Stranger things have happened.
He laughed, but didn’t look at me.
“What?” I asked, grinning ear-to-ear.
“Most girls will check out anyone.” Our eyes brushed and he shrugged. “I’m just your average Luke.”
“Average” in a room of male models!
He pulled my neck in with his bulky arm. “I see guys checking you out all the time.”
I laughed. Yeah, right!
“It’s true,” he said, breathing in my ear.
I put my hot chocolate down and nestled my head against his shoulder. His scent was comforting. The adrenaline from takeoff made me sleepy—my eyes were closing.
He kissed my forehead. “I love you.”
~ ~ ~
Luke’s beeping phone jolted me awake. I caught a glimpse of something on its screen, but he put the phone away before I could process it.
“Hey, Beautiful. We’re in Seattle.”
I sat up and grabbed my aching neck. “How long will we be here?”
He unbuckled his seatbelt, got to his feet and grabbed our bags. “Ninety minutes.”
Burke came up to us with his bag. “Are you hungry, Luke? Adonia?”
I nodded.
“We can grab something to eat in the airport, yes?”
“Sure,” Luke said. He reached into his pocket for his beeping phone and turned it off.
I stressed about who was on it, because it seemed like he didn’t want me to see it.
We walked through the terminal to a burger joint, where a graying old lady with a husky voice took our order. “Drinks?” she asked dryly.
“I want a milkshake,” I said, digging through my wallet. Dad gave me five hundred bucks for spending, but I had no clue if they’d take a hundred-dollar bill.
“What’s wrong?” Luke breathed.
“I don’t know if they’ll take a hundred dollars,” I whispered, just in time to find a five.
“Um, well I was going to pay for it.”
“I got it,” I said, and the lady rung me up. “Thanks anyway.”
Luke and Burke ordered their food, and Luke was the first to sit next to me at a tiny round table. “You’re not eating?”
I looked at him uncomfortably. “I’m just thirsty.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Is something wrong?”
This conversation was beginning to feel all too familiar. But I couldn’t tell him his phone was making me anxious—I didn’t want to be a pain in the ass girlfriend.
I smiled and shook my head, but I had the feeling I wasn’t very convincing. I had that feeling because I wanted to cry, and he was bound to notice.
“Oh,” he said, looking confused.
Burke sat with us, distributing our food. “A burger for you, young lady.”
I stared at it, then looked at Luke. He smiled and nudged my foot under the table. After a moment, I gave in and nudged his back.
“Thanks, I guess,” I said to Burke.
“God knows what they will be serving on the flight to London; it is nine hours long. You should eat, just in case,” Burke said, adding mustard to his burger.
I smiled weakly. “Okay.”
“Is everything all right?” Burke stared at me.
I looked to him, and my eyes glided to Luke. “Where is your astronomy lecture going to be?” I asked, to get off the subject of me.
“Zurich. It’s a guest lecture, it will not take long.”
“So they’re paying you to travel there just for one lecture?”
He nodded. “In the past, I have been paid to travel twenty-four hours to South Africa to watch a solar eclipse for an hour and fly home.”
“Wow,” I said, impressed.
He nodded. “Yes, the flight was very… ah… very boring. But it was worth it.”
“I’m sure,” I said, noticing Luke’s lustful glance. It’s hard not to love that look in his eyes—and it helps that I only see it when he’s looking at me.
I sighed, kind of hoping he’d lose his phone.
When our eyes met again, Luke blew me a kiss. Unable to help myself, I grinned.
“When do you start college?” Burke asked, biting his burger.
I cleared my throat. “I’ve changed my mind. I don’t think I’m going to attend.” Not since the chancellor called.
“That’s a shame,” Burke said. “What are you going to do, then?”
“She’s going to live with me,” Luke said, matter-of-factly. “She’s going to do whatever she wants to do, and I’m going to pamper her, and love her, and cheer her on.”
The sincerity in his words took my breath away.
Luke smirked. “And other things, too.”
I giggled.
Burke looked thoughtful for a moment. “Ah, but, does Paul know you are not going?”
I laughed. “No.”
Luke ate a fry. “Now that she’s not going to college, I suspect that will be my influence.”
Actually, he’s right. It will definitely be Luke’s fault. It won’t be that I told the chancellor I’d had sex and was probably grounded…
No, it must be Luke’s fault.
“You know,” Burke said, looking at the ceiling, clearly searching for words. “If I had a daughter that was not Lukasz’s sister, I would not have a problem with her being with Lukasz. He is ah… honest… and kind, and determined and hard-working, yes?” Burke nodded. “It could be much worse for your father.”
I smiled. “You should tell him that.”
Burke threw his head back and laughed. “Ah, yes, but I am—what is the word?— biased, yes?”
“Yup,” Luke confirmed. “Your opinion doesn’t count.”
We finished eating and headed to the terminal. It wasn’t long before we were boarding the next plane. Again we were seated first class, though this time there were rows of three, and Burke got the aisle seat.
I sat by the window and buckled my belt. Luke sat beside me. He smelled so good, I wanted to kiss him then and there.
Right after asking who was on the phone.
The next thing I knew, Luke was staring at me.
“What?” I asked, confused.
“I said, are you okay? You seemed upset back there, when you were ordering. Are you sure nothing’s wrong?”
I hesitated for a moment, and he saw it. But I shook my head no. “Nothing’s wrong.”
He leaned in, and his cologne clouded what remained of my active mind. “You know you can tell me anything, and I’ll do the same for you.”
“Really, Lukasz?” I purred.
He grinned. “Except that one time. But I think that was socially acceptable.”
I laughed. He cupped my face and kissed me. Our tongues mingled. My arms wrapped around his neck and pulled him close. It was so incredibly hot.
On a plane, no less.
“Lukasz,” Burke breathed. “Perhaps you can save this for the hotel room, yes?”
Luke pulled away and I covered my smile. My cheeks grew rosy. “Thought I’d get a head start,” Luke mumbled.
“Yes, but you are the only passenger left without a seat belt. They are waiting for you,” Burke said, pointing toward the cockpit.
We looked to the front of the plane, where the seat belt light was still on and the flight attendant waited, irked.
“Oh,” Luke mumbled—his face reddening—and snapped it on.
The light went off, and within a minute, the plane started moving.
Luke set his hand on the armrest, above my own. As he rubbed the top of my hand, I could see that look in his eyes; those large black pupils in those icy blues.
The texts he’s hiding can’t be that bad, because I can tell he still loves me.
VIII
Turbulence woke me. I rubbed my eyes and looked out the window, in time to see what was Iceland below us.
Burke strained to see outside. “Beautiful, yes?”
I nodded. “It’s amazing.”
Luke’s hand still covered mine, and he
was asleep. I watched him sleep a while. His eyes were moving; his eyebrows were shifting, and hints of facial expressions left me staring. He seemed to be dreaming about something nice.
Pretty sure I know what.
“Would you like a drink?” a flight attendant asked quietly, as to not wake Luke.
“I will have some coffee, please.” Burke looked at me. “Adonia, what would you like, young lady?”
“Orange juice?” I requested.
She nodded and poured our drinks. “Anything for the…” Her eyes rolled down his arms. “…Young man?”
“More sleep,” Burke said with a fresh smile.
She laughed and moved on to the next row.
I set my head down on Luke’s shoulder. He shifted, wrapped an arm around me and rested his chin on my head. It felt so amazing, I started dozing off again.
When I woke up, we were landing. I pulled out my camera, looking for the Tower Bridge, the London Eye, or Big Ben, but all I saw were mountains and a cityscape in the distance.
Luke squeezed me tight. “Like it?”
“London?!” I asked, looking out the window.
Luke laughed. “That’s Zurich.”
“I thought we’re landing in London first?” I said, thoroughly confused.
“We did, but you were asleep. It was just to refuel, we didn’t switch planes, obviously.” He grinned. “Nice dream?”
I was kind of disappointed to have missed London, but the view outside the window was probably more amazing. “I don’t even remember it,” I admitted. “It felt like I just fell asleep.” I looked to him. “And you?”
He winked and looked out my window. “Looks kind of like Alaska,” he breathed. “It’s like we got on a plane and nineteen hours later we still didn’t actually go anywhere.”
I laughed. “It’s a bit different.”
“Skiing is great in Crans-Montana—lots of alpine skiing championships.”
“And how far is that from Zurich?” I asked, peering down at the snow-capped peaks below.
“About a three hour drive.”
And—aside from the scenery—three uneventful hours it was.
We were driven by one of Burke’s friends, a very hairy man who didn’t speak a word of English. He seemed nice enough, though.
“It’s on a cliff?!” I shrieked, staring out the window at the hotel in disbelief. It wasn’t just terrifying—it was also quite stunning.
Luke chuckled. “Oh yeah, I forgot you’re not fond of cliffs.” He wrapped an arm around me and kissed the top of my head. “Don’t worry, it’s stable.”
I nuzzled his chest. He’s good at making my heart flutter.
The tiny car stopped up front. Burke got out and retrieved our bags from the trunk.
Luke opened my door and I stepped out.
It’s hot in the Alps—it was like twenty-eight degrees! Above!
I looked at the log hotel with the zig-zag shaped roof. It was practically covered in windows.
“Like it?” Luke breathed in my ear, sending shivers down my spine.
“It’s amazing!”
“It’s okay…” he breathed. “You’re what’s amazing.”
I was getting giddy. “Can we never leave?”
Luke took my bags from Burke and grinned. “Really?”
I looked over the landscape again. You’d think after living in Alaska, I wouldn’t be so amazed by it. But I was. We were surrounded by purple mountain peaks and a darkening, star-filled sky.
I giggled. “My dad would freak.”
Burke waved goodbye to his friend and we entered the hotel. It was stylishly decorated, dimly-lit, warm, peaceful and welcoming inside. A fire roared in the fireplace. There weren’t many people around—just the receptionist and a few people reading in the lounge.
We went up to the counter. “We have two reservations,” Burke said, holding up two fingers.
“Names?” the receptionist typed into her computer.
“Burke Jacobson and Miss Adonia Morrison.”
The receptionist gave Burke our key cards, gave us directions to our rooms, and asked if we had any questions. We didn’t.
“I would like to get something to eat,” Burke said as we looked for my room on the fifth floor. “Adonia, are you hungry?”
“Not really,” I said anxiously. “Your room’s on the same floor, right?”
He pointed to the end of the long hall. “It is on the right. Are you scared to be this far?”
“A bit anxious,” I admitted.
“Burke,” Luke breathed. “Can you take this room tonight?”
Burke stared at him, amused for a moment. Then he raised an eyebrow. “Why, young man?”
But you can tell he knew why. I blushed.
“Please?” Luke breathed, barely audible. “I’d hate for her to be all the way over here alone.”
Burke swiped the key card and opened the door. We walked into the large room, which had a marble floor, a king-size bed, a red leather couch, a kitchenette, a fireplace and an amazing view.
I could only imagine what this cost my insanely paranoid father.
“I promised the girl’s father I would look after her, yes?” Burke said, setting his bags down. “Letting her sleep in your room is not looking after her…?” He crossed his arms and smiled at Luke.
“I can look after her!” Luke offered. He put an arm around me and pulled me close.
Burke shook his head and laughed, looking conflicted. He took out his cell phone and started looking through it. “Don’t make trouble, young man,” he said with a look.
Luke stared for a minute. “Is that a yes?”
Burke looked at me. “Are you okay with me staying here, Adonia?”
I nodded shyly, wondering what he’d tell my dad if he called the room.
“Okay,” Burke said. “But only because I’m too tired to walk all the way there, yes?” He threw Luke the entry card, sat himself on the bed and held the phone up to his ear. It was quite obvious that his wife was on the other line seconds later.
Luke gave him a thumbs-up. “Thanks, Burke!”
Burke looked to me. “If there is a problem, call me, young lady. Any time.”
I nodded. “Sure.”
We walked out and down the hall. “Wow,” I breathed. “He’s cool with this?”
Luke laughed. “He already knows we—” His eyes twinkled. Then he scanned the card and the door opened. “I’m sure he figures it doesn’t matter.”
The room was even larger than the last, with windows practically covering two of the walls. The moonlit view outside was beyond stunning. There was a double king bed, a black love seat, a huge television, a balcony, and a stone wall surrounding the fireplace.
“Oh my God.” I looked around in disbelief.
“The suites are at the end of the halls,” Luke breathed, tossing our luggage on the love seat. “Welcome to the suite!” He shut the door behind us.
“Well now I feel bad,” I admitted, “making Burke sleep in there while we use this room he must’ve paid a fortune for!”
Luke laughed. “I paid for this room, Beautiful. Burke even gets paid to stay here; the university’s reimbursing him and he didn’t pay anything out of pocket. So don’t worry about it. If it makes you feel any better, though, we can sleep in your room starting tomorrow.”
“You paid for this?”
Luke nodded. “My dad funds my travel, remember?”
I wrapped my arms around his neck. “That’s convenient,” I purred.
His hands settled on my waist. “Well, he offered, and it’s the least he can do.”
I grinned. “Don’t like him much?”
Luke glanced up for a moment. “He’s annoying, with his womanizing lifestyle and whatnot. But you know what, he doesn’t completely hate me, and I figure the money he spends on me would just be spent on women otherwise, so I ask for it. In some superficial way it gets back at him for what he did to my mom.” He shrugged.
We fell silent
for a moment.
“It’s really weird with the time zone changes and everything, it doesn’t feel very late,” I breathed.
“Yeah,” he said. “It feels odd.”
“Not tired,” I said faintly.
He grinned. “That’s a good thing.” He caressed my neck and gazed into my eyes. “I love you.”
I embraced him. “I love you too, Luke.”
“So,” he said in a low, sexy voice. “What do you want to do?”
I giggled and pulled him toward the enormous bed, where he fell on top of me.
My body trembled as his hand slid up my shirt. His eyes were dark as night, and I loved the sensual way he looked at me.
My heart raced as he unbuckled his belt. I could see the anticipation in his eyes—he was so thirsty for something.
I pulled his shirt off, and he pulled off mine. He really did have the body of a god, and his silver chain just added to the level of hot.
“It’s been a while,” he breathed, sucking my neck.
“Six weeks,” I said with an anxious nod.
He turned his head toward my ear and grinned. “That’s five weeks and six days too many.”
I giggled and our mouths met.
He pressed himself against me, driving me crazy. My heart fluttered, and I closed my eyes, concentrating on the feel of him against me. His hand glided beneath my bra. “You like this?” he whispered.
I nodded, my breaths strained. My eyes were still closed as I heard his jeans unzip.
“I love you.” He breathed heavily in my ear, nibbling my earlobe. Our mouths met. He bit my lip playfully.
“Tell me what you’re feeling,” he breathed between kisses on my neck. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”
“I’m thinking about the dildo in the doctor’s office!”
My eyes shot open when he laughed.
He sat up on the bed and grinned at me. “Am I missing something?”
I covered my face. “My mom took me to see a gynecologist. That’s all.” I peeked at him.
“What for?”
I bit my lip. “For a check-up, and to get on the pill.”
His eyes sparked. “Really!”
I sat up. “He had this ‘wand’ shaped like a dildo that he thought I was nervous about…” I started, biting my tongue so I don’t finish.
Book of Luke (Book 2) Page 6
