Lucas: The Hunter Brothers Series (10 page)

“And
here’s the man we all want to impress,” Darren smiled, standing and chatting
about the technical aspects of the design and it was all I could do to keep up,
way too distracted by Lucas’s fingers across the base of my spine which didn’t
move for the next few minutes.

I
wasn’t sure if he knew the effect he was having on me, but after the night at
the party and the debacle in his bathroom it seemed improbable. He knew full
well how people responded to him, particularly women. Even those who tried not
to openly swoon were seldom successful. He was powerful, entrancing, magnetic
and beautiful, and all the things that I tried to ignore as we said our
goodbyes to Darren and he offered his hand to help me back into the Range
Rover.

“I’m
seriously impressed, Jessica. It’s late, have you eaten?” he asked, my growling
stomach betraying my answer before I had the chance to voice it and I laughed,
panicking suddenly that I had to get Dex.

 
“No, but my sister has made me something.
Would you mind dropping me at the tube?” I asked, watching the small smile that
was playing around his mouth.

“I’d
like to take you to dinner as a professional thank you for a job well done,” he
said as I smiled back.

“I
think any celebrations should be held off until midnight tomorrow,” I replied,
disappointed that I couldn’t go, but delighted that he’d asked, whatever the
reason.

“Good
point, Miss Evangelista, but I will be taking you home and not to the tube,” he
said firmly as I nodded. Dex would be across the hall with Mrs Jones, tucking
into pasta bake and well concealed from the eyes of my boss. I gave him my
address.

 
“I remember and I’ll be dropping you at your
door tonight, Jessica, not a mile and a half down the road,” he said, raising
his eyebrows as I looked away, wondering what the hell Lucas Hunter must make
of me and my antics.

We
drove in relative silence as he returned a number of calls about business
meetings abroad, one where he agreed to speak at a charity event, mergers and
acquisitions, stock prices and legal battles and my head was absolutely
spinning. I had no idea how he could compute such a huge amount of information,
making instant decisions calmly and methodically without breaking a sweat. The
man was like an unstoppable force as I tried and failed to keep up.

“This
is me,” I said almost apologetically, disappointed that the journey was at an
end and certain he’d be less than impressed with my home, but if he was being
judgemental he wasn’t showing it. I smiled inwardly, wondering what he’d have
made of the shithole I lived in before. By comparison, the red fronted building
I rented with Chas was like Buckingham Palace.

“Goodnight,
Jessica,” he said, smiling and leaning across to deliver another of those
wonderful kisses as I shuddered deliciously.

“Goodnight,
Sir,” I smiled back, risking only one glance into those beautiful blues. Any
longer and I feared I’d give away exactly what was on my mind, jumping out of
the car, closing the door and waiting until he’d driven away to let the giant
grin I’d been staving off all night, break across my face.

CHAPTER 9

The
party was beyond my expectations as I stood at the top of the stairs watching
the waiting staff in their flamboyant costumes, moving the canapés around the
room significantly more graciously than I could have done. They were plying the
guests with champagne as the estate agents got to work, selling to prospective
clients all the benefits of what promised to be one of London’s premier
addresses for the up and coming professional.

Lucas
and Charlie were still absent, but as the guests spilled between the rooms,
marvelling at the exquisite features, I basked in the feeling of success, proud
of what I’d created. Chas pulled up alongside me, tray in hand, passing me a
glass of champagne and sporting a rather conservative cowgirl outfit; at least
it was conservative for Chas.

 
“I had you down for Mardi Gras, not the
steakhouse,” I laughed as she grinned, pulling her signature shimmy.

“I
thought it should be the youngest Evangelista getting all the attention tonight
and for all the right reasons,” she winked.

“Well
done, Sis. I mean it, this is incredible,” she smiled, nudging me as Charlie
and Lucas strode through the main doors, both looking dazzling in three piece
suits and laughing with one another. I could feel Chas watching me as I stared
at Lucas, taking in the glorious vision and holding my breath as his face
turned upwards and he caught my gaze, holding it for far too long before
Charlie pulled him away.

“Jess,
what is going on with you and Hunter?”

 
“Nothing,” I said as she shook her head in
slow disbelief, pinning me in place with an intense stare that there was no
wriggling away from.

“Bullshit.
That man just eye fucked you all over this landing,” she said as my eyebrows
shot up in surprise. I’d felt the connection the same as I always had, but Chas
had noticed now and I was more intrigued than ever. “Has he made a move on
you?”

“No,”
I said quickly. “He’s my boss, Chas,” and a small smile played on her mouth.

“Well,
Jess, with looks like that it’s only a matter of time, boss or not,” she said
as my heart fluttered, sneaking a glance down to Lucas. He was holding the
attention of everyone in the small group of potential buyers that he was
currently charming.

“Chas,
everyone looks at Lucas Hunter like that, see,” I gestured to the crowd as the
women fawned all over him, flicking their hair or smiling sexily. They were all
edging closer, trying to be the one to catch his gaze, desperate for an ounce
of attention and frankly I didn’t blame them – I knew better than anyone the
effect that man had.

 
“Maybe, but Lucas Hunter isn’t looking at them
the way he looked at you, Jess. That was hot and seriously undeniable.”

I
decided to voice my honest opinion. “I feel a connection, Chas. I always have,
ever since that first night when my heel got stuck in the decking, but it’s
complicated. He blows hot and cold and you know for a while there I thought he
really hated me. Last night he kissed me twice on the cheek and he was utterly
charming, so I’m confused. I can’t imagine for one second that Lucas Hunter
would go for someone like me,” I sighed as Chas just stared at me with a
slightly annoyed trout pout on her glossy pink lips.

“You’re
stunning, Jess, and you need to quit it with the insecurity shit,” she snapped
as I raised my eyebrows and faced her head on.

“I’m
not insecure, Chas, I just don’t have the experience that you do. I had one
boyfriend in high school and ever since then I’ve been bringing up a man not
dating one. Even if I’d dated every day for the last five years, I doubt
anything would have prepared me for a man like that. You said it yourself,
Lucas Hunter is not just unobtainable, he’s untouchable,” I said, risking
another glance at Lucas and flushing as I realised he was watching me too, and
praying he couldn’t lip read. Chas caught it.

“Well
you might be romantically retarded, but take it from me - he definitely wants
to touch you. So I can only guess that the reason he’s blowing hot and cold is
because he’s a man wrestling with his feelings. As your boss he holds a level
of authority, power and responsibility. If he tries something, you can haul him
through the courts,” she said as I shook my head. If anything it would be me
sexually harassing him.

“What
do I do?” I asked as she laughed.

“Well
if you fancy fucking that fine specimen, I suggest you find a way to get
yourself fired,” she laughed as I shook my head.

“Helpful,”
I quipped sarcastically as she swanned off down the stairs and made a beeline
straight for Charlie whose face lit up. Lucas looked once again at me. I took a
deep breath, turning and walking towards the bedroom, engaging in conversation
with the potential buyers through all the rooms of the second floor before I
gathered enough courage to go downstairs.

I
felt him slide up behind me, the heat of his body and that masculine scent as
he kissed my cheek, smiling broadly as he looked down at me. “The party is
incredible, Jess. You’ve done a wonderful job and you look simply stunning
tonight,” he said as I smiled back, warmed by his words. I was glad I’d chosen
the simple black Armani dress that Patrick had let Chas borrow from the Elite
collection. He’d seen it before on my sister, the night she balled him out, but
I doubted he’d notice.

Chas
shimmied over, offering us both a glass of champagne as I watched her
nervously. She had the telltale glint in her soft green eyes that suggested she
was up to no good, and I held my breath as she opened her mouth to speak.

“She’s
done great hasn’t she, Lucas?” she beamed as he nodded.

“She
certainly has, I was just telling her,” he replied, casting me a broad smile
and placing that warm hand on the base of my back, igniting my spine as Chas
tried to hide her ‘I told you so’ smirk.

“Well
I’m glad you like her again. This is infinitely preferable to seeing her
sobbing in the kitchen because her boss was being a dickwad,” she laughed. ‘Oh
dear God’ I sighed inwardly as Lucas raised his eyebrows, his mouth set in that
unreadable line which seemed to have much less impact on my sister.

“I
never stopped liking her,” he said, glancing at me as I stared at him wide
eyed, before settling a lingering kiss on my cheek and moving away. I wasn’t
surprised.

“Chas,
what the hell were you thinking?” I snapped as she burst out laughing.

 
“I was fishing and he bit. He’s always liked
you – isn’t that what you wanted to know?” she grinned, waltzing off with her
tray of bubbles. Maybe she was right.

I
spent the rest of the evening socialising and checking that everyone had enough
drinks and canapés, enthusing about the Waterside project to anyone who I
thought might be interested in living here.

By
midnight the last of the guests had filtered away, leaving Patrick and Chas
clearing up and a couple of the developers loitering around who were responsible
for securing the building. I hadn’t spoken to Lucas for the rest of the
evening, snatching quick glances whenever I could and usually finding he was glancing
back, firing up my insides and momentarily short-circuiting my brain. I was getting
worse.

I
headed to the kitchen for a glass of champagne and a quiet moment to enjoy my
success. It was the first time this evening I had truly relaxed.

“Celebrating?”
I heard the low deep voice as I turned from the counter, smiling at Lucas and
nodding as I sipped the bubbles and relished them sliding across my tongue.

“I’ve
been looking for you. You said you’d only be happy at midnight when it had all
gone off without a hitch, and I hope you are. I’m incredibly impressed,” he
said, leaning casually against the huge fridge freezer at the opposite end of
the kitchen, regarding me closely.

 
“I’m ecstatic. Did you sell any?” I asked,
knowing that this would make tonight an even greater success.

“Twelve,”
he grinned as my mouth dropped open in shock. It looked so wonderful I’d expected
a couple, but twelve..... “Oh my God,” I gasped, turning towards the counter to
top up my champagne. This deserved an extra celebration.

I
turned back quickly, straight into the chest of Lucas as the newly refreshed
champagne fizzed over the top of my glass and he looked down at the droplets of
liquid, watching as they spread in three small clear circles across his
pristine white dress shirt.

“Not
again, Miss Evangelista,” he said, gazing back at me and raising his eyebrows
playfully as I stood my ground.

“That
was NOT my fault. You shouldn’t keep bloody well creeping up behind me,” I said
firmly, biting my lip and trying desperately to stifle the giggle that was
lodged in my throat. He tilted his head slightly, his smooth tongue running
across his full bottom lip as I followed it, my own parting involuntarily and
desperate for Lucas Hunter to kiss them as my breathing sped up.

“Did
you just shout at me?” he asked, a delicious little smirk playing around his
mouth as I tried to stave off my grin.

“Yes,”
I squeaked, biting harder on my lip and trying not to laugh.

“If
you weren’t my employee I’d take...” he started before stopping abruptly,
blowing out a huge breath and turning and striding out of the kitchen.

What?
‘Finish that sentence’ my brain was yelling. I was aroused, confused and incredibly
frustrated. There was something deeply sexual about what had just happened. I
knew there was and then it hit me; a light bulb moment that flashed into focus.

 
“I’d take you over my knee and spank you
senseless,” I muttered out loud, flushed with arousal and pushing back the
pervading thoughts that were telling me it was wishful thinking. It wasn’t. I
downed my champagne and made my way out of the kitchen, freezing in my tracks
as I saw Lucas hovering in the doorway, flushing beet red as he eyed me with
amusement. Oh fuck, why had I said it out loud?

“Did
you hear that?” I asked, a small smirk tickling the corner of his mouth.

“Hear
what?” he replied. Well at least he wasn’t dragging out my mortification for
once.

“I
thought you might want a ride home.” His eyes were twinkling dangerously as I
shook my head.

 
“Chas is taking me,” I said, trying to mask
the disappointment in my voice as he laughed softly.

“Very
well, Cinderella. Sweet dreams,” he smiled, turning and walking away as I let
out a long slow breath, trying to still my racing heart and knowing with full
certainty that if I dreamt about him again it would be very sweet indeed.

Had
he just called me Cinderella? What the hell did that mean?

I
was a bundle of hyperactive nerve cells on the way home, wriggling restlessly
in my seat, deciding to fill Chas in on every little detail of what had
happened with me and Lucas, including the mortifying Morgan incident that I’d
so far withheld as she stared at me aghast.

“You’re
not imagining it, Sis. I saw it tonight with my own eyes. Lucas Hunter didn’t
look at anyone else that way, touch anyone the way he touched you and the man
is even sparing with his air kisses,” she laughed.

“Seriously.
I was
serving the estate agents when he introduced himself and he even shook hands with
the women. He did it occasionally, when someone dived in and he had little
choice, but it was all air. There was no direct lip to cheek action like there
was with you. No one feels Lucas Hunters touch unless he wants them to,” she
laughed as a giddy flush of happiness swept through me.

 
“But the whole spanking thing has put a new
spin on it. Do you think you’d be into that, Jess?” she asked, suddenly
serious, raising her eyebrows as I nodded.

“I
can imagine him as a Dom now you’ve said it and it totally fits the whole
‘untouchable’ persona, but I can’t imagine you as a submissive. What do you
know about that whole lifestyle, really?” she asked as I took a deep breath.

“More
than you think, at least I’ve done some research. Let’s just say the Bronte
sisters have taken a back seat for now,” I laughed as she gaped at me,
open-mouthed.

“I
can’t imagine
you
being anyone’s
submissive, Chas, not in a million years, but I can imagine being Lucas’s,” I
said, not wanting to divulge just how much I found the idea of being totally
dominated appealing, even to my sister.

“Even
if he’s whipping you?” she asked, wrinkling her nose in distaste.

“Especially
if he’s whipping me,” I laughed as she shook her head in disbelief.

“
Shit,
and I thought I knew you, Jess! But there’s still the
whole boss thing to consider. However much you think you want this you cannot
quit, you know that?” she said as my smile faded.

“Yeah,
I know. You don’t think he’s playing with me to get me to quit, do you, Chas?”
I asked as the ugly thought popped into my head. I’d never considered it before.

“No.
Those reactions are real. I know men, Jess, and Lucas Hunter
is
not playing around,” she said, making my heart dance and my stomach flutter,
even though I felt powerless to do anything about it.