Page 70 of Reluctant Chemistry

He took her hand and squeezed it, his large and warm on top of hers as his aviators shielded his expression. His touch lingered on her skin long after he’d pulled back. Her hands held each other in her lap, thumbs busy over the knuckles as she glanced out the side window at the fertile plains below.

“Don’t worry, I’ll get you back in one piece.”

Knowing that wasn’t true, CeCe looked away. She’d never returned in one piece from any of her encounters with Luka O’Leary. Each time, he took a little more of her heart.

When they landed, she expected him to stay and talk, but he didn’t. With his aviators firmly in place and that tight butt on display, he strolled across the tarmac to greet the other pilots, before climbing back into his chopper and flying away.

34

Trouble in a Tuxedo

Smoothing the fabric over her hips, CeCe studied her reflection in the full-length mirror and frowned with a second thought. With wide straps running from the front to the back necklines, another set crisscrossing the shoulder blades, and a choker neck detail, the black velvet dress had a definite BDSM vibe about it.Damn!

She was about to attend a benefit dinner showcasing excellence in sustainable horticulture. With Lime Tree Hill as major sponsors, Mitch and Tayla had invited CeCe and her parents to join them. And when their young housekeeper, budding fashionista Valentina, asked CeCe to wear the dress—one she’d designed for a college assignment—CeCe hadn’t had the heart to refuse. However, looking at it now, those second thoughts were fast turning to thirds.

As she slipped into a new pair of silver heels, CeCe wondered if Luka would make it tonight. She smiled at the thought. Hopefully, if he did, he and her father wouldn’t have to sit anywhere near one another.

She scanned her profile again and then, with her back to the mirror, glanced over her shoulder to check out her butt. The dress fitted perfectly, but to her, it looked at least one size too small. Apart from floaty beach maxis, she rarely wore dresses, and with this one accentuating every curve, she now remembered why.

CeCe grabbed her phone and took a selfie of her reflection, which she messaged to Valentina. As she stood at the window, waiting for Valentina’s reply, she raked her fingers through her hair as she thought of the evening ahead.

Valentina:OMG! You look fabulous. And that red lipstick is the star on top of the Christmas tree!!!

CeCe:Love the dress but I feel like I’m being primed for a kinbaku session. It leaves so little to the imagination.

Valentina:A what???

CeCe:You’re almost 18. Google it.But maybe go incognito.

When Valentina eventually texted back again, CeCe was in the back of her father’s car as he drove down Seaview Road toward the town hall.

Valentina:#blushing. How do you know about these things?

CeCe:Not by experience, that’s for sure. I read about it in a Bryce Courtenay novel.

Valentina:Which one? I want to read it now!

CeCe:I’ll let you figure that one out.

Chuckling to herself, CeCe slotted her phone back into her clutch. The kid had butted her head against life, but her determination to succeed in spite of a challenging family environment was such that CeCe couldn’t help but admire her. Plus, she enjoyed Valentina’s wicked sense of humor.

The town hall puffed out its chest with pride as CeCe walked down the red carpet and into the foyer with her parents on either side. Magnificent floral displays fashioned from locally grown flowers and foliage flanked the entrance, and the scent of jasmine and honeysuckle filled the air. And as they ascended the stairs with the other guests, the dress moved against her curves like a second skin. It was the most sensual she’d felt in a long time.

When they entered the grand ballroom, where a server greeted them with a glass of champagne and a smile, CeCe looked around at the sea of tuxedos and designer gowns, each one as exquisite as the next.

She was about to follow her parents to their table when she caught a tall male in her peripheral vision. Luka O’Leary. Hot Chopper Guy—successful entrepreneur (apparently) and the best sex she’d ever had—stood in profile not ten feet away. Hands buried in his pockets, laughter on his lips, and a neat haze of stubble on his jaw, the man certainly knew how to hold the floor.

Following CeCe’s line of sight, her mother shook her head and cleared her throat. “Oh, dear me. Trouble in a tuxedo at two o’clock. And I thought your father looked smart.”

CeCe tried but failed to suppress a smile. There was nothing special about the tux, or the shiny shoes, or the white shirt and black bow tie, but the sight of Luka made her heart beat a fraction faster. She had to stop herself from fanning her face.

He looked well. More relaxed than the other times she’d seen him recently. The lines on his forehead had smoothed, and he appeared less troubled. No doubt about it, he suited the tux, but his Chopper Guy getup was still her favorite look on him. And as Pilot Luka slipped into her mind, naked from the waist up and with aviators dangling from his hand, her face flushed.

Her father leaned in close. “You wore that dress when you knew Mitch had invited him too? Didn’t your mother teach you how to be demure?”

“Guess not. But don’t worry, Dad. I’ll behave. And besides, he’s taken.”

“I wouldn’t be too sure about that,” her father muttered. “I can’t see a date, can you?”

---