In Love by Design (The Adventures of Anabel Axelrod) Read online

  Luke’s face went slack with astonishment when I shouted, but only for a second. He cupped me by both upper arms, raised me up to my knees and pulled me closer.

  He snarled in my face, “So that’s it? Now you’re punishing me for not calling by wanting to run home? How like a woman,” he mocked with a short laugh. “I didn’t taint the gift giving process, you little idiot!”

  Staring into the glittering eyes in front of me, it was my turn to be astonished. “Me punishing you? I’m the one being punished! First, you don’t call me until I start to hope you’re in a hospital, and then you insult our love with a groveling gift,” I spat in disgust, “as if I’d rather have a gift than hear from you! Next, you act like an ass. You leave me no choice but to go home rather than be with you when I’ve missed you so much! How the hell is that you being punished?” I pushed out with my forearms to knock his hands off my shoulders. “I’m an idiot? You’re the biggest idiot that’s ever walked the earth and I want to go. Stop it! Quit laughing, you damn ass...! I don’t want to be kissed!”

  Furious at his amusement, I was slapping at Luke’s grasping hands like we were two grade-schoolers playing a fast game of patty-cake. I was also twisting my head to avoid his kisses. He easily overpowered me, and that only made me madder. Holding my wrists in one hand, Luke pulled me completely across the console with an arm around my waist, but was careful to keep me on my knees. I attempted to head butt him over his shouts of laughter.

  When he finally had me plastered against his chest, Luke held me close for a while with neither of us speaking. I stopped struggling only because I knew my skunky smell had to be assaulting him just as effectively as a smack to his big head.

  Yes, I totally agree it appeared I may have lost it on the control side of things, but as a leader in my bookstore, I often showed my employees how passionate I was over my love of books. My honesty allowed them to open up and tell me how they truly felt, since they’re pretty sure by that point that they couldn’t be stranger than me. To date, I’ve never shoved any of my staff, but I have been known to clutch an arm in excitement when discovering a mutual admiration for a writer.

  Luke’s voice was quiet at my temple, all traces of amusement wiped away. “Anabel, sweetheart, I’m sorry for my answer. Just listen to me a minute, okay? Let me explain why I didn’t call. Can I explain?”

  “I don’t know, can you?” Giving my wrists a shake in his hand, I said, “Let me go.”

  Releasing my hands, he glided both of his up my back in a soothing rhythm. “Put your arms around my neck.”

  “It will be my pleasure, if you don’t mind being strangled.” I answered sweetly, not moving my arms up from my sides.

  “I don’t mind at all, but we can do that some other time,” Luke replied smoothly and his voice lowered, “and it will be our mutual pleasure.”

  My eyes widened at his provocative words and I’m instantly intrigued. Anytime Luke has promised me something in that sexy tone in the past, I have absolutely loved it.

  I was currently kneeling in the front seat of my boyfriend’s truck with my face being smooshed against the leather jacket covering his chest. He has not explained one blasted thing to my satisfaction, so it’s a little unnerving to want to blow his behavior off and sink down on his rock hard leg that I was straddling between my thigh-highs. It took me a few seconds to pay attention to his next words because all the blood had gone from my head down to my cha-cha. Luckily, he can’t see my white face.

  “I want you to know that I’ve missed you, too.” He laughed shortly again, but this time without the nasty mocking undertone. “Very much.”

  “You don’t sound happy. Why is missing me a bad thing, Luke?”

  He moved restlessly under my cheek. I leaned back to look at his face and we were at the same height with me on my knees. At his brooding expression, I relented and put my arms around his neck. I hugged him in silent encouragement.

  “It’s not a bad thing, just different. Extremely different.”

  I ran my fingers up the back of his neck and through his short hair. Luke’s hands stilled on my back and he closed his eyes when I lightly used my nails against his scalp. I gently massaged his head and neck.

  “Different how?”

  Luke made a sound of pleasure in his throat and let his forehead fall forward to rest on my shoulder. “Princess, we both fell fast and hard to this crazy attraction between us. We’re getting to know each other and get the important stuff, but there’s a lot of history over the years that we’ve never talked about. I’ve been single forever and not to brag, but there’s been quite a few women during this time. I haven’t been much better than John when it comes to relationships.” He laughed softly into my neck and added wryly, “Although, I’d like to think I’m not as hated by half the female population of the world. My nomadic Army career was a factor, but that doesn’t change the end result. In the past with women, once we were done in bed, I was ready to hit the road and I’ve never pretended otherwise.”

  Luke tightened his arms around me, as if he thought I may hit the road. I don’t know if I stiffened unconsciously, but he couldn’t be more wrong. This was way too interesting.

  When I say I know men, it doesn’t mean I always understand how their brains work, or in some instances, how it doesn’t work.

  Generally speaking, I can only assume men must impress each other when they speak about the volume of women they’ve casually fucked because I don’t believe the concept excites most women. It’s not as if quantity automatically equates quality, or guarantees ability.

  Not once had any of my friends ever pined over a man they’ve had for one night. Not once have I ever heard a woman say, “Oh, I want to go to bed with that man because he’s nailed five hundred different women and I want me a poke by that crazy-busy penis!”

  To my way of thinking, no matter their act of humbleness, bragging men proudly wear their indiscriminate promiscuity like a Boy Scout wears a merit badge of honor.

  ‘Hmm, although I suppose this simile is super unfair to Boy Scouts. At least they have to have an adult sign off that they’ve earned the right to wear their badges.’

  Mean mommy and the sex kitten voices giggled.

  I was not describing Luke Drake, since he’s unapologetically lying down factual groundwork. I was sure he’d have no problem getting a whole platoon of signatures verifying that he’d put quality time into deserving his merit badge of debauchery.

  As if to underscore my thoughts, I felt the whisper of a kiss at a sensitive spot I didn’t know existed, right at the base of my throat.

  I felt another, fuller touch of his lips. “With you it’s been different from the start, but I’m not going to lie. Something happened to me these last two weeks after I left you that I’m not proud to admit.”

  Lifting his head, Luke met my slumberous eyes and said bluntly, “I’ve never committed to a woman. I got cold feet at the thought of what you’ve come to mean to me and how I need you.” He shrugged and his full lips curled with a self-deprecating smile. “So what does a grown man do when his back’s against the wall?”

  My knuckle followed the raspy black stubble down along his cheekbone. “Hmm, I’m assuming that’s rhetorical?”

  This close to his eyes, I could see the gradient colors of green. Tonight, they range from flecks of silvery sea green to the darkest moss. I loved how they were vividly accentuated by the surrounding thick black eyelashes and slashing brows.

  He grinned. “That’s correct; we revert to acting like an immature jerk to prove the opposite. By staying away and not calling, I managed to prove that I could,” his voice went almost inaudible, “but you were always on my mind.”

  In spite of being relieved that Luke’s opening up and telling me why he’s ignored me these last weeks, I frowned at the thought that wouldn’t go away. I cupped my Dark Prince’s cheeks in my hands while I stared into his beautiful eyes.

  Even to my own ears my voice sounded small when I asked
, “Doesn’t it make you happy to love me?”

  Luke turned his head to press a long kiss on my palm before looking back at me. “That’s the problem, Anabel,” his smile was rueful, “for the first time in my life, I’m so happy it scares the shit out me.”

  “Oh, Luke,” I answered on a little laugh. “You are so singing to the choir on this one.”

  Luke arched a brow and his smile slowly grew. “Oh yeah, Sweetheart? You’re that happy, too?”

  I moved closer at that arched brow and replied truthfully, “That scared!”

  We both laughed a little. Our laughter dissolved into soft smiles and then those faded while we continued to stare at each other. It didn’t seem like either of us moved, but our lips touched and we shared a long, soulful kiss. Luke’s slow kisses are drugging, his lips wonderfully warm and gentle. I understood the word addiction, as I slipped deeper under the spell of his mouth and lost myself in his arms. The remaining issues on my mind dissolved like mist under the heat of the sun. We sucked and licked at each other’s mouths, our tongues wielded like loving instruments of sensuous torture. He made me hunger for more, and I couldn’t get close enough to him, moving my hips to the rhythm of his kisses.

  Luke pulled back and I reluctantly lifted my lashes to see his tender smile and hot gaze. Things got a little wild after that.

  My boyfriend flipped up my short skirt and ripped my already ruined teddy apart at the crotch. Hot from his kisses, I moaned in arousal at the feel of his hands moving against me, and then moaned louder in denial when he removed them to quickly unfasten his jeans.

  Luke kissed my neck and murmured soothingly, “Hang on, Princess.”

  Holding me high on the hips with both hands, Luke thrust up into my wet warmth, at the same time he pulled me down onto his lap. I stiffened in shock at the abrupt fullness of his evasion, followed almost immediately by an intense rush of delirious pleasure flooding my senses. He didn’t start slow but pumped his hips furiously fast, and I wrapped my arms around his neck to hold on while riding his lap.

  Without altering this driving pace, Luke shifted his angle to go deeper while he captured my stunned, delighted cries with his passionate kisses. This thrust of his cock touched off something deep inside me in another place I never knew existed, but now never want to leave. I sobbed and pleaded something incomprehensible against his lips, and Luke seemed to understand what I desperately needed because he kept kissing me and he kept stroking me right there. I came so unexpectedly and so brilliantly that I felt shattered into a million exploding pieces. It was too overwhelmingly much.

  Dizzily aware of Luke’s triumphant shouting of my name when he held my hips tight down against him and thrust inside me one final time, I fell against his chest in staggered amazement.

  Maybe it was hours or maybe mere seconds, but it was much too soon when Luke’s hands stopped caressing my hips under my skirt and he murmured, “Anabel, let’s go home before you pass out.”

  “Mmm, too late,” I breathed into his neck. “Whoever the Frenchie was that first called it “the little death” should meet your penis in a dark alley. You killed me big time.”

  Drowsily, I smiled at his wicked chuckle full of rich, masculine satisfaction at my confession, and then my head shot up off his shoulder.

  I begged, “Please tell me we didn’t just do it again without a blasted condom!”

  On my knees still, and ignoring the pulling discomfort of splinters at this motion when I hadn’t even noticed them before, I scrambled off his lap. I maneuvered back over the console and into the passenger seat.

  “Okay, I won’t.” Luke was adjusting his jeans and the grin he flashed was fiendish. “But you’d be so cute pregnant with my baby.”

  At my shocked face, he laughed outright. He opened his mouth to reply, but looked past me when there was a light tap on the passenger window behind me. Twirling quickly, I fell back against the console.

  Not able to see anything reflected beyond the glass, I gasped, “Please tell me we didn’t just do it in front of an audience!”

  “I won’t tell you that, either,” Luke replied, still with a trace of laughter in his voice, as he clicked off the dash light.

  He was unperturbed, so I was reassured. It helped when I noticed that he had his gun in hand, held out of sight.

  Lowering the passenger window, Luke bent forward to speak over my shoulder and warned, “This better be good, Webster.”

  “Er…yes, right then.” Dickie took a cautious step closer to the open window.

  He peered in at us, smiling tentatively and then grimaced pathetically at the effort. The Fixer’s plump lips were much fatter and his left eye was swollen shut. “I seem to be having a spot of trouble with the van and seeing as how you’re still here, I was wondering if I could bother you for a lift to the nearest petrol station?”

  “You’re van is out of gas.” Luke stated, without inflection.

  I stole a quick glance at Luke’s stony face and covered my mouth to suppress a giggle.

  Encouraged, Dickie giggled back and answered, “Unhappily, it appears so.”

  He went to make a move, but screamed and jumped back when Luke had the gun aimed at his blonde curly head.

  “Don’t shoot, don’t shoot!” Shuddering, he threw Luke a reproachful look. “Good Lord, I only meant to show Anerbel something!”

  Luke motioned with the gun impatiently, and the irrepressible Fixer smiled in a painful effort once again. Mincing back to the window, he waved the little red gift bag and trilled, “Lookie what Dickie found! Did you drop this little prezzie, Anerbel?”

  Luke and I had not gotten around to resolving the issue of his attempt to taint the gift giving process, but I was sure he understood groveling gifts are not to be tolerated. It wouldn’t be fair to continue taking my anger out on the “little prezzie” that was innocent of any wrongdoing.

  “Thank you, Dickie,” I replied and reached for the handle, but Luke’s long arm beat me to it.

  He yanked the little bag from Dickie’s grasp and slid it inside his jacket into one of those mysterious pockets men always seem to have. “I’ll take that. I don’t want Anabel receiving a tainted gift.”

  “A tainted gift?” Dickie repeated disbelievingly. He drew himself up straight with an offended huff and spoke to me in a tone fulminating with combined sympathy and disgust. “I say, swoony muscles or not, you didn’t strike me as the kind of bird to be shagging a gay basher, Anerbel. For shame, for shame!”

  As much as I should, I couldn’t hold a serious grudge against the odd little lord, he was too funny. Although I still owed him for the needle, the stinking potato sack, and leaving me to freeze, I could wait on my payback.

  So I sighed pitifully.

  “He’s a work in progress, Dickie, but in Luke’s defense, he’s wasn’t referring to you tainting the gift. He’s the one who tried to give me a tainted gift.”

  Dickie’s head swiveled to gawk at Luke in horror, and since one of his puffy eyelids wouldn’t rise, he succeeded. “Well, bloody hell, that’s even worse! Why would a bloke want to give his girl a tainted gift?”

  Luke ground out near my ear, “I did not ruin the gift giving process with a tainted gift!”

  I think Luke was starting to enjoy himself.

  “I vote we tell Dickie the situation and get his unbiased opinion while we give him a lift to a gas station,” I suggested cheerfully, leaning my head slightly back to give Luke a kiss on the cheek.

  “Your Toughness?” Dickie fawned hopefully, as he motioned to the back seat with one puppy-dog eye and a helpless air in Luke’s direction.

  This time it took both hands over my mouth to stifle my giggles.

  Luke shook his head and muttered, “Fucking unbelievable!” Then he turned to Dickie and said, “Okay, you little dickhead, get in.” He put our truck in gear while lowering more windows. “What the hell, now it can smell like a dumpster in here, instead of just a garbage can.”

  Dickie scampered into
the back seat with effusive thanks while I got comfortable again on my left side and teased, “Okay, Dickie, this is what Luke did…”

  “Unbiased?” Luke interrupted, while shooting me an astounded glare that questioned my sanity. He took off down the gravel road and argued his case. “I roughed up this little shit. If he doesn’t come up with the name of the person responsible for hiring him to abduct you in less than twenty-four hours, he’s dead. If he does find the person responsible, I’ll let him live, but he knows I’m still breaking an arm and a leg for touching you in the first place. How can Webster possibly be unbiased?”

  Pressing forward between our seats, Dickie’s voice was full of bonhomie, “Oh, I don’t blame you for knocking me around a bit for abducting the pretty Anerbel and then threatening my life. That’s just good business and nothing personal, right?” His hand hovered in the air somewhere above Luke’s shoulder, as if to give a pat, but he thought better of it and said hurriedly, “The way I see it, Your Worship, you’re a good sport to let me choose which arm and leg you’re busting,” he added with a boastful confidence, “once I locate the soddin’ tosser that’s caused all of our problems tonight.”

  “See, easy-peasy, baby,” I murmured, patting Luke’s thigh while my shoulders shook at the names Dickie was calling my boyfriend and at his ingratiating good cheer.

  Luke’s black look of impending suffering he sent Dickie’s way expressed his opinion loud and clear. As Dickie shrank back with an exaggerated squeal of fright, I leaned my head against the seat and sighed.

  This night had already been so weird that I don’t even bother questioning how it was logically possible that I felt even a modicum of momentary contentment. My kidnapper’s riding happily in the backseat, someone wanted me dead, and Luke was driving with a cruel smirk on his face. He could be plotting to become the next Monsanto in the surrounding counties where I’ve grown up, but yet, I was actually basking in contentment at this very second.