A Date With Fate (25 page)

My blush of embarrassment was quickly turning into confusion at being observed so coolly by this detached, expressionless Luke. Stella walked around the sofa. She carefully set the tray on the low table. I was distracted when she handed me a cup of hot chocolate piled high with mounds of whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles. I could now sit down and ignore Luke’s strange behavior with some semblance of dignity. I also ignored Stella’s giggles and Jack’s disgusted expression. Jack came into the room and sat down heavily on the roomy, club chair he always preferred across from me.

Anna popped out of her blanket burrow and eagerly accepted a mug of chocolate. Stella served herself and then perched on the sofa on my other side. With spoons in hand, the three of us dug into the rich, cold cream atop the hot chocolate, oohing and aahing as we slurped contentedly.

Still not looking in Luke’s direction, I moaned in gratitude. “Thanks, Stell. This is just what the doctor ordered.”

“You’re welcome, but it was your boyfriend’s idea.” Stella winked with a broad smile at my startled glance. “Dr. Luke said you’d need something ‘hot and sweet’ after you woke up.” She wiggled her eyebrows and said under her breath, “That’s what she said….”

Anna snorted into her hot chocolate, almost spilling the towering spoonful being navigated to her mouth.

I snorted, too. But only due to the fact that Stella looked so lascivious when winking and being suggestive it was quite creepy.

Jack, smacking the arms of his chair, stood up. “Fun time over, girls. Anabel, since you are feeling better it’s time to get down to business.”

Anna set her cup on the tray and raised her hand tentatively. “May I go to the bathroom, Chief?”

Jack threw her an annoyed look and didn’t bother with an answer. In his shirtsleeves and shoulder holster, crossed arms bulging with muscles, and chewing rhythmically on a piece of gum, Jack was the embodiment of impatient, masculine authority. Knowing Anna had seriously been asking for a hall pass, I nudged her it was okay. She took off in grateful relief for the guest bath. Chief Jack terrifies her.

Stella worriedly asked Jack, “That man won’t be able to get out of jail and come back, will he?”

The law is one subject Chief Jack is happy to expound on at length. I lost track of their conversation when Luke sat on the sofa next to me in Anna’s vacated spot.

I finally made myself meet his hard, dark green gaze when he leaned in, not touching me, but with an arm behind me along the back of the sofa. Up close, his serious expression wasn’t looking so detached. I could see he was extremely unhappy. I sighed inside, wishing I was wrong and that he wasn’t mad at me, too.

Luke spoke softly. “I was relieved Anna was giving you a hard time, until the end. Then I was disappointed in you both. Instead of admitting the correct choice was waiting in safety and letting the professionals handle things; you promise your friend she can help next time. How asinine can you be?”

When he paused, I was so dismayed at his unexpected words I sat frozen. He was completely composed on the surface, yet I’ve never seen his eyes look so coldly furious. Mine were wide with surprise as I stared into his face. The random thought crossed my mind that this was the Luke people saw on the job—whatever that was. He looked so ferocious; I’d want him covering my six any time. I just didn’t want him on my ass and disappointed in me.

“I’m a very strong man, Anabel. If we were alone right now, I would love to put you over my lap and spank some sense into your hard head via your ass until my arm was very, very tired. That’s how pissed I am at your lack of care for your own safety.”

At my sharp intake of breath, he pulled back and met my narrowed eyes with a serious, yet slightly mocking look of his own.

Now I was pissed. I couldn’t believe he was casually mentioning spanking me after what I had just done to a man who was hurting a woman. I couldn’t believe he thought I was so stupid I didn’t care about my own safety. I was here, wasn’t I? I couldn’t believe he called me asinine for joking around with my friend! That really hurt. Most of all, I couldn’t believe everyone seemed to want a piece of me for kicking down that low-life wife beater.

He ignored my cold gaze. Taking his time, Luke’s glittering eyes traveled over my face before settling on my mouth. He gave an odd, half-smile then, as if the joke were on him.

I faced forward and sat stiff.

‘The ass should worry over his lack of care for his own safety with me. He obviously didn’t get me.’

Luke leaned back in close to my ear. “Or should I kiss you instead, and then make love to you until you can’t walk for a week?” I felt the whisper of his lips on my neck. “I wonder if you even know which you’d prefer.”

‘
What the hell?’
Could Luke seriously think I’d choose to be spanked over being made love to? Until I couldn’t walk for a week, no less?

His use of the words ‘make love’ made it through the mad. I hesitated a second in my offended thoughts. In getting to know Luke these last months, I’ve come to respect his perspectives on life. His observations on the world around him are sharp and concise. He is a logical thinker and a man of action. He expected a lot out of himself, and probably has similar high standards for those people involved in his personal life.

My shoulders relaxed as the defensive anger drained out of me. Luke didn’t want to physically hurt me. With his broader experiences of fighting to draw from, he was upset at what I had done and scared at what could have happened. He cared about me. I shouldn’t repay him with anger because he said incredibly dumb, male things to express himself in the aftermath of relief.

I stifled my shiver his mention of spankings and his light caress on my neck caused inside me. I decided in this instance he was way off-base, but I understood why he was frustrated enough to need to say such things.

I sensed the day we met I didn’t fit the description of the type of female he normally dated. I think he was hit over the head and stunned with the same feelings of unexplainable, inexplicable attraction that I experienced. My independent ways would always taunt and challenge him. I bet any women Luke previously dated didn’t cause him any trouble or worry. They’d have a set role he gave them in his life. He’d feel secure in the knowledge they’d be waiting for him in their quietly calm, dependably mature worlds while he went out and lived dangerously.

In case nobody noticed, I am not that kind of woman. Also, weird stuff happens to me all the time. I don’t understand why, but it’s like I’m some sort of magnet for the bizarre and freaky.

I fear Luke is destined to be disappointed in me if that means I must sit back and never take risks to prevent his worry. I appreciated his shoulder, but I didn’t need a constant hero, or a daddy, or a control freak. A man that considers me his equal, not in the sense of physical strength, but in the mind and spirit; was what I was cautiously hoping to find in Luke. It was why I dated so few, perfectly nice men more than once or twice without getting bored. I knew what I didn’t want in a man. What suited the real me has always been a different story.

Jack and Stella were still talking, but I noticed Jack’s cop eyes strayed often to Luke beside me.

‘
What the hell again!
Did I actually see a glimmer of approbation there, and not his usual instant dismissal? Now didn’t that just figure?’

This was turning out to be a humdinger of a weekend.

“Anabel, look at me.”

I did look at Luke, but I kept my face politely inquiring, determined to not let him see how he affected me.

His expression had softened. “Bravery is being able to act even when you’re scared. You are a brave woman, Anabel. Your friends are lucky to have someone care about them like you do.” His lips tightened. “You were also an idiot. The situation could have gone south and gotten real ugly; fast. You need training to do what you did.” He patted my thigh and made to get up.

His blunt words had reaffirmed all I thought and gave me some hope we could find our middle ground. Except for the idiot part, but I was willing to work with him on his stupidity.

I put a hand on his arm and stayed him. “You are almost absolutely right.”

Luke was surprised. I had caught him off-guard. “I am, huh? Right about what, specifically?”

Palms up, I shrugged. “Pretty much everything you’ve said.”

He smiled a little then, and some of his tense grimness eased. “Everything?”

I ignored his innuendo. “I definitely need some self-defense training. If you could help by pointing me in the right direction, that would be great. I did do something stupid on the face of it, and I was lucky the good guys won.” I kissed him softly on his cheek. I sat back and smiled up at his still face. With sincere gratitude I added, “Thank you for catching me when I passed out.”

Luke surprised me by abruptly getting up, walking over to Jack, and putting out his hand. The big cop stood back up and they shook. “Jack, I’ll get out of your way.”

“Luke, we’ll talk again soon.” Jack let go of Luke’s hand and thumped him lightly on the shoulder. I gawked in amazement.

‘
Had there been an alien abduction while I napped?’

Body snatching was the only explanation for Jack’s easygoing acceptance of Luke.

Luke nodded. “I’ll get Anabel back to you in a minute; I want her to walk me out. Maybe you could talk to Anna first?”

At Jack’s nod, Luke turned back to me. He raised his brow and put a hand out. Feeling dazed, I automatically clasped his hand. He tugged me to my feet and led me around the coffee table.

Luke then grinned at my niece, his dimple flashing. “Stella, I’m sorry for the circumstances, but it was great meeting you. You were amazing down in the store today. I know you’ll keep Anabel on the straight and narrow.”

I huffed in disbelief as Stella laughed, blushing. She dimpled back at Luke as they bumped fists.

‘
Okay, did Anna say I napped for one hour, or one week?’

We passed Anna on our way to the stairs. Luke paused to say good-bye. Anna gave him a huge hug with many exclamations of thanks. Luke squeezed her back with one arm, smiling broadly at her laughing promise of free cookies for life. I stood numbly upright, tethered to reality by Luke’s hand clasped tightly around my own. I didn’t even wonder too much why Luke deserved free cookies for life while I, as part owner, had been eighty-sixed from any bakery freebies forever.

I felt like I was caught up in a waking dream where nothing was as it seemed or supposed to be. I was half daydreaming myself how I’d like to demonstrate to Luke my appreciation of his being there for me downstairs.

‘Didn’t I hear a blow job is the male version of a bouquet?
’ It was an interesting daydream, until reality slapped me awake. What I wanted didn’t matter; there was no way I was going to start anything with three sets of big ears and eyes straining from the living room.

The responsible, mean mommy voice in my head scolded me. I had to give my statement to Jack, get an update from Stella and Anna on the store and the welfare of my staff, and then get everyone out of here so I could be alone. I needed to contact my family and friends soon or they’d come charging over. Luckily, the customers witnessing the events were all elderly, so there probably were no pictures or video posted on the internet. The staff I could trust. I thought about the news, what was being reported on the incident, and how it would impact business. Later on, I was still planning to go over to Mac’s for dinner at seven.

It was 4:40 PM according to the Breitling on Luke’s wrist. This day felt like it had lasted a week and it was only half over. I covered a small yawn behind my free hand. I was still a little groggy from my nap.

When Luke and I reached the top of the stairs, he surprised me again by not leaving but turning to the right. He led me down the hallway. He pulled me into the first open doorway which happened to be the bathroom. He shut the door behind us.

There was a charged silence in the darkness.

I reached up and touched his hard shoulder with my free hand. I smoothed down his rigid arm. “Luke, nobody has ever been there for me…”

Luke cut in, “Don’t you mean you’ve never had a man be there for you before?”

Struck by his words, I shrugged and touched my forehead against his chest. “I guess I do mean that.”

There are men who have wanted to be there for me in my life, but I don’t make it easy for them. I don’t know how to be anything less than self-reliant and independent. Putting it bluntly, there’s never been a man that’s impressed me enough to make me want to lean on him in my personal life.

Luke still held my one hand, so I reached and clasped his other hand. I found it easier to speak of these things in the dark. I wondered fleetingly if that is why Luke left the light off.

“Listen, it means a lot you came to check on me.” I laughed ruefully. “I absolutely can’t stand the thought of passing out and being carried anywhere, but if it had to be done, well, I’m glad it was you. I’m sorry I scared you.”

Luke was silent. I was starting to get uncomfortable, wondering why he wasn’t answering when he spoke. “Quit being so hard on yourself; it’s not like you fainted from seeing a mouse. You took on a man, Anabel.” He added softly, “I didn’t mind carrying you.”

“Hey, I didn’t faint.” Recalling Anna’s obnoxious description, I frowned. “If you say I was ‘as light as a feather’ I swear I’ll wallop you.”

I could hear the smile in his voice. “Why the hell would I say that? You were dead weight in my arms. It felt like I was carrying two hundred pounds of flopping female.” He squeezed my hands. “I probably should apologize here for accidentally banging your head kind of hard against the wall.”

“Oh, My Hero!” I was laughing quietly. “That explains why I have such a sore head and headache. I was worried about stroking from high blood pressure. Here, close your eyes, I’m turning on the light.”

I reached past Luke and hit the switch. The main bathroom in my apartment is divided into two, with a pocket door in between. Luke and I were standing close in the smaller room that is used by guests, and fitted with a toilet and vanity. Through the sliding door was my larger, personal bathroom that included the mirrored vanity area, the shower and tub room, and then a huge, walk-in closet—formerly a small bedroom I had redesigned with Reggie’s help.