Last Resort(42)

As he drove to his first meeting, he thought about last night. Just being with her again gave him the courage he needed to stand up to his father later that day. Imagining holding her made him realize he could get through the tough meeting.

The meeting with Marcus and the building inspector went very well, leaving him feeling even more lighthearted. On his drive towards Emerald Beach, he dialed Cassey’s cell phone.

When she answered, he heard a bunch of yelling in the background and got concerned until he realized it was cheering.

“Sounds like the meeting with the inspector went well.”

She laughed. “Better than well. We are all set to open our doors tomorrow.”

“That’s really great.” He smiled and turned his blinker on, moving over for a woman who was entirely too rushed to get somewhere. Since he’d installed the hands-free speakers a year ago, he’d always imagined he looked like a fool, talking to himself in the car as he drove along.

“Where are you?” she asked, and he could hear that she’d walked into a quiet room to talk to him.

“Heading to Emerald Beach. He’s my father. I just couldn’t leave things the way they were the other night.”

The line was quiet for a while. “I hope things go well with your dad.” He heard the sensitivity in her voice and wondered what he’d done to be blessed with knowing someone who cared so much. Even when his father was hell-bent on destroying her, she still cared that he could make it right with the man.

“Thanks.”

“I know it may not help, but I think he loves you very much.”

Luke didn’t say anything for a while. “Thanks. I might have to stay the night here. My mom is back from Paris today, and I know she’ll want me to stay the night.” He could just imagine her biting her bottom lip with this news. “I wish I could be there to hold you right now,” he said softly.

“Me, too. I was hoping we’d celebrate tonight,” she whispered.

Images of her flashed in his mind, causing him to smile. “Really? What would you be wearing?”

He heard her laugh. “I’ve been saving an outfit for just this occasion.” Her voice got husky and lower. “A white bustier, white fishnet stockings, and you.”

“Oh, God!” He held onto the steering wheel more tightly as his mind raced.

“Are you sure you want to stay there overnight?”

He couldn’t answer. All the blood had left his brain and ended up in his pants. He wanted to turn the car back around and drive as fast as he could to get back to her.

“Luke?” she asked, giggling.

“My God, I want you so bad right now.” He wished he could close his eyes and imagine her in the outfit, but the traffic was getting worse on the two-lane highway and he was just getting into town, where it looked like it was another busy weekend full of tourists.

“I want you, too. Tomorrow.” He heard her talking to someone else. “Listen, I have to go. Cole’s been in an accident. I’ll talk to you later.” She hung up and he immediately started worrying.

He was still a few minutes out of town, so he started flipping through the radio channels, trying to find something on the news. As he drove into the parking lot at Emerald Beach, he finally found a channel that reported that surfer Cole Grayton had been injured in a motorcycle accident outside of Pensacola as he was on his way to the airport. They listed his condition as fair, but didn’t have any more details.

When he walked into the building, he was so preoccupied by the news of Cole’s accident that he almost walked right by his mother and a couple of women standing in the entryway.

“Oh, there you are Luke.” His mother rushed over to him and hugged him lightly. His mother had always been elegant. She wore the latest fashions, stayed fit by playing tennis, and always had enough diamonds on to warrant a security guard.

“Hello, Mother.” He kissed her cheek.

“You remember Jenna Wallace and her daughter Angela. I was just telling them that you should be here any minute now. They were just down for a weekend visit from New York.” His mother took his arm in a vice grip and walked him towards the two women. Both of them were tall and blonde and could have been on the cover of a magazine. They looked like sisters instead of mother and daughter. He could see the slight difference in age when they approached. He could also tell that Jenna had had multiple surgeries to look as young as her daughter did naturally. But it didn’t negate the fact that they were both stunning women.

Upon seeing them standing in the lobby, he instantly knew his father’s next step. He’d dated Angela for a few months back before Calvin had died. The relationship had been a purely physically one, and they’d left it on good terms. But looking into Angela’s eyes now, he could tell that she had new motives. Thanks to his parents, most likely.