When they got to the bed, he turned around to face her. Without a word, he loosened her collar and pulled it down far enough to expose her shoulders. He couldn’t help but indulge in a little taste at the lovely curve in her neck, then straightened to take out the pins holding her hair in place. It tumbled in huge curls around her creamy shoulders, adding to the image of her as an Irish goddess in his eyes.
“I love you so much, Robbie. Sometimes it feels like too much.” His heart lurched as her eyes welled up. “But I trust it. I want it. And I want you. Always.”
He kissed her before she could respond, and took it deeper as her arms came around him, as he felt her tears on his cheeks. But he kept it gentle and slow. This he would not rush. His mouth moved softly down the length of her neck as he brought her arms down to her side.
“Let me show you, Robbie,” he murmured, his kisses raining down between her breasts. He got on his knees and looked up at her. “Let me show you how much I love you.”
More tears spilled over before he turned his attention to the knot barring his way. With a slow and easy tug, it unraveled and her coat fell open. He flicked a path across her stomach, and felt it quiver under his lips. His palms caressed, teasing himself, and her, by brushing against the sides of her breasts and over the top swell before taking them in his hands, rubbing his thumbs over her nipples. Her whole body began to tremble as his mouth traveled down, his hands flicking to the side, sending her coat to the floor.
“Luc,” she breathed, another shudder whipping down her frame.
He felt the unsteadiness in her legs as his hands roamed. He stood to scoop her up, and with a restraint he hadn’t known existed, he gently laid her on the bed. He was so focused on her, on how she made him feel, and how she felt in his arms, that his mind began to cloud over everything else. But one absent thought rang through the haze as she tipped her head back. The color of her hair spreading across the pillow looked like a liquid flame, licking and curling its way as it spilled across the fabric, and it occurred to him…that was how it felt to love her—like a fire that’s constantly burning, constantly consuming. He would have it no other way.
Her arms came around him, brought his mouth to hers. He took his time as his fingertips danced over her body to touch and feel. She seemed to understand his need to take it slow as her fingers peeled off his clothes with a patience that matched his. Instead of digging in, her fingers slid across his lean muscles, exploring with an intimate touch. It was all very new for him, exciting and nerve racking. He never knew it could be like this, like a smoldering that crept through his soul but still left a white-hot heat in its place.
His body shook and quivered as he restrained himself from rushing, and they gasped as one when he finally lifted her hips and pushed inside. They rocked together, a slow, easy beat as they took and gave back to the other.
She punched through him, hollowed him out, and left nothing but herself behind—the sweet scent of her hair, the sounds of her pleasure, the intoxicating taste of her skin, the feel of her soft body yielding to his. Nothing but Robbie existed now. And he wondered if it would ever be any other way again.
Chapter 10
Robbie eyed up Luc as he leaned back in the couch and began flipping through a magazine. Was he really being that casual about it all, or was it just an act?
His shoulders didn’t look tense, he seemed genuinely interested in whatever page he had just paused at, and his jaw wasn’t clenched. Who was this man, and what had he done with Luc?
“Did I hear you correctly?” she asked.
His gaze shifted to hers. “Babe, gauging from your reaction, I’m damn well thinking you did.”
“You can’t be serious. Are you serious?”
He sighed, throwing the magazine on the coffee table. “And why the hell wouldn’t I be?”
“Luc,” she teased, “you do realize this sounds a lot like commitment on your end.”
“Shit, Rob. I’m committed to you! How many different ways can I tell you that?”
She held up her hands. “Okay, okay. I know you are, but…”
“But, what?”
“Living together?”
“And why the hell not?”
Even though they had only been together for a month, she couldn’t think of a single reason why they shouldn’t. Rationally it didn’t seem long enough, but when was she ever rational when it came to Luc? She was just about to concede his point when the phone rang.
“Saved by the bell,” Luc muttered as he tossed her the phone. “We’re talking more about this later.”
“You bet, Stretch.” She grinned at his sulky expression as she answered the phone.
*****
“What did Payten say?” Luc asked for what felt like the hundredth time. Damn women can never get their fucking stories straight.
“I already told you.”
“Then tell me again.”
“She said to meet her at Hooligan’s because she had some information on my family. Can’t you drive any faster?”
“Look, she’s not going anywhere. Plus, she plagues the place just about every damn night that we’re open. If she’s not there when we get there, you can bet your ass she’ll be there tomorrow.”
“You really don’t like her, do you?”
“Hell, no. She irritates the piss outta me.”
“Any particular reason?”
He responded with a shrug. “Just does.”
“You better be nice to her, Luc. She’s doing me a major favor here, with the PI.”
“Hey, I haven’t said shit to her, have I? Don’t worry about me. I’ll play nice.” Robbie squeezed his thigh. He felt it straight into his groin. “Don’t do that when I’m driving.”
She laughed, patted his knee. “Just see that you do play nice, and I’ll be sure to reward you properly later.”
His stomach tightened as his imagination churned. “Godammit woman. You’re gonna be the death of me.”
“Think of all the ways I can torture you when we’re living together.” She rubbed her hands together. “Devious fun.”
He glanced over, then back to the road as he parked by the curb. He waited until he shut the car off before commenting.
“You’re all for it then?” He hoped he came off as casual. No sense in her knowing he felt like a fucking chick—all emotional and shit—at the thought of living with her. But in truth, there was nowhere else he’d rather be.
She slipped her palm over his cheek and leaned in. “You bet your ass I am. I just wanted to be sure you were.”
“I wouldn’t have asked if I wasn’t.”
“Fair enough.” She gave him a quick peck on the mouth and retreated before he could grab her. “Behave. I wanna get inside and see what Payten has. You can grab at me later.”
“Count on it.”
Luc couldn’t ignore the tightness in his chest at Robbie’s obvious excitement. He wished Payten had run the information by him first. Who knew what kind of vague shit her PI had come up with? Robbie didn’t need to be grasping at fucking straws. Her family was probably lost to her forever, and they both knew that. But he also knew she’d pin her hopes on a ghost if it promised the return of her family—no matter the form.
“Hey, Payten,” Robbie said, hopping up on a stool.
“Robbie.” Payten looked surprised to see her. “That was fast. How close do you live?”
“Other side of town, but I nagged Luc to drive faster.”
Payten nodded at him. “And the glorified bartender shows his face. It’s been awhile, Luc.”
He nodded back. “Not long enough.”
Robbie shot him a warning glare, but Payten only laughed. “Don’t worry about it. I antagonize him whenever possible. It’s the only way he’ll say two words to me. It’s either the bite of his tongue, or the silence of his stare.” Payten lifted both palms as if weighing the options. “I prefer the bite.”
Luc scoffed when Payten winked at him.
Robbie glance
d between Luc and Payten, then cleared her throat. “Ah…do you want a drink, Payten?”
“No, I’m good. Oh, hey, how did your interview go? I haven’t seen you since you had it. Did you get the job?”
“Nope. Need experience, blah, blah, blah. Call us when you get it, blah, blah, blah. It’s like a revolving door—I’m just spinning in place. Whatever. I’ll figure it out. How have you been? Work good?”
“Oh, I’m fine.” She waved a hand in the air. “I didn’t mean to distract you with pleasantries. I know you’re anxious to see what I’ve got.” She pulled a file out of her briefcase and flipped it open. “The PI found Colin Byrne in California. He’s your father’s half-brother, and he’d like to contact you.”
Jesus fucking Christ! Talk about not pulling any punches! Luc looked at Robbie and knew that if he blew a single breath at her, she’d tip right off her stool. Just fucking perfect.
“Half-brother?” Robbie muttered.
“You didn’t know your father had a half-brother?” Luc asked.
She shook her head. “No. I don’t think he ever mentioned it. But…I mean, the name matches.”
“Oh, it’s him,” Payten interjected. “The information has been validated.”
“How can you be so damn sure?” Luc demanded. “He could be anyone.”
He could see Payten mentally bristling at his comment. “My PI is one of the best, and I personally verified that he did an extensive background check on this man. What would I possibly have to gain by putting Robbie in harm’s way?”
“A fitting question if you ask me.” Luc pushed closer, towering over the blond. “I’m not gonna put her out there to contact some fucking stranger who—”
“Luc, sit down,” Robbie said quietly, censure seeping into her tone.
Fists clenched, he sat heavy on the stool next to her. He felt bad for dropping the F-bomb around Robbie, but this was just too damn much.
“What about Anna Byrne?” Robbie continued, ignoring Luc.
Payten rustled around in the papers. “She died 4 years ago. Cervical cancer.”
“And who was she?”
“His wife.”
Robbie nodded while Payten closed the file.
Payten studied her a minute. “He doesn’t know your name, Robbie. There’s no reason you can’t just drop this right now.”
When Robbie didn’t respond, Luc did. “What does he know?”
“That his brother had a daughter who is aware he exists. End of story.” She turned to Robbie. “Honestly, he doesn’t even know your name. He didn’t even know he had a niece, or that your father even died.”
Luc rubbed Robbie’s shoulder in what he hoped was a soothing gesture. “You should drop it, Rob. Who knows what this guy’s deal is.”
She slowly turned toward him, shrugging off his hand. “You want me to just walk away after all these years?” He could see her incredulity bank sharply into anger. “How many years have I talked about finding my family some day? And now you want me to forget it? Why?”
He rubbed her knee. “I don’t want you to set yourself up to fall. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”
She relaxed under his touch. “That I can understand, but I’ll be okay.” She turned to Payten. “I’ll need his information.”
*****
Robbie was pulling ingredients out of the fridge when she heard Luc’s key hit the lock. Crap. He was early. She was hoping she’d have dinner made by the time he got home. Nothing softened Luc up like a nice home-cooked meal.
“Hey,” he said, strolling into the kitchen.
“Hey, yourself.”
He stopped, stared. “What do you want?”
She felt the heat creep up her neck. “Nothing. What?”
“You only cook when you want to ask for some damn thing or another, or if you’ve done something you think will piss me off.”
“I do not!”
His dark eyes bore right into her. “What did you do?”
She bit her lip. “I called Colin.”
“You called him? What part of wait for me did you not understand?”
With anyone else, she would have been offended, but she knew Luc and his protective—although sometimes misguided—nature, so she let it slide. “I would’ve been too nervous with you hovering around, so I had Lizbeth come over instead.”
“I don’t hover,” he grumbled.
“You do hover, and I love you for it. But I would’ve been a nut case if you’d been here.”
He sighed and threw his keys on the counter. “So, what did he say?”
“Not much at first. I think he was just as nervous as I was.”
“Uh huh.”
She fisted a hand on her hip. “Do you want to hear this or not? Do you always have to be so suspicious?”
“Expect the worst, so when it happens, it’s not such a damn shock. That’s my motto.”
“Your motto sucks. Forget it. I don’t want to talk about this with you.” She turned around to start making dinner. He wrapped his arms around her.
“I’m sorry, babe,” he muttered in her hair. “I just don’t want to see you hurt by this. Tell me. I want to know.”
“No. I don’t want to talk about it now.”
He splayed his hands across her stomach and pressed up against her back. “You’re not going to make me beg, are you?”
She giggled. “Might be interesting.”
“How about you make me beg later.” He reached around her to grab an onion off the counter. “For now, I’ll help you make dinner, and you can fill me in.”
“Fine.” She handed him a knife. “You cut up the veggies while I prep the roast.”
“So demanding,” he growled, nuzzling and nipping at her neck. “I like it.”
“Hey! Get to work.” She pulled out a roaster pan as Luc began cutting. “All right, so I called him this afternoon after Lizbeth got off work. We didn’t talk super long—just long enough to get the introduction stuff out of the way.”
“And?”
“Like Payten said, he’s my half-uncle. His mom married my grandfather after my grandmother died. He said my father never approved of his mom, and eventually took off. Colin was still pretty young when it happened.”
“Did your father keep in touch? Why didn’t you ever hear about him before?”
“He kept in touch, but I don’t know why I never heard about him. He said he got the occasional postcard from my dad while we were traveling around the country, but that’s about it. They were always real vague and impersonal, he said.”
“But he didn’t know about you?”
“Apparently not. He knew about my mother, though. But they never met. I guess my dad told him right before he died that he’d stop by next time we passed through California, but obviously that never happened.” She tried to stamp down her emotions as she scooped up some of the veggies Luc had cut, arranging them meticulously around the roast. “He didn’t know my dad had died.”
Luc stopped what he was doing to put a hand on her shoulder. “You okay?”
She nodded, let out a breath. “Yeah. I’m good.” She flashed him a quick smile as she composed herself. “Colin just figured he decided not to write anymore. Truth was, it didn’t surprise him either. My dad never wrote to anyone else in the family, and only those short messages to my uncle.”
“Man, he must have really been pissed at your grandfather.”
“Seems like.”
“What about your aunt? Did her name come up?”
“Just real quick. He said she died from cervical cancer four years ago. We already knew that though. And then we talked a little bit about how Mom and Dad died.”
Luc nodded. He looked like he was trying to gauge her temperament.
“I’m good, Luc. Really.”
“All right. If you say so. Anything else?”
“Not really. He asked about me and my life—how I grew up, what I went to school for. That kind of stuff. It was nice.”
“I’
m glad it went good for you. Of course, it would’ve been better if I’d been able to be there for you.”
She grimaced. “Well, next time you can be there.”
“There’s going to be a next time, then?”
“I think so. He seems really nice. I’d like to get to know him better.”
“Maybe someday you and I will take a road trip out that way.”
“Really?” She threw her arms around his shoulders, pulling him down to plant a kiss on his cheek. “Oh, I would love that! Thanks, Stretch. You’re the best.”
“You bet I am, babe,” he chuckled. “And don’t you forget it.”
*****
A few weeks later, Luc was peeling away from the curb in front of Hooligan’s, and heading straight for Robbie’s. Thank fucking God Conrad agreed to cover things. It seemed like it’d been forever since he was able to get away for a whole night, and he was anxious to take Robbie out. Even though he saw her every day, they really hadn’t had the chance to sit and talk for any length of time. He knew she’d been interviewing for jobs, but wasn’t sure of where and when. He knew she had been talking and emailing more with Colin, but the details were hazy. It was time they got caught up. Wasn’t a boyfriend supposed to be a part of her life like that? Shit, he always was when they weren’t a couple, so it shouldn’t be any damn different now.
As he got out of his car, Luc mumbled a curse. He’d forgotten to pick her up some wild flowers. Damn. Next time. He should’ve turned around to get some, but now that he was there, he was eager to surprise her.
Maybe tonight they’d finally come to some solid agreement on the living arrangements.
With a grin, he quietly unlocked her door and slipped inside. He could hear her voice coming from the kitchen, and briefly wondered who she was talking to.
“I know, Leah. I need to talk to Luc about it, but I don’t know how. I don’t know what to do.” Robbie paused and Luc heard her set a glass on the counter. “No, he said there was money for that too. I don’t know how much there is.”
Luc eased closer to the kitchen. He knew he should feel guilty for eavesdropping, but given the nature of the conversation, he thought this was the best way to garner information.
A Modern Love Story Page 15
