Sunset Seduction - By Charlene Sands Page 0,67
stronger after he’d saved her and the baby.
It doesn’t matter.
You don’t love me.
I take that as a yes. There’s going to be a knock at your door any second.
What? Panicked, she glanced at the bedroom door before she remembered she was at the cabin. She typed,
I’m not home.
I know.
Then the door opened and Luke strode in, cell phone in hand.
She jumped and hit her head against the backboard of the bed. “Luke!”
He tucked the phone into his pocket. “I gave you warning.”
“You…you didn’t knock.”
“Didn’t I?” He grinned and moved farther into the room. “Seems to me you didn’t knock a few months back when you crept in here and destroyed my sleep.”
“Wh-what are you doing here?”
This whole thing reeked of Casey not interfering. Her brother must’ve set this up.
But oh, how she’d missed Luke. His devastating smile and the light in his eyes were enough to floor any female, much less one who was already crazy about him. She tossed the covers off and was about to get out of bed when Luke’s piercing gaze froze her in place. He sat down next to her. The scent of leather and musk put her mind in a tizzy.
Jewel woke from solid sleep, got up and rubbed at the back of his legs. He bent to scratch her behind the ears and she purred so loudly, it echoed off the walls. Traitorous cat. “Did Casey put you up to this? I’m going to—”
“I did some fast talking with Case to get him to allow me to come here. This was all my idea.” He glanced around the room and then his reverent gaze touched on her. “This room is where our baby was conceived.”
“I…I know.”
Her mind was muddled. It was late. She was tired. She couldn’t think straight with him sitting on her bed, so near. If he wanted to talk custody in legal terms, she couldn’t do it. “I can’t think right now, Luke. Can we talk another time? Maybe, if you came back in the morning.”
He gave his head a shake. “You’re a flight risk, Audrey. I’m not giving you a chance to take off again. Seems that’s what you do to me. Leave.”
“That’s only because—”
“I love you, Audrey.”
“Wh-what?”
“I said, I love you. I need you in my life. I’m not leaving here until I convince you of that.”
The words were foreign to her ears. Luke didn’t love her. How could he? She’d done horrible things to him. She’d nearly caused his death, for heaven’s sake. “You love the baby.”
“True. I love the baby. It’s a part of you, sweetheart. That baby is the best part of both of us. If I didn’t love you, why on earth would I forgive you for everything you’ve done? Why would I call out your name when I was unconscious? Yes, I did that, they tell me. And as soon as I woke up, your name was the first on my lips. I called for you, Audrey. And you weren’t there. It was an awful feeling. It hurt more than my injuries.”
“Oh, Luke. I’m so sorry about that. I hated to leave you, but I thought I’d be the last person you’d want to see when you woke up.”
“You left Sunset Ranch without saying goodbye.”
Her guilt was as sharp as the tip of a knife.
Luke reached for her hands. He applied gentle pressure that shot straight to her heart and made her hope for the first time in a long time. Then he looked her square in the eyes. “I’ve never lied to you, Audrey. I think you know that about me. I asked you to marry me, but I didn’t tell you I loved you. I didn’t know it then, but I know it now.”
Audrey’s hope register shot up. “Wh-why do you know it now?”
Luke looked past her, as if trying to find a way to explain it. “I thought I wasn’t capable of love or allowing myself to get close to anyone for anything other than friendship. It has to do with my roots and my love of a horse that was taken away when I was very young. It didn’t help to see the kind of marriage my folks had. I guess I put up barriers and wouldn’t let anyone breach them. Until Trib came along.”
“Trib? I don’t understand.”
“For some reason that horse got under my skin. Even after all the trials and tribulations and the trouble he caused, I can’t seem to part with him. I see his spirit