done some stupid shit this week, but she was okay. And she was all his. And he loved her for her, stupid shit and all.

  He took her in his arms. “Kathy, I don’t know what you’ve been through, but I’m here now. I’ve got you, and I refuse…” He pulled back to look into her blue eyes. “I absolutely refuse to let go of you this time. So whatever scheme you’ve got planned next, you’d better count me in. Because I’m not going any-fucking-where without you.”

  “I need a bath.”

  Not exactly what he had in mind, but okay. “Gotcha. Sit here, and I’ll go draw one.”

  He left her on the bed, and went into the bathroom to run a bath. The tub was enormous, just like she liked it. He filled it with some complementary bath bubbles and set the temperature to hot. When he turned to go back into the bedroom, he ran into Kathy.

  “I was remembering our bathtub escapades earlier today…. Or was it yesterday?” Her voice was soft. Far-away.

  “Kathy, honey. I’m a little worried about you. Let’s get in the tub and we’ll go to bed. We can talk after we’ve rested.” Now that he knew she was safe, his own fatigue was settling in. He wiped at his eyelids, resisting the urge to yawn.

  “I’m so sorry, Luke.” Her bottom lip trembled, and he was afraid she would start crying again. He swiped at her lip, smoothing it, before he leaned in and kissed her gently.

  Suddenly surrounded by the familiar sensations of Kathy, her feel, her taste, her sounds, Luke forgot he was trying to be a gentleman, and pulled her closer to him. He nibbled at her lips, he hadn’t tasted them in months, and suckled at her tongue, before swooping in and claiming her mouth with a kiss that grew from tinder to a flame in a matter of seconds. Hot desire surged through him as he surrounded himself with the sensations of Kathy.

  Kathy moaned into his mouth, and pressed up against him, her hands snaking up his shoulder and into his hair, pulling him closer. The exquisite sting of hair-pulling lent itself to his pulling her flush against his now raging hard-on.

  Breathless, he broke the kiss. “Kathy…I didn’t intend this tonight. Let’s get you into the bath. Come on. I’ll wash you.” Slowly, he slipped her dress over her head and looked her over for bruises. He saw a small cut on the back of her waist, but it wasn’t much, so he decided to ask about it later. His fingers unclasped her bra, and he resisted the supreme need to squeeze her stunning tits. Slipping off her panties, he managed to stop at a small whiff, while his face was close. All in all, he was proud of his restraint.

  He led her to the tub by the hand. “Come on, honey. Let’s get you in the bath.” He was still worried about her. She seemed so spacey, which was unlike Kathy. Sure, she wasn’t always “with-it,” but she normally gave off this effervescent energy, and he couldn’t find that right now.

  She slipped into the tub, easing into the hot water, and Luke watched as she submerged her skin inch by delicious inch. Her eyes rose to his, and she sleepily asked, “Get in with me?”

  She didn’t have to ask him twice. He told himself it would be easier to wash her well, as he shrugged out of his gift-shop tee shirt and sweat pants, but the erection springing free gave him away. Kathy didn’t seem to notice though, and that worried him, causing his little buddy to shrivel slightly.

  As soon as he slipped in behind her, Kathy exhaled a deep breath and turned to snuggle into the crook of his arm. Her eyes shut, and she fell asleep almost immediately. Luke was smacked with the sudden realization that she needed the security of him. That’s when it dawned on him. She felt safe with him. Whatever had happened in the last forty-eight hours was over, and she was with him. Safe. It was humbling, and he felt a certain sense of pride swell inside him.

  Being careful not to waken her, Luke washed Kathy the best he could. He rested her head on his thighs and he washed and rinsed her hair, then conditioned it. She was a rag doll that he maneuvered around in the water, as he washed every inch of her body, taking liberties that only brought a small sense of guilt as she was sleeping so soundly.

  She woke briefly, when he got her out and dried her off, but was asleep minutes after he put her in the soft king-sized bed and pulled her body in to his. Only after making sure she was warm, clean and comfortable did he allow himself to succumb to sleep.

  Chapter 8

  Light streamed in the windows, as Luke gazed down on Kathy’s sleeping form. They’d slept most of the morning, and now, as she stirred, he watched her face relaxed with slumber. Her light lashes rested on high cheek bones, and her pert nose was dusted with a light smattering of freckles. He knew that was the only place on her body with freckles. The rest of her skin was creamy white. Her mouth was small, but her lips full, and Luke didn’t even try to stop the wayward thoughts about what Kathy could do with the delightful orifice.

  Luke had never been a huge guy, not like his brother Connor. But he was big enough to dwarf Kathy’s delicate frame. They fit together perfectly. When standing, his head rested perfectly on top of hers, and when he wrapped his arms around her, Kathy’s soft curves fit inside the recesses of his body flawlessly. They were perfect together.

  Now, as he watched her awaken, Luke was overwhelmed with the feeling of perfection and it had nothing to do with the lavish surroundings, although Kathy looked exquisite, snuggled in the high quality bedding with the gold-toned furnishings, as a backdrop to her fair skin. She fairly glowed in bed next to him. It was the “next to him” part that was perfect, though. Luke knew in that moment that he hadn’t been mistaken in his quest across country for her.

  She belonged to him.

  He reached out to stroke the smooth skin of her cheek and watched her eyelids flutter open. Her thoughts were transparent in her sleep-haze, and Luke watched her look around the room. Memories of last night flit across her face, followed by shame as she found his eyes.

  They searched his eyes, and Luke let them, knowing she needed to work some things out on her own. He had gambled with her ultimatum, and lost. With no way of knowing how far she had gotten in her quest for a father for the child she so desperately wanted, Luke let her emotions play across her face as Kathy watched him, while her memories of last night filled her. He reached out for a tendril of her hair, wanting some sort of physical connection between them. His fingertips caressed the silkiness of the strand of hair, while they watched each other, unspoken words hanging between them. He needed to apologize to her, and he needed her to be his. Now.

  After a silence that seemed eternal, Luke finally spoke.

  “Let me try again, okay? I’m sorry for making you feel insecure in our relationship, for not giving you what you needed from me. I want to spend the rest of my life taking care of you. I want you to have my babies. I’ll start right now, if you want. I want you to marry me. I will do whatever it takes to make you happy, Kathy. You own me, my body, my soul. You always have. Please don’t leave me like that again?”

  Luke watched, as yearning filled her face, and he smiled at her. Hopefully an encouraging smile. He wanted her to realize he spoke the truth; he would do anything to make her happy. Heart pounding, he waited, while she thought about what he said, chewing on her bottom lip in thought. When she wasn’t forthcoming with an answer, he tried again.

  “Okay, how about this? I have an appointment for us at a chapel down the strip, with Marilyn and Elvis. Your dream wedding. We’ll go down and buy you a dress, while I get some clothes, and you can spend some time in the salon, if you want, just to get some pampering in. Then we’ll go get married. Today. I love you, Kathy. I was scared of the fatherhood thing. I won’t lie, but I’ve realized that I can do it, with you next to me. I can do anything with you next to me. I can’t wake up another morning without you next to me.” When she still didn’t answer, he grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her
face close to his. “Say yes. Don’t make me lose my deposit.”

  She still hadn’t spoken since she’d opened her eyes. That coupled with her unresponsiveness last night would have seriously worried him, if she hadn’t kissed him, finally.

  Her soft lips nibbled at his, and he moved his lips, slowly and possessively over hers until she opened up and he claimed her mouth. His tongue moved in and out of her mouth, tangling with hers, until his senses were reeling. The interior of her mouth was hot, spreading warmth across him. The taste of her sleepiness, mixed with rising passion was heady. There had been a piece of him that wasn’t sure he’d ever get to do this again, and relief flooded through him as he clutched her body and pulled her closer. She was still naked from her bath last night, as Luke had just transferred her dried body to the bed from the bathroom. And he certainly hadn’t bought a pair of pajamas in the gift shop to wear for decency’s sake. As realization of their state of undress dawned on her, Luke felt her respond in his arms, as she began wiggling against him.

  He broke off the kiss before it could go any further, and rested his forehead on hers. He could feel her heart pounding against his chest, and her breathing was ragged, just like his.

  “What do you say, Kathy? I realize I’m not the best at proposals, but please?”

  She finally spoke, and her words held an air of helplessness. “I feel so stupid, Luke.”

  Ignoring the fact that she still hadn’t answered him, he kissed the tip of her nose. “You shouldn’t feel stupid. You were desperate. And it’s my own fault. I was trying to surprise you, but I went about it all wrong. You threw down the gauntlet, and instead of agreeing to your terms, I got pissed that you’d messed up my surprise. I acted like a child.”

  “I’m sorry…”

  “I’m sorry, too. We both made some mistakes, but we’ll get through them together, right?” She still hadn’t said yes, and it was making him more than a little nervous.

  “About last night…I’ve done some stuff here that—”

  “I don’t care about what you did last night.” He was lying; he cared a lot if someone else had touched her. “We’ll talk about that later. I’ll do whatever you need me to make everything right.” It was killing him that she hadn’t answered him. “Say yes, Kathy. Please? I’m dying here.”

  She smiled at him, and he saw her eyes were glassy with tears. “Okay.”

  “It’s not the earth shattering squeal of pleasure that I’d hoped for, but it will do.”

  Kathy was acting sort of shy, which was new to Luke. Her cheeks were flushed, and he wasn’t sure if it was from pleasure or what, but he kissed her to quell any thoughts of taking back her tepid agreement to his proposal. Her response reassured him that she wanted to be his as badly as he needed her. Before long, her limbs were entwined with his, her hot sex pressed against his thigh and her hands were toying with his ever-present morning erection. He couldn’t stop kissing her though, so he spoke to her with his mouth against hers.

  “Settle down a little, sugar. The next time we make love, I’d like for you to be my wife.” Reluctantly, he pulled away, trying to still her hands. “Get dressed, and I’ll take you shopping. You need a new dress.”

  He winked at the eager smile she flashed him, feeling better about the situation, before dressing in his gift shop clothes. When she raised an eyebrow at him, he shrugged. “We’ve both got some explaining to do, but we’ll have story time after we’re married. We’ll get room service and make an evening of it.” He dropped a quick kiss on her cheek and steered her toward her luggage, ignoring the way her eyes glazed with guilt when he spoke. He was dying to know what she’d gotten up to in Vegas, but honestly wasn’t sure he could handle it.

  The Bellagio had an assortment of clothing boutiques, so he dropped Kathy off at one, telling the associate he would come back and pay for whatever she picked out. He went to a men’s wear store and picked out a pair of jeans, a tee shirt, and a black dress shirt with slacks, trying not to think about how long it would take to pay off this particular credit card. It could definitely be considered living expenses. He couldn’t live without Kathy.

  Picking her up at her store, Luke paid, not even batting an eye at the price tag, before dropping her off at the spa and pre-paying for her to have a deluxe package: massage, hair, nails and makeup. He left her there with the promise of picking her up for the wedding and left on his mission to find the perfect ring for her. They had four hours until the wedding.

  Kathy was overwhelmed. Luke had been her prince, since the moment she’d seen him last night in the stanky hall outside her hotel room door, taking her breath away with his desperate appearance. He’d looked so pitiful, sitting there, with his head cradled in his hands. When he’d looked up at her, she’d seen the red-rimmed eyes, the stubble on his unshaven cheeks, his hair standing on end, looking like he’d just rolled out of bed.

  But he’d taken care of her. Kathy had wanted to stop him, to tell him that she wasn’t worth his ministrations. As he’d packed her things and gotten her out of hell, she’d desperately wanted to tell Luke that she’d been shopping around for someone to have sex with, to have a baby. She’d wanted to tell him she was a stupid cow, who’d let herself be robbed. Of everything.

  But she hadn’t. And now, he’d proposed and was planning an afternoon wedding and pampering her and she still hadn’t told him what he was getting into. He didn’t know she had been so unfaithful to him. So stupid. He said he didn’t want her to tell him now, but she could see the haunted look in his eyes whenever it came up. He wanted to know, and it was killing him.

  Kathy knew she wanted to marry him. She hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him since she’d gotten here. Since before that, even. She wanted Luke to be the father of her baby. She wanted him to be her husband and spend the rest of her life with him. She wanted the whole package with Luke. She just wasn’t sure if he would want it with her if he knew what she’d done.

  Now, as she stood here, in the wedding chapel, Kathy looked at Luke standing next to her with nothing but love in his eyes. Love for her. She put her wayward thoughts aside, and forced herself to be happy in spite of her guilt. Luke was stunningly handsome. He was dressed simply in black slacks and a black shirt, but the dark colors set off the deep tan that came from working outdoors year-round. It emphasized his strength, the nearly platinum highlights in his blonde hair, his crystalline blue eyes that sparkled at her, as if they could read her thoughts, and found her inadequacies laughable.

  Looking around the room, Kathy felt a bubble of happiness despite her misgivings about Luke making a colossal mistake. Elvis was standing in as the best man, and Marilyn Monroe was the maid of honor. The look-alikes were amazing, and in the small time she’d been on the strip, Kathy had seen some doozies. Their Elvis was an early Elvis, wearing black jeans and a leather jacket. Marilyn was dressed in a black dress, reminiscent of Some Like it Hot. Kathy liked that they weren’t the typical icons she’d seen everywhere else. The chapel was small but tastefully decorated, and perfect. Candles and twinkling lights dotted the aisles and behind the pulpit, where a small fatherly man wearing a cleric’s collar stood, watching her expectantly.

  Kathy took a deep breath and looked again at Luke. His face was filled with hope and uncertainty, and guilt ripped through Kathy again. She looked at the preacher. “Can we have a minute?”

  He nodded. “You guys have the place for an hour.”

  Kathy took Luke’s hand and led him out to the empty foyer.

  “Luke, I need to tell you what happened before we do this.”

  He ran a hand through his hair, turning the stylish messiness into just plain messiness. It did nothing to detract from his handsome features.

  “Did you sleep with anybody else, Kathy?”

  Eyes wide, she shook her head emphatically. “No, but—”

  Luke exhaled a pent-up breath and put a finger over her mouth. “Then I don’t want to know right now. I know why you were here. I know your
intentions, Kathy. It doesn’t matter. I take the blame. I’m the one who told you to go have your baby. I should have realized at the time that you would take me up on it. As long as there’s no way you’re pregnant with another man’s child, we don’t have anything to discuss right now. It can wait.” He pulled Kathy close, and as always, her heart pounded at the feel of his hard body against hers. “I. Want. To. Marry. You. Please, can we just do this? Then I’ll make love to you, until my dick stops throbbing. I’ll plant my baby inside you. And then we’ll talk. I promise. Okay? Stop thinking so much.”

  His words took her breath away and sent moist warmth pooling in her nether regions. Speechless, she nodded.

  “You take my breath away. Every time I look at you. Every time you speak, you say what I’m thinking. Every little noise you make, makes me want you more. When you look at me, I see my future, Kathy.” His hand clasped hers and he brought it to his lips and kissed the knuckles, his lips soft and warm. “My future is you, hon. I want that future.” Still holding her hand in his, he led her back into the small chapel to the front, where the preacher was waiting.

  As the preacher delivered his non-denominational message about sharing hopes and dreams with God’s will in mind, Kathy’s eyes wandered from Luke, to Marilyn, to Elvis. It was her dream wedding.

  Marilyn winked at Kathy, and flashed dazzling smiles every time their eyes met, and Elvis had a habit of swinging his hips around when he caught her looking at him. They were both subtle, not the over-the-top impersonators she’d glimpsed briefly on the strip. She smiled inwardly at the moment being captured in her mind, and wished her friends could be here with her.

  When her gaze landed back on Luke, he was smiling at her fondly, his eyes twinkling. A warmth filled Kathy’s bones. She knew this was right, yet she couldn’t wait for it to end. To be Mrs. Luke Wright.