A/N – You guys are great! Thanks so much for all of the responses; I'm glad you're enjoying it. Onto the next!
Standing on the Edge
Lorelai felt the heat the moment she disembarked. The warm breeze blew around her and the hot sun stung her face. She blinked up at the sky, partially obstructed by towering palm trees, and inhaled deeply, holding it for a few seconds before letting it out, mentally washing away the stress of the three-hour flight and the three hours before that spent at the airport.
Luke stepped up next to her, his face showing something that could easily be confused for serenity – something rarely seen from the diner man with the ever-present scowl.
"We're here," Lorelai said, a broad smile gracing her features. Luke looked down at her, his smile a little more reserved, but it was there nonetheless. The creases at the corners of his eyes gave him away.
"We're here." He nodded toward the crowd of people heading inside to the luggage return. "Let's go."
XXXX
It wasn't a long trek to the hotel from the airport, only about 30 minutes, which Lorelai was grateful for. Although she was dressed for the weather in a sundress, she hadn't thought to apply sunscreen before leaving, and could feel the heat seeping into her skin. Luke was dressed in his typical jeans with a grey t-shirt, having ditched the flannel on arrival. Both were eager to get to their room and start inspecting the hotel that would be home for the next week.
Upon entering the open-air lobby of the resort, their senses were awakened with a tropical aroma, something not quite identifiable, but it evoked images of flowers and fresh fruit, and they were immediately put at ease. Once checked in, they made way for their room.
Lorelai entered ahead of Luke and dumped her bag on the bed as she began to wander around the room, touching and inspecting everything in sight, oohing and ahhing in all of the appropriate places.
Once they had fully explored their digs, they went ahead and unpacked their belongings, chatting about the room and what they wanted to do while they were there. After a few moments, Lorelai finally decided to address the elephant in the room – namely, the king-sized piece of furniture standing in between them.
"Just the one bed," she noted. She hit him with a grin. "You're not secretly a cuddler, are you?"
Luke chuckled. "Not really."
"But you could be persuaded, is what I'm hearing," she teased. He shrugged one shoulder.
"You get enough booze into me, anything's possible."
Lorelai giggled, "Well, you might want to keep your distance. I'm not much of a cuddler, but I've been known to sleep-box on occasion."
"I'll have to check my travel insurance to make sure I'm covered for that."
"Hey, don't joke. These puppies may be small, but they can do some damage," she said, holding up her dukes.
"I never doubted you."
She grinned amiably, "So for real though, are you okay with this? I can try to get a cot."
"Would that make you more comfortable?" Luke asked sincerely. She smiled at his concern.
"I'm fine, don't worry about me. I'm not the one risking a black eye from an REM-induced assault."
"I consider myself warned," he said with mock seriousness. Lorelai smiled as she pulled her now empty bag off the bed and set it on the floor.
"So hey, what do you say we get out of here and go find a bar? This is my vacation and if I don't get a piña colada into me ASAP I'm going to lodge a formal complaint."
"Sounds good to me. Just let me change first." Luke went back to the dresser and unearthed a few items before disappearing into the bathroom. Lorelai put their bags away in the closet while he did so, and began loading a few necessities into her beach bag.
A moment later, Luke stepped out of the bathroom. Lorelai took one look at him and gasped.
"Whoa!"
"What?" he asked, alarmed.
"Your legs…" she stammered. "I…I don't think I've ever seen them before."
Luke rolled his eyes. "Come on."
She shielded her eyes. "Oh god, the glare! They're so white! I'm BLIND!"
Luke sighed heavily, crossed his arms over his chest, and waited for her to get it out of her system. She dropped her hand and eyed him suspiciously.
"Wait… that's it? No rant? No get the hell outta here? Nothing?" she asked.
"Nope."
She frowned. "You're too mellow. I don't like it." He shrugged, unaffected, and headed for the closet to find his footwear.
"Sorry to disappoint," he said lightly. He grabbed his sandals and slipped into them. Lorelai took in his whole ensemble. His blue hat was still in place, but nothing else screamed 'Luke'. He had traded in his jeans for cargo shorts, his flannel for a lightweight tee, and his work boots for slides.
It wasn't a bad sight. In fact, it was kind of nice to see Luke out of uniform, looking relaxed. It was just going to take some getting used to.
"You ready to go?" he asked, pulling her away from her appraisal of his form. She snagged her wide-brimmed hat from the dresser and put it on her head.
"Let's go!"
XXXX
It was late afternoon and the bar in the lobby of the hotel was nearly empty, as vacationers flocked to the pool and beach. Lorelai and Luke claimed a pair of stools and he put in their order with the bartender, speaking perfect Spanish.
"Umm, what was that?" Lorelai asked.
"What was what?"
"That whole Spanish thing. Did I know you could speak Spanish?"
"Apparently not," Luke said easily. She grinned.
"That was hot, do it again," she teased. Luke grinned, his cheeks flushing lightly. The bartender saved him, delivering their drinks, a piña colada for her, and a local beer for him.
"Gracias," he thanked the man. She giggled and held her glass up toward him.
"Here's to some well-deserved R and R," she toasted. Luke gamely clinked their glasses.
"I'll drink to that." They each sipped their drinks and Lorelai let out a long, sensual moan.
"Oh. My. God," she groaned. She sipped it again, and the moan came once more.
"Good?" Luke asked. He attempted to seem unaffected by her theatrics, but that sound, he knew, would haunt his fantasies for a long time to come.
"This is the best thing I've ever tasted," Lorelai exclaimed. She took another sip. "That's it, I'm never going home." Luke chuckled.
"How long do you have to stay here before you get squatter's rights?"
"I don't know, but I intend to find out!" Lorelai exclaimed.
Luke sipped his beer again, before speaking. "Hey, I just want to thank you for bringing me along. I know you probably could have taken anybody, but I really do appreciate it."
"No thanks necessary. I'm really glad you were able to come," Lorelai said, sincerely. Luke grinned, which prompted one of her own. She was pleased to see him looking so light and comfortable.
"You seem happy," she noted. "It's been a little bit, you know, since you've seemed really happy. It's nice to see."
"I'm drinking free beer on a tropical island with my friend. What do I have to complain about?" he asked simply.
"Oh, I don't know. It's too hot, the beer is warm, there's only one bed, the plane ride was bumpy…" Lorelai listed.
He came back, "It's not too hot, the beer is ice cold, I'm sharing a bed with a beautiful woman, and… yeah, the plane ride was bumpy." Lorelai grinned flirtatiously.
"I see how you snuck that in and tried to slide right past it," she teased. Luke shrugged one shoulder.
"I've had worse things in my bed," he said gently. Lorelai raised her eyebrow.
"Oh yeah?"
"Had a snake in my sleeping bag once on a camping trip. That was worse," he said breezily. Lorelai had the good sense to look offended.
"Well geez, I didn't realize the competition was so stiff." Luke tried to remain impassive, but his expression quickly gave way to a smirk. Lorelai scoffed and swatted at his arm.
"Keep it up. We'll see how you fair when I become Mohammed Ali in the sack."
"Didn't know you liked it rough," he came back easily, causing Lorelai to choke on the sip she had just taken.
"Who are you?" she asked. Luke just grinned and went back to his beer, satisfied he had won this round.
Lorelai stared at him a moment longer, astounded, amused, adoring this lighthearted version of her often severe friend. She had a feeling this new version of Luke had a few more surprises in store for her. She couldn't wait to find out what they were.
XXXX
After their inaugural drinks, Lorelai and Luke changed into their swimsuits and headed for the pool. It was massive, and included several small, more intimate areas where people could relax comfortably, away from the splashing and mayhem. It also had, much to Lorelai's delight, a swim-up bar, which she intended to make good use of throughout their stay.
Luke headed straight for the water once he and Lorelai made it to the poolside, while she claimed a pair of loungers and relaxed with her book.
Luke enjoyed himself while Lorelai attempted to read, but she was more than a little distracted by her friend. He seemed at ease in the water, swimming a little, lounging a little. She watched as he relaxed on a submerged bench in a watery alcove and put his head back, closing his eyes and feeling the heat on his face. His expression radiated peacefulness, and she couldn't help the jolt of pride that gave her, knowing how stressed he had been just two weeks prior. Giving this trip to him felt almost as good as taking it herself.
When Luke opened his eyes again, he immediately sought her out, finding her watching him. He gave her a grin and a wink. She raised her sunglasses so he could see her eyes and shot him back an exaggerated wink of her own, making him laugh. She smiled and shook her head, doing her best to return to her book.
Not much later, Luke decided to leave the pool and headed for where she had set up camp to dry off. She made a show of looking him up and down, mostly for comedic effect, but also because she wanted to get her fill of the hot guy who spent most of his time dressed like a lumberjack.
"You want another drink?" he offered, gesturing to her empty glass.
"Oh God, how did I go through it so fast?" she asked, genuinely agog at how she had managed to drain colada #2 so quickly. She turned back to him with a grin. "Yes, please."
He chuckled. "Same thing?"
"Maybe something different. Surprise me." Luke gave her an amused nod and turned to head for the bar.
"Uh, hold up there, cowboy," she exclaimed, catching a glimpse of red on his and shoulders back. He stopped short and turned back. "Luke, Hon, you need sunscreen, you're getting a burn."
He waved a hand at her. "I'm fine."
"Hey, Mr. Health Nut, what would Stars Hollow Luke say about Punta Cana Luke setting him up for skin cancer in about twenty years?"
"I wasn't aware I was three different people," he deadpanned. Lorelai set her book aside and got up, digging in her bag and coming out with a bottle of sunscreen.
"Come over here. You missed your whole back."
"I don't really bend that way," he said plainly. She waved him over exaggeratedly, and Luke rolled his eyes, but went anyway. She stood behind him, squeezed a generous amount into her palm and rubbed her hands together before taking them to his back.
It didn't take long for both of them to realize this was a bad call. Lorelai had hugged Luke before, but this dedicated touch over his naked back was an education. She knew he was fit, could see with her eyes that he was fit, but touching him was something else. The muscles of his back were strong and thick, they made him hard beneath the impossible smoothness of his skin. His shoulders, which she made sure to apply extra lotion to, seemed to go on forever. She went down the back of his arms, which had also picked up a red hue, and felt his triceps leaping against her fingers.
It took a heavy dose of willpower to step back without inviting herself to touch more of him.
"There," she said shakily. "I think you can get the rest."
Luke swallowed hard and took the bottle from the table she had set it down on. When he agreed to take this trip with her, it never occurred to him that it would involve her soft hands coursing over his body. Even if it was just his back and shoulders, it affected him more than he wanted to admit.
But her touch spurred on something else in him, a wholly self-defeating desire to see if he could push things further.
"What about you? Did you get your back?" he asked with forced coolness. Lorelai blinked up at him.
"Uh, no… can't bend that way," she said with a tone of mockery, though it didn't have the bite it usually did.
"Turn around," Luke instructed. She did.
His hands on her back felt like the most sensual massage. She didn't know if he was doing it on purpose, but the way his thumbs came to play over her muscles made her melt. Her heart nearly stopped when his fingers dipped beneath the string holding her bikini top together, ensuring maximum coverage. When he moved lower, his thumbs swept across the top of her bottoms, and she silently begged him to go underneath.
She audibly groaned when he stopped.
Luke watched as she turned back to him, her eyes wide, lips parted as she drew shallow breaths through them. It was plain to see that she was affected, the way he was.
It would have been so easy. So damn easy to grab her and kiss her, to take her back to the room and make love to her the way he has always wanted to.
But then she backed off. She offered a quick thanks, her patented Lorelai Gilmore smile, and returned to her lounger and book. She turned it off so quickly, it left Luke wondering if it had happened at all.
He cleared his throat and nodded toward the bar. "Let me get those drinks."
Lorelai gave him a moment to get out of earshot before mumbling to herself, "Better make them strong."
XXXX
Despite the awkward moment during their first sunscreen application, the first day flew by without a hitch. They had spent much of the afternoon swimming and enjoying the sunshine, and weren't feeling particularly rushed to get to dinner when the other vacationers were beginning to leave the pool for their respective meals. They continued to lounge in relative peace until after 7:30, when Lorelai's rumbling tummy reminded them that their last few bites had been some peanuts on the flight, early that afternoon.
The resort sports bar was an easy choice for the first night, with an unfussy menu and casual dress code. Inside, it wasn't too loud. A country western station played in the background, and screens around the bar played various sporting events, giving off a classic Americana vibe. It was too early for the raucous evening crowd to filter in, but too late for the regular dinner rush, making it the perfect time to come in and relax in the air-conditioned space. They ordered their meals, a burger for Lorelai and a turkey club for Luke, and chatted amiably as they ate.
As they each finished their meals, Luke caught Lorelai eyeing the empty pool tables. "Do you play?"
"Not really. I did a bit as a kid, but it's been a while. You?"
"A little, when I was in my twenties. Not so much anymore."
Lorelai raised an eyebrow. "Want to give a go?"
Luke shrugged one shoulder. "Sure, why not?"
The pair made their way over and Luke readied the table, while Lorelai snagged a cue and chalked the tip.
"So when I say it's been a while, I mean a while. Don't judge me if I suck," Lorelai told him. Luke chuckled.
"It's just a friendly game, don't worry about it," he came back.
"Well that's boring." Luke looked up at her. "I mean, we could at least lay some stakes on the table."
"I thought you said you sucked," he reminded her. She shrugged.
"And I'm a sore loser, but I still think we need a bet." Luke chuckled.
"Like what? Everything here is free."
"Oh right," she frowned. "Winner could… get to pick their side of the bed?" she suggested lamely.
"I sleep in a single bed, either side is good for me."
"Oh yeah, good point. How about winner gets to pick the restaurant tomorrow then?"
"We've got plenty of time to hit all the restaurants we want."
She rolled her eyes. "Well then I'm out. You pick something."
"Uhh, I don't know," Luke said with a chuckle.
"See? Not so easy!" she exclaimed with a pointed finger.
"Why don't we just play. We don't need a bet," Luke attempted, gesturing toward the table.
"Oh wait! I've got one!" she exclaimed suddenly. "Loser has to buy the winner a massage. They're not included in the package, it's out of pocket."
Luke wobbled a bit on this. "I don't really get massages," he said slowly.
"Well that's perfect, because I plan to wipe the floor with you," Lorelai said with a cocky air. Luke eyed her amusedly.
"Kind of early to start the trash talk, don't you think?"
"Never too early, Luke. You snooze you lose."
"Or in this case, you lose," he corrected her. She grinned, pleased to be getting a rise out of him.
"What do you say? Massages on the line?"
Luke relented. "Fine. Only because I want to see your face when you lose."
"Ha! You don't know what you're in for, buddy," she teased. "I get to break."
"How come you get to break?" he asked, affronted.
"Because the only reason we're here at all is because I won a radio contest," she said plainly. "If not for me you'd be slingin' burgers right now, Bucko."
"Okay fine, you have a point," he grudgingly allowed. "Go ahead, you break. Impress me." Lorelai grinned and got into position, while Luke stood back and watched her go.
With a smooth strike of the cue, she sent the balls scattering around the table, pocketing a solid. Lorelai informed him, needlessly, that he was stripes, and went on to pocket a few more as Luke looked on, sufficiently impressed and annoyed.
"Why do I get the feeling you were underselling your skill level a bit?"
"What can I say? I guess it's muscle memory," Lorelai said, falsely humble.
"It's something. I feel like I got hustled," Luke muttered.
Lorelai giggled. "Hey, this is like the first time ever my misspent youth has actually been good for something. Let me have this."
"I don't think I have a choice," Luke groaned as she sunk another ball. Lorelai lined up one more shot and missed for the first time.
"Looks like you're up, Slugger. Show me what you've got."
Luke took his position and made quick work of a few easy balls, but didn't get far before forfeiting the table. A few more rounds back and forth had them down to just a handful left on the table.
As he stepped up for his next turn, Lorelai took her chance to razz him.
"And Butch Danes steps up to the plate," she said in a booming 'announcer' voice. Luke shook his head.
"Will you pipe down? I'm trying to concentrate."
She came back in a high-pitched voice. "Butch is so dreamy. Just look at him with his long, hard…"
"Geez," he grumbled, making her laugh.
"Come on, you can do this. Just tune me out," Lorelai teased.
"Easier said than done," he complained.
"I'm choosing to take that as a compliment," she laughed. Luke rolled his eyes and refocused on his shot, making it quick before she could get another taunt in. He pocketed one of his three remaining balls and continued on. He leaned over in front of her, and she blatantly enjoyed the view.
"Sookie was right, it does have a nice shape to it," Lorelai teased just as Luke took his shot. He scratched it, sending the ball bouncing. He looked back at her and glared, as she met his eyes with wide, innocent ones. "What'd I do?"
He rolled his eyes and got up to return to where she was standing. "Go ahead, take your turn. Let's see how you like it."
"Like what?" she asked, smartly. He got a little closer, hoping to see her fluster, but she was poker faced.
"I don't know, the teasing, the flirting, the commentary on your body. Go ahead, let's see how you do."
"You're going to comment on my body?" She got even closer, but he showed no weakness. Her voice was low when she spoke, "Tell me something, Luke. Have you ever actually said something about a woman's body out loud? Like I'm sure you think about it, but have those thoughts ever crossed your lips?"
Luke grinned. "You're right, I'm not big on the verbal. I'm more into the physical," he came back. Lorelai's eyes widened, and Luke had a feeling he was going to win this round.
Until.
"Prove it," she said, her eyes boring into his, a look of steely determination on her face. She stepped away then, pleased with herself, and went for the table.
Luke watched, contemplated his options as she began to set up her shot. He missed his chance as she quickly pocketed a ball, leaving two solids left along with the eight ball.
"If you don't hurry up you'll miss your chance," Lorelai teased over her shoulder as she went for her next ball.
Luke narrowed his eyes at her. Before she could take her shot, she felt his body heat as he got close, coming in behind her. He reached around her and grabbed the cube of chalk, which was on the table ledge in front of her body, and held it up for her.
"You need more, you nearly slipped last time." His lips were next to her ear, and she could feel his hot breath on her throat. She grinned and shook her head.
"Nice try," she shot back, snatching the chalk from him and coating the head of her cue. She turned to look at him. "I'm not that easy to fluster," she lied.
He chuckled, and she felt it. "Then why is your chest all flushed?" he asked, and she looked down quickly to find he wasn't lying, a reddish tinge had taken over the expanse of her chest since he got close. She also noticed that from his vantage point he could easily see her bra underneath the low-cut of her sundress, something she tried not to focus on.
She nudged him away with her hip.
"It's warm in here," she deflected. Luke grinned.
"Sure it is. Take your shot." She glared at him before returning to the table. Luke chuckled as she missed. "So close," he taunted.
Lorelai took a breath and backed away from the table. "You're pretty proud of yourself," she noted. He shrugged and moved into shoot again.
She leaned her hip against the table to watch, from a respectable distance. "You know you've made a critical error," she said as he sunk one of his two remaining balls.
"Oh yeah? What's that?" He went for the last one.
"Well, now that I know you want me, I can use that to my advantage." He scratched, in a big way. Lorelai held back a laugh, knowing he would not find the humour in it.
Luke looked at her questioningly. "You're kidding, right?"
She patted him on the back as she bypassed him to line up her next shot.
"Yeah, Hon, I'm kidding." She made quick work of her last two, and finally, was left with the eight ball. "For all the money," she said. She caught Luke's eye, found him watching her contemplatively, and her smile faltered a bit. She hoped she hadn't gone too far, but in her defense, he had very much been the one to move them out of their safety zone.
The eight found the corner pocket, and the game was over. Lorelai crossed her arms over her chest and shrugged. "I guess it helps that all my friends' parents had pool tables," she joked lightly. Luke huffed a laugh.
"Damn rich kids. I didn't stand a chance," he said easily, seeming to have shaken off his discomfort, which relieved Lorelai's tension.
"Yeah well, I still plan to collect on our little bet." He rolled his eyes.
"Don't worry, you'll get your massage, Your Highness."
"Will you be the one offering it?" she asked with a cheeky grin. He narrowed his eyes.
"You wish." She grinned.
"Yeah, I kind of do," she teased, happy that the awkwardness seemed to be behind them. "One more round before we head back?"
Luke chuckled. "Sure, let's see if I can recover some of my pride."
XXXX
"What should we do tomorrow?" Lorelai asked as she climbed into bed. Luke beat her there, and was comfortably snuggled in on his side. She left a ton of space between them, a more than respectable distance for the two friends-turned-bunkmates.
"Oh, we have a full day ahead of us," Luke said seriously. "Gotta get some serious pool time in. Then the beach. And, if we can make time for it, I strongly suggest eating a few times."
Lorelai laughed lightly. "It feels weird not to plan every second of my day. The renovation at the Dragonfly has made me one of those people who runs off nothing but lists and caffeine."
"To be fair, I think the caffeine thing was already pretty locked in there before you started," Luke teased.
"True. I think it's going to take me a day or two to be able to shut off my brain though, you know? It's been a crazy couple of months."
"That is has," he agreed, thinking about all that preceded this trip. He turned to look at her. "This is about the last place I ever expected to be right now."
She laughed. "Tell me about it."
"I know I said it already, but thanks for inviting me," he said gently. She smiled.
"I'm really glad you're here. It would be way less fun doing this alone." He nodded his understanding, before yawning. "Sleepy?"
"It's been a long day," he said, closing his eyes.
"Yeah, it has." She reached over to her bedside table and turned off the lamp, casting the room in darkness. She snuggled down into her pillow, enjoying the softness of the linens and pillowtop mattress.
"Goodnight, Luke," she said quietly.
"Night, Lorelai."
A/N - I mean, they can't just hook up immediately, right? We've got to lay the groundwork a little. I hope you liked this one. Let me know!
