Damn it, if he wasn’t careful he’d be offering himself.
The waiter came to take their order and Luke was relieved when Abby ordered a simple cup of tea instead of the cocktail. A part of him was glad she wasn’t having the sex-inspired cocktail but another part felt a twinge of disappointment he couldn’t explain—didn’t want to.
He waited until the waiter left to get their drinks before he spoke. ‘I think you should think carefully before you pick up someone to sleep with either in a bar or online. There are some real creeps out there who might not be as nice as they seem on the surface.’
‘Save your big brother lecture for your sister,’ Abby said and scooped up a handful of peanuts. ‘I can take care of myself.’
Luke wished he felt more of a big brother to her than what he was feeling right now. He hadn’t felt this degree of lust in years. It was as if it was taking over his body, his brain. His self-control. He couldn’t stop thinking about her invitation. What exactly did she want from him?
Don’t ask.
It was better not to know so he wasn’t tempted beyond his endurance. Hell, he was already tempted beyond his endurance. His endurance better get back into shape quick smart or he was going to be in big trouble.
‘You sure you don’t want something to eat with your cup of tea?’ Luke asked after the waiter delivered their drinks.
‘I’m not hungry now.’ She dusted the salt from her fingers. ‘I’ve eaten too many peanuts.’
Luke had his own theory. Abby was exactly like eating a peanut. Making love to her once would never be enough.
Nowhere near enough.
Her phone made a pinging sound from inside her evening purse. She leaned forward to take it out and her gaze widened to the size of the saucer under her teacup. ‘Oh, my God…’
‘What’s wrong? Is it bad news?’
She looked up from the phone and smiled. ‘Guess what? You won the island holiday lucky door prize.’
CHAPTER FOUR
ABBY COULDN’T BELIEVE IT. Luke had won the prize she had been drooling over. How unfair was that? He could afford to pay for his own holiday. He could probably afford his own flipping island. Why had she sat in the unlucky seat instead of his winning one?
No doubt this was the universe’s way of rubbing in her disappointment after Luke declined her offer of a fling. How could she not be feeling a little disappointed he’d rejected her offer? Had she made a mistake by telling him she was still a virgin? She still wasn’t sure why she had told him—it had sort of slipped out in an unguarded moment. The combination of the magic of the evening in his company and all that champagne she’d drunk at the ball had loosened her tongue as if it was greased.
What had she been thinking?
She hadn’t been thinking. She’d been feeling. Feeling things she had never felt before. Wicked things, like how exciting it would be to be Luke’s lover. To enjoy more of those steaming-hot kisses and much more besides. Like having his hands caress every inch of her body, to have him possess her and take her to the heights of human pleasure—the sort of pleasure she had only ever experienced alone and never felt truly satisfied by.
Making love with Luke would be more than satisfying. How could it not be? His kiss had awakened a need in her body, a need that even now clamoured for attention. It was like he had set a primal beat thrumming in her flesh that only his touch could assuage.
Abby turned her phone around so Luke could see the message Felicity, her chief editor, had sent. ‘See? Your seat number was the lucky one. They sent the message to me as they didn’t have your contact details.’
He leaned forward to read the text. ‘Can they redraw it?’
Abby frowned. ‘You mean you don’t want it?’
His expression was so difficult to read, hieroglyphics would have been easier. ‘Clearly not as much as you did.’
Abby looked at the message again, vainly hoping they’d got the seat numbers wrong. But no, there it was in black and white. ‘There’s a time limit on the offer. You have to go within the next month.’ She looked back at him to see him frowning at her. ‘What?’
‘Is it transferable?’
‘Transferable?’
‘Can I gift it to you instead of taking it myself?’ Luke asked.
It was a nice gesture but how could she go alone? Who went to a private island for a holiday on their own? How normal was that? It would make her feel even more of a pariah. Anyway, people from work would expect her to go with Luke and blog about the holiday and post pictures. It would seem odd if she didn’t. And what would everyone say if she took a girlfriend instead of her fiancé? Luke had made it clear he wasn’t interested in a fling so she was certain he wouldn’t want to go with her.