Chapter 21
Sabrina was a focused, job-oriented woman accustomed to juggling a dozen and one tasks at any given moment of any given day, and yet she was certain she had never had such an incredibly long, detailed, and exhausting day as today.
The only respite had been the hour she'd stolen with Luke that morning, and now, on the other end of the day, she wasn't at all sure she would have made it through if it hadn't been for that little moment of peace in what were otherwise the most stressful and chaotic hours of her career so far.
One of the construction workers offered her a lift home, and even though it was only a few blocks, Sabrina accepted the offer gratefully.
She hadn't precisely forgotten Luke had offered to cook for her, or that she'd given him her keys. She still patted her pockets for them, then, shaking her head, knocked on her own apartment door.
Luke opened it a few seconds later, decked out in Sabrina's own favorite pink apron.
She laughed, and on the laugh, said, "Oh my God, that smells amazing," as the scent of whatever he had cooking hit her.
"I think I love you." That, like the earlier discussion of kids, was quite an escalation, and she'd meant it playfully, but as soon as the words were out, Sabrina thought she may well have meant them.
After a heartbeat of looking like a stunned ox—or, Sabrina guessed, a stunned bunny—Luke's smile flooded his face.
"I think I love you too." He got out of the way so she could come in, though she stopped long enough to give him a quick kiss on the way past. He closed the door behind her, and as Sabrina dropped into the couch with a groan, Luke produced a glass of rosé wine from a bottle she'd had in the cupboard.
"I didn't know if you'd want one, but it seemed like you might after today. "
"Oh, I do love you," she said, trying to make it even lighter than she'd said it the first time, and took the glass, which was cool to the touch. "You even refrigerated it."
Luke sniffed. "Please. I'm not an animal."
They both paused, then broke down into laughter. "You know what I mean!"
"I do," Sabrina said, grinning. "Thank you. What's for dinner?"
"Just chicken stuffed with mozzarella and spinach with a blush sauce and some roasted potatoes."
"Just?" Sabrina asked incredulously. "Where have you been all my life? Please remember I call making box mac and cheese 'cooking!'"
"I've mostly been here in Virtue," Luke said with a smile. "It'll be ready soon. How'd the day go?"
"Aaaahhhhh." Sabrina let herself sink into the couch and sip the wine before answering.
"Given how it started, it went pretty well.
Gladiator Architecture got a security team up here by mid-afternoon, and an arson expert was here earlier than that.
The cops are pretty satisfied I had nothing to do with it, and have apparently been questioning all the people in town who are known to be against the railroad, which I hear ruffled some feathers. "
She paused again. "Literally, maybe? Are there bird shifters?"
"There are. I know there are a couple of owl shifters in town, and maybe a swan.
But I don't think any of the families who are anti-rail are bird shifters.
" Luke went back into the kitchen, which was open-plan to the living room where Sabrina sprawled, and started doing something that smelled even more delicious than before.
"I'm glad they got security up here that fast."
"Me too. We're delayed at least a week due to the investigation, so we'll use that time to get new materials in.
The ground is broken already, so we're not starting from scratch, but rearranging all the delivery times is a headache all by itself.
I've been on the phone with fifteen different vendors all day, in between talking to the media and my bosses.
It's nuts," she proclaimed, and had another sip of wine.
It was cool and sweet, exactly what she wanted after the long day.
"Thank you so much for this. All of it. The wine, cooking dinner, getting me out of there for a while this morning. I'm incredibly grateful."
"Well, don't be too grateful until after you've tasted it. It might be awful."
"Nothing that smells that good can be awful. Mediocre, maybe, but not awful." A few minutes later, as Luke sat down across from her at the little dining room table and Sabrina had the first bite of the meal he'd cooked, she mumbled, "Not awful," in bliss. "This is unbelievable, Luke. Thank you."
"My pleasure," he murmured. "You deserve it. You've had a long day."
"God. Yeah. The media's been all over it, and I had to call Noah's mom to find out if I should give him credit.
He deserves all the credit, but…you know?
She said he's already a local celebrity because of the playground fundraiser, so I mentioned a local kid had basically saved the place but I'm going to let them come forward if they want to. I haven't even talked to him to thank him yet. I haven’t even met him yet!”
“He’s so into stuff around this town I’m surprised you hadn’t before now, but I’m sure you’ll have the chance soon. I’m glad things went as well as they could have,” Luke said more softly. “It’s been a hell of a day.”
“Yeah. I just hope they catch the arsonist. I’ll keep worrying about another fire until they do.”
Luke nodded sympathetically, and for a few minutes they ate, the silence only broken by Sabrina’s happy groans and mumbled praises. She eventually got up to clear the table, though Luke gave an alarmed squawk and took the plates from her. “I’ll take care of the dishes!”
“You cooked!”
“I did, and on a day when your building site hasn’t been set on fire, you can do the cleanup, but today, I will. Find us a movie to watch, maybe? Or I can get out of your hair once the dishes are done, if you want.”
Alarm leaped in Sabrina’s chest. “Oh, no, please stay? And…okay. Today I’m not a good enough person to argue with you, but don’t think you’ll always be cooking dinner and cleaning the kitchen.”
“I did tell you I’ll load the dishwasher,” Luke reminded her as he went to do just that.
“Hah! So you did. Fine. I’ll empty it, I guess.” She went to flop on the couch, feeling a little as if she’d been tricked somehow, but also as if she’d been lucky enough to win…
…not just a round, she thought. She’d somehow won the whole jackpot with Luke Jones, without even actually gambling in Vegas.
With a smile, Sabrina found a fake-dating romcom and cued it up to play.
When Luke came back from the kitchen to see what was on the screen, he laughed out loud and settled down beside her. “Just leaning into it, are we?”
“I’m going to write an entire screenplay around us myself.” Sabrina tilted over to snuggle against him with a happy sigh. “I might have to make you an alien, though, because there’s no excuse for not hooking up in Vegas otherwise.”
“Is that a fact.” Luke’s voice dropped considerably, and she glanced up to find that dark brown gaze of his could get liquid hot.
The most wonderful heated shiver imaginable ran through her, and she breathed, “Yeah, it is,” on a smile. “You had me thinking about bailing on breakfast and padderbee the first morning. I’m sure Mindy wouldn’t have minded…”
Luke’s grin flashed. “Having now met Mindy, I feel I can say with absolute certainty that she really, really would have minded.”
“Yeah.” Sabrina wet her lips. “Mindy’s not here now.”
“Thank God. That would be awkward. Especially if I’m going to do this.”
She was already snuggled against him, but the way his arm snaked around her, lifted her, and deposited Sabrina into his lap seemed a bit like magic.
She laughed breathlessly, suddenly nose to nose with the biggest, hottest man she’d ever met, and murmured, “She wouldn’t think this was that awkward to see. ”
“Let me see if I can change that.” Luke kissed her, his mouth warm and certain and his hands lifting to slide into her hair.
His hands were huge, enveloping her skull with a cradling touch.
Sabrina had never felt so secure or adored as within the space of that kiss, and when it broke she whimpered a protest. Then she lifted her hands to pull her braid out, loosening her hair.
Luke made a deep hungry sound and kissed her again, fingers tightening against her skull, tangling in her hair, encouraging her to tip her head back so he could kiss her throat.
The strength in his hands was incredible. She shivered again, whispering, “You’re so strong,” and his grip loosened instantly.
“Too much?”
“No! No.” Heat blushed her skin and she met his eyes to swallow and breathe, “Maybe not enough.”
He made a hard little sound, just a breath, and tightened his fingers again, this time watching her intently.
Sabrina thought her bones might be melting, the way she softened in his grip, and a little, intensely hungry smile pulled at Luke’s mouth.
The fist he closed in her hair was by no means using all of his strength and she knew it, but the helpless, delicious shiver it sent through her was perfect.
She nodded a little, wetting her lips again, and this time his kiss devoured her, taking powerful control in a way she hadn’t even known she craved.
She could no longer think at all by the time the kiss ended.
Her whole body was aflame with desire, and she fumbled her hands to the buttons of her blouse, only for Luke to catch them and fold them behind her back, effortlessly holding her wrists together with one hand.
Sabrina gasped, and he smiled again, wickedly pleased as he unbuttoned her blouse himself and slid his free hand into her bra to tease her already-aching nipples.