Sunset Seduction - By Charlene Sands Page 0,2

Sunset Ranch?” His gaze whipped over her shoulder. “Did Casey drive out with you, too?”

“Oh, uh…no. Casey isn’t with me.”

“Okay,” he said with a nod. “Well then, come inside, out of the heat. And bring whatever pet you’ve rescued with you.”

She’d forgotten about the tabby in the carrier she’d set down on the porch. “H-her name is Jewel. She was hit by a car two months ago and was in shock for a while. Now she gets separation anxiety if I leave her for too long.”

Luke gave the cat a better look through the carrrier’s mesh window. “She made the trip from Reno with you?”

Her pulse quickened as his blue-eyed gaze returned to hers. She nodded.

“Lucky cat. I bet you’re giving her the royal treatment. You always were great with animals.”

She stood there, bewildered by Luke’s reaction. He didn’t make any acknowledgment about seeing her again. Or about that night that had rocked her world. He didn’t seem angry, hurt, relieved or much of anything. She hadn’t known exactly what to expect when she got here, but his civility clearly wasn’t it.

Her feet wouldn’t move, and her hesitation didn’t faze him. He simply lifted the handle of the cat carrier and swung it along as he walked toward the parlor.

Audrey grabbed hold of her mind, and followed behind.

“You’re a sight for sore eyes, Audrey Faith,” he said over his shoulder.

So was he. Her throat constricted as she recalled the dreams she’d had of him for the past four weeks. Now she was here with him in the flesh. “I like to be called Audrey now. I dropped the Faith a few years ago.”

Luke chuckled, and it was deep and rich and full of raw sensuality, just like she’d remembered. Of course, back when she was a teen, she didn’t know much about sensuality. She only knew that she loved the sound of his laughter. “All right, Audrey,” he said, softlike.

Mercy. Her belly warmed from the delicious way he said her name.

Audrey gave herself a mental shake as she walked behind him into the house. She managed to keep her eyes trained off his perfect butt fitted into Wranglers. Instead, she concentrated on Luke’s dark blond hair that reached past his collar to curl at his shoulders. The strands were much longer now. She remembered threading her fingers through those thick, healthy locks. How she yearned to do it again.

That entire night seemed like a surreal dream.

Luke set the cat carrier down on the sofa and turned to face her. “It’s really good to see you, Audrey. It’s been a long time.”

How long was a long time? She’d seen him one month ago.

“Same here,” she said. This wasn’t how she’d expected this conversation to go. In her wildest imaginings, Luke would have been thrilled to see her. He would have whisked her off to his bedroom, claiming undying love and demanding that she never leave his side again. In the worst-case scenario, Luke would’ve scolded her for having unprotected sex with him and then running off in the middle of the night.

But this conversation was just plain strange.

“I’m glad you came for a visit,” Luke said, gesturing for her to take a seat.

She sat down next to the cat carrier. Luke took a seat across from her in a buttercup-colored wing chair trimmed with round bronzed studs. “You look great.”

She didn’t think so. When she’d dressed this morning, she’d picked the best her neglected wardrobe had to offer, plaid blouse, baggy jeans and her too-long hair tucked into a baseball cap. She’d been meaning to get a stylish cut but that obviously hadn’t happened. The ball cap and casual clothes were Audrey As Usual. “Thanks, so do you. Are you feeling better?”

“I’ve got no complaints. My arm’s good as new now.” His arm had been encumbered with a cast when they made love, but that hadn’t stopped him from making her die a thousand pleasant deaths that night.

“That’s…good.”

“What’ve you been up to?” he asked, being polite.

“I, uh… Luke?” She hated to sound desperate, but Luke was avoiding the whole I-jumped-your-bones-in-the-middle-of-the-night subject.

His eyes softened and his voice registered sympathy. “What’s up, honey? You have another fight with Casey? Is he still being a bear?”

She leaned back against the seat cushion, rattled. Was he being deliberately obtuse? Surely he had to know why she’d come this distance to visit him.

Luke was a wealthy horse breeder now. Along with his brothers, he owned the biggest ranch in three counties. He had a lot on