“You don’t have to do this, Luke. You have no obligation–”

“Who said anything about obligation?”

“I’m Lauren’s best friend, and–”

He kissed her again, his fingers curling around her neck, his tongue flickering into her mouth for one brief taste. “I’m not going to let you deal with this alone.”

She didn’t know how to reply. Alone was all she knew. Alone was where she’d end up after they were over and she didn’t want to forget how to be that way and still be happy. Her stomach suddenly churned and she knew it was stress and lack of sleep.

She sank down in her chair. “I’m not feeling so good all of the sudden.” She glanced at him.

“Do you want me to get you a Sprite?”

“No. Thank you.” She let her lashes lower. “I need to rest my eyes.”

Luke ran his hand over her hand. “Rest, sweetheart,” he said. “Sleep will do you good.”

Yes. Sleep. When was the last time she’d slept well? Not since before Elizabeth Moore visited her office. She inhaled, drawing in Luke’s comforting scent, and drifted off.

***

Julie felt a tickle against her ear, but she tried to ignore it. She was wrapped in a warm cocoon of sleep and comfort.

“Julie, wake up.”

“Hmm, I don’t want to,” she replied and snuggled further against… Her eyes popped open. Her senses were instantly alert, her nose filling with the spicy male scent of Luke. She blinked and slowly looked up, her lids still heavy from sleep.

Luke stared down at her with his gorgeous, chocolate brown eyes.

Suddenly she realized she lay in the crook of his arm, her hand on his chest, and her head on his shoulder. Her memory slowly returned as she glanced around and realized she was on a plane. She wasn’t sure how she had ended up sleeping in his arms but her subconscious mind seemed to know exactly where she wanted to be.

Slowly, he lowered his head and brushed his lips across hers. Once, twice, and then a third time in short, soft caresses.

Her lashes fluttered to her cheeks as she absorbed the pressure of his lips with warm acceptance. Oh god, she had missed him. He made her feel so much, so deeply, and no matter how it scared her, she needed this, needed him.

“Luke?” she whispered, not sure it wasn’t a dream.

His lips quirked. “Expecting someone else? We’re about to land. I didn’t want the jolt to scare you.”

“Um,” she said forcing herself to move away from him and sit up. “Thanks.”

“How do you feel?” he asked.

“Better,” she said, the funny feeling in her stomach now gone. “A lot better. I’ve never handled sleep deprivation well. It just about killed me in law school. I guess I should thank you for being my pillow.”

“Then I guess I owe you the same thank you,” he said. “I fell asleep, too.”

They’d slept curled up together like a couple and clearly she’d slept like a baby. She turned to the window, the runway fast approaching. They were almost home all right, and most definitely out of one-night-stand-land, she knew that now. She wasn’t pretending otherwise. But she needed some time to process it, to figure out what it meant, and how to respond. She’d never let herself consider going where she seemed to be headed with Luke. She either had to dare to let it happen or she had to shut it down. Both had consequences she had to consider, especially with Lauren being her only close friend, her only family. Luke was about to be her family as well.

Once they were off the plane, Julie tried to make her escape, but Luke didn’t let it happen. He was with her at baggage claim and with her in the cab line.

When a car pulled forward, she turned to say goodbye to Luke, only to find him giving both her bag and his to the driver. “You live across town from me,” she said.

“I’m coming by your place to check things out,” he said. “Just to be safe.”

“I’m going to my office.”

“After you stop by your house, right?”

“Yes,” she admitted reluctantly.

“Then let me check it out just to be safe.”

She considered arguing, but it was a problem she hadn’t considered. Her house being dangerous. Someone there, waiting on her, to make her dead like they had Elizabeth. She slid into the car without complaint.

“You’re making me paranoid,” she whispered when they were on the road.

“You said you were already feeling paranoid.”

“You’re making it worse.”

“Come stay the night with me.”

She laughed. “Right. Like that would raise some eyebrows. You live in a private building with your two brothers and Lauren.”

“They all know we have something between us.”

“I’m not staying with you tonight.”

“Fine then,” he said. “I’ll sleep on your couch.”

“You’re not sleeping on my couch.”

“We can talk about it later.”

“There’s nothing to talk about,” she insisted.

“You’re right. There isn’t.”

“Luke–”

He kissed her, stealing her words with a hot caress of his tongue. “Stop doing that,” she ordered, pressing her hands against his chest and wishing he’d do it again.

“Is that what you really want?”

“It’s what’s smart.”

“Says who?” he challenged.

“Probably the cab driver.”

“There’s a glass and we’re G-rated compared to what he sees on an average night in Manhattan. I want to know what you want.”

 “This isn’t like the last time,” she said.

“No,” he agreed. “I’m here to stay.”

“And you’re about to be Lauren’s brother-in-law.”

“Which means what?”

“We’re complicated.”

“What in life isn’t?”

Her brows dipped. “You have an answer for everything, don’t you?”

“Except how to get you to admit you want me to kiss you again.”

“I didn’t say I didn’t want to. I said it wasn’t smart.”

He kissed her again. “Seems pretty smart to me.” He pulled her close. “Feels pretty smart to me, too.”

Her hand settled on his chest, his name a whisper on her lips. “Luke.”

He smiled and kissed her again. “I know. The cab driver.” He released her and gently stroked hair from her eyes. “Seems like we have a lot to talk about later.”

She sunk back into her seat and didn’t reply. She had never been so confused in her life. One minute she thought hopping back into the bed was the right answer. The next, she thought it was the completely wrong answer. The truth was, she didn’t know what to do about Luke, but she had to do something.

***

A few minutes later, they were at her apartment door. Julie pushed it open, and they stepped inside. Luke tugged both of their bags in the door and leaned them against the wall. Cici, her white oriental shorthair cat, was instantly up the three steps to the foyer at Luke’s feet, purring and rubbing all over him. “I think she missed me,” he said, bending down to pet the cat.

“Apparently, she didn’t miss me,” Julie said, squatting down beside him to stroke Cici. “Little wench has always had the hots for you.”

“At least I’ve won over one woman in the house.”

He’d won her over, too, but she wasn’t going to say that. “Because you play with that bird toy she loves with her.” She pushed to her feet and he followed. “Am I safe to move around the cabin, Captain? Cici is going to want to be fed.”

“Give me a chance to have a quick look around,” he said before he headed down the stairs.

Julie leaned against the door, wondering how she’d gone from avoiding him to having him in her house. She wondered why she couldn’t just make this about sex and enjoy the hot man currently searching her bedroom. What made Luke different? He sauntered towards her with a sexy, loose-legged swagger, and a confidence about him that brought the one-word answer to her question to her mind. Everything. The answer was everything about this man made him different.

Before she knew his intent, he was in front of her, his hands sliding into her hair. “You were wrong in the cab when you said this time is different.”