Free A Tender Touch: A Donnelley Brother's Novel (Logan Point Book 4) by Alannah Carbonneau Page B

amount of energy in fighting my smile. “Do I smell coffee?”
    I nodded. “Would you like me to pour you a cup?”
    “That’d be great.” He leaned back against the couch. “I’m normally at the barn already.”
    I raised my brow as I poured the black liquid into a cup. “Is everything going to be alright if you’re not there?”
    “Yeah, the guys know what they’re doing.” He shrugged. “I’m always there, but they know it was guys night last night so they probably think I’m hugging the toilet.”
    I snorted. “That would be a sight.”
    “Speaking of...” He took the mug I handed him. “How are you feeling?”
    I grinned. “I’m fine. I’m rarely ever hung over. I don’t drink often and I may not handle it well, but I’ve never had one of those toilet hugging hangovers.”
    “Lucky girl.” He smirked as he sipped his coffee.
    I lowered myself onto the coffee table across from Luke. He was stretched out on the couch the way boys so often sit with their legs spread and their body slouched. I positioned my knees between his and sighed. “Thanks for last night.”
    “No problem.”
    “I didn’t expect you to stay.”
    “I expected you to wander out of bed and I didn’t want you getting hurt.” He shrugged. “So I stayed the night.”
    “You thought I’d do something to hurt myself?”
    “I didn’t know what to expect, Ember. A lot of what you did last night was unexpected.” He replied matter of fact. “I never pegged you for the dancing kind - but last night proved me wrong.”
    I blushed. “Sorry.”
    “Don’t apologize.” He straightened to lean forward. “Dancing with you makes dancing fun.”
    I rolled my eyes. “I’m sure it does.” I stood to avoid the tense heat I felt building between us. “You should probably get to the barn or they’re going to send out a search party.”
    Luke didn’t reply for a moment and I walked to the kitchen, praying he wouldn’t press me for answers or explanations I couldn’t give. Finally, I heard him sigh as he stood to walk his empty mug into the kitchen. Placing it in the sink beside me, he announced. “I’ll see you in a few hours, pretty girl.”
    “See you.”
    For a moment, he just stood there. I half expected him to do something like push my hair behind my ear, or run his knuckle over my cheek - the moment just felt like one of those moments - but he didn’t do either of those things. Instead, he offered a small smile and he turned to walk away.
    I stayed there, leaning against the counter until he’d disappeared through the front door. Only then was I able resume getting myself ready for my day.
    ***
    I arrived at the barn right on time. After Luke had left, I’d decided to run myself a bubble bath and I stayed in the water, soaking up the peace of warmth and candlelight for much longer than I had first anticipated I would. When I’d finally pulled myself from the nearly cold water, I’d only had forty minutes to dress and get myself to the Ranch.
    Bursting through the barn doors, I caught sight of Luke talking with one of the pasture workers. As soon as his eyes met mine, I dashed into the office to get myself ready for our ten o’clock tour. People would be arriving soon, as most people were early and I still had to get my horse saddled and ready.
    I was in the middle of hanging my satchel on the hook Luke had tacked to the wall in the office after I’d grumbled one too many times about the bottom of my bag getting dirty from having to set it on the floor, when Luke walked into the office. “You’re almost late.”
    “I know.” I huffed, running my hand through my still damp hair. “I got distracted.”
    “Distracted?” He raised a brow. “Did you fall back asleep?”
    “No.” I shook my head. “I just lost track of time.”
    “Doing what?” He cocked his head to the side and I rolled my eyes.
    “Having a bubble bath - not that it’s any of your business.”
    “You kicked me out for a bubble