Testing The Boss(40)

“Eavesdropping is rude,” pointed out Evelyn.

“It’s also very smart at times. Depends on the situation.”

She tilted her head in agreement. He wasn’t wrong. She glanced out over the water, squinting at the bright sun reflected on the waves. After the rainy weekend, this was the first day that the sun had come out. It was a breath of fresh air, literally, after her months in the city. Texas didn’t have views like this. The cold air was refreshing and invigorating. Even in the winter, the Texas heat was enough to settle heavy in her lungs. Maybe New York wasn’t all bad. Just the city.

But she supposed Luke didn’t have all the troubles she did. He never had to wait forty minutes for a seat, even at a less desirable restaurant, to open. He didn’t deal with the space limitations that she had to make work in her apartment. Except for traffic. Even the rich had to deal with the crappy traffic.

“What are you thinking?” asked Luke.

“Thinking about how spoiled you are.” She smiled.

“Are you going to hate me again? I thought we were over that.”

“I’m not going to hate you again.”

Luke set his arm over her shoulders and pulled her in close as they looked out over the ocean together. “Good.” He pressed a kiss to her temple.

“But I’m totally going to judge you,” she said with a wicked smile. “And maybe make fun of you.”

“Classist.”

“Got that right,” she said, unashamed.

“I wasn’t always like this, you know.”

“You always had money.”

“Wasn’t raised that way. My father and uncle tried to keep us as grounded as possible.”

“Back in Georgia?”

“Yep. We were as normal as the South gets down there. Michael and I played football. Went hunting in the fall. Would sneak out back and shoot cans on the property when we were probably too young.”

“Jock,” she muttered.

“There’s really no making you happy, is there? Well, what about this. Michael, Rourke, and I would drag out the tent and walk for hours to find some secluded spot on the property to set up camp and we’d make our own fire and everything.”

“Why don’t you talk to Rourke?” she asked.

“I thought you knew why.”

“I know what happened. But you and Michael are so close. Emma too. I don’t really have much family. It seems a shame to have a brother you used to do so much with who you don’t speak to.”

He stiffened next to her. It was a touchy subject obviously, but she’d shared her secrets with him. It only seemed fair that she could pry a bit.

“It’s not my choice.”

“It’s your choice not to reach out.”

“I did. I tried.”

She tightened her lips but forced herself to stay quiet. Luke was one of the most stubborn, persistent men she’d ever met. If he really wanted, he’d push down the doors of wherever Rourke was staying and force him to reconcile.

“The thing is,” said Luke finally, “if the roles were reversed, and Rourke had done to me what I did to him, I’d never talk to me again either.”

“So your guilt is keeping you away.”

Luke abruptly swooped down for a deep, hungry kiss. His lips moved against hers, his tongue just brushing the seam of her lips until she opened for him. Evelyn closed her eyes and let herself fall into the kiss for a brief moment before she pulled away. “You’re changing the subject.”

“I’m changing it to a better subject.” His hands roamed down her back and rested at her hips. “Now it’s getting cold out here. I just had my last work call of the day. So why don’t you come inside and help warm me up?”

“You going to start a fire?”

“I was thinking shower.”

“I always heard shower sex sounds better than it actually is.”

Luke grinned down at her. “Well, that’s because you never had it with me. Now I’m going to go get the water warm. You meet me in the bathroom in ten minutes, completely naked, and I’ll show you exactly how good it can be.”

“Challenge accepted.” Evelyn pushed him away. “I’ll see you in ten.”

“Or less. Really, as soon as you want,” he said as he disappeared in the house.

Even the chill of the setting sun couldn’t detract from the heat that rushed through her veins. She’d had so many orgasms this weekend, it was as though her body was hyper aware of Luke at this point. It took everything in her to keep from running straight into the shower with him, but she forced herself to wait.

Let herself pretend that she still had some measure of control.