by Skylar Hill
“I did make a few calls to some key investors he was courting, though,” Hunter added, a mischievous grin flitting across his face.
“Oh, please tell me they dropped all interest in his business,” Luke said.
“Last I heard, he was still trying to get start-up money,” Hunter snickered.
“You’re a good friend, Hunter,” Luke said. “I’m glad she has you.”
“So what have you got planned for her?” Hunter asked. “Something good, I hope.”
“I’m taking her on a little trip.”
“You’re going on a road trip for your second date?” Hunter raised a skeptical brow.
Luke grinned, thinking about what he had planned for Nora, an almost fizzy feeling sprouting in his chest. This woman was making him feel all sorts of things he’d never felt again. All he could think of was the smile on her face when he revealed what he had planned.
“It’s a little more complicated than a road trip.”
Three
Nora
When a black town car pulled up in front of her apartment, Nora didn’t quite know what to expect. Luke had told her he’d be sending her a car, so she grabbed her big leather tote and locked up her apartment.
“Are you Ms. Phillips?” The driver, an older man, had gotten out of the car and was leaning against the door when Nora came down her apartment building’s steps.
“That’s me,” she said.
“Lucas Stone sent me,” the man said with a smile. “I’m Bert.”
“Nice to meet you, Bert.” She smiled. “I don’t suppose you can give me a hint at where we’re going?”
He smiled. “Luke said you’d try to get information out of me. I’m under strict instructions not to tell you anything.”
Nora grinned. “He’s taking this whole surprise thing to a whole other level,” she said.
“Luke likes his surprises,” Bert agreed, opening the door for her.
She slipped inside, the leather seats cool against her skinny jeans as she sat down.
“Have you worked for Luke long?” she asked as Bert started the engine and pulled onto the street. She liked that Luke’s employees called him by his first name. That spoke of a closeness and lack of formality that appealed to her. Sure, he was the Boss with a capital B, but he wasn’t tyrannical. His employees probably loved him rather than fearing him.
“Ever since he opened the foundation,” Bert said. “I was actually part of the first program the Stone Foundation gave money to. That’s how Luke and I met, and he offered me a job after.”
“Oh, so you worked for a nonprofit before?” Nora asked.
Bert laughed. “Actually, I was the one needing help. The first project the foundation funded was a job-training program for the homeless. When I entered the program, I’d been homeless for almost ten years.”
Nora couldn’t stop the surprised expression on her face, and then immediately felt bad at her shock that this well-groomed, sweet older man had once been. That was just a preconceived notion—and she definitely needed to work on that.
“Wow,” she said. “I’m so glad you were able to get back on your feet.”
“Me too,” Bert said. “It can be a big challenge, especially when it comes to homeless vets like myself and members of the community struggling with mental illness. I got very lucky.”
“But you also found the strength to ask for help, and you got it,” Nora said. “Which can be incredibly hard. I think that’s so brave. What you’ve accomplished is amazing, Bert,” she said. “Not only did you serve our country, but after losing everything, you found a way to build a new life, connected to a community that still needs your help.”
“Thank you,” Bert smiled at her in the rear view mirror. “I can see why he likes you,” he said. “You’re a very thoughtful young woman.”
She blushed, glancing out the window, realizing that during their conversation, they had headed out of the city… and toward the airport. Where in the world was Luke taking her? Surely they weren’t getting on a plane? That seemed so… impossible. She felt a little thrill in her stomach at the thought.
She and Bert continued to chat as he drove to their mysterious destination. When he finally pulled up to a private airstrip, she couldn’t ignore the butterflies in her chest—especially when she caught sight of Lucas standing there on the pavement.
Bert pulled to a stop in front of a gleaming white twenty-seater jet. “He’s been very excited planning this date,” he said with a wink at Nora. “Have fun.”
“Thanks so much for the ride, Bert—and the chat,” Nora said, grabbing her bag and getting out of the car.
The air was crisp and just a little windy as Luke came walking toward her, a smile on his handsome face. He looked so happy to see her, Just as if her presence alone made him feel good.
They’d been texting nonstop since their last date. She had no idea where he found the time, since he was clearly a busy man.
He made the time, she thought to herself, feeling so pleased at such a little thing.
“Hey! Was the drive okay?” he asked.
“Bert’s lovely,” she said, as Bert waved at them from the car before driving off.
“He’s a great guy,” Luke said. “He and the foundation’s accountant just got married last June. Really sweet story. They both were crushing on each other for years before The Mistletoe Incident at the holiday party.”
“Oh my gosh, that’s adorable,” Nora said.
“I was best man at their wedding,” Luke said. “It was awesome. I always felt bad about not being able to be best man when Hunter and Margaux’s got married.”
“I was going to ask you why I didn’t see you at the wedding,” Nora said.
“I was in a skiing accident about a month before,” Luke said. “There were some complications.”
Nora frowned, as he continued, “There was a slight coma situation.”
“What?” Nora gasped, unable to stop the flash of absolute fear that went through her at the idea of him lying comatose in a hospital bed.
“It’s fine,” he reassured her. “I woke up after a few days. But the doctors made me stay in the hospital so long, I ended up missing the wedding.”
“That’s crazy,” Nora said.
“Well, I used to be a little wild,” he admitted. “Kind of reckless. I wasn’t exactly being very safe when I had my accident.”
“And now you’re… tame?” she asked.
A slow smile crept across his face and God, she felt like a sparkler had lit inside her, sending heat through her entire body. Luke had been the star of several dreams she’d had the past few nights. Dreams where she woke up hot and panting and reaching for that special Purely Pleasure toy in her nightstand drawer. And then her thoughts would turn to the crinkles at the corners of eyes and those big, capable hands of his, hands that would squeeze just right and tease just so.
“I try to be a little less reckless now,” he said. “Hey, I even use ropes when I rock climb.”
“The fact that you think that’s an improvement is hilarious,” she giggled. “I’ve done a little climbing at the gym, but I’ve never had the nerve to tackle a real mountain.”
“Oh, you should come out with me sometime. We’ll go bouldering or something easy. Or we can start at the gym. Portland has some really good climbing gyms.”
“I’d like that,” she said, and then she realized that they’d been standing there, in an honest-to-God airstrip, in front of a private jet, and she had been so distracted by him, but their conversation, by how he was open and charming and just… willing to share himself. “I totally forgot to ask why we’re here,” she said. “I’m sorry.”
“Never apologize for going off on a tangent,” he said. “I like sharing stuff with you.”
She could feel her cheeks getting hot. Stop turning so pink, dammit! Play it cool, Phillips!
“So, in the interest of sharing,” she said, adopting a very serious expression that he clearly saw right thr
ough because his gorgeous dark eyes were crinkling in amusement. “Where exactly are we going?”
“It’s a little bit of a trip,” he said. “But it’s worth it.”
“But where are we going?” she persisted.
He grinned. “Somewhere impossible.”
Four
Luke
She’d worn hiking boots.
He didn’t know why this struck him so. Maybe it was because they were worn and just a little muddy, and the laces were two different colors. Her jeans were making it very hard for him not to stare, clinging to her curves in the best way, and the plaid flannel shirt she had tossed over her t-shirt looked soft and comfortable.
This was the kind of woman who would go on adventures with him. Who’d think a steep hike was worth it for the amazing view, even if it was pouring rain for most of the trek. He wondered about her photography, if she took landscapes as well as portraits. He wanted to see them, to look at nature from her perspective.
His parents had raised him and Devlin to love the outdoors. In ways, both the Stone men had used the wilderness to escape: Luke by using Mother Nature’s dangers to challenge himself with extreme sports, and Devlin by using Her to disappear from society.
Now, he tried to appreciate the wonders of the world with a little more caution.
“This is amazing,” she said as they boarded the plane, being greeted by the plane’s steward, Harrison.
“Good morning, Mr. Stone, Ms. Phillips,” Harrison said with a smile. “Can I get you anything as we prepare to take off?”
“Champagne, please, thanks, Harrison,” Luke said, gesturing for Nora to take one of the seats, sitting down in the one facing hers.
“I feel very underdressed for such a fancy plane,” she commented with a wry grin.
“You look perfect,” he said and her eyes widened just a bit, like she was caught in the moment and in his gaze.
God, he wanted to kiss her. He was just about to lean forward when Harrison’s footsteps stopped him.
“Here you go, sir,” Harrison said.
“You really can’t call me Luke, Harrison?” he asked, grinning when Harrison sighed at their long-standing argument.
“It’s not proper, sir.”
“Fine, fine,” Luke said. “I can open the bottle, thanks.” He popped open the champagne, pouring some into the two glasses the steward had bought. “I share this plane with a few other people,” he explained. “Harrison’s great, but so formal. One of these days I’m gonna get that guy to crack a smile.”
“How long have you been trying?” Nora asked, taking the glass of champagne he offered her.
“Four years,” he said, making her laugh.
“You’re a determined man,” she said.
“When it’s something I want, yes. I’m very determined,” he said.
Her cheeks were getting pink again. They did that a lot, he was noticing. It was so damn cute. Did each particular shade mean a different emotion? Did she turn pink everywhere? He was dying to find out.
You cannot join the mile-high club with Nora, he told himself sternly. At least not until you’ve been dating awhile.
As the plane took off, they got into a discussion about their childhoods and what Hunter was like when he was little.
“See, I met him as a gangly pre-teen,” Luke said, still chuckling from her story of her and Hunter’s antics with a hornet’s nest and trying to remove it without hurting any of the insects. “You knew him when he was still short.”
“Oh, his growth spurt,” Nora groaned. “It’s like he grew a foot overnight. It was ridiculous.”
He took a sip of his champagne. “So what were you like when you were little?”
“Oh, sheesh,” she said, doing that flipping thing with her hair that always seemed so effortlessly hot. “I was very shy… until I wasn’t.”
There was something behind her words, a timbre to her voice that made him curious. “What happened?”
“My dad cheated on my mom when I was in middle school,” she said. “And she left him. Looking back, it was pretty damn brave, because she was a stay-at-home mom who had to start all over, and he had a lot of power and money. Which I think is why he thought he could pull what he did.”
“You mean the cheating,” he said.
“Well, yeah,” Nora said. “But also… he tried to get full custody of me. He actually offered her money if she signed over custody.”
Luke’s stomach tightened in horror. Who could do that to the mother of their child? To their child?
“It was a very messed-up situation,” Nora said. “My mom is a wonderful person. She never badmouthed my dad to me. She tried to keep the worst of it away from me. But my father…”
“He didn’t,” Luke finished.
“I wasn’t about to lose my mom,” Nora said. “So I skipped school the day of their custody hearing and I went into that room and I asked if I could say my piece, too.”
Luke couldn’t imagine the strength it must have taken to do that. “How old were you?” he asked.
“Twelve,” Nora said.
“That was so brave of you,” he said. “And so damn mature. I’m almost as impressed with baby Nora as I am with grown Nora.”
She smiled, a fond, soft little smile he hadn’t seen before. His fingers clenched with the effort of holding back from touching her. Instead of resisting this time, he reached over and took her hand, interlacing their fingers. Her smile grew even softer and sweeter, and it was like three shots of whiskey in a row—straight to his head and heart.
“I hope the judge listened to you,” he said.
“She did,” Nora said with a triumphant smile. “My mom got primary physical custody. I saw my Dad every other weekend—or rather, I was at my father’s home every other weekend. More often than not, he was away on business.”
So he hadn’t even wanted to be a parent. He’d just wanted to punish his wife for leaving him for being a cheating bastard, and used his daughter—his beautiful, smart, talented baby girl—as a weapon.
Luke hoped he never crossed paths with Nora’s father. He might have a hard time not punching the guy.
“We haven’t had much contact since I turned eighteen,” Nora said. “I tried reaching out when I was in college. I called every month. But he was just… not interested. It is what it is.” She shrugged, and there was hurt in her eyes, but it was the dull kind, like she’d accepted this part of her life. “Anyway, enough about me. What about you? What were you like as a little boy? Were you the daredevil even when you were younger?”
“Definitely,” he said. “I…um… well, my parents are gone,” he said. “You might’ve heard that.”
“I did,” she said, her green eyes dark with sympathy. “I’m sorry.”
Normally, it made him uncomfortable, how the world knew about his parents’ death. It had been a big deal, splashed across the headlines: THE KINCAID CURSE STRIKES AGAIN
His mother had been a Kincaid. Her family had been an old one, a rich one.
And according to legend, a cursed one. Her own father had died before she was born. And by the time she had grown up to inherit the vast family fortune, her mother had passed, too. She had been the only Kincaid left.
The curse thing was bullshit and ghoulish, and Luke pretty much hated it. His parents had died because of a faulty part on a plane that should’ve been checked more thoroughly, not because of a curse. Devlin had sued the airline and the manufacturer and the servicing company and increased their fortune even more with the settlement they’d received.
“I have a brother,” he said. “But he lives in Canada, so we don’t see each other as often as I’d like.”
He wanted to tell her the truth. Nora’s sweetness, the light in her, it made him want to open up, to be honest, to spill hurt that he thought he’d buried at her feet. But it certainly wasn’t second-date material.
“But I have Hunter,” he said. “He’s as good as a brother.”
“I feel that w
ay about Margaux and Holly, my roommate,” Nora said. “They got me through college, which was a little like getting me through a war sometimes.”
“Oh yeah?” he asked.
“I was very intense about my workload,” Nora said. “And my art.”
“You know, you keep getting my curiosity up about your photography… you’re gonna have to show me one of these days,” he teased.
She nibbled on her lower lip, and he could feel the heat clawing at his stomach like a wild thing. “Okay,” she said. “But just one.” She pulled out her phone and paged through her photos, her brow furrowing as she tried to decide which one to show him.
“This is from my Red Dust series,” she explained, handing her phone to him.
He glanced down at the screen, a slow kind of jolt—something new and different—filling him.
The photo was of a dancer, a woman, captured mid-leap against an entirely black wall. Her legs were stretched out, her arms raised in a motion that could only be described as yearning. All around her was red dust; in the air, no doubt kicked up from her dancing, coating her nude body, streaked across her once-pristine white silk pointe shoes, sprinkled across her long dark hair like flecks of nature herself.
It was bittersweet piece of art. Full of loss and looking and not finding. It was as if the ballerina was being consumed by her emotion, like she was coming apart, like she was the red dust.
So he told her so, watching as her green eyes—those endless pools of emerald—widened just a fraction, as if she was unused to being seen herself.
Was this how Nora felt? Like she was coming apart? Like her very self was disintegrating to dust?
He understood that feeling better than most. He’d woken up from that damn skiing accident and he knew things had to change or he’d end up killing himself. He could run away only so far before his demons caught up with him.
So he faced them instead. And it was hard, but it had been worth it.
“You’re very intuitive, aren’t you?” she asked, her head tilting as she took him in, and this time, he was the one feeling seen. Like she could burn through all the protective walls that grief and loss had built in him.
