Undone (28 page)

“I can’t.”

“You’re a nut.” He gazed down at her adoringly.

“But you love me.” She wiggled beneath him.

“I do.”

Embry was curled into Luke’s solid chest, his warmth wrapped around her like a blanket as he ran his fingers through her hair. She loved having him in her home, in her bed.
Pillow talk with Luke
.

“You know, I don’t think I ever asked you. What class are you teaching next semester?” she asked.

He shook his head and smiled.

“What?”

“Guess.” He offered a sheepish smile before tossing his arm over his eyes.

She was too tired to play a guessing game. “I don’t know, just tell me.”

“Professional Responsibility,” he mumbled and let his arm fall away from his face.

Embry groaned and buried her head in his chest. She peeked up at him, an eyebrow raised in question. “Serious?”

He nodded, his ears turning red.

Embry laughed. “You’re teaching legal ethics. And you’re …”

“Yeah,” he said. He traced a finger along her jaw and smiled. “I see the irony in the situation, thanks, baby.”

She propped herself up, her eyes never leaving his. She lay on his chest, lost in his eyes and in her thoughts. Going to Luke’s—finally giving in—had been a simple decision. Her feelings had reached a breaking point, and loving Luke was no longer something she was willing to deny. But it was easy to get lost in those feelings and not consider all that they were risking, all that they were potentially giving up by being together. She’d thought about the risk of dating a professor as she fought her feelings, but she hadn’t thought about how much Luke was putting on the line as well. As she lay in his arms, letting his words sink in, anxiety coursed through her veins. He was an ethics professor having an affair with a student. He was risking his future as much as she was hers.

Luke bent his head, kissed her hair, and smoothed his finger over the crest of her eyebrows, easing the tension in her face. “What’s going on in that brain of yours, baby? You look so worried.”

Embry shook the thoughts away, attempting a smile.

Luke’s eyes turned sad. “Talk to me.”

“It’s just, this—you and me—is easy. But the rest of it …”

“We keep it professional, Bree, keep to our rules.” He winked. “We keep ourselves in check. I know it’s easier said than done, but that’s what it takes for us to be together.”

“You make it sound so simple. Have you done this before?” she joked.

Luke’s eyes turned fierce. “Why would you say that?”

That wasn’t the reaction she was expecting.

He ran a hand through his hair, and his eyes softened. “I’m sorry. It’s not simple. It’s complicated, and it’s risking your entire future.”

“What about yours? I’m worried for you, too. I know I’m taking a huge risk, but you always seemed so willing … I guess I just didn’t consider all that you’re putting on the line for me. You have as much to lose as I do.”

Luke shook his head. He pulled her up so their noses nearly touched. “The only thing I care about losing is you, Embry.”

“But what about your career? Everything you’ve worked for?”

“I don’t figure into this equation. Please don’t worry about me. I hate myself for putting you in this position. But I can’t …” His head fell back against the headboard, and he stared blankly at the ceiling. “I can’t stay away.”

She reached out, running a hand across his chest. “Well, that makes two of us.”

“I won’t let anything happen to you. You know that, right?” He rolled to face her, his head resting on his hand. His eyes found hers, intense and serious. “To us. We just have to make it through this semester. I’d resign before I let anything affect your future.”

“No,” she said, shaking her head adamantly. “We’re in this together. We’re both adults. We’re both making the decision to be together.”

“I can’t be responsible for your future falling apart, Embry. I may not be strong enough—good enough—to stay away from you, but I won’t let anything hurt you or jeopardize your future. I promise.” His words were strong, confident.

“I believe you.” She leaned in to place a soft kiss on his lips.

He let out a small noise of approval and rolled her beneath him. “I like this.”

“What?” she asked.

“Being in your bed,” he said, smiling at her.

“I like it too.” she said, returning his smile. Glancing over his arm toward her nightstand, she realized she needed to get some sleep if she wanted to stay awake through her classes the next day. She pushed at his chest to roll him off of her. Dropping a kiss on his lips, she hopped out of bed. “Be right back. I forgot my phone in the living room.”

“Okay, baby.”

Embry found her phone on the living room floor under the coffee table and made her way back into the bedroom after a stop in the bathroom. Luke’s eyes were closed, his breathing even. She sat on the edge of the bed and swiped her finger across the screen to check her missed call. Blocked.

A pit formed in her stomach.
Oh no, no, no
. There was no voicemail from the missed call, but when she exited to her home screen, she saw the small red circle indicating a new text. She opened it, hoping it was just Morgan or Jeremy. Instead, it was from the blocked number.
Jack.

Ignore my calls all you want. Now that I’ve found you, I’m not going away.

Tension shot up her spine as she stared at the screen. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to erase the words, but they were burned into the backs of her eyelids.
I’m not going away.
The pit in her stomach turned to a weight, sinking quickly and pulling her under. She felt panic coming on, but suddenly she was swept into a warm embrace. Luke’s arms wrapped around her stomach, and he dragged her back onto the bed.

“Come here, baby,” he said.

She snuggled into his arms, letting his nearness comfort her.

“You feel tense. Everything okay?”

She nodded against his neck. She was afraid if she spoke, her voice would give her away. His breathing soon became deep and even again. Lying awake in his arms, Embry couldn’t help but think that Luke may have to protect her sooner than he thought.

Embry dug through her closet, throwing clothes everywhere as she searched for something to wear. Luke was picking her up in an hour to take her to dinner, and she wasn’t even close to ready. Flicking through the clothes on hangers, she found a long-sleeved knit dress. She pulled it over her head, grabbed a pair of tights, found a belt and scarf to match, and stepped into a cute pair of suede booties. She was spending the weekend at his place and still had to pack.

As she pulled clothes from her drawers, she came across her Gator jersey and stuffed it into her overnight bag. The following day was a big one for Florida and Georgia football fans. Each year around Halloween, the two teams met on neutral turf in Jacksonville to play. It was the first time in almost five years that Embry wouldn’t be at the game in person. She’d watch it at Luke’s instead. She still couldn’t believe she was dating a Georgia fan, but she had an idea or two for that jersey.

After rushing to get ready, she still had a good twenty minutes until Luke showed up. She paced the apartment until she wound up in front of her mirror fussing with her hair and makeup. She sat on the couch, legs crossed, foot shaking in anticipation. She hadn’t been alone with Luke since he’d stayed over Monday night.

He’d been busy with new clients all week, and her workload seemed to be increasing. All of her free time had been spent in the library with Jeremy and Tessa, who were attached at the hip. Sitting in Luke’s class had been nothing short of torture. By Friday’s class, she was sure she would rip her clothes off and throw herself at him in the middle of the room. Her only saving grace was the text messages he sent her throughout the day. He missed her as bad as she did him.

Her phone rang, and she jumped to grab it. As she got closer, she saw “blocked” on the screen. She tensed for a moment before hitting ignore. Jack had been calling on and off all week, but she’d become numb to it. He hadn’t sent another text message, and she was too caught up in studying and Luke to worry much. She figured if she continued to ignore him, he would get tired of calling and give up. Hopefully. She knew Luke needed to know about him, but for some reason, she couldn’t bring herself to let Jack into her new relationship. They had enough to deal with; they didn’t need more stress.

A knock sounded on the door a few minutes later, and she opened it up. Luke wore black pants, a white dress shirt, and a black skinny tie. His blue eyes sparkled as a gorgeous smile spread across his face.

“Hi, beautiful,” he said.

“Hi.” She dragged him into the apartment.

Pushing him against the door, she crushed her lips to his before he could say another word. Her arms wrapped around him, fingers digging into the hair at the nape of his neck. Luke’s hands traveled down Embry’s body and cupped her ass as he pulled her into him and deepened the kiss.

She pulled her mouth from his and took a deep breath, her lips swollen and pink. “Sorry.”

“Do I look like I mind?” Luke leaned in for another kiss. “Are you ready to go?”

Embry nodded. “Yep, all set.”

“Great, I’ll grab your bags.” Luke put Embry’s bags in the back of his Rover and helped her into the car. As they pulled out of her development, he scooped up her hand and brought it to his lips. “I missed you, baby.”

“Me too,” she said, feeling relaxed and calm in his presence. Maybe calm wasn’t the right word. Being near him, being able to kiss and touch him, did nothing to calm her. Liquid fire ran through her veins whenever he was close. But for the next two nights, she wouldn’t have to pretend that every look, every touch, didn’t affect her. He was hers.

“I thought about cooking for you,” he said, his eyes mirroring her desire, “but I figured if we were going to get any eating or talking done, we should probably be in a public place.”

“Probably a good idea.” She squeezed his hand. “But what if someone sees us?”

“It’s off the beaten path. We won’t have a problem,” he assured her.

A while later, they pulled up to a quaint restaurant off the main road. Luke hopped out of the SUV and helped Embry from the car. She loved how much of a gentleman he was. It was ingrained, natural, as though he didn’t even have to think about it. If she parted his hair, added some gel, and dressed him up in a tailored three-piece suit, he could be an actor in one of the old movies she used to watch with her grandmother—laying his coat over a puddle and helping her across. The thought amused her as they walked toward the restaurant entrance. It looked more like a cottage. The sign,
La Belle,
glowed above the entryway, and decorative white lights twinkled all over the exterior of the building.

“This place is beautiful,” Embry said, turning to Luke with a broad smile.

“Wait until you see the inside. A client recommended it, and from the pictures I saw online, it looks pretty great.”

Luke reached for the front door, but Embry tugged on his hand. “Thank you. For doing this. I know we haven’t gone inside yet, but I just want you to know it’s perfect,” she said.

Luke’s lips brushed the corner of her mouth. “I’m just getting started, baby.”

He tugged her to his side and led her into the restaurant. After notifying the maître d’ of their reservation, they were led to a cozy corner booth. It was private, intimate. Embry slid into the rounded booth, Luke following after. Her eyes roamed the interior of the restaurant. Authentic wooden beams ran the length of the ceiling, and a stone fireplace sat in the center of the room, the mantle glowing with more lights. Embry’s gaze returned to Luke.

He was studying her, a content look on his face. “Do you like it?”

“I love it. It’s gorgeous.” She picked up the menu and flipped through it.

She ordered duck breast with goat cheese croquettes over a salad, and Luke ordered some kind of veal. He also ordered a delicious bottle of Bordeaux. While they waited for their meals, they chatted about the kinds of things a new couple should, instead of discussing how to hide their affair.