My hand slid from his grasp and I walked away from him then. My heart and head felt lighter. Why did I feel so happy and at the same time—wracked with sadness? The possibilities were opening up to me like a map with a hundred thousand different paths and destinations. I was free to explore them all.

* * *

After Luke sobered up, he found me waiting outside of the hospice on a park bench. He explained that we were going to see his relatives as a last ditch effort to convince his dad that this wasn’t a scam. It was plain to me that Luke had chosen to ignore everything I had said in the restaurant. We drove to his relatives’ house in complete silence.

Well, I guess I scared him off.

My jaw dropped as the car turned into a gated driveway, which led to the biggest mansion I had ever seen. It was Gatsby-level big, with a manicured lawn and flowers that looked like they were changed once a month. I swallowed as I saw workers entering and exiting the mansion like bees. Tables and chairs, silver and black balloons, trays and trays of catered food were brought through that tiny entrance. I looked down at myself and swore. We just left the hospice and there had been no time to change.

“You didn’t tell me there was a damn party!”

“It’s my uncle’s birthday. Don’t worry, we’ll go upstairs and you can change. It’s only noon.”

I gaped at him. “You didn’t mention—I didn’t get a gift or anything!”

He rolled his eyes. “Uncle Dominic has everything he wants.”

Whatever he said, I still thought that it would reflect poorly on me. Come six o’ clock, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a mountain of gifts in the foyer for Uncle Dominic.

The car door was flung open before I could adjust my glare and then I slid out of the leather seat, walking behind Luke as he headed towards the front door.

“I’ll find my aunt and introduce you, and then we can go upstairs into the guest bedroom.”

I nervously ran my fingers through my hair, finding it hopelessly tangled. Feeling close to laughter, I walked inside the mansion. The floors were too good for my sneakered feet. The marble foyer looked like it had just been polished. Beyond that, I could see dark mahogany hardwood floors in the living room, a modern stainless steel kitchen peeking around the corner. I wanted to sprint up the ebony staircase and hide in one of the guest rooms.

Luke, however, looked perfectly at home. I didn’t know how he always managed to look unruffled, like he just stepped out of a men’s fashion magazine.

“Aunt Beth! I’m here!”

A motherly looking woman in her sixties rounded the corner. I was pleased to see that she was dressed in casual clothing. Her face wasn’t pretty, but it was the kind of face you would be happy to see if you were feeling down.

Luke grinned from ear to ear as she seized his head and kissed his cheek.

“I’m so happy to see you. You look wonderful.”

“Thanks, Auntie.”

Something had happened to Luke. There was lightness in his eyes and his face was smooth. I realized with a shock that Luke was—happy.

Still smiling, he motioned towards me and I shyly stepped forward. “This is my girlfriend, Jessica. I told you about her on the phone.”

“Oh, yes! It’s lovely to meet you.”

I felt the warmth from her smile in her handshake, and I couldn’t help it—I grinned back. “Thank you for letting us stay here. It’s really kind of you.”

“It’s no trouble at all. Both of you are always welcome.”

I watched in fascination as Luke allowed himself to be steered upstairs.

“You two must be exhausted. Why don’t you take a nap upstairs and I’ll fix you a snack when you wake up?”

Luke’s hand curled around mine as he walked towards to the guest bedroom. “Sounds good. Don’t go through too much trouble.”

“Not at all.”

The exhaustion settled in as Luke opened the door to a room with a magnificent four-poster bed, our luggage already sitting nearby. There was a flat screen television, an armoire, and an adjacent bathroom. I guess we have to share the bed. Luke turned around to me with a worried expression on his face, having come to the same realization.

“I can sit in the chair while—”

“We had sex, remember? It’s not a big deal if we share the bed.” Suddenly, I was irritated with him. Why was he trying to sweep it all under the rug? Maybe I was just tired. I ripped back the covers and saw that Luke was still standing there, staring at me. He froze me with that hungry, searching look. Before I knew it, he was standing right in front of me, demanding my full attention. My body seemed to shake with my pounding heart.

“Jessica, what you said earlier—did you mean it? You want me to stop paying you?”

It was hard to think when he was so close to me. He always made me feel breathless, but I knew the answer to his question. I had been bursting to tell him for days. “Yes, I meant it. I want you, Luke. I don’t care about the money anymore, I just want you.” My voice was rushed and I didn’t look away from his eyes. I just wanted him to believe me. Believe me.

“I want you, too. All the time and everywhere.”

I could feel his heat descending on me like fog. His fingers touched my lip gently, my jaw, my ears, as if he could hardly believe that I existed. His lips hovered over mine and barely touched me. It was sensitive; unlike the passionate fury he had shown me in London. It made my skin flame.

It only lasted a few seconds, our fatigue transformed into barely suppressed desire; we clung to each other like the two desperate, lonely souls that we were. His tongue swept inside my mouth as a fire leapt inside my chest. He reached up with one hand and tore apart my blouse with a violent jerk; several of the buttons snapped off and darted across the hardwood floors.

The ruined blouse fell to the floor in a crumpled heap and Luke unapologetically reached around my back and unsnapped my bra, a thrill scorching my skin as he covered my breasts with his hands, groping them roughly. I reached under his shirt and felt his abdominal muscles shiver. He unstuck his hands from my breasts so that I could pull the shirt over his head.

I had no idea how he had the time to maintain his flawless body. I ran my fingers along his clavicle, around his shoulder and back towards the taut muscles on his chest. He pulled me in and my breasts flattened against his chest, both of us thrilled at the contact. He grabbed my hair and tugged sharply; then his lips were caressing mine, sucking on my bottom lip as his hands fell from my head. He stroked my back with his fingers until his hands anchored over my ass. He lifted me slightly, his hardness grinding against my mound.