Chapter 28
CLARA
The headlights cut through the snow to reveal Luke’s private “little cabin,” which was actually two stories tall and looked like it could house three families comfortably. It was larger than the house I’d grown up in.
“Wow, Luke,” I said. “I didn’t expect this.”
He shot me that dazzling smile that always disarmed me. “It’s pretty great, right? It’s an old Victorian-era farmhouse. I had the interior restored, and now, going in feels like walking back in time. You’re going to love it.”
I nodded. The house wasn’t the only thing I was loving, but I couldn’t admit it to him out loud. It was too fast. He would think I was psycho. Who fell in love in a week?
“The light’s on over the porch,” I said. “Is someone there?”
“No, I texted the caretaker to freshen the place up, stock it with some groceries.” Luke looked over at me, eyes glittering in the dim light. “I wanted to make sure any surprises in there are good ones.”
Butterflies fluttered in my chest every time he looked into my eyes.
A million emotions swirled inside me, but mostly, I felt a deep affection for Luke.
For years, I’d had a crush on him, but so did half the women in this country.
He was a handsome devil and he carried himself with an infuriating swagger that made it impossible to forget him.
He was on TV for a reason. Lots of guys could talk about sports, but few could look as good as he did while doing it. So, yes, obviously he was as hot as a cookout in July.
But now, I wasn’t just crushing on him. I had fallen all the way, head-over-heels. He wasn’t just a pretty face with a dick like a steel jackhammer. Luke was surprisingly sweet, too. He seemed like he cared about me, my happiness, and not just so he could get in my pants.
Luke was everything I’d ever wanted, along with a few more things I didn’t realize I’d been looking for. He was funny, even when he was being grouchy. He wasn’t pretentious, like he was better than other people. And he was generous, always giving instead of taking like the last guy I’d fallen for.
Sitting beside Luke in the dark, pulling to a stop in front of his cabin, it all felt like a lovely dream. If it was, I never wanted to wake up.
Luke ran ahead to unlock the door. Then he returned and took my hand to walk me through the gathering snow. The world was quieter, so still that the only sound in my ears was the beating of my heart. As always, my pulse quickened when he held my hand.
He pulled me inside and a wall of heavenly warmth wrapped me in its embrace.
“I asked the guy to start a fire for us,” Luke said, rubbing my cold hands with his.
“That was thoughtful of you,” I said, breathless.
He pressed a kiss to my lips and quickly pulled back before I could attack him in the foyer. “Go sit while I get the bags.”
I took my jacket off and hung it on the rack by the door.
Following the flickering light, I found the living room, where a fire roared in the big stone fireplace.
The walk from the SUV had been short, but the chill had stolen all my body heat.
I held my palms out to the fire and flexed my fingers.
Feeling came back to them and I sighed in contentment.
Luke slid his arms around me from behind, radiating cold. I shivered, laughing. “You’re freezing.”
“Then warm me up.”
I spun in his arms and kissed him. The heat rose between us with every touch of his lips and his hands. Before long, we stood naked in the firelight, taking a moment to savor the sight of one another, and then we crashed together passionately. There was no holding back anymore.
His cock stood up, hard and begging for me. I took hold of it, feeling the weight and the heat. Loving it. “Where’s the bedroom, Luke?”
“Upstairs,” he said through gritted teeth.
I turned, keeping a firm grip on him, and headed toward the stairs, using his cock like a leash. He shuffled along after me, making little groaning sounds like I was torturing him. Good. I was just getting started.
The next morning, we shared a decadent breakfast. Luke cranked the heat up and got the fire going again, and we ate naked, feeding each other and lounging around like Adam and Eve in our own private Eden.
The only snake in this garden was the one between Luke’s legs, and I had given in to that temptation several times the night before. And once again this morning.
I was kind of hoping we would do it again after breakfast. Luke was insatiable, which was just fine by me. He made me crazy as a cat in heat when he touched me, so I was happy to match his sex drive with mine.
Maybe I should have washed my hands before I fed him strawberries, but I knew damn well where his mouth had been last night, and it seemed kind of silly to worry about hygiene now.
“We’re picking out a tree today,” he said.
“And then what?” I chewed on a bit of muffin.
Luke shrugged. “We cut it down.”
“Just like that?”
“They’re my trees.”
“And you’re going to do it yourself?” I asked, smiling at him.
He grinned back. “Unless you want to do it.”
“No, I just assumed you would call someone out. Maybe that caretaker who got the cabin ready.”
Luke snorted a laugh. “Ralph is seventy-three. He doesn’t need to be throwing his back out. Why would you even suggest that?”
I hid my face in his chest and giggled. “I didn’t know.”
He tickled my sides, making me squirm. “I’m going to tell him what you said.”
“You better not!”
We fell into each other again, laughing, which led to kissing, which led to us back in bed.
After another round, we bundled up in layers and ventured out into the snow. The storm from last night had blown over, leaving the world blanketed in clean white powder. The sky was a deep blue above it, clear and sunny, making for a lovely day for a stroll through the winter wonderland.
I sipped my warm coffee and followed Luke through the snow. He carried an axe and wore a red and black checked flannel like a lumberjack. I was happy to be his lumber-jill for the day, as long as I got to appreciate his strong arms and broad chest.
Luke meticulously searched for the perfect Christmas tree in the woods outside of his cabin. It was endearing, how much thought he was putting into the decision.
He would eye a tree, looking for whatever he was searching for. Then he would glance my way to gauge my reaction. I had less strict standards than he did, apparently, because I kept saying they looked good and he kept thumbing his nose at every single one.
It took a bit, but Luke finally found one that met his lofty expectations. It was around ten feet. I wasn’t a tree expert but I was pretty sure it was some sort of fir tree. Maybe a pine. Spruce?
I gave up and just watched a gorgeous man get to work. I would never tell anyone out loud, but watching him swing an axe got me all hot and bothered. I was surprised steam wasn’t rising off me in the cold air.
“I’m impressed,” I said, mostly to stop my fantasies from running away from me. Technically, there were no rules against fucking in the snow, but I suspected it was a terrible idea. With my luck, I would wind up with frostbite in places that would be embarrassing to explain to a doctor.
He stopped and wiped his sleeve over his sweaty forehead. “You didn’t think I could use an axe?”
“This is the first time I’ve ever seen anyone chop down a tree in real life without a chainsaw.” I shrugged. “So yeah, it’s pretty cool. Don’t get a big head about it.”
“You should remember better than anyone that I grew up on a ranch.” He hefted the axe again. “It hasn’t been that long since I was out there working with my brothers.”
I nodded. “Troy and Chris. It was nice seeing them at Tipsy’s.”
He hit the tree again. “They told me they ran into you. Don’t laugh at me, but I was so jealous.”
I scoffed and shot him a skeptical look. “Shut up. No you weren’t.”
“It’s true.” Luke didn’t stop chopping. “I didn’t want to go back to Texas for Thanksgiving, so I was dragging my feet, and I showed up a day later than I was supposed to.
If I had stuck to my original plan, I would have been there with them, and I would have had a chance to catch up with you too that night. ”
“And here I thought you didn’t even remember me,” I said, playfully pouting and fishing for information.
“Clara Snow, you have always been unforgettable,” he said, no laughter in his voice. “Never doubt that.”
His words sent a shiver through me. I sipped my coffee and pretended I wasn’t madly in love with him.
“So you were talking about me with your brothers?” I asked, raising an eyebrow at him.
He chuckled. “Maybe a little.”
With a loud crack, the tree trunk leaned to the side like a drunk uncle at a wedding and fell over. I clapped for him and he gave a little bow.
“Will you take the axe while I drag this thing back to the house?” he asked.
“I’ll hold whatever you want, baby.” I grinned at him.
He laughed. “I’m not going to be able to walk after a couple days up here with you.”
“Then we can just live in bed together forever.”
“Do you promise?” he asked, and I was suddenly too shy to respond.
We made it back to the house and he asked me to go inside and find a roll of twine in the kitchen pantry. He needed to wrap the tree before he could secure it to the roof of the SUV. He was going to trim some of the longer branches in the meantime, wanting to make it picture-perfect for me.
It seemed like Luke had a vision for his perfect tree and I wasn’t going to interfere with that. I was just glad he was feeling the Christmas spirit. He’d gone from having zero decorations in his home to chopping down a real tree miles away from the city.
I dug around in the pantry, eventually finding the thick cord behind some crackers. If Ralph had stocked the fridge with some cheese, I would be coming back for these crackers later. It would go perfectly with some wine.
I was looking at the bottles on the counter, wondering if we should go for the red or the white. Luke’s phone buzzed beside me where it was charging. It buzzed again and again, not like he was getting a phone call but like someone was firing off texts one after the other.
Curious, I saw it wasn’t his job, but several text messages from his brother, Troy. It was a total invasion of privacy but my eyes skated over the words before I could stop myself.
Troy: Tick tock, brother. The bet gets decided on Christmas.
Troy: I should have asked for more than your cabin. I know you’ll just lie to some bimbo and trick her into being your girlfriend.
Troy: Then you’ll dump her ass once you win.
Troy: Answer me. I know you’re there.
I stopped reading and took the phone with me outside. My whole body felt numb from the shock. Luke had told me I was helping him impress the people at the network, to prove he wasn’t too wild for a promotion. But that had been a lie.
All of this was about some fucking bet with his brother? And he’d be dumping me after Christmas?
Had I been a complete fool to believe Luke had real feelings for me? Had he just chosen me because I was an easy target? A woman desperate enough to believe whatever flimsy bullshit he fed me?
Outside, he was focused on the tree.
My voice sliced the air like a blade. “Luke, we need to talk.”