Wilde For You (The Wilde Sisters Book 3) (7 page)

His fingers lingered over his phone before he replied:

Family emergency in California. I’ll be home soon. Don’t fill up all your slots on your calendar. I’ll need a few hours for our next…appointment.

He hit Send and grinned.

“I recognize that look.” Luke glanced over at Rachael, who pulled herself to a sitting position, leaning against the headboard. “Who’s the girl?”

“How are you feeling?”

“You’re evading.”

“Hungry?”

“For some gossip.”

“I’m not one to kiss and tell.”

“Ah.” She smirked. “So there’s kissing. Anything else? Wedding bells?”

Sage? Wedding bells? She’d probably planned her share of weddings for other people, but he couldn’t see her being content in a church with a white dress. She was more a tropical island wedding girl. Nothing too emotional or sentimental. Too bad Luke and his family were the sentimental type.

“Hm. Very telling. Not only are you evading, but your mind is picturing marriage. Kids. House. You’re quite obvious, Luke Riley.”

“Shut up, kid,” he teased. “Let’s get out of here.”

***

Sage

I’ll need a few hours.
Oh, what Luke Riley could do to her for a few hours. The possibilities were endless. The cold water she sipped did nothing to cool the burning she felt in her cheeks and her chest.

It had been way too long since she’d last had sex, and it seemed even longer since she had seen Luke. A family crisis in California? She remembered him talking about a sister out there. Something serious must have happened for him to leave with no notice and to stay away for so long.

Not that she knew him very well. They’d only gone out a few times, if their encounters could be considered as much. More like somewhat planned chance encounters. Sage didn’t like leaving things up to fate. Planning was important. And knowing details, facts, dates, times, and events was important. Maybe Lucy could tell her when Luke would be back so she could properly schedule him into her calendar.

Without delay she picked up her phone, scrolled through her contacts, and dialed.

“Yeah?”

“Is this Lucy Riley?”

“Yeah.”

“Good morning. This is Sage Wilde. Am I catching you at a bad time?” She pushed back her office chair and walked over to the window that overlooked the empty parking lot.

“I was sleeping.”

Sage looked at the clock. Nearly noon. “I’m sorry to interrupt your sleep. You must keep erratic hours like your brother.”

Silence.

“I’m just making a courtesy call. Checking to see how your family is faring.” She made courtesy calls all the time. A few days before the wedding, reunion, party, or whatever. To make sure there weren’t any loose ends, see if the family changed their minds or were having nervous breakdowns. That happened frequently when planning large functions.

Silence.

Although Sage wasn’t planning anything for the Rileys and she wasn’t checking in on a family function. But maybe she should. “I’d like to offer my services, free of charge, to help plan your mother’s party. I realize your family is under a lot of stress, so if I can help relieve it by taking the planning off your shoulders, I’m more than happy to.”

Sage paced her office, rolling her eyes at her middle school behavior.

“I thought you were planning it with Luke.”

Damn, so he didn’t tell Lucy that he’d fired her. Or rather, never hired her. “He thought he could do it on his own, but in light of recent events I have volunteered my services pro bono.”

Fishing expedition that it was, no bites were being taken. “I thought only lawyers did stuff like that.”

Smart girl. “It’s good PR for party planners as well.”

More silence. Finally, Lucy said, “Luke will be home in a couple days. Probably Thursday. Why don’t you talk with him about it?”

Success! “Sure. I’ll do that.”

“And Sage. All you had to do was ask.”

“Excuse me?”

“You wanted to know when Luke would be back. Asking would have gotten your answer faster.” Lucy hung up before Sage could reply.

Brat.
Sage couldn’t help but smile at the girl’s intuition.

Thursday seemed so far away. In the meantime she’d brainstorm a list of questions and suggestions for Mrs. Riley’s party. Since her birthday was in a few days Sage needed to come up with a new plan. Or rather, Plan A. And then a plan B.

Three hours later, she had a spreadsheet, a T-Chart, and three scenarios, depending on the size and budget of the party. Would it be a surprise? Family only? Since Mrs. Riley had done so much for the community and taken in dozens of foster children over the years, there could be hundreds of lives she touched. She was a saint and deserved a celebration worthy of all her goodness. Sage put some feelers out, contacted her long list of connections, and discovered just how much the woman had done for children and families over the years.

If only Sage’s parents had an ounce of the love that Mrs. Riley had.
Has. The woman hasn’t stopped. She may not be adopting any more children, but her door has remained open for children of all ages.
Her foundation, A Home for All, raised awareness and funds for children who needed a home, focusing primarily on troubled teens who were often difficult to place. This was definitely a newsworthy story, but she wouldn’t contact the local media without asking the family first. Some people were uncomfortable advertising their philanthropy.

According to her research, Doreen and Keith Riley started taking in kids almost forty years ago, after they found out they couldn’t conceive. What started as temporary foster care turned into adoption for six lucky kids, Luke being the first. Sage spoke with three different agencies who knew Doreen and her late husband, and took copious notes. Yes, the woman deserved more than a backyard barbeque for her sixtieth birthday.

Calling in favors, she contacted Rose, the owner of Seal Cove B & B, a beautiful inn on the coast that didn’t open for tourists until May. After hearing Doreen’s story, Rose agreed to open—free of charge—for the party and even offered the guest rooms at discounted rates for anyone interested.

The next three days she kept busy with her clients and planning the Riley event. Her brother-in-law was donating a cake from his bakery,
Sweet Spot,
and a local winery had offered four cases of wine. She’d given Lily from Lily’s of the Valley a great deal of business over the years and banked on her donating a few arrangements. Lily did one better by not only offering to make centerpieces for all the tables, but by setting up a link on her Facebook page for people to donate to the charity Doreen and Keith Riley founded.

At this rate Sage would have to turn away guests. The inn could hold sixty comfortably in the main dining room if they had a sit down meal. Option B would be hors d’oeuvres with a smattering of tables, and one hundred guests. She’d let Luke decide.

Satisfied with her work, she put her files in a folder on her desktop, saved it to her server, and printed hard copies. Just in case. Stifling a yawn, she stretched her legs under her desk and peeked at her clock. Nearly ten and she was wiped. No more late nights for her.

Before shutting off the lights to her office, she took in the furniture and drab white walls, mentally noting the facelift the space needed. Thankfully she made it home without falling asleep at the wheel and took a quick shower before sliding in between her covers.

Ten minutes later, Sage swung her legs out of bed and headed to the bathroom. The middle of the night pee runs were starting to get annoying, and she still had thirty weeks to go. After doing her business, she lifted her shirt and was surprised to see a rounded stomach. The doctor had told her she’d show early. Between being so thin and carrying twins, stretching out like a beached whale was inevitable. She really needed to have sex soon, before her body made Luke run for the hills. Or the flatland.

She climbed into bed once again, fluffed her pillow, and checked her phone one last time. No texts. No missed calls. The past three days she’d distracted herself with the Riley party in an effort not to think about the obvious dismissal Luke gave her. Sage Wilde was a professional, though. The party would go off without a hitch, with or without sex.

Chapter Six

Luke

“Seriously, dude. Take a day off. You look like hell.”

“Thanks, Brian.” Luke hung up his helmet and stripped off his gear. The chimney fires hadn’t lessened even as the temperatures started to warm and March got nearer. Hopefully the station wouldn’t be as hectic as it had been over the past few months. The flu had hit hard and a lot of guys were home sick, and Luke was more than happy to work. He needed the distraction. Rachael wasn’t in hiding, but she didn’t want to talk to anyone about what happened in California. She was staying with their mom, and Doreen was thrilled to have her daughter back home under her wings.

The one regret Luke had was not making time for Sage. Stripping his shirt and pants and tossing them in the laundry bin, he walked to the showers, where he turned the faucet on as hot as it would go. He stood under the spray watching the ash wash down his body and swirl down the drain. The smell of smoke filled the stall. He waited until most of the grime was gone and then picked up the soap and scrubbed. Luke was a mess. Physically and mentally.

Work was good and the hard labor kept him physically active, but his mind had time to wander. Between his sister and the asswipe, the now-belated birthday party he was supposed to plan and hadn’t started, and Sage and their sex life that was oh-so-close but nonexistent, he didn’t know what to tackle first.

Sex would be the most rewarding, and the most selfish. He had responsibilities to tend to. Of course, killing two birds with one stone, he could plan his mother’s party while in bed with Sage.

Luke cringed. No. Definitely not a good idea to think about his mom while naked with a woman. Still, a trip to Sage’s condo could satisfy two things on his list. Feeling more energetic than he had in weeks, Luke soaped his body once more, washed his hair, and quickly toweled off. It wasn’t until he checked his reflection in the rear-view mirror of his truck that he realized he hadn’t shaved. He rubbed his hand across his scruff, trying to think of the last time he shaved. Hopefully Sage wouldn’t mind.

Remembering his manners, he sent her a text while his truck warmed up.

How does your calendar look tonight?

He hit Send and waited a minute before adding:

As in now. I’m on my way to your place.

He tossed his cell on the passenger seat and pulled out into traffic. Not that there was much in Portland on a Tuesday night. The roads were fairly clear at nine and it only took ten minutes to get to Sage’s downtown condo. Snowbanks took up most of the parking spots, so he drove around before finally squeezing into a space a few blocks down the road.

The downstairs windows to her condo were dark, but a faint light glowed on the second floor. Bedroom. Yes. She was waiting for him there. Perfect.

Luke rapped his knuckles on the front door and waited. And waited. Bouncing on his toes to stay warm, he knocked again, this time louder. Still not getting a response, he tried the door. Locked. Then rang the bell. A moment later a hall light went on and he heard footsteps coming down the stairs.

“It’s me. Luke.” The door opened to a sleepy-looking sex goddess. “Hey.”

“Luke?”

“Were you expecting someone else?” He took in her tousled hair, snug-fitting teal silk tank top, and matching pajama pants.

“I wasn’t expecting you. Or anyone.”

“Can I come in?”

“Sure.” She backed up, allowing him to enter. “Is everything okay?”

“No.” He kicked the door shut with his foot and pulled her into his arms, lowering his mouth to hers. Gently sucking on her lower lip, he felt her melt into him as she reached around his back and hugged him. “Now it is.” He took his time exploring her mouth, the curve of her lips, the soft skin of her neck. “Everything is wonderful now.”

She moaned and leaned deeper into him. This. This is what he’d been missing. Luke ran one hand up and down her back, ending on her butt, while the other skimmed her neck and massaged her scalp. He pulled back just enough to look into her emerald eyes. “Wanna get naked?”

“Hell, yeah.” She reached for his hand and yanked him up the stairs. Once at the top she pulled off her tank and tossed it at his face with the other hand. Somehow she managed to kick her silk bottoms off as well, and by the time she reached her room she wore only a pair of black panties. “You’re overdressed for this party.” She ran her hands up his stomach, causing him to suck in some much needed oxygen, and stripped him of his shirt. “Holy mother of abs! You have those sexy pelvic things. That V. Only guys online have those muscles.” She ran her hands along his obliques and across his pelvis.

At this rate he’d only last a few seconds. A minute tops. Sage wrestled with the button on his jeans and then his zipper while he unsuccessfully tried to toe off his boots. He needed to unlace them first, but her hands near his crotch made it difficult to communicate. “Boots. Laces. Wait.” He cupped her chin, bringing her face up to his, and sucked on her tongue as he moved her to the bed. When the backs of her knees hit, she fell into her mattress, giving him a second to sit down and unlace. But Sage didn’t lie patiently. She slid her nearly naked body up his bare back and reached around to toy with his nipples.

“Damn, woman.” Finally free from his boots, he rolled on top of her and covered her body with his.

Sage was relentless, giving, giving, and giving before he made her stop so he could return the favor. A tangle of naked limbs and soft sheets and loud, long moans filled the bedroom before they both cried out in ecstasy.

***

Sage

“How did you—?”

“Yoga. Lots of yoga.”

“Wow. I like.”

“Yeah? You can join my yoga class. I’m teaching a prenatal class once a week at my sister’s gym.”

“Is it naked yoga?”

Sage laughed. “No. I save that for my bed.”

“K. I’ll join naked yoga in your bed. Don’t plan on seeing me in your regular class.”

“Hm. I have some moves I can teach you,” Sage purred as she climbed on top of him. “Not that you don’t have your own perfectly fine moves,” she consoled after noticing his pouty face.

Luke’s facial scruff would have been a turn-off, but when he rubbed it against her neck, her chest, in between her thighs…holy smokes! She hoped he never shaved again. His black hair stood at all ends after being played with and pulled at for the past thirty minutes. The man could make her squirm and scream, and Sage didn’t consider herself a noisy lover. Must be the pregnancy hormones.

If his Cheshire grin and deep-set dimples didn’t scream
satisfied,
his half-lidded hazel eyes sure did. Sage sat up and ran her hands along his ridges. “These are incredibly sexy.”

“Mm. So are these.” Luke cupped her breasts and pulled her toward him. She’d already gone up a half a cup size. Not that going from an A and a half to a B was anything to brag about. And once she really started to show he’d want nothing to do with her. By then the party would be over. Parties. Her plan. “Oh, wait.”

Sage pulled back and scrambled off him. She picked up her laptop from the bedside table, not caring about her nakedness, and crawled back in bed and under the covers.

“The party is all taken care of but there are a few details you need to settle on.” She pulled up her charts and spreadsheets. “The Seal Cove Inn is gorgeous. The grounds are to die for, but March isn’t conducive to outside parties so we’ll have it in the dining room. We can do a dinner or just apps. I priced out different food options. If you’re still set on potluck, the inn will allow that since they’re not opening their kitchen anyway. Your choice, but really depends on how many guests you expect. Flowers, drinks, and dessert are all taken care of. I didn’t think you wanted a big band or anything. We could plug someone’s iPod into a set of speakers and keep it low. Music from the sixties, maybe.”

Sage opened three more pages of notes and pointed to her screen. “You can make a playlist and we can download or just use what you have stored. If you give me names and addresses I can mail out invitations. We really need to take care of those soon, though. I recommend four weeks in advance, which was last month, but I think you’ll be all set. I had to move the party to March 10th since her birthday is already past. Can you think of anything else? You never mentioned theme, colors or anything.”

Sage turned to look at Luke for the first time since opening her laptop. Instead of studying her spreadsheets, he was studying her in a way that made her…confused and a little horny. There were no dimples. No smiles. He scrutinized her like he’d never seen her before. Like she was stripped naked—which she was—and he was considering what to do with her. Sage pulled the sheet up higher, covering her breasts, even though his gaze never left hers. “Luke?”

“When did you do all of this?” His eyes never wavered.

“This past week.”

“Did you talk to my family yet?”

“No. Yes. Well, I called Lucy last week but that was really just to find out when you’d be back. She didn’t seem interested in planning the party.”

“But you were?”

“What?”

“Interested in planning the party.”

“Oh.” She blushed. Sage didn’t blush. “That’s my job. I’m good at it. You asked for my help a while ago and lately you’ve been busy. I figured you wouldn’t have had time to do it yourself.”

“I told you we would just do a small potluck at Ma’s.”

“Oh. Well. I can cancel if you want. I know we never talked about a budget, but most is donation anyway. Even the location. If you still want it at your mom’s I can have the suppliers send the wine and cake and flowers there. What’s her address?” Sage turned back to her laptop and pushed a strand of hair behind her ears. It was barely long enough to do so, the first time in years she had hair long enough that would actually fall in her face.

“You don’t need her address.”

“Oh.” He was angry. She overstepped her boundaries. She’d done it before. Did it on a daily basis with her family, but they didn’t seem to mind. Too much. “I’ll cancel. I apologize. I always want my client to be happy. If you’re not pleased I’ll cancel. You can make a list of what you’d like and I’ll customize to your—”

“Sage.” He cupped her chin and turned her face toward his. He did that a lot. Made her look him in the eye. Normally she had no problem doing so. She lived by looking men in the eye and making them squirm. But Luke Riley had a habit of making Sage feel weak. No, not weak. He didn’t push around his strength. He made her feel…feminine. And wanted.

“Look at me.”

She batted her eyelashes and smiled flirtatiously at him.

“Why did you go to so much trouble for me? For my mom?”

“You asked for my help. I thought you’d want—”

“That’s not what I’m asking. You’ve planned a first-class party that isn’t costing me a cent. Why?”

“Well, that’s not true. We haven’t figured out the food yet. That’s typically the most expensive—”

“Sage. You went to a lot of trouble. Above and beyond and I didn’t really hire you. My mom’s birthday was over a week ago. I used your business as an excuse to—”

“Sleep with me.”

“No.”

“Yes.” She didn’t want to get serious with the man.

“Honestly? Of course I wanted to sleep with you since I first laid eyes on you. But I didn’t ask you to plan the party simply to get in your pants.”

Sage shrugged. “Semantics. We have chemistry. You’re nice to look at. Decent in bed. A side perk is you get a party and I get these abs.” She ran her nails down his chest and stomach, but he grabbed her wrist before she could go any farther south.

“You like me.” Luke smirked.

“You’re nice to look at.”

“You’re a nice person too.”

“No. It’s business.”

“I didn’t pay you.”

“Oh, but I think you just did.”

Luke let go of her hand and shot out of bed. “Don’t belittle what’s between us. I didn’t make love to you to pay for your party planning and you sure as hell didn’t spend fifty hours planning my mother’s party in the hopes of having sex with me.” He picked up his jeans and shoved his legs through them. “I’m good, but not
that
good.”

Not looking at her, he sat on the bed and bent over to put on his socks and boots. “You’re afraid of relationships. That’s obvious the second you open your mouth. Why? I don’t know. But don’t use my mother as a way to get laid. It was bad enough when I thought how alike…never mind.” He shook his head and reached down for his shirt. After he slipped it over his head he got up, his legs taking him out of her room too quickly.

“Wait. Luke. That’s not what I meant. Really.” She chased after him, grabbing her robe off the back of the door and slipping it on as she followed him down the stairs. “I did some research. Your mother has done so much for children in Maine. A Home for All has raised hundreds of thousands for children in need and mothers who need support. People were honored to donate their services for her party. She sounds like a wonderful woman.”