“You really think so?”
He nodded. “Now, what do you say we head back to the lodge? I think it’s time we stopped talking about the baby and get started making one.”
Several hours later, standing on the balcony staring out at the night sky, Luke watched a shooting star disappear behind Mount LeConte as he thought about the day’s events. He’d had one of the most fascinating, and at the same time, frustrating afternoons of his life. And Haley was completely responsible.
On one hand, he’d been intrigued by the things he’d learned about her. He now knew that her favorite color was lavender, that she couldn’t resist anything chocolate and that she had a weakness for babies, whether they were human, animal or fish.
He smiled at the thought of her reaction to the mother black bear and two chubby little cubs they’d observed when they stopped at Chimney Rock. Her excitement and joy at seeing the baby animals at play had sparkled in her turquoise eyes and been reflected in her soft laughter. And he couldn’t get over how happy he’d been to share the moment with her. She was going to be a wonderful mother and he was convinced now more than ever that he’d made the right choice for the mother of his heir.
But on the other hand, the day had been sheer hell. He’d noticed things about her that he’d never paid attention to before—how sweet and feminine her voice sounded, how pretty she was when she smiled and how graceful and sensual every move of her body was when they got out of the car at the scenic overlook and when they’d strolled through the aquarium.
He’d spent every minute they were together in a perpetual state of arousal. All he’d been able to think about was getting back to the lodge, taking their clothes off and making love to her the entire night.
And that was what really had him perplexed. After making love to her, he’d started thinking less about having sex for the purpose of making her pregnant and more about giving her immeasurable pleasure. In fact, she’d been the one to remind him about having the baby and how they should share the responsibility of raising the child.
“Mrs. Beck and I finished cleaning up the kitchen,” Haley said, walking out onto the deck. “She said to tell you she’s leaving and will be back tomorrow morning in time to prepare breakfast.”
At the sound of her voice, Luke glanced over his shoulder. She looked amazingly beautiful in her yellow blouse and khaki slacks, but he liked the way she’d looked in his shirt a hell of a lot better. Or better yet, out of it.
The thought caused his body to tighten predictably and he forced himself to remember what she’d just said. “You didn’t have to help Mrs. Beck. That’s what I pay the woman for.”
“I’m used to it,” she advised, walking over to stand next to him. “Even before I moved out on my own, I sometimes helped my father’s housekeeper with the cooking and cleaning.”
It was her first mention of anything about her family. “I take it your folks are fairly well off?”
Earlier in the day, he wondered why she deflected the sibling talk. She had at least met his siblings the few times they’d stopped by his office and knew that after their mother’s death, he and Jake had raised their younger sister. But he knew absolutely nothing about her family, beyond her telling him that she was an only child.
“My father wasn’t overly wealthy, but he did all right,” she finally stated, shrugging.
“And your mother?”
“Was completely out of the picture.” He watched her cross her arms beneath her breasts and fix her gaze on the mountains.
Haley’s defensive body language and the sadness he detected in her voice surprised him. “We don’t have to talk about it, sweetheart,” he ventured, reaching for her.
When he took her into his arms and held her close, Luke wondered what had happened to her mother. But remembering the look on her pretty face when she’d asked him at the aquarium if it would matter if his heir was a girl made him wonder about the relationship she shared with her father, as well. But his curiosity could wait. She clearly didn’t want to discuss any of that now.
He could respect that. The anger and resentment caused by an absentee parent was certainly familiar ground for him. Besides, he had no intention of spoiling what had, up until that moment, been a damned good day.
“Why don’t we get in the hot tub and relax for a while before we go to bed for the night?” he asked, nuzzling her soft curls.
“I can’t.” She sounded less than certain as she brought her arms up to his shoulders. “I didn’t bring my swimsuit.”
Nibbling on her earlobe, he smiled when he felt a tremor course through her. “We don’t have to wear suits. In fact, I think it would be a lot more fun to go skinny-dipping.”
“I—I don’t think so.”
Her breathy laughter sent a shaft of heat straight to the region south of his belt buckle.
“If I couldn’t drop the sheet in front of you this morning, what makes you think I could go skinny-dipping with you in the hot tub this evening?”
“Well, for one thing it’s dark and we’re alone on this section of the mountain.” He trailed kisses down the column of her neck. When she sagged against him, he added, “And for another, I promise I won’t peek until you’re settled in the water.”
“Why am I having trouble believing that?” Her throaty question sent his blood pressure soaring.
He chuckled. “How did you know I used up all of my allocated honor for the day?”
“Just a lucky guess.”
When she threaded her fingers in the hair at the nape of his neck the heat in his lower belly turned into a hungry flame.
“I suppose we could wear our underwear in the hot tub,” she suggested.
His internal heat flared out of control and threatened to turn him to a cinder when she kissed the exposed skin at the open collar of his shirt. “I’ve got an even better idea, sweetheart,” he revealed as he swung her up into his arms. He carried her through the French doors of the great room and straight to the master suite. “Why don’t we skip the hot tub and just go to bed?”
Chapter Six
A s Luke cradled her to him, Haley put her arms around his shoulders and allowed him to carry her to his bedroom. They’d spent a wonderful day together with moments that she would never forget. And if she hadn’t been sure she loved him before, Haley knew for certain that she did now.
When he set her on her feet at the side of his bed, then reached over to switch on the bedside lamp, Haley’s heart thumped so hard against her ribs she was truly surprised it wasn’t deafening. She hadn’t anticipated they would be undressing in front of each other or that the light would be on when they did. But it appeared that was exactly what Luke had in mind as he bent to remove both of their shoes and socks. Straightening, he pulled her back into his arms.