Lucas: The Hunter Brothers Series

by L. J. Dee

  Jesus, that chaste kiss had been electrifying, lighting up my skin and I swallowed hard, forcing myself to look away, but not before noticing that Lucas looked almost as affected as I did.

  A sudden tap on the window startled me from my thoughts as I opened the door and jumped from the car, stepping out to shake Darren’s hand. “It’s amazing,” I gasped as he smiled broadly, turning and offering his outstretched hand to Lucas as he walked around the car and moved beside me. He placed his hand on the small of my back, heating the skin beneath my coat, that electrical surge I’d felt in the car running between us again as I looked up at him.

  “And here’s the man we all want to impress,” Darren smiled, standing and chatting about the technical aspects of the design and it was all I could do to keep up, way too distracted by Lucas’s fingers across the base of my spine which didn’t move for the next few minutes.

  I wasn’t sure if he knew the effect he was having on me, but after the night at the party and the debacle in his bathroom it seemed improbable. He knew full well how people responded to him, particularly women. Even those who tried not to openly swoon were seldom successful. He was powerful, entrancing, magnetic and beautiful, and all the things that I tried to ignore as we said our goodbyes to Darren and he offered his hand to help me back into the Range Rover.

  “I’m seriously impressed, Jessica. It’s late, have you eaten?” he asked, my growling stomach betraying my answer before I had the chance to voice it and I laughed, panicking suddenly that I had to get Dex.

  “No, but my sister has made me something. Would you mind dropping me at the tube?” I asked, watching the small smile that was playing around his mouth.

  “I’d like to take you to dinner as a professional thank you for a job well done,” he said as I smiled back.

  “I think any celebrations should be held off until midnight tomorrow,” I replied, disappointed that I couldn’t go, but delighted that he’d asked, whatever the reason.

  “Good point, Miss Evangelista, but I will be taking you home and not to the tube,” he said firmly as I nodded. Dex would be across the hall with Mrs Jones, tucking into pasta bake and well concealed from the eyes of my boss. I gave him my address.

  “I remember and I’ll be dropping you at your door tonight, Jessica, not a mile and a half down the road,” he said, raising his eyebrows as I looked away, wondering what the hell Lucas Hunter must make of me and my antics.

  We drove in relative silence as he returned a number of calls about business meetings abroad, one where he agreed to speak at a charity event, mergers and acquisitions, stock prices and legal battles and my head was absolutely spinning. I had no idea how he could compute such a huge amount of information, making instant decisions calmly and methodically without breaking a sweat. The man was like an unstoppable force as I tried and failed to keep up.

  “This is me,” I said almost apologetically, disappointed that the journey was at an end and certain he’d be less than impressed with my home, but if he was being judgemental he wasn’t showing it. I smiled inwardly, wondering what he’d have made of the shithole I lived in before. By comparison, the red fronted building I rented with Chas was like Buckingham Palace.

  “Goodnight, Jessica,” he said, smiling and leaning across to deliver another of those wonderful kisses as I shuddered deliciously.

  “Goodnight, Sir,” I smiled back, risking only one glance into those beautiful blues. Any longer and I feared I’d give away exactly what was on my mind, jumping out of the car, closing the door and waiting until he’d driven away to let the giant grin I’d been staving off all night, break across my face.

  CHAPTER 9

  The party was beyond my expectations as I stood at the top of the stairs watching the waiting staff in their flamboyant costumes, moving the canapés around the room significantly more graciously than I could have done. They were plying the guests with champagne as the estate agents got to work, selling to prospective clients all the benefits of what promised to be one of London’s premier addresses for the up and coming professional.

  Lucas and Charlie were still absent, but as the guests spilled between the rooms, marvelling at the exquisite features, I basked in the feeling of success, proud of what I’d created. Chas pulled up alongside me, tray in hand, passing me a glass of champagne and sporting a rather conservative cowgirl outfit; at least it was conservative for Chas.

  “I had you down for Mardi Gras, not the steakhouse,” I laughed as she grinned, pulling her signature shimmy.

  “I thought it should be the youngest Evangelista getting all the attention tonight and for all the right reasons,” she winked.

  “Well done, Sis. I mean it, this is incredible,” she smiled, nudging me as Charlie and Lucas strode through the main doors, both looking dazzling in three piece suits and laughing with one another. I could feel Chas watching me as I stared at Lucas, taking in the glorious vision and holding my breath as his face turned upwards and he caught my gaze, holding it for far too long before Charlie pulled him away.

  “Jess, what is going on with you and Hunter?”

  “Nothing,” I said as she shook her head in slow disbelief, pinning me in place with an intense stare that there was no wriggling away from.

  “Bullshit. That man just eye fucked you all over this landing,” she said as my eyebrows shot up in surprise. I’d felt the connection the same as I always had, but Chas had noticed now and I was more intrigued than ever. “Has he made a move on you?”

  “No,” I said quickly. “He’s my boss, Chas,” and a small smile played on her mouth.

  “Well, Jess, with looks like that it’s only a matter of time, boss or not,” she said as my heart fluttered, sneaking a glance down to Lucas. He was holding the attention of everyone in the small group of potential buyers that he was currently charming.

  “Chas, everyone looks at Lucas Hunter like that, see,” I gestured to the crowd as the women fawned all over him, flicking their hair or smiling sexily. They were all edging closer, trying to be the one to catch his gaze, desperate for an ounce of attention and frankly I didn’t blame them – I knew better than anyone the effect that man had.

  “Maybe, but Lucas Hunter isn’t looking at them the way he looked at you, Jess. That was hot and seriously undeniable.”

  I decided to voice my honest opinion. “I feel a connection, Chas. I always have, ever since that first night when my heel got stuck in the decking, but it’s complicated. He blows hot and cold and you know for a while there I thought he really hated me. Last night he kissed me twice on the cheek and he was utterly charming, so I’m confused. I can’t imagine for one second that Lucas Hunter would go for someone like me,” I sighed as Chas just stared at me with a slightly annoyed trout pout on her glossy pink lips.

  “You’re stunning, Jess, and you need to quit it with the insecurity shit,” she snapped as I raised my eyebrows and faced her head on.

  “I’m not insecure, Chas, I just don’t have the experience that you do. I had one boyfriend in high school and ever since then I’ve been bringing up a man not dating one. Even if I’d dated every day for the last five years, I doubt anything would have prepared me for a man like that. You said it yourself, Lucas Hunter is not just unobtainable, he’s untouchable,” I said, risking another glance at Lucas and flushing as I realised he was watching me too, and praying he couldn’t lip read. Chas caught it.

  “Well you might be romantically retarded, but take it from me - he definitely wants to touch you. So I can only guess that the reason he’s blowing hot and cold is because he’s a man wrestling with his feelings. As your boss he holds a level of authority, power and responsibility. If he tries something, you can haul him through the courts,” she said as I shook my head. If anything it would be me sexually harassing him.

  “What do I do?” I asked as she laughed.

  “Well if you fancy fucking that fine specimen, I suggest you find a way to get yourself fired,” she laughed as I shook my head.

&n
bsp; “Helpful,” I quipped sarcastically as she swanned off down the stairs and made a beeline straight for Charlie whose face lit up. Lucas looked once again at me. I took a deep breath, turning and walking towards the bedroom, engaging in conversation with the potential buyers through all the rooms of the second floor before I gathered enough courage to go downstairs.

  I felt him slide up behind me, the heat of his body and that masculine scent as he kissed my cheek, smiling broadly as he looked down at me. “The party is incredible, Jess. You’ve done a wonderful job and you look simply stunning tonight,” he said as I smiled back, warmed by his words. I was glad I’d chosen the simple black Armani dress that Patrick had let Chas borrow from the Elite collection. He’d seen it before on my sister, the night she balled him out, but I doubted he’d notice.

  Chas shimmied over, offering us both a glass of champagne as I watched her nervously. She had the telltale glint in her soft green eyes that suggested she was up to no good, and I held my breath as she opened her mouth to speak.

  “She’s done great hasn’t she, Lucas?” she beamed as he nodded.

  “She certainly has, I was just telling her,” he replied, casting me a broad smile and placing that warm hand on the base of my back, igniting my spine as Chas tried to hide her ‘I told you so’ smirk.

  “Well I’m glad you like her again. This is infinitely preferable to seeing her sobbing in the kitchen because her boss was being a dickwad,” she laughed. ‘Oh dear God’ I sighed inwardly as Lucas raised his eyebrows, his mouth set in that unreadable line which seemed to have much less impact on my sister.

  “I never stopped liking her,” he said, glancing at me as I stared at him wide eyed, before settling a lingering kiss on my cheek and moving away. I wasn’t surprised.

  “Chas, what the hell were you thinking?” I snapped as she burst out laughing.

  “I was fishing and he bit. He’s always liked you – isn’t that what you wanted to know?” she grinned, waltzing off with her tray of bubbles. Maybe she was right.

  I spent the rest of the evening socialising and checking that everyone had enough drinks and canapés, enthusing about the Waterside project to anyone who I thought might be interested in living here.

  By midnight the last of the guests had filtered away, leaving Patrick and Chas clearing up and a couple of the developers loitering around who were responsible for securing the building. I hadn’t spoken to Lucas for the rest of the evening, snatching quick glances whenever I could and usually finding he was glancing back, firing up my insides and momentarily short-circuiting my brain. I was getting worse.

  I headed to the kitchen for a glass of champagne and a quiet moment to enjoy my success. It was the first time this evening I had truly relaxed.

  “Celebrating?” I heard the low deep voice as I turned from the counter, smiling at Lucas and nodding as I sipped the bubbles and relished them sliding across my tongue.

  “I’ve been looking for you. You said you’d only be happy at midnight when it had all gone off without a hitch, and I hope you are. I’m incredibly impressed,” he said, leaning casually against the huge fridge freezer at the opposite end of the kitchen, regarding me closely.

  “I’m ecstatic. Did you sell any?” I asked, knowing that this would make tonight an even greater success.

  “Twelve,” he grinned as my mouth dropped open in shock. It looked so wonderful I’d expected a couple, but twelve..... “Oh my God,” I gasped, turning towards the counter to top up my champagne. This deserved an extra celebration.

  I turned back quickly, straight into the chest of Lucas as the newly refreshed champagne fizzed over the top of my glass and he looked down at the droplets of liquid, watching as they spread in three small clear circles across his pristine white dress shirt.

  “Not again, Miss Evangelista,” he said, gazing back at me and raising his eyebrows playfully as I stood my ground.

  “That was NOT my fault. You shouldn’t keep bloody well creeping up behind me,” I said firmly, biting my lip and trying desperately to stifle the giggle that was lodged in my throat. He tilted his head slightly, his smooth tongue running across his full bottom lip as I followed it, my own parting involuntarily and desperate for Lucas Hunter to kiss them as my breathing sped up.

  “Did you just shout at me?” he asked, a delicious little smirk playing around his mouth as I tried to stave off my grin.

  “Yes,” I squeaked, biting harder on my lip and trying not to laugh.

  “If you weren’t my employee I’d take...” he started before stopping abruptly, blowing out a huge breath and turning and striding out of the kitchen.

  What? ‘Finish that sentence’ my brain was yelling. I was aroused, confused and incredibly frustrated. There was something deeply sexual about what had just happened. I knew there was and then it hit me; a light bulb moment that flashed into focus.

  “I’d take you over my knee and spank you senseless,” I muttered out loud, flushed with arousal and pushing back the pervading thoughts that were telling me it was wishful thinking. It wasn’t. I downed my champagne and made my way out of the kitchen, freezing in my tracks as I saw Lucas hovering in the doorway, flushing beet red as he eyed me with amusement. Oh fuck, why had I said it out loud?

  “Did you hear that?” I asked, a small smirk tickling the corner of his mouth.

  “Hear what?” he replied. Well at least he wasn’t dragging out my mortification for once.

  “I thought you might want a ride home.” His eyes were twinkling dangerously as I shook my head.

  “Chas is taking me,” I said, trying to mask the disappointment in my voice as he laughed softly.

  “Very well, Cinderella. Sweet dreams,” he smiled, turning and walking away as I let out a long slow breath, trying to still my racing heart and knowing with full certainty that if I dreamt about him again it would be very sweet indeed.

  Had he just called me Cinderella? What the hell did that mean?

  I was a bundle of hyperactive nerve cells on the way home, wriggling restlessly in my seat, deciding to fill Chas in on every little detail of what had happened with me and Lucas, including the mortifying Morgan incident that I’d so far withheld as she stared at me aghast.

  “You’re not imagining it, Sis. I saw it tonight with my own eyes. Lucas Hunter didn’t look at anyone else that way, touch anyone the way he touched you and the man is even sparing with his air kisses,” she laughed.

  “Seriously. I was serving the estate agents when he introduced himself and he even shook hands with the women. He did it occasionally, when someone dived in and he had little choice, but it was all air. There was no direct lip to cheek action like there was with you. No one feels Lucas Hunters touch unless he wants them to,” she laughed as a giddy flush of happiness swept through me.

  “But the whole spanking thing has put a new spin on it. Do you think you’d be into that, Jess?” she asked, suddenly serious, raising her eyebrows as I nodded.

  “I can imagine him as a Dom now you’ve said it and it totally fits the whole ‘untouchable’ persona, but I can’t imagine you as a submissive. What do you know about that whole lifestyle, really?” she asked as I took a deep breath.

  “More than you think, at least I’ve done some research. Let’s just say the Bronte sisters have taken a back seat for now,” I laughed as she gaped at me, open-mouthed.

  “I can’t imagine you being anyone’s submissive, Chas, not in a million years, but I can imagine being Lucas’s,” I said, not wanting to divulge just how much I found the idea of being totally dominated appealing, even to my sister.

  “Even if he’s whipping you?” she asked, wrinkling her nose in distaste.

  “Especially if he’s whipping me,” I laughed as she shook her head in disbelief.

  “Shit, and I thought I knew you, Jess! But there’s still the whole boss thing to consider. However much you think you want this you cannot quit, you know that?” she said as my smile faded.

  “Yeah, I know. You
don’t think he’s playing with me to get me to quit, do you, Chas?” I asked as the ugly thought popped into my head. I’d never considered it before.

  “No. Those reactions are real. I know men, Jess, and Lucas Hunter is not playing around,” she said, making my heart dance and my stomach flutter, even though I felt powerless to do anything about it.

  “Why do you think he called me Cinderella, Chas?” I asked as she shook her head.

  “I have no fucking idea. Honestly, Jess, this isn’t how things usually work, at least not with me, and Lucas Hunter is a difficult man to read. Normally you know if you want to screw someone and it either happens or it doesn’t. It looks to me like you both do, but the work thing is getting in the way, or the Dom thing, or possibly both. Maybe he called you Cinderella because he can’t find a way to get you alone for long enough to make his move, or because you keep running off when he asks you to dinner or for a ride home at midnight. You didn’t leave your shoe, did you?” she asked as I laughed.

  “They’re your shoes, and no I didn’t. You’d bloody kill me,” I laughed.

  “Does he kiss Melody?” she asked as I stared at her, stunned.

  “No, never. He barely speaks to her about anything other than work. Why?”

  “Just ruling out the possibility that the man has a PA fetish,” she grinned as I laughed, letting myself out of the car and heading straight to bed, intending to follow Lucas’s advice and have ‘sweet dreams’. For now, it was the best I could hope for.

  CHAPTER 10

  I was still floating on the success of last night as I made my way into the office, wondering if I might be the lucky recipient of another friendly kiss from my beautiful boss. He was certainly getting more liberal with them lately, igniting my skin and doing nothing to quell the increasingly debauched fantasies that invaded my brain every night. ‘Sweet dreams’ didn’t even begin to cover it.