Come Away With Me (29 page)

“I can’t argue with you when you do that.” He mutters and looks disgusted, but I see the gleam of humor in his impossibly blue eyes and I smile smugly as I pass the check and my card to the waitress.

Nate watches our exchange with curiosity and then breaks out in a wide grin.

“Dude, you’ve got it bad.” He says to Luke.

“You have no idea,” Luke grumbles.

“Four for Rough Shot, please.” I pass my card through to the ticket girl at the movie theater and smile at her. We’re quite early, but we want to get seats up in the back so we can be inconspicuous and leave after everyone else when it’s over.

“This is the last damn time you pay for me to go anywhere.” Luke grumbles behind me.

Jules and Nate laugh at him and I just smile serenely.

We buy two extra-large tubs of popcorn and buckets of soda to share and find our seats. Even though we’re more than thirty minutes early I’m surprised to see a handful of people already seated in the theater.

We climb up to the very top row of the stadium-style seats and sit in the middle, Jules and I between the boys.

Luke runs both his hands down his thighs and takes a deep breath.

“Are you nervous?” I whisper in his ear.

He smiles down at me and kisses my forehead. “A little.”

“Do you watch your movies?” I ask.

“Yeah, but I usually wait until after opening weekend to see what audiences are saying. Opening weekend is nerve-wracking, and usually busy.”

“I’m glad we’re here. It’s exciting.”

He laughs and takes a handful of popcorn out of the tub. “Me too. I hope you like it.”

“I’m gonna love it.”

The theater fills up quickly and finally the lights dim and the previews start.

I’m stunned to see that two of the five movies previewed are billed as being produced by Luke E. Williams. I look up at him, stunned, and he smiles shyly down at me. I shake my head and push some popcorn in his mouth, making him laugh.

I’m excited as Rough Shot begins, and want to stand up and cheer when Luke’s name flashes on the screen during the opening credits. Instead I kiss him soundly and give him a ridiculously proud smile.

It’s hard to tell, but I think he actually blushes.

The movie is fantastic. When a mostly-naked Channing Tatum walks across the screen, Jules and I look at each other and start laughing. We can’t resist. Luke throws popcorn at me in disgust.

It’s a fast-paced two hour film that keeps you on the edge of your seat until the end to find out “who dunnit”. There is indeed lots of action and stuff blowing up. There is also an intense love scene between Channing and his co-star and I can’t help but watch it in a very clinical way, knowing that Channing is married in real life, wondering how his wife deals with scenes like these.

I’m also incredibly happy that Luke has chosen to assume a different role in the movie business.

One particularly bloody scene makes both Jules and I squirm in our seats.

“Oh, God, really?” I clasp my hand over my mouth as I realize I said that out loud and both Nate and Luke laugh at us.

As the closing credits roll, I can’t stop smiling. I do clap, inconspicuously, when Luke’s name appears again and he grins at me. We wait until all the other customers have left and the lights come up to leave the theater. As we stand, I wrap my arms around Luke and hold him tight, burying my face in his chest and inhaling his sexy Luke scent. I lean my head back and look up into his shining blue eyes.

“I loved it. I’m so proud of you. We are doing this for every movie. I want a schedule.”

He runs his fingers down my face and smiles sweetly. “I’ll get you one.” He kisses me gently.

“Um, Nat? This is a double date.

Stop making out with your super-cool famous boyfriend, please.” I laugh and glance back at Jules.

“I’m just appreciating his art.” I say primly.

“Appreciate it in private. Come on, let’s go.” Jules and Nate walk ahead of us out of the theater. I move to follow, but Luke holds my elbow, keeping me back.

I turn back to him and he kisses me again, passionately this time, lovingly.

He pulls back and leans his forehead against mine.

“What is it?” I ask.

“Thank you for tonight. I love you, baby.”

“I love you too.”

***

We all decide to continue the celebration and go out for drinks. We end up near our place at the Celtic Swell, and I have to smile as I remember the first time Luke and I had drinks together here. It feels like a lifetime ago.

The bar is pretty busy with locals, and no one is really paying attention to us as we snag a booth near the back.

“They make a pretty good margarita here,” Luke comments and smiles down at me. He remembers too!

I grin and nod, and we all decide to continue with margaritas.

Luke orders mine just the way I like it.

“So Nate,” I take a sip of my margarita. Delicious. “What did you think of the movie?”

“It was excellent, as I knew it would be. You?”

“Obviously, I’m biased, but I really liked it. Except that really bloody part.”

“Yeah, what the hell is it with boys and blood?” Jules squishes up her nose prettily.

“I am man. I like blood.” Nate beats his fist on his chest and we break out into laughter.

“Mostly naked Channing Tatum is always pleasing on the eyes,” I catch Jules’ eye and we wink at each other.

Luke nudges me with his elbow as Nate glares down at Jules and I giggle.

“I do believe you have a hit on your hands, sir.” I kiss Luke’s smooth cheek and he gives me his sexy half-grin.

Swoon!

“I’m glad you all liked it.”

“What did you think of it?” Jules asks.

“I’m happy with how it turned out. I think the cast and crew did a good job, and the movie was entertaining. The audience seemed to like it.”

I know I have a stupid grin on my face as he talks but I can’t help it.

“What?” he asks me.

“I just think you’re cool.” I shrug.

“You’re pretty cool too.”

“Oh, I know.” I take a sip of my drink and wink at Nate who laughs at us.

“What are you working on now?” I ask.

“I’ve just started talking with a studio about another Marvel comic movie that will come out next summer. The movie I wrapped before Tahiti is a romantic comedy with Anne Hathaway that will release in the spring.”

Hearing him talk about his work is just so…
sexy.
I run my fingertips up and down his thigh as he talks. He grips my hand and brings it to his mouth, kissing my knuckles, then lays our hands in his lap.

“Before I forget,” Luke takes a big sip of his drink. “My dad is throwing a big surprise anniversary party for my mom next Saturday night. Jules, you and your family are all welcome to come.”

I smile at him, delighted that he wants my family at his parent’s party.

“Oh, how fun! I’ll let them know. Is it formal?” Jules asks.

“Yeah, dad’s going all out. It’s their thirty-fifth anniversary.”

“Wow.” I take a sip of my drink.

Thirty five years.

“What?” Luke gazes down at me and I swallow.

“That’s just a long time.” I shrug.

“My parents have been married for forty years.” Jules adds.

“Are your parents still together, Nate?” I ask.

“No, my dad raised me. He’s always been a bachelor.”

“Can I help out with the party?” I ask Luke.

He smiles down at me warmly and kisses my forehead. “No, I think Dad and Sam have it covered. Just come with me.”

“So I’m just a piece of arm candy, is that it?” I frown as if I’m offended and Luke laughs.

“Oh, you’re much more than arm candy, baby.” He kisses me gently, and Jules makes gagging sounds as Nate laughs.

“We’d better go while we can still pull them apart,” Jules says and waves at the waitress for the check.

***

I wake Saturday morning to an empty bed. I sit up and stretch, the soft white sheet sliding down my naked torso and pooling in my lap. I listen to Luke’s house, trying to decipher if I can tell where he might be, but all is quiet.

I run my hands over my face and then notice the Starbucks to-go mug and red rose on the night table, along with a note.

Oh, he does spoil me.

I take a sip of the coffee. It’s still hot, so it hasn’t been here long. I sniff the beautiful rose and open the note.

Working this morning. In the office downstairs. I love you. –Luke Office? I don’t remember seeing an office. There was one room downstairs that he said was storage on my initial tour. I wonder if that’s it.

And if so, why did he say it was storage?

I shrug and drink more coffee in his beautiful big bed. It’s raining today and his large windows are covered in drops, making the choppy water on the Sound look blurry.

I pull on the blue button down shirt Luke wore last night and go look for him.

Sure enough, when I get downstairs and head down the hall, the room Luke said was for storage is open and I can hear him talking on the phone.

“Yes, I saw the numbers this morning.

It’s great news. I’m glad you’re happy with it. No, we’ll wait for Monday’s numbers before we make that decision.

Okay, we’ll talk then.” He hangs up as I walk in the room.

“So, not so much for storage.” I look around his office and can’t help but feel like I’m in a movie of my own.

This is where he keeps his movie memorabilia. The movie posters from h i s Nightwalker movies, with him on them, are framed and on the walls.

There are awards and certificates, photos of him with celebrities and important people scattered throughout the room. He looks impossibly young in most of the photos.

I gaze back down at my man, sitting at his impressive desk. He’s leaning back, wearing a white t-shirt and jeans, watching me apprehensively.

“What?” I ask and tilt my head to the side.

“Are you mad?”

“That you lied about this room?”

“Yes.”

“No.”

“Oh.” His eyebrows raise and he looks a bit thrown off kilter.

“I know why you did. Any more surprises around here?” I ask as I come around his desk.

“No.”

“Good.”

Luke scoots back and I sit on the desk in front of him, bracing my feet on the arms of his chair as he scoots in close and wraps his arms around my waist and buries his face in my belly.

I push my hands in his hair and lean down to kiss his head.

“You smell good,” I murmur. “Did you shower without me?”

“Yeah, I got up early. The morning after a release is always busy. Plus, I had to get you coffee.”

I smile against his head. “Thank you for the coffee.”

“You’re welcome.”

His phone rings. He sits back and answers it, keeping one arm around my waist.

“Williams.” His voice is short and business-like, and I smile down at him.

“Hey, Channing, thanks for calling me back man. Just wanted to let you know that I saw the film last night. You did a fantastic job.” He listens for a moment and then laughs. “I know. I’m glad you survived it. How is your beautiful wife? Good. Hey, I have another project I’m looking at for next year, can I send you the script? It’s pretty good.”

Luke nuzzles my belly again and I can barely hear Channing – Channing freaking Tatum! – speaking on the other end.

“Okay, I’ll shoot it over next week.

Enjoy your weekend, you deserve it.

Bye.”

“He sounded happy,” I murmur.

“He should, the numbers are good this morning.”

“Did I mention last night how very proud of you I am?”

“You did. I especially liked hearing it when you were naked.” He flashes me a wolfish grin and I laugh.

“I liked that too.”

“In fact,” he cups my ass in his hands and pulls me more tightly against him.

“You didn’t get permission to wear this shirt.”

“Gosh, I have to stop doing this.”

“I know. You’d think by now you’d learn what happens when you wear my shirts.”

“But I like your shirts.” I pout down at him.

“I like doing this.” He slowly unfastens each button and I shrug out of the soft shirt, letting it fall onto the desk behind me.

He inhales sharply, his eyes level with my breasts, and he runs those beautiful blue eyes over all of me, like he’s eating me alive with his gaze.

“Sweet mother of God, you’re so beautiful.” He leans in and rubs the tip of his nose against my right nipple, back and forth and around in a circle and it puckers as he watches. “I love how your gorgeous body responds to me.”

He pays the same attention to the left nipple and I moan softly.

He’s sitting in that chair, fully clothed, and I’m about to come unglued from just his nose.

Unbelievable.

He looks up at me as he takes a nipple in his mouth and suckles, then licks and kisses his way across my chest to the other side and does the same. His hands are caressing and kneading my ass as he kisses down my torso.

“Lean back on your hands, baby.”

I do as he asks and he kisses my belly piercing. “So fucking sexy. How long have you had this?”

“I got it on my eighteenth birthday.”

“It’s hot.” He kisses it again and nibbles his way down to my tattoo.

He abruptly scoots me to the edge of the desk, making me lean back even farther on my elbows, exposing me to him. He places a chaste kiss on the dark letters. “Don’t lay back. I want you to watch.”

Fuck. That is maybe the sexiest thing he’s ever said to me.

“Okay,” my voice is heavy with need and he grins up at me, his blue eyes molten.

He leans down and with just the tip of his tongue, licks me from my clit down through my folds and back up again, and then settles his mouth right over my clit, rolling his tongue over and over it, and then suckling gently.

I throw my head back and moan his name loudly and then bring my head up to keep watching him.

It’s so fucking hot when his mouth is on me.

He glides one hand around from my ass, over my thigh and slides a finger inside me.

I buck up off the desk, my feet still planted on the arms of his chair, but he holds me tightly against his mouth. His tongue slides back and forth over my clitoris, and that finger is working magic inside me. His deep blue eyes are on mine as I explode, loudly.