“I guess we’ll find out. That’s not something you can hide forever.”
“True.” Just then Rocky’s cell rang. She glanced over to where she’d left it on the counter. “It’s Mom.”
“Calling to talk about the wedding, no doubt.” Jayce kissed her forehead. “Take it. I’ll finish loading the dishwasher.”
Rocky slid out of Jayce’s arms, giddy at the thought of chatting with her mom about girly bridal stuff. Totally out of character given Rocky had always been a bit of a tomboy, but she’d been in love with Jayce since she was a kid. And considering their rough road, this wedding was more than a dream come true. It was a miracle. “Hey, Mom. What’s up?”
“Is Jayce with you?”
Rocky scrunched her brow. “Standing right next to me. Why?”
“I have some troubling news sweetie. It’s about your daddy.”
TWENTY-ONE
Luke hadn’t realized how uptight he’d been about subjecting Rae to the Sunday family dinner until he was driving her back to the Pine and Periwinkle. “I’m almost afraid to ask,” he said. “But did you enjoy yourself?”
“I did. Your family’s lovely, Luke. I thought so before and now…” She rubbed her chest. “I don’t remember the last time I felt that happy. Great food, great company. Everyone went out of their way to make me feel welcome. Even Dev, who can be pretty intimidating.”
“Yeah, well…”
“Jayce is on the quiet side, but he’s sweet.”
Luke grunted. “Not sure he’d appreciate that description.”
“I’ve always been crazy about Daisy. She’s a hoot.”
“That’s one way of describing her.”
“Vince is so reserved in comparison. Yet they seem like the perfect couple. Very happy.”
“It’s a mystery. Vince is the exact opposite of my Grandpa Jessup, who I thought Daisy adored, but maybe not.”
“My mom adored all four of her husbands and they were all very different—personalitywise anyway. They were all as rich as God.”
“So she married for money.”
“Absolutely.”
“That’s one thing you’ll never have to do,” Luke said. “You’re set for life.”
“I wouldn’t marry for money even if I was dirt poor.”
Luke winced at her sharp tone. “I didn’t mean it like that.”
“Sorry. It’s just…”
She angled then and, even though the moonlight was muted by snow clouds, Luke got a pretty clear view of her troubled expression. “It’s just what?”
“When you first learned that I was an heiress, when you saw me over Christmas at Olivia and Geoffrey’s mansion, you assumed the worst. That I was a spoiled, conniving rich bitch.”
“I’ll cop to that and I apologize. I jumped to conclusions.”
“We haven’t talked about it, but is my bank account an issue with you?”
“I haven’t given that a lot of thought.” Or rather he tried not to think about it.
“Well, you should because, unless I give all or most of it away, I’m almost as rich as God.”
“That rich, huh?”
“Do you know how many relationships have fallen apart because the man resents the fact the woman makes more money than him?’
“You plan on flaunting your fortune in my face on a daily or weekly basis?
“Of course not.”
“I didn’t think so.” Driving into a snow flurry now, he flicked on the windshield wipers. “Anything else?”
“The media. Reporters. Photographers. I’m planning to use my association with Olivia—the Hollywood connection—along with my heiress status to create buzz around the Cupcake Lovers and their cause.”
“As a way of pushing the book deal forward. I know.”
“They can be a little intrusive,” she said. “The media, that is.”
“Are you preparing me for an invasion of paparazzi?”
“I’m not sure what to expect. Precisely. But it’s possible. I’m not keen on unwanted attention, but I can handle it. Can you?”
Was she testing him? Luke flexed his fingers on the wheel. “I guess we’ll find out.”
“It’s just … I’m thinking about the way you reacted when that college kid grabbed me. Punching a member of the paparazzi wouldn’t exactly advance my cause for the Cupcake Lovers.”
“If you think I’m going to stand by while someone, anyone, disrespects or God forbid threatens you, forget it.”
She surprised him with a smile. “Just promise me you’ll exercise some restraint.”
“I promise I’ll try.”
Her smile widened and Luke’s heart did a funny jerk. She was looking at him with something akin to hero worship. It made him feel good and wary at the same time. He kicked up the wipers as the snowfall intensified. Adjusted the defroster then blurted his mind. “Why are you attracted to me, Rae?” He’d never asked that question of any other woman. He’d never wondered. But this was Rae. Reagan Deveraux. Rich. Smart.
“There’s a shallow answer and a deep answer,” she said. “Which do you want?”
Luke flexed his hands on the wheel as he pulled into the parking lot of the inn. “Both.”
Rae shifted in her seat. “Shallow answer: You’re hot. Your body. Your face. Although I’m sure you’ve heard that a thousand times.”
“First time I’ve heard it from you.” First time he’d taken the compliment to heart. “What’s the deep answer?”
“You’re the kindest man I’ve ever known.”
He was afraid of that. Chest tight, Luke keyed off the ignition. “Now that’s troubling.”
“Why?”
“Because it means you mostly have been exposed to a lot of dickheads. Excuse my language.”
She didn’t elaborate or counter. She dodged. “Why are you attracted to me?”
“Shallow answer or deep?”
“Both.”
“You’re hot. Your face, your body.”
“I’ve heard that before. I don’t care. What else?”
He reached over and palmed her cheek. “You move me.”
She blinked.
“You touch my heart like no woman I’ve ever known. As Rachel. As Rae. You inspire me to be a better man.”
“I’m not sure that’s possible.”
“Trust me, it is.” Her faith in him stoked his already burning lust. He’d been hot for Rae all night. Most especially from the moment she’d challenged Nash on the importance of a college education. Not that Luke fully agreed with her viewpoint, but it was impossible not to respect her opinion. Every time she got hopped up on kids and education, he got a freaking hard-on.
He cupped the back of her neck and pulled her in for a kiss. His pulse went into overdrive the moment their lips met. She tasted like the lemon cake they’d had for dessert. He’d loved that she’d had two slices. He wasn’t sure if it was because she was eating for two or because she enjoyed sweets as much as him. He didn’t care. He liked her curves. The feel of her, the look of her. Sexy. Classy. He suckled her tongue, feasted on her lush lips. Slow. Deep. He couldn’t remember when he’d been so keen on kissing.
His Android went off and he ignored it. The damn thing started ringing again almost as soon as it had gone to voice mail.
Rae eased away, her eyes glazed, her lips puffy. “Must be important,” she rasped.
He wanted to take her—here, now—in the front seat of his car. Classy, Monroe. Groaning, Luke glanced at the profile pic of the caller. “It’s Jayce.” Since Rae had already retreated to her side, he took the damn call. “This better be good.”
“Rocky got a call from your mom. Your dad’s had a setback. He needs to go in for important testing but he refused because it interferes with our wedding date. I sent Rocky up to pack. The only way to reason with your dad is one-on-one. We’re flying down to Florida tomorrow. I told Dev. I’m telling you.”