Summer Lovin' (3 page)

Luke handed her the plate, and the smell of the sizzling steak made her stomach rumble again. Okay, good to know she could be marinating in lust and still have an appetite for food. Her lips lifted in a secretive smile.

"I'm glad you're a fan of steak," he said.

"I'm glad you're a fan of cooking them," she answered. "This looks divine."

He brought his plate to the table and sat down across from her. "Food always tastes better outdoors."

"I agree."

Mia handed him the bowl of green salad she'd brought as her contribution to the meal. She sighed, completely content at that moment. This was exactly what she needed, even though she hadn't realized it when she'd quit her job. It was the first time she'd truly relaxed in years.

A girl could get used to this kind of life.

Mia lifted her glass again, tilting it toward Luke. "Cheers."

"Cheers," he said, clinking his glass against hers. The expression in his eyes made her hand started to tremble, and it was a miracle she didn't drop the glass right into the salad bowl.

She lowered her gaze, and her glass. It was time to concentrate on the steak in front of her, not the hunk across from her. She gripped the steak knife and sliced off a bite.

"Is it cooked enough for you?"

"Perfect." She placed the morsel in her mouth. "Oh, wow." Mia placed her fingers over her lips to keep from emitting a full-blown groan.

The corners of his eyes crinkled. "I'm gonna take that as a sign it's okay."

"Okay? I'm gonna take out a loan so I can hire you to cook for me full-time."

He chuckled, taking a bite of the steak. He nodded, chewing slowly. "Not bad."

"Not bad?" she squeaked. "That's final. I'm never cooking for you."

Luke managed to smile while chewing, and she decided it was one of the sexiest things she'd ever seen. She cast a worried glance at the label on the wine bottle. Nope, no warnings about it containing pheromones. And it definitely wasn't from
Pheromone Winery
. That meant Luke was responsible for these reckless feelings she needed to keep pushing aside.

"You don't like to cook?" he asked.

"I don't mind it. I just never get these kinds of results. So it kills the motivation a little bit."

"Maybe you just need more practice." His eyes lit up when he said that, as if he was contemplating something else.

Mia laughed. "Or I just need to hang out with you all the time." She halted, wishing it didn't sound like a proposition.

"I like the sound of that," he answered, his voice casual.

She blew out a silent sigh of relief. If she had tried to explain herself, it would have only made it worse.

Dear Lord, how was she going to make it through the rest of these two weeks?

***

Luke shifted in his seat. Mia was sexy as all get out, but in that unselfconscious way that women never understood was so appealing. If he told her how he got aroused just from her enjoyment of her food, he'd scare her off, or make her hyperaware of her reactions. He didn't want either of those things happening.

"Why don't we take our wine and walk down to the dock?" he suggested when they'd finished eating.

"That's a great idea. Only—" She glanced at Hellboy, who was trying his best to wrestle a steak bone into submission.

Luke was ready to place all his money on the steak bone.

"What about him?" she continued. "I don't want to tell Sondra I found out the hard way her dog doesn't float."

He tilted his head back and laughed. "I think he'll be fine here for a little while. He can't get around the fence, and he seems happy right now. Even if it's not your shoe."

She frowned, biting her lip as she gazed at the puppy. Luke stifled a moan. Lord, he wanted to be the one biting on that luscious mouth.

"He'll let us know if he needs us," Luke reassured her. "We won't be far. We'll be able to hear him."

She finally smiled at him, her face so jubilant he had to catch his breath. And he had to keep himself from pulling her into his arms. It was too soon. He didn't want to make her skittish. But damn, it was hard to be patient.

He grabbed the wine bottle. "Have you still got your glass?"

She held it up, proudly, as if it were a trophy.

"Good."

His hands were full with the bottle and his own glass or he would have clasped her upper arm, to lead her to the dock. Instead, he just nodded his head, showing her which direction to go.

They didn't have far to walk, just a short path through the back yard, which opened up onto the lake. She turned once, to check on the puppy, but Hellboy had no interest in them. Her smile was beautiful, lighting up her eyes. She glanced up at Luke, as if aware he was watching her, and she blinked a couple times.

"I told you he'd be fine," he said. He wanted to say how hot she was and how she aroused him so much. But it was possible she knew it, or could see it in his expression.

They stepped onto the wooden dock just as a breeze came by, playfully lifting the hem of her skirt. Mia laughed, slapping it down, but not before he saw a hint of those luscious thighs he'd seen when she had been wearing shorts. Was it any wonder summer was his favorite season of the year?

It was almost twilight, the light fading away, leaving a sense of intimacy in its wake. A few fireflies winked on and off, adding to the enchantment.

"I haven't seen those for years," Mia said, obviously delighted. "I don't know why they always seem so magical."

"When I was a kid, it was one of my favorite parts of summer. Although I'm sure the lightning bugs didn't like it when they ended up in the jar I'd brought with me."

"I'm guilty of that one, too." She pulled her hair into a ponytail, so she could see the vista without her hair blowing into her eyes. "I love this time of day."

"I do, too," he answered. If it hadn't already been his favorite hour before, it was now, after watching her enjoyment.

He set the wine bottle and his glass near the edge of the dock, and then held his hand out. "Come on, let's sit down."

There weren't any chairs but she didn't hesitate for even a second. She sat down on the edge of the dock, and dunked her feet into the water. "Oooh, it's a little colder than I expected." She rubbed her hands over her arms. "I've got goosebumps."

"Do you want my shirt?"

He started to unbutton it, and he saw the flicker of interest in her eyes. It warmed him so much, he nearly ripped the next button off.

"No, thanks," she said, one hand out as if to stop him. "I'm fine."

"Let me know if you change your mind." Luke sat down next to her, grabbing the wine bottle. "This will help keep you warm," he said, filling her glass, and then his.

They clinked their glasses together, sharing a smile.

"Do you live here year round?" she asked.

He nodded. "Yeah. It's not really convenient in the winter, but it's so peaceful out here. My family came here every summer."

She sighed, the simple gesture showing how much she agreed with the description of his home.

"What about you? Do you live close by?"

He held his breath, hoping against hope that she did, but she shook her head.

"No, I'm out in Eastboro. At least for now. I'm not sure where I'll be after this."

"A big trip?"

"I don't know. I've been working with my brothers the past few years, and I realized life was getting away from me. I decided I wanted to see a little bit more of the world than the four walls of that office and my apartment."

Luke gulped some of his wine. It sounded too much like his life, only he hadn't recognized it until now. He loved his job, but it shouldn't take up every minute of his day, or every ounce of energy he possessed. He couldn't even count how many times he came home exhausted, sitting in front of the TV, eating leftovers.

All of a sudden he felt like he was missing out on a lot.

"I envy you taking such a big step," he admitted.

She waved her hand, self-consciously. "It may be the biggest mistake I've ever made."

"Yeah, but you won't know until you give it a try."

"That's exactly what I told my brothers," she said, a slow smile lifting her lips.

Luke swore that smile had been created just for him. He knew it was complete nonsense to think that way. Maybe he'd consumed too much wine. Or maybe the summer breeze had stirred his thoughts around in his brain. Whatever it was, he had to have a kiss.
Now
. He couldn't wait any longer, much as he knew he probably should.

Mia shot a glance at him, biting her bottom lip again. He thought she muttered something, but before he could ask what she'd said, she put her mouth on his.

***

Mia heard him inhale, obviously surprised at her bold move. No one was more surprised than she was.

What had she been thinking?

She tried to move back. But his hands were on both sides of her face, holding her in place, and his mouth was opening, inviting her inside.

She couldn't resist. She'd been telling herself the whole evening it didn't make sense to be attracted to him. But it was impossible to stay away. He was too sexy, and too delicious, and so attentive. She promised herself it would only be this one kiss.

And wow, was it ever a kiss.

Her stomach fluttered with the excitement of his tongue seeking out hers, slowly, leisurely, as if he could not bear to stop. Her toes still dangled in the water, cooling down the heat flooding the rest of her body. He lifted his mouth, and she almost cried out in protest, but it was only so he could kiss her neck, sending shivers throughout her body, making her nipples harden at the same time.

"Are you cold?" Luke whispered, dotting light kisses against the goose bumps on her shoulder and upper arm.

"No," she rasped. "Not at all."

His lips raised in a smile, but he kept them moving across her skin. "The offer of my shirt is still good," he said. "If you do get cold."

Mia closed her eyes. If he took off his shirt right now, she might fall headfirst into the lake.

"I'm good. But thanks."

She felt the rumble of his chuckle against her collarbone. Her voice was a little squeakier than she'd hoped, so he didn't need to be a mind reader to know how she was feeling.

But it didn't really matter, because all at once there was a cacophony of yelping, and barking, and—

Luke sighed, his heated breath tickling her skin. "I told you he'd let us know."

This puppy was going to be the death of her. First her favorite shoes, and now, her favorite hunk. When Luke lifted his head, his expression was not exactly joyful. She leaned in and gave him a light kiss on his downturned lips.

"Guess we should see what Hellboy wants."

She heard another growl, only this time it was coming from Luke.

Chapter 4

If Hellboy hadn't had such a short attention span the previous night, Mia might have given in to the urge to have her very first fling.

She adjusted the lawn chair so it was in a reclining position, and then grabbed the tube of sunscreen. She couldn't take a chance on falling asleep and getting burned today. And after tossing and turning all night, spending way too much time reliving the kiss, she could barely keep her eyes open now.

Talk about a kiss. It made her want to—

She squeezed the tube of sunscreen so hard it came out in a huge splat. "Ack! That's enough to cover everyone in the whole neighborhood."

She dabbed her fingers in the lotion and spread it on her arms, rubbing it up onto her shoulders. She couldn't stop thinking of Luke, which led to less-than-innocent thoughts of what could happen next. She rubbed in some more of the lotion.

"It's a wonder this isn't sizzling right off," she said, laughing to herself.

She couldn't let anything else happen though. It wasn't practical. Still, she liked that Luke had seemed disappointed when they'd been interrupted. She liked even more that he'd been a gentleman about it, and didn't try to press her further. He'd even been indulgent with Hellboy the Interrupter, which had made Luke's sexiness really soar off the charts.

A little "ruff!" stopped Mia's wild thoughts. Hellboy loped over to her chair, barking up a storm, his tail wagging non-stop.

"Speak of the devil."

As aggravating as he was, he was still too cute for words. Mia leaned over to pick him up, but just before her hands reached him, he spun around and sprinted toward the gate.

"Fine," she said, ignoring him, going back to rubbing sunscreen on her legs. "You're trapped here with me though."

"That doesn't sound so bad," a sexy voice said.

"Oh! Luke." She sat up. "I was talking to the dog." She laughed. "Which sounds pathetic, I'm sure. Especially since he doesn't listen to anything I’m saying."