Page 59 of Loyally, Luke
He tilted his head, studying her, a sudden wariness rising in his chest. “What do you want to say, but aren’t?”
Her shoulders drooped. “We can’t keep acting on these feelings.”
He shrugged. “Seems a shame to waste ’em, Ellie.”
Her smile flickered afresh but she shook her head. “But how will this work out between us? Do you plan to move here?”
No, he didn’t. Not at all. The scenery was beautiful and the village was growing on him too, but he knew where home was, and Skymar wasn’t it. His parents needed him within driving distance, not so far away it would take two days to get home.
He kept silent.
“And I don’t plan to leave.” She sighed. “So the best thing would be to accept what we cannot have and, perhaps, embrace the friendship we can for the remainder of your time here.”
Her eyes were the most startling shade of blue.
“That would probably be best.”
She nodded, some of the fight in her expression dimming as she stared up at him. “And much easier,” she whispered.
“That too.”
She tugged him right into another kiss, which didn’t seem to settle her mind because she pushed away almost immediately. “This isn’t working.”
“Feels like it’s working pretty well to me.”
She rolled her eyes. “You’re not helping at all.” And then a pucker creased her brow as she looked back up at him, almost pleading. “I do care about you, Luke, and if our lives were different, I’d risk about anything to explore what a future between us could hold, but I can’t do that. We don’t have that sort of choice.”
He understood the dilemma. He’d thought about it too, and he wasn’t the sort of guy who made plans with a woman half-heartedly, so the fact that he wanted to continue learning more about her, bantering with her, and most definitely kissing her, meant he knew good and well he was putting his heart in danger.
And people always have a choice.
“Ellie, I’m trying to decide what would be worse—being near you and not acting on my feelings for the next two months, or enjoying what we can while we can, then figuring out the rest as we can.”
Her golden brow rose. “Almost poetic?”
He growled and pulled her into another kiss.
“No, no.” She pushed away again and this time succeeded in creating distance. “We can’t do this. I mean it. And you’ll understand once I tell you the truth.”
His whole body stilled. Truth?
He waited, crossing his arms to have something to do with them now that she’d left them.
She closed her eyes, as if bracing herself, and then looked back at him. “I don’t usually have to tell people this, because they usually already know, so... this is new for me.” Her voice shook a little and he edged a step closer. “And at first I didn’t tell you because I didn’t think it mattered since I didn’t expect to start really caring for you.” Shepaused and rubbed her palms together in front of her. “But now... it does matter. And I should have told you sooner, as soon as I realized I was beginning to care for you, but I was selfish and didn’t want things to change between us. It was wonderful being known as just me for a change.”
“I don’t follow.” He shook his head, a chill slicing through him. “Are you married?”
Her eyes shot wide. “No, though my parents wish I were, particularly from their extensive lists of choices.”
“They have a list?” He blinked, trying to piece her reaction and words together. “That sounds like my sister Josephine.”
“I think my parents’ list may look a bit different than your sister’s.”
He tilted his head, studying her. “So... I’m not on this list, I’d guess.”
“How could you be? They don’t even know you.” She placed her hand on his arm.
“We can change that.” He’d met parents before. Some could be intimidating or downright crazy, but not enough to turn him away from the right woman. “In fact, I’d like to meet your parents.”
