Luke POVRunning out on my own wedding had been the best decision I'd ever made. Almost two years later, I still didn't regret that decision. "Up, up," a soft voice cooed to me. I pulled my eyes from the gorgeous Caribbean sky and bent down, scooping my beautiful daughter into my arms. Arianne had been a surprise, but a very welcome surprise. Cat had always been the embodiment of home and family for me. When she told me she was pregnant, that feeling had finally become completely real. We were going to be a real family, and now, we were. I balanced Arianne on my hip and blew a raspberry on her cheek. She giggled and squirmed in my arms. "No. No." she laughed, pushing at me. "Let's get home. I'm sure your mom is waiting for us," I said. I walked along the rocky embankment we'd been playing on and headed back home. Since the Caribbean project had taken up so much of our time, Cat and I decided to move down here. It allowed us to be closer to the project an
**Cat POVThe Uber drove me down the neighborhood street that would soon be my street. My fiancé, Aaron, and I had just bought a house. He'd already gone to the house to start moving in.I would have loved to have been there with him, but I'd had to finish up my thesis for graduation.Looking out the Uber window, I drank in the cute tree-lined street, the adorable bungalow homes, and the well-kept front yards. It was such a cute neighborhood!I couldn't wait to make a life with Aaron here. I had a great new job lined up, and my life was really falling into place. I'd even finished my thesis early and had gotten a last-minute flight to my new hometown to surprise Aaron.The Uber driver dropped me off in front of the house. I'd only seen it in pictures before, and the sight of it made me gasp.I stared at my new home. It was so quaint and gorgeous. There were rose bushes in front of the covered porch and a fenced around the yard. It was perfect!Rolling my suitcases up t
**Cat POV"If you're having trouble with securing a room, I'd be more than happy to offer some assistance," the man said, flashing a gold credit card held between his forefinger and middle finger. My cheeks grew hot and I looked away. "No, that's fine. I've got it." I pulled out three other credit cards and laid them out on the concierge desk. "Hmm. You do seem like you can take care of yourself. I like that in a woman," he smirked, playfully. I bit my lip and glanced at him again, quickly. His eyes were still so deep and penetrating. I got the sense that he could see right through my clothing. It made my skin crawl a little, and my cheeks got even hotter. I imagined my eyes were red and puffy from my crying. It probably wasn't the most attractive look, but he didn't seem to care. "Thank you, Miss Walker. Your room is all set," the concierge said, handing my card back. Nodding, I packed my cards back in my wallet. It was a little embarrassing that some guy
I stepped away from Luke and went into my room. He stood outside. With a sultry smile, I glanced over my shoulder. "Are you going to come in?"Luke smirked and crossed the threshold. He slowly closed the door behind him. "What did you have in mind?" he teased, glancing at the bed. I shrugged and sat on the end of the bed, bending over to take my shoes off. "You said you wanted to make my night. How do you propose to do that?" Giggling, I tossed my shoes aside and bit my lower lip. Luke's eyes lit up, and he gave a soft growl. He stood at the end of the bed and cupped my face in his hands. "Oh, I've got a few ideas," he purred. He swooped down, pressing his lips to mine. I gasped and melted into the kiss, bringing my arms around his neck. Luke put his hands on my shoulders and pushed me back on the bed, demanding, dominating. A thrill shot through me, and I didn't struggle against him. He nipped at my lower lip and I opened my mouth, allowing his tongue insi
There was no way I could go to work now. I clutched my chest, still breathing hard. The name "Luke" had been familiar, but I hadn't even considered it. I mean, what were the odds?Groaning, I leaned against the side of the hotel and forced myself to take deep, calming breaths. This was a nightmare. The only thing I had left was my job, and there was no way I could take it, now. I needed to pack up my bags and get the h*ll out of here. Resign before I even started. But I'd be giving up the best chance I had to build my career. I'd lose everything I had worked for and probably end up back with my mother. It made me shudder to even think it.Unfortunately, that was my only option. I turned to go back inside. "Catherine? Catherine Walker?" a female voice called. It sounded somewhat familiar. I froze, my spine going rigid. "Y-yes?" I asked, turning slowly. I didn't recognize the woman walking toward me. She had brown hair in a ponytail and horn-rimmed gl
"What the f*ck!?" I jumped out of my office chair and ran into the hallway. The woman stopped walking and smirked at me. Obviously, she knew exactly who I was. "What are you doing here!?" I snapped. "This is a free country, last I checked," the blonde said, tossing her hair back. "Is Aaron having you follow me? Well, you can tell him that I'm not playing his stupid games anymore!" I put my hands on my hips, glaring at her. She shrugged indifferently. "I don't even know who you are.""Right, and you didn't f*ck my fiance?" I snarled. Nearby office doors started opening and people poked their heads out. As if my outfit hadn't made enough of a first impression…The woman laughed and rolled her eyes. "Oh, that was you? I should have suspected, given your cheap taste." She nodded to my yellow sweater. My blood boiled under my skin, and I wanted to grab her and ring her neck. Not only had she been in my house with my fiance, but now she was walking around my
**Cat POVMy hand shook as I slid the chain back and pulled the door open. I hardly spared Luke a glance as I stepped back. He followed me in as I went back to my suitcases and kept packing. This time, I was less furious and actually folded my clothes. "I'd like to apologize for last night," Luke said. I paused, a half folded pair of slacks in my hands. "Oh."Luke chuckled. "I'm not sorry that it happened, but I do feel bad given the circumstances.""I don't understand," I said, retrunig to folding the pants. "There are some… complications in my life. Last night was a pleasant respite. Though, I should not have dragged you into it.""Trust me, you're not the only one that needed a respite last night." Luke laughed lightly. He shook his head and sat on the edge of the bed, just inches from where I was packing. "I do apologize for my part in making things awkward for you," he added. "Your part?" I asked, creasing my brow. I lifted my eyes from my clothes and
**Cat POVLuke had a town car pick us up outside the hotel. He'd even called for a personal driver. I felt awkward, sitting in the back seat with him. Thankfully, he didn't try to strike up a conversation. I kept my eyes out the window, watching the city fly by. Despite all the craziness, I was looking forward to exploring it and making it my home. I'd never lived close to a city this size!"What was here before?" I asked when the town car pulled into the development. It was only a few blocks from the hotel. "Low income housing," Luke replied. "Too many of the buildings became condemned and had to be torn down.""Ahh, making it the perfect dream for developers," I said, glancing at him quickly. He smirked. "Though, this development doesn't resemble anything like what was here before. It is a completely different kind of housing.""I can see that," I muttered as the car pulled into the development. The development Luke's company was working on was only a few bl