One Night with the Best Man

“What are you doing?” Luke sat up and rubbed his face.

She flinched and turned around to face him. He couldn’t see her features, but his eyes were quickly adjusting to the darkness. Her light skin glowed in the moonlight that managed to sneak through the curtains. Standing only in her underwear, she held the rest of her dress at her waist like a shield in front of her. “I was...going to get a drink of water. Do you want some?”

“No, I don’t want some water.”

“More for me, then.” She started to move away.

“Enough bull. What is really going on, Penny?”

She glanced at the door to the hallway and then back to the side of the bed that was still warm from her body. “I just thought...” She shrugged.

“That there isn’t enough room? I snore too loudly?” He shifted off the bed and flicked on the lamp, casting the room in soft light.

She blinked but didn’t move to cover herself. “What does it matter?”

“Just get back into bed, Penny. I swear we’ll only sleep.”

“Isn’t it the woman’s job to be needy and clingy?”

“Far be it from me to stop you.” He stepped away from the bed and held his hand out. “I just thought you might want to be comfortable for the night. The last thing I’d want to do is make you feel needed.”

Penny’s shoulders pushed back and her chin tipped up. “Contrary to popular belief, a woman does not need a man to need her to feel complete.”

Though her words and actions were angry, saying them nearly naked was having the opposite effect on his body. “I made you feel complete at least three times if my count is correct.”

She threw her dress at him. He caught it and dropped it to the floor.

He strode across the room and grabbed her elbows, pulling her flush against his chest. “Unless you plan to traipse around the farmhouse in your underwear.” At the devilish glint in her eyes, he added, “Remembering that my niece could wake up at any moment, I suggest you come back to bed.”

Her body was tense against his and fire crackled in her eyes. “Maybe I don’t want to sleep with you.”

His hands rubbed her back. “If you don’t want to sleep with me, I’m sure I could be convinced to stay awake.”

Apparently he was starting to speak her language because she softened. Her curves molded into his and the heat that had pooled in his stomach flooded his system. “I’ve never been good at sleepovers.”

“I doubt there are many people who would accuse you of being good at all.” He lifted her into his arms. Penny was a puzzle. One he would be better off not trying to solve. One he should be pushing away instead of carrying back to his bed.

He lowered her onto the mattress, never releasing his hold on her body.

“Good is overrated.” Penny pulled him down to her. “When has being good ever gotten you what you wanted?”

At one point, the thing he’d wanted most had been her. He’d been willing to do anything to keep her, except share her with anyone else. He lowered his head to hers. “Being good has gotten me nothing.”

Chapter Six

Waiting rooms weren’t nearly as bad as sitting in a patient’s room, especially when the patient was Sam. Luke had taken the recliner, whereas Amber had chosen to sit at the end of Sam’s bed. Apparently Sam was confident that he wasn’t staying there because he’d been dressed in his tux, minus the jacket and tie, and ready to go as soon as they’d come in. When Luke had given Sam a bag with some of his clothes from home, he’d grunted a thank-you and immediately changed.

“I made sure to give the baby calves their bottles.” Amber had been listing all the chores she’d insisted on helping with this morning. “I’ll walk the fences this afternoon to make sure there aren’t any breaks.”

“I knew I could count on you.” Sam smiled at his niece, if you could call the slight curve to his lips a smile.

Luke still couldn’t understand Amber’s loyal devotion to hardheaded Sam. This morning at the breakfast table, she’d run off a list of all the chores that she did when she stayed at the farm. While Luke had been amused with the list, he’d barely been able to keep his eyes from the woman who had kept him up all night.

Penny had moved around the kitchen with ease, as if she made breakfast there frequently. For all he knew she did. She had said she and Sam had had nothing more than that kiss years ago, but how could he believe a word that slipped past those wicked lips?

Wearing one of his T-shirts and not a whole lot more, she’d slipped out of his room. He’d assumed she’d join him after using the bathroom, but when he woke a few hours later from little feet creaking down the stairs, Penny was not in his bed.

He’d found her on the couch with an afghan pulled over her, fast asleep.

“Can I name the new piglets? Please?” Amber brought his attention back to the present. They were waiting for the doctor to talk to them and discharge Sam. Penny had excused herself as soon as they got to the hospital to go check on her puppy and to change out of Luke’s oversize T-shirt and sweats.

“We can just call them Pork Chop, Ham and Bacon.” Sam rested against the elevated back of the hospital bed. Luke couldn’t remember the last time he’d heard Sam tease someone. Maybe when Luke had been Amber’s age. Before Dad... Before Mom...

“That’s not very nice, Uncle Sam.” Amber gave him a look that reminded Luke of their mother when she’d scolded them even though she wanted to laugh at their antics. Sam just chuckled lightly, drawing Luke’s questioning gaze to him. Sam shrugged.

“When am I getting out of this place?” Sam looked toward the door as if willing the doctor to appear with his release instructions.

“I’m sure the staff is just as anxious for you to go,” Luke said before standing. “I’m going to go find a cup of coffee. Do you want anything?” He looked at Amber.

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