"Well, he's young. I guess it's good he sows his wild oats now." Luke shrugs.

"Your parents?" I like hearing him talk about his family. He clearly loves them very much.

"They live in Redmond. Dad works for Microsoft and Mom is a homemaker." He glances down at my empty plate.

"It was delicious, thank you." I lean back in my chair and stretch out my legs.

"You're very welcome." He looks so young with his shy smile. "Would you like some more?"

"Oh no, I'm full." I pat my belly and gaze out at the water. "This is a fantastic view."

"Yes, it is." I look over at him, and he's gazing at me. My cheeks warm.

"You're very complimentary."

"You're easy to compliment."

I smirk.

He tilts his head to the side and picks my hand up in his, bringing it to his mouth. This is the first time he's touched me since that thigh-clenching kiss and I sigh at the heat of his touch.

"You are quite beautiful, Natalie. Why don't you believe that?"

I'm stupefied. No one has ever called me out on my insecurities because I've never shown them to anyone. I shrug.

"I'm happy you think so."

He frowns at my answer but doesn't press me. "I do."

"I wish I had my camera." I don't realize I've said this out loud, and I feel him tense beside me.

"Why?" his voice is cold, and looking into his eyes, they're arctic.

"Because of this view." I gesture out to the water. "This would make a wonderful image."

He relaxes beside me. "Maybe one day you'll be able to capture it."

"There's that 'one day' again." I grin at him and he grins back.

"One day." He says again and I can't help but feel a little giddy inside. I shiver a bit as a breeze rolls through his patio. The sun has set, and the sky is all purple and orange, and it's cooling off.

"Are you cold?" he asks.

"No, I'm good."

"Really?"

"I'm a tiny bit cold, but I don't want to go inside."

"I'll be back." With that he stands and gathers our dirty plates.

"Hey, I'll clean up. You cooked."

"Nonsense. You're my guest, Natalie. Besides I have a housekeeper who will do most of it in the morning. Sit. Stay." He pins me with a serious gaze, then heads inside.

He's so bossy. I think I like it. No one has ever had the audacity to be bossy with me before. It's fun.

I hear the iPod change from Adele to something soft and bluesy and a few moments later he's back with a plush green blanket and my iPhone.

"The light was blinking on your phone; I thought you might want to check it." He hands it to me, but before I can look at it he holds his hand out to me.

"Come with me."

"Where are we going?"

"Just over there." He points to a plush loveseat closer to the edge of the patio. I take his hand and he leads me over and I sit, sinking into the cushions. He sits beside me and drapes us both in the blanket. His arm is draped around me.

"This is quick." I look into his blue gaze, unsure if being in his arms like this, this quickly is altogether safe, yet I want to be here.

"We're just admiring a pretty view, Natalie." He pulls me closer to him, runs his hand down my side and I lean on his shoulder. I remember my phone in my hand and pull it out from under the blanket to read it, not bothering to hide it from Luke.

Hey gorgeous, plans tonight?

It's my friend Grant, and while we haven't had sex in a while, sometimes, if we're drunk or lonely, we indulge. I haven't heard from him in weeks, and of course it has to be now, as I'm curled up in this sexy man's arms that he texts me.

Crap, crap, crap. Luke tenses beside me, and I cringe, but hit reply, still not pulling it out of his eyesight. I have nothing to hide.

Yeah, I have plans. Sorry.

Luke doesn't relax beside me and I know he's mad. Shit.

Grant responds almost immediately.

Tomorrow?

Sorry, Grant, not interested.

Okay, bye Nat.

I put my phone in my pocket and just lean my head back on Luke's shoulder, not saying anything. What can I say? He lets out a sigh and tightens his hold on me, not saying anything for a long time. Finally I glance up at him.

"Are you okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Um, I don't know. Just checking." The last two words are whispered. He seems mad at me, but I didn't do anything wrong. I told the guy to take a hike!

Suddenly he shimmies and pulls his iPhone out of his pocket. "What's your phone number?"

My wide gaze finds his and he raises a brow. I rattle it off to him and he punches it into his phone. "What's your last name?"

"Conner." He finishes programming my name and number into his phone and I close my eyes and inhale his clean scent while he continues to fiddle with his gadget.

My phone buzzes in my pocket.

Chapter Four.

I retrieve my phone from my pocket and pull it out of the blanket.

"Oh my, look at that, I have a text! Whoever could it be?" I bat my eyelashes at him and smile sweetly.

Luke laughs. "Maybe you should check it."

"Oh! Good idea." I chuckle and slide the arrow at the bottom of the screen, waking the phone up and open the text from a phone number I don't recognize. I want to squeal like a school girl, but simply smile and open the message.

Hey Natalie, save this number. You're going to be seeing it a lot. aLuke Williams I grin at him, and save the number and his name to my phone.

"So," the smile leaves his face and he's serious again. I pull back, out of his grasp, and turn my body toward him, my leg tucked under the opposite knee, mentally preparing myself for a serious conversation.

"So?"

"So," he gazes at me almost warily and I feel a moment of alarm. "Who's Grant?"

"Just a friend." I shrug.

He raises an eyebrow. "That wasn't just a friendly text, Natalie. I am a man, I know the difference."

I cringe and look back out over the darkening water.

"Look at me." His voice is sharp and I whip my eyes back to his.

"He is just a friend, Luke. Yes, there has been a physical relationship there in the past, but it's been a while."

"How long is a while?"

"Months."

"How many months?"

"Since last fall."

"Is there anyone else?"

"Why is this any of your business?"

"Because you're the first woman I've brought into my home and all I can think about is getting your beautiful body naked and fucking you senseless. I need to know if there is any competition. I don't share, Natalie." His eyes are on fire, his beautiful lips parted as he breathes heavily, and his hands are in fists.

I open my mouth to speak, and close it again. Holy Jesus, he wants to fuck me. Well, back at you, bossy man.

"Saying that you don't share implies that I'm already yours, Luke."

"Aren't you?" he whispers.

This is too much. I've known the man less than twenty four hours and he wants to stake a claim! Part of me is yelling Yes! but that damn reasonable side rears her ugly head and shakes her head adamantly No!

I stand abruptly, untangling myself from the blanket.

"Look, Luke..." He's suddenly at my side, his strong hand on my chin trapping my gaze in his.

"Answer my question, please." His touch is gentle, but his gaze is raw, and it pulls at me in a way I've never known.

"There is no one." I whisper.

"Thank Christ." And his lips are on mine, but instead of the passionate fervor I'm craving, his lips are gentle and tender, as though he's memorizing my mouth with his lips. He lets go of my chin and wraps my hair in his hand while the other curls around my low back and he pulls me to him, my front against his, and I moan low in my throat. His chest and stomach are hard muscle. I wrap my arms around him and hold him to me, my hands clasping onto his back.

Bravely, I close my teeth over his lower lip and suck him gently into my mouth. His eyes fly open, meeting mine, and he plunges his tongue in my mouth, sliding it along mine in a beautiful rhythm. Our breathing is ragged, and my hands just can't stop moving up and down his back, feeling the hard muscles flex as he moves against me.

Both of his hands slide down to my backside and he clenches it tightly while nibbling from the side of my mouth down my neck.

"Oh my," I lean my forehead against him and I feel him smile against my neck.

"You have a great ass, Nat." He pulls me more tightly against him and I feel his erection against my stomach. I run my own hands down to his derriere.

"Back at you, Luke." My voice is breathy, and he pulls back, his eyes a bit glassy with want and desire and I know they mirror my own.

Fuck, I want this man.

Our arms are still wrapped around each other, clasping each other's bottoms. I give him another squeeze and run my fingers lightly up under his shirt to his bare skin and smile as he gasps. His beautiful blue eyes are watching mine and I push my finger between the elastic of his boxers and his skin and run it along to the front of his jeans.

Suddenly his hands are on mine and his stills me, not taking his eyes from me. He brings both my hands up to his lips and kisses each finger, then steps back and lets go. The cold air around us is a slap to the face, and I frown in confusion and frustration and feel the sting of rejection.

What the hell?

"Why did you stop?" I hear the hurt in my voice, and I clear my throat.

"Nat, I definitely don't want to stop..." I step toward him, but he backs up and raises his hands in surrender.

"Luke..."

"Natalie, let's slow down a bit."

Isn't this what men want?