Читать книгу Modern Romance May 2016 Books 1-4 - Julia James, Andie Brock - Страница 26

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

‘LUKE?’ ABBY FROWNED, propping herself up on her elbows. ‘Why are you sitting over there?’

Luke pulled a wry face. ‘Because I don’t trust myself to sit beside you. Abby, much as I want to be with you, it’s not going to happen.’

Abby sat up then and stared at him. ‘What’s not going to happen?’

‘You. Me. Us.’ He avoided her eyes by bending over the file he’d collected from the drawer. ‘You must have wondered why I asked you to come and see me today.’

Abby frowned. ‘I was beginning to think it was because you’d come to your senses.’

‘Well, yes.’ Luke’s mouth twisted, and he cast her a rueful glance. ‘In a manner of speaking, you could be right.’ He paused. ‘Though not in the way you perhaps mean.’

Abby was tense now. ‘Go on,’ she said, half knowing she wasn’t going to like what he had to say.

Meanwhile, Luke had drawn out a sheaf of official-looking documents, and, putting the plastic folder aside, he lifted his head and looked at her.

‘I suppose I should have had my solicitor do this,’ he said, ‘but I gave in to my desire to see you again and decided to speak to you myself.’

‘Speak to me about what?’ Abby was confused. ‘If this has something to with the accident—’

‘It has,’ he broke in before she could continue. ‘Apart from my obvious injuries, there are complications. I’m informed that, at the least, there’s no guarantee that I’ll ever regain the full use of my legs.’

‘So?’ Abby was confused. ‘You know I’ll be there for you, whatever happens.’

‘No.’ Luke’s tone was harsh. ‘Do you think I want you to spend the rest of your life looking after an invalid? I could spend half my life in a wheelchair. I don’t want that for you.’

Abby took a disbelieving breath. ‘And what about what I want?’

‘Abby, I know you mean well, but this isn’t something to be taken lightly. I haven’t even spoken to you about the other injuries I’ve had.’

‘I know they had to relieve the pressure on your brain by drilling a hole in your skull,’ said Abby defensively. ‘Your father said that had been a complete success.’

‘How would he know?’ Luke was impatient. ‘There are always doubts about how successful that kind of treatment has been.’

‘But your brain is working perfectly well,’ she insisted vehemently. ‘You know that.’

‘And what if I had a relapse? What if I became paralysed or worse?’

‘We’d face that if it happened.’ Abby sighed. ‘Don’t be pessimistic, Luke. No one knows what’s round the corner. Even me.’

‘Which is very brave of you, but you have to be practical.’ For a moment, his eyes dropped to the slight swell of her stomach and his lips compressed. ‘You’re going to have enough to cope with, what with the baby. I would only create more problems for you.’

Abby’s lips tightened. ‘You don’t think it’s more important for the baby—our baby—to know its father?’ she demanded. ‘Luke, the baby needs you. I need you. I love you. Isn’t that enough?’

Luke bent his head over the papers he was holding, and, instead of answering her, said, ‘I’ve made arrangements for you, and the baby. And I’ll get to them in a moment.’

‘Luke...’

‘But first, I want to tell you that the development will go ahead as planned. However, I’ve made certain amendments to my original drawings, which I think you’ll approve of.’

‘Luke, you shouldn’t be thinking about such things right now.’

‘There will still be a supermarket,’ he persisted doggedly. ‘But I’ve decided to make a small mall of individual shops leading to the bigger premises.’

He paused and then continued, ‘Naturally, you and the other tenants will have the option of renting one of these units; and I’m assured that this will give you all the opportunity to gain from passing trade.’

He lifted an architectural drawing from the file and unfolded it on the window seat beside him. ‘This is a copy of the plans being presented to the committee and, naturally, you’ll all be able to view them before any decision is made.’

Abby shook her head. ‘You didn’t have to do this,’ she protested.

‘Oh, I did,’ he said firmly. ‘I’d decided on the changes before—well, before the crash. I’m also arranging for the rents to be capped. Which should please your friend, Hughes.’

‘He’s not my friend,’ said Abby flatly. ‘But you’re right. He’ll think he’s won.’

Luke looked at her now. ‘Do you think I care what he thinks?’ he demanded. ‘I’m not doing this for him. I’m doing it for you. I don’t want to deprive you of your livelihood, just in case you refuse my help.’

‘What help?’

‘I’m coming to that.’ Luke took a steadying breath. ‘If you’ll just give me a moment...’

Instead of doing that, Abby got to her feet and came across to the window seat to sit next to him. Luke moved aside so his hip was not touching hers, and she persuaded herself it was because his thigh still pained him. A lot.

Picking up the plans to move them aside, she saw at once what Luke was describing to her. It was a perfect blend of ancient and modern; a sleek supermarket, approached by a neat row of small, more traditional units.

‘This is what you’ve been doing?’ she asked, forcing him to meet her eyes.

‘Well, my architect,’ he agreed modestly. ‘But you can tell Hughes that the shops he so badly wanted to preserve didn’t fall into the necessary category for conservation.’

Abby pulled a face. ‘I never thought they did.’ She folded the plans again and put them aside. ‘Thank you,’ she said. ‘There are going to be some very relieved shopkeepers.’

‘Good.’

‘Okay.’ Abby blew out a breath. ‘So let’s talk about us. Because there is an “us”, whatever you say.’

‘I’m coming to that.’

‘Not quickly enough,’ said Abby, gazing at him with accusing eyes. ‘I hope you’re not about to try and buy me off.’

Luke sucked in a breath. ‘I wouldn’t put it quite like that,’ he said. ‘But I do want to do what’s best for you and the baby—’

‘So do I.’

‘—and by ensuring you are financially secure, I won’t feel so bad about you having to cope alone.’

Abby’s brows drew together. ‘What do you mean, having to cope alone?’

Luke rolled his lips inward. Then he said quietly, ‘I’m thinking of spending some time abroad.’

‘Abroad?’ Abby’s stomach dropped. ‘Where abroad?’

‘I haven’t decided yet. As you can see, I’m not really fit to travel at present.’

‘And you plan to go alone?’

‘Of course, alone.’ Luke ran an impatient hand over his scalp. His hair was growing back over the spot they’d shaved, and a dark strand fell appealingly over his forehead. ‘Apart from Felix, that is. I don’t imagine he’ll let me go far without him.’

Abby could hardly bear to look at him. ‘But I don’t have that right. Is that what you’re saying?’ she demanded painfully. ‘For God’s sake, Luke, you said you loved me. I’m having your child. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?’

‘Of course, it means something,’ he retorted, his frustration giving way to anger. ‘Do you think this is what I want to say, Abby? Do you think I want to go and live in some Godforsaken country where I’ll know nobody?’

With a strength she guessed was born of a sense of inadequacy, he managed to get to his feet. ‘But I can’t stay here, not when being near you is such a temptation. I was planning to ask you to marry me. But that would be pure indulgence now.’

‘Then don’t indulge yourself, indulge me,’ exclaimed Abby emotionally. Getting to her feet, she successfully blocked him when he would have moved away. ‘Indulge your baby,’ she added huskily, drawing the hand that wasn’t clutching his crutch to her stomach. ‘I need you. We both need you. Are you honestly prepared to deny you need us, too?’

Luke stared down at her with tortured eyes. ‘You know the answer to that as well as me.’

‘So why hesitate?’ Abby moved closer and slipped her arms about him, ignoring his instinctive attempt to move away.

‘Can’t you see, we can face whatever problems there are together? Nothing is easy, Luke. But so long as we love one another, nothing can keep us apart.’

‘But you don’t deserve this!’

‘You don’t deserve this,’ countered Abby huskily.

‘But after the life you had with Laurence,’ Luke protested, ‘I won’t be a burden to you.’

‘You couldn’t be a burden to me if you tried,’ she whispered, reaching up to bestow a warm kiss at the corner of his mouth. ‘I want to live with you. I want to share my life with you.’ She pulled a face. ‘I don’t honestly care if you marry me or not, so long as you don’t send me away.’

Luke’s jaw tensed. ‘It’s what I should do,’ he said, but he didn’t sound as certain as he’d done before.

‘What you should do is make love to me,’ said Abby huskily. ‘Then tell me there’s no future for us together.’

* * *

Some time later, someone knocked at the bedroom door.

Luke, who had been sound asleep moments before, stirred reluctantly. Feeling the warmth of a bare thigh cradled against the bandage that encircled his leg, Luke turned his head to find Abby was stirring, too.

With her hair spread silkily across his pillow and her breasts crushed softly against his uninjured arm, she looked incredibly sexy and incredibly beautiful. And he was loath to speak and break the spell that had held them in its magical grip for the past—he glanced at his watch—almost an hour.

But Abby was awake, and her smile was so joyous that Luke couldn’t prevent the urge to say roughly, ‘God, I love you. How in hell am I going to let you go?’

‘You’re not,’ declared Abby confidently, gathering the sheets about her and leaning over to kiss his injured cheek.

Then her brows arched mischievously. ‘But now I’d better see who that is before they think I’ve kidnapped you.’

Luke shook his head. ‘Like that’s going to happen,’ he muttered and she gurgled with laughter.

‘It could,’ she assured him, reaching for her tunic and pulling it over her head. ‘In any case, I think it’s your housekeeper. She said she was going to bring some tea.’

‘Tea!’ Luke grimaced. ‘I’ll need something stronger than tea if I’m going to ask you to marry me.’

Abby, who had evidently decided not to bother with her leggings, had been heading for the door when he spoke. But now, she turned, her mouth parting in stunned disbelief.

‘You can’t say something like that and not expect me to respond,’ she whispered, staring at him, and Luke pushed himself up on his elbows and regarded her inquiringly.

‘Well?’ he countered. ‘What are you going to do about it?’

Another knock sounded at the door, and Abby hesitated, torn between the need to open it and the equally—if not more—urgent need to return to the bed.

‘Damn you, Luke,’ she said helplessly, and, ignoring the other summons, she returned to the bed.

‘Is that any way to answer a proposal?’ he mocked teasingly, and Abby took his face between her hands and bestowed a hungry kiss on his mouth.

‘No,’ she agreed. ‘But my answer’s the same, anyway. It’s yes, you wicked man.’

She trembled when he pulled her down onto the bed beside him and returned her kiss with interest. He covered her with his body, his tongue slipping possessively into her mouth so that she moaned with pleasure.

And whoever had been at the door evidently decided that tea wasn’t needed at the moment.