Free Anything but Love by Beth Ciotta Page B

most certainly been friendly acquaintances.
    And Rae had deceived her, along with everyone else in town.
    Most especially Rae dreaded facing those she’d spent the most time with—the Cupcake Lovers. Although she supposed since she’d survived the confrontation with Luke, she could survive anything.
    After splashing her face and reapplying her makeup, Rae finger-combed her choppy hair and changed into a sparkly cashmere sweater combo and knee-high boots with a heel. A little flashy, but she wanted to impress upon Rocky that she could look the part of a celebrity. An angle Rae hoped would work to the advantage of the Cupcake Lovers. It didn’t matter that she didn’t feel comfortable in the skin of a socialite. She was doing this for the friends she’d wronged. She’d just have to dig deep, drawing on years of watching Olivia in action. Although hopefully Rae would be able to flaunt her wealthy status with grace.
    She grabbed her coat and purse and left her room, rehearsing her pitch to Rocky as she rode the elevator down to the lobby. She was deep in thought as she made her way to the elegant pine carriage doors, gasping when someone stepped into her path.
    Luke
.
    “Can I speak with you?” He noted the crowd of seasonal guests drinking hot beverages around the stone hearth. “In private?”
    Rae blinked, stunned and unsettled by his presence. She honestly thought it would take him a day or two to seek her out. Not a measly few hours. “I have an appointment,” she blurted, trying desperately not to admire his handsome face or to fantasize about the amazing physique beneath his coat. Talk about shallow.
    “I only need a minute.”
    She glanced at her watch. “I can’t. I need to catch a cab and—”
    “I’ll drive you. We can talk in the car.”
    He took her coat and held it open, pushing his agenda. She didn’t have the energy to argue and besides she was curious. Had he already made his decision? Did he want her to stay in Sugar Creek? Leave Sugar Creek? Did he intend to fight her for custody?
Could
he? She hadn’t thought of that.
    Mind racing, Rae slid her arms through the puffy sleeves. Luke even helped with the zipper. Unnecessary and unnerving. His touch was gentle and deliberate, so unlike his impassioned grappling during their wham-bam coupling. Yet Rae’s heart pounded just as fiercely and her stomach flipped with the same intense lust. She tempered her breathing and cursed the orgasmic sensations firing throughout her body while Luke cupped her elbow and guided her outside. How could she be so turned on by a guy who was so miserably her mismatch? A guy who’d treated her with contempt since learning her true identity? She cursed herself a thousand times over as Luke escorted her to his car, although it wasn’t one she recognized.
    “New?” she asked.
    “Women shop for clothes when they’re bored,” Luke said. “With men, it’s vehicles or sports equipment. I also have a new set of snow skis.”
    Rae almost smiled at that. Was Luke trying to strike a truce by sharing something personal? He’d been bored. That seemed unusual for a man who had dozens of friends and maintained close contact with his family. From all she’d seen and heard, Luke was always on the go, always involved with one or another social event. Always juggling multiple girlfriends. He also put in more than forty hours a week at the Sugar Shack. His life was full. How could he be
bored
?
    Filing away the notion, Rae acknowledged another surge of heat as Luke helped her up into the dark blue Honda SUV. She was surprised by the brand. Most locals bought American. She was also surprised to see an iPod connected to an USB audio interface. Luke wasn’t much of a gadget guy. “Stocked with your playlist?”
    “Audiobooks. Prefer listening to reading.” Stone-faced he closed the door and rounded the hood.
    Rae’s chest tightened. They’d yet to address his reading disorder. She knew he was touchy about it. Most anyone