Chapter 22

“He texted me,” Mimi whispered, waving her cell phone in front of his half-opened eyes.

“What time is it?” Luke yawned, easing his way out of his slumber.

“It’s ten. What should I say? He wants to take me out tonight?” she said, crouching down beside him. Luke rubbed his eyes, trying to adjust his focus. Mimi was looking at him apprehensively, her pretty mouth drawn in a tight frown. She was wearing a silky purple robe tied loosely around her waist, her nipples pressing provocatively against the flimsy material. He quickly averted his eyes before his mind could wander inappropriately. He was only moderately successful.

“Who texted you?” he asked, holding his hand out for her phone.

“Arran! Read it.”

Luke sat up and scrolled to the message.

Good Morning beautiful. I enjoyed spending time with you last night. I feel like we really connected and I’d like to explore that further. Come out tonight. Do you like French food?

He shrugged his shoulders and handed the phone back to her, his feelings mixed. He hadn’t anticipated that the man would reach out so quickly. In his experience, men did that for one of two reasons, either they were looking for a quick fling–– get on, get in, get off, get out. Or they were head over heels. For some reason, neither of those options thrilled him.

“So?” Emma pressed, “what do you think?”

“Well, you wanted a date with him. This is a good thing, right?” he asked, unwilling to sway her either way.

Emma looked at him passively, her mouth softly agape. He had a momentary urge to kiss her, but shook it off as fast as it came. He dreamt about her the night before, a hot little fantasy that obviously rattled him. He blamed it on that.

“Yes, I guess it is. So you think I should go?” she hedged, obviously needing his approval.

He really didn’t want to give it to her, not because he didn’t want her to have some fun, but because it was Arran. The man seemed like a catch, rich, generous, and adventurous. On top of that, he was an intelligent, well-rounded guy. Sex was one thing, but how could any woman resist wanting something more with a guy like Arran? Emma wasn’t ready to jump into another relationship. She needed to find herself first, get grounded in the truth of who she really was instead of who she thought people wanted her to be. If she didn’t take the time to do that, she could easily wilt in the shadows again. It was one of her weaknesses, dimming her sparkle so others could shine.

“Mimi, think about what you want for yourself, what’s important to you right now.

Does Arran fit into that scenario?” Luke guided, trying to stay as neutral as possible.

“Right, well that’s not helpful at all,” she teased, rolling her eyes at him.

“How’s that not helpful?” Luke asked, wishing she would just come to the right fucking conclusion.

“Well, if he’s looking for a serious relationship, that doesn’t really fit into what I want right now, does it?” she admitted, not yet looking convinced, “but at the same time, I do really like him.”

“What are you worried about, Mimi?” Luke asked, as patiently as he could. She inhaled deeply, dropping her eyes to the floor and considered his question.

Finally, she spoke, “I’m worried that I might really like him. I’m worried I’ll jump in too quickly, get swept away, but most of all, I’m fucking terrified I’ll get it all wrong again.”

“Maybe you need time to figure that out. There’s no rush.” Luke assured, hoping they were on the same page.

“But at the same time, I really want to fuck him,” she growled, looking at him mischievously, “the man just oozes sex appeal.”

“I suppose he does,” Luke admitted, his hope fading. She wasn’t wrong. Arran was a dashing guy. They had been traveling in the same circles for a few years and while Luke had never actually known him to be in a relationship, the guy certainly had no issues attracting the ladies. What bothered him was not knowing what his motives were.

“I think I should go,” she concluded, suddenly self-assured. “I mean, at some point I have to test my instincts, right? How else will I build my confidence back up?”

“Yes, I suppose that’s true,” Luke offered reluctantly, forcing himself to smile.

“And I’m a grown-assed woman. If the date goes well, then maybe we’ll have sex and if it doesn’t, then I have nothing to lose, right?” she pressed, looking for validation. That, he could give her, Luke thought, frustrated by his own hedging. What was his problem? Did he want her to get laid or didn’t he?

“Right,” he answered, stifling his uneasiness.

“Okay then! I’ll tell him yes!” she chirped, releasing the crushing burden of indecision.

She held out her hand to him so he could help her up. He tried to pretend he didn’t see the creamy curve of her thighs or the tantalizing flash of her white panties as she righted herself. Fuck, he needed to get laid. It had been at least a month and could easily explain all of his inappropriate thoughts, he thought, his eyes discreetly following her into the kitchen.

It wasn’t unusual for him to have erotic dreams, it was a frequent and welcome occurrence in his life. He even had the occasional dream about Mimi once or twice. But last night’s dream was different.

He had dreamt that they were on a yacht somewhere exotic, like Fiji or something. She was sunbathing on the deck, wearing only a small bikini bottom, yellow if he recalled correctly, her wet, auburn hair clinging to her shoulders. She waved him over, taking his hand as soon as he was within reach, and pulled him down onto the deck to lay beside her. He just remembered thinking how beautiful she looked, happy, completely at peace. He pulled her into a kiss, without any reservation. His dream had been so vivid he could taste the cherry flavor of her lip balm and smell the coconut scent of her sunscreen. Her mouth was soft and inviting, and when she opened her lips, he gently explored her with his tongue, taking his sweet time. That kiss had been more than just physically arousing, it stirred something up inside, like feelings a child might have on Christmas Eve, excited, curious, and filled with magical anticipation. They made love right there on the deck, the sun warming their naked bodies, cooled occasionally by the scented ocean breeze. It was a hot dream, evocative and sexy, and he could still recall his excitement as she rocked herself on his cock, but that’s not what stood out for him the most, what shook him to the core. It was the way he felt as he held her after. In the dream, he had intimate feelings for her, and they weren’t the friendship kind.

“Do you want me?” Emma called from the kitchen, stirring him out of his thoughts. “What?” he asked, swallowing hard. Certainly he heard her wrong.

“Tea?” she repeated, looking around the corner. She raised her brows, as though curious about his confused expression. “Orange Pekoe? Earl Grey? Oolong?”

“Um, sure. Whatever you’re having,” he mumbled, picking his pants up off the floor. He pulled on his jeans, roughly tugging them over his muscular ass, fastening the zipper hastily. He walked into the kitchen, following the smell of frying bacon, his empty stomach growling its approval.

“Oh hey,” she said, looking up from the frying pan, “will you make some toast?”

“Sure,” he mumbled uncomfortably, pulling a hand through his tousled hair. “I think I’m going to bounce right after breakfast, though. I have some errands to run.”

“Oh,” she answered, half disappointed, half curious. He smiled at her weakly but offered no further explanation. The truth was, he just wanted to put some distance between them. He was of no use to her if he didn’t get his head on straight.

“Ok,” she acknowledged, tossing him the loaf of bread. “I just texted Arran back. He’s sending a car for me at 5:30. Can you believe that?” She offered him a broad smile, shaking her head at the extravagance of it all.

“Wow, fancy,” Luke agreed lightly, controlling his tone.

“Yeah, apparently he is working downtown until about 6:00 and thought it would be easiest this way,” she continued, her hands busy with the task of flipping bacon. “I’ll call you later and let you know how it went.”

“Sure,” he answered quietly, “well, actually don’t call until tomorrow afternoon. I’m probably going to be out tonight....late.”

Emma smiled at him knowingly, chuckling under her breath. He’d let her believe whatever she wanted, returning her grin with a half-hearted smirk.

“Fine, I guess I can wait. Pass me a plate?”

“Mimi?” Luke uttered quietly, waiting for her to look up.

“Yes?”

“I think you should fuck him.”