“I am, but I want you at my house when I get back.” He dropped a kiss to her lips, then eased back. “I want you by my side through this.”
As his assistant or his mistress...or something more? She wanted to ask, but the pain laced with worry in his eyes had her simply nodding in agreement.
“I’ll be there.”
“You know the code to let yourself in, right?”
Being his assistant for five years had given her access to nearly everything in his life. She’d never been to his house for more than quick drop-offs or pick-ups for various work things, but she wasn’t about to turn down his invitation. This might be their chance to see if they could be more.
“Good luck with Zeke.” She stepped back and opened the driver’s door. “I’m going to pick up some things at my place and then I’ll be at yours.”
Luke smiled. “I like the sound of that.”
Then he turned and went to his vehicle and Kelly was left wondering exactly what he was thinking as far as they were concerned.
All she knew was Luke had recharged and seemed more hopeful than she’d seen him in a long time. Maybe he needed her emotional support, maybe he wanted more. No matter what, she still had to guard her heart. Even though she’d fallen for him, she still realized Luke wasn’t going to put aside his work to make her first in his life. No matter how much she wanted a family and a husband, Luke could not fill that role. All she could do was enjoy their time together until it came to an inevitable end.
* * *
“It’s genius.”
Luke released a sigh of relief and sank back into the leather sofa in his brother’s living room. Zeke sat across from him on the other sofa with his wife, Reagan, by his side.
His brother and sister-in-law had found love in the most unconventional of ways. A fake relationship for a front fell apart, but the two had married in Vegas anyway...and then fell in love. A little backward, but everything worked out in the end for Zeke and Reagan. Luke couldn’t imagine them apart. They were so perfect for each other and complemented one another in every way.
Reagan slid her hand over Zeke’s thigh and offered a sweet smile. “Luke, you have been so stressed lately. It’s nice to see you relaxed. Wherever you went on a trip sure did wonders for your smile.”
Luke wasn’t about to admit anything or why he was smiling so much. Kelly had pulled something from him he hadn’t even known was so hidden and buried. After months of working so damn hard, staying up countless nights, worrying if he’d ever come up with the answer, Luke finally had a solution, and he only had her to thank.
“Kelly played a huge part in coming up with this
plan,” he admitted. “She’s brilliant.”
“You’re a lucky man to have such an amazing right-hand-woman,” Reagan stated.
Assistant seemed so odd a term now. A week ago Kelly was his assistant and now, well, she was his assistant, lover, and he wasn’t sure what else to label her, because he was still trying to figure all of this out himself.
Between Wingate and his unexpected feelings for Kelly, Luke really had no idea which way to direct his attention right now. There was so much going on at once, tearing him from one side of his heart to the other.
He cared for Kelly, there was no denying that. Making any type of label beyond that was naive and foolish. Just because his brother had found the love of his life didn’t mean that was in the cards for Luke. He had much too much on his plate right now to feed a relationship. Look at that past engagement? That had been a disaster.
“Kelly is amazing,” he agreed. “She’s working right now on getting the arrangements all set up for the party at the Clubhouse this Saturday.”
“So I take it you’re not angry with me for deceiving you with this getaway?” Zeke asked.
Angry? How could he be angry? That had been one of the best weeks of his life. But he didn’t like that Zeke paid for everything and he would be rectifying that soon. He just didn’t want to get into a financial argument right now.
“You look like a different guy,” his brother added. “You don’t have those frown lines and you don’t look so pissed off at the world. Maybe we should incorporate forced vacations quarterly to keep everyone at the top of their game.”
Another trip with Kelly? He sure as hell wouldn’t turn that down.
“I hate admitting you were right,” Luke stated. “But we need to push forward and focus on this party this weekend.”
Zeke chuckled. “You don’t waste any time, brother.”
“We don’t have the time to waste. We need these pre-sales. That money will help launch us into the next phase.”
“This is big,” Zeke agreed, sliding his hand over Reagan’s. “I knew you’d stop at nothing to come up with some miracle way to preserve the company.”