Author: Regency

Title: Complete Seduction

Characters: Luke, Laura, Scotty

Summary: In a rather different universe, Luke is entranced by a young Laura, then seduced by her. Laura isn’t sure what exactly she’s started but she knows she wants him. She struggles between what feels right with Scotty and what she craves from Luke.

Author’s Notes: Let’s rewrite history for a minute. That bad night didn’t end in rape. Hold onto that.

Disclaimer: I don’t own ‘em.

~~~

~~~

Laura Webber Baldwin ate her dinner slowly this evening, pausing only to kiss Scotty as he moved about in his routine. She tried not to look at him, afraid that her eyes would betray last night’s dreams. It was wrong, she knew, to be dreaming about Scotty’s friend, Luke. He was older than she was and dangerous; he wasn‘t her husband. The only man that should be inhabiting her dreams was the man whose last name she shared.

Scotty watched Laura over the table as he munched his food hurriedly. He was due at the law library for study group in twenty minutes. He noticed the dark circles under her eyes and recognized the way she tried to avoid looking at him. She’d been this way for days now and it was starting to scare him.

“Laura.”

She jumped, knocking over her glass of orange juice. “Damn it!” She reached for a table towel to soak up the citrus mess and tried to resist the tears that sprang to her eyes. She couldn’t do anything right lately. She’d burned dinner last night and she had no doubt that she’d done it again tonight. Neither of them had eaten much of it.

“Hey, hey!” He caught her hands and felt them shaking as he held them. “Okay, something’s wrong. I know it. Tell me what it is.”

She shook her head, evading his searching gaze in favor of the floor. “Nothing, Scotty. Everything’s fine. I’ve just been so clumsy lately! I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

Scotty lifted her chin so that he could look directly into her sapphire blue eyes. “I think you do. Tell me.”

Her face crumpled as she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to hide it anymore. She couldn’t say it, whatever it was. She didn’t even know. All she knew was that Luke Spencer was haunting her dreams and that she felt like she was cheating on Scotty. She couldn’t tell him that; he’d never understand.

She shook head, resolutely. “Nothing, nothing at all.”

“Let me help you. Whatever it is, we can face it together. Remember, you and me against the world?” He brushed away her tears with his thumb.

“I know.” She did know, but she still couldn’t admit to this. They hadn’t been married very long and she didn’t want to lose him. She leaned over and kissed him lightly. “I love you, Scotty Baldwin.”

He grinned, his fears sinking below Laura’s bright horizon. “I love you, Laura Webber Baldwin.” He suddenly checked his watch and saw that he was even later than before. “I have to go. I’ll see you later.” He pulled her tightly into his arms before turning to run out. “Whatever’s bothering you, we’ll take care of it, okay?”

She nodded, successfully stifling a pained expression. “Yeah. Bye!”

“Bye!” Then, he was gone and she was alone with that dream again: herself and Luke Spencer in a forbidden embrace. Her skin prickled with a new awareness of him and even the room’s air was too close. She shivered and readied herself to go to the Campus Disco. She had no idea what she’d do when she saw him, but she didn’t see any sense in getting fired over it. This job was important to her, her feelings would just have to fend for themselves.

~~~

Laura was struck with déjà vu when she stepped into the Disco. The strobe lights were on and the music was in full swing. The hairs on her arms stood up and she tightened her sweater around herself. She heard Luke belting out a schmaltzy ballad and a smile tugged at her lips.

“Luke,” she called, announcing her presence. His soulful singing cut out and he made his appearance before long, arms out and welcoming.

“Hey, you.” He put his hands on his waist, smiling at the sight of her. “Scotty called and told me you weren’t feeling like yourself today, that you might not be coming in. I’m glad you could made it.”

She sat her purse on the bar and began to remove her sweater. “Me, too. I just decided that however I was feeling wasn’t as important as getting this place ready for tonight’s crowd.”

“It’s nice to know you’re committed.”

She thought his eyes brightened, but it could’ve been her imagination. “Well, if I wasn’t going to give it my all I shouldn’t have come to work for you.”

He nodded, firmly. “Damn straight.”

She felt a fluttering in her stomach and had to avert her eyes from the handsome, determined expression on his face. She took a deep breath and then exhaled. She jumped when she felt distinctly male hands grasp her shoulders. She hadn’t heard Luke walk over in concern of her sudden silence.

“Are you all right? Say, are you sure you should be here? I mean, if you’re really not feeling well, I don’t want you risking getting worse for my benefit--”

She straightened up, hoping to dislodge his hands. “I’m not here for you. I’m here because it’s my job and I said I’d do it.”

Feeling as though he’d crossed some invisible line, Luke lifted his hands and backed away. “All right, then. If you’re sure…”

She cleared her throat and turned around. “I am.”

“Okay. If you could get started on this month’s inventory, it’d be a big help.”

“Consider it done,” she answered in her most confident tone. It only just managed to disguise her embarrassment. She’d come this close to revealing what was on her mind. She took her things to the storeroom and got started. All the while, she felt Luke’s confused presence hovering nearby.

Two hours later, she was hardly halfway through this mammoth job and she was nearly blind from counting same objects repeatedly. She walked out of the storeroom with the clipboard tucked under her arm. She’d long since pinned up her hair and was wearing just a tank top now. She collapsed into a booth and basked in the wonderful air conditioning.

Once again, thanks to his mysterious ways, she didn’t hear Luke coming up until he’d dropped onto the padded bench on the other side of the table. He was scanning her for any sign of illness she figured and remained still.

“I’m fine, you know.”

He clasped his hands together on the table and gave her another once-over; this one made her shiver. Damn him, she thought almost spitefully. He suddenly smiled and she was petrified she’d given voice to her contemplation.

He gave her no indication whether she had or not when he went to the turntable and turned up the volume on the music. Strains of What A Fool Believes began to float above her like dancing patron saints. Luke turned to her and extended his hand. She couldn’t say no.

She slipped out of the booth and met him in the middle of the floor. He laid one hand on her lower back, bringing her so close she could smell the lingering scent of toothpaste on his breath, and with the other captured her smaller hand in his. They began to sway in tandem, searching patiently for a rhythm all their own. They found it and he led her down the floor, turning her and spinning her until she felt like a princess with her prince. She spun so much she felt dizzy and he caught her as she stumbled.

“Watch it, pretty lady. Wouldn’t want to have to explain a concussion to Scotty.”

At the mention of her adoring husband, the fantasy she was living wilted and she wasn’t having fun anymore. At least, she realized that she shouldn’t be. Her smile fell and she looked away from Luke’s hypnotic blue eyes.

“I’ve done it again, haven’t I?”

She looked up, distracted. “Done what?”

He sighed, spinning her once more. “Ruined the moment. Lately, whenever you and I seem to be getting to know each other, I always say or do something that sends you running.”

“It’s not you,” she whispered. “It’s just me being me.” She let the dance continue, ignoring the lyrics of the song, and just concentrating on the warmth emanating from Luke’s body. She’d been hot only minutes ago, but now she felt so cold. She moved closer and laid her head on his shoulder. His arms came around her, molding to the slender contours of her body.

Before long, the song changed and she forced herself to listen or risk falling asleep in these arms.

Luke rocked her and began to croon along with the music. He may not have known it, but he was soothing her. Her guilty conscience was stifled at the sound of his voice. She could ignore her common sense for a little while longer, tell herself that it was just a friendly dance, even if she knew differently.

He sounded so sincere, as if he was serenading her. Her heart squeezed and she gasped at the pain. She couldn’t hold back tears anymore. Clear, salty drops of nothing began to course down her cheeks. All of the denial she’d claimed over the last few weeks was falling apart. At this moment, she knew herself better than she ever had: She loved Luke Spencer. And it was killing her.

She shrank away from his embrace, putting her back to him as she dried her face. Oh, no, not this. It’s not true! I love Scotty. She hurriedly picked up her clipboard and moved back towards the storeroom, oblivious to Luke, who still stood where she’d left him in her dust.

~~~

Luke pensively rubbed his chin and watched the storeroom door slam shut behind Laura. Something was changing between them, he could feel it. Tonight, she’d let him sing to her and hold her; she’d turned to him and reached for him. She’d come so close to making his dreams come true, then, she’d run away as though waking up from a nightmare…or a dream.

He’d noticed this change for a while and had just taken it as her getting more comfortable in their friendship; he never considered that she might be starting to return his feelings. He felt a sudden rush of hope to his heart and he positively danced inside. She would be his, he hoped.

~~~

Luke slipped up behind Laura and kissed the back of her neck, stroking her sides with his hands. She turned slowly and looked up at him with those eyes and he belonged to her and no other. She placed one hand at the center of his chest and pushed until he was pressed against the closed door.

Just as Luke woke up from the quick nap he was taking, he caught sight of Laura trying to carry a box of shot glasses out of the storeroom and ran to take them before both sets of precious cargo suffered.

“Hey, let me get that,” he relieved her of the burden.

Although she appeared ready to fight him about her ability to carry it to the bar on her own, she surrendered pretty fast because she lacked any real desire to carry it. She brushed her hands on her pants to wipe off the dust she’d encountered among the club supplies.

“Thanks.”

“No problem.” They made their way to the bar and began to stack the glasses behind the counter without much talk. Luke didn’t know if he liked that or not. She wasn’t avoiding his eyes anymore. Quite frankly, she didn’t seem to care that he was there. Maybe I was imagining something that wasn’t there.

He shook off the grim realization and broke down the cardboard box to be disposed of. “Can you take this out to the back?”

“You bet.“ She beamed in a new way and took off on her mission.

He stared after her, forlornly. It would be okay, he told himself. He’d dealt with her not loving him before, it wouldn’t kill him to keep living with it. He cupped his face in hands. He assumed it wouldn’t anyway.

~~~

Laura stood staring at Luke from across the room. The music was pumping high and the dancefloor was positively steaming with the heat of gyrating bodies. This was the time they lived in and it was glorious.

The truth was she wanted to dance. Of course she was working, but she wanted to get into the fray. She vaguely remembered what it felt like to get lost in the mindless motion of a mob. She wanted the anonymity to do whatever her heart desired. This was the only place and her only chance.

Determinedly, she handed over her orders to one of the other waitresses and threw off her apron. She was dressed the right way: casual, but attractively. She fell into the patrons and smiled her way through the churning masses. Luke began to move and she altered her course. Every move he made she felt, like he carried a beacon on his sleeve.

He loomed ahead at her like a marathon finish line. She craved the closeness growing between them. As they were about come close enough to touch, he looked sideways at her. He sensed her and opened his arms. She leapt into them and held on for dear life. If this was the only night she had it would be the best night.

“I need you,” she breathed into his ear.

“I love you.”

“I know.” She peppered his neck with kisses.

He lowered her to the floor and silently asked if she was sure. Mouth dry, she nodded and followed him to his office in the darkest corner of the Disco. Someone would see and they would tell, but she couldn’t think of Scotty now. The only things on her mind were her dreams and how Luke figured into them. It was too late to resist what Nature had in store.

The vivid dance scene passed away behind his office door. Luke and Laura were left staring at each other in uncertainty. Who decided what came next? What did come next?

Laura offered him her hand and led him to the couch that occupied a full corner of the room. She cradled his face in her hands and nuzzled his nose against hers. The strain broke and he grinned.

“My beautiful Laura.” Their foreheads touched and they looked intensely into each other’s eyes. Tentatively, they leaned closer, stopping when their lips met at last.

He began to undress her as she released him from his jacket and his shirt. Their clothes fell away until they were left with their most natural selves to join in the most natural way.

Luke laid Laura down across the cushions and settled above her. “Tell me you want this.”

“I want this. I want you.” He trailed his strong fingers along her inner thighs, crossing them where they met and gently stroking his soon-to-lover. She gasped, frowning sternly. “Luke, please.”

Luke heeded her plea and that of his own sanity. He accepted the invitation her body extended and found himself at home inside of her. They lay still for a long moment before they were compelled hastily towards the biological imperative.

He resisted the urge to savor this union, the sensation of becoming one with her in every sense. She was still beneath him, eyes closed and flushed. Her hand came up to his shoulder and her leg hooked about his waist. As far as she was concerned they’d said too many words already. The message was clear: Now.

The same way they’d sought out a rhythm on the dance floor, they sought one out in lovemaking. He took the lead again, guiding her slowly but deliberately. She followed, rocking with a certain flair that very nearly cost him his self control. He clung to the bare shreds of his civility and made love to her like a gentleman would a woman he loved.

However, that wasn’t what Laura wanted. She wanted to be made love to by Luke Spencer, not the man he wished he was. She dragged her fingers across the nape of his neck and combed them though his hair, scraping his scalp.

“Oh, baby,” she whispered.