The Renegade Returns (Mill Town Millionaires) by Dani Wade Page B

think Cindy beat the rain home,” she murmured.
    “Nope,” Luke said. “And neither will we.”
    Instantly alert, Avery walked to the window and searched the slope of the parking lot through the increasing sheets of rain. “Where’s Nolen?”
    Luke shifted beside her, his arm brushing hers. Such an innocent touch for such a sensual response deep inside.
    “He didn’t bring me. Aiden dropped me off and was gonna send Nolen back for me later.”
    Despite the gloom, she turned an incredulous eye in his direction. “Have you not listened to the weather today?”
    She saw a flash of his white teeth. “Guess I didn’t think this through very well. But in my defense, having your brother wait while you ask a woman out is a bit awkward, if I could even convince him not to get out of the car.”
    Avery didn’t have siblings, but she knew from observing others that a man’s brothers were his first source of friendly ridicule. Aiden would never have stayed in the car. “Well, you won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.”
    Luke stared out the front windows. Rain lashed at the asphalt so heavily as to obscure the view. An occasional glimpse of tree limbs dancing was all that made it through. “I see that,” he said.
    “No.” She shook her head. “I mean, for longer than you think. Remember the bridge at the bottom of the hill?” They couldn’t see it from here, but it was the only access to the facility drive. Avery’s heart pounded as her brain kicked into overdrive. “It floods in heavy rains like these. That’s why we canceled our afternoon appointments.”
    Luke moved closer to the window. “That quick, huh?”
    “All the water from uphill flows back down here. It flash floods, so we take extra precautions.” Including having a comfortable living space that allowed her to stay here cozy and safe—and usually alone.
    “So this means we’re stuck here—for the night?” Luke asked, a curious tone in his voice.
    Avery swallowed hard, her mind on her fear of the storm and a new fear…of being cooped up with the sexiest man she knew…for hours on end. “Probably so.”
    “Well, that’s an adventure by itself, right?”

SEVEN
    “I need to lock everything down,” Avery said. She stepped over to secure the front doors, then walked in the other direction, leaving Luke to stand there and twiddle his thumbs—a safe distance away.
    Only he’d never been a twiddle-his-thumbs kind of guy. Following along to the workout room, he watched as she made sure all of the equipment was unplugged, including the computers. She was as thorough as he’d expected her to be—just as she was with her patients.
    His meeting with Mr. Hutchens still haunted him. The elder man’s stalwart attitude. Avery’s careful attention to the man’s needs and lack of concern for his wallet. Yet through it all, she’d approached the whole situation in a way that got the job done without attacking the man’s pride.
    A lot like she’d done with Luke. Guess all those years of studying others had paid off.
    Just then, a rumble of thunder built outside, shaking the building until it ended in a crack. Avery’s breath caught and she winced.
    Luke realized something that he’d missed in all his years of knowing Avery: she definitely did not like storms.
    As she finished securing the back door, she turned toward him. Her stiff back and wary look left him wondering if she thought he would pounce. Or was it just the weather?
    “We can wait it out in my office, if you want,” she said quietly.
    He didn’t really have a choice, and that made him inordinately glad.
    He followed her down a short, windowless hallway by sound rather than sight, his cane plonking with every step. She disappeared to the left and he paused in the doorway. A few fumbling sounds, then a drawer closing, and an electric lantern flared to life.
    Luke blinked to clear his vision, then found himself staring in surprise. This might be Avery’s office, but it looked more