CHAPTER NINE
L uke had been the perfect gentleman. He was actually pretty damn proud of himself. As soon as they’d left the bar last night, all flirtatious banter had ceased, and his sole mission had been to make sure Bella had enough water to drink and got safely tucked into bed.
Yes, technically it had been his bed. But it wasn’t his fault he wanted to keep an eye on her. What if she needed to hurl in the night? She could have choked on her own vomit. He was just being a responsible citizen.
Yeah, keep telling yourself that, man.
He also might have been in the bed with her. Again, not his fault. Bella had refused to let him leave and had even dragged him down onto the bed and insisted they snuggle. And whenever he tried to get up to leave, she whined so loud he was afraid she’d wake the neighbors. So he’d spent the whole night with her sexy body curled up in his chest. Breathing in wild berries and willing his hard-on down. Like a gentleman of course.
Now here he was, plating up muffins he’d picked up from Fairy Baked for her and getting ready to take them upstairs. All so Bella could enjoy breakfast in bed.
What has she turned you into, man?
The truth was, this past week, he hardly recognized himself. Not ever in his life had a woman had him so twisted. He’d never once wondered what a woman was doing or how she was feeling, and yet, now, that was all he could think about. She was all he could think about. And had been ever since the first day he’d met her, when she’d swayed that sexy ass of hers out of the fire station.
You’re in way over your head.
He was. He was reminded of that a second later when Bella stepped foot in his kitchen. In his Woodvalley Fire Department shirt. Just his shirt.
Jesus Christ.
“Oh, hey.” She bit down on her lower lip as her steps faltered.
Thankfully, he managed to push out the “hey” momentarily stuck in his throat. How could she look even better than last night? How was it possible? There wasn’t an inch of makeup on her face, her hair was wet and sticking to her cheeks, and his shirt drowned her. And still, here he was, finding it hard to breathe.
“Are those muffins?” she broke the silence, her eyes darting to the plate in his hands.
Clearing his throat, he managed to draw in some much-needed air. “Uh, yeah. And coffee.” The cup in his hand stretched out as he watched her hesitantly walk toward it.
As soon as she was close enough to accept the cup, he got his first whiff of his shower gel on her silky skin. She smelled like him. And for some insane reason, that turned him on more.
You’re seriously messed up, man. That’s some crazy shit right there.
“Thanks, uh, things are a little blurry from last night ...” Shy eyes lifted to his. “Please tell me I didn’t do anything to embarrass myself?”
His mind instantly flashed to his bed. Her head on his chest, his arm wrapped around her as she flung her own arm and leg over him. Did she remember that?
“No, angel, nothing embarrassing, I swear.” Relief flooded her pretty face, and he was so entranced, he forgot what he was going to say. He forgot everything. His brain had stopped working.
Next thing he knew, the angel before him lifted up onto her tiptoes and lay a soft kiss on his cheek. Scrambling his senses even more. His brain had no chance of switching back on now.
“Thanks for looking after me last night, Luke.” He was rewarded with a radiant smile. One he couldn’t look away from.
Stop staring at her and say something.
He continued to stare. Still not talking.
Anything.
Nothing.
Come on, man, she’s gonna think you’re having a stroke.
“Are you okay?”
Yup. She thinks you’re having a stroke.
“Luke?”
“Uh.” His fake cough helped him stall. For a second. “Sorry, uh, yeah, I’m good. Shall we eat?”
He didn’t wait for her to agree, he simply turned, grabbed his own coffee off the counter, and took himself and the muffins over to the kitchen table. He needed a minute to get himself together. He had a plan. A good one. And he needed to not fuck it up.
Bella followed him to the table, pulling up a chair opposite as she continued to eye him. Not hiding her confusion as she grabbed a muffin and began picking at it. This was not going well.
“You’re being weird.” She told him something he already knew.
“Yeah,” he grunted. “I’m fully aware.” He swiped a muffin too and wasted no time taking a big bite.
“Okay, are you gonna tell me the reason you’re being weird, or do you want me to guess?”
He gave her his best “seriously?” look. Which she obviously took as a challenge and carried on speaking.
“Okay, um, let’s see.” Her fingers began tapping the table as she pretended to ponder. “You ... you think your house is haunted and you’re waiting for the priest to show up?”
“What?” He might be smiling. Maybe.
“No. Okay.” She nodded to herself. “Uh, you lost your lucky rabbit’s foot?”
He just shook his head at that one. What was this chick on?
“Bitten by a snake?” she tried again.
He let his eyebrow raise this time.
“Weird itch?”
The table was treated to a spray of muffin that time. “Christ, woman, who’s being weird now?”
“Well”—a mischievous grin started to spread—“if you tell me what’s going on, then I won’t have to guess, will I?”
If she really wanted to know, then so be it. The old Luke would have told her. What was he waiting for?
“Okay, fine. You want the truth? I’ll tell you.” His elbows hit the table as he leaned forward, his eyes holding Bella in place as his smile was replaced with something else. Something darker. “Right now, it’s taking all of my self-control not to strip you of that shirt and bend you over this table.” He heard her breath hitch, but it didn’t deter him. His big mouth wasn’t done. “See, Bella, I want you. I want everything. I want the taste of you on my tongue. I want to know how your soft skin feels pressed against me. I want to swallow those sexy moans you make while I’m inside of you. And see the look on your face as you come apart. I want it all.”
Way to scare the shit out of her.
He still wasn’t listening, and his mouth was still running.
“So yeah. I’m acting weird. Mostly ’cause I have no idea how I’m supposed to act around a woman I want so badly. ’Cause I’ve never been in this position before. And that’s the God’s honest truth.”
By the time he was finished, he felt breathless. Despite their eyes never leaving each other, he was finding it hard to decipher her expression. He was starting to regret being so honest. There was a real possibility Bella was about to slap him in the face. Or throw hot coffee over him. Maybe hit him with a muffin too for good measure.
He would deserve it. A real-life angel was sat before him, and he’d just confessed every sinful thought he’d had about her.
Well, not every thought.
Luke lost her eyes as her chair scraped back over the tiles. He held his breath as she rounded the table and pushed him and his seat backward, making room for her. Her legs went either side of his and she lowered herself onto him. But he still didn’t dare breathe. Not until her ass was in his lap and her palms were safely resting on his shoulders.
“You want me that bad, Cappelli?” Her head cocked to the side.
“Yes.” He searched silver for answers.
“If we do this, then we need rules.”
“What do you want?” That was better than what he really wanted to say. That he’d do anything she asked.
“I don’t want to be treated like one of your hook-ups.” A look of hurt flashed before she had a chance to hide it. It was enough to make him feel nauseous.
He wanted to be offended. Tell her that there was no way in hell he’d ever treat her like that. But reality set in real quick. He’d not given her reason to believe he’d treat her any other way. That was all he knew.
Until now.
“Never, angel.” The words felt raw, like they were ripped from the deepest parts of him. “You could never be just a hook-up. That’s not what this is. I know that. And I promise to do everything in my power to make sure you never feel like it is.”
She gave him a single nod. “Look, I get that I’m leaving in a few weeks and whatever this is won’t go beyond that ... but I’ve never done casual. I’ve dated, I’ve had relationships, but being with someone, knowing it won’t go further is new to me, okay?”
Why did those words feel like sharp stabs to the chest? He swallowed down bile and nodded. Urging her to continue.
“What I’m trying to say is ... I need more than just jumping into bed.”
He understood. At least he thought he did as he processed her words.
“You want to be wined and dined, angel?”
The look she gave him told him that, actually, not only did he not understand, but he was also very, very wrong.
“You really do only have one setting, don’t you, Cappelli?” What does that mean? “No ... I don’t exchange sex for food. I’m talking about actual conversations, getting to know someone. To have good ... y’know ... I need to be able to connect with a person on another level. Something deeper.”
“Oh.” He did not know how to do that. “I’ve never ... I’m not sure ...” Shit. “I can try.”
That was the right thing to say. Bella’s head dipped, and he finally got another taste of heaven. A soft gentle glide of her lips over his, which was over too soon as she pulled back to get another look at him.
“Any other rules I should know about, sweetheart?”
A small smile graced those perfect lips. “Yeah. You have to promise not to fall in love with me, Cappelli.”
Now that, he could do. Love was not something he was looking for. Or wanted. And he was pretty damn sure he wasn’t even capable of it.
“I promise.” It was his turn to capture her mouth now. He needed one more kiss before he began practicing the art of conversation.
***
L uke’s gaze went back to Bella. This was not how he usually spent his days off. Or any day really.
When Bella had said she wanted to go back to the creek that ran through the Evans ranch, he’d obliged. Mostly because they needed to get out of the house. There were too many surfaces tempting him. Not to mention, going out meant she had to put on actual clothes. Something else that had been threatening his self-control.
The only thing keeping his resolve was his determination to prove to her that he wasn’t a complete and utter dickhead. The look on her face when she asked him not to treat her like a hook-up was still burning a hole in his heart.
“You ready?” Bella asked as she bent to slide off her shoes.
“For what?”
“To take a dip?” She shot him a look insinuating his stupidity.
She’d lost her mind. He was in jeans. And she was still wearing last night’s little black dress.
“No, clearly, I’m not. I didn’t exactly bring my swimming trunks.” He gestured down to his outfit as if to make his point.
She was laughing now. At him. “Wow, who knew you were such a square, Luke Cappelli?”
“A square? Seriously? What decade are you living in, sweetheart?”
Her giggles dissolved, and he was left with the sight of her blazing smile. He’d like to say, he kept his eyes on her face. But that would be a lie. Especially when she began pulling up her dress.
Sweet Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.
Black panties filled his vision. Immediately redirecting his blood flow. As the material lifted, he was treated to more smooth skin and that familiar rose tattoo. He was staring. Gawking really. And he knew it. But that didn’t mean he could stop himself. A matching black bra was the next thing to make him throb.
God-fucking-damnit. How am I supposed to control myself now?
She knew what she was doing to him, that was made clear as her dress was cast aside, and his gaze finally drifted back up to playful eyes.
“You coming?” She smirked.
Evidently.
He didn’t answer. His mouth felt too dry. His silence was just met with a shrug as she gave him her back and walked toward the creek. That was about the time he had to stifle a groan. There was no back to her panties. She was wearing a freaking thong.
The universe was playing a joke on him. What the hell was he supposed to do now? Make small talk with a raging hard-on? Was that even possible?
“Fuck it.” His shirt came off and hit the grass.
If you can’t beat them, join them.
Next, his hands went to his buckle. Once he’d unzipped his jeans, they were unceremoniously pulled down. There was no hiding the bulge in his boxers, but that didn’t matter, because he was a grown-ass man. And it’s not like she wasn’t aware of the effect she had on him.
“You pitching a tent in there, Cappelli?” she joked as her head bobbed above the water.
Why he was smiling, he didn’t know, but he was. And it only grew bigger as he caught Bella’s eyes roam over his chest while licking her lips.
“Trying to, angel. I could do with a hand though ... if you’re interested?” He sauntered toward her, cool water splashing against his bare feet.
“That line normally work?”
He wasn’t going to tell her that he didn’t usually need lines. That would only make him look more like an asshole. And that was the exact opposite of what he was trying to do.
“You tell me, sweetheart, it’s my first time using it.” That earned him a scoff.
As he submerged his body further into the water, he couldn’t help but flinch. It might have been a hot summer’s day, but this dip was far from refreshing. On the plus side, he probably wouldn’t have to worry about his hard-on for much longer, not when his whole body was on the verge of shriveling up.
Musical giggles filled his ears as splashes were sent his way. “You really need to lighten up, Luke. You look like you’re constipated.”
Nice to know he still wasn’t hiding his facial expressions in her company.
Taking the plunge, he dropped his body until only his head was above water. That was better at least. As he took in Bella, he started to unthaw. Sunlight was bouncing off her golden hair as it floated around her, while her arms waded through the ripples. But it was her innocent smile that had his stomach warming. She was so damn beautiful.
“So, how do we do this?” he asked as he floated closer.
“Do what?”
“This whole forming a connection thing? This is your domain, angel—you’re the teacher and I’m the student here.”
She took her time considering him. And he let her. Getting his own fill as she did.
She was the one to get closer this time, treading water until she was in his space. Her hands wrapping around his neck as he felt her legs go around his waist. When her body was safely curled around him, he found his hands going to the small of her back. To hold her in place.
Both of their breathing picked up. It was the only thing he could hear. That and his overactive thoughts. He was all too aware that in the short time he’d known this woman, he’d touched her more than he’d touched anyone in thirty-five years. He’d hugged her, carried her, held her all night long. And now he was enveloped in her. But that wasn’t what was bothering him. It was the thought of not touching her. And in a few weeks’ time, never touching her again.
“Having a connection isn’t something you can teach.” He watched her swallow hard as their eyes locked. “This is about getting to know each other, opening up and letting another person in.”
“I don’t know how to do that either,” he rasped.
“I know.” Her nose nudged his, and he took the opportunity to breathe her in. Even with the smell of his shampoo in her hair, he could swear he could still taste berries. “That ... I can help with.”
Was he really going to do this? Let her in?
Three weeks. That’s all, remember? How much could she possibly learn about you in three weeks?
“Okay.” The words were scraped from his throat. There was no going back now. “What do you want to know?”