She knew that he was under enormous pressure, but nobody would suspect it. Luke just put one foot in front of the other and kept moving forward without fanfare and without drama. He did what he needed to do and she respected that—respected him.
D.I.S.T.A.N.C.E.
Pers...pec...tive.
She now had two mantras: No acting on the attraction—ha, ha! As if that was working—and Keep your distance, find your perspective.
She didn’t think saying mantras was working. Stupid New Age thinking.
* * *
Three hours, a shower and a smart suit later and Luke was still annoyed. And his annoyance concealed a healthy layer of panic. Where had his caveman response to her dating someone else come from? It had been basic, automatic, primal...a reflex rather than a chosen thought...and he didn’t like it. Hell, he hated it.
He’d never felt so jealous, so out of control, so plainly ticked as he had...did...at the thought of Jess with another man. He hadn’t enjoyed the illogical reaction he’d had to the idea—hadn’t appreciated the instinctive roaring in his head that had said this was his woman, his mate. Millions of years of evolution and he was still dragging his knuckles on the ground.
Maybe it was life jabbing him in the ribs? He’d been amused at the thought of Jess being a little green-eyed over the model—it had certainly stroked his ego. He hadn’t once thought that he might be equally...okay, a thousand times more jealous.
Dammit to flipping hell and back.
But date someone else? He didn’t think so.
Luke scowled and took a sip from his glass of ’87 Merlot. Jess, dressed in a short, ruffled black dress and do-me shoes, was across the room, talking to Piers Hanson the food critic. Flirting with Piers Hanson the food critic... It was, Luke decided with a scowl, as natural to her as breathing.
And enough to make him go all caveman again.
There was no way he was going to watch her flirt with anyone else, he decided, even if the man was old enough to be her grandfather. Luke took a last sip of his wine, placed it on the table next to him and excused himself from the group of men around him—friends of his father who were recounting stories that he didn’t want hear. He was a great vintner, an excellent raconteur, the life and soul of the party...
Yeah, you didn’t have to live with him, dude.
Luke walked between the guests, exchanged comments but didn’t get drawn into conversation. He approached Jess from behind and put a hand on her lower back, loving the feminine dip where her back met her buttocks. She knew his touch, Luke decided with satisfaction, because she instinctively stepped closer to him before remembering that they weren’t talking to each other.
‘Luke—Piers was just telling me that he’d love a tour of St Sylve,’ Jess told him, and he saw the warning in her eyes. Be nice, agree. He’s important.
Luke nodded. ‘You’re welcome at any time, of course, but it’s winter and the vines are resting. St Sylve is beautiful in spring and summer.’
‘I think it’s stunning year-round,’ Jess said fervently.
Luke heard the truth in her voice and felt warmth in his gut. He knew it had nothing to do with him. He’d often caught her looking at the buildings, touching the doorframes, staring at the mountains.
Piers tipped his bald head and his bright blue eyes were shrewd. ‘You don’t look like your father.’
Here it comes, Luke thought. Another worshipper at the altar of Jed Savage.
Be polite, Luke reminded himself.
‘It’s said that I look more like my mother.’
‘You do. Your mother was a beautiful woman,’ Piers replied and Luke felt his heart clench.
It took a lot to keep his face impassive. ‘You knew my mother?’
‘I did. I have two of her paintings,’ Piers said. ‘Such an amazing artist—and a lovely person. Threw herself away when she married your father.’
Luke’s eyebrows rose at Piers’s frank statement. He felt Jess’s hand on his arm and was grateful for the contact. ‘Uh—’
What was he supposed to say to that?
‘Sorry, but unlike a lot of people in the industry I didn’t like your father.’ Piers shrugged thin shoulders in a dark grey suit.
Well, this was interesting. ‘Why not?’
Piers looked around to check who was listening before continuing. ‘I thought he was arrogant, condescending and generally a conceited ass.’ He looked up at Luke and pulled a face. ‘Sorry. I knew him for a long time.’
Luke’s mouth kicked up. Finally, here was a man who saw Jed clearly. He wouldn’t verbally agree with him—that would be disloyal—but inside he was cheering him on.