Hot Target

Almost an hour later, thanks to the after-game traffic, Luke entered the house with Noah and Josh on his heels. He took the stairs two at a time and went straight to his bedroom—their bedroom. Katie had been sharing it for over a week. They were living together, he thought. Living together and he didn’t know what was going on in her life.

He found her clothes in a pile on the bathroom floor, her swimsuit missing from the towel rack, which meant she was in the pool—her replacement for running since hurting her knee. He went back down the stairs, and Noah and Josh were nowhere in sight. Smart. Good. They knew when to get lost. Noah’d pack and be gone without saying a word.

In all of sixty seconds, Luke had made his way to the sliding glass doors, and sure enough, they were unlatched, indicating Katie was out back. He took the brick path lined with shrubs and flowers, and found the long, eight-ball-shaped pool, and Katie in the midst of laps.

Luke considered his options, frustration still churning inside him. He decided the best way to talk to Katie was naked. That seemed to be how they communicated best. And if this was all about pleasure for her, then, by God, let there be pleasure.

12

LUKE WAS STANDING at the end of the pool, buck naked and about to dive into the pool, when Katie seemed to sense his presence. She reached the edge of the water and grabbed the wall, blinking up at him. “Luke?” she murmured, sounding surprised, her eyes lingering below the waist before lifting back to his face, her expression tentative, as if she seemed to sense his hostility. “Where are Noah and Josh?”

“Not important,” he said, diving into the water. He was behind her in a matter of seconds, pinning her against the wall, his front to her back. He pressed his cheek to hers. “Let’s not waste any time,” he said, and tugged her bottoms down her legs. His palms skimmed a path over her hips and raised her above the water to lightly smack one perfect, round cheek. She gasped with a mixture of surprise and pleasure.

“Luke,” she whispered, in the midst of a moan as he slid his hand along the crevice of her backside. That perfect, round backside. Damn, he loved her ass.

“I want you, Katie,” he said. “I always want you.” As insane as that might be, he thought.

“What’s wrong with you?” she demanded.

“Why does me wanting you mean something is wrong?” He untied her top, removed it and tossed it into the water, as well. He held her close, pressed his lips to her ear. “I’m trying to give you what you want, Katie. Pleasure without questions. Pleasure without commitment.”

He tweaked her nipples and she protested. “I’ve never said such a thing. Never.”

“It’s what you didn’t say.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she vowed breathlessly, but the denial didn’t keep her from arching against him.

“I told you this is what you wanted,” he said, his teeth scraping her shoulder, hand flattening on her stomach, and then lower, as he played with her clit.

She stiffened. “What I want is for you to stop acting like the jerk you were the day I met you,” she hoarsely demanded.

He froze, his gut twisted with the impact of her words. She was right. He was being a jerk and hadn’t meant to.

This hadn’t been his plan when he’d come home, when he came outside. But for the first time since Ron had forced their introduction, Luke was pushing her away. He was trying to upset her because it was easier than dealing with what she might make him feel. What she’d already made him feel—betrayed and hurt. In other words, he was doing exactly what she’d been doing.

He backed off her immediately. “You want to know what’s wrong?”

“Yes!” she exclaimed. “Yes. I want to know what is wrong.”

He heaved a breath. Looked away. Once he asked this question, he had to live with her answer. An answer that might change everything between them. Or then again, maybe it would make things crystal clear. He wanted crystal clear. He fixed her in his stare, made his demand. “Why didn’t you come to me about your sister’s situation? Why didn’t you let me help?”

Shock flooded her face. “I… Luke.” Her lips pursed. “Ron told you.”

“Ron knew?” he demanded, his gut clenching. “Everyone knew but me, Katie?” He was beyond himself. “I thought we had something good going on here, but I’m completely shut out.”

Emotion flashed across her face, darkening her eyes. “I didn’t want you to think I was like the other people around you,” she said finally. “That I wanted something from you.”

Anger churned through him. “Bullshit, Katie,” he said. “At least have the courage to be honest about what you feel.”