This Can't Be Love

by Maria Geraci

  Diana pulled the damp cloth off her forehead. “After your boyfriend dumped her, she was absolutely desperate to get him back, so she went to see Dr. Jeff.”

  At Sarah’s blank expression, Diana explained, “He’s a plastic surgeon. One of the best in Atlanta. She wanted Botox and her lips plumped and a boob job.” She laughed. “She ended up getting all three and snagging Dr. Jeff as well. He’s forty-five but he tells everyone he’s forty. It’s his third marriage, but she’s the first wife he didn’t make sign a pre-nup and he’s rich as all get out. Besides his medical practice, there’s lots of old family money stashed in the vault. I give the marriage three years, tops.”

  Diana stood and stretched her arms over her head. “I better get out there in case Victoria notices I’m missing. I’m supposed to be one of the girls who makes a big deal of trying to catch her wedding bouquet. Which, if you want a word of advice, don’t even go for it. It’s already arranged. It’s going to her friend Katie.” She took a long look at herself in the mirror, fluffed her hair, then sauntered out the door.

  Wow. With friends like that, who needed enemies?

  Just as all that was sinking in, another woman came into the bathroom. Dear God. It was Victoria. In all her ten-thousand-dollar-plus wedding dress splendor.

  “Oh, hello!” Victoria said, stopping short when she noticed Sarah. If she felt uncomfortable in Sarah’s presence, it didn’t show.

  “I was just leaving,” Sarah said, trying to politely slip out the door.

  “Don’t go,” Victoria said. “We haven’t had a chance to talk.” She sat on the couch and patted the space next to her in invitation. It was the last place on earth Sarah wanted to be, but it would be rude to walk out on the bride at her own wedding.

  Sarah reluctantly sat on the edge of the sofa. “Okay. But just for a few minutes. Luke is waiting for me.”

  For a split second, Victoria looked like she was going to cry, but then she smiled brightly. “I’m so glad you and Luke could come to the wedding.” She leaned back as if to inspect Sarah. “And aren’t you just precious? Where did Luke find you?”

  Naked, in his bed. As truthful as it was, she didn’t think Victoria would appreciate hearing that. “I’ve been in Whispering Bay working temporarily for the summer. He and I aren’t dating. We’re just friends.”

  Victoria shook her head sadly. “Oh, baby doll, I watched the two of you dancing. Believe me, I can tell when a woman is in love.” She let out a huge sigh. “Once upon a time, I was in love with Luke, too. But lucky for me, Jeff came along and I snapped out of it.”

  Sarah wanted to tell her that she wasn’t in love with Luke but, right now, all she wanted was to end this conversation as quickly as possible and get out of here. “Congratulations. You and Jeff seem very happy.”

  “Oh! We are.” She lowered her eyes, then squared back her shoulders and looked at Sarah. “Can I give you some advice?” Sarah was about to say no, but Victoria went on anyway. “If you and Luke are really just friends, then keep it that way. I would hate for you to end up the way I was once.”

  Up until now, Sarah hadn’t put much credence in Victoria’s words, but there was a sudden sincerity in her dark eyes that made Sarah go still.

  “You’re probably wondering why on earth I invited Luke to my wedding. When Luke and I broke up, I vowed I’d find a way to hurt that man the way he’d hurt me. I wanted him to come to my wedding and see what he was missing. But all that went out the window the moment I saw him. All I see now is a selfish man who can never love anyone but himself.”

  Sarah felt her hackles rise. “You’re wrong about that. Luke is capable of great love. I know that because I’ve seen it.”

  “Oh?”

  “He loves his sister and his family. Very much.”

  “Yes, but then, don’t we all? I’m talking about the kind of love that requires a sacrifice. He simply isn’t capable of it. The only thing that means anything to him is that precious company of his. If you stay with him, eventually, you’ll understand what I’m talking about. My advice to you is to get out now before you’re in too deep, because it’s only going to end in heartbreak for you.”

  Sarah stood on shaky legs. Victoria believed every word she was saying, Sarah could see that. But just because Victoria’s experience with Luke had been negative, didn’t mean it would end that way for Sarah. Theirs was a completely different scenario. Sarah had no expectations for their relationship with Luke past next week.

  Except, whenever she thought of Luke, she never thought of actually saying good-bye to him. That thought stayed frozen in her brain for a few long seconds.

  Sarah swallowed hard. “I’m going to go now. Congratulations and…thank you for your advice, but truly, I don’t need it.”

  Victoria looked at her with pity. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

  Sarah exited the bathroom, desperate to get away from the crowd that was now storming the dance floor to do the Electric Slide. She didn’t want to leave without saying goodbye to Ethan and Julie but she couldn’t find them in the crush. Her cell phone buzzed in her purse.

  You okay? Luke texted.

  On my way now. She texted back.

  The doorman, dressed in complete livery, including top hat, opened the front door for her. Luke was waiting in the circular driveway, his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned against the rented Audi in a pose that could have come straight from GQ. He looked so achingly handsome it almost brought tears to her eyes.

  Oh, baby doll, I watched the two of you dancing. Believe me, I can tell when a woman is in love.

  She should have walked out the bathroom the instant Victoria had stepped inside. Victoria was dead wrong about her. She wasn’t in love with Luke. Good thing, too. Because the last thing Sarah wanted was to end up like Victoria. Bitter and half-drunk at her own wedding to another man.

  Nope. That was never going to happen.

  Her relationship with Luke was based on hot sex and friendship. Nothing more.

  Luke steered the car onto the road. Sarah toed off her heels and began pulling the bobby pins out of her hair. When she reached under her dress and slid off her thong, Luke did a double take.

  “What are you doing?” He asked, trying to keep his eyes on the traffic ahead.

  “Saving us time.”

  He slammed his foot on the accelerator, taking them back to the condo in a lot less time than it had taken to drive to the hotel. He parked the car in the space next to his truck, although it was the worst parking job in history, he was so off the yellow lines. Luckily, the parking garage was empty. By the time they got off the elevator and into the front door of the condo, she had her dress half off. He ripped off his tux jacket as she went for his pants.

  When they were both good and naked, he picked her up and tossed her none too gently onto his bed. “If I’d known weddings made you this horny, we would have crashed one a long time ago.”

  She pulled him down on top of her, desperate to feel his skin against hers. “Shut up and get busy.”

  Luke chuckled and reached inside the drawer to the bedside table. “Sarah, baby, slow down. We’ve got plenty of time.”

  “No, no we don’t.” She helped him with the condom then wrapped her legs around his waist and drew him in. He entered slowly, almost hesitantly, but he didn’t have to. Couldn’t he feel how wet she was?

  “Luke, stop playing around. I need you. Now.”

  He looked down at her and frowned. For one crazy second, she thought he was going to withdraw, but he must have seen something in her face that made him change his mind, because then he began pounding her into the mattress. Hard, long, fast strokes that made her want to scream, Yes, just like that! But she couldn’t form words at the moment. All she could do was moan and thrash and keep up with the furious pace she’d practically commanded of him.

  Afterward, they lay side-by-side, trying to catch their breath. Neither of them said anything for a long time. She went to get up to go to the bathro
om but he pulled her back in bed. “What’s wrong?” he asked quietly.

  “Nothing.”

  He began massaging her scalp with his big hand and something about the tender way his fingers stroked through her hair made her want to cry. “Is it the wedding? I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought you. Shit, I shouldn’t have gone period.”

  She moistened her lips. “No, it’s not the wedding. I just…” She shrugged. “It’s nothing, really. I guess I just realized that we don’t have a lot of time left.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, this time next week I’ll be in Cocoa Beach and you’ll probably be on your way to Alaska.”

  “The contract might not go through,” he said.

  “True. But then it’ll be another contract. Right?”

  He hesitated briefly. “Right.”

  “So, I just want to get in as much really good sex as I can,” she said, trying to keep it light.

  He seemed to consider this a moment. “How long will you and your mom be on the cruise?”

  “Just three days. We leave Friday and come back on Labor Day.”

  “What about your dad?”

  “What about my dad?” she repeated.

  “It’s just, you never talk about him. When’s the last time you saw him?”

  “I don’t know. A couple of years, maybe.”

  “That seems like a long time.”

  She pulled away to look at him. “Really? Says the man who only visits his family in between projects and when it’s convenient for him.”

  He went still.

  Crap. What was wrong with her? She shouldn’t let Victoria get inside her head like this.

  “I’m sorry, Luke. I didn’t mean it like that.”

  “No, you’re right,” he said tightly. “I need to visit my family more often.”

  “It’s just, like I said before, my dad isn’t a real dad. I mean, he’s a great guy, but he didn’t raise me. Not like your dad did with you and Mimi.”

  He nodded, but she noticed that he’d stopped stroking her hair.

  “What time are we leaving tomorrow?” she asked.

  “Whatever time you’d like,” he said, but he sounded distant.

  “Okay, well, I’m pretty beat.”

  “Me, too. Good night, Sarah.” Neither of them moved. Then she rolled over and turned her back to him. This after-sex cuddling thing they’d been doing had been nice, but she didn’t need it.

  I’ve never seen him look happier, and that has absolutely nothing to do with fishing, and everything to do with you.

  Mimi was wrong, of course. If Luke seemed happier these days it was because, after months of working non-stop, he’d finally caught up on his sleep. And, yes, there was the fishing, which helped him relax. Plus, there was the Alaskan contract. It might not go through, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t looking forward to the possibility of it. The other day she’d caught him checking out flights on his laptop.

  As for her? Well, of course she had feelings for Luke. Sarah had read all the magazines and she’d even occasionally watched Dr. Phil. It was hard for some women to distinguish between love and sex. She totally got that. But she wasn’t the kind of woman who confused reality with fantasy. She wasn’t Victoria. She was Olivia Jamison’s daughter and she’d been raised to be pragmatic.

  What she felt for Luke was powerful, to be sure. She liked him better than she’d ever liked any man, including Christopher.

  But it couldn’t be love. No way.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Luke lay in bed and watched Sarah as she slept. It was almost seven, way past the time she normally got up to go to work at The Bistro. But today was Sunday and they were in his condo in Atlanta and she had a rare day off. Nice Guy Luke would let her sleep in. He’d take her breakfast in bed, wait patiently while she did the New York Times crossword puzzle, then kiss her gently, leading them into some slow and gentle lovemaking. But Asshole Luke wanted to continue the conversation they’d both avoided last night. He also wouldn’t have minded another quick, hard fuck.

  Asshole Luke was a real winner, all right. No wonder Sarah had been so distant last night. Except, the evening hadn’t started out that way. She’d been sweet and funny and supportive. In other words, her usual self. But the woman who’d gotten in the car last night demanding sex? He’d never seen that side of her.

  Not that he minded the demanding sex part. That had been hot. The Old Luke would have high-fived himself. Slam, bam, thank you, ma’am. Life just didn’t get much better. The New Luke, however, had been just a little…hurt by her sudden aloofness.

  What happened last night? Because something had happened. Something that had changed the way Sarah saw him. Maybe for the first time she was seeing the real Luke and she decided she didn’t like him. Not that he blamed her.

  He should never have gone to Torie’s wedding. Mimi and everyone else had been right about that. He thought back to their relationship over the last three years. Initially, he’d been attracted to Torie because of her looks. But he was a guy, so that was a given. He’d been impressed by her intelligence and, yes, her pedigree. It had boosted his ego when his friends discovered that she’d graduated from both Harvard and Yale. She was successful and sexy and he’d liked the envious looks other men gave him when he walked in a room with her. He’d used her. And it didn’t feel good to acknowledge it.

  On the other hand, he’d always been honest with her. He’d thought she was as career driven as he was. Every few months, she’d pull her breaking up act, only to come back in a few days or a week. He should have seen through the manipulation. But he’d ignored the temper tantrums when he’d had to cancel a dinner date due to work, or her pouting if he didn’t compliment her enough. He shouldn’t have let it go on for three long years. It hadn’t been fair to her. Or to him, either.

  Seeing her last night, he’d been a combination of both happy and sad. Happy, because Torie had finally gotten what she’d wanted—a guy who put her first in his life. But sad, too, because if she treated her relationship with Jeff the same way she’d treated their relationship, then the marriage didn’t stand a snowball’s chance in hell. Love wasn’t about one-upping one another. It wasn’t a game. Love was about being honest and real and being there for your partner when times were tough.

  Listen to him. He sounded like a girl. Or a freakin’ Hallmark card.

  The doorbell rang, shaking him out of his thoughts. Who the hell was at his front door this hour of the morning? He got out of bed and pulled on his boxers. The sound of a fist banging against the door made him bristle. “Yeah, yeah, I’m coming!” He grabbed a T-shirt and a pair of jeans.

  Sarah leaned up on one elbow, her long, blond hair falling off to the side. She blinked the sleep from her eyes then squinted at the bedside clock. “What time is it?”

  “Time for me to kick someone’s ass,” Luke said, as the door banging started up again with a vengeance.

  “Crikey. Someone means business.” Sarah jumped from the bed and ran into the bathroom.

  Luke stormed through the living room and threw back the front door.

  “Surprise!” Ethan and Julie stood in the hallway. Ethan held a bottle of champagne—was that Dom Pérignon? And Julie had a box of donuts in her hands. From the look of smeared chocolate on her chin, she’d already eaten at least one.

  Luke raked a hand through his hair. “What’s going on?”

  Sarah came up beside him, barefoot. She wore shorts and a tank top and her hair was pulled back in a ponytail. “Oh my God, donuts!” She practically pulled Julie into the living room.

  “Powers, you seriously need to check your phone, man.” Ethan walked through the living room and into the kitchen like he’d been there a thousand times before (because he had) and began opening up cabinets. “Where’re your champagne flutes?” he asked.

  “Flutes? Isn’t that a musical instrument?”

  “You need to speak Bachelor,” Julie said to Ethan, placing
the donut box on the countertop.

  “Flutes are glasses that are specially made to drink champagne out of,” Ethan said slowly, like Luke was mentally incapacitated.

  Sarah giggled. “They’re right here.” She reached up into a cabinet and pulled out four flutes (who knew that’s what those tall, skinny glasses were called?) and handed them off to Ethan, who promptly popped the champagne cork off the bottle and filled up three of the flutes.

  The fourth flute, he poured to only about an inch. “Since it’s a special occasion,” he said handing that one off to Julie, who nodded in agreement.

  The early morning hour and champagne could mean only one thing. They’d landed the Alaskan contract. “Are we celebrating what I think we are?” Luke asked.

  “Patience,” Ethan said. He raised his glass to give a toast. “Fifteen years ago, on the first day of grad school, I met this guy,” he nodded at Luke, “and even though he thought he was the smartest person in the class, which,” Ethan paused dramatically, “he was, and even though he was a bit full of himself to the point that his head barely fit through the door, I took an instant liking to him.”

  “Gee, thanks,” Luke said.

  Both Julie and Sarah smiled patiently like they knew exactly where this was going.

  “This guy, you see, had a vision. He wanted to make sure that marine construction was done right with respect to the environment. He dreamed of opening up his own company, of doing work he could be proud of, and, yes, making a damn good living at the same time. We talked about that company a lot. Mostly on Friday nights while drinking dollar beers at the pub.” He looked at Luke and they both grinned at the shared memory.

  “After graduation, we went our separate ways for a while, but we always kept in touch. Then one day, he calls me and says, ‘Hey, I’m ready to go out on my own. What do you think? You and me?’ And I said, hell, yes. And Doyle and Powers Environmental Engineering Consultants was born.”

  “You mean, Powers and Doyle?” Luke said.

  “You say potato, I say potato, but whatever. It’s just a name.” Ethan’s brown eyes twinkled with mirth. “The thing is, for the last ten years, the company has been growing and we’ve done pretty well for ourselves. But last night, if either of us had bothered to check our phones, we got the news of our life.” There was another drawn out pause for added drama because Ethan could be a real showboat when he wanted. “We got the Alaska contract!”