Chapter Eleven
Sally’s gaze darted to the three tall, wide-shouldered men quickly approaching. Each had big biceps and broad chests, as though they spent their free time working out. Dressed similarly in faded, worn jeans and T-shirts stretched to fit, a seven- or eight-inch knife, matching the one Luke carried, hung off each man’s hip. She could easily have mistaken them for a team of mercenaries on the set of some movie…except for their easy smiles, just like at the hospital. They wore their humor like pranksters. That must be why Luke warned her not to take them too seriously. Her face relaxed into a smile. Luke would no doubt be the brunt of their ragging and joking. Men being what they were, they’d probably say anything to get a rise from him. Her presence would most certainly be the fodder for their teasing.
Luke strode forward to greet them in typical male fashion. Lots of laughter, swearing, feigned shoulder punches and grunts preceded a round of handshakes and high fives. When the ritual was over, all three strangers turned as one and stared at her, a look in each set of eyes that seemed slightly suspicious.
The handsome black man who stood in the center of the group flicked his gaze over her. “You’ve been holding out on us, Harding. Who’s this?”
Feeling much like a side of beef that these scoundrels hadn’t found worthy of speaking to, even though she stood right in front of them, anger sparked to life, effectively trumping the embarrassment she’d been fighting. Sally stood straighter, lifted her head and returned their appraising stares.
“Hey, Travis.” Luke’s hand shot out, connecting with the man’s abs. “Be nice or we’re going to have a problem.” His tone was friendly enough, but Sally detected an underlying thread of warning.
Obviously caught by surprise, Travis grunted and dropped back a step.
The last thing Sally wanted was to be the cause of an argument between Luke and the men he called friends. She forced a parade-waving smile and stepped forward, grateful for the arm Luke slipped around her shoulders. She was aware of Ellen beside her until Daniel grabbed her arm and wouldn’t let her go any farther, even when she stepped on his foot.
That made it easier for Sally to keep her smile, and she turned it on Luke. “Are you going to introduce me to your friends?”
Luke studied her warily for a second with a cute little smirk on his face, then leaned toward her. “Only if you promise not to hurt them,” he whispered.
She raised an eyebrow. “We’ll see.”
Luke coughed, no doubt to cover his amusement as he faced his friends again. “This is Sally Duncan. Sally, these are friends of mine—at least for now.”
The guys laughed uncertainly, as though they weren’t entirely sure he was joking.
“The blond on your left is James Cooper. Coop is an explosives expert. He saved our butts more than once.”
“Nice to meet you, Coop.” Sally extended her hand, and the muscles in his forearm flexed as he gripped it firmly.
“The loud mouth there is Travis Monroe, aka the Shadow. He earned his nickname by getting in and out of places no one else could, quick and silent, just like a friggin’ ghost.”
Travis doffed his ball cap as he shook her hand. “Just one of my many talents.” His bedroom eyes narrowed and a suggestive smile played around his mouth, giving her a pretty good idea what he counted as a talent.
Luke groaned. “As you can tell, he’s modest too.”
Everyone chuckled, including Travis. If he could laugh at himself, surely he couldn’t be as degenerate as his words and actions implied.
“The big guy is Matt Iverson. We call him MacGyver because he can fix things.”
Matt appeared only slightly larger than Luke or the other men. His dark brown hair had been cropped close in a buzz cut. Her quick perusal brought a slight flush to his neck and face, yet he nodded politely, and his warm handshake restored some of her quickly diminishing confidence.
A natural smile fell into place as she swept her gaze across the line of curious faces. “Luke’s told me a little—”
“It’s her. The lady in the picture. Right?” Matt’s gaze left her face and darted to Luke’s. “She’s the woman in that picture—the one you showed us—the one you had with you in that shithole.” He focused on her again. “You’re his angel. Aren’t you?”
Luke’s arm had tightened around her, and one look revealed the force of the emotions and memories he was dealing with. Sally instinctively pressed closer as he reached in his back pocket and drew out the folded, faded picture. He handed it to Matt, who studied it for a moment, handed it off to Travis, then dragged her from the safety of Luke’s side and gave her a huge hug.
“Thank you,” he whispered in her ear before he released her and stepped aside. The scene was repeated twice more, with Travis giving her an uncertain peck on the cheek and Coop squeezing her shoulders in a sideways hug while handing the picture back to Luke.
All three of them wore their affection for their friend as a badge of honor, and because of their loyalty to him, she’d been accepted and apparently thrust into the role of angel—one who’d helped to bring their wounded brother home. She was humbled and awed by the bond between these warriors, and another chink in her determination not to reach immediately for the love and security Luke offered fell away.
“Hey, where’s the midget?” Matt turned to search the lawn near Daniel’s cabin.
Luke flinched. “Uh-oh. Yeah, MacGyver, we don’t call her that anymore. Apparently, it’s not politically correct.” He reclaimed his place beside Sally. “MacGyver has a soft spot for kids. I told him about Jen.”
Sally weighed the nickname Luke and the others had tagged Matt with, rejecting it as she met his inquisitive gaze. “She and Bridgett went to see the pony.” Sally glanced toward Ellen and caught her wiping her eyes. Obviously, Sally hadn’t been the only one moved by the show of solidarity. Standing beside his wife, Daniel grinned and nodded toward the corral.
Sally warmed to the clearly softhearted Matt Iverson. “I’ll introduce you, if you like.”
He rubbed his hands together. “Let’s go.” He offered her his arm, then abruptly stopped and turned to face Luke. “Okay with you, man?”
In reply, Luke gripped his arm for a moment. “I have a favor to ask…all of you, but especially Daniel.” His gaze swept around the gathering. “Keep your eyes open. If you see anything that doesn’t belong, let me know ASAP. We may have a little trouble following us.”
“I assume you’ll tell us what we’re supposed to be watching for, right, Bro?” Travis stood completely relaxed, as if Luke hadn’t just dropped a bomb on their reunion.
“I was hoping to meet with Daniel tonight, after the kids go to sleep. If it’s okay with him, you can all sit in.” He glanced toward Sally, then focused on their host. “You may not want us to stay once you hear the details.”
Daniel nodded, strands of his black hair falling over his forehead. “If there’s trouble, we might as well all hear it at the same time and decide what’s to be done. First things first. Your cabin is on the end.” He pointed to his right, and Luke glanced quickly at the structure he indicated—closest to the river. Daniel stepped toward the parked Jeep. “I’ll help you pack your things down there while Sally and MacGyver round up the girls. Dinner’s in the main cabin.” Daniel jerked his thumb behind him toward the building both he and his wife had come from at Luke and Sally’s arrival. He shifted his gaze to Sally. “When you come for dinner, bring some nightclothes for the young one. If things go as well between her and Bridgett as I think they will, we can put them both to bed here and have our visit afterward. Agreed?” He quickly scanned the group but didn’t leave much room for argument.
Sally’s good mood dissolved at being the source of so much turmoil, and she couldn’t help feeling it was only the beginning. Matt, the girls and the pony momentarily forgotten, she peered at Luke, whose supportive gaze couldn’t rouse her from her self-imposed funk this time.
Sally’s stomach was tied in knots, even though they’d left Daniel’s place behind as they navigated the dark on the path to their cabin. Time had stood still in the Mathias family living area after the small group of men and women had gathered. Luke had related the events of the past twenty-four hours…and the reasons behind them, looking to her for confirmation when he got to the details that led to her entering the witness protection program. Having her past laid bare for all to see had been humiliating and not a little terrifying. After all the years of hiding, not letting anyone get too close and never uttering the name Clive Brennan, her mask had been ripped away, and she’d been left naked and exposed.
She’d wanted to run. The only thing that’d kept her there was Luke’s warm and reassuring hand on hers. The angry expletives from Luke’s friends and the acceptance she’d seen on Daniel and Ellen’s faces had eased her anxiety further.
“Hey, you okay, sunshine?” Walking beside her as they picked their way over the uneven ground, Luke tugged on her hand until he pulled her off-balance and she bumped into him. Immediately, his arm went around her waist and brought her against his side.
“Yeah—just…” Her words faded and she shrugged.
“They’re on our side.”
He offered that as though possibly endangering the lives of six more people somehow made the situation better—or took away her shame.
“I get that you’re uncomfortable with strangers knowing your life story, but Travis and the others are exactly the help we need. We couldn’t ask for better. I don’t know how Brennan could track us here, but if he does, we’ll see him coming, and we’ll have the experienced manpower to discourage him.” He halted and stepped in front of her, his thumb stroking the smooth skin of her cheek. “Trust me, Sally. We’re safer here than out there on our own.”
Sally forced the corners of her mouth upward and swallowed the words that had been caught in her throat all evening. Everyone at the meeting had expressed surprise that Brennan had waited ten years to seek revenge. “He had the resources and manpower to reach out from prison and not have to get his hands dirty,” Travis had said. “This feels personal.”
That had been her opportunity to come clean. She’d wanted to tell them—tell Luke—that Clive Brennan was her father. That when she chose to testify against him, she not only put a murderer away…she betrayed the one man who no doubt expected her undying loyalty. His vendetta was almost certainly personal. She expected nothing less. Sally had tried to form the words…but the conversation had taken a turn and the moment passed.
Focusing her attention on Luke’s tired eyes, she forced her guilt to a place where it was less noticeable. She’d deal with it later. “I trust you, Luke. You know that, right?”
“Talk to me, then. What’s up?”
Sally looked away from his gaze as she searched for a safer topic. Her daughter. It’d been just her and Jen for a very long time, and tonight it’d proved extremely difficult for Sally to leave her asleep in Daniel’s cabin. Ellen had assured her that Jen would be comfortable and safe in Bridgett’s room for the night. “She’s sound asleep, Sally. No sense waking her,” Ellen had said.
Sally cocked her head and gave another quick shrug of her shoulder. “I know Jen will be fine with Daniel and Ellen. It’s just…I’m not used to being away from her.”
She shivered as Luke trailed his fingers down the side of her throat, then tipped up her chin. His expression held a mixture of sadness and contentment. “I know how hard it was for you to walk out of there without her, and I had a hunch you might change your mind. We’ll go get her right now if that’s what you want.” The conviction in his eyes told her he meant every word.
Letting Jen stay at Daniel’s cabin meant she and Luke would be alone for the first time since he’d reappeared in her life. Without reservation, he’d offered up that time for her state of mind and Jen’s safety. Tears prickled her eyelids at the realization of how much she loved him. She’d be crazy not to snatch him up and never let him go.
Blinking the tears into submission, she shook her head. “No, but I might need a distraction.” She traced one finger down his chest.
Luke flashed his signature grin. “I can guarantee that.” He leaned in and nibbled her lips gently. An instant later, he groaned, stepped away and continued walking toward their cabin, grasping her hand in his.
She lengthened her stride to keep up.
They’d left a light on in the two-room dwelling on the banks of the river and brought in dry wood, kindling and newspaper for the fireplace before they joined the others for dinner. Daniel had said it could still drop below freezing at night this far north.
An arm around her shoulders, Luke hurried up the gravel path, jogged the four steps to the porch that lined the front of the cabin and shoved the door open. With a sweep of his hand, he stepped aside and let her go first.
An amused grin curled her lips as she stepped across the threshold. “What’s the rush, Harding?”
He caught her hand and spun her around to face him, then backed her against the wall, kicking the door shut as he moved closer, a devilish grin parting his lips. His hands circled her waist and held her tightly against him while he leaned in slowly and kissed her, his tongue stealing between her lips to claim hers in a sensuous dance.
When Luke raised his head, a slow moan escaped her, much to her chagrin.
He smiled, lifting one eyebrow inquisitively. “There’s no rush. Now that I have you to myself, we’re going to take everything nice…and slow.”
His voice was so low and sexy, Sally’s breath stuttered, and again he smiled. Clearly, he knew exactly what he was doing.
He kissed her again, long and hard. This time when he released her, he stared searchingly into her eyes. Suddenly, he cleared his throat and took a step back. A trace of uncertainty crossed his face. “Daniel said he stocked the wine cupboard. Would you like some?”
“That would be nice.” Sally studied him for the cause of his mood change. Although the temperature had chilled noticeably, she couldn’t detect the reason for it.
Luke stepped toward the kitchen area, which consisted of a coffeemaker, a microwave, a small refrigerator and a sink. He searched the nearby cupboards until he found the one he was looking for, reached inside and came out with a dusty bottle of red. A drawer yielded a corkscrew, and then the hunt was on for what Sally could only suppose were wineglasses…or glasses of any kind.
The silence thundered around them. The distance she sensed settling between them confused and saddened her. Was it something she’d said? Had he suddenly realized how much trouble she was bringing to the relationship? She certainly wouldn’t blame Luke for thinking twice, but she hadn’t expected the sense of loss she experienced to be so great.
She took a couple of steps toward the small bedroom. “I think I’ll freshen up, if that’s all right?
“Ah, here we go.” Luke pulled two wineglasses from a cupboard above the sink and turned to look at her. “Of course. Take as long as you need. I’ll have this wine poured by the time you’re finished.” He smiled, but his eyes remained guarded.
Sally hesitated. She should ask him what was wrong. Easy enough to say, but her courage failed, and she walked purposefully toward the back of the cabin and the tiny room where she’d left her new belongings earlier. As soon as she was out of sight, she released the breath she’d been holding to maintain her forced smile. Perhaps it was Jen’s presence that made them fit together so well. Sally had never been alone like this with Luke before. If Jen was there, they’d be worrying about where everyone would sleep in this cabin obviously intended to house only two people. Luke would no doubt insist that she and Jen take the bed and he’d make do on the couch. Maybe they needed her daughter as a buffer between them.
She flipped on a lamp by the bed and pawed through a department store sack for something to sleep in, then changed her mind, grabbing a new toothbrush instead. There was barely enough room to turn around in the bathroom, but she managed to wash her face, brush her teeth and comb her hair without claustrophobia setting in. Her mind was a whirl of questions and regret. Luke was attracted to her—Sally had no doubt about that. And she couldn’t imagine anybody more right for her. So what was the problem? To find out, she’d have to put on her big-girl panties and have a grown-up conversation.
Sally groaned, picturing the very small swaths of fabric she’d purchased for panties earlier in the day. I guess they’ll work just as well. She pulled her long-sleeved T-shirt off, unsnapped her bra and let it slide down her arms, then unbuttoned her jeans and kicked them off as she moved toward the bed. Luke’s duffel sat at the foot, and she plucked the same light blue, button-up shirt from its place at the top of the bag and slipped her arms in, letting it settle comfortably around her shoulders. Securing the front and smoothing her hair, which fell in waves down her back, Sally returned to the door and pulled it open, stepping into the front room just as Luke turned from the sink, a glass of wine in each hand.
Her smile fell back in place and she held it, even when something unidentifiable flared in Luke’s eyes and a muscle flexed in his jaw.
“Mind if I wear your shirt again?” She stepped toward him.
His gaze swept over her body before he frowned and seemed to finally remember the wine he held. He offered her one of the glasses. “I don’t usually let women wear my shirts, but I’ll make an exception for you.”
Sally accepted the wine, expecting a smile, a wink or, at the very least, his trademark grin. He’d told her this morning, in no uncertain terms, he appreciated how she looked in his shirt. In the bathroom at the motel, she’d felt the evidence of his arousal firsthand. Yet, he seemed almost annoyed with her now, his gaze wandering away as he brought the wineglass to his lips. Their banter, returning to the cabin, had been light and easy…intimate…exciting. Then, in the space of a kiss, everything had changed.
For the first time in nearly twenty-four hours, Sally felt safe…because Luke was with her. Because he cared about her and Jen and had brought them to a place of refuge. At least for tonight, she could rest easier, and she’d wanted this night with Luke…for a very long time.
The evidence of the miles that separated them was subtle, but Sally felt it in every nerve and synapse. Emotions tingled across her skin like small bursts of electricity, which was probably why she ignored her better judgment and reached out to touch Luke’s forearm. From the way he jumped, he must have felt it too.
Dark eyes settled on her. With no way to read what he was thinking, Sally stepped into him, raising her lips to touch his, absorbing the heady taste of the merlot still lingering there.
Luke responded, capturing her mouth with undisguised hunger…for a few seconds before his jaw tensed, and he quickly stepped away, walking toward the couch that sat in the middle of the room. Over his shoulder, his voice sounded dry and raspy. “Let’s sit down. We should talk.”
Sally turned and watched him retreat. Great. What every girl wants to hear on her first real date. Let’s talk? At least she was starting to catch on—he did have something on his mind, and her heart told her she’d jumped in blind again, trusting him. With emotions racing to make a fool of her, she wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to hear what he had to say. Gone was the Luke who’d proposed to her earlier in the day, replaced by a man who apparently wasn’t comfortable even looking at her. Anger surfaced, and she shook her head. She set her glass on the counter and placed her hands on her hips. How was she going to get out of this one without having her heart shattered?
When Luke reached the couch and turned, it was obvious he’d expected her to follow, and surprise widened his eyes for an instant. His glance dropped to where her hands sat at her waist, before his gaze met hers. “Sally…” Without taking his eyes from hers, he bent to place his wineglass on the coffee table in front of the couch. “Something wrong?” A tentative grin appeared but didn’t dim the caution in his eyes.
Too little, too late. Sally drew a tired breath. “Seriously, Luke? Don’t you think we should start a relationship…before you break up with me?” A short laugh, shamefully close to hysteria, escaped her, and she dropped her gaze to the floor.
“What are you—?” He took a step toward her.
Quickly, Sally raised her hands, hoping to convince him to stay where he was. “You know what? It’s okay. For whatever reason, you’ve changed your mind about wanting to be with me. I don’t even want to know why. Let’s just be glad you realized it before we did something crazy.” She dropped her hands and backed away, turning and breaking into a jog, desperate to reach the bedroom before her tears betrayed her.
One stride from the seclusion of the other room, Luke reached her, lifting her off her feet and pulling her against his muscled body. A heartbeat later, his arms cushioned her impact as they collided with the sturdy bedroom door.
Giving her no time to collect her breath, Luke covered her mouth, his tongue demanding entry between her lips, effectively stopping any arguments she’d thought to voice. Her hands, pushing for space between them, soon fisted in his T-shirt to pull him closer as he branded her with his scorching kiss. He positioned his hips against her abdomen, and the full length of his arousal pinned her to the door. She reveled in his hard thickness and arched against him, causing a chain reaction of grinding bodies and groping hands.
His mouth left hers to push the blue shirt far enough out of the way to bare one breast. He sucked the taut nipple between his teeth, scraping it teasingly. Sally hissed and reached for the waistband of his jeans, undid the button and threw open the zipper. Encased in the black cotton briefs he wore, his shaft pushed through the opening she’d made, and she gripped him through the fabric, her fingers barely able to meet as she squeezed.
Luke tore his lips from her breast and regret marred his features. “Aw hell, babe. Let’s slow this down for a minute.” He gripped her elbows, took a step back and held her at arm’s length. “Where did you get the crazy idea I was breaking up with you?”
In the grip of a lust more powerful than she’d ever imagined, Sally stared at him blankly for a moment, willing her brain to catch up. She shook her head, trying to remember anything that had transpired before the last two minutes. A self-conscious laugh escaped and brought a relieved smile from Luke.
“Believe me, that’s the last thing on my mind.” He released one elbow and brushed the hair back from her eyes.
“But you…you got all distant on me. You walked away.” She pointed at him accusingly. “You said we needed to talk. That’s never a good sign. I figured you finally realized what a bad deal you’d made.” Sally clung to his smile, savoring the love that shone from his eyes. “If you’re not looking for a way out of this, what do we need to talk about?”
He cocked his head and looked into her eyes. “Babe, I told you how I feel about you. That wasn’t just some line I made up to get you in the sack. I don’t want out of this.”
“What then?”
Luke stepped closer. “After we left Daniel’s cabin tonight, I started thinking about the way I’ve been acting. Pressuring you. Wanting you to make a commitment you’re obviously not ready to make. Asking you to marry me. Buying condoms. Shit! That was a douchebag thing to do. Hell, it was only this morning you forgave me for my last stunt. I need to know you want this night together as much as I do. If you’re not ready, I’ll wait as long as it takes. That’s a promise.”
Too good to be true—the words flashed on the screen of her mind in neon orange, a last-ditch warning that she fully intended to ignore. Sally caressed Luke’s cheek as she dismissed any remaining doubts about the man who held her heart in his hands. “But I do—I am. I don’t want to wait. I mean—part of me doesn’t even believe you’re here, much less that you want to stay. But I think I could get used to the idea.”
Luke’s smile brought a sparkle to his eyes. “It’s about time you realized we’re meant to be.” He reached for her, lifting her against him until her shoulders were even with his and then wrapped himself around her until she couldn’t tell where she ended and he began.
Despite the events of the past twenty-four hours and the hard truth that she might be on the run for the rest of her life, Sally couldn’t hold back an exultant laugh as she flung her arms around his neck. Truly free of regret for the first time in years, she leaned close to his ear. “I hope I live up to your overactive imagination.”
He pulled back and met her gaze, all seriousness. “You’re so much more than I ever imagined.” His voice rasped and sent a shiver of anticipation through her as his lips captured hers, igniting a fire deep within her belly.