A Date With Fate (39 page)

I slid up to a sitting position until my back was leaning on the rolled arm rest of the sofa. Luke sat up beside me and brought his longer legs to the floor beyond the end of Sam’s sleeping bag below us.

“Hey, watch what you say about my sister. You’re lucky I don’t kick you, too, the way you snore like a banshee.” I threatened Sam without heat, lazily aiming my foot at his shoulder while running my hands through my hair and working out the tangles.

Sam avoided my foot and glared at me. “What? You women are nuts--I don’t snore!”

I raised my brows.

He was starting to protest more volubly when he caught sight of Luke’s hand slicing the air. Correctly reading the dark look on his face, Sam Sheedy wisely decided to shut up. I was going to have to learn that part karate chop-part snarl move for at the store with unruly customers.

Tre J went for her turn in the bathroom just as Jazy opened the door and came out. Jaz was dressed and no longer resembled the scary medusa of a few minutes ago.

I got up on my knees and reached over the back of the sofa to close the open window letting in the draft of cold air. I turned back and caught Jazy flipping off Sam Sheedy before continuing her way into the kitchen. My little sis is definitely the grudge holder in the family.

Unable to avoid it any longer, I looked over at Luke.

We stared at each other warily without speaking. Sam stood up, grumbling under his breath, and gathered his belongings. We were alone a minute later when he stomped off to wait his turn in the hallway for the bathroom.

Silently, Luke put on his jeans. Looking down to fasten his belt he said gruffly, “Listen, about…” he straightened up and made a waving motion at his groin area, “earlier. That’s never happened before, but I’m okay with it. We should probably talk about some things.” His face was serious when he met my eyes. “I trust you.”

My amazed, “Really?” burst out before I thought to stop it.

Luke’s eyebrows were meeting in a black frown when the door to the upstairs opened and Reggie came whistling into the living room.

“Good morning, friends and family! Looks like those dickheads got the weather report wrong again; there is not one flake of snow outside. Frigging unbelievable, isn’t it? To get paid the big bucks to be so routinely wrong.”

My brother wakes up like me; disgustingly, cheerfully chipper in the dawns early light. Or more accurately, like I used to wake up.

“Junior, when do you want to get going? Jazy said I have first shift, so my Sunday is cleared to make sure you don’t get murdered today before three o’clock.”

I was grateful for Reg’s typical, bull-in-the-china-shop entrance. I was touched he was going to keep me from dying; at least during first shift.

I jumped up eagerly and scrambled into my slacks. I’d go anywhere at this particular moment to avoid talking with Luke. It didn’t take a genius to get he might be feeling a tad disappointed with me again. I had inadvertently implied he couldn’t trust me. I was too confused over my own actions and feelings to want to get into it now.

Reaching on the floor for my purse, I opened an inside compartment.

I answered my brother, equally chipper. “I’m ready to go when you are, Reg. I have a ton of stuff to do this morning at home.” I babbled on, “Except for needing to make a grocery grab, my plan is to stay home today. If you want, we can hang out at the apartment and watch football this afternoon.”

Reg was taken aback at my enthusiasm to get going so fast, but his expression showed immense relief at my proposed plans. “Sure, I’ll need a little time to do a couple of things, but then we’ll go. An afternoon of football sounds better than a sharp stick in the eye.”

Eyeing him thoughtfully, I realized I should have led him on first and said I wanted to go shopping at the Mall of America. I really was rattled. I popped a piece of cinnamon gum in my mouth. It would have to do until I got home to my shower and toothbrush.

I looked up to offer Luke a piece.

He quickly gave me a neutral, inquiring look, but he wasn’t in time. I pretended I hadn’t noticed the quick exchange of smirking grins and self-satisfied nods between Luke and Reg. Throwing him the gum, I shook my head at their conspiring together over their covert protection plans.

‘Did it seem like I wanted to die? Did they ever think to tell me straight out what the plan was and why? Men can be such idiots.’

I really wished now I’d take a minute to string Reggie along and make him work up a sweat to get me to follow their plan. I shrugged it off with my own private smirk. One thing I could count on; there would never be a loss of opportunities to terrorize the men in my life for my own viewing pleasure.

Luke announced he had things to do today and needed to get going. I felt relief he was leaving, and relief he didn’t seem mad at my avoiding any talks. It was nice he’d shown me his medical report weeks ago, and nice that he trusted me, but my head was still spinning. I could not believe that I forgot myself enough to let a naked Lawrence of Mylabia anywhere near Vicky. Or that Luke had forgotten himself.

Snagging his leather jacket off the hall tree, Luke shrugged into it while I walked him to the front door. We were alone again. Everyone was busy in the bathroom or kitchen. I heard the welcome gurgling of a coffee maker.

I gave in to curiosity. “Do you think Candy will still be at your house with your guest, John?”

He snorted. “Candy being on Pluto has a greater chance of happening.”

I liked that answer.

He gave me a lingering cinnamon kiss and then stuck his hands in his jacket pockets. He regarded me a moment before asking, “You’re cool staying with Reggie today? You feel safe enough?’

“Yeah, I’m sure it will be fine, but thanks for asking.” I was a little surprised he hadn’t offered to spend the day with me, but it was probably better this way. It sounded like we both had things to do.

I didn’t tell Luke, but I had toyed with the idea of closing the store for today. I was nervous as hell with The Hammer running around out there plotting my demise. Last night before we left The Rock’s parking lot, Jack said two plainclothes cops would man the doors inside Bel’s for the Sunday store hours. Even with the police presence, I still thought I’d be doing my employees and customers a disservice by opening today versus closing the store. I could always cite a broken water pipe needing repairs.

The problem with this line of thought was what if it took days to catch Hammerschmidt? I couldn’t stay closed for more than today—even one day would impact my profit line unfavorably. Not that an employee, or customer, or yours truly getting killed wouldn’t have a somewhat negative impact on the business, as well.

I needed to man up, go on the offensive, and be bait to help facilitate The Hammer’s capture. Closing up shop and hiding was tempting, but it wasn’t the answer. It didn’t mean I would parade around town with a big target on my back. I figured since he was out of jail only recently and had immediately tried to attempt a kidnapping and murder, brains wasn’t his long suit. For some reason, Gustav Hammerschmidt had set his psycho mind on me last night. He knew where I lived and worked. If I didn’t make myself publically available as an easier target, he’d come to me at my home.

I reminded Luke dinner was at five. I grinned and invited John to tag along. Luke smiled at that and said he’d pass on the invite, but wasn’t sure of John’s plans.

He didn’t leave, but stood staring down at the floor. When he raised his eyes and I saw his implacable expression it made me uneasy at what was coming.

“Listen, Anabel. We are going to talk.”

‘I knew it! Damn.’

He tilted my chin up and stroked a thumb along my cheek. “Tonight after everyone leaves your apartment, I plan on staying over for second and third shift guard duty, alright? We’ll talk then. I promise it won’t hurt,” he nipped my bottom lip, “much.”

I tried to smile while keeping my eyes closed, waiting for another kiss and less talk.

Luke snickered. “Anabel, Anabel, my strange and different woman. I want you to think about two things today for me, okay?”

At my cautiously curious frown, he softly tapped my chin. “One, I
know
you. I’ve recognized you since the minute I first laid eyes on you in your store last spring.” He paused, smiling faintly. “Why do you think I stayed away for months?”

His steady gaze held mine while his surprising declarations twirled through my head. I turned my cheek into his hand while nodding again without answering. I didn’t know what to say. I admit to experiencing a romantic thrill at his unshakeable tone of confidence. What woman wouldn’t want to be told they were known in such a way, by such a man, and only moments after returning from subspace at his touch? I hadn’t given a thought as to why I had never seen him from the first glimpse last April in my store until late September at my brother’s house. I was speechless he’d stayed away deliberately. I couldn’t help but wonder what made him change his mind.

Yesterday, after I kicked that bastard, Ron Hansen and then Luke proved he got me despite his being mad, I had felt a burgeoning hopefulness. Today, his words sent a longing through me. Maybe he was a man who could want and accept me as I truly am. Maybe he had been showing me all along how he knew me, and I was only now starting to be able to see. Maybe he did
know
me. It would be nice to be known.

Luke pulled his other hand from his pocket. It held a sealed, white envelope with my first name scrawled across the front in a black, bold script. The envelope was the size of a small birthday card. I was only the teeniest bit curious about what was on the inside.

“This is the second thing I want you to think about today.” His eyes were gleaming dark with secret promise. I was struck anew by how attractive I found Luke, even though I knew many men much better looking. He slowly waved the envelope to and fro. “This is my turn.”

I sighed with the boredom of it all. With careless unconcern, I reached for the envelope.

Luke held it aloft out of my reach. The tricky man effortlessly held it higher when I unashamedly climbed his body quicker than a spider monkey and jumped for the card. Twice.

White teeth flashed as he laughingly shook his head. “Not so fast. In order to receive this envelope, you have to agree to some basic conditions.”

Standing back with my hands on my hips, I felt my own smile blossoming wider. “I can’t believe you had that in your pocket all evening! Okay, I’m listening.”

He tapped his finger on the envelope in concert with his sentences. “For you to take possession of this envelope you must agree to do exactly as I say. You will not open the card until I tell you to open it. Then you will do precisely what it says to do—following any and all instructions. No exceptions.” Luke face was uncompromising and his eyes were intent on mine. “Anabel, to accept this card, you must first give me your word you will follow these rules.”

My eyes widened in return. I realized I was a little apprehensive what his fantasy might be. I licked my lips nervously as visions of Torquemada’s dungeons danced through my head—and not like sugarplums. There’s no way I was getting racked, or branded, or hung up on a hook somewhere like a side of beef. I had images of tools, and knives, and Makita drills. If my tough brother cried like a woman over a finishing nail, I didn’t stand a chance against a scalpel or an electric cattle prod. Luke had seemed a little too casual over the subject of spankings yesterday. If he thought he could smack my ass until it chafed and me with no petroleum products, he had another thing coming. These sorts of tortuous fantasies did not put me in a positive frame of mind for fun and frolics, or oath swearing.

I ran my hands through my hair. I desperately wanted to ask for my caveats, get my reassurances nothing would hurt, or be told of a safety zone. I wanted to rip the envelope in half to end my fears, and then I wanted to grab it and rip it open to begin his turn.

Then I was thinking of the first thing Luke wanted me to think about today.

He claimed to
know
me.

I believe I know him, too.

If you know somebody, you put their motives, needs, and desires ahead of your own in certain situations. You let go and trust them a little bit not to be a torturing psychopath.

This was Luke’s turn. This was his secret fantasy I was going to find out. For him, the fantasy had all ready begun in the way he was delivering the envelope.

I stepped closer into his arms, sliding mine around his neck. I looked up into the challenging gaze of his green eyes. I knew mine were glittering with promise back at him when I solemnly answered, “Yes, Luke, to everything. I give my word.”

Chapter XVII

“A Man’s World” by Joss Stone

Sunday, 11/18/12

7:20 AM

I was sipping coffee at Reggie’s dining room table while staring warily at the square envelope with my first name on the front. I probably was imagining things, but the card seemed to be staring back and taunting me. It appeared Luke is also an experienced expert at taunting. Thinking of his level of experience made me vaguely uneasy. Was this the sort of games he played with every woman he got involved with, or was this new to him? I wasn’t sure if I wanted to know.

I was alone. Everybody had left within minutes of drinking a cup of coffee. Reg was taking a “quick shower” before we left to go to my house. I had been sitting here waiting for the slow-poke for over twenty minutes. This was after he’d sat and browsed the paper while he drank three cups of coffee before ambling off to his upstairs bathroom.

Jazy and Tre were taking their guard duties seriously. They decided to pick up the groceries on my hastily written list rather than allow me go shopping in a public store. After their horse chores and errands, they were meeting us at the apartment to drop off the food.

I could tell this day off was going to be much more relaxing than yesterday. The lovely way it had started guaranteed it couldn’t be worse, that was for sure. Then I frowned recalling again how it ended on the sofa.