Free Doubleback: A Novel by Libby Fischer Hellmann

less raised herself. Still, the idea of motherhood terrified her. She started to fidget.
    Pete picked up on it. “Hey, that wasn’t supposed to make you stress out.”
    She stared at her drink.
    “So what do you think?” Pete tried to change the subject. “About the mother?”
    “I can’t figure out whether she’s on the level or she’s the kind of woman who feels entitled to special treatment. The referral came through... well, that’s not important. The thing is, I looked into this as a favor. I’m not getting paid. So whatever she turns out to be, my part is over once the screens come back.”
    “But what if the mother’s hunch is right and it wasn’t an accident?”
    “A hunch is just wishful thinking unless the evidence is there.” She twirled her swizzle stick. Enough about Christine Messenger. “Hey, you ever hear of a dating service called More-than-Friends?”
    Pete shook his head.
    She was about to tell him when the news on the TV above the bar came on. When she heard the top story, she gasped.

chapter 9
    T he flame from the scented candle flickered in the dark. Currents of cool air kissed my skin, but I felt heat in the sweep of his fingers, first tender then insistent. Luke had a way of touching me that made me feel I was the most beautiful, desirable woman on earth. I tried to arch up, but his weight held me down. I felt his mouth hot on my skin. My muscles tightened and my breath caught. His fingers dug into my shoulders, and he entered me, thrusting hard and fast and deep. I rose up to meet him. When we made love, the rest of the world fell away. He claimed not only my body but my soul too, ransacking then refilling it so that all my thoughts and senses were of him.
    •   •   •
    I woke up later than usual Saturday morning. Luke sat on the edge of the bed already dressed, watching me. I smiled and reached for him. He buried his face in my neck. I felt his heart beating against mine. Warm. Comforting. He kissed me, then straightened up.
    “I thought I’d go for a run.”
    I nodded lazily. “After all the fireworks last night? You were amazing.”
    “I know.” His eyes twinkled. They were a shade of blue that changed from ocean deep to cloudless sky depending on his mood, and they were his most interesting feature. He had carrot-colored hair on top of his head, gray on the sides, and freckles all over his skin. He wasn’t that tall, but he was compact and fit. Most people wouldn’t look twice at him, but when his eyes landed on me, frank and guileless, my stomach flipped, and I couldn’t look away.
    “You sure you want to go for a run?” I remembered the passion we’d shared just a few hours ago. “I do have another idea.”
    “More fireworks, huh?” He disengaged from my arms. “I’ll be back in thirty minutes. We’ll negotiate.”
    I sank back against the pillow. Truth be told, I am not a morning person and I resent the cheerful types who are. For Luke, though, I made an effort. “Go ahead. I’ll make breakfast.”
    “We could go to the pancake house,” he said.
    “And put back all those calories you burned off?” I shook my head. “Eggs this morning. Maybe egg whites.”
    “You can splurge on the yolks. We earned them.”
    When he grinned I felt a twinge of desire. It never quite faded. “You’d better get out now. Or you never will.”
    He kissed me again, then took the stairs down. The screen door banged. I took my time getting up, threw on a tank top and shorts, brushed my teeth, went down to the kitchen. I got out eggs, milk, bagels, and a cantaloupe that had been ripening on the counter and smelled just right. Then I went out to grab the paper.
    It was a perfect summer day: azure sky, puffy white clouds, sun-baked breeze. I could turn off the air conditioning. I was bending over to pick up the paper when an old, battered pickup pulled up to the curb. For an instant I thought it was Fouad Al Hamra, a friend who owns a landscaping company and helps me