It occurred to Joey that it said much for Luke’s appeal to the opposite sex that he’d managed to lure a number of women up here for lengthy stays. The place wasn’t exactly the lap of luxury, somehow or other Luke had provided those women with adequate compensation. As he turned to scoop hot water out of the tank alongside the stove, his arm brushed against her shoulder, Joey was reminded suddenly and powerfully of just how potently attractive he could be.
Luke finished his cleaning up in silence while Joey leaned against the table, letting herself admire him without the complications of questions and analysis. In the woods it had seemed natural that he should move so gracefully, but his spare gestures as he performed the simple domestic tasks hinted at the same smooth strength. When he put the last clean dish away and turned to look at her, he caught her eyes on him and froze in place, she knew he was aware of the tram of her thoughts though the calm, remote expression of his face did not alter. Not at first—not until she began to drown in his amber-green eyes and felt rather than saw him move toward her with the slow deliberation of a natural predator.
When he touched her arm and steered her in a circle back into the main room, she found herself shaking her head in confusion. If he had made a single encouraging move, she would have fallen into his arms then and there—and she didn’t want that. There was still the small matter of finding out why he had run away from her. Why he looked at her now with the old intensity but kept his distance when he had her where he had wanted her all along.
Even if she learned nothing else about him, she had to understand what he wanted from her, so that she could get what she needed from him—and not sacrifice more than she was prepared to give in the process.
Luke guided her back to the sofa and left her there while he checked the fire. It was blazing merrily now, but he stayed at the hearth, leaning against the uneven stone and gazing into the flames as Joey had done earlier. She perched on the edge of the sofa, unable to settle. Except for the crackling of the fire, it was incredibly silent, even the lodge had never been this quiet.
When the utter stillness became oppressive, Joey broke it.
“I want to thank you again, Luke, for helping me out today. I do appreciate it.” Her voice sounded very small and strange even to herself, and as Luke turned his attention to her, she found herself babbling.
“In San Francisco you always know where not to go at night and what neighborhoods aren’t safe to be in alone, but somehow it never occurred to me that I’d be running into punks up here. I’ve been learning about dangerous animals and how to avoid them, but I never thought I’d have to worry about the human variety.” A nervous laugh escaped her. “It’s a good thing I had basic self-defense classes. Next time those guys aren’t going to get away with that kind of nasty behavior. I…”
“There won’t be a next time. ” Luke’s voice was soft and harsh. “They won’t bother you again.” The grim finality in his words stopped Joey’s desire to chatter, and she met his eyes. They were glittering in the firelight, his face was set in an expression made ominous by flickering shadows.
“I hope you’re right,” she murmured, though she knew there was no reason to doubt it. Questions flooded her mind again, and she deliberately set them aside.
Under Luke’s unwavering gaze she stood and began to move aimlessly about the room. It was warm enough now that she had no need of the blanket; she went to stand under the display of antlers and pelts that she’d noticed earlier. Rich fur in gray and black was both soft and rough under her stroking fingers. “This is beautiful,” she said, burying her hand in the pelt. “I guess you must do quite a bit of hunting up here. This is all your land, isn’t it?”