legs and chest, his limbs covered with a healthy layer of golden hair. I felt my jaw fall open. I’d heard he rowed crew, and clearly, it had paid off. I was so mesmerized that I barely even noticed he was walking towards me.
“Hey, Twelve Fingers!” he cried.
He was standing about three feet away from me, completely naked. I had never been so close to a naked man before. Considering I was cold in my coat, he must have been freezing, but he seemed comfortable. I, on the other hand, was having some difficulty taking deep breaths. I couldn’t look him in the eyes, but then again, where the hell was I supposed to look?
“Hi,” I finally said.
“I hope you realize how cold it is.” Luke grinned. “I wouldn’t want you to think this is all there is.”
“Uh…” I said. I didn’t know what he was talking about at the time, but Delia later explained to me that he was referring to his penis. Although if he was apologizing for that, he didn’t have anything to apologize for. Not that I looked or anything. Heaven forbid.
For the last sixteen years, that’s the image I’ve had in my head of what Luke Thayer looked like naked. That’s not the reality anymore—it’s very clear. But for some reason, I can’t stop thinking about what this version of Luke might look like naked.
He finally gets the tie over his head, then he starts fumbling to tighten it. “Do you need any help?” I ask.
I remember too late his whole speech about wanting to be independent with everything. He looks like he’s about to refuse, but then he raises his eyes. His mouth falls open. For like a full minute, we’re both just kind of standing there, staring at each other stupidly.
He swallows hard. “Jesus, Ellie.”
“You like it?” I ask, feeling shy all of a sudden for some reason.
“Are you joking?” He reaches his hand out as if he wants to grab me, then drops it back onto his lap. “I wish we weren’t going to this party. I wish…”
“What?” I squeeze my hands into fists. I don’t know what I’m hoping he’ll say. But I’m having thoughts about him that are very out of the ordinary for me. I’m thinking about what his lips would feel like, his hot breath against my skin.
He grabs the wheels of his chair and shifts his weight. “I, um… nothing. Nothing.” He smiles, although it looks forced. “Actually, if you could help me with the tie, that would be great.”
I regret having asked, because it means I have to get all up in Luke’s business. He smells too nice. I’m worried I’m going to do something stupid, so I quickly adjust his tie and take two steps back. Then a third step.
I shake my head, trying to clear it. What the hell got into me? This man is my boss. No, my boss’s boss’s boss. And that’s only the first reason this would be a mistake. I knew when I was eighteen that Luke and I weren’t right for each other. Nothing has changed. We come from two different worlds.
Anyway, it’s not like he’s interested in me.
I grab my purse from his couch, feeling very much like Cinderella going to the ball. “I miss dressing up,” I say. “I shouldn’t tell you how long it’s been since I’ve had a date.”
“Hmm,” Luke says. “I’m sure I have you beat.”
“Six months.”
“Two years.”
I gasp. “You’re kidding, right?” I stare at Luke. He may be in a wheelchair, but he’s still handsome as hell. It’s hard to believe he could be having such a long dry spell.
“No, but thanks for not making me feel weird about it.” He rolls his eyes. “It’s like I said, it’s hard to tell if a woman likes you for your money or yourself. I mean, it’s one thing if they like you but also find the money a turn-on. I could deal with that. But when they’re just tolerating you because of the money, well…”
I don’t know what to say to that.
“My most recent girlfriend, Rebecca, was the last straw,” he says. “We were together for a year, and I thought it was going well. But it wasn’t. She only liked me for my money. And even that wasn’t enough.”
There’s a bitter edge to his voice when he talks about this woman. I wonder what she did to him.
“Luke…”
“It’s fine,” he says sharply. “It just… doesn’t make me want to jump out there into