7 Minutes in Heaven (Are You Game?) (15 page)

He studied her. Numerous emotions flashed across his face and Cassie tried to decipher them. She couldn’t tell if he was upset about their latest mindless coupling or not, but she sought to reassure him anyway. “I’ll check my calendar as soon as I’m dressed. I’m pretty sure we’re safe, but I think both of us could use something a little more concrete than my memory.”

Lucas nodded as she turned the water off and stepped onto the bathmat in front of him. He didn’t comment and remained silent as he used the towel he held to rub her dry. She wanted to take it off him and do it herself. Give them both a breather to collect their thoughts, but she couldn’t deny herself the pleasure of Lucas’s touch.

One more piece of evidence that pointed to her inability to resist this man. Whether their unprotected sex resulted in an unplanned pregnancy or not, Cassie knew she was still in trouble. Lucas Wilhelm was someone she could fall for. Hard. She had to guard her heart for the rest of their time together. No matter what, she couldn’t expect to see him again after their challenge was over.

Chapter Twelve

Cassie growled in frustration. Lucas had twisted away from her again. He’d been doing it all day. Ever since they’d gotten carried away in the shower he’d kept his distance, and she couldn’t help wondering if he was pulling back because of their carelessness. Concerned about their second bout of reckless abandon, she’d checked her calendar. What she discovered put her mind at ease and she’d let Lucas know it was unlikely she’d get pregnant. Of course, they still had to wait to be sure.

It wasn’t only his physical withdrawal that had her confused. Their day had been nothing like she’d expected. After their shower he’d loaned her a shirt and draw-string shorts and they’d headed into his front yard to wash his car. What should have been a simple process turned into a water fight. By the time they were finished they’d been drenched from head to toe and Cassie had needed another shower to get the suds out of her hair. Dressed in her own clothes, Lucas had led her back to his car and driven them into Darling Harbour where they’d had a delicious lunch in a harbourside cafe while watching the parade of people passing by.

The only time they’d touched was when they accidently brushed up against each other. He hadn’t even held her hand when they walked from his car to the restaurant. And now, as they strolled along the water’s edge, there was at least two feet of space between them. She missed his touch—the closeness that had developed between them—and she couldn’t ignore the twinge of regret that pinched her chest. If she hadn’t caught him looking at her with hungry eyes, Cassie might think he’d had his fill of her and was simply waiting for their time together to be over.

They were slowly making their way back to the car. Lucas hadn’t told her what was on the agenda next, and even with her emotions in a jumble, she was looking forward to finding out what he had planned. So far, even with the mixed signals he was sending her as well as her own see-sawing feelings towards Lucas, the day had been great. Cassie couldn’t remember the last time she’d smiled so much. She’d overused her facial muscles to the point that her cheeks hurt. And she’d learned a lot about Lucas and his life. He may have pulled back from her physically, but he’d been an open book otherwise.

She’d never had more fun with a guy she liked. And even though she always had a good time with Dan and West, they didn’t count. She didn’t feel anything for them beyond friendship. With Lucas she felt friendship, lust and a connection she couldn’t quite put a label on. Something deep and absolutely scary. If any other man had given her the hot-cold treatment she’d have walked away. Cassie couldn’t walk away from Lucas no matter how much she told herself she should. Her inability to resist him sent a shiver down her spine.

“Cold?” Lucas moved closer and slipped his arm around her shoulder.

Not willing to admit the truth or give up the contact with him, Cassie lied. “A little. The breeze is always cool coming off the water.”

“We’ll be at the car park and out of this wind soon.” He tugged her in tight against his side.

To her relief, Lucas didn’t pull away when they entered the parking garage. Instead, he steered them towards his car with her tucked under his arm. Their height difference meant she fit snugly against him, he didn’t need to lean down and Cassie didn’t feel as though she should walk on her toes. In spite of him being almost a foot taller, he was the most physically compatible man she’d ever been out with. Not that they were dating. Or that they would.

She sighed. All this mental to and fro was making her tired. Reaching his car, she reluctantly slipped from Lucas’s embrace and sank into the soft leather of the passenger seat. Once she was settled, he closed the door and walked around the hood to the driver’s side. With the push of a button, the car purred to life and they were soon on their way. Lucas drove for ten minutes before Cassie couldn’t contain her curiosity any longer.

“Where are we going now?”

“Back to my place.” He took his eyes off the road for a second and grinned at her. “It’s time for you to make my pie.”

Cassie had forgotten all about his request for a fresh-baked apple pie. A thrill shot through her. If she was making him a pie then he wouldn’t be shoving her out the door the second they got back. She knew more time in his company would only make her fall deeper for this compelling man, but she couldn’t bring herself to be unhappy their weekend wasn’t over. In fact, the butterflies currently swooping in her stomach were a testament to how pleased she was Monday hadn’t arrived yet.

Luc knew Cassie was confused by his withdrawal. He owed her an explanation, but he couldn’t bring himself to give her one. It was bad enough admitting his lack of control to himself. There was no way he would tell her he couldn’t restrain his lust. Ravaging her in public wouldn’t endear him to her, and there was a good chance of that happening if he touched her. He’d seen the sideways glances, the frown marring her pretty face, and he hadn’t missed any of her attempts to initiate contact. If they made it home without him pulling over and swooping in for a kiss it would be a miracle.

Mid-Sunday afternoon traffic was light, but the drive to his house took over thirty minutes. Silence hung between them like a thunder cloud—heavy, dark and filled with electric tension that had the hairs on his arms standing on end. He’d done that to them. Turned their easy, friendly rapport into a strained acquaintance. He needed to get them back to where they’d been before they’d left his house this morning. Luc could only hope it was possible.

“Is there anything you need at the shops?” he asked, trying to break the unease between them.

“No. We picked up everything I need yesterday.”

“Only a few more minutes and we’ll be home.”

Their conversation stopped and Luc racked his brain for something to say. He came up empty. Cursing himself a fool, he pushed the accelerator down harder and nudged the car over the speed limit to reach their destination quicker. Not wanting to get into a discussion about his behaviour in the car, he kept quiet for the last few minutes of the trip. As he pulled into his driveway his phone rang, the hands-free system blasting the sound through the car’s speakers.

Luc didn’t want to take the call where Cassie could listen. No one rang him except work, and while it was unlikely the conversation would hold any confidential information, he couldn’t risk it, so he reached over and diverted the call to voicemail. Let whoever it was leave a message. He’d get back to them once they were inside and Cassie was busy making his pie. He pulled up in front of his garage and Cassie had her seatbelt off and was opening her door before the engine stopped ticking. It seemed as though she couldn’t get out of the car and away from him fast enough.

Slipping from the car, he took a deep breath before he followed her along the path. He fished his keys from his pocket and unlocked the door. The alarm beeped, letting him know he had sixty seconds to punch in his pin code or have the security company start thinking there was a break-in in progress.

Stabbing at the keypad with more pressure than necessary, he disengaged the system. Cassie closed the door behind her and Luc activated the at-home mode.

They made their way into the kitchen and Cassie went straight to the fridge to pull out ingredients. He watched as she efficiently set out the food then began opening cupboards looking for bowls. Taking pity on her, Luc walked over and pulled out what she needed.

“Do you want a mixer?” he asked.

“No, I like to do the pastry by hand. I need a saucepan though, for the apples.” She patted the bag of fruit on the counter.

“I would have been fine with tinned ones.”

“Nope. Fresh means fresh.” She took the apples to the sink. “What drawer is the peeler in?”

“Second down.” Luc peered into the cupboard with his saucepans. “How big do you want the pan?”

“Medium.”

He pulled out the one he thought would work and placed it on the stove. “Do you mind if I go and check my voicemail while you get started?”

“No, go ahead. I’ll be fine here. If I need something I’ll just open every door and drawer in the place ’til I find what I’m after.” She smiled at him.

“Okay. I shouldn’t be long.” Luc went to his office with the sound of Cassie puttering around his kitchen echoing behind him. His lips curved up in a grin. He could definitely get used to hearing her in his house.

His phone call turned out to be an update on the fallout from Friday night’s party, and Luc found himself back in the kitchen watching Cassie roll the pastry while the apples gently bubbled away on the stove. She hadn’t noticed him, so he stayed where he was and leaned on the wall. Her hands drew his gaze, or more precisely her long, slender fingers working the mound of dough. He remembered what it was like to have those hands and fingers on his skin. A shudder stole through him and he had to shift his stance to make room for his growing cock.

The movement caught her eye and she glanced up with a smile. “Are you going to stand there all day or are you planning to make yourself useful?”

Luc grinned. She had asked him almost the exact same question Friday night. He pushed off the wall and closed the distance in a few easy strides. “What do you want me to do?”

“I could do with a drink.”

“What would you like? I’ve got juice, soft drink, water or wine?” He opened the fridge and pulled out juice for himself.

“A glass of wine would be nice.” She glanced over her shoulder at him. “Oh, but don’t open a bottle just for me.”

“It’s fine. You can have a glass now and we’ll have the rest with dinner.”

Her eyes widened and then her lips spread into a smile that lit up her whole face. “In that case, yes please. I’ll have a wine.”

He selected a wine from the fridge, a sweet, refreshing one perfect for a summer afternoon drink. She’d seemed surprised when he’d mentioned dinner, and Luc figured she’d thought after today he would send her packing once she’d made him the apple pie. She was in for a bigger surprise, because not only did he plan to keep her here through dinner, but if he had his way she’d be spending another night in his bed.

Cassie sat back with her wine glass cradled in her hands. Across the table from her, Lucas dug into his third piece of apple pie. She smiled. He certainly wasn’t worried about eating a whole pie. The first slice she’d cut for him had been rejected. Too small. He’d taken the knife and cut himself a quarter instead. There was less than a quarter of the pie left. Her tiny piece had been more than enough to satisfy her, but Lucas seemed to be eating each mouthful like it was his first.

He forked up the final bite from his bowl and eyed the pie dish. Glancing at her, he asked, “You want any more?”

She shook her head. “No, I’m good.”

A grin spread across his face as he reached for the remaining pie. He didn’t bother serving it up, just ate it from the plate. When he was done he leaned back and closed his eyes, his hand splayed over his washboard abs. “Damn, that was good.”

The compliment sent warmth rushing through her. She was pleased he’d enjoyed the dessert. More pleased than she should be probably, but there was no stopping the thrill of delight that buzzed in her veins, or the smile that stretched her lips as she watched Lucas devour every last crumb. “Glad you liked it.”

“Mmm…” He rubbed his hand in circles, drawing her gaze to the perfect ridges of his stomach. “That’s the best pie I’ve ever had.”

“Flattery won’t get you anywhere.” Cassie went for humour in the hope of squashing the over-inflated bubble of elation filling her heart. “I bet you say that to all the pie makers.”

His eyes popped open and that dark gaze lasered hers. She swallowed over the lump in her throat. “I’m not known for flattery,” he murmured. “If I tell you the pie is the best, it’s the best.”

“Oh.” Cassie’s hands twisted in her lap.

“I’ve noticed you don’t take compliments very well.” He leaned forward and snagged a lock of her hair. Tugging, he pulled her closer. “You make great pie, Cass.”

Heat flamed in her cheeks. His praise bringing equal embarrassment and delight.

He gave her hair a sharp yank. “Say thank you, Luc.”

“T-thank you, Luc.”

His eyes widened, his nostrils flaring as he sucked in a breath. “Say it again.”

Puzzled, Cassie complied. “Thank you.”