‘Says the oracle?’
‘It’s a basic rule of business.’
‘Well, thanks for the advice, Luke. I guess I’ll just have to make my own mistakes.’
‘And if you’re thinking about sleeping another night under this roof,’ he said, giving it a blow with his fist that set the whole place shaking, ‘I’d advise you not to. It’s freezing outside and you don’t have any heating. There isn’t even a lock on the door.’
‘Margaret has lived alone at the guest house for most of her life.’
‘Because Margaret has to,’ Luke pointed out. ‘You don’t have to. You didn’t have to live in at the hotel in London. You could have stayed at the family penthouse.’
In spite of her best efforts the temperature was rising. ‘In the best part of town?’
‘It would have been a roof over your head. Just as taking a room at the Grand wouldn’t kill you.’
‘And how is living at the family penthouse or running up your bill at the Grand supposed to make me independent, Luke? I’m safe here. The fact that Margaret has lived alone for all these years should tell you something.’
‘It does,’ Luke agreed. ‘It tells me Margaret has no option, because she has nowhere else to go. It tells me the Sundowner isn’t just failing—it has already failed. And what are you going to do about it? You don’t have any money. You’ve given it all away.’
‘Says one of the biggest charity supporters in the world.’
‘I can afford to give. You can’t. You’ve got no practical skills.’
‘I learned a lot on my degree course,’ she argued.
‘Like what?’ he scoffed. ‘Fifty ways to fold a napkin?’
‘That’s it!’ Lucia exploded, completely forgetting the disparity in their size as she sprang up.
Luke stood too. ‘Before I go anywhere you’re going to hear some home truths, and you won’t like them, Lucia. You’re great at starting things, but you’ve never finished anything in your life.’
‘Get out!’ She was beyond anger now. ‘I should have known better than to think you are any different to my brothers. Go on!’ she yelled with a furious gesture, pummelling impotent fists against Luke’s stone chest. ‘Get out of my caravan.’
‘I’m not going anywhere without you.’ He planted himself in her way.
‘So what are you going to do? Throw me over your shoulder and carry me out?’
‘If I have to.’
They glared at each other. Passion had never run higher between them, but she wasn’t prepared for what happened next—not nearly. Yanking her close, Luke kissed her, and his firm, sexy lips worked their magic.
Of course she fought him. Of course she tried to push him away. But Luke was a rock—a fierce, ravenous, hot rock. Her nipples tightened and heat pooled between her thighs. She’d thought she’d never be able to feel this way again, but her reaction to Luke was like the plug of a volcano blowing after centuries of hot lava building up. She had to hold her hand across her mouth when he abruptly let her go, as if that could hide the proof of her arousal. She was shaking—and not from fear. Luke hadn’t given fear time to set in. She was shaking with shock, with anger and with desire.
‘You’re vulnerable,’ Luke said flatly.
‘And you were just proving your point?’ she demanded incredulously. Her brain cells clinked feverishly into line. That hadn’t been a brush, a tease or even a trial kiss. That had been a full-on, body-melting, fear-destroying sensual assault that could never, ever be mistaken for a brotherly peck.
‘I’m just putting you back in touch with reality,’ Luke said, managing to look sexier than ever as he leaned back against the door.
‘Nice technique you have for doing that. Am I supposed to thank you?’ It was hard to do battle with her very insistent pulse throbbing, but she drove on. ‘I think you should go now.’
‘I’m not going anywhere until you calm down.’
‘Please yourself.’
Her chest was heaving with … yes, passion. But as they glared at each other she thought of her own climb back, her fight to regain her old self, and Margaret’s dream to restore her guest house. Plus, wasn’t Luke’s offer of a job the perfect opportunity to take that first step on her own emotional to-do list?
‘Maybe I have found it hard to finish what I’ve started in the past,’ she admitted stiffly, ‘but I’m totally committed to what has to be done here. It means a lot to me.’