Luke resisted from slapping his forehead with his hand. This was just wonderful. “I should go in there.” He rested his hand on the door handle and this time didn’t get any resistance from Vivian. She moved past him. Her high heels made soft clicking noises as she walked toward the end of the hall and disappeared through the doorway leading into the main room.
Luke closed his eyes briefly, suddenly regretting he’d ever asked Vivian to take away Ellie’s job. The fluorescent lights overhead hissed and crackled, making his head hurt. A part of him wanted to turn around and leave the club, leave this goddamn town and forget he’d ever come here, but he knew he couldn’t do that. He owed it to Ellie to stick around a bit longer. He also owed her a whopper of an apology.
Not only that, but it was time to end this insanity. He’d fulfilled his end of the deal and he planned on collecting.
Opening his eyes, he released a long breath and entered the dressing room.
“Ellie.”
The sound of Luke’s whiskey-rough voice from the doorway startled her. With a quick gulp, she wiped her eyes with the handkerchief on the vanity table and blinked back her tears. Oh God, she didn’t need this. Not now. Not when she felt so vulnerable and exposed.
“I, uh, just ran into Vivian in the hallway,” he added, crossing the room with measured strides until he stood only a few feet away.
“I suppose she told you she fired me.”
“Yeah, she told me.”
“Did she tell you my brother is in town?” She narrowed her eyes. “Or did you already know that?”
“I found out yesterday. Apparently he’s been laying low at Vivian’s house.”
“I can’t believe she lied to me. I thought she cared about me, that—” Ellie stopped as a wave of sickness crept up her stomach and burned its way up to her throat. She didn’t want to think about any of this right now. Despite the fact that she was out of a job, she still had one more show to put on, and the acid searing her chest and the pain pulsing through her head wouldn’t help her do that.
She rose from the chair and kept her expression cool and detached. Luke didn’t move closer but she saw his gaze sweep over her corset and skirt. It irked her that his eyes didn’t have that spark of lust in them, the way they’d gleamed the first night he saw her in this costume. Now he just looked remorseful.
God, she didn’t want to have this conversation with him, didn’t want to hear his half-assed apologies. Last night he’d fled, left her half-naked, aroused and confused, and it would take a lot more than I’m sorry to make her forget that.
“What are you doing here?” she finally said with a sigh. She picked an imaginary spot of lint off her skirt, refusing to meet his eyes.
“First, apologizing.”
No kidding. “And what could you possibly be apologizing for?” she returned with a scowl.
“I’m sorry about last night.”
“No, really? This seems to be a running theme with you, Lucas. Kissing me, running off. Screwing me, running off. And then, of course, the sincere apology the next day.”
He ignored her sarcastic tone. “I was out of line yesterday.”
She let out a frustrated breath. “Why do you say that?”
A look of confusion crossed his handsome features. “Because of the way I acted.” He coughed. “Treating you like that. Mauling you like some kind of animal.”
She just stared at him. He really was an idiot. Had he been completely oblivious to her arousal? She’d been wet for him, she’d come apart in his arms, she’d had a body-numbing orgasm. He was a fool if he thought the desire, the raw need, had been one-sided.
“Did you hear me complaining?” she burst out, surprised by the harshness of her voice.
“I just thought…”
Her frustration only increased at the bewilderment flickering in his eyes. Planting her hands on her hips, she marched toward him. “You thought that you were taking advantage of me? Having your way with Josh’s poor little sister?” She gave a groan that bordered on a growl. “For God’s sake, Luke!”
“I practically tore your clothes off.”
The regret in his eyes turned her frustration into fury. “Did you ever stop to think that maybe I liked it? That maybe, just maybe, I wanted you too? Damn it, Luke, I’ve wanted you for fifteen years. Fifteen years!”
“I thought—”
“And have you forgotten about that orgasm you gave me last night? Since we’re being so honest here, I want you to know I’ve never come that hard in my life.”
Her admission hung in the air, mingling with the long gust of air she exhaled from her lungs. Sparks flew from her eyes as her heart thudded against her ribs. God, it felt good to say that.
As shock filled his face, power surged through her. She’d gotten to him. Caught him off-guard. Caused some of his irritating self-control to chip. And it felt great.
“Now what’s second?” she asked, crossing her arms in a tight vice over her chest.
He coughed again. “What do you mean?”
“You said the apology was first. So what the hell is second?”
He shifted, looking uncomfortable. “Well, we did have a deal, remember?”
She arched both eyebrows.