Come Away With Me (3 page)

“Oh? And what was that?” I tilt my head to the side enjoying this flirty game, sipping my delicious drink.

“Well, there’s this brilliant local artist that takes beautiful photos, and I was lucky enough to find some of her work.”

He almost looks proud and it gives me a warm, happy glow.

“That’s great.” I don’t know what else to say.

“So, you had a photo session today?”

Whoa… change of topic.

“Yes.” I think I need another margarita if this conversation is about to take the turn I think it is. I signal to Miss Flirty and without asking him order him one too.

He raises an eyebrow. “I didn’t think you did portrait photography.”

“Why did you think that?” I ask with a frown.

“Because you said so this morning during our most unusual meeting.”

“Oh, that’s right. I don’t do traditional portrait photography.” I clear my throat and look around the bar, anywhere but at him, praying he doesn’t ask his next question, and grimace when he asks anyway.

“What kind of portrait photography do you do?” He looks confused.

I take a deep breath. Crap.

“Well, it varies. Depends on the client.” I’m nervous again. I don’t tell many people about this side of my photography business; I find that most people are too judgmental, and it’s honestly no one’s business but mine and my clients’.

“Look at me.” His voice is low and serious, and he’s not playful anymore.

Shit.

I look into his eyes, and swallow.

“You can tell me, Natalie.”

Oh, he’s so… sexy. And nice. Is that possible?

“Perhaps one day I will. When you tell me what you do for a living.” I smirk and kick him under the table and his mood immediately lifts.

“So there’s going to be a ‘one day’?”

Oh, I hope so! “If you play your cards right.”

“Sassy little thing, aren’t you?”

“You have no idea, Luke.”

“I’d like to learn, Natalie.” And there is that serious face again, making me squirm.

“You’re quite the charmer, aren’t you?”

Luke grins, his wide, gorgeous grin. I smirk again, and finish my third drink.

My head is getting fuzzy and I know I’d better stop with the alcohol.

“Another drink,” Luke starts to call for Miss Flirty, but I shake my head.

“I’d better go back to water.”

“Of course. More water for my lady friend and I, please.” The overly friendly

waitress

saunters

away,

deliberately swaying her hips, hoping to get Luke’s attention, but he’s staring at me, ignoring her.

“What kind of movies do you like?”

Huh? Is he asking me out to the movies?

“I don’t watch a lot of movies.”

He tilts that beautiful head to the side and looks at me like I just told him that pigs fly. “Really?”

“I don’t have a lot of time for it.”

“Who’s your favorite actor?” He smiles, and I feel like this is some sort of test, but I haven’t been given the study notes.

“I don’t even know who’s popular right now.” I sit back into the booth seat and purse my lips, thinking about it.

“When I was a teenager I loved Robert Redford.” I shrug.

Luke looks like he’s been kicked in the

stomach

and

I’m

suddenly

embarrassed. Then that beautiful face transforms into his smile and his eyes soften as they take me in. “Why? Isn’t he a little old for you?”

I giggle. “Yes. But I saw The Way We Were with him and Barbara Streisand when I was fifteen and fell in love with Hubbell. He was dreamy. I don’t pay a lot of attention to movies.

There’s too much drivel out there.”

Luke laughs. “Drivel?”

“Yes! If I see a trailer for one more stupid vampire movie, I’m going to kill myself.”

He frowns again, looks around the bar and back to me, his eyes narrowed and apprehensive.

“What? What did I say?”

“Nothing.

You’re

just

very

unexpected. What are you, twenty three?”

Why does he want to know my age?

“Twenty five. You?”

“Twenty eight.”

“So, you’re old then.” I giggle.

“You have a great laugh.” His eyes are shining with happiness and I mentally hug myself again, forgetting to be nervous and I realize I’m just really enjoying him. He’s just so easy to talk to.

I check my watch and gasp at the time. We’ve been sitting here for three hours!

“I should go.” I smile up at him.

“We’ve been here a long time.”

“Time flies when you’re with someone beautiful.” He leans over and grabs my hand and I am so caught up in his spell right now. My eyes focus on his lips and he licks them, making me squirm. Before I know it, he retracts his hand and I’m left feeling frustrated and missing the warmth of his touch.

“Right back at you.” I put my sassy smile back on my face and reach for the check.

“Oh no. That’s mine.” Luke pulls the check from my fingers and digs out his wallet.

“I’m happy to pay for my own drinks.”

He glares at me, and I’m stunned that he looks genuinely mad. Whoa.

“No.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

His smile is back as he says, “You’re most welcome.”

Luke settles the bill and we head back out onto the sidewalk. He hastily puts his sunglasses back on, and is visibly aware of who’s around us. My heart flips as he takes my hand and we start to walk toward my car.

The sun is just starting to set and I look out over the gorgeous Sound, the blue water, the boats and the mountains and long for my camera. I glance up at Luke and his jaw is tense, he’s looking down and we’re walking briskly.

“Hey, slow down.” I tug on his hand a bit and deliberately slow my steps.

“Are you in a hurry to be rid of me?”

“No, not at all.” He looks around us again, then grins down at me, slowing his pace.

“It’s going to be a great sunset.

Wanna walk along the water? I promise, no camera.” I hold my free hand up to show him it’s empty.

Luke smirks, and then looks around once more, and I follow his gaze. There are a lot of people out and about enjoying the beautiful day on Alki Beach. Luke shakes his head and looks forlorn for a moment.

We stop by my car and I think he’s looking down at me but it’s hard to tell through his dark glasses.

“I don’t like crowds, Natalie. It’s kind of a phobia.” He shakes his head again, runs his hand through that sexy hair and releases my hand putting his hands on his hips.

“It’s no problem.” I feel sorry for him in that moment and want to comfort him.

I’ve never wanted to comfort any man before, ever. I’ve never had soft feelings toward a man. They’ve always just been a pleasant diversion, or my worst nightmare. Confusingly, I find myself reach up and cup his face in my palm to sooth him.

“Hey,” I say softly. “Don’t sweat it, Luke.”

He leans into my touch and exhales, puts his hand over mine, then clasps it and kisses my knuckles.

Oh my.

“Come on,” I deliberately interrupt this lovely moment, needing just a little space, “I’ll drive you home.”

Luke’s jaw drops open.

“I’m not going to make you walk home, carrying these brilliantly genius photos, through the crowds. Hop in.”

He flashes me his sexy, face-splitting smile and hops into the passenger seat.

Oh Natalie, what are you getting yourself into?

Luke’s home is a very short drive along the coast, and it strikes me that his place is less than a quarter mile from mine. He directs me to pull into a gated driveway. I can only see a single-lane drive ahead of me, there is no house in view.

“The code is 112774,” he directs me.

“Wow, you trust me with the code to your gate?” I am trying to keep the banter between us light to mask my nervousness of going to his house. Will he even invite me inside?

“You’d be amazed at what I’d trust you with, Natalie.” I glance back at him and catch his frown. “In fact, so would I.”

I ignore his comment and pull through the gate winding to the left and gasp at the beautiful modern home before me.

It’s not huge, it’s simple, but the view of the Sound is breathtaking, and the white home itself is newer, with clean lines, tons of large windows, beautiful purple and blue hydrangeas lining the front of the house, and pruned shrubs lining the driveway.

“Wow, Luke, this is beautiful.”

“Thank you.” The pride is back in his voice, and it’s evident that he loves his home. I smile at him, completely understanding the feeling.

I park so the passenger side is facing the front door and don’t make a move to take my seatbelt off. Luke has already jumped out, and to my surprise walks around the front of my car to my door and opens it.

“Please, come in.” He holds a hand out to me, but I pause.

“I should go…”

“I’d really love for you to come inside.” He gives me that charming grin, and I feel myself softening. “Let me show you the view. Maybe make you dinner. That’s all, I swear.” His eyes shine with mischief, and I just can’t resist him.

I don’t want to resist him.

“I’m not keeping you from anything?”

“Nope, I’m a free man, Natalie.

Come on.”

I shut off the car and take his hand.

Wow. The electricity from his touch is still there, and my eyes widen as they find his. His smile is gone, and he’s staring intently into my eyes. He pulls my hand up to his lips, then closes my door behind me and leads me up to his door without letting go of me, as if I could run away at any minute.

I can’t help but appreciate the way his jeans hang on his hips, molding around his very fine ass. His white t-shirt is untucked, and hugs the muscles of his shoulders and arms just perfectly. I want to hug him from behind and sink my nose into his back, inhale his scent, and kiss him there between his defined shoulder blades.

It should seriously be illegal to be that beautiful. He clearly takes very good care of himself. Suddenly I feel out of my league. He is a ten, and I’m lucky if I hit a seven after I’ve been buffed and polished at my favorite salon. Not to mention, I have hips and an ass and a bit of a belly bulge that no matter how many sit ups or Yoga exercises I do it just won’t go away. I know I’m not fat, but I’m not super-model thin like Jules either.

And until today, that never bothered me.

Luke unlocks the door and turns to me, and the look in his eyes tells me that he’s not looking at my flaws. He seems to be just fine with what he sees, and hope starts to spread through me.

“Welcome, Natalie. Make yourself at home.” I follow him inside and can’t stop the face-splitting smile that comes at the sight of his magnificent home. The great room is large, with double-height ceilings and pale khaki-colored walls.

The back wall is all glass and the view is of the Puget Sound. The furniture is big, in blues and white and a touch of green. I could curl up in his love seat and stare outside all day.

I wander through the room, my sandals echoing on the dark hardwood floors, and gaze out the windows for a few moments. The sun is hanging low, just above the mountains, reflecting on the choppy blue water, and pretty white sailboats are coasting along gracefully. I turn around to see Luke still on the other side of the room watching me, his arms crossed in front of him. I wish I could read his mind.

“What?” I ask and mirror his stance, crossing my arms in front of me, pushing my cleavage up a bit, exposing it through the V-neck of my red t-shirt.

“You are so beautiful, Natalie.”

Oh.

I drop my arms and open my mouth to speak but nothing comes out, so I just shake my head and look to my right at his very lovely kitchen.

“You have a great kitchen.”

“Yes.” It’s a simple agreement, and Luke is on the move, slowly walking toward me. There’s no humor in his eyes now, it’s hunger. Hunger for me.

I couldn’t move if I wanted to.

“Do you like to cook?” My voice is higher than normal and the nervousness is back, but this nervousness is not fear.

I’m definitely not afraid of him. I’m a bit intimidated by him.

“Yes.” He says again, and as he approaches me he raises his long-fingered hand to run the backs of his fingers down my cheek. I swallow hard and hold his blue gaze.

“You don’t want to talk about your kitchen?” I whisper.

“No,” he whispers back.

“Oh.” I look down at his mouth, and back up into his blue eyes. “What do you want to talk about?”

“I don’t want to talk, Natalie.” Since when has whispering been so sexy? My thighs tighten, and I’m suddenly wet and hot and panting.

Luke grasps my face between both of his hands, still gazing intently into my eyes, as if he’s trying to convey some kind of deep message, or perhaps he’s asking my permission? I slightly tilt my head back, and he oh so slowly lowers his lips to mine. He rests them there for what feels like minutes, chastely kissing me, loosely resting his soft lips on mine.

I reach my hands up and grab his forearms and he groans as he takes the kiss deeper, persuading my lips open and tickling my tongue with his.

Oh God, he smells so good, and his expert lips are a drug that I just can’t resist. He nibbles at the sides of my mouth, nibbles my lower lip then invades my mouth again. He pulls the hair tie out of my hair, spilling my long, chestnut hair around my shoulders and plunges his hands in it.

“You. Are. So. Beautiful.” He murmurs against my mouth, each word between his sweet kisses and I am completely intoxicated. I run my hands up over his shoulders and twist his hair in my fingers and hold on for dear life.

Oh, this man can kiss!

He slows the kiss down again, gently cupping my face in his hands, and leaves sweet kisses on my jaw, cheeks, my nose, then plants his lips on my forehead and takes a deep, deep breath. I run my hands back down his shoulders – holy shit, is he toned! – over his sexy arms and hold onto his forearms, and I am more than just a little dizzy.

And I don’t want him to stop.

As my blurry sight clears, Luke leans back, still cupping my face and smiles gently down at me. “I’ve wanted to do that all day.”