Anything but Love

Rae forced her eyes open and blinked into her dimly lit room, gasping when she saw a figure hovering near her bed.

“Shh. It’s okay. It’s me.”

“Luke? What are you doing here? What time is it?”

“A little after four.”

“In the morning?” Her vision and thoughts had yet to clear. Foggy, she pushed to her elbows, noting her laptop on the bed. Her Kindle was still in her hand. The only light in the room came from a muted bedside lamp. “I must’ve fallen asleep while reading,” she croaked.

“I can see that,” Luke said while peeling off his outer wear. “I called you around ten to let you know I was catching a red-eye. When I didn’t get you, I figured you’d switched off your phone. I knocked, but you didn’t answer, so I used the key you gave me.”

“That’s fine.” She set her Kindle on the nightstand and reached for her laptop.

“I got it,” Luke said. “You crawl under the covers.”

At least she’d changed into pajamas before crashing.

Luke moved her laptop to the desk then started shedding clothes. “I’m wiped.”

“I can imagine. I thought you were flying in tomorrow. Did your entire family take the red eye?”

“Nope. Just me. Wanted to get back to you.”

Even though she was groggy, her heart pounded at the sentiment. “That was sweet.” Her dopey smile widened when he switched off the lamp, crawled under the covers, and pulled her into a spooning position.

“I’d take advantage of your sleepy state,” he said, “if I weren’t so tired myself.”

“Rain check,” Rae said, snuggling into his embrace.

“Mmm. Rae?”

“Hmm?”

“I didn’t spot any paparazzi lurking outside or in the lobby, but I could be mistaken. Someone might’ve seen me let myself into your room. It could end up on fricking TMZ. Bartender serves up a midnight special for heiress philanthropist.”

Eyes closed, she smiled into the dark, comforted by Luke’s presence. “I don’t care.”

He kissed the back of her head, draped one of his legs over hers, and palmed her tummy. “I’m glad.”

* * *

Luke woke to the feel of Rae trailing kisses over his shoulders, his collarbone, his chest. His lips curled in a lazy smile. “Good morning to me.”

She grinned up at him and Luke’s heart jerked. He’d always wanted a woman to smile at him like that. The way Chloe smiled at Dev and Rocky smiled at Jayce. Hell, even his grandma had a secret smile for Vince. Like he was the center of her universe. Adoration mixed with admiration. Not superficial, fleeting love, but good and true love. Luke never thought he’d see the day. But there it was. That secret smile.

For him.

Was it possible? Did Rae love him? Good and true?

“Weren’t you wearing pajamas when we fell asleep?” he teased.

“I’m feeling frisky,” she said with a waggle of her brows.

“Yeah?” He smoothed her longish bangs out of her beautiful face. How had he ever thought her mousy? “How about we move this show to the shower. Long day yesterday. Should have rinsed off last night but all I wanted to do was climb into bed with you.”

She rolled onto him and surprised him with a full body hug. “I’m glad you’re here, Luke.”

“In your bed?”

“In my life.”

Another heart jerk.

Clingy women usually scared him off, but Rae wasn’t being clingy as much as affectionate and emotionally forthright. She was usually more guarded and he wondered what had shifted between them and when. Luke hugged her back, wondering about the tender feelings stirring inside him. He was certain he’d never felt this way before. And he was pretty sure this particular rush wasn’t connected to the baby.

He flashed back on a discussion they’d had the other night. “Maybe the person you’re attracted to is a reflection of where you are in your own life,” he said mid-thought.

She pushed up a little and looked down at him with a scrunched brow. “Are you still wondering why I’m attracted to you? Or the other way around?”

“I’m wondering why our relationship is escalating so fast.”

“Is it?”

He arched a brow. “You don’t feel it?”

“I feel it.”

“Something you want to tell me?”

Her cheeks flushed. “Not at the moment.”

Yet her heart shone in her eyes. Luke tempered his pulse. Rae loved him. Good and true. He’d bet the Shack on it. He wasn’t sure what to do with the knowledge. He wasn’t sure how he felt beyond freaking good.

“So where are you?” she asked. “In your life that is.”

“At a turning point.”

“Obviously.”

Luke skimmed his hands over her bare back, loving the feel of her skin and the way her body molded so perfectly to his. “I was on unsteady ground even before I knew about the baby. I first felt the shift when you started working for me last fall. Something about your quiet confidence, your intelligence and kindness. I started lusting after you even when you were sporting that mousy look and those shapeless clothes. Then that kiss, that first kiss. Jesus. I sensed something special, something just beyond my reach.” He smoothed his knuckles over her cheek. “Only you’re not. You’re here. In my arms. In my life.”

She burst into tears.

What the … Luke rolled her onto her back, smoothed tears from her cheeks. “Did I say something wrong?”

“You said everything right.”

“Then why are you crying?”

“I don’t know. I mean I’m incredibly touched by what you … you said. But this is crazy. The last few days, I can’t seem to control my … my emotions.”

“Hormones,” Luke said. “Mood swings are natural at this stage of pregnancy. Dev said…” Damn.

She sniffed back tears, frowned. “You told Dev?”

“It’s one of the things I wanted to talk to you about. Part of the reason I flew home early. I wanted to brace you … I just, I didn’t mean to blurt it out like this.”

“But you promised—”

“I didn’t offer the information, I swear. I…” Luke dragged a hand down his face. “Could you pull on a robe or something? I can’t look at you naked without thinking dirty thoughts. Trying to focus here.”

She smiled a little and Luke took solace in knowing he might not be dead meat after all.

“Dev guessed,” he said while she pulled on her pajama top. “A logical deduction in his mind because why else would someone who played the field like me suddenly turn monogamous for a girl he barely knows? Rocky suspected for the same reason only her suspicions were tweaked even more by you.”

“Me? I didn’t say anything. I’m sure I didn’t slip—”

“And then my parents—”

“Your parents know?” She gave up on buttoning her top after buttoning it crooked twice. “How the … surely they didn’t guess.”

“No, that was definitely because of a slip. All I can say is that it happened under extraordinary circumstances. We were still in the waiting room, tense about Dad, then we saw you on the TV and, hell, I don’t remember how it happened exactly.” He blew out a breath. “I’m sorry, Rae.”

She lowered her head, took a moment, then met his gaze. “What did they say? What do they think?”

At least she was still talking to him. Luke pushed up and leaned back against the pillows. “Mostly they