A Country Affair(56)

A long moment passed before a slow, thoughtful smile played across his lips. “I think I’d better get you inside.”

“No,” she said, surprised at how vehement she felt about returning to the reception hall and the newlyweds. “I don’t want to go back there.”

“But—”

“Stay with me here. Dance with me. Hold me.” He’d said he wanted to take care of her. Well, she was giving him the opportunity. She leaned into him and sighed, savoring his strength and support. This was Luke. Luke Rivers. Her trusted friend. Surely he understood; surely he’d help her through this most difficult night of her life. “I want you with me.” She couldn’t explain what was happening any more than she could deny it.

“You don’t know what you’re asking me.” He stared down at her, searching her features for a long, breathless moment. Then the cool tips of his fingers brushed her face, moving along her cheekbones, stroking her skin as if he expected her to vanish.

Kate caught his hand with her own and gazed into his dark eyes. They glittered like freshly polished onyx, full of light and a deep inner fire.

“I want you to kiss me. You taste so good.” She moistened her lips and leaned closer to him, so close that she could feel the imprint of his buttons against her body. So close that the beat of his heart merged with her own. Excitement shivered through her in tremors so intense they frightened her. But not enough to make her pull away.

Her words spurred Luke into action, and when he kissed her their lips met with hungry insistence. Sensation erupted between them until Kate was weak and dizzy, clinging to him for support, her fingers bunching the material of his jacket. When he lifted his head, ending the kiss, Kate felt nearly faint from the rush of blood to her pounding temples.

There was a look of shock on Luke’s face. His eyes questioned her, but Kate’s thoughts were as scattered as autumn leaves tossed by the wind.

“How much champagne have you had?” he asked softly.

“One glass,” she answered with a sigh, resting her forehead against his heaving chest. Luke hadn’t said taking care of her would be this wonderful. Had she known, she wouldn’t have resented it quite so much earlier.

Luke expelled a harsh breath. “You’ve had more than one glass. I doubt you even know who I am.”

“Of course I do!” she flared. “You’re Luke. Now don’t be ridiculous. Only...”

“Only what?”

“Only you never kissed me before. At least not like that. Why didn’t you tell me you were so good at this?” Finding herself exceptionally witty, she began to laugh.

“I’m taking you home,” Luke said firmly, grabbing her elbow with such force that she was half lifted from the walkway.

“Luke,” she cried. “I don’t want to go back yet.”

His grip relaxed immediately. “Kate Logan, you’re drunk! Except you don’t have the sense to know it.”

“I most certainly am not!” She waved her index finger at him like a schoolmarm. “I’ll have you know that it takes a lot more than one glass of champagne to do me in.”

Luke obviously wasn’t willing to argue the point. His hand cradling her elbow, he led her toward the parking lot.

“I want to stay,” she protested.

He didn’t answer. Then it dawned on her that perhaps she’d misread Luke. Maybe he was trying to get rid of her so he could return to Beth.

“Luke?”

“Kate, please, don’t argue with me.”

“Are you in love with Beth?”

“No.” His answer was clipped and impatient.

“Thank heaven.” Her hand fluttered over her heart. “I don’t think I could bear it if you were.”

Luke stopped abruptly and Kate realized they were standing in front of his truck. He opened the passenger door for her, but she had no intention of climbing in. At least not yet. She wanted to spend more time with Luke, their arms wrapped around each other the way they’d been before. The pain that had battered her heart for weeks had vanished the instant she stepped into his arms.

“Kiss me again, okay?”

“Kate, no.”

“Please?”

“Kate, you’re drunk.”

“And I tell you I’m not.” The one glass of champagne had been just enough to make her a little...reckless. It felt so good to surrender to these new emotions—to lean on Luke. From the moment they’d arrived at the wedding, he’d been telling her how much she needed him. Maybe he was right. There’d been so much upheaval in her life, and Luke was here, warm and kind and solid.

“I’m going to drive you home,” he insisted. From the sound of his voice, Kate could tell he was growing frustrated.

The house would be dark and cold. How Kate feared being alone, and with Clay out of her life, there was only her father. And Luke. If Devin did decide to marry Mrs. Murphy, he might sell the ranch and then Luke would be gone, too. Alarmed at the thought, she placed her hands on his shoulders, her gaze holding his.

“Kate?” Luke coaxed.

“All right, I’ll go back to the house, but on one condition.”

“Kate, come on, be reasonable.”

“I want you to do something for me. You keep telling me you’re my friend and how much you want to help....”