Megan couldn’t believe how easily they’d fallen into the new routine. She’d drop Owen off in front of the school each day and he’d proudly walk Lily into the building and on to class. Then, about two hours later, she’d come back, pick up her visitor pass at the front office, and quietly sneak into the classroom to get Lily. Five minutes later, she’d return and leave. A few hours later, she’d repeat the process, and then finally come back to pick them both up.
So far, the strategy was working. Owen hadn’t had any more trips to the principal’s office and, even better, the other kids were warming up to him now that his behavior was more predictable. For the first time he was making friends. In fact, the only hitch in the system was the hit to her work schedule.
She hadn’t quite anticipated how much her concentration would be affected by the constant stopping and starting. And even though nothing on Paradise was particularly far from anything else, four round trips added up to hours being cut from her work day.
She’d taken to working in the park across from the school to save the drive time, but using her phone as a wi-fi hotspot wasn’t ideal, and the weather wasn’t going to hold out forever. Fall was well upon them, and although the temperatures didn’t drop drastically this far south, the periodic cold fronts could trigger nasty thunderstorms. The weather had seemed okay when she’d left the house this morning, but now angry dark clouds raced across a slate-colored sky. Hesitating at the front door to the school, she considered her options.
“It looks pretty miserable out there, doesn’t it?”
She turned, grinning when she caught sight of Luke approaching. Over the past few weeks, she’d gotten used to him popping up out of nowhere. She didn’t see him every time she came to the school, but often enough that she no longer thought the run-ins were accidental. He was seeking her out and, despite herself, she was flattered. Besides, she honestly enjoyed his company. There had been no more talk about the night they’d kissed. Instead, they had fallen into a comfortable friendship, sharing funny stories about their day or commiserating over the stresses of their very different but equally demanding careers.
She still felt a tingle in her belly when she was around him. But he was a handsome man; she’d have to be dead not to feel some attraction. And unlike in her empty kitchen, there was no risk here of her giving in to temptation. As long as they were in public, she was safe to enjoy his company. After all, no matter how hot he looked or what his deep voice did to her insides, Megan wasn’t going to accost him in the middle of a school hallway.
So she let herself enjoy their little encounters and refused to feel guilty about it. What she was feeling less than thrilled about was the current weather. “Yeah...that wind is vicious, and I didn’t think to bring a jacket.” She looked down at her T-shirt and jeans and shrugged. “I guess I’ll work at the diner today and hope I don’t wear out my welcome.” She had done it a few times when rain had driven her indoors, but hated taking up a table for hours during the lunch rush. The library and coffee shop, while quieter, were on the other side of the island.
“Or you could just work here. The coffee at the diner is better, but our prices can’t be beat.”
He’d offered to let her camp out at an empty desk in the administration suite before, but she’d always turned him and his offer of free coffee down. Everyone had already made so many accommodations for Owen; she didn’t want to be even more of a burden. Besides, she wasn’t sure how much work she’d get done with Luke around. Her thoughts tended to drift to less than professional topics in his presence.
Still...she did have a lot of work to do and a bustling restaurant wasn’t a distraction-free environment, either. As she considered, a clap of thunder shook the building and the heavens opened up. The world outside shrank; her view of the park across the street now blocked by a solid wall of water.
“Unless you’ve got a snorkel in that bag of yours, I think you’re staying here for a while.”
“Just a phone and my laptop, so I guess I’m stuck.” She watched the storm for a moment; awed by its power despite the inconvenience it created. “But just for today.”
“Whatever you say,” he agreed. Too easily. If she didn’t know better, she’d think he was glad she was stuck here for the afternoon. The thought made her nervous, which was silly. He was just being nice. Friendly, even. That was all. He wasn’t going to make a move on her in his place of business. Unbidden, her mind returned to the first day she’d brought Lily to school, when he’d told her he’d wanted to have his way with her. A shiver that had nothing to do with the weather ran through her.
“You’re cold,” Luke said, noticing. “I’ve got an old sweatshirt in the office if you want it.”
She didn’t correct him. “Thanks, but I’ll be fine. I just need a place to sit, and maybe some of that free coffee.”
“Right this way.” He led her through the outer section of the administration area toward the private space where his office was located. For a moment, worried that’s where he was headed, she considered turning around. Call her a coward, but she’d rather brave the storm than risk spending the next couple of hours only a few feet away from Luke. Thankfully, he continued down the hall and opened the door to a room she hadn’t noticed before.
The walls were lined with bookshelves heavy with an assortment of supplies and textbooks. In the center of the room, taking up nearly all the remaining space, there was a long conference table surrounded by standard office chairs that, despite their blandness, still somehow managed to look out of date. A bank of windows on the wall opposite the door boasted old-fashioned roll-up shades, currently closed. Still, she could make out flashes of lightning behind them as the storm gathered steam.
“What do you think? It’s technically our conference room, but as you can see, it’s more a storage area than anything. Most of the teachers prefer to meet with parents in the classroom and the staff meetings are held before or after school, which means it’s all yours whenever you need it.”
“Wow.” A place to work uninterrupted for hours at a time? “This is perfect.” Thunder crashed again, closer than before, making her jump.
“I think your standards may be too low,” he said with a chuckle, “but it’s dry at least. You’ve got the wi-fi password, and the coffee is in the teacher’s lounge two doors down, so you’ll have plenty of caffeine. If you need anything else, just knock on my door.”
She shook her head, determined not to impose any more than she already had. “You go do principal stuff, and don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine on my own.” She always was. But as he left, closing the door behind him, she wondered if fine was good enough. Because, for the first time, she wasn’t sure it was.
Luke had never been so glad for a thunderstorm in his life. For weeks now, he’d watched Megan truck across the street to the park bench that had become her personal office. She’d never complained, but even this far into fall, the heat could be brutal. When she came for Lily’s afternoon break, she usually looked flushed and sticky. The one time he’d noticed her rubbing her neck, she’d straightened and mumbled something about it being awkward to type without a real table. His frequent offers to stay and work at the school were always rebuffed, with her insisting it wasn’t necessary.
Maybe not, but she deserved more than just the necessities in life. If it was within his power to make things even a bit easier for her, he wanted to do that. And yeah, maybe if she were around more, he’d finally get the nerve up to ask her out. He’d thought about it often enough—sometimes it was all he could think of. But although they seemed to have returned to a semblance of friendship, he could sense the barriers she’d erected. She wasn’t ready for more than that. She might never be. So he grabbed whatever brief moments he could and waited for some kind of sign.
He wanted to believe that her agreeing to stay at the school today was that sign, but he was pretty sure Mother Nature, not any romantic interest, had spurred that decision. Still, she was there. It wouldn’t be that strange if he dropped in to check on her at some point and then casually suggest they go out for dinner sometime, right? Or maybe dinner was too much. Maybe drinks. Or coffee. Start small, and see how things went.
It was a solid plan. Except, of course, for the very real chance that his mounting interest would scare her off. Was he willing to risk it? Especially since there were myriad reasons why he shouldn’t pursue her at all. His job, her busy lifestyle, the fact that she’d reacted very badly the one time they’d crossed the line from friendship to something more. Yeah, he had plenty of rationale for leaving things as they were, not rocking the boat. And one good reason for moving forward.
Megan.
She was the first thing he thought of when he woke up, and what he dreamed of at night. He’d even started timing his meetings around her dog’s potty schedule, for crying out loud. And, like a junkie who needed more and more to get his fix, those few minutes in the hallway weren’t cutting it anymore.
If they were dating, he’d have the right to call her in the evenings, or to drop by. They’d get the chance to have real conversations. He’d picked up bits and pieces about her life, but he wanted to know more. He wanted to know everything about her. And most of all, he wanted to have another taste of her.
That thought pushed him over the edge. Shoving up from his desk, he stalked down the hall to the closed conference room door. Rapping once, he pushed it open and found her chewing on the end of a pencil as she squinted at her computer screen. She didn’t look happy.
Maybe this was a bad idea. The timing was off. She hadn’t even seemed to notice that he was there. He could just leave and try another day.
Then again, she might go back to working at the park. This might be his only chance. He was going to hate himself if he didn’t take it.
This very well might be now or never. And never wasn’t an option he was willing to contemplate.
Not wanting to startle her, he cleared his throat as he entered. No reaction. Again, he considered leaving. Again, he rejected the idea. At this point, he just wanted this whole thing to be over with, even if she turned him down. At least he’d know, and maybe then he could stop obsessing over her.
Giving up on the subtle approach, he approached the table. “Hi.”
That was terrible, as far as pickup lines went, but she looked up, so he’d take it.
“Oh. Hi.” She pushed at the strands of hair that had fallen over her eyes, shoving them haphazardly back into the loose bun she always wore. He’d overhead one of the female teachers referring to the style as a messy bun, or a mom bun, but whatever it was, it was sexy as hell. Or maybe that was just Megan in general. Yeah, pretty sure that was it.
As Luke stood there staring at her like a loon, her expression grew concerned. “Is everything all right? Did someone complain about me being here?” She started to close her laptop. “I can leave. I’m sure the storm will be letting up soon.” Another crash of thunder made her wince. “Or not. But—”
He caught her hand, stilling it before she could put her computer into her bag. “Stop. Everything’s fine. I was just...checking on you.” Now he was the one wincing. “In a totally non-stalker-ish, supportive-of-your-independence kind of way.”
She stared at him, a strange, almost painful look on her face.
Great, he’d offended her.
She laughed suddenly, bending almost double and shaking with the force of it. He probably should be offended, her amusement was definitely at his expense. But seeing her let loose was more than worth the blow to his ego. She always maintained an edge of control, even in the most casual environment. Only when she’d kissed him had he glimpsed the real Megan, the one who didn’t feel the need to weigh every decision, to consider every action. And now, again, he was seeing her. As she gasped for breath, her eyes sparkled as she giggled uncontrollably, and he was awestruck.
“I’m sorry,” she finally managed to say, wiping the tears from her eyes. “But that was probably the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard in a long time.”
“No worries. You looked like you could use a laugh. If I’d known sticking my foot in my mouth would have that effect on you, I’d have done it a long time ago.”
“And why is that?” she questioned, a smile still on her lips. If he didn’t know better, he’d have thought she was flirting.
“Everyone needs a bit of fun now and then. And,” he said, biting the bullet, “you’re beautiful when you laugh.”
Her face froze, and he felt her armor slip back into place, the walls go up. Desperate not to lose the moment, he plowed on. “I actually came in here to ask if you’d like to go out for coffee. With me.”
She dropped her gaze and reached for her computer, avoiding his eyes. “No need, the coffee here really isn’t that bad. I had a cup just a bit ago.”
He wondered for a second if he’d been unclear. Maybe she hadn’t realized he was asking her out, not inquiring about her caffeine status. Her shaking hands and the blush of pink climbing up her cheeks told him the misunderstanding was deliberate.
He could leave it be, back off and go along with the charade. Or he could go for broke.
“Megan.” He waited until she looked up at him. If she wanted to turn him down, she was going to have to say it to his face. “I want to spend more time with you. Personally, not professionally.”
“I...I don’t understand.”
“I’m asking you out. On a date. Coffee. Dinner. A movie. Whatever you want.”
Indecision clouded her sky blue eyes. “Do you really think that’s a good idea?”
“The truth?” He shrugged. “I don’t know. But I do know I can’t stop thinking about you.”
Her blush deepened and she tried to look away.
“Don’t.” He lowered himself into the chair beside hers and cupped her cheek, turning her eyes toward his. “Don’t run away from this.”
Megan’s pulse was pounding so loudly in her ears she could barely make out Luke’s words. But his meaning was clear. He was right. She was running. Not just from him, but from the feelings he brought to the surface, feelings she’d thought were gone forever. Did she want to go down that road again? She’d nearly lost herself in the pain of losing her husband, but she’d held strong because of Owen. If she and Luke tried and things didn’t work out, she’d be risking not only her own heart, but Owen’s, as well.
Taking hold of that thought, she let out a breath. “People will talk. You know they will. We sat in the same pew and half the town had us eloping by the end of the week. If we go out on a date, it will start a feeding frenzy among the gossip groupies.”
His fingers traced the curve of her jaw and up to her ear. “I don’t care.”
It was so hard to focus while he was touching her like that, but she had to try. “You don’t mean that. Besides, I care. I don’t want Owen having to deal with it.”
His hand stilled, letting her know she’d made her point. But then his grin returned and his fingers began working their magic again, this time finding their way to the nape of her neck. “So we keep it a secret. That could be fun.”
He pulled her to him, closing the small gap until her thigh pressed against his knees. “I’d love to take you out and show you off, but if privacy is what you want, I can definitely work with that.” The husky tone of his voice had her body tingling in all the right places, making it hard to think of a reason to say no. Or maybe she just didn’t want to say no. His strong hand began gently kneading the knots of tension at the base of her neck and she groaned.
His pupils dilated at the sound, his breath hitched. She loved the effect she had on him, even as she fought her own response. “No one will know?” she whispered, desire nearly strangling the words.
“Not unless you want them to.”
“Okay.” She said it quickly, before she could change her mind.
Her sudden agreement seemed to surprise Luke. One eyebrow raised, he searched her face as if expecting a trick. “Really? You’re sure?”
No, she wasn’t sure. But for once she was going to leap before she looked. If—or more likely when—things went badly, she’d deal with it. With their reputations and Owen’s feelings protected, all she was risking was her own pain. And with Luke’s lips so close to hers, his touch and scent filling her senses, she was willing to deal with that later for just a little of how he was making her feel right now.
Putting that all into words would ruin the moment, so she showed him instead.
Angling forward, she found his mouth with hers. Last time, she’d been tentative, hesitant, easing her way into the kiss. This time, she skipped past it all. She’d waited weeks to taste him, and she wasn’t waiting any longer. Greedily, she licked, nipped, and explored his mouth, and he met her hunger with his own. The hand at her neck held her steady while his other hand moved to her thigh, tracing small circles higher and higher. Eyes closed, she tried to move nearer, needing to be pressed against him but boxed in by the arm of the chair and the edge of the table.
Sensing her frustration, he shifted and gripped her waist, lifting her up while kicking the chair out of the way. For an instant, she was floating, carried in his strong arms, and then she felt the hard wood of the conference room door against her back. Click. The sound of the lock was loud in her ears. Had anyone else heard it? Were some staff member standing in the hallway right now, listening?
“Stop,” Luke growled.
“Stop what?” she asked, squirming as he nipped at the sensitive skin above her collarbone.
“Thinking.” He licked the spot he’d just grazed, and she gasped at the contrasting sensations.
“I’m not supposed to think?” she managed to ask before his mouth covered hers, silencing her with a very thorough kiss.
He lifted his head. “Not right now.” He kissed her, and this time she felt her knees start to buckle. “Just feel.”
As if to convince her, he pressed his body against hers, pinning her gently with his hips while his hands roamed up and down her sides, leaving goose bumps in their wake.
Mmm...he was right. Feeling was better than thinking. Giving in, she reached for him, pulling him ever closer.
His mouth returned to Megan’s skin, setting her on fire each place his lips landed. She fisted her hands into his shirt, holding on for dear life. The only thing she was capable of thinking now was that they were both wearing way too many clothes.
He must have had the same thought. “How unprofessional would it be for me to strip you down and take you against this door?” he asked, sneaking a hand under her T-shirt.
She gasped as he cupped her breast, arching toward him even as she vetoed the idea. “Very.”
His hand stilled and then eased back to her waist. His breathing was ragged, his muscles rigid beneath the starched fabric of his shirt. For a moment, they just stood there, forehead to forehead, as the world slowly came back into focus.
“At least this time you can’t kick me out,” he teased once they were both breathing normally.
Ugh, she still couldn’t believe she’d done that. But he was overwhelming, and having her barriers knocked down at the time had freaked her out. Especially when she’d been the one knocking them down.
“You’re doing it again.” His voice was light though his stare was serious. “You have a very bad habit of overthinking things.”
“Sometimes.” Might as well own it. “When things are complicated.”
A wicked little smile crossed his face. “Well then, how about I simplify things. I like you, and I’m pretty sure you like me.”
She nodded, biting her lip.
“Then that’s all that matters. Like I said, simple.”
She wanted to believe him. But somehow, she didn’t think it was going to be quite that easy.