Luke Takes a Wife Ch. 04

Sorry this chapter took so long and is so short. Real life interfered....as always. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Please let me know what you think.

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A stricken look on her face, Hannah turns and runs up the stairs as Luke struggles to adjust the huge bulge now throbbing behind his zipper. He takes a couple of deep breaths before turning to face his son.

"You're not supposed to run in the house, Cash!" Luke says a little more harshly than is necessary, Feeling bad almost instantly as his youngest son's face falls. He crouches down in front of him, whispering softly even as he looks past him in the direction Hannah fled.

Once Hannah reaches the top of the stairs, she quickly tucks her t-shirt back into her jeans and tucks the few stray strands of her hair behind her ears. Touching her cheeks, feeling how hot they are, she lays her head back against the wall...unable to believe how close they came.....Cash could've seen....Oh god, what is wrong with me?

Downstairs, Luke has finally sent Cash back outside and is about to start up the stairs when he sees Hannah coming down. He frowns, noticing how she keeps her head down and avoids meeting his eyes. That look he knows...he takes in the redness of her cheeks and the frightened look on her face. As she reaches the bottom step, she steps past him...very careful not to touch him.

Just as she thinks she's going to manage to slip past him without any problems, he grabs her arm and pulls her close to him. She bites back the desperate urge to cry out as he clutches her arm tightly.

Luke stares down at her flushed face. "Hannah, we have to talk." He turns and starts up the stairs, pulling her along behind him.

Determined not to put herself in the position of being alone with him again, she digs her heels in and grabs the railing...gripping it tightly as he tries to pull her up the stairs.

"Damnit, Hannah...stop acting like a child." He turns to look at her, his tone changing as he feels her body beginning to shake. "Hannah, we need to talk about what happened."

"NO" She almost laughs at the stunned look on his face as his hand falls away from her arm. "Stop treating me like I'm one of your kids, Luke." She turns on her heel and walks back into the living room and scoops Rainy up In her arms...she's almost to the front door before Luke recovers from his shock and stomps into the living room.

His eyes harden as he crosses the room, following her out the front door. He watches as she all but runs across the grass to the barn where his boys are standing around with their horses. He can't help but laugh softly as he watches her gather her barriers around her. Watching closely, he sees how his boys rally around her. Chance looks up at Hannah and then over at Luke. His eyes narrow as he reaches out and slips his small hand into Hannah's. Luke smiles, understanding well how protective his young son feels toward her. He has those feelings too....but somehow the protective feelings keep being overridden by other, stronger feelings. He never takes his eyes off of her small form as he crosses the yard, coming to stand next to her.

Hannah tries desperately to ignore his eyes as they stay fixed on her as she joins the boys at the barn. She looks down at the laughing little girl in her arms as she lowers her down onto a blanket that has been laid out in the back of the wagon. She feels Luke's hard body against her as he moves to stand beside her.

Sighing softly, she steels herself and chances a glance up to his face...only to regret her bravery as their eyes meet. Gone is the confidence she has grown used to finding there and as she looks up, she sees her own fears reflected in his eyes.

As Hannah finally meets his eyes, he takes her hand into his and pulls her gently away from the wagon. She hesitates, glancing down at Rainy as she laughs at the boys who have climbed up on the wagon wheels and are playing with her.

"She'll be fine, I promise." Luke rubs his thumb back and forth over your cheek, still feeling the heat from earlier. "Please, Hannah...I need to talk to you." He gives her hand a small tug, smiling as she follows him into the barn. He glances over his shoulder at the boys. "Chance, Lucky...keep an eye on your brother and sister. We'll be right back."

Luke pulls open the barn door and steps aside, his hand on her lower back as he urges her in ahead of him. He can feel her trembling beneath his hand and wonders briefly exactly what it is about him that scares her so much.

Hannah stops just inside the barn, looking around...at anything to keep from looking back at him. Her heart jumps in her chest as she feels him move up behind her.....feels his chest against her back. His hands move up, gripping her upper arms as he pulls her back hard against

"I'm sorry, Hannah. I didn't mean to talk down to you but I definitely....." his lips against her ear as he drops his hands down to her hips. ".....don't feel like your one of my kids."

"Luke, please....." Gasping softly, as she feels her body moving back against him, almost with a mind of it's own.

Luke drops his head, pressing his lips against her neck. His voice husky as he murmurs against her ear, " I want you, Hannah." He presses his lips against the heat of her neck. "And I know you want me.

Hannah's voice catches in her throat as she feels his warm breath against her ear. With a strength she didn't even realize that she had, she gently pulls away from him. Smiling sadly as she turns to face him. Her voice cracking as she whispers, "It doesn't matter, Luke." She crosses her arms over her breasts as her eyes drop down to the ground, fixing them on his boots.

Luke stares down at her before gently cupping her chin and lifting her head up to meet his eyes. "Hannah, what's wrong?" He feels his frustrations building, creeping into his voice.

"It can't happen between us, Luke. I thought...when I came here.....but I just...." Her voice trails off as he lowers his head and captures her lips with his. Her heart pounding in her chest as his tongue pushes past her lips.

Luke moans, feeling her body melting against him as he explores her mouth. His arms slip around her waist, pulling her hard against him. He feels her fingers fluttering against his chest as he deepens the kiss.

Suddenly they're ripped apart by the sound of an old truck pulling down close to the barn. Luke's eyes gleam as he looks down at her wistfully, rubbing his thumb over her bottom lip. "I forgot to tell you..." He takes her hand and starts pulling her toward the barn door.

Stumbling behind him, suddenly feeling very lightheaded. "Forgot to tell me what?" She whispers, blinking quickly as he pulls her from the barn out into the harsh sunlight. Her eyes are drawn to the beat up old chevy pick-up as it kicks up dust. She shakes her head quickly. No...No....it couldn't be him. Luke would have warned her. She glances up as he throws his hand up and waves. He doesn't even notice when she pulls her hand out of his. "LUKE!"

"He's an old friend from when I was on the rodeo circuit." Luke doesn't even notice the stricken look on her face as he watches his old friend stop about 15 feet from the barn and get out. "I spent more time with his family than I ever did with my own."

Hannah feels the blood draining from her face as she watches her own brother step down out of the truck and start toward them. "Luke, I.....I....." Without another word, she turns and snatches Rainy out of the back of the wagon before running back up to the house. The boys watch, torn between staying with their father and following her. Chance is the first to bolt after Hannah and Rainy, followed closely by Lucky. Cash looks up at his dad, begging for permission to follow. Luke nods slowly and Cash runs, his little legs carrying him as fast as they can up to the house...leaving Luke standing, surrounded by horses, wondering what just happened as he watches his friend walk toward him.

By the time she reaches the house, Hannah's heart feels like it's going to beat out of her chest.. She sets Rainy down in the playpen before laying her head back against the railing of the stairs, struggling to catch her breath.