Love me till the end

Chapter 22

Everything in Luke froze.

For a second he was tempted to tell her how he felt, but paralyzing fear kept him silent. He had nothing to offer Charlie, other than a humble home and a quiet life. He knew he couldn't compete with her loving family or her singing career. He'd let her go tomorrow and deal with the loss later

"You what?" Maybe he hadn't heard her correctly. Maybe he'd drunk more whiskey than he thought, and it was just beginning to dull his senses.

"I love you." Her tone was soft and fragile.

Luke hadn't heard anyone say those words to him in a long time. He couldn't help wondering if Charlie actually believed she loved him, or if out of some sort of misplaced gratitude she just thought she loved him. It occurred to him she was patiently waiting for his response. She loved him, it was more than he could have hoped or prayed for. Yet the words she wanted to hear remained stuck in his throat, choking him.

He knew if he told Charlie he loved her too, everything would change after that. She'd probably insist on staying with him. He didn't want to come between her and doing the right thing and the right thing was for her to return home with her brother in the morning.

"Charlie, I don't deserve you." Luke lowered his chin on top of her head, and released a long breath.

"You haven't exactly told me what your feelings are." She raised her hand and tenderly traced the line of his cheekbone and jaw with her fingertips.
Their conversation was too important to interrupt with a kiss; still, he couldn't help thinking about her mouth and the havoc it wreaked. He turned his face to capture her teasing fingers with his lips.

"Actions speak louder than words." The husky tone of his voice indicated what he was feeling.

Luke felt Charlie's grin against his hand. "I know you want my body."

"That's enough for now." Luke cringed at his own words. He didn't mean them the way they came out. Charlie wasn't about to let him get away with his comment, either.

"Not good enough, Mr. Remington." She closed the distance between them, finding his mouth instinctively with her own..

Someone groaned, the sound seeming overloud against the stark silence. What started out as a chaste kiss turned into something demanding and hot, claiming them both in a whirlpool of rocking emotions. Luke's arms crushed Charlie to him as he accepted her surrender. They both released a little sound of protest when she pulled away.

"We've been through so much." She kissed the corner of his mouth, but pulled away when Luke turned his face to capture her lips again. "We owe it to ourselves to be honest with each other. Why are the words so hard for you to find, Luke? What are you afraid of? That I'm leaving and never coming back?"

"You're right about us being honest with each other." He forced Charlie's head back down to his shoulder. "You managed to wiggle your way into my life. You brought me back to life, but please don't expect me to say things I'm not ready to say, Charlie. Maybe in time..."

"Fear is the only thing holding you back from saying those things."

She was right. Before Luke had the chance to admit it she nuzzled her nose against his neck and breathed in deeply.

"You know what? I could spend the rest of the night right here on your lap. You're very comfortable." There was laughter in her voice, as well as telltale signs of drowsiness.

"That may be, but I don't think it would be a very good idea. And I don't want to wake up in the morning and have to contend with your angry brother."