Modern Romance May 2016 Books 1-4. Julia James

Morelli, she insisted to herself as she ran across the gravel car park to where the car was waiting. He’d brought her home from the hen party a week ago. That was all. He hadn’t even kissed her goodnight.

      Although he’d wanted to. She was fairly sure of that. There’d been a moment, before she’d thrust open her door and hurriedly said goodnight, when she’d thought he was going to lean across the console and touch her. And she’d wanted him to, she acknowledged. Just for a moment, she’d wanted to feel like a desirable woman again.

      It was Luke, and without hesitation Abby pulled open the car door and got inside. ‘You don’t mind, do you?’ she asked, indicating the rain. ‘It’s an awful night.’

      ‘It just got a whole lot better,’ said Luke with a grin. ‘How did you know I was here?’

      ‘Oh, you know...’ Abby waved an airy hand. ‘I was just looking out of the window, and I thought I recognised your car.’

      ‘And you thought you’d come down and apologise for not ringing me,’ suggested Luke drily. ‘Do you have any idea how difficult it’s been to find you?’

      Abby’s lips parted. ‘You’ve been looking for me?’ She hoped the alarm wasn’t evident in her voice.

      ‘Well, I’ve been trawling through the university webpages,’ he admitted. ‘But as I didn’t know your surname or what the hell subject you were researching, I was just wasting my time.’

      ‘Oh.’ Abby’s relief was almost palpable.

      ‘So Ray, the guy I was with at the wine bar, suggested checking out your apartment.’ He looked up at the apartment building. ‘This is a classy place, isn’t it?’ His eyes darkened. ‘I don’t know whether I can afford you.’

      ‘Oh—don’t be silly. I—I share the apartment with—with a friend,’ she stammered, not wanting him to think her job was anything special. ‘Um—she’s expecting me back. We were just going to have supper.’ She reached for the door handle. ‘I’m afraid I’ve got to go.’

      Luke hesitated. ‘You don’t feel like going out for a meal instead?’

      ‘I can’t.’ Abby knew she was tempting fate, even sitting here in Luke’s car. ‘I’m sorry. Some—some other time, perhaps.’

      Now why had she said that?

      ‘Okay.’ Luke seized on the compromise. ‘How about tomorrow night? I could pick you up here about eight. We could have dinner and then maybe a movie. What do you say?’

      Abby hesitated. She knew she should refuse. For God’s sake, if Harry even suspected she was considering going out with another man, she didn’t like to think what he might do.

      And some people might say that she’d deserve it, whatever it was. But heaven knew, she was desperate to spend an evening with someone who treated her with a little respect.

      ‘I don’t think so,’ she said now, twisting her hands together in her lap. ‘I—well, I don’t know you.’

      ‘That can be arranged.’

      ‘Can it?’ God forgive her, she was actually considering it.

      ‘So you do want to see me again?’

      Abby hesitated once more. And this time, before she could even think of denying it, Luke looped a hand behind her head and brought her mouth to his.

      ‘Let me persuade you,’ he said huskily, and his tongue slipped silkily into her mouth.

      Abby thought it was just as well she was sitting down at that moment. The hungry urgency of his kiss was robbing her of her sanity. Heat surrounded her, enveloping her in its sensual embrace. She found herself clutching the lapels of his leather jacket and arching towards him.

      His mouth hardened, the kiss lengthening into a drugging seduction that showed no sign of ending. It was just as well the console was between them or she was fairly sure Luke would have hauled her onto his lap, and continued his sensual exploration below her waist.

      As it was, he was cupping her breasts through the fine fabric of her velvet suit and she could feel her nipples peaking against his hands.

      ‘Annabel, come with me,’ he said roughly, lifting the hem of her top to find the warm flesh of her midriff. And Abby was sorely tempted to give in.

      And then another car accelerated into the lot and Abby’s blood ran cold. She’d recognised that car over Luke’s shoulder, and it was as she had anticipated upstairs: Harry had come home earlier than he’d said.

      Dragging her mouth away from Luke’s, she reached again for the handle of the door. ‘I—I can’t. I’ve got to go. H-Harriet’s waiting for me.’

      ‘Wait!’ Before she could get the door open, Luke had grabbed her arm. ‘At least agree to go out with me tomorrow evening,’ he said. ‘What’s your name? I don’t even know your surname. Let me give you a ring. What’s your number?’

      ‘No.’ Abby wasn’t that crazy. ‘I—I’ll ring you.’

      ‘When?’

      Abby could see Harry parking his car now and panic made her reckless. ‘Tomorrow,’ she said. ‘I’ll ring you tomorrow.’

      ‘You promise?’

      ‘I promise,’ she said, aware that she was feeling breathless. ‘Please, I have to go now.’

      ‘Okay. But take my card.’

      He handed it to her as he released her, and she stuffed it into her pocket before scrambling out of the car and running quickly across the car park to the apartment building.

      Hopefully, Luke would put her haste down to the rain, Abby thought as she ducked into the lift, grateful that the doorman was still ensconced in front of his TV. And with a bit of luck, Harry wouldn’t even notice that she’d left the apartment.

      * * *

      Luke’s phone rang late in the evening. He’d been reading some official documents prior to a meeting the following day and the unexpected sound brought a scowl to his face.

      He was inclined not to answer it. The girl he’d been seeing in recent weeks wouldn’t take no for an answer, and he couldn’t think of anyone else who might ring him after eleven o’clock.

      The screen indicated that it was an unknown caller, and it could be his father. He hadn’t seen Oliver Morelli for weeks. Still, unless there was some emergency, even he was unlikely to ring at this time.

      Cursing himself for being a fool, Luke picked the phone up from his desk and accepted the call.

      ‘Luke?’

      Luke blew out a startled breath. If he wasn’t mistaken, it was Annabel, the girl who’d said she would ring him three weeks ago and who hadn’t kept her promise.

      Until now.

      ‘Annabel?’ he said warily, wondering if he was so pleased to hear from her that he was mistaking someone else’s voice for hers. ‘It is Annabel, isn’t it?’

      She gave a nervous laugh. ‘You’ve forgotten me so soon?’

      ‘No.’ Luke ran his tongue over his dry lips. ‘I was beginning to think you’d forgotten me.’

      ‘Not likely,’ she said, but there was a distinctly nervous tremor in her voice. ‘How are you?’

      ‘I’m fine.’ Luke hesitated. ‘But it’s a little late to be making a social call, isn’t it?’

      ‘I’m sorry.’

      He was afraid she was going to ring off, and he continued hurriedly, ‘But I am glad to hear from you.’ He paused. ‘Does this mean you’ll agree to a date?’

      ‘Sort of.’ He heard her blow out a breath. ‘What are you