Undone (40 page)

Embry and Luke lay tangled together on the couch, the only light in the room coming from the soft glow of the Christmas tree. Luke had pulled on his new Gator pajama pants, and he held Embry against his naked chest. She wore his T-shirt and humored him by wearing the lace Bulldog panties he’d bought her.

The Christmas music had long since stopped playing, and Luke had switched the playlist to blues and jazz. Soft violin strains filled the room as Frank Sinatra’s melodic voice sang about his funny valentine. Embry loved the song and hummed along.

“You like this song?” Luke asked, nuzzling her neck.

“Mmhmmm.”

He sang softly in her ear, and even though his raspy, southern voice singing those words was sexy as hell, Embry started to giggle.

Luke gripped her hips, threatening to tickle. “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing really.”

“Tell me,” he commanded, nipping at her ear.

“I’m just surprised to hear Frank Sinatra, that’s all.”

Luke squeezed her hips, causing her to jump. “What? A southern boy like me can’t like Old Blue Eyes?”

Embry turned in his arms so she could see his face. “I just figured you for more of an ‘Achy Breaky Heart’ kind of guy.”

Luke rolled his eyes and looked as if he were fighting a smile. “‘Achy Breaky Heart?’” he asked, incredulous.

Embry nodded, smiling.

“I’ll give you an achy breaky heart,” he teased, his lips trailing along her neck.

She really hoped not.

Embry put her key in the lock and walked through Luke’s front door. “Hello?”

After speaking with Morgan’s parents, she had spent the last few days packing up her apartment. She and Luke had decided that it would be better to wait until after the New Year to move in. With his family visiting for Christmas and their trip to New Orleans, the week would be hectic enough. But she had gone home and started the process anyway.

She’d been spending so much time with Luke, her apartment needed some attention. Especially her mailbox. Embry hadn’t checked her mail in over a week and had a stack in her purse that she needed to go through. It was Christmas Eve though, and she was excited and nervous to meet Luke’s family.

“Hey, beautiful.” Luke strode through the foyer with a tow-headed toddler on his shoulders. Her tiny hands were wrapped around his head, pulling on his hair, and he gripped her legs to hold her in place. He bent forward, placing a kiss on Embry’s cheek. “Say hi, Mackalya.”

“Hi, Embee!” The little girl waved from atop Luke’s head.

“Hey, Mackayla,” Embry said, waving back.

“Are you here to have Christmas with us?”

“I am.” Embry smiled and set her keys and purse on the entry table.

“Come on.” Luke grabbed her hand. “Let me introduce you to everyone.”

Embry’s stomach fluttered with nerves as he walked her through the house and into the living room. Luke’s family was seated casually on the couches, enjoying the warmth of the fire.

“Embee’s here!” Mackayla shouted, announcing her arrival.

His family turned as one to look at them.

“Everyone, this is Embry.” Luke wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and Mackayla took the opportunity to stroke the top of Embry’s head. Luke continued the introduction. “Embry, this is my mother, Caroline, my father, William, my brother, Camden, and my sister-in-law, Lori.”

“Nice to meet you all,” Embry said.

Luke’s family took turns standing to shake Embry’s hand or greet her with a kiss on the cheek. Lori scooted over on the couch to make room, and Embry took a seat. Lori was a tiny thing with blond hair in a pixie cut, a soft face, and green eyes.

“Welcome to the family,” Lori whispered, her eyes kind.

“Thanks,” Embry replied. Everyone seemed so nice, but it was overwhelming meeting Luke’s entire family.

He sat on the opposite couch chatting with his parents. As if he felt her eyes on him, he gave her a wink and a smile before going back to his conversation.

Mackayla ran over and climbed onto Embry’s lap, wrapping her arms around her neck. “Isn’t Embee so pretty, Mommy?”

“She is,” Lori agreed. Then she smiled at Embry. “If you have the seal of approval from this one”—she nodded at her daughter—”then it’s a done deal.”

Embry wrapped her arm around Mackayla’s back and looked down into her big brown eyes. “You’re very pretty too, Mackayla.”

“I know. My mommy and daddy tell me all the time.”

Embry chuckled, and Lori rolled her eyes at her daughter’s lack of modesty.

They gathered around the table for dinner a while later. Lori and Caroline had prepared a feast.

“This looks wonderful, Mrs. Brody,” Embry said as Luke’s mother set the ham on the table.

“Call me Caroline, please,” she said, as she took a seat at the head of the table, next to Embry. Luke’s mother wore a tweed pantsuit that Embry had instantly recognized as Chanel. Her fading strawberry-blond hair was styled around her shoulders, and it was easy to see where Luke got his baby blues. His mother’s eyes were just as remarkable.

“Okay, Caroline,” Embry said, smiling shyly. Luke reached under the table and squeezed her knee in encouragement. Whether he could tell or not, she was still a nervous wreck, and his touch soothed her.

“So,” Camden said, looking from Luke to Embry. He was tall and broad like Luke. He had lighter hair and hazel eyes, but he had that “Brody” look for sure. He was extremely handsome although, in Embry’s eyes, he didn’t hold a candle to his younger brother. “How did you two crazy kids meet?”

Luke squeezed Embry’s leg again, and she knew to let him do the talking. They wanted to be honest with Luke’s family that Embry was a student, but being that she was no longer
his
student, they were just going to leave that part out all together.

“Embry was working on a research project with a colleague of mine,” Luke said.

Embry thought that being vague would invite more questions, but he knew his family better than she did. She would follow his lead.

“Anything interesting?” Camden asked.

“Probably not to you,” Luke joked.

Camden shot a glare at Luke before turning and smiling at Embry. “What my baby brother probably failed to mention to you is that I, also, went to law school.”

Hearing Luke referred to as a baby made Embry laugh. “You’re right, he never mentioned it.”

“I thought so,” Camden said. “My brother just
loves
being the only lawyer in the family.”

Embry eyed Luke. “Is that true?”

Luke smirked. “Cam dropped out after one semester. Law wasn’t his thing.”

“Nope. Turns out running a million-dollar company was,” Camden shot back. Clearly sibling rivalry was alive and well between the Brody boys.

Mr. Brody cleared his throat, interrupting Camden’s gloating. “And whose company would that be that you’re running?” he asked and raised an eyebrow just like Luke would.

That shut Camden right up.

“Thought so,” Mr. Brody said, smiling. He turned his attention to Embry. Other than his hazel eyes, which were identical to Camden’s, looking at Mr. Brody was like seeing Luke thirty years down the road. His dark hair was peppered with gray, but he had the same nose and strong jaw that Luke inherited. “So where did you study law, Embry?”

The question took her by surprise. “Oh, um …”

“She’s studying at Whitman,” Luke jumped in.

“
Studying
? As in presently?” his father asked.

Embry heard the disapproval in his words, and her cheeks heated as everyone’s attention fell on her.

“Yes, presently,” Luke answered, giving nothing away.

“Lucas,” his mother said, her tone making Embry cringe, “are you her professor?”

“I—”

“No,” Embry cut in. “He’s not.” Technically it wasn’t a lie, but she wasn’t sure where her courage had come from to interrupt like that.

“Embry and I would never have met if she wasn’t working on legal research for one of my colleagues,” Luke added.

His mother nodded and went back to her food. Luke’s entire family became strangely quiet. Embry had expected more of a reaction, but suddenly they all looked very busy with their dinners.

Except Mackayla, who took that opportunity to add to the already awkward situation. “I want Uncle Luke to be
my
professor one day!”

Dinner continued in silence until Camden started in with a topic that distracted them from the recent conversation. “Where did you do your undergrad, Embry?” he asked, innocently. He had a glint in his eye though, and she had a feeling Luke had already given him the answer to that question.

She looked at Luke, and he grinned at her. “Your funeral,” he whispered.

Embry rolled her eyes at him and looked back to Camden. “I went to the University of Florida.”

Forks dropped around the table as Luke’s family stared at Embry.

“You do realize, sweetheart,” Luke’s father said with a broad smile, “that you’re in a house full of Bulldogs, right?”

“You all went to UGA?” Embry asked.

“Each and every one of us,” Luke’s mother answered. “William and I met there; so did Cam and Lori.”

“I’m gonna be a Dawg someday, too!” Mackayla chirped.

Luke pulled Embry toward him and planted a kiss on the side of her head. “Looks like you’re outnumbered, baby.”

Everyone broke out into laughter. For the next hour, Embry put up with all manner of obnoxious Florida Gator jokes, but she couldn’t be mad about it. It had broken the ice and taken the focus off of her and Luke’s relationship.

Embry tossed and turned as a loud pounding echoed in her ears. Luke’s arm came around her, pulling her naked body against his.

“Ignore it,” he said in her ear, his voice thick with sleep.

She nuzzled into his chest and did just that, until a too-high voice accompanied the pounding. “Uncle Lukey! Wake up! Wake up! Santa is here!”

Luke groaned and grabbed the comforter, pulling it over their heads. “Make it stop.”

“She’s your niece. You make it stop,” Embry said back, snuggling closer to his warm chest.

Then they heard the door handle jiggle, and Embry shot upright, tearing the covers off of them both. “Did you lock that door?”

He rolled onto his back in all of his naked glory, his erection thick and long against his belly. “Yes, baby. But if I hadn’t, I’m pretty sure that ripping the covers off of us is a surefire way to traumatize my niece.”

Embry glared at him and fell back against the pillows.

“I can hear you talking in there! Santa won’t wait forever!” Mackayla yelled.

Luke ignored the racket outside their bedroom and rolled onto Embry, his warm body covering hers and heating her right up. His hand came up to massage her breast and his fingers teased her nipple as he kissed and nipped at her lips. He groaned against her mouth as his hard cock nudged her entrance.

Embry planted a kiss on his lips and pushed him away. “I am
not
having sex with you when your niece is on the other side of that door. You know how hard a time I have being quiet.”

“She’ll give up, I promise.”

His lips traveled down her neck and sent a shiver of pleasure up her spine. He made his way down to her breasts, his lips encircling her nipple as he teased her with his teeth. Embry let out a soft moan in response.