Chapter Seven
Luke was being lured in more and more by the vivacious Marietta. He felt bad that he’d scared her and then tried not to laugh about her fear of predators in the mountains. He and his siblings had romped through those mountains so many times that he didn’t think a thing of being out there. He’d encountered many different animals on his adventures with his brothers and sisters, but the animals had never bothered them. Yet even though she was scared and had crashed on the mountain bike, Mar had been so cute about it.
As he and Mar ate a premade chicken stir fry and talked, he couldn’t think of any reasons he shouldn’t kiss her until the sun rose tomorrow. Unless she had objections.
After dinner, they put on swimsuits and walked down to the pool. Luke tried not to stare at how good she looked in her one-piece floral suit, but he loved her shape. She was fit but had curves in all the right places.
He caught her giving him a sidelong glance as they walked down the steps into the warm water. He flexed one arm, grinning at her. “It’s okay to gawk. I know I look good.”
She laughed and pushed at his shoulder. “Oh my. There might not be enough room in this pool for me and your ego.” But she was staring openly at his chest. “You look really good … don’t let it go to your head.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve heard it before.”
She rolled her eyes and started to swim away from him.
Luke grabbed her around the waist and flipped her around to face him. She stared up at him with those dark brown eyes and those long lashes, and he found himself leaning closer. He wanted to tell her how unreal she looked, how impressed he was with her, and then kiss her in this warm water.
Instead of leaning in to meet him, she leaned back and asked, “How many times have you heard it before?”
“Excuse me?”
Mar raised her eyebrows, all impertinent. “I know you’re a player, Luke. I’m sure you’ve heard lots of compliments from different women.”
Luke released his grip on her. “I’ve dated a lot of women.” He wouldn’t call himself a player, because he could think of only a handful of instances that he’d gone on more than one date with the same woman.
Mar looked as if this statement convicted him. Of what?
He gestured to her. “You’re gorgeous, successful, and fun to be around. Are you trying to claim you haven’t dated a lot of men?”
Mar had the grace to look slightly embarrassed. “No, it’s just …”
“Just what?” he challenged, crossing his arms over his chest. The conversation frustrated him, and not just because his likelihood of kissing her was tanking by the second. If a man dated a lot of different women, he was labeled a player, no matter how careful he was about who he kissed. He’d never promised a woman anything beyond dinner.
Mar’s eyes flickered over his chest and she spit out, “Look at yourself. You’re this perfect Zeus-type guy, ultra-successful, handsome, fun to be around. Women chase you, and you love every second of it.”
“And you’re saying you don’t have the same problem? I’m sure men fight over you and can’t leave you alone.”
“It’s different,” she muttered.
He arched his eyebrows. “How is it different?”
“Because …” She swirled some water through her hands and then shook her head. “I can’t explain. I’m going to go shower.”
Luke’s eyes widened. He wanted to protest, grab her around the waist again, demand that she explain what she was implying, and then share his dating history and promise that he wasn’t going to “play” with her. He realized as she climbed out of the pool, wrapped up in a towel, and left without looking back, that he was serious about the petite yet full-of-life Mar. She was definitely more than someone fun for him to be around, and her kiss in that garden last night had shaken him to the core. Could he express that to her without getting frustrated if she kept claiming that he was a player and it was “different” than her dating track record?
There was something worrisome about the fact that she’d climbed in and then out of the pool in record time, and about the sad look in her eyes and her inability to explain what she was thinking. Did she have deep-seated issues that he didn’t understand? Maybe some man had hurt her like Tracey had hurt him. Maybe something had happened with her family. He realized that with all the talking they’d done about business and his family, she hadn’t shared one thing about hers.
He started swimming some laps, letting his mind wander to all things Mar. For some crazy reason, he thought he’d found his match, but what if she didn’t feel the same? He’d never let himself become invested in any woman since Tracey, no matter how hard they pursued him or how appealing they were. He might be setting himself up for a massive failure.
* * *
Mar took her time showering, then went out onto her patio and embraced the cool night air. It was warmer here in the summer than San Francisco, but Jackson Hole at night was still chilly with its high elevation. She couldn’t see much past the line of trees, and she shivered, thinking of that coyote’s howl. Luke had promised he’d watch over her on their hike in the morning, but had she just messed everything up by being too fiery, just like other men had claimed? Would Luke even want to go hike with her in the morning, or would he be done with her?
Mar had been unfair to him in the pool, letting her insecurities rule. As he’d stood there looking like every dream she’d ever had with his bright blue eyes and his muscular body, irrational fear had filled her. She was afraid that he was going to kiss her again, fill her mind with all kinds of irrational dreams of forever, and then walk away. He obviously didn’t mind being—what had he called himself the night of Cosette and Isaac’s wedding?—“an American playboy.” She’d tried relationships and failed. From what she’d seen of Luke’s past, he’d never tried one. With all the fake confidence she portrayed, she didn’t have enough real confidence to believe she was anything special to the incredible Luke Jewel.
She pushed out a frustrated breath and heard a throat clear. Whipping to the side, she saw Luke standing on his balcony. His hair was wet, he was wearing a T-shirt and joggers, and he had an enticing smile on his face, but his eyes looked concerned. “Everything okay over there?” he asked.
Mar put a hand to her throat and shook her head. “How did you come out without me hearing you?”