Chapter Seventeen

"Wake up, baby." Luke is brushing my hair off my face and gently kissing my forehead.

I want him to go away so I can bury myself in the covers and go back to sleep. It's too early!

"No."

"Come on, honey, open those pretty green eyes."

"I don't have to."

He chuckles and kisses my cheek. "Come on, morning girl, wake up. It's time to go get me all hot and bothered at the gym."

I roll onto my side and open one eye, peering at him uncertainly. "You hate me."

"No, baby, just the opposite. Come on, let's get up." He brushes his lips over my cheek and then my lips again and I sigh.

"Let's stay here and get all hot and bothered, handsome."

"Oh, no you don't. Come on, up." He slaps my ass and rolls away from me. He's already dressed!

"Oh Jesus, you're a morning person. This could change everything." I sit up and stretch and eye him warily.

"Gonna dump me already?" He smiles delightedly.

"I'm thinking about it." I rub my hands down my face and realize I smell coffee. "Do I smell coffee?"

Luke picks a mug up off the end table and takes a sip. "I brought this up for you, but since you're dumping me, I'll drink it myself."

I lunge up off the bed and dive for the mug in his hand. "Mine!"

"Ah, ah, ah!" He holds it out of my reach. "You hurt my feelings."

His grin betrays him, but I play along, enjoying this game. "I'm so sorry. Can I please have that coffee?"

I bite my lip and gaze up at him innocently through my eyelashes.

He purses his lips and moves his head from side to side as if considering my request.

"Well, maybe. If you kiss me."

I pucker up and lift my face to his, planting my lips on his cheek with a loud smack.

"Now?" I ask.

"Oh, I think you can do better than that. This is really good coffee." He takes another sip and moves quickly away from me as I lunge at him again.

Changing my tactics I slide my hand in his shorts and grip his growing erection in my hand, rubbing up and down.

"Now?"

His eyes dilate and he grins wickedly. "I do love the way you think, baby."

He hands me the mug and I release him, walking toward the bathroom.

"Hey!"

"I'm gonna get you hot and bothered at the gym, not here." I toss over my shoulder and shut the door behind me while Luke laughs.

"Honey," he yells through the door, "You get me hot and bothered everywhere."

Luke's gym is small and out of the way, which shouldn't surprise me. He's less likely to be recognized here, and I like that it seems to be a no-nonsense kind of place, with upbeat rock pumping through the sound system, and no frills. No smoothie bar, no girls meandering about with hardly any clothes on. People come here to work out, not be seen.

It's so him.

"Where do you want to start?" he asks me as he ushers me ahead of him through the door.

"We're not meeting with your trainer?" I'm relieved that it will just be us today. I don't feel confident enough to work with a trainer. I know that I'm strong and toned, despite my curves, but I don't like strangers touching me or looking at my body.

"Just us today, baby."

"Okay, I think I'll run for a bit."

"Sounds good." He leads me to a line of treadmills and we choose two machines side by side at the end of the row.

"I brought music." I pull my iPhone and ear buds out of my bra and plug them in my ears.

"What else do you have in there?" He laughs and I join him. I love his carefree mood today. He's having fun, and it makes me relax. "That's fine; I'm going to watch the news." He points to the flat screen TV in front of us.

He shows me how to work the treadmill, gets me started, then jumps on his and breaks out into a steady jog.

My mouth goes dry. Sweet Mother of God, this man is amazing. He moves with no effort, and I have to consciously look away before I trip.

I crank up my music—Lady Gaga today—and set my pace with the beat of the music. I've always liked to run; I just never seem to find the time.

I watch the instrument panel in front of me and empty my mind, listening to Ms. Gaga sing about a bad romance. Within minutes I'm in the zone, and I smile as Kelly Clarkson sings about being stronger.

Yes, I could get used to this.

Before I know it, thirty minutes and about three miles have passed, and I'm sweating like crazy. I slow the belt down to walk for five minutes, then hop off, reaching for my water. I look to my right where Luke was but he's gone.

I frown and search across the gym looking for him. I don't immediately see him, so I gather my towel, tuck my phone into my bra and wander out among the free weights.

"Can I help you find something?" I whirl around at the deep voice and then grin.

"Brad! Hey, how's it going?"

"Good."

He pats me on the shoulder, gripping me for just a few seconds longer than polite, and continues to smile widely. "I haven't seen you in here before. Thinking of joining?"

"Oh, I'm here with someone today."

"Cool. Can I get you some water, or a fresh towel?"

"You must work here." I mutter dryly.

"Oh, yeah, I do. Hey, I can show you how to use some of the weights if you want."

"That won't be necessary." Both Brad and I twirl at the sound of Luke's cold voice.

"Hey." Brad smiles at Luke and holds out his hand. "I didn't introduce myself yesterday. I'm Brad."

Luke shakes his hand and gives him a smile, but it doesn't reach his eyes. "Luke."

Brad's eyes widen and he swallows. "Holy shit, you're Luke Williams."

Luke's smile doesn't falter. "Yes, I am."

"Well, um..." Brad gives me a quizzical glance then smiles back at Luke. "It's nice to meet you. Catch you later, Natalie." He nods at me and disappears among the weights.

"So it seems Brad is more than a friend of a friend." Luke turns to me, his eyes cold and distant.

Shit.

"No, that's exactly what he is."

"Didn't look that way."

"How did it look?" I back away from him and cross my arms across my chest.

"It looked like he was picking you up."

I shake my head adamantly. "He is just a flirty guy, Luke. He was being nice. I was looking around for you."

"I got a phone call. I have to leave, I'm sorry. I have to run home and do some work."

"Fine, let's go."

"Do you have to work today?" He opens my car door for me and I slide in.

"No," I respond when he's behind the wheel. "I have today off."

"You're welcome to come home with me." How can he go from being pissed off and jealous to sweet and accommodating?

"That's okay, just take me home."

"Are you mad at me?" His voice is soft and I can't look him in the face.

"Yes. Are you always going to overreact whenever a man speaks to me?"

"He's had his hands on you twice in two days, Natalie. He wasn't just speaking to you."

"But I didn't do anything wrong."

"He wants in your pants and you didn't do anything to dissuade him."

"Luke, I'm more than capable of saying no. Trust me, that's all I've said all my adult life. Until you." My voice is raised in my frustration. Doesn't he see that I'm mad about him? That I don't want anyone else?

"I will never be okay with another man putting his hands on you. Get used to it." His voice is sharp and his eyes are so cold.

He pulls up in front of my house and I jump out without waiting for him to open the door. He leaps out of his side and follows me up to the front porch.

"Go home, Luke. Go work." I shove my key in the lock and turn it but his large hand covers mine so I can't turn the nob.

"Natalie, don't be mad at me."

"Don't be mad at you? I may be your girlfriend, but I'm not your property."

"I didn't say you are." He backs up as if I've slapped him.

"Brad's just a flirty kid. Trust me; nothing is ever going to happen with him."

His eyes flare at Brad's name again and I want to kiss him for caring enough to be jealous, and smack the shit out of him for being so jealous he's almost blind with it.

I take a deep breath and decide to change tactics.

"Remember yesterday when you compared seeing Brad and me on that bed in the studio with seeing you onscreen in a love scene?"

"Yeah." He runs a hand through his hair and looks thoroughly frustrated.

"Am I supposed to get jealous every time a fan fawns all over you? They all want in your pants. All of them. They fantasize about fucking you and wooing you and about you being their boyfriend. Trust me, those girls have all spent more time thinking about you than I care to think about."

He starts to speak, but then closes his mouth and shakes his head.

"Don't you dare say that it isn't the same thing. A crush is a crush is a crush. Brad has as much a chance getting in my pants as any one of those pathetic women has getting into yours."

He exhales loudly. "Well, I guess I can see your point."

"Go work. I'm going to take a shower."

"Are you still mad at me?" He closes the gap between us and grips my hand in his tightly.

"A little. I'll get over it. Go work and call me later."

"Okay." He bends down and runs his lips lightly over mine, then pushes his fingers in my hair and pulls me to him, kissing me deeply, as if his apology is in his kiss and I can't help but melt against him.

"You make me crazy," I murmur against his lips.

"Ditto, baby. I'll talk to you tonight."

He leaves me on the porch and I watch him slip into his sleek black SUV. He smiles and waves and pulls out of my driveway.

I've fallen in love with a beautiful, sexy, sweet, jealous control freak.

Shit.

Jules is in the kitchen when I go inside. I slam my purse on the breakfast bar and yank the fridge open looking for a water.

"Well, hello sunshine," Jules says sarcastically.

"What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be at work?"

"I'm working from home. Hey, you're really pissed. What happened?" She plants her hands on her hips and scowls at me, and I immediately feel better.

"He just irritated me at the gym. Luke has a jealous streak."

"Scary jealous, or sexy jealous?" Jules asks, her eyebrows raised.

"Stupid jealous." I sigh and fall into the deep cushions of the red couch in the living room. Jules follows and sits in the armchair opposite me, her bare feet propped on the ottoman.

"He's obviously crazy about you." She takes a swig of her own water.

I shrug. "I guess. I'm new to all this, Jules. I don't like being questioned about things I do."

"He's not being a controlling asshole, is he?"

"No, but he does have a bossy streak. Not in a bad way. I know he cares about me. He's really sweet and gentle with me. But boy, he does not like Brad." I roll my eyes and lean my head back against the cushion.

"Sexy model client Brad?"

"Yeah." I explain about Luke walking in on us in the studio yesterday, and running into Brad at the gym today.

"Gee, I wonder why. That kid has it bad for you."

I scowl at her. "He does not! He's just flirty! Don't you start, too."

"You never could recognize when someone was interested in you, Nat."

"Luke has nothing to worry about."

"Oh, I know that." She brushes my words aside with the wave of her hand.

"Why doesn't he?"

"This is new to him, too."

"Whose side are you on?"

"Yours, sweetie. Always yours. Where is he?"

"He went home to work. Someone called while we were working out."

"Maybe you could use a day apart."

"Probably. Hey, what are you really doing here? You've been working from home a lot lately."

Jules frowns and shrugs. "Telecommuting is easy."

"Uh uh. I don't buy it." She's not telling me something. "I know you too well, Julianne Montgomery."

"My new boss is kind of a dick." She shrugs again, but she looks like she might be fighting tears.

Alarmed, I sit on the ottoman, making her lower her feet, and grasp her hands. "Has he hurt you?"

"No, he's just a condescending asshole." She shrugs again, but then breaks down in tears. Holy shit.

"Sweetie, what is it?"

She drops her head in her hands and cries, a hard, sobbing cry.

"I fucked him." She cries through her hands.

"What?" I sit back, my jaw dropped, shocked. Jules has a strict policy, no screwing co-workers.

"The night you first brought Luke home." I remember that night, when Jules went straight upstairs without coming to the kitchen to meet Luke.

"How? Jules, this isn't like you."

"I know." She wipes her eyes and her nose on the back of her hand. "We went out for dinner with some other people from the office, and I had too much to drink."

"Honey, is he trying to ruin things for you at work?"

"No! No, nothing like that." She takes a deep breath and I hand her a tissue. "It's just so uncomfortable. And it doesn't help that he's freaking hot. Almost Luke Williams hot." She smiles at me and my shoulders relax just a little.

"Wow, that's pretty hot."

"I know, right?" She shakes her head and looks sad again. I hate seeing Sad Jules. "And Nat, you'd be shocked what he's hiding under those business suits he wears to work. Wow. It was the best sex of my damn life."

"Jules, are you hung up on this guy?"

"It doesn't matter even if I am. There is a no fraternizing policy at our office. We could both be fired." Her eyes well again, and I just feel so helpless.

"What has his reaction been to all this?"

"Well he was pretty pissed when he woke up the next morning and I was gone."

"Ah, so you did the whole sleep-with-'em-then-bail-when-they're-asleep move." I nod knowingly.

"Yeah. I didn't want to face the ugly morning after."

"Can't blame you there. But if he was pissed you were gone, maybe he really likes you."

"It doesn't matter. It's hopeless."

"But..."

"No, don't try to fix this, Nat. It's done. I'll go back to the office eventually; I just need a little time to regroup. I took a few vacation days and now I'm working from home until I work up the nerve to see him again."

"Okay." I rub her arm soothingly, and then stand. "I'm going up to shower. Let me know if you need me."

"Thanks." She gives me a watery smile. "Oh, Nat?"

"Yeah?"

"Stupid jealous is kinda hot."