“Hello.”
She swallowed a shriek as
she shot to her feet and turned around. CJ was incredibly jumpy
after the past few nights.
Meeting the soft gray eyes
just a few feet away, she felt a flush staining her cheeks. “I’m
sorry,” she said. “I didn’t hear you.”
“No. You looked kind of
preoccupied.”
CJ was preoccupied all
right. Staring into those dove gray eyes, she felt as though she
were drowning. My, my, my, she thought, her palms just the
slightest bit damp.
“I’m Luke,” he said, his
voice soft and mellow, a soft Southern drawl that seemed to
reach out and stroke her.
She held her hand out
hesitantly, taking his as she said, “CJ.”
“What does the Cee Jay stand
for?” he asked, still holding her hand.
“Chelsea Jane.” His hand was
warm, calloused, and strong. In a blink, she was imagining lying
back on the warm grass and feeling those hands stroke over her.
He was still holding her
hand as a smile broke out, creases appearing in his cheeks. “I
like that. Chelsea. Do you live around here, too? I haven’t seen
you before.”
“I live in the old Royal
Oaks house,” she said, goose
bumps forming on her flesh as he stroked her wrist
with his thumb.
“Are you the new owner?” he
asked, golden brows rising. He had hair the color of summer
wheat, golden blond, shot through with streaks of near white.
And those eyes…
Jerking her wandering mind
back, CJ said, “Sort of. My father left the house to me after he
died a few years ago. I decided recently to come down here.”
“Down here?” he asked,
squeezing her hand once more before releasing it. “I knew it.
You’re a Yank.”
Laughing, she tucked her
tingling hand into her pocket. “I’m only from across the river.
Just a little bit of Yank. And actually, I grew up in
Louisville.”
“Hmm. I guess that’s not too
bad,” Luke said, smiling at her. His mouth, a sculpted thing of
near perfection, curved up at one corner and he stated, “You are
a very lovely woman, Chelsea Jane.”
Her cheeks flushed and her
heart started dancing in her chest as she stuttered out a thank
you.
“What is it you’re reading?”
he asked, grinning mischievously at her obvious embarrassment.
“Just some old journals I
found up in the attic,” she said, glancing down at the book as
though she had forgotten she held it.
“Ah. Your father’s?” Luke
asked, studying her closely, keeping an easy smile on his face,
though nothing inside him felt easy as he studied her. He had
been watching, and waiting, for a long time.
It was
her.
So very different.
But her.
CJ laughed. When she did, it
had her golden brown eyes sparkling. Her skin had a naturally
dusky hue to it, and Luke wondered idly if the flesh of her
torso was the same sun
-kissed tone. Dragging his eyes back up, he had to
smile in return as CJ said, “My father keeping journals? Not in
this life
time. You usually keep a journal to write down your
innermost thoughts and feelings. And my father had no thoughts
or feelings that didn’t pertain to his studies.”
“Sounds like a rather sad
man,” Luke noted, wondering what such a father had been like for
this girl.
“Yeah. I guess he was.” Her
mouth pursed thoughtfully as she studied the journal she held.
“Actually, the journals all belong to a girl who lived more than
a hundred years ago. My father would probably have me beaten
simply for touching them.”
“Things were meant to be
enjoyed, not locked in a museum,” Luke said, eyeing the journal
with interest. “I imagine your father probably felt otherwise.”
“Yes.” CJ’s head came up and
she looked him square in the eye. “Would you like to come up and
see the house?”
Yes…
That, he wanted more than
anything. But the walls were still there. He could feel them, in
his soul, in a way Luke really couldn’t describe. It just
wasn’t time yet. It would be though, and soon. And that evil,
foul soul that lingered to this day wouldn’t be able to keep him
out.
A slow, sweet smile came to
his face and he shook his head. “I’d love to, but I’m afraid
I’ve got some things to get done.” Holding his hand out, he
said, “I enjoyed meeting you, Chelsea Jane.”
More than you can possibly know…
Moments later, he
disappeared down a path that led into the trees, glancing back
only once, meeting her eyes. The look in her eyes had heat
racing down his spine, striking him square in the groin.
Interest, very female interest.
Luke wanted to meet up with
Chelsea Jane again, and soon.
Very, very soon.
