Page 12 of The Mountain Man's Determined Bride
Chapter Ten
How the hell do I get myself in these situations? Is someone trying to tell me something? Well quit, because I don’t want to listen.
Morgan closed her eyes, waiting for Luke to bring her bags. There was no easy way out of this now because he could block the door if she tried to sneak out. Besides, she was starting to hurt pretty badly. She definitely needed those Aspirin.
She also needed to check in with her uncle so he knew she’d be heading home today.Ifshe got to head home today. She briefly wondered why she hadn’t heard from him since the other night but of course, he knew who was here with her. That rat. Her brother better not have been in on this little plan.
Morgan had been running from things that hurt her all her life but her biggest fear right now was that Luke would make her face her past; their past and why she left him. She wasn’t ready to deal with it. “Will I ever be?”
“Will you ever be what sunshine?”
Shit. “Nothing Luke, I was talking to myself. Can you give me those?” She motioned toward the bags he held.
He made a dramatic gesture of handing them over like they were a delicate piece of glass then tossed her a bottle of water as well.
“Good lord you’re annoying.” She couldn’t wait to leave the cabin. Morgan gestured to the living room again. “Can you handme my radio from the table out there, I need to let Uncle Bill know I’m coming home today.”
“No can do, sorry. You aren’t going anywhere today and I already talked to Bill. He said to stay as long as need be to get you better.” The smug look he displayed as he relaxed in the doorway was enough to make her throw up.
“You called him? Why would you do that? I told you I was planning on going home today.”
“And I told you I wasn’t letting you go anywhere until we got a few things straight and I meant exactly that Morgan. As of right this minute, you are done running away. We are going to stay here as long as it takes to get everything out in the open. We shared something amazing last night and I’m here to make sure that won’t be the last time we are ever intimate.”
By now, Luke had steadily progressed from the door way to stand at the side of the bed. Arms crossed, he definitely meant business. Morgan tried to look anywhere but at that amazing body that did countless things to her the night before. Remembering what it was like to be that close to him wasn’t something she was willing to rehash no matter what he said. She knew at some point her natural hormonal instinct would kick in, overruling her better judgment and she was afraid to let that happen again. Once could be explainable but multiple times actually meant something.
It had been hard enough to walk away the first time and she’d gotten herself all psyched up to do it again today while he was sleeping. If only she’d been a little bit quieter she would have been home free.
“I don’t know what you’re looking to get out of me Luke. I have told you many,manytimes that I have nothing left to say to you.”
She screwed off the cap on the water bottle and took a swig then threw the aspirin in after as a chaser. She hated taking pills; the gag reflex got her every time but anyway, four should do the trick nicely. Then she proceeded to ignore him. She felt the bed sag as he took a seat next to her. If that weren’t bad enough, he scooted up to sit shoulder to shoulder with her against the headboard.
* * * *
Luke was taking a huge leap of faith; faith in Morgan not flipping out by him sitting in the bed with her but just maybe, with all her bumps and bruises, she won’t be able to maneuver much to push him off the bed. He caught the shocked looked on her face in his periphery. Oh she was definitely not thrilled he was there but too bad for her. This time she couldn’t run, at least without a little bit of physical pain.
“Do you have to sit that close to me?” She’d huffed out a breath and crossed her arms like she was placing boundaries.
“Yep.” Simple. He wasn’t going anywhere. He angled his arms over his chest for effect. She hadn’t complained last night, more like begged for more.
“You could at least give me some breathing room for heaven sake.” Her arms anchored at each of her hips to shift her whole body away but he knew her mid-section had to hurt too much when he heard her hiss through her grinding pearly whites.
“If I give you an inch you’ll take a mile and bolt just like always. Well not this time sweetheart. I’m not going anywhere and neither are you. Besides, I can tell you’re too sore to move.”
He heard another deep sigh then she ever-so-slightly wiggled her body down til she was more laying on the bed than sitting.
“You might as well get it over with.” She wouldn’t look at him.
“You’re ready to talk?” Luke was a little surprised she was being so forward.
“Well you won’t go away til I do right?” When she glanced his direction he had to fight off a giggle.
“Yes ma’am that’s right. So, where should we start?”
“You’re running this show so just start talking before I fall asleep.”
Luke had several questions to ask and they all crowded in the frontal lobe together but one question picked at the recesses more than any other so if she thought she was ready for the onslaught, why not?
“Why didn’t you show up here six years ago? I waited for hours.” He at least thought she’d take a minute or two to come up with a logical excuse. Instead her answer was instantaneous.