Page 111 of The Mechanics of Lust

I didn’t even know why I was crying, or rather what in particular I was crying about. There were too many things at play, both good and bad, and I was so, so tired.

Jules’ hand clasped my neck. “I’m going to leave you two alone and call tomorrow. Enjoy your first night.”

He was halfway to his ute when I spun and called out, “Tell Mum I said thank you. Tell her I love it. Tell her it’s going up beside the door tonight. Tell her—”

“I’ll tell her,” he assured me with a smile. “And I’ll tell her, you’ll call her... tomorrow.”

I watched him leave with the reassuring warmth of Luke at my back, his arms around my waist, his lips on my neck.

“Alone at last.” His hot breath brushed my ear, raising goosebumps down my spine. “So, are you ready to christen this place? Fuck on every flat surface?”

I almost choked on the speed that the words, “Absolutely not. Are you crazy?” burst off my tongue.

Luke laughed and squeezed me tight. “Thank God for that. Here I was thinking I was going to have to lie back and count merinos. How about a beer instead?”

I turned and snagged a kiss. “Hell yeah. You read my mind. But let’s have it out here? With no fucking in our immediate future, it won’t matter if we freeze our nuts off.”

“I like the way you think.” He steered me toward the large outdoor sofa that had arrived with his load of furniture, then ducked back into the cottage and returned with two heavy quilts and a couple of open beers.

We clinked bottles and then cosied up together to stare across the snow-capped clumps of tussock toward the lake, lying cool and flinty grey in the far distance, its surface like satin in the breathless air. The mass of wintered jagged peaks that cradled its top end stepped up and back in an endless staircase before disappearing into the pallid sky, the sun no more than a cream glow behind the curtain of high cloud.

We sat in silence for a long time, Luke’s heart beating at my back, his hand resting over mine, his breath fogging in the cool air over my shoulder. My heart felt too full for words, the emotions too raw, too vast for my body to hold. It was enough to deliver them to the mountains, and to the rivers that cut through this country like braids of Rapunzel’s hair. To the grey stone that girded the earth, the golden tussock that rolled endlessly over top, and the infinite sky that watched over it all.

That left only one thing that needed attending to.

“Do you remember that jeweller we visited in Queenstown? The guy who made my belt buckle?” I turned sideways to better see Luke’s face.

He nodded, tucking a lock of my hair behind my ears. “Stef something. Married to the hot cowboy?”

I rolled my eyes. “Of course, you’d remember the damn husband.”

Luke waggled his brows and then kissed me. “I have eyes only for you, my love. What about him?”

“Well...” I took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. “I might have done something.”

His gaze narrowed. “As in?”

Okay. Here goes nothing.It had seemed a good idea at the time but you never knew. “Okay, so I might’ve called him once we got back, and then I might’ve asked him to make something for me... well actually, foryou.”

Luke said nothing, his eyes watchful, wary.

I replayed my words in my head and groaned. “Shit. Don’t panic. It’s not a ring or anything like that.”

He swallowed a smile, his eyes soft on mine. “And why would I panic about that?”

What?My train of thought disappeared in a puff of astonishment. I hadn’t expected that. “Nope. Nuh-uh.” I wagged my finger at him. “You are not going to derail me.” I eyed him up and down. “But I’ll take a rain check on that topic later.” I eyeballed him. “Muchlater.”

He drew me close and kissed me. “Agreed. Now what have you been up to?”

“Oh, right.” I winced, sent a silent prayer to Callie, and then dug into my pocket and drew out a small black velvet pouch tied with a blue bow. I handed it to Luke who gave me a puzzled look before taking it. “If you don’t like it or want to change it, I want you to say so,” I rushed. “I mean it made sense to me, but really, I have no idea about—” I stopped my rambling and sighed. “Just open it already. I can’t stand the suspense and I might have to cry again.”

Luke cradled my face and pressed the softest of kisses to my lips. “I already know I’m going to love it, whatever it is. Because it’s come from you.”

I drew a stuttered breath and wiped my leaking eyes. “Dammit. See, I’m crying already. Just open it.”

He kissed me again and then opened the pouch, frowning at the loop of leather cord that immediately popped up. “Is that...” He shot me a crooked grin. “Why, you sneaky little fucker. So, that’s where it got to. You know that I’ve been looking for this all week.”

I shrugged. “Maybe.”

---