Love or Luxury Read online

  Oh, great. So now he was trying to embarrass her, so he could insult her. Nice.

  "Gee, thanks." She swatted his arm playfully, teasing him back. "Jerk."

  "Hey now," he said, brushing his fingers over her cheek, which had surely turned a deep pink if the heat in her skin was any indication. "I didn't say I didn't like how this clashes with this." His hand moved from stroking her cheek to tangling in her thick, wild hair. He pulled her close, kissing her.

  But his lips didn't linger this time. The kiss was quick but powerful, leaving behind a wake of stirred emotions. Damn. He was a good kisser. He's probably good at other things, too.

  They ate in silence for a few minutes, her glances alternating between Finn and the most amazing sunset she'd ever seen. The hues of deep blue chasing the vibrant orange below the hills on the opposite side of the river took her breath away. Before the last of the light disappeared, Finn got to his feet, abandoning his food, and set to work on building a fire in the pit behind them. Moments later, a fire sprang to life, and he rejoined her on the blanket to watch as the last rays of sunlight disappeared.

  "You were right. The view from here was more incredible than any I've ever seen from one of those fancy rooftop restaurants in the city."

  "The view is especially gorgeous tonight." His voice was soft and quiet. Something about the tone of his voice made her turn to him. He wasn't watching the sunset.

  He was watching her.

  "You're a sweet talker, aren't you?"

  "I tell it how I see it. And I really like what I see tonight."

  The way he looked at her right now, she thought he would kiss her again—hoped he would. Instead, he relaxed back, leaning on one elbow, his free hand tracing a path along her hand and fingers. Each touch from him ignited a new series of tingles, which shot up through her arm. She stayed still for a few minutes, not daring to move for fear of breaking the connection she felt pulsating through them.

  Finn sat up, cleared their plates and then reached into the cooler for another bag. From it, he pulled out marshmallows, chocolate bars, and graham crackers. "Dessert?"

  "Yum. I'm a sucker for chocolate. How did you know?"

  His eyes twinkled in the firelight. "I'm brilliant."

  "Nice. And arrogant, too, I see."

  He skewered a marshmallow on the end of an extendable roasting fork and handed it to her. "Maybe I played the odds and assumed you would love chocolate like most of the women I know."

  Flames licked the underside of her marshmallow as she slowly turned it, making sure all sides cooked evenly. She knew she shouldn't ask but did anyway. "Are there lots of other women in your life?"

  She wasn't going to complain about it if there was. She had Reid in her life, too. So why did the thought of him dating other women make her feel as if she could roast the marshmallow with the heat of her sudden jealousy?

  "Just my mom and a couple of cousins. But they're the biggest chocolate fans you'll ever meet."

  She let out the breath she'd been holding, feeling the tension release from her shoulders with it. It thrilled her to learn he wasn't seeing anyone else. Somehow, the thought of Finn being here, sharing this sunset with another girl really bothered her.

  Please don't ask me about other guys.

  Rebecca didn't want to tell Finn about Reid if she didn't have to, since she technically wasn't in exclusive relationship with either of them. And she'd already vowed to break it off with Finn when things got serious with Reid, so she didn't see any reason to hurt Finn prematurely. They were having fun right now, which was exactly what she needed. Yet a feeling of dishonesty washed over her at the silent omission.

  "Shoot," Rebecca said as her marshmallow caught on fire. As she blew the flame out, revealing the slightly charred remains of what was once a delicious, perfectly-roasted marshmallow, she couldn't help but fear her dating situation might end up the same way.

  Chapter Nine

  Rebecca peeled the blackened outer layer of char off her marshmallow. Finn had offered her his golden brown one, but she refused, appearing lost in her own thoughts.

  Perhaps she wasn't into dates involving roughing it like this. Most girls from the Meadow weren't into dates if they weren't the utmost of luxury, which was one of the many reasons he seldom dated one.

  Of course, most girls from the Meadow didn't work at a diner either. Rebecca contradicted so many of the Meadow's stereotypes, he still had trouble believing she lived there. He'd really thought she'd like this kind of low-key date.

  Or maybe she just wasn't into him anymore.

  Although when he'd kissed her, it had certainly seemed like she was into him. A lot. As if on cue, she took a bite of her s'more and licked the melted chocolate off of her lips.

  He swallowed the groan building in his throat.

  The sun had long since disappeared, and the evening had cooled off considerably, the darkness completely surrounding them outside the light of the fire. But he didn't care what was outside the puddle of firelight. He only cared about the girl within it. The girl who seemed to light a fire inside him. The one who stoked his fire every time she revealed some new piece of herself.

  The girl who had closed in on herself a few minutes ago and hadn't come out of it yet.

  What was she thinking?

  "Coffee?" he asked, opening the thermos he'd filled with fresh, hot coffee while inside the cabin. Another container held individual creamers and packets of sugar.

  "Sure," she said, setting down her marshmallow roaster and accepting the cup he offered. She took a sip without adding anything to it. Her coffee matched her personality—straight up and strong. "You thought of everything tonight."

  "I wanted you to have a good time. I hope you are."

  "Of course I am." She sounded shocked. "This place, the view, the food—the company—it's all been wonderful. Wasn't I sending out that vibe?"

  "You were, but then you got sort of quiet a little while ago, and I thought maybe you were disappointed or cold or bored."

  She shook her head and smiled. "I just got lost in my own thoughts there for a few minutes. It's been a while since I had a chance to just sit and relax and forget about everything else except the moment I'm in. I guess staring at the fire was a little more mesmerizing than I'd thought."

  "I don't get a lot of down time either. Seems I'm always rushing from one meeting to the next. It's nice to sit here and just do nothing. Well, not nothing, we are on a date after all." He looked down at his coffee, feeling as if he'd made the wrong choice in bringing her here tonight. It was too low-key for a second date. But he'd wanted to bring her here before the weather turned cold, and he wasn't able to until it warmed up again in the spring. What if she wasn't interested in him come spring?

  Rebecca shivered and wrapped both hands around her mug of coffee. Maybe it was too cold already.

  "Do you want a blanket? Or if you're too chilly, we can warm up inside the cabin and then head back. I don't want you freezing out here." He set his coffee down and grabbed one of the blankets still folded and set to the side.

  "I am a little chilly now that the sun is gone, but I don't want to leave yet. I really like sitting by the fire… with you."

  Her eyes seemed to glow in the flickering light. Hell, no, he didn't want to go anywhere yet. Being here with her away from the rest of the world and their normal distractions was wonderful, and he didn't want the night to ever end. "You get the blanket and I'll throw another log on the fire."

  He picked another log about the right size to burn for another hour or so and laid it on the fire, careful to not drop it too hard on the other crumbling logs. The last thing he needed was a real fire to put a damper on their evening. When he returned to Rebecca, she'd unfolded the blanket and laid it across her legs. She lifted the edge, motioning for him to join her under it.

  Hell, yes.

  "The view of the stars is amazing out here," she said as he settled in beside her.

  He looked up. She was right. T
he sky was an endless sea of twinkling pinpricks of light. "If we're going to stargaze, we should do it properly," he said.

  He slid his pillows back to the other end of the blanket they sat on and laid back so he could easily stare up at the sky. Rebecca did the same then pulled the blanket up to their chests. In a matter of moments, their combined body heat warmed him.

  Hands folded behind his head, he stared up at the stars. He tried to let his mind drift to wherever it wanted to go. But the only place it wanted to go was to the beautiful woman currently lying beside him under this cozy blanket. He took a deep breath in through his nose and closed his eyes, trying to force the inappropriate thoughts out of his mind. Good thing his hands were trapped under his head, so he wouldn't have to worry about one of them accidentally groping her of its own accord.

  Feeling his heartbeat calm as the ideas about things he could be doing with Rebecca were forced from his mind, he opened his eyes to stare at the stars again. Only, he found himself staring at Rebecca as she hovered over him, her usual wild hair even wilder as it fell forward, framing her face.

  "Hey," he said, unable to think of anything better to say at her unexpected close proximity.

  She didn't reply.

  Staying silent, she ran her index finger down the bridge of his nose as if trying to soothe a small child. Then she outlined his lips. As she did, he sucked in a breath with staggering difficulty. His heart pounding in his chest made it feel as if he'd never be able to breath easily again. At least, not with Rebecca so close.

  Then she replaced her finger with her lips, kissing him so softly it took all his control not to grab her and press her to him. Her tongue brushed against his closed lips, and he opened his mouth for her, letting her in, practically begging her for more.

  Finally, after what felt like a million agonizing minutes later, her kiss grew more intense, her need and desire for him showing. His own need and desire for her overpowered him, and he wrapped his arms around her, pressing her body against his.

  Time passed as she kissed him, his head spinning out of control at the things she made him feel. When she pulled away and rested her head on his chest, the fire had burned down to a low, intense smolder, the coals red with heat, but no flame. Although he knew that with a little extra kindling and a little stoking, he could bring it back to raging in only a few moments.

  Sort of how his body felt at that moment.

  "The fire's gone again," she said softly from her place cuddled in beside him.

  He stroked his hands up and down her back and arms, rubbing warmth into her. But even he could feel the chill in the air and knew it would soon be almost too cold to ride home on his motorcycle.

  "I think it's time to head back."

  Rebecca sat up and gathered up the stuff lying on the blanket, putting it carefully back into the cooler. Together they folded the blankets and carried everything back to the cabin. Once it was all put inside and the cabin was locked up, they headed back to the bike for the drive home.

  Finn took Rebecca's hand in his as they walked, the moon their only light along the way. Her hand felt like ice in his. "I'm sorry I brought you out here tonight. I guess I need to accept it's not summer anymore."

  Rebecca stopped and put her arms around his waist, settling in against him like it had always been her place. "I don't know how many times I have to tell you this, but I loved it out here. I'm happy you brought me. What do I need to do to convince you that this date was perfect?"

  He started to respond, but she kissed him before he could. Wrapping his arms around her, he wondered if he'd ever get tired of her kisses. Probably not. They were amazing. She was amazing.

  "But," she said, pulling back to look him in the eye with a serious expression on her face, "since you're so concerned about it and since my hands actually are freezing, I think you're going to have to pay the price."

  "What price? Anything."

  "Remember that in a minute."

  He had no idea what she meant until they'd settled themselves back onto his motorcycle—when her hands slid under his jacket and shirt and pressed against his warm stomach. He yelped. Her hands were like ice cubes on his skin.

  She giggled behind him.

  As she gently rubbed her hands against him, his skin burned with the fire of arousal. It didn't matter if her hands were hot or cold, just so long as she touched him. As they started on the long drive back to the Meadow, he sighed, knowing the trip would be over before he was ready to end their date.

  * * * *

  Rebecca signed for the package the UPS driver handed her. She hadn't even been up long enough to grab a coffee yet, and already she was getting another mysterious package. What would it be this time?

  Closing the door, she carefully tore open the small padded envelope. Inside, held a small bright blue box—Tiffany's.

  Interesting.

  She hadn't ordered anything from Tiffany's, and it wasn't her birthday or any other special occasion. So who would send her something? She peeked back into the envelope and pulled out a note card.

  To my dearest Rebecca,

  Mine belongs to you.

  XOXO Reid.

  Okay. Cryptic.

  Rebecca removed the lid of the small box and found a little blue bag inside. Tugging the cinched bag open, she tipped it to let the contents spill out. A silver bracelet with a silver heart charm fell into her palm.

  His heart belongs to me.

  Uneasiness settled in her chest as she looked at the charm. Her heart definitely didn't feel as if it was swelling with love at the gesture. It was incredibly sweet of him to give her this gift, but the sentiment behind it seemed a touch immature.

  Had they even gone out enough times to warrant a statement like that? Were his feelings now rekindled by the feelings they'd had for each other in the past? Were hers? Were those feelings for him she'd clung to over the years still there now that she had him back?

  She put on the bracelet and stared at it dangling from her wrist. The charm was beautiful and obviously meaningful. If only she knew how she felt about Reid, maybe she'd be happier receiving the gift.

  They hadn't really seen each other since their date at Luna, and they hadn't spoken on the phone much either. Maybe that was why she still wasn't clear about how she felt for him. She loved that he spoiled her and made her feel special. But she needed more actual face time with him to rekindle the deep feelings he seemed to already have.

  Feelings like the ones she felt every time Finn sent her a little text to say hello, or he was thinking of her, or he couldn't wait to see her again.

  She rubbed the charm, thinking about Reid. He was incredibly sweet, and she'd loved him when they'd been an item in high school. But did she really still love him like she thought she did? Maybe she hadn't spent enough time around him yet for her feelings to really blossom. Maybe his feelings for her had sparked faster than hers had.

  She needed to see him again. To talk to him. To thank him in person for his generous, thoughtful, and romantic gift.

  * * * *

  "I'd like to see Dr Harper, please." Rebecca smiled sweetly at the receptionist.

  She could be my employee one day if I marry Reid.

  "Do you have an appointment?"

  "No. I don't need to see him for a checkup or anything. I only need to speak to him for a few minutes."

  "I'm sorry, miss, but the doctor doesn't see patients without an appointment. If you'd like to schedule something, I can fit you in two weeks from tomorrow."

  "But I'm not a patient. I need to speak to him. It won't take long." Rebecca tucked her hair behind her ear and tried her best not to scowl at the grouch behind the counter. How hard was it to talk to Reid for one second to thank him?

  "I'm sorry. I—"

  "Just tell him Rebecca is here to speak to him and see what he says," Rebecca said quickly before the woman could finish her sentence.

  "All patients need an appointment," the receptionist said firmly.

 
"I'm not a patient. I'm his girlfriend."

  And I'm going to get your ass fired if you don't hurry up and get me into his office.

  Was she his girlfriend? Was it okay to say that to his employee? Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't, but she wasn't leaving without saying thank you to Reid for the beautiful bracelet he'd given her.

  The receptionist eyed her up and down for a moment before huffing and walking around the counter. "This way," she said not looking at Rebecca as she walked away. She stopped at the door at the end of the hall. "Wait here. The doctor will be with you in a moment."

  So the receptionist was too bitchy to acknowledge her as Reid's girlfriend. She was probably jealous Rebecca was the one dating the doctor instead of her.

  A few minutes later, Rebecca heard Reid's voice somewhere down the hall telling a patient to call him if there was any adverse reaction to the new medication. A moment later, he strolled into the office, closing the door behind him.

  "What seems to be the problem, sweetheart? Are you feeling unwell?"

  The concern in his voice over her well-being warmed her. Such a genuinely sweet man.

  "I'm feeling fine. No need to worry about me," she started.

  "Then what's this about?" he asked, looking at his watch.

  Was that annoyance she heard in his tone? Where'd the warm concern go?

  "I-I wanted to come by and say thank you for the beautiful bracelet you had delivered this morning. It's so sweet of you, but you really didn't have to."

  "You came down here, harassed my receptionist for an appointment, and took time away from my real patients, all so you could say thank you?"

  Well, when he put it that way.

  "I—" Her voice came out meek, intimidated, and embarrassed. Obviously, he was annoyed at her actions. "I wanted you to know I loved the bracelet. That's all. It seemed too beautiful to say thank you over the phone, but I didn't mean to interrupt your day."

  "Good. I'm glad you like it, sweetheart," he said. The annoyance in his voice dissipated as he brushed his fingers gently across her cheek, the gesture more loving than she expected. "But next time, please don't come all the way to the office to tell me that. Okay? Your presence here distracts me."