Page 88 of Where Dreams Begin

“Those guys in the tan car over there are creeping me out. Why are they watching us?”

“They’re looking for suspects,” Luke responded, “but they’re in the wrong place, so they’re wasting their time and the taxpayers’ money. Now, what would you and Charlie like to paint?”

“We’re just hanging out here. I’m going to help Polly when we get to the flowers at the bottom. Polly’s real good with flowers.”

“Is that a fact?” Luke grabbed Catherine’s beach chair and carried it across the yard to where she usually sat. “Just make yourself comfortable, and I’ll try and stay out of your way. I brought donuts for the kids. Who’s ready for a break?”

Catherine watched as Luke produced a couple of cardboard boxes filled with donuts, and the kids all gathered around to grab one. Nick slapped Luke on the back and leaned close to whisper something that made Luke laugh, and Catherine was certain it must have been about her. If she knew Luke, which she did, he would tolerate such playful teasing today, but on Monday, it would be business as usual, and he’d demand the respect they both deserved.

The weather was beautiful, clear and yet not too warm, and if she just admired the mural and the kids’ ambition to complete it, it was a perfect morning. It was only when her glance drifted toward Luke, which was often, that she longed for so much more.

That night Catherine and Luke ate a mesquite wood-fired pizza and went to an off-beat romantic comedy which had gotten excellent reviews. It was a lighthearted evening, and she wanted it to end that way. She kissed Luke as soon as they’d come through her front door and did so with an enthusiasm that convinced him he’d been missed.

He ran his fingers through her hair to hold her close and returned her kiss with equal fervor before pulling away. “Hey,” he whispered. “I’m sorry about last night, but you must have learned by now I’m never angry for long.”

“True, but I don’t like your being angry at all. It frightens me.”

He rested his forehead against hers. “Don’t forget that upon occasion, you’ve been equally angry with me.”

“True, but that’s different.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know, it just is.” She began to unbutton his shirt, and just as she’d hoped, one luscious kiss swiftly followed another. She leaned into him, savoring his every caress, as though love were a spell to be woven with pleasure, while he’d already captured her heart.

She ran her hand over his hairy chest and circled his nipples with her fingertips. “You have a handsome build, much better than those muscular monsters on the WWE.”

“What if I hurt a knee, couldn’t run and pudged up to two hundred pounds?”

She slid her hands around his waist. “We’d have to find another exercise to keep you in shape, maybe Pilates or yoga.”

“You’d keep me company?”

“Hmm. It might be fun, if you made it worth my while.”

“If I started now, could I build up some credits?”

“Are you suggesting a Sex Bank?” She muffled her giggles against his shoulder.

“Why not?” He dipped his head to nibble her earlobe.

She quickly removed her hoop earrings. “Too much paperwork.”

“Not if we kept a tally on the computer.”

She was quiet a long moment. “As goofy as it sounds, with the right infomercial, we might be able to sell a Sex Bank program on late night TV.”

Luke laughed so hard he had to cling to her to keep standing. “God, woman, I thought I’d forgotten how to laugh, but you’re a hell of a lot better than a therapist.”

She gave him a playful punch to the gut. “Hey, I’m serious here. Let’s go upstairs and work on ideas for the infomercial.”

He kept his arm around her as they climbed the stairs. “Who’s going to take notes?”

“Too early for that yet. Now I’m thinking a kiss ought to be worth only a point or two, while going down on a woman could have a sliding scale.”

As they entered her bedroom, Luke nearly tore off his clothes and hers too. “Do I get points for effort?”

“Bonus points?” She loved being able to make him laugh and tickled him as she pulled him down on the bed.

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