Chapter 18
Sex was usually just sex.
With Leona, it was so much more.
She still wanted to ignore what was growing between them. And yeah, maybe the timing was shitty with her being recently divorced, but he knew he wanted more, with her. Somehow, he needed to find a way to keep her, and he had a feeling that was going to require some patience.
And she would be worth it.
He made love to her all night, and now, she was curled in his embrace, wrapped around his body. Her breath fluttered on his chest, her heart thumped with his. In that moment, holding her was everything he desired.
Closing his eyes, he held on tighter.
She didn’t get it. Not yet. And he knew she felt it. Every time she looked into his eyes, she leaned closer, held on tighter.
Maybe his parents could help him figure this out. That or they’d think he was crazy. Either way, they’d still help him. They always encouraged him to follow his heart.
Leona’s thigh slid between his. “Morning,” she murmured in a sexy purr.
“Hungry?”
“Starved.”
“Let me make you breakfast.” He climbed from the bed and she rolled to watch with a lazy smile. “I wish I hadn’t agreed to lunch with Mona.” She winced and closed her eyes. “Man, that makes me a bad friend, huh?”
He chuckled. “I won’t tell.”
“Good, because I am going, and I won’t complain.”
“But you’ll be with me the rest of the day, right?”
Nodding, she sat up, letting the sheet fall. God, she was gorgeous. Full breasts he wanted to caress, taste, tease. Shit, he was going to forget breakfast if he didn’t get a move on it.
Luke hurried into his clothes while she watched him.
Her head tipped. “Why are you in such a hurry?”
“Breakfast first, then you can seduce me.” He winked and hurried down the stairs in a pair of shorts.
Her laugh followed him, but she stayed behind, hopefully to get dressed.
He sent a quick text to his mom.
Luke - Hey, expect a call around noon our time. What is that Greek time? Whatever, please be ready for my call. I need advice.
She responded immediately.
Mom - What’s wrong? What’s going on?
Luke - Need a solid strategy to keep a woman. Long story, that’s why I want to call.
Mom - And you can’t talk now? I’m curious.
Shaking his head, he rubbed a hand over his face.
Luke - I’ll call as soon as she leaves to meet her BFF. Please, answer when I call.
Mom - I’ll be waiting with bated breath.
Leona came down in his T-shirt from yesterday and her hair up in a messy knot. Scrumptious.
Her brow arched. “Thought you were starting breakfast.”
“Got a text from Mom.” He lifted a shoulder and opened the fridge. “They’re enjoying their trip.”
“That’s good.”
He glanced back as she climbed onto a stool at the kitchen island. The things he wanted to do on that surface. Maybe after breakfast.
Time to impress, at least a little. She liked avocado, so he made each of them a California omelet.
“Am I allowed to ask what you’re going to be filming?”
He smiled over his shoulder. “Should be out there already, so yes. Ladies Choice. I’m playing a playboy. But it’s a romantic comedy, and I don’t get the girl.”
“Aww, she doesn’t know what she’s missing.”
“My character isn’t the nicest guy. He doesn’t deserve her. And I like different roles.”
“Fun project at least?”
“The script is. The things I’ll be doing are. Should be a good experience. Besides, I get to work with Raven and Ryan.”
“Oh, let me guess. You’re trying to get her, but she winds up with him?”
He nodded. “But don’t tell anyone.”
She blinked, and he saw a flash of jealousy before she laughed it off. “Your secret is safe with me.”
He flipped the omelet, sprinkled tomatoes, onion, and mushrooms on top, then walked back to her. “I think that means you owe me a secret about your project.
Grinning, she shook her head. “It doesn’t work. I don’t plot. I go with the flow. So, I have nothing secret to tell you.”
“What about where the story starts?”
“Nope, gives too much away. You’ll have to wait until I finish, and maybe I’ll let you read it early.”
“Just early? What, like sending me an ARC?”
Her brow arched. “You know what an Advanced Reader Copy is?”
He nodded. “I do. I’ve seen you do a few giveaways on your page.” He went back to breakfast.
“It’s weird knowing you read my books. Then again, if you didn’t, you wouldn’t have talked to me at the club.”
“Oh, I would have seen you and made a move anyway.”
“Even though I wasn’t in the VIP section?” A laugh left her lips. “I doubt that.”
“You don’t give yourself enough credit. I mentioned you’re gorgeous. The only woman to catch my eye. And if I hadn’t known who you were and seen you in line, I would have approached you and asked you to come in with me. That is, if Mona hadn’t been there. Shit, Mona is the only reason I told Roach to let you in and didn’t just approach you in line.”
“Sorry I tried to shut you down.”
“Don’t. Can’t blame you for your skepticism. You were dealing with the fallout of a failed relationship and the start of something that scares you.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t give you much of a chance.”
“My persistence paid off. Stop apologizing and accept the fact you’re a beautiful woman, and I can’t resist you. I think I’ve proved that a few times already.” He had every intention of proving it until she believed it, and then keep on doing it.
“Thank you.” At least she didn’t argue, even if the acknowledgement was quiet.
He plated the omelets and put the rest of the toppings on them before bringing breakfast to the counter where she sat. “Here you go.”
“I’m impressed. Smells good.” She picked up a fork and took a bite with a slice of avocado. “Tastes better.”
He couldn’t stop the grin from spreading if he had wanted to. That was exactly what he wanted to hear. That she loved something he made her.
“Thank you.”
He leaned closer and nibbled her neck before sitting back to finish his breakfast.
* * * *
After breakfast and the longest, steamiest shower of her life, Leona drove back to the hotel to eat with Mona. She wasn’t expecting the onslaught of flashes as she walked from the parking lot to the restaurant, but it seemed the media now knew about her and Luke.
She ignored every flung question, pretending no one was there, and made her way into the restaurant. Thankfully, Mona was already seated, bouncing in the chair.
“They’ve been waiting here all night after you followed Luke home. And there are a few pictures of you and Luke at the club online.” She held up her hand. “No, not the one I took, and I swear I only took one. Someone else took them, but no one knows who.”
“Oh.” Leona’s heart dropped into her stomach.
“And they’re all speculating that you’re kissing up to Luke to get the movie made.”
Leona threw her hands up. “But how would an actor help me get it made?”
Mona lifted a shoulder. “They’re also saying he went along with it to get the leading role.”
“It’s just tabloid rumors. I don’t really care what they’re saying.” Or at least she’d pretend she didn’t.
“Yet,” Mona whispered. “I know you. You’re going to let it rattle around your brain until you explode.”
Sighing, she looked out the window. “Just stop. I’m going to ignore them, and if my page gets crazy, I’ll ignore all social media for a bit.”
“You don’t want your readers to know the truth?”
“It’s none of their damned business.” Even as she said it, Leona couldn’t stop wondering what would be next. She didn’t want to deal with them at all.
“Look at me, Leona.”
Her eyes snapped open as she focused on Mona.
“How does he make you feel?”
Warmth flooded her chest. “Like the only woman on the planet.”
Mona squeezed her shoulder. “Then stop freaking out, take a deep breath, and talk to me.”
“What do you want me to say?” She glanced at the photographers outside and closed her eyes as she swung her attention back to the one person who helped to make sense of all the chaos in her head when she received the divorce papers, and later when she found out the bastard was cheating on her with Mindy.
Mona leaned forward and grinned. “Ignore them. Think about this. Your characters fall in love all the time with people no one would expect them to be with. Love is like that. There is no rhyme or reason. And people talk. Because he’s such a visible person, people talk about the woman he’s been with.”
Leona focused on her closest friend. “Yeah, which is why I’m going to pretend they aren’t there. I just hope it doesn’t impact my readers.”
“I know, but if it does, it may be a good thing. More people will try your books.”
Leona sat back. “I don’t want that, though. Not for who I’m with. I just want readers who love my stories.”
Nodding, Mona added, “And that’s why you’re letting them make Midnight Daughter a movie, possibly a series.”
“Yeah, but look, that doesn’t mean I want my personal life splashed all over. And I’m going to do my damnedest to pretend it’s not. So no more talking about that.”
Mona leaned closer. “Fine, so tell me what he’s like.”
Leona looked around the room. Too many people were staring.
“Nope, not here.”
She glanced at the menu and back. “Then let’s do lunch in your room, and you can give me all the details.”
“Why not yours?” Leona asked.
Mona ducked her gaze. “Going to the airport after this. Princeton is taking me.”
“Oh.” Leona took a breath and glanced down at the menu.
“You need time with Luke. Figure out what you want, what you need, and go from there.”
“What I need is to re-center and restart my life. Not my business, just my personal life.”
“Your business can’t help but change some. You sold rights to a series. That’s going to make a lot of people read it on principle. Others will because of this thing with Luke.”
Her hand slammed down. “Stop with that. Please.”
The waitress came over with a huff. The same one from the day before. “You’re really with him, aren’t you?”
That was it. Leona was up and out of her chair, walking for the elevator.
The waitress called back. “Does that mean I have a chance?”
As tempting as it was to flip her off, she didn’t. Instead, she went to her room. Mona caught up at the elevator.
Leona sighed. “Room service it is.”
Mona’s brow arched. “You okay?”
Her eyes narrowed. “Peachy. That waitress…seriously? That’s the kind of messed up commentary I’m going to get from here on out. Is it that hard to believe he could choose someone like me? Even for a short time?”
“Of course not. You two look good together. But people are stupid. She’s definitely stupid. And this is new. Of course people are speculating when you’ve been seen together and no one is talking.”
Leona lifted her hands. “Why does it matter? So what if we’re spending some time together? It’s not like it’s going to last.”
“Who says it won’t?”
Her shoulders fell. “He leaves the country in two weeks. He’s going to be filming a movie on another continent for three months. By the time he’s done, he’ll forget about me.”
“Don’t let him,” she answered simply enough.
“How? Seriously? He’ll be busy all day long while I’m in New York writing. If he doesn’t call, I’ll stop calling. I’ll fade out of his mind quickly.” That was her biggest fear.
Mona rolled her eyes. “No, you won’t. Stop underselling yourself. He watches you the way you describe in books. There’s a whole lot more between you than you’re willing to admit.”
She snorted. “And what if I don’t want to wait? If I just want to move on with my life? This isn’t fair to me either. I need to figure out what I want, what I need.”
The elevator doors opened and Leona strode to her room. There was the woman from the other day, standing down the hall with a camera. She looked awfully familiar, but she couldn’t put a finger on why.
She stepped into her room, Mona on her heels.
As soon as the door shut, Mona started in, “You really want to go hopping from bed to bed because of Russell?”
“No, but what if I meet someone?”
“You wouldn’t wait for someone perfect for you?”
She paced away. “Who says he’s perfect for me?”
Mona sighed. “You light up around him, Leona. Give him a chance.”
“I am. But I’m not getting my hopes up. Remember, just burned.”
“Don’t push him away. Now order something. I already know what I want.”
Finally relaxing, Leona picked up the phone and ordered their food.
Once she hung up, Mona turned to her with a smile. “You won’t know until you give him a chance.”
“Damn it, Mona. Please stop. Let us figure this out. Right now, we need to get to know each other to see if it’s even worth it. I already told him we could revisit the not ending things conversation before he starts filming.”
“That’s a start.”
Leona shook her head. “This is crazy. I don’t know what I feel. Lust, oh, I got loads of that. And he brings me to life in ways I never expected. But that doesn’t mean everything is going to be perfect. I don’t have the answers. So please, let us figure this out. I don’t even know if I can handle the media.”
“Remember you said that. That you’re going to figure it out.”
She wanted to scream why. Leona dropped into the seat and stared out the window because every time she closed her eyes, she saw Luke’s dark, penetrating gaze. He was going to shatter her when everything faded away. She saw no other outcome.
“I’m sorry, Leona. I know this is going to get tough, but maybe if it’s hard, that’s proof it’s worth it. And it’s not like it will be hard all the time. He can’t film all year round.”
“No more about Luke. Please.”
“Fine,” Mona answered.
There was something bothering her. “You didn’t tell me why you decided to go back, without letting me know.”
“Didn’t want you to decide to go back yet. Spend some time with Luke.”
Leona smiled. “I’m staying two weeks. I need a vacation. And I’m having fun.”
There’s my girl. Now, tell me what you plan to do when you get back to New York?”
“Sell the house, find something just for me.”
Mona dropped her head.
“Don’t start. There are no guarantees where Luke is concerned. I’m not writing him off, but I’m not planning a future with him either. I’m leaving things open in case we do work out.”
“I hope you do.”
Leona was terrified to admit she wanted them to work.