“Luke, I’m still sleepy,” I protested, not sleepy at all. I was spent, in a good way.

“I want a kiss before I go,” he demanded before he kissed me, not giving me a choice in the matter (not that I would have said no). It wasn’t hot, hard and deep. It was hot, soft and sweet.

When he was done I stared at him in a new kind of Luke Lip Fog.

“I always want a kiss before I go to work, Ava,” he told me quietly.

“Okay,” I agreed (I would have agreed to anything at that point), too much in a fog to let his words and their meaning penetrate.

So in a fog, still in my pretend happy place and having been given the business rather successfully (these were my excuses and I was going with them), I lifted my hand to his cheek. I let my thumb trail the sharp edge of his ‘tache that grew down the side of his mouth, my eyes so focused on watching my thumb’s progress (and studying his mustache and mouth) that I missed the look on his face when I did this.

It was really too bad I missed the look on face.

Before I could catch it, he kissed me again, this time it was hot, hard and deep. In a true blue Luke Lip Fog, he put me back in bed, covered me up and then he was gone.

Later, Sissy and Lucky came over and we headed to the gym, Santo joining our party at the entrance to Luke’s building.

I thought it prudent, so as not to earn another Luke Confrontation where I would be forced to bare part of my soul, to phone him the minute we settled in the car.

“Yeah?” he answered.

“Going to the gym,” I told him.

“I’ll send a man over.”

“No, I mean I’m on my way with Sissy right now.”

Silence.

“Lucky and Santo are with us.”

“Babe,” was all he said before he disconnected (and, I will note, he hadn’t stopped calling me “babe”, argh!).

At the gym Riley was in a better mood, back to the old Riley (mostly, he looked askance at the two, beefy, suited Italian-Americans following Sissy and I around the weight machines). I was relieved until he caught up with me on my way to the locker room.

“You okay?” Riley asked. His eyes slid to Santo who was standing three feet away before coming back to me.

I nodded.

“That guy, Luke, he still in the picture?”

I nodded again.

Riley’s jaw clenched.

Then he said, “The minute he’s out of the picture, you’ll tell me?”

Oh jeez. Here we go again.

I decided just to nod.

Riley walked away and I thanked my lucky stars he was not a tough guy, macho man, brutally honest, straight-talker.

Santo got close. “You’re hot, but this is ridiculous,” he told me, his eyes on Riley’s departing back.

Santo was not wrong.

On the way back to Luke’s loft, I called him again.

“Yeah?” he answered.

“We’re gonna hit King Soopers and then back to your loft. Don’t worry, Santo and Lucky are still with us.”

Silence but no disconnect.

I forged ahead through the scary silence. “You need anything from the store?”

“No.”

“Any word about Bobby?”

“He’s out of the coma, talking but functions are slow, they’re worried about brain damage. Can’t know ‘til the brain swelling goes down.”

“Shit,” I whispered.

“He’ll be okay.”

“What if he’s not?”

“Then he’ll be okay. Me and Lee will take care of him.”

I felt a weird whoosh of warmth spread through me. This was said matter-of-fact but I knew he meant it and for some reason I had the urge to hug him and then kiss him all over.

Before I could share that thought (luckily), Luke said, “Vance says you and the Rock Chicks are goin’ to a gig tonight.”

“Stella and The Blue Moon Gypsies,” I confirmed.

“I want you protected, not Zano’s thug, one of Lee’s boys.”

“Luke,” I used his name as a protest.

“Shit happens too frequently when the Rock Chicks do the town. Indy got shot at while performing with a drag queen. Jet’s sister caused pandemonium on her opening night at a strip club. Roxie was held hostage at a society party. Jules took down three bitches when one of ‘em insulted Stevie. I want you covered.”

I sighed because he wasn’t wrong. I’d heard all these stories.

“All right.”

“You get separated from your man, you stick close to Jules. Not many people can mess with Jules.”

This time I felt a not so weird pain slice through my belly. There was no denying the respect in his voice.

“All right,” I said but my voice (damn it all to hell) betrayed me. It sounded small and hurt.

“Babe?” he heard and read my voice.

“Later,” I said.

“Babe,” his voice went low and I knew he wanted me to share.

“We’re at King Soopers, gotta go,” I shut it down, not about to share.

“Jesus, Ava,” he said, his voice strangely part curt, part amused like he found dealing with me frustrating but he found that frustration enjoyable. “It’s a good thing your sweet body and the f**kin’ things you don’t even know you’re doin’ give you away or you’d be a serious pain in the ass.”

I had no idea what he meant (okay, I knew what part of it meant) but I still said, “I’m so sure!”

“Later,” he said, now fully amused then he disconnected.

Santo was driving, Lucky in the passenger seat, Sissy and me in the back. I looked at Sissy when I flipped the phone closed and she was grinning at me, eyes shiny happy.

“You are so not f**k buddies,” she said.

Santo and Lucky glanced at each other.

Argh!

We’d trolled through King Soopers and I bought some food to supplement the anti-healthy living mojo provisions that I bought with Ren. Sandra’s supplies were running low.

Sissy and I carried them up to Luke’s loft (Santo and Lucky stayed downstairs) and put them away. We gabbed while I did laundry and changed the sheets on the bed and she swept the floors.

Then I went to work and Sissy went to the stereo.

I was finishing up a marketing leaflet for a client when we heard “Sissy!” shouted from outside.

My eyes swung to Sissy and found hers on me.