Do Date Your Handsome Rival (Jewel Family Romance Book 3) Read online

  Chapter Six

  Luke grinned to himself as he and Mar loaded into his Cessna Citation X. She’d bought it. When he’d watched her walk away earlier, he’d realized he simply had to have more time with her. There was nothing wrong with exploring a relationship with a beautiful woman. His ploy of the business advice was just that: a ploy. He’d love her advice and insight on the perfume business, but he’d know if he should buy it. He always knew.

  Earlier, he’d claimed he’d forgotten some important papers at the hotel and left Isaac and Cosette at the airport, then had the driver take him back to Mar’s place. When she wasn’t home, he was unsure what to do, so he’d waited and waited until she’d come. She’d run at him as if he were her long-lost love. If only that could be true. If only he’d fallen for Mar instead of Tracey back in high school. Maybe he’d be married with a whole passel of adorable children. Would they have the Jewels’ blue eyes, or would Mar’s Spanish ancestry give them her beautiful dark brown eyes?

  They sat in comfortable leather recliners, and the pilot readied the airplane for departure. It was a short flight, only two and a half hours. Luke didn’t let himself second-guess why he wanted Mar with him on this trip. He simply needed more time with her. He liked being around her. She was wicked smart about business. He didn’t want to go back to Jackson Hole by himself. Sadly, his parents weren’t even there, as Paisley had her first soccer tournament this weekend and they were staying in Golden with Eve. He liked watching cute little Eve run around the soccer field in a pack with the rest of the team, but a full-on soccer tournament for a three-year-old was a little overboard in his opinion.

  His mind went back to why he wanted Mar with him. She was beautiful and fun, and she kissed like an angel who was meant to be in his arms. No. He couldn’t go there. If he went there, he’d be kissing her again and declaring his undying devotion. She was the one who’d pulled away last night and acted all casual like the kiss hadn’t affected her at all. He was the one who’d promised himself he wouldn’t fall in love, so he should be thanking her.

  He turned toward her and pushed the internal battles away. “Do you need anything? Water, juice, pop, snacks?”

  “Thank you, Mr. Flight Attendant, but I am fine. I just had a delectable breakfast with some of my favorite people in the world.”

  She was adorable too. He had to add that to her list of great characteristics. It couldn’t compete with how she kissed, but he doubted anything could. “Well, then settle in for a comfortable flight, Miss Valez.”

  “I’ve never flown on a private jet.” She rubbed her hands along the tan leather armrests. “Pretty snazzy. How long have you had this?”

  “It is snazzy.” He smiled and started telling her about his long-held dream of owning his own jet, and the flight flew by as they chatted about different businesses he’d acquired and how she and Cosette had gotten started.

  They arrived in Jackson Hole and descended from the airplane. The June air in Jackson was probably mid-seventies and dry. It felt like a heat wave after San Francisco. “I never thought I’d say Jackson Hole was warm,” he said, his eyes darting around as if Tracey was going to pop out from the terminal. Calm down, he told himself.

  “After San Francisco in the summer, anything feels warm.”

  “Crazy how San Francisco gets colder in the summer.”

  “Yeah, but I love my foggy city.”

  “I could tell you do.” He smiled at her and loaded their bags in the trunk of a waiting rental car. The silver Audi was nice and clean. His personal assistant over travel, Jake, did a great job.

  They drove through Jackson Hole, and she teased about the elk arch but admired the beauty of the area. The lush greenery and the majestic mountain peaks were beautiful. He realized that he’d missed his hometown. It was silly, really, that he’d stayed away for so long. Jackson had grown immensely. It would be a crazy coincidence if he ran into Tracey, and even if he did, it would probably just be good closure. He’d know she wasn’t the one for him, and maybe he could finally let it all go and move on.

  They pulled into his parents’ driveway. He punched in the gate code, and it swung wide, letting him drive up to the rustic mansion for the first time in years. Wooden beams and rock competed for space on the exterior, and all of the huge windows were strategically placed to showcase the forest and mountains surrounding the home.

  He parked in front and turned to Mar. Her mouth was slightly open, and her gaze darted from the house to the well-kept property. “Where are we?” she gasped out.

  “This is my parents’ house.”

  “Oh!” She turned quickly to him. “Are they here?” Her voice sounded terrified.

  “No.” He shook his head and smiled. “They’re with Eve. Paisley had a soccer tournament. We get the whole place to ourselves.”

  Her eyes widened and she straightened up. “Um, it might be way past time to tell you this, as I went on this trip with you not really thinking. Too impulsive, that’s my problem.” She was rubbing her hands together.

  “It’s okay,” he reassured, wondering what in the world she could need to tell him. His mind went from communicable disease to sleepwalking to some things he shouldn’t even think.

  “I’m only a kisser, not a … doer of other stuff.”

  His own eyes widened at her bold statement and the insinuation behind it. “Thank you for telling me that. I promise you there is plenty of room for you to have your own suite, or a couple of suites, if you’d like.”

  “Thank you,” she said, all prim.

  Luke should’ve resisted, but he didn’t. He lowered his voice and said, “And I’m great with only kissing.”

  Mar’s cheeks darkened, and she grabbed the door handle and scrambled out onto the cement driveway. Luke groaned. Maybe she didn’t want to be kissing him, but maybe she’d reacted like that because she liked his kiss as much as he’d liked hers.

  He got languidly out of the car and retrieved their luggage. They walked quietly up the ascending walkway, past water features and early-summer flowers, and into the grand entry. The house was two sprawling stories. The entry opened into a two-story great room. A staircase below and the balcony above separated the entryway and living area. The balcony was lined with the doors to upstairs suites for all the family members. Leaving their luggage in the entryway, Luke walked her through the main area with the office and dining room off the entryway, and through the massive great room beyond that. To the right of the great room was the laundry, the mudroom, and the seven-car garage over which half the suites were situated. To the left was the exercise room; the theater; an activity room with ping-pong, pool tables, and video games; and a climbing structure for Paisley, with the rest of the suites situated over that part of the main floor. Beyond the activity room was the indoor pool.

  When they reached the pool she gazed around in awe at the retractable walls and large pool. “Can we swim?”

  “For sure. Would you like to do a bike ride first, though, while we still have daylight?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  He loved her exuberance for life. They retrieved their suitcases from the entryway and walked upstairs. He let her have her pick of the suites. Interestingly enough, she chose his room. It’d been redecorated since childhood. His mom had asked for his input, but he hadn’t been back to see the huge bookcase full of leather-bound books, the pale blue-and-white bedspread, the snow-skiing décor, and the view of the backyard and mountains beyond. Even though it’d changed since he’d stayed here, he liked that Mar was staying in his room.

  He headed into the suite next door, Seth’s room, to change into some comfortable clothes. He’d take her on a mountain bike ride prettier than the one she’d taken him on in San Francisco. Then they’d swim and hot tub. Then he’d kiss her again. Maybe it was stupid to explore the beauty and passion of their kiss from last night, as he had no clue where it could lead relationship-wise. The concerns weren’t nearly strong enough to keep him from wanting his lips touc
hing hers again.

  Mar was blown away by Luke’s parents’ house. She’d seen wealth in San Francisco, and Cosette’s father was wealthy and had a lovely home, but this was like something from a dream. She wondered what Luke’s own house in Colorado was like.

  They pedaled up a trail right behind his parents’ house and were soon lost to the beauties of the mountains. She insisted that Luke go first to lead the way. She was winded from the hard ride and the high elevation, but her legs felt strong and she found she could keep up with him—though it was highly possible that he was going slower for her.

  The shadows were stretching longer and the trail was all in shade from the towering pine trees when Luke stopped and glanced over his shoulder with a smile. “How are you doing?”

  “Amazing.” She loved her biking treks out to the Muir Woods, but they weren’t as remote and quiet as this. The trees were different, pine and maple rather than redwood, but they were still beautiful and thick. This path was more technical to navigate with rocks, stumps, and sometimes logs in the path.

  “We’d better turn back so we aren’t coming down the trail in the dark.”

  Her eyes darted around the thick trees and foliage around them. “Why? Do bear and moose attack in the dark?”

  He grinned and said, “No, but the mountain lions do.”

  Mar’s heart thumped faster. Suddenly, this remote beauty was not quite as appealing. She hurried to turn her bike on the narrow trail. “Let’s go,” she urged Luke.

  Luke started chuckling, and then he was laughing uproariously.

  “What?” She glared back at him. “Let’s go!”

  Luke held up a hand and through his laughter sputtered out, “I was joking.”

  “What?” Her heart slowly calmed, and she stopped searching through the shadows of the woods to glare at him. “There are no mountain lions, right?”

  Luke finally sobered but was still grinning at her. “There are plenty of mountain lions, but they aren’t going to attack us because it’s getting darker out. At least, probably not.”

  “Probably not?” She gripped her handlebars and decided she was going with or without him. He could laugh all he wanted. The most vicious animal she’d ever seen in real life was a yappy dog who’d broken from his owner’s grip and nipped at her heels. Muir Woods was populated with tourists, not bears and mountain lions.

  Mar jumped back on the bike and pushed the pedals down hard. She shot off down the trail. It was surprisingly easier going downhill, and before she knew it, she was flying.

  “Mar!” Luke called from behind her.

  “Come on!” she hollered back. Maybe he was tough enough that he thought he could take on a mountain lion, but she wasn’t waiting around to watch.

  “Slow down!” Luke yelled.

  Mar squinted at the trail ahead and maneuvered the bike around a large rock, but then a stump appeared out of nowhere. Her front tire hit the stump, and she launched forward. Screaming, she flew like Superman and crashed into some undergrowth. Branches scratched at her face and arms, but she rolled to a stop. Miraculously, she didn’t feel like anything had broken.

  “Mar!” Luke was upon her quickly. He jumped off his bike and ran to her side. Gently lifting her out of the bushes, he set her on the trail and kneeled beside her. “Are you okay? Where does it hurt?” His eyes frantically traced over her face and down her body.

  “I’m okay.” She was breathing hard and the cuts on her face and arms stung, but she was fine. “Nothing’s broken.” She gave him a brave smile.

  He set back on his haunches and blew out a breath. “Thank you. You scared me.”

  “I scared you?” she hurled at him. “You had me terrified with all that talk about mountain lions. Speaking of which …” She glanced around at the trees and the deepening gloom. “Let’s get out of here.”

  Luke stood and helped her to her feet. His hands remained on her arms, and the pressure had her mind flittering back to that kiss. “An animal isn’t going to just attack us,” he said.

  “Says you. I have Google.” She flipped her ponytail over her shoulder. “I’ve heard all about bear, moose, wolf, and mountain lion attacks in these remote Rocky Mountains.”

  “Lucky you, we’re in the Teton Mountains, not the Rockies.”

  She narrowed her eyes at him. “Are you teasing me? Aren’t they part of the Rockies?”

  He grinned, reached up, and swept a branch from her hair. Then his hand trailed along her neck, and she shivered from his warm, delicious touch. “They are, and you’re also really cute.”

  “Cute?” She lifted her eyebrows. “That’s all you’ve got for me?”

  “Impressive, beautiful, fun, smart, amazing …” His voice was low and husky, and he was leaning closer and closer.

  Mar’s breath caught and she arched up toward him. Without her heels on, she was much too short, but Luke didn’t seem to mind.

  A long, mournful howl sounded from nearby in the woods.

  Mar yelped, jumped, and grabbed Luke’s arm. “What was that?”

  Luke’s gaze darted to the trees, but he wasn’t nearly concerned enough. “Coyote.”

  “Coyote?” Now she had another animal to add to the list of things to fear. Did coyotes attack? “Let’s get out of here,” she begged, tugging on his arm.

  With a smile, Luke walked over and grabbed her bike, lifting it back onto the trail. “The bike looks okay.”

  “Oh, good.” She hadn’t even thought about her bike; if it had wrecked, she might’ve had to run home. Luke wouldn’t make her do that, but they might not have had any choice. She climbed on.

  “I know you want to get back, but slow down a little so you don’t crash.”

  “Okay.”

  The coyote howled again—it sounded like a high, quavering cry—and then it emitted some short, high-pitched yips. Mar cried out, then slapped a hand over her mouth. An answering howl came from their other side. “We’re surrounded,” she said, her voice shaky with fear.

  “We’ll be okay,” Luke reassured her as he climbed on his bike.

  Mar started off down the trail, not quite as fast as before. It was hard to hold herself back from pedaling at maximum leg speed and putting more distance between them and the coyotes and whatever else might be in those woods. She heard another yip behind them, but it sounded farther away, or at least she hoped so. She was shaking and could hardly keep the bike going straight. The sun had vanished into the horizon, and the sky was gradually getting darker. She’d always thought she was a nature lover, but her nature was beaches, landscaped parks, and Muir Woods—all huge tourist attractions with very little risk.

  Finally, she broke out of the woods and saw the house up ahead; bright, warm light spilled from the huge windows. She pedaled quickly around to the garage entrance where they’d gotten the bikes earlier. Luke was right behind her. He punched in a code, and the garage door slid open. Mar got off her bike and walked it in on weak, trembling legs. Luke hung the bikes back up on the rack.

  “Did I hurt my bike?”

  “Nah. Maybe a couple new scratches, but my brothers are crazy on these things. Caleb and Seth have wrecked so many times, I doubt you could do any more damage to the bike.”

  “Thanks for the ride.” Her eyes darted back to the still-open garage door. “Can we close that?”

  Luke smiled, rested his hand on the small of her back, and escorted her to the door of the house. He pushed a button next to the door, and the garage door slid closed. Mar let out a relieved breath.

  “Are you okay?” Luke asked as they walked in through the large mudroom and into the great room.

  “Yes. Sorry I am such a wimp about wild creatures.”

  “You’re not a wimp. I shouldn’t have teased with you about it. We grew up in these woods, so I don’t think much of hearing coyotes yap or seeing a bear or moose.”

  “You’ve actually seen bear and moose?” She shivered. “I don’t know if I’m going to leave the house again.”
/>   Luke’s blue eyes got more serious. “I’m really sorry that I’m scaring you. Most animals won’t attack you if you leave them alone.”

  She didn’t know that she believed him. “Are you okay if I don’t go hiking with you?” He’d talked about a hike in the morning before they went to meet with the business owner, the reason he’d come on this trip in the late afternoon.

  Luke caught both of her hands in his. “I won’t push you to go, but I think you’d love it. I promise you I’ll protect you if an animal dares come at us.”

  Mar looked him over. He was strong and brave, but come on … who could take on a bear?

  “And my mom keeps canisters of bear spray in the storage room. If we put a couple of those in our backpacks, would you feel better about going?”

  Mar felt relief rush through her. Luke and canisters of bear spray would reassure her. She flung her arms around his neck and hugged him tight. “Yes! Thank you!”

  Luke squeezed her, lifting her off her feet. The feel of his strong arms surrounding her and his body pressed against hers brought back the rush of feeling from kissing him last night. He set her on her feet but didn’t release her.

  Mar stared up into his handsome face. Would he kiss her again? Was she just a fling for him, or was it more? She gave him a welcoming smile and licked her lips. He leaned closer.

  Her stomach rumbled, loudly.

  Luke pulled back and laughed. “Hungry?”

  Mar felt heat climbing her neck. “It has been a while since brunch.”

  “True.” He grinned and released her. “My mom has the kitchen stocked with healthy ready-made meals because she hates to cook, but we haven’t found a service that will deliver healthy takeout this far out.”

  “Perfect.” Mar smiled and followed him to the kitchen. She was hungry, but she would’ve much rather kissed him than eaten.