Luke had fallen asleep and Meredith found herself staring at him as his chest rose and fell evenly. He looked like a totally different person as he lay there...younger, softer.

He wouldn’t like to know I’m looking at him like that, she mused but she was very careful not to shift her weight against the mattress. It hurt to move anyway, her body aching in places she didn’t even know existed.

It was almost night outside the wide windows of the condo, the dusky haze of the evening sky fading away to dark blue and although Meredith’s arm had fallen asleep, she was reluctant to shift herself, lest she wake Luke from his clearly much-needed slumber.

From the living room, she’d heard the gentle chime of both their cells going off throughout the marathon of sex they’d enacted over the past few hours, but neither of them had bothered to check their messages.

Still, Meredith was parched and she knew it was only a matter of time before she started dry coughing and woke up her new lover anyway. She decided to make a naked break for the kitchen and hope that Luke remained in place.

To her relief, he barely sighed when she shimmied out of bed. It wasn’t as if he was snuggled against her anyway. It wasn’t his style, cuddling or even touching after sex. She was shocked he’d been comfortable enough to pass out with her there, but given the effort he’d put into wringing every last orgasm out of her, she wasn’t really surprised. Her own eyes were burning with fatigue too, but Meredith suspected that falling asleep wasn’t a good idea.

It’s not like we’re dating or anything. This is pure business.

She wondered why she kept telling herself that. It was like she was trying to convince herself of a fact that was blindingly clear.

Five more days, she thought, sauntering into the kitchen. It had become ominously dark in the time they’d lost in the bedroom and Meredith flipped on the hood light of the stove to cast a romantic glow around the stainless-steel room.

“Ah. I should have known.”

Meredith gasped and whirled at the sound of a woman’s voice, her arms automatically reaching up to cover her nude breasts.

“Oh my God!” Meredith choked, recognizing Rachel Vaughan as she sat, shaking her dark head of hair on the sofa. “I-I had no idea you were here.”

“I’m stealthy,” Rachel chirped, looking away. Meredith scanned the kitchen for something to cover her nudity and realized her clothes were still on the kitchen floor where their afternoon had begun. Hastily, she managed to dress herself while Rachel looked away.

“I didn’t catch your name,” Rachel offered, eyeing Meredith through her peripheral vision. “I’m Rachel. Luke’s sister.”

“Y-yes, I know,” Mer sputtered, managing to fasten the buttons on her shirt somehow. “I-we met earlier.”

“I know. I still didn’t catch your name,” Rachel laughed and Meredith somehow felt more at ease, realizing that Rachel was not judging her, despite the awkwardness of their meeting.

“I’m Meredith Ruiz-Maddox. I-I’m an…”

She stopped talking as she thought about what she was about to say.

I can’t tell her I’m her father’s attorney.

“I’m a friend of Luke’s.”

A bemused smile appeared on Rachel’s lips.

“I didn’t realize anyone was home. I let myself in and the place was dark. I suppose if I’d looked around, I would have noticed but it’s been a long day,” Rachel confessed. “I can come back later. I had texted Luke to tell him I was on my way back from the funeral.”

“The funeral?” Meredith echoed and instantly she realized what Rachel referred to.

Carter’s funeral was today. Shit! How could I have forgotten?

She hadn’t heard anything from her parents demanding that she attend, and Carter Vaughan hadn’t really been Meredith’s client, but seeing as she was now involved in the future of the company…

Guilt flooded through her as she thought about how she and Luke had spent the day as his father was being laid to rest.

Suddenly, she thought about how much more intense he had seemed, more aggressive—not that she was complaining. Their sex seemed to be escalating with each round and Meredith hadn’t given it much thought until that moment.

“I probably shouldn’t have said anything,” Rachel sighed. “Don’t mention it to Luke. It’s a touchy subject.”

“I won’t,” Meredith assured her, turning toward the fridge. “Uh…could I get you a drink?”

Rachel’s eyebrow raised and she eyed Meredith speculatively.

“Sure,” she replied slowly, leaning forward with interest. “So, how long have you and Luke been…you know, dating?”

Embarrassment shot through her and Meredith whirled around, a beer in her hand.

“Oh no, no, we’re not…uh, I mean…”

Great. How am I going to say this without making myself look like a complete whore?

“We’re just friends,” Meredith managed and Rachel smiled, reaching up for the beer. The blonde stood uncomfortably before Luke’s sister, unsure of what to do next.

“Is he sleeping?” Rachel asked. “If so, you may as well sit. He’ll probably be out for the night.”

“I…maybe I should go then.”

Rachel arched a dark eyebrow at her and shrugged, taking a quick swig of her beer before setting it on the coffee table before her.

“I’m not throwing you out,” she replied and Meredith studied the younger girl quietly.

She’s asking you to stay. Luke might not have had a good relationship with his father but Rachel went to the funeral. Maybe she can give me some insight about what went down between them.

Luke probably wouldn’t like the idea of them talking but what he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him…right?

It’s for the good of the company that I know my clients, Meredith lied to herself. It’s not like Luke and I do a lot of talking about his father.

But as Meredith sank onto the sofa next to Rachel, she knew that she didn’t give a rat’s ass about the company or about Carter Vaughan. She wanted to get inside Luke’s guarded and complex fortress.

When am I ever going to get another opportunity like this? She wondered.

“So, Meredith,” Rachel said, settling back on the suede cushions. “Are you one of Luke’s groupies?”

The question was asked lightly and not meant to be condescending, despite the wording.

“No,” Meredith replied quickly. “I’ve never seen him fight.”

“You’re lucky,” Rachel sighed. “There is nothing more sickening than watching someone you love get hurt.”

A shadow crossed over Rachel’s face as if she was remembering such a time, but just as quickly as it had come, it vanished.

“How did you meet?”

Slowly, Meredith began to realize that Rachel’s pleasant demeanor was masking a very direct personality.

She’s disarming me so I speak more freely around her. She’s clever. Brains run in this family.

“It’s a long and not very interesting story,” Meredith replied with just as much sweetness. “And what is it you do, Rachel?”

“I’m a hospice nurse in New York.”

That was not the answer which Meredith was expecting.

How do the only two children of one of the wealthiest men in Detroit end up straying so far away from his business.

The answer was becoming clearer by the second—Carter Vaughan had left a lot to be desired as a father.

“T-that must be a hellish job,” Meredith murmured. “I can’t even imagine.”

“It takes a piece out of you,” Rachel agreed. “But I take solace in the fact that I can ease someone’s suffering before they die and they don’t go alone.”

“Did your father die alone?”

Meredith was as stunned by the inappropriate question as Rachel appeared to be and she clamped a hand over her mouth in dismay, shaking her head.

“Jesus Christ!” Meredith muttered. “I have no idea why I asked that!”

Rachel cocked her head to the side and smirked.

“Luke doesn’t talk to you either, huh?”

Meredith shot her eyes downward and shook her head.

“I’m so sorry,” she mumbled. “That was so wrong. Such an inappropriate question.”

“I’m not upset. Unlike Luke, I can talk about my dad. He wasn’t perfect – in fact, he was pretty horrible, but he was still my father. I don’t blame Luke for having the feelings he does toward him.”

Meredith’s head jerked up and she peered at Rachel with interest.

“Why? Why was their relationship so rocky?”

Rachel’s half-smile faded and her eyes narrowed slightly.

“That’s really not on me to discuss with you,” she replied shortly and again, Meredith was filled with contrition.

I keep putting my foot in my mouth. This woman just met me, naked. She’s not about to open up about family secrets to someone she sees as her brother’s booty call.

“I’m sorry,” Meredith muttered again. “I don’t mean to be nosy. I’m just curious about Luke.”

“I’m not mad,” Rachel replied softly. “Luke’s hard to know but he’s got good reason to be. He’s been through a lot in his life.”

Meredith swallowed her next question before it could bubble up and shock her again.

Tonight, you’re not a lawyer.

“I should probably get going,” Meredith said quietly, rising from her spot. “I have a feeling that Luke didn’t expect me to be here when you got here.”

“You’re probably right,” Rachel conceded, shrugging. “Don’t take it personally. He’s not really a relationship kinda guy but I gotta say…”

Meredith looked at her expectantly.

“What’s that?”

“If he fell asleep, he’s letting his guard down around you. How long have you known one another?”

Meredith blushed.

“A while,” she fibbed, turning to grab her purse from the kitchen.

“Nice meeting you, Meredith. Maybe I’ll see you again soon.”

Meredith’s heart began to pound at the idea.

Not unless it’s a company party, she thought firmly. In a few days, we all go back to the way things were, right?

“I look forward to it,” Meredith called back. As she made her way to the foyer, she heard the bedroom door open and the shuffling of feet as Luke ambled into the hallway but Meredith didn’t wait to greet him face-to-face. Suddenly, she wanted to get far away from the condo and the Vaughans to clear her head.

There’s no place for you in this family. Keep to the plan and everything will be fine.

“Rach? Where’s Meredith?” The lawyer heard Luke call sleepily.

“You just missed her.”

Meredith paused at the door, her hand on the knob. She knew she shouldn’t be listening but she couldn’t help herself.

“Did you talk to her?” Luke demanded, his voice suddenly alert.

“For a minute. She was in a rush to leave. You seem to have that affect on women,” Rachel bantered back.

“What did she say to you?”

“About what?” There was genuine confusion in Rachel’s voice.

“About why she was here.” The angst in Luke’s voice pierced through Meredith and she felt a stab of upset.

“Ugh. Come on, Luke. I don’t need to know the details of your sex life,” Rachel countered disgustedly. “Come have a drink with me.”

“Are you sure she didn’t say anything to you?” Luke’s words were dripping with suspicion but Rachel grunted.

“Your paranoia hasn’t waned. The girl was embarrassed to be caught here. Trust me, she didn’t share any of your secrets with me.”

“What secrets?” Luke scoffed. “She doesn’t know anything about me.”

Meredith reached for the door and silently slipped out into the hallway of the condo building, her pulse racing.

He doesn’t trust me at all, she thought, making her way to the elevators. But do I really blame him?