Hearts in Motion (Boggy Creek Valley 5)

“You look beautiful, Bree.”

Grinning, I looked up at him. “And you look rather dashing this evening as well.”

He sat across from me and flashed that panty-melting smile of his. My heart felt like it did a tumble in my chest.

“Thank you. I hope you don’t mind, I ordered an appetizer. Their burrata is amazing.”

“I don’t mind at all,” I said, picking up the menu. “What do you recommend, since you said this was your favorite Italian restaurant?”

He looked at the menu and grinned like a damn school boy. “I’ve had pretty much everything on the menu. The ravioli has got to be one of my favorites, but I love the maccheroncelli as well. The veal is good too.”

I screwed up my face and shook my head. “I’m not eating babies; no, thank you.”

Luke chuckled. “The filet mignon is pretty amazing.”

“I think the ravioli sounds good—I’ll go with that.”

Our waiter showed up and had Luke taste the wine, then poured us both a glass after he nodded.

“Why didn’t you come and pick me up yourself?” I asked.

Luke smiled. “To the point, I like it.”

“You won’t get anything less from me.”

Leaning back in his chair, Luke studied me for a moment. “I thought it would be best, since I knew there was some press outside my place.”

“You’re not staying with your parents?” I asked, lifting my wine glass.

Luke shook his head. “No, I don’t want to bother them with the craziness of me being home. I’ve done a pretty good job at keeping my personal life private. I’ve never even told anyone in Hollywood my real last name.”

“So how do we leave?”

He winked. “Out the back door.”

Laughing, I said, “How do you explain that to the staff?”

Luke glanced around the empty room that held only the two of us. I followed his lead, then looked back at him. “They know who you are.”

He nodded.

“But you gave them your real name.”

“My father is good friends with the manager. My family has been coming here for a number of years. They know me more as a personal friend of the owner, rather than as Luke Walters, the actor.”

“I see,” I said, then took a sip of wine.

We sat in silence for a few moments before Luke spoke again. “I booked a house in Maine, if you’re still serious about spending Christmas with me.”

A rush of warmth filled my entire body. “I am. I told my parents I wasn’t coming to Boggy Creek this year.”

“They didn’t mind?”

With a quick shake of my head, I answered, “No, not at all. They won’t be there anyway. My mother was just happy I was going out tonight.”

“You told her about me?”

I felt my face instantly heat. “Um, no. She probably thinks I’m with Wendy.”

Luke nodded.

“It’s complicated with my parents. If I tell her about you, she’s going to want to know every single detail, and I don’t want her adding pressure to the situation. Then add in the fact that you’re a…a famous actor and…” My voice trailed off.

“I get it. Just to let you know, I did tell my parents that we were going out tonight.”

That made me pause for a moment. “You did?”

Luke reached across the table and took my hand in his. “I did. I really do like you, Bree, and I’m serious…I want to see where things go with us. I know it’ll be hard, with me living across the country and all the sneaking around.”

“All the sneaking around? Will we have to do this every time we go out?”

He looked away for a quick moment before he focused on me again. “If we can, yes. It’s just, once the press finds out that I’m dating someone, they’ll be relentless. They’ll follow you, take pictures of you, print shit about you in the rags. I don’t want that to taint what we’re trying to do here. The longer we can keep this—” he motioned between us—“a secret, the better.”

Smiling, I squeezed his hand. “It could be kind of fun, playing cloak and dagger.”

An uneasy look crossed his face, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared.

I cleared my throat. “I know I already said I’d go to Maine with you, but I have to see if I can take the time off. I don’t think it will be a problem, though.”

“It won’t,” Luke stated.

“I’m glad you’re so confident.”

He winked. “I already talked to my dad, told him we were going up there for the holiday.”

I wasn’t so sure how I felt about Luke sharing my personal information, especially with my boss. “You told your father we were going to Maine together? Do you think that was something you should have shared with him?”

He looked perplexed. “We are going to Maine, so why is it a problem?”

“It’s a problem, Luke, because now your father—who happens to be my boss—and your mother know we’re together.”