Come Away With Me(14)

Suddenly his hands are on mine and his stills me, not taking his eyes from me. He brings both my hands up to his lips and kisses each finger, then steps back and lets go. The cold air around us is a slap to the face, and I frown in confusion and frustration and feel the sting of rejection.

What the hell?

“Why did you stop?” I hear the hurt in my voice, and I clear my throat.

“Nat, I definitely don’t want to stop…” I step toward him, but he backs up and raises his hands in surrender.

“Luke…”

“Natalie, let’s slow down a bit.”

Isn’t this what men want?

“If you’ve changed your mind about me…” He’s back in front of me before I finish the sentence, his hands are cupping my face and he’s making me look him in the eye, and the raw emotion is still there.

“Listen to me, Natalie. I have not changed my mind. I want you. You are beautiful, and smart, and sexy as f*ck, but I don’t want to take this too fast.”

“I’m so confused,” I close my eyes and shake my head.

“Hey,” I look back into his eyes, and he smiles at me, running his fingertips down my cheek. “Slow.”

“I don’t know slow, Luke.”

He frowns and whispers, “I don’t either, so we’ll learn together.”

I’m so frustrated, my body is craving him, but his words intoxicate me.

“So, no sex? At all?” I sound like a child whose candy has been taken away.

“Not tonight,” he says with a smile.

He takes a deep breath, kisses my forehead, and takes my hand. I grab the blanket and we go back inside. His music is still playing.

He takes the blanket from my hands and throws it on the long blue couch to my right. “Would you like a tour?”

I’m still frowning over the no sex comment, but the idea of seeing the rest of his home perks up my mood and I nod.

He laces his fingers through mine.

“Thank you for joining our tour today, Miss Conner, we are delighted to have you with us.”

I laugh at his tour guide voice and relax a bit. He does have a way of making me laugh.

“You’ve seen the kitchen.”

“I love the kitchen.”

He smiles and pulls me down a hallway pointing out a powder room, and a spare bedroom. At the end of the hall is another closed door, but he waves it off and says, “Just storage for now.”

He leads me back to the great room and up a flight of stairs to a large loft area that he’s using as a TV room, with more plush furniture. The flat screen mounted to the wall is huge, and I can’t help but laugh.

“What’s so funny?” he looks at the TV and I snicker.

“Boys and their big TV’s.”

He chuckles and leads me through to another spare bedroom and bathroom.

On the opposite side of the loft, with more floor to ceiling windows showing off the view, is the master suite. It’s huge, with large scale white furniture and green, blue and khaki accents. It’s incredibly peaceful.

His master bath is beautiful, with a large egg-shaped tub separate from the shower that could be a room all on its own.

I gasp in delight when he shows me the walk in closet.

“Women and their closets,” he’s laughing at me, and I can’t help but join him.

“This, my friend, is a fantastic closet.”

“Yes, it is.” He agrees, and squeezes my hand, then leads me back through the bedroom and down the stairs to the great room.

I’m suddenly uncomfortable, and before I can change my mind, I pull gently on his hand and wrap my arms around his waist, linking my fingers together at the small of his back, and into a big hug. His arms fold around my shoulders and he kisses my hair, inhaling my scent.

“Thanks for dinner.” I murmur into his chest.

“Anytime.”

“Thanks for the tour.”

I feel his smile against my head.

“Anytime.”

“Thanks for your phone number.”

He chuckles and pulls back. “I recommend you use it.”

“I will.” I pull out of his arms and grab my purse. It’s time to go home and think about this sweet, sexy man. I certainly can’t think when I’m with him.

He walks behind me out to my car, pulls his photos out of the back and takes them inside, then returns to me to open my door.