Bargain in Bronze

“It’s not good for him.” She pulled a face. “Not good for anyone,” she added pointedly. “And you can’t take me on a tour anyway.” She suddenly smiled. “You can’t walk.”

Luke hauled himself to his feet and smiled way more genuinely than she just had. Because he was so used to getting his own way and this time he absolutely was. “I don’t need to walk.” Not on those open-top double-decker bus tours that went every twenty minutes.

In the end they didn’t take Mannie. By the time Lexie had gotten herself together the dog was curled in the middle of Luke’s bed again, blissfully snoring.

“I think he needs some quiet time at home to recuperate,” Luke said.

“That’s what you need,” Lexie said drily.

No. What Luke needed was quality flirt-with-Lexie time.

The bus tour was genius. Luke hobbled up the stairs, then took the aisle seat so he could stretch out his knee. The bus was slow and wound its way around a long route, taking them past famous building after famous building, landmark sculptures and bridges. Luke ran his arm along the back of her seat and watched her reaction to his proximity. More delightful color. Even more when he leaned close to make a comment as they passed one of his favorite buildings. But aside from the blush, she seemed determined to outwardly ignore his moves. Instead, she chatted about the sights. And within twenty minutes of that, Luke forgot about his moves too—she was too funny to listen to. She blossomed with enthusiasm for the experience, and with his appreciative laughter.

She opened up, talking about her trips around Australia and Asia. Was fully absorbed in learning all about these sights in London. It seemed she’d really gotten the bug. It suited her. Almost unconsciously, Luke moved closer still. “You really went to Vietnam on your own?” he asked, unable to reconcile that mental image with the terrified teen he’d once found lost and alone in a fairground.

“I really did.”

“And a month in southeast Africa?”

“I was on a tour for that.” She downplayed it. “You wouldn’t believe how beautiful those beaches were.”

He’d love to go to a beach with Lexie. He’d love to go to all these places she’d been to—with her. “No wonder you made a good travel agent,” he said. “You make all these places sound amazing. You’re so enthusiastic it’s infectious.”

“They are amazing places. So are the people you get to meet,” she grinned. “It’s such an exciting thing to do.”

He wondered what amazing guys she’d met in her travels and frowned. “I haven’t traveled anywhere near as much.”

“And you’re fifty rungs higher on the corporate ladder then me because of that.”

Was that necessarily a good thing? Luke wasn’t sure. Of course it was, in some ways, but now he had the feeling his balance was a little off. “Where’s next on your list?”

She frowned and absently rubbed the side of her neck. “I’m not sure. I think I need to actually get on the corporate ladder now.” She smiled ruefully. “I can’t get to where I really want to go without the funds.”

Luke shifted and signaled for them to get off at the next stop. He looked up at the giant white Ferris wheel with its large passenger capsules. She used to be terrified of heights. No doubt she was over it now, given she was the worldly traveler, but he couldn’t resist a trip down memory lane. He looked for her reaction but she acted as cool as the cucumbers the British sliced into a sandwich. Yeah, she was all in control now. Well, almost. Because the queue for the London Eye gave Luke the excuse to stand too close and delight in her blushing skin. That one last giveaway she couldn’t control. But she determinedly chatted away, firmly keeping her gaze on the river. Now, along with the blush, he saw the way her hands were tightly fisted. The question was whether that anxiety was caused by the upcoming trip into the sky or by him—or both. But she didn’t refer to the giant machine they were standing right beside. She just kept on chatting. Maybe she’d learned to cover up her emotions, but not necessarily wholly control them.

She’d always felt things deeply—nerves, stress. But also fun and frivolity. When she’d let herself go she was full of the fire her hair hinted at—hidden, bright flames that burned deep. He wanted her to let go again, with him.

“There’s not a lot of point going up there today, is there?” she said quietly, finally referring to the wheel. Her voice sounded almost perfectly calm—just the faintest edge gave her away. “It looks like rain. It’s so overcast I’m not sure we’ll see anything.”

So she was nervous. “I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.” His own voice sounded thirty-a-day husky. Hell, he wanted to help her through this the way he once had before.

He watched her pulse rapidly beat in the base of her neck. Saw her tense swallow. “Are you still scared of heights, Lexie?” he asked. “Can’t you just relax and enjoy the view?”

She looked at him, not answering. Did she remember the last time he’d told her to relax and enjoy the view? She didn’t answer as they were propelled forward in the line. The capsules moved in slow-mo as they stepped up to the platform. And the doors opened.

…

While the sky was overcast, the temperature was warm, Lexie was as cold as the ice cream in a kiddie cone. She didn’t want to do this, but there was no way she was letting Luke see how scared she was. She was sure he remembered and she recognized that look on his face—he was testing her. This was all a challenge. And she suspected that not only was he challenging her, but she was a challenge herself. A goal for him to achieve. Why was it guys had to compete so much—to tick targets, including women, off? He hadn’t grown up at all. He might do all the right things, be Mr. Charitable with his Paralympic marathon efforts and all, but the fact remained he was still spoiled—a gorgeous guy who’d had everything come to him too easily. Especially women. He was a jerk. Unfortunately he was a breath-stealing, handsome jerk.

Right now he took her hand in a firm hold and walked with her into the capsule of the oversized Ferris wheel. She had no idea how many other people came into the compartment with them—she was too busy scoping the dimensions of the thing and whether the glass looked likely to shatter.

She could handle the open-topped tour bus, but the London Eye was way too high. Her skin chilled, her breathing shallowed. She really didn’t want to do this. But at the same time she did, because she didn’t want to show weakness in front of him. Not again. Not when she remembered how he’d tried to calm her nerves that last time.

But bone-deep instinct won, and at the last minute Lexie tried to tug free and back out. Luke flexed his killer muscles so hard she quickly quit that idea. He’d break all the bones in her hand if he wasn’t careful. She glared at him, and encountered his equally scorching expression. Her heart stopped altogether. He suddenly tugged her hand. Taken by surprise, she stumbled toward him. He wrapped his other arm firmly around her waist to haul her closer. The next second, his lips swept across her cheekbone in a light caress.

A violent tremble shook her

“Don’t be scared, Lexie.”

Oh, it wasn’t fear causing her to shake now. She sucked in a deep breath. She hadn’t been this close to Luke in years. Not since… She blanked out that memory and turned her head away. It wasn’t going to happen again.

Well, her hands were no longer cold, that was for sure. One was still locked within his, the other spread wide on the expanse of his chest in a defensive gesture. But man, was he hot. And now so was all of her. She was totally burning up because in that split second every fantasy she’d ever had flashed through her head.

“Luke…” She lost her words as she watched his black-brown eyes go even darker. Watched as for once he looked at her—right at her—for eons, before his eyes slid lower to spend forever on her mouth. And it seemed the longer he looked, the closer he was.