Strangers To Lovers

Chapter Fifteen

Considering that I was Luke's guest, I figured it would be polite to insist on sleeping on his couch. Bad decision. I realized that the moment I woke up at six in the morning. The cushions were too short for my body, forcing me to curl up awkwardly, my feet hanging over the armrests. I sighed, shifting to get comfortable again, but it was no use. Every inch of my body ached from the uncomfortable position.

As I stretched, a light flicked on above me, startling me. For a moment, I thought about getting up and seeing if Luke was around. I heard soft footsteps approaching, and I ducked my head down, pretending to still be asleep. I didn’t want him to think I had been awake, but his presence was impossible to ignore.

Luke descended the stairs, his hair damp and tousled from what I assumed was an early shower. He was wearing a navy blue shirt that clung to his body in all the right ways, and his movements were slow and deliberate as if he was trying not to wake me. I peeked through my lashes as he sat down on the couch across from me, fumbling with his phone. The soft glow of the screen illuminated his tired face.

"It's 6 a.m.," he muttered to himself, his voice gravelly from sleep as he answered the phone. He must have thought I was still out cold, but I was wide awake, watching him through the fringe of my hair.

Luke’s eyes flickered in my direction as he rubbed his face, clearly exhausted. "I'll be there soon," he mumbled into the phone. "Yeah, I’ll be there. I’ve got to go."

When he hung up, his gaze landed on me. He saw me sitting up, the blanket falling to my waist as I blinked sleepily at him. His expression shifted, a flicker of surprise crossing his face.

"Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you," he said, his voice softer now. His eyes lingered on me for a moment longer than necessary.

I shook my head. "No, it’s fine. I wasn’t sleeping well anyway." I stretched my arms, feeling the stiffness in my muscles. "Are you heading out?"

Luke nodded, running a hand through his hair, which only made it messier and somehow more appealing. "Yeah, I’ve got a work emergency at one of the resorts. I’ll be back later, though. You can stay as long as you like."

I chewed on my bottom lip, wondering how strange it would be to stay here alone in his massive house. It already felt weird with him here—what would it be like without him? "Are you sure? I don’t want to be a bother."

He gave me a small, tired smirk. "You planning on stealing something?" His tone was teasing, but there was a playful glint in his eyes that sent a shiver down my spine.

I laughed, trying to cover up the heat rising to my cheeks. "No, of course not."

"Then I trust you to stay here." He yawned, his tiredness making him seem more approachable, almost vulnerable. "Just don’t let anyone in, and lock the door when you leave."

I nodded, trying not to overthink the fact that he was trusting me to be alone in his house. "Okay," I said softly.

As Luke moved toward the kitchen, I couldn’t help but watch him, the way his body moved so effortlessly, the way his shirt clung to his broad shoulders. I quickly averted my eyes when he glanced back at me, feeling a strange twist in my stomach. What the hell was wrong with me? I was just his guest, nothing more. But that didn’t stop my mind from wandering.

Once he was out of sight, I flopped back onto the couch, covering my face with the blanket. What was I thinking? He was just being kind, offering me a place to stay while I figured out my situation. But there was something about him, something that made it hard to think straight when he was around.

After he left, the house felt emptier. I stared at the ceiling, debating whether I should get up or just lie there all day. Eventually, I forced myself to get up, deciding that a long bath in the Jacuzzi was exactly what I needed. I wasn’t going to pass up the chance to relax in that luxury while he was gone.