Текст книги "Undone"
Автор книги: R. E. Hunter
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Текущая страница: 14 (всего у книги 20 страниц)
25
Embry sat in the middle of Luke’s floor, surrounded by baking flour. It was everywhere.
He walked in, and she did everything she could to hide her smile when she saw the look on his face. He was sexy as usual with no shirt, pajama pants hanging off his hips, and bedroom eyes. Until he took in the scene in the kitchen. His beautiful bedroom eyes widened into surprised saucers as he stared at Embry.
“Problem?” she deadpanned.
Luke shook his head, seemingly at a loss for words.
“I was going to make you breakfast.” She picked up a handful of flour and let it sift through her hands like a child would sand on the beach.
“That was nice of you,” he said carefully. “What happened instead?”
Embry hung her head. “I had an incident with the flour.”
Luke walked toward her, leaving floury footprints on the dark, tiled floor. Squatting in front of her, he brushed her hair from her face. “I can see that, baby. But what, exactly, happened?”
Good question. She’d woken up determined to surprise him with a nice breakfast. After searching his well-stocked pantry and refrigerator, she found all the ingredients necessary for blueberry pancakes. She pulled everything out that she would need except for the flour. His pantry had tall pull-out cabinets, and the flour sat at the top of one. She’d poked around until she located a step stool. She used it to reach the flour, but the stool didn’t give her enough height. Stretching as far as she could, her fingers grazed the tip of the package. She hoped she could knock it over into her arms, but the flour toppled into her chest before it fell to the floor and exploded.
“I was going to make you blueberry pancakes, but I knocked the flour down from the top shelf of the pantry, and it kind of exploded.”
His eyes traveled around the kitchen. An inch of flour covered most of the surfaces, including Embry. He brought his eyes back to her and wiped at a smudge of flour on her cheek. “I kind of figured that part out.”
She glared at him, grabbed his arms, and pulled, causing him to fall to the floor in a cloud of white powder.
He narrowed his eyes and tackled her, pinning her arms above her head and hovering over her. “Really, Bree? You sure you want to play this game? You’ll lose.”
Never one to back down from a challenge, Embry wiggled beneath him, trying to pull her arms free. “Bring it on, Brody,” she said, her voice husky.
His mouth found hers, and he released her arms, giving her free rein to explore his body. She ran her hands over his muscled back, up his arms, and into his hair. Just as she was starting to enjoy herself, he pulled away. Before she knew it, he had pulled her back to her feet.
“All right,” he said, clapping and making flour fly. “Pancakes. Let’s do this.”
Embry stepped toward him, softening her eyes and sticking out her bottom lip in a perfect pout. “I’m not interested in pancakes anymore.”
He cupped the back of her neck, dragged her in for a searing kiss, and let her go abruptly, a smirk on his kissable lips. “Well I am, beautiful.” He walked toward the stove but not before landing a solid smack on her ass. “Hop to it!”
Her hands flew to her hips, her eyes wide. “And how do you suggest we make pancakes without flour?”
Luke pulled out the pantry cabinet and dug around. She watched the sculpted muscles of his back move beneath his skin. The flour had become a road map on his body, every place her hands had roamed evidenced by a dusty handprint on his golden skin. He rummaged around a bit more until he pulled out another package of flour.
“Backup,” he said, smiling.
Embry let out a huff and crossed her arms. She had no interest in making breakfast anymore. All she wanted was to be back on the floor underneath Luke. But he was hungry, so she’d give him his pancakes. They swept up the majority of the flour and set to work.
“So why didn’t you tell me you were going to Georgia next weekend?” Embry asked between bites of pancake.
Luke was quiet for a moment. He lifted his shoulder indifferently. “Slipped my mind, I guess.”
She didn’t believe that for a second, especially because of how easily he’d lied to his mother about Embry being too busy to go with him. The truth was, she was too busy to go with him. The semester had kicked into high gear. But he’d let his mother think that he’d invited her, and he hadn’t mentioned the trip at all. Maybe Embry was reading too much into it. They’d only gotten back together the previous weekend, and his plans had probably been made well before that.
“Any special occasion or just going for a visit?” she asked, hoping to garner some more information.
“Early Thanksgiving, actually.”
“Oh?” Embry hadn’t even thought about it. Her calendar went by finals, not holidays. Everything got serious after Thanksgiving break. Study days began in the beginning of December, then finals would be there before she knew it. Her stomach dropped thinking about how soon she’d be taking her first law school finals.
“My parents take a cruise every year during Thanksgiving week, and Camden, Lori, and Mackayla go to Lori’s parents, so we celebrate early.”
“But what about you? What do you do on Thanksgiving?”
Luke’s eyes crinkled, and his lips tipped up into a sweet smile. “Worried about me?” he teased. “I used to go to Cam’s in-laws, too. But since I’m living up here now, I’m not going to take two trips down. I’ll just have a nice, quiet night here.”
Embry’s eyebrows drew together, and she worried away at her bottom lip. She didn’t like the idea of Luke spending Thanksgiving alone. Should she invite him to go with her to visit her family?
“Don’t give me that look.”
“What look? I’m not giving you a look.”
“You are. And you’re doing that thing with your lip,” he said.
“I do a thing with my lip?”
“You pull it between your teeth when you’re nervous or overthinking.” He ran his finger across her bottom lip. “What’s on your mind, Bree?”
“Come with me.” Her eyes widened as the words escaped before she was ready for them.
“Where?” His look of confusion was almost comical.
“To Thanksgiving,” she said quietly, almost not believing she was asking him to commit to something so big.
“With your family?” he asked.
“Sure.” She shrugged, trying not to let on how much she wanted him to come. “I’m going to have to tell my parents I’m seeing someone eventually.”
He cocked his head and raised an eyebrow. “That’s your sales pitch? Are you sure you don’t want to rethink that one? Maybe try again?”
Embry blanched. If she wanted him to spend the holiday with her family, she had to tell him that, not just give some lame excuse for why he should tag along. She pressed her lips together, her eyes serious as she put on a show of making a decision. “I love you, and my family will love you. It’s really important to me that they get to meet you. Please have Thanksgiving with us?” A bright smile appeared on her face.
“Sure, I guess,” he said indifferently.
Embry smacked his chest. “You guess? That’s it?”
Luke stood and scooped her up in his arms. “Yes, baby. I love you too, and I would love to come for Thanksgiving and meet your family.”
She beamed at him as he walked toward the stairs. “Where are you taking me?”
He shook his hair, sprinkling her with more flour. “Shower time,” he said with a naughty grin.
* * *
Embry snuck up the stairs and into Luke’s bedroom while he reviewed a case in the living room. They’d had an amazing day, shower included. She smiled as the memory gave her a shiver of pleasure. Best. Shower. Ever. She was quite thankful for what she referred to as the Great Flour Debacle. She couldn’t wait to get dirty again.
Making her way into Luke’s walk-in closet, she found her duffel bag and began to dig through. Luke had pulled on his favorite Georgia T-shirt and hat the minute he was out of the shower, but Embry had a different plan for her jersey. They were trying their best not to behave like five-year-olds, but as the game drew nearer, she felt the tension building. It was a big game, and whoever’s team won would have bragging rights. Her Gators better pull through. Stripping off her jeans and T-shirt, she dug her Gator jersey from her bag and pulled it over her head.
Embry checked herself in the floor-length bathroom mirror. The jersey was small but still a little loose. It hit right below her butt and allowed just enough of her lacy boy shorts to peek out. She was about to touch up her makeup when she heard Luke calling her from downstairs.
“Babe! Baby! Game time! Get your fine ass down here right this instant!” His voice was filled with excitement.
Embry let him know she’d be down in a minute and took one last look in the mirror. She ran a hand through her messy waves, straightened her jersey, and pranced out the doorway. She had no idea what had gotten into her. Luke made her feel as if she was the only person in the world. She felt beautiful, intelligent—the best version of herself. With Luke, she felt safe, comfortable, and confident. She sure as hell wouldn’t flounce around in a tiny jersey and boy shorts if she felt any different.
She descended the stairs and walked into the living room. Luke was on the couch, legs up on the ottoman, with a football in his lap and a beer in his hand. Typical. He’d thrown together a few snacks, which were on the coffee table along with a glass of wine for her, and a big thick blanket was strewn in front of the fireplace.
He began to talk, eyes still trained on the television. “I poured you some wine, and I threw down the blanket for you. I know how you like to spread out when you—” He looked at her, looked back at the TV, and as if realizing what he’d just seen, his head whipped back around. His eyes widened and his lips parted, desire written all over his face.
She felt his eyes like a caress as they traveled the length of her body.
“Fucking Christ, Embry.” He shook his head.
Being bold was easy when he looked at her like that. She stalked toward him, the jersey shifting across her hips as she moved. She watched his eyes lock onto her legs as she straddled him. The jersey slid up her thighs, and his hands automatically slipped under the shirt to grip her hips.
“Back to no pants, huh?” His hands roamed her hips before reaching around to grip her ass.
She nodded.
“I like you better this way.”
“Well”—her hands traveled aimlessly over his chest– “I thought maybe we could have our own version of Florida/Georgia,” she whispered suggestively.
His fingers flexed on her ass, and she knew she had him.
“You’re mine at halftime,” she said, nipping his bottom lip before hopping off his lap and spreading out in front of the fireplace to study.
* * *
The game turned into a complete slaughter, and by the time they reached the half, all Embry wanted to do was run and hide. She attempted to study, but couldn’t concentrate with her team getting killed. Luke handled it with his typical southern charm and didn’t say a word to rub it in, which might have been worse. He just let her sit and stew. When halftime came and went and he didn’t say anything, she figured he was giving her a break. Her mood had taken a nose dive.
She was able to tune out the second half of the game and get some reading done. When the game ended, she was in the middle of writing her briefs for contracts. She lay on her side in front of the fireplace, jersey riding up her stomach and panties in full view.
“Whatcha working on, beautiful?” Luke asked from behind her.
“Huh?” She was vaguely aware of him saying something, but she was concentrating on her case. She nodded and chewed her bottom lip as she read the same sentence for the third time.
Luke kneeled beside her and ran his hand over the curve of her hip.
She darted up, surprised. “What are you doing?”
“I asked if you needed help. You nodded. So here I am.” He smiled a devilish smile. “What are you working on?” He reached for Embry’s notebook.
“Baby, no,” Embry said, snatching the notebook from his grasp. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t paying attention when I nodded. You know I don’t want you helping with anything law school related.” She moved away from him. His nearness was distracting.
“Can you at least tell me what you’re working on?” he asked.
“Nope.” She pushed off the blanket with her notebook, but Luke was quick.
He followed, wrapped his arms around her, and tugged her into his chest. His lips grazed the length of her neck, and she couldn’t think straight. She let her head fall to the side, giving him more access, until she realized that his lips had disappeared. He was leaning over her shoulder, trying to peek at her notebook.
She turned and pushed at his chest. “Stop trying to read my briefs! You’ll see it when I hand it in on Monday, Professor.”
“You’re working on contracts? Oh, now I really want to see,” he teased.
Luke made a grab for the notebook, but Embry darted away. He chased her and caught her around the waist. He dug his fingers into her hips, tickling her. She shrieked, twisted out of his grasp, and ran toward the dining room. Standing behind the table, elbows on the back of a chair, she caught her breath and waited for him to make his move. A predatory look took over his features as he came at her. She ran back into the living room, skidded over the carpet, and flew onto the couch. She hopped up and down, wagging her hips and holding the notebook above her head.
Luke laughed and jogged into the living room. He bent over, his hands on his knees, making a ridiculous show of being out of breath. She knew better. He didn’t get that body going for light jogs. She continued to hop up and down, shaking her hips and taunting him until she realized that he’d stopped smiling. His bright eyes were dark with desire. She forgot what she was doing as she watched Luke stalk toward her. Before she knew it, she was thrown over his shoulder.
“Luke! Put me down!” She kicked the air and smacked at his ass. At least it’s not a bad view.
Without warning, he tossed her onto the blankets in front of the fireplace, peeled off his shirt, and hovered above her. “You don’t know what you do to me,” he said, his mouth coming down on hers possessively.
“Turn you into a caveman, apparently,” she murmured against his lips. “You forgot to club me over the head, though.”
“I missed my halftime show.” His hands snaked under her jersey and traveled up her rib cage.
A smart answer was on the tip of her tongue, but all thoughts left her mind as Luke’s hands brushed the bottoms of her breasts. She sucked in a breath as he slid his hands behind her and unclasped her bra. Then the jersey was pulled up and over her head. His lust-filled eyes took her in before he hooked his thumbs into her panties and dragged them off of her. Before she could set her legs back down, he spread them wide and kissed a path up her inner thighs. His fingers slid inside of her, and Embry whimpered, pushing against his palm, needing so much more. He curved his fingers inside of her as his mouth came down, licking and sucking. Her back bowed as the unexpected release barreled through her. Holy shit.
Before she could get her bearings, he gripped her roughly and flipped her over. Pulling on her hips, he brought her to her knees, and she felt the heat of his body as he leaned over her, trailing kisses down her spine.
She heard his belt buckle as he undid his jeans, and then he was pushing inside her, stretching and filling her. She wasn’t sure if she could take him in that position. She was overwhelmed by him, consumed. Luke gripped her hips, slamming into her at a feverish pace. Each time they made love, she saw a different side of him, but she liked the rough, demanding side of him the most. His hand left her hip, and his palm came down on her ass, the sound echoing through the room. The sharp sting of his hand combined with his hard thrusts caused her to clench around him and threw her spiraling into another intense release. She let out a soft cry as he buried himself deep inside her and came with a shout.
Luke slowly eased out of her, wrapped the blanket around them and pulled her against his chest.
Embry snuggled closer. “If this is what I can look forward to, I might have to start rooting for a Bulldog win every Saturday,” she joked.
He smiled, brushing her sweat-dampened hair from her forehead. “I’ve never seen a Gator jersey look so good, baby.”
26
One week rolled into the next as Luke and Embry fell into a comfortable pattern. They rarely spent a night apart. Embry, having no other choice, got over her discomfort in class, and they continued as professor and student while at school. The only difference was that their research meetings took place at Luke’s home office so they could properly take advantage of Embry’s “study breaks.”
Outside of time with Luke, Embry spent all of her time with Jeremy and their new study buddy, Tessa. The three had finalized all of their outlines and were preparing for finals. Embry still felt uneasy around Tessa, but Jeremy seemed to like her. Embry was determined to give her a chance.
Embry sat in the passenger seat of Luke’s Rover as they cruised down the highway on the way to the Hamptons. She was on Thanksgiving break, which gave her a few days to recharge before finals began. She was lost in her thoughts as she stared out the window and watched the Pine Barrens go by in a blur. Butterflies kicked up a storm in her stomach the closer they got to her parents’ house. She hadn’t brought anyone home since Jack.
When she’d called her parents and asked if she could bring her boyfriend to Thanksgiving, they tried to hide the surprise in their voices. She’d been avoiding her parents since her mother had called about Jack. She gave them short conversations here or there, always making the excuse that she had to get back to studying. She hadn’t even told them she’d been seeing someone, and then she sprung him on them. They’d handled it well though, welcoming Luke without asking too many questions. She and Luke only planned on staying a day or two since she had to get back to study for finals, but she was excited to show him her hometown and spend some time with her family.
Luke pulled into her driveway a while later. “Nice place.”
Embry felt warmth envelope her at the sight of her childhood home. It was nice. It was a modest log cabin, set back from the road and surrounded by acres of land. She was flooded with memories as she sat staring out the windshield. When she’d run from Jack, she’d run from everything else too, including her loving and supportive parents. She didn’t know why she could never bring herself to tell them about Jack. She wasn’t sure if she was afraid of ruining their image of him or of her. She’d grown up surrounded by love, and she was ashamed that she’d fallen into an abusive relationship. Would her parents think less of her that she’d let someone treat her so poorly? Would they be angry that she kept it from them? She knew she needed to talk to them—and Luke—about Jack, but Thanksgiving was hardly the time or the place.
Luke ran his fingers down her cheek, recapturing her attention. “Ready, baby?”
Embry nodded. “I’m nervous.”
Luke leaned in to place a soft kiss on her lips. “I’ve got you.”
They’d talked multiple times about how they’d handle his profession with her parents. To put it simply, they were going to lie. Luke had been against the idea at first. He was willing to sacrifice their opinion of him and tell them the truth—hoping they’d respect him more for that—but Embry knew her parents wouldn’t overlook the fact that she was dating her professor. She and Luke had enough on their plate; the last thing they needed was to involve her parents. If it was up to him, he would’ve waited to meet her parents until they were no longer in their compromising situation, but he made it clear that if she wanted him at Thanksgiving, he’d be there. Somehow, even though he was the one who would be under scrutiny, he was reassuring her.
Luke walked around the car, helped her out, and tucked her into his side to shield her from the cold. White smoke curled out of the chimney, the smell of wood burning carrying on the breeze, and Embry was anxious to get out of the wintery weather and warm up with her family.
She stepped through the front door, Luke close behind her, and saw her mother coming down the hallway to greet them. Her mother was beautiful, but Embry looked nothing like her. Celia Jacobs was tall and willowy with rich brown hair. Embry had inherited only her height and her thick hair.
Her mother wiped her hands on her apron. “Come in, come in.”
The house smelled delicious, a mix of turkey, stuffing, and mulled spices. “It smells great in here, Mom,” Embry said as her mother pulled her into her arms.
“Oh, it’s so good to see you, sweetie,” her mother cooed.
“You too, Mom.” Embry felt as though she was five years old again. Extracting herself from her mother’s arms, she turned to introduce Luke and found her mother’s eyes already on him.
“You must be Luke,” her mother said with a smile.
“Mrs. Jacobs,” Luke said in his sexy southern rasp, bending to kiss her mother on the cheek. “Pleasure to meet you.”
Her mother swooned. “So nice to meet you, Luke. Please call me Celia.”
Embry chuckled to herself. That was easy.
“Is that my daughter?” her father’s voice called from the kitchen.
“Yes, Dean, they’re here!” her mother called. “Give me your coats and go say hi to your father.”
Handing off their jackets, Embry grabbed Luke and headed for the kitchen.
Her father spotted them, pulled off his apron, and pulled Embry into an embrace. “How’s my girl?” He held her out to give her the once-over.
“Good, Dad.” She motioned toward Luke. “Dad, this is my boyfriend, Luke.”
Luke approached and stuck his hand out to shake her father’s. “Sir.”
“Hello, Luke.” Her father gave Luke’s hand a solid shake. “Dean Jacobs. Nice to meet you.”
“You too, Mr. Jacobs. Thank you for having me.”
Her father nodded and turned back to Embry. He was a handsome man, tall, and still in good shape for his age. He had salt-and-pepper hair and wore thick-framed glasses. As far as features went, Embry was his spitting image. They had identical coloring, and she shared his nose and eyes, including the bright green color. She also mirrored his humor and personality.
“Why don’t you go help your mother finish setting the table and give me a few minutes to get to know Luke here?” He directed his attention back to Luke. “Do you know your way around a kitchen, son?”
“Yes, sir, I do.”
Embry smiled. She glanced at Luke, making sure he was comfortable. He gave her a wink, and she set off to help her mother.
* * *
Luke and Embry settled in at the dining room table as Embry’s mother poured some wine and her father carved the turkey. It would be a quiet Thanksgiving, just the four of them. Embry’s aunt and uncle alternated every other year with their families, and that was the off year. She was glad to have the time with just Luke and her parents. It would’ve been a bit overwhelming introducing him to the extended family as well. They chatted idly while they ate.
“Do I hear a bit of a southern accent, Luke? Where are you from?” Celia asked.
A slight blush stained Luke’s cheeks. “Yes, ma’am. I’m from Savannah, Georgia.”
“Oh! Savannah! Did you hear that, Dean?” her mom asked, pulling her father into the conversation. “We drove down to visit Embry a few times when she was at the University of Florida, and we always stopped in Savannah. We love it there. Beautiful town.”
“Yes, it is,” Luke said. He turned toward Embry with a smile and placed his hand on her thigh. “Have you been?”
His touch warmed her. She loved that he wasn’t afraid to show her affection in front of her family. “Nope. I hear it’s a great town.”
He nodded. “We’ll have to visit.”
She beamed at him, thrilled at the idea of visiting his hometown and meeting his family.
Her parents kept him talking about Savannah for quite some time. After that, they asked Luke all about his family. The conversation was nice and relaxed, until her father decided to go in for the kill.
“So what is it that you do, Lucas? You don’t mind if I call you Lucas, do you?”
“I don’t mind at all, sir. I’m an attorney.”
“Did you two meet through the law school?” her mother chimed in.
The interrogation had officially begun. Embry was glad that Luke seemed so comfortable because she was squirming in her seat.
“Yes, ma’am,” he said. “I stopped in to meet with a colleague, and Embry and I literally ran into each other in the hallway.”
“Oh, that’s nice,” her mother commented. “What kind of law do you practice?”
“A little bit of everything, really. I’m building a general practice in the Gold Coast area. I handle a lot of real estate, along with some bankruptcy and estate planning.”
“That sounds interesting,” said her mother.
Luke nodded. “It keeps me on my toes.”
“How old are you, if you don’t mind my asking?” Embry’s father pried.
“Thirty-one,” Luke answered.
“And do you usually make a habit of hitting on younger law students?”
“Dean!” her mother gasped.
“Dad!” Embry said at the same time.
The only indication that the question bothered Luke was the slight tightening of his hand on her thigh. He looked her father dead in the eye as he answered. “No, sir, I don’t make a habit out of picking up students at the law school. But as I’m sure you’re aware, your daughter is pretty special. After running into her on several occasions, I couldn’t help but want to spend more time around her.”
Embry’s father smiled and winked at Luke. “See?” He gestured toward Embry and her mother. “Good man. Honest answer.”
“Glad you think so, sir,” Luke responded.
“You can cut the ‘sir’ crap now, too, son. Call me Dean.”
“Okay, Dean,” he said with a smile.
Embry rolled her eyes and let out the breath she had been holding. Her mother did the same.
* * *
Luke helped Embry clear the table, and her mother began washing the dishes. Luke was heading out of the kitchen to keep her father company, but he spun around and looked at Embry, eyes wide.
“I almost forgot!” he said, reaching into his pocket for his keys.
“Forgot what?”
“I picked up a little something special.” He was grinning like a kid on Christmas.
“You did?” She couldn’t help but smile at his giddiness. “When?
“When you were in class the other day. I took a little day trip.”
“What? Where?”
“Be right back.” He twirled his keys around his finger and shot her a wink.
“Frustrating man,” she mumbled.
“He’s very handsome,” her mother whispered. “And he clearly adores you, honey.”
“You think so?” Embry grabbed a dishtowel and began to dry the dishes her mother had washed.
“I know so. The way that man looks at you, well … it’s the way your father looked at me when we first started dating.”
That made Embry smile. The majority of her friends’ parents were divorced, but her parents were happily married and going on thirty years. She always joked about how gross it was, but she hoped to find a love like that. One to last through years, tears, and fears, someone to share it all with. She didn’t want to think too far into the future—she knew they had a lot on their plates already—but she was starting to hope that maybe Luke could be that person.
“You seem so … happy.” Her mother was hesitant, as if she thought that pointing out Embry’s happiness would spook her.
Embry had kept her parents—and everyone else for that matter—at arm’s length since she left New York, but had she really kept herself so closed off that her mother was scared of pushing her too much? “I am, Mom.” She put down the dish she was drying and pulled her mother in for a hug. “I’ve missed you and Dad. I’m sorry I’ve been so distant.”
Her mother began to shake it off, probably about to blame it on school, but Embry saw something shift in her eyes, a decision not to brush it under the rug like they’d done for so long. “Whatever it was, we’re just glad to have you back, sweetheart.”
Embry had never wanted to tell her mom about Jack … until that moment. “Mom, I—”
Luke interrupted them, walking back in with a square bakery box in his hands. She’d recognize the logo on that box anywhere. He’d gone to the best pie shop on Long Island. People drove from far and wide just to get their pies for Thanksgiving.
“You didn’t!” Embry was completely stunned by Luke’s thoughtfulness.
Luke nodded. “I heard they’re the best. I took a ride out there to check them out.”
“What kind?” Embry pulled the box from Luke’s hand, set it on the counter, and pre-heated the oven.
He gave her a devious grin. “Guess.”
Before she had the chance, her mother opened the box. “Oh! Pecan pie! This looks delicious, Luke! Thank you!”
Embry rolled her eyes dramatically but couldn’t hide her smile. “Could you be anymore southern?” She loved how sweet he was but couldn’t resist giving him a hard time.
Celia pushed past her and set the pie in the oven. “Ignore my rude, teasing daughter, Luke. It was very thoughtful. Dean just loves pecan pie. Why don’t you go relax and we’ll get everything set in here.”
“Thanks, Celia.” Luke headed out of the kitchen, but as he passed Embry, he brushed his lips against her cheek. “I’ll show you just how southern I can get later, baby.” He left Embry in the kitchen with her mother, blushing furiously.
* * *
Embry and Luke snuggled on her parents’ big leather couch, sipping spiced cider and warming up in front of the fire. She was stuffed and content. Her parents seemed to like Luke, and he appeared comfortable around them. Her father and Luke had just begun a discussion about fishing spots when the doorbell rang.
“Did you invite someone over, Embry?” her father asked.
“You know I always extend an invite to Morgan, but she and Brett were going to spend time with their families. She told me she’d call if they were stopping by.”
Her father looked over at his wife, who sat quietly, awkwardly. “I’ll get the door,” he said, heading toward the front of the house.
Embry’s mother stood and smoothed her sweater, an uncomfortable look on her face. “I seem to have made a bit of a mess of things.”
“What are you talking about, Mom?”
Her mother gave a sheepish smile and shrugged. “Remember I left you that message a few weeks ago? You know, about Jack?”
