by Nina Levine
“How did you meet Jolene? You must have seen something in her if she tended to rub people the wrong way.”
“She managed a department in Myer that I used to buy clothes from.” He rakes his fingers through his hair, and I sense his irritation. “I was attracted to her looks. I’ll admit that. They blinded me enough to ignore her snarky, bitchy ways. And then one day, I went in to buy some clothes, and she was crying. I couldn’t stand seeing women cry back then, so I said the first thing that came to mind. I asked her out on a date. And when she told me later she was crying because of something her mother had done to her, I was fucked because it reminded me of how my mother made me feel.” He glances at me, his eyes stony. “The rest is history.”
“You couldn’t stand women crying back then? Does that mean you can now?” I’m confused as to what he meant by that.
“I’ve been subjected to too much crying since then—fake tears—that I struggle to react to it now,” he says. He sounds so distant as if he’s lost in his memories. He sounds so cold, not like the Luke I know.
There is so much more I want to know, but I think Luke’s maxed out for today, so I refrain. He’s told me enough to get a picture of the woman he married and her family.
I settle my hand on his leg and leave it there for the rest of the drive. At some point in the trip, he places his hand over mine. It’s little gestures like this that make my heart burst with happiness.
Two people comforting each other and being there in ways other people in our lives haven’t been.
An idea for a story suddenly sparks in my mind.
Shit.
I can’t recall the last time inspiration struck like this. I reach for my bag and fumble for my phone. I need to write some notes while it’s fresh.
“What’s up?” Luke asks, glancing at my phone in my hands.
“I just had an idea for a story. I have to write notes while it’s still in my mind.” I give him an apologetic look. “Sorry. I won’t be long.”
“No worries.” I’m relieved he doesn’t mind. My previous boyfriend hated it when I did this.
Ideas keep flowing, so by the time I’ve got it all down, Luke’s just pulling the car into a car park across the road from the beach at Redcliffe. I place my phone back in my bag, exit the car and say, “I’m sorry that took so long.”
He meets me behind the car and pulls me into his arms. “Callie, I’m not worried. I get it.”
“How did I get so lucky to score you?” I ask as I run my hands up and down his back. He’s wearing one of his thin shirts today, so I can easily make out his muscles under it. And after being blessed with those muscles all night Friday, touching him is causing lust to pool in my belly.
He smirks. “I have no idea, but you did good.”
“Smartass,” I mutter, but I’m smiling. “So what’s the plan for today?”
“I’ve got you, a blanket, the beach, a basket of food that Paris made us, and about four hours. I figure we can find something to do with all that.”
He lets me go and grabs the basket and blanket from the boot of the car before leading me down to the beach. Being mid-August, there aren’t a lot of people here today, which is perfect. The August winds have died down over the last couple of days, so it really is a great day for the beach. Mind you, I love the beach, come rain, hail or shine.
Luke finds us a secluded spot near the trees and spreads the blanket out. He then sits and pulls me into his lap. When he has me where he wants me, his lips sweep across mine. His fingers thread through my hair as he deepens our kiss.
We make out for a good fifteen minutes and by the time his lips finally give mine up, I’m giddy with happiness. I catch my breath, and say, “I can’t remember the last time I made out like that.”
“You wanna go again?” he asks, his gaze heated.
“I always wanna go again, bu—”
He cuts me off by claiming my mouth again. I kiss him for a minute, before gently pushing against his chest.
Staring at me in mock confusion, he says, “I thought you wanted to go again.”
I shake my head with a grin. God, I love his sense of humour. “You didn’t let me finish what I was saying.”
Amusement flashes in his eyes. “Oh, I’m sorry. Continue.”
“Things might get a little out of control if we keep that up.” I shift in his hold so I’m still sitting in his lap, but straddling him.
His brows rise as his gaze dips to take in my legs, one on either side of him. When he looks back up at me, he says, “Baby, sitting like that ain’t gonna help your cause. If you want us to do something other than lose control, you might wanna reconsider that position.”
“Really? You can’t control yourself?”
“Callie, I’ve been controlling myself for three long weeks. Trust me when I tell you that there’s not much control left in reserve.”
“Okay, I’m moving,” I say as I shift off his lap. I miss his contact as soon as I sit across from him on the blanket.
He stretches out, lying on his side with his head propped up by his hand. Reaching out to touch my arm, he says, “What are you scared of?”
I frown. “Nothing.”
“No, I don’t mean right now. I mean, in general, what are you scared of in life?”
“Where is this coming from, Luke?”
“I want to know what makes you tick. I know a lot about you, but there’s so much I don’t know yet.”
“Needles and blood. And crossing bridges, although that’s something I’ve learnt to deal with a lot better as I’ve gotten older.”
“Do you know why you’re scared of bridges?”
I shrug. “Nope. But for as long as I can remember, I’ve been scared of them. My parents used to get really upset with me whenever we drove across a bridge, but I was convinced the bridge would break, and I’d die.”
“So, your parents didn’t try to help you through it?”
“No.”
His jaw clenches, but he doesn’t say anything. “And needles and blood? How much blood are we talking here?”
“I can handle a tiny amount, like what you’d get from a small cut, but anything more than that and I may pass out. And needles, any size needle freaks me the fuck out.”
“So tattoos are out?”
“Like you wouldn’t believe. Avery keeps trying to get me to go with her, but no way am I ever stepping foot in a tattoo parlour.” I reach for his hand. “So, what scares you?”
He doesn’t hesitate to share his thoughts with me. I love this about Luke. That he’s confident enough in his manhood to expose his fears because I’ve met many men who would never admit to any. “There are only two things I’m scared of in life—losing Sean and not being there for him however he needs me. I’d do anything to avoid those things.”
“I would be scared of those things, too, if I had a child.”
“Do you want kids?”
“Oh, my God, yes. At least two. And cats. And a house in the city and one by the beach.” My life dreams begin to fall out of my mouth, uncensored.
“You love the beach that much?”
I nod. “I just find it so peaceful and refreshing. When I first moved to Queensland, I spent days at the beach. If it wasn’t for uni being in Brisbane, I would have moved to the Coast.”
“Thank fuck for uni, then.” I know exactly what he means and smile in agreement.
“Fate would have found a way for us to meet if it hadn’t been for Avery and the bar.”
“You think this was predetermined?”
“I’m choosing to believe it was. I mean, I seriously need a man in my life who can cook roast and pizza, right? The universe sent me you. I’d say that was fate.”
His hand curls around my neck, and he pulls my face close, so our lips almost meet. “I’ve never met anyone like you before, Callie.”
My breathing speeds up. “How do you mean?”
“Someone who is different to me on so many levels, but in such a way tha
t I appreciate those differences. You show me other ways to think about things, other facets to consider.”
“I know what you mean,” I whisper before closing the distance between our mouths.
Within five minutes, Luke has me on the blanket, my body tangled with his. I don’t want to move out of his hold, but I know I need to. This is leading into dangerous territory.
I finally disentangle myself ten minutes later and scramble to a sitting position as far from him on the blanket as possible. Pointing at him, I say in the sternest voice I can muster, “You need to stay on your side.”
He grins and sits up. Moving the basket in between us, he says, “That was your fault.”
I pull a face. “How do you figure that?”
“If you weren’t so damn hot I wouldn’t be so damn tempted. You need to tone the sexy down a notch, and we won’t have a problem,” he says as he opens the basket and pulls an assortment of cheeses and crackers out.
“I guess I could wear a face mask next time.”
He pauses and gives me a pointed look. “We all know face masks are not safe around me, but knock yourself out. I sure as fuck won’t be complaining.”
I pout. “You always win. It’s not fair.”
“Baby, I think we both know who wins around here. And it ain’t me, but I’m happy as hell to lose to you every time.”
“What do you lose to me? Ever. I’m pretty sure you win often.”
His eyes hold mine. So intense. When he answers me, his voice has a tinge of the sexy growl I love to it. “I’m slowly losing a part of me to you, Callie. I swore I’d never lose it again, but it seems I’ve found someone I’ll happily give it to.”
My stomach does somersaults.
What do you say to that?
To a man practically telling you he’s giving you his heart.
Mrs Harper was right when she said time means nothing where love is concerned. Because I’m sure that Luke Hardy is getting my heart in return.
21
Callie
“Callie! Thank you so much for this,” Paris says when I knock on her front door Tuesday night.
Luke called me before I left work to ask if I could drop by Elixir and collect the new asthma puffer he had there for Sean and drop it off to Paris.
“Anytime,” I reply, handing over the medicine.
She waves me inside, and I follow her down the hall into the kitchen. I’m surprised to see Alanis there. She stares at me, her expression neutral.
“I’m just going to check on Sean to see how he is. His asthma has been playing up today,” Paris says as she leaves us.
Alanis and I stand in silence until I finally break it. I struggle with awkward silences. “How are you, Alanis?”
She ignores my question. “Let’s cut the pleasantries. I’m trying to figure out what you want from Luke.”
“I don’t want anything except him.” Not that it’s any of her business.
She places her hand on her hip. “Really? I’m wondering if you’re thinking you’ve found a rich guy who owns his own business, a gorgeous house, and a nice car and thinking you might want to get your claws into him.”
My blood boils and as much as this woman is a friend of Luke’s, I won’t stand for being spoken to that way. “I’m thinking you’re a bitch who knows nothing about me and what I want. And I’m also thinking you need to back off and leave us alone.”
Her lip curls up in a sneer. “I’ve known Luke for a long time, and I look out for him. His first wife was after his family’s money. I won’t ever let another woman do what she did to him.”
“I can assure you I’m not after his money, and I’m not a murderer. All I’m after is his body and his heart. Swear to God.”
Her eyes widen when I mention his body.
The woman clearly has no sense of humour. I should have said cock instead of body. We could have had some fun with that.
“Well, good luck getting his heart. Luke swore off love years ago.”
God, she is fucking infuriating. I’d like to just reach out and slap some sense into her. “Turns out you don’t know him as well as you think you do, then.”
“Oh, I know him very well. You’ll get his body all right. He gives that willingly whenever asked. But his heart isn’t on the table.” Lying bitch. I don’t believe her for a minute.
Paris joins us again, right after Alanis spews her venom. “He’s nearly asleep. Finally,” she says as she enters the kitchen.
Alanis’s sweet mask falls back into place. “That’s good to hear. I have to go now, honey, but please, if Luke needs me tomorrow, just holler and I’m all his.”
Oh, I bet you are.
“Thank you,” Paris says before hugging her goodbye.
She gives me a fake smile before leaving us. Not soon enough as far as I’m concerned.
“Why was she here?” I ask Paris once we’re alone. “Did she look after Sean today?”
Paris shrugs. “No, she didn’t, and I’m not really sure why she dropped by. I think she just wanted to see that we were doing okay and to ask if we needed help. Alanis is just like that—always looking out for Luke. It’s nice that even after she lost a best friend through all this, she’s still close with our family.”
I’m not sure what to make of Alanis. Maybe she really is just looking out for Luke, but I can’t help think that she’s interested in him. The less I see of that woman, the better.
Luke: I have tonight off work.
Me: You’re taking a lot of nights off lately. Your boss might get cranky.
Luke: He knows what’s at stake if I don’t have time off.
Me: Oh, what’s at stake?
Luke: You might get bored and take up internet dating again.
Me: Mmmm… let me think about that.
Luke: No need to think. I’ve got everything you need, including the night off.
Me: Is there pizza involved in this night off? A girl would never go back to internet dating if she was assured of pizza. Just sayin’
Luke: Is that code for cock?
Me: You’re a funny man, Luke Hardy. No, I just want pizza.
Luke: Pizza is at seven.
Me: I’ll be there. And Luke?
Luke: Yeah?
Me: I’ll take a side of cock with that.
Luke: So demanding.
I knock on Luke’s front door just before seven that night and hope like hell not to see Alanis here again. Last night was enough for a long time.
Luke opens the door and hits me with a sexy smile. I trail my gaze down his body, taking in the long-sleeved black shirt he’s wearing that sits firm against his muscles. This shirt isn’t as thin as his other T-shirts that do good things to me, but he still can’t hide those muscles. Meeting his gaze, I say, “You just shouldn’t wear clothes. I mean, I don’t see the need for them when what you do wear doesn’t even hide what’s underneath.”
He grins. “I’ll give them up if you do, too.”
“Could get tricky. I’m not sure what Sean would think.”
He nods as if he’s putting a lot of thought into this. “True.” He scoops me around my waist and pulls me in for a kiss. “When it’s just you and me, no clothes. Deal?”
“Deal.”
He lets me go and closes the door behind me. “How was work?”
“It’s getting better. They gave me another article to write. Seems the sugar tax one was popular. This time, they want me to write about refugees.”
“They like to give you the hard stuff, don’t they? Is this one for Sunday’s paper?”
Warmth spreads through me. He bought last Sunday’s paper and cut my article out to keep. My parents still haven’t acknowledged it. “Yeah, hopefully. It’ll depend if they like what I write, I guess.”
We round the corner into the kitchen and dining area. Sean’s face lights up when he sees me, and he runs my way. He barrels into me, and I pull him up for a hug. “You came!” he exclaims.
“Of course. I wouldn’t miss
a night with you guys.”
His little arms tighten around my neck, and he kisses me. “Daddy’s making us pizza. And we made juice.”
I let him down. “You made it?”
He nods excitedly as he points to the juicer sitting on the counter. “Yes. With the juicer.” He turns to look up at Luke. “Can we have some now, Daddy?”
Luke shakes his head. “No, we’ll have it with dinner. Why don’t you show Callie the drawing you did today?”
He runs off to find the drawing, and I grin at Luke. “He’s excited tonight.”
“He’s been counting down the hours until he got to see you.” He pauses for a moment. “Seems to be something the Hardy men share.”
“I think they also share their charm. The way they know just what to say to mesmerise a girl is killer.”
“Callie, Callie!” Sean races back into the kitchen with his drawing, thrusting the piece of paper at me.
He’s drawn two people who appear to be a small child and a woman. I’m not sure, but I think the child is sitting on a swing. I crouch down and point at the child. “Is this you?”
He nods. “Yes, and that’s you.” He points at the woman. “You’re pushing me on the swing at the park. See the trees?”
I can see them now, but I had no clue what they were until he told me. “I can.” I face him. “I love this drawing, Sean.”
His smile reaches from one side of his face to the other. “It’s for you. You should put it on your fridge like Daddy does.” He gestures at their fridge. Luke has a few photos of Sean with him and his family stuck to it, along with two drawings.
I wrap Sean in a hug. “Thank you, I definitely will put it on my fridge.” A feeling I’ve never experienced is snaking its way through my body. It’s like happiness but magnified to a degree that I actually feel like I might burst. My chest feels crowded as if I can’t possibly fit all my emotions in there.
When I stand, Luke gives me a concerned look. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, why?” I reply a little hesitantly. I’m more than okay, but at the same time, I’m not sure why.
