What am I doing with him? Lucas is so beautiful, so perfect. And I…
I feel like a fraud.
He told me how he felt about me, but there’s a part of me that wonders if it’s just a dream, some kind of wish-fulfillment hallucination. What woman wouldn’t love to hear a man like Lucas say that about her?
But it did happen. He feels so incredibly possessive about you, he values you and you should accept that if you want this to work.
He stands from my crappy couch. He walks over purposefully and pulls me into his arms, his head slanting down. Our noses brush, and his mouth fits over mine. I respond immediately, my lips softening underneath his. My heart hammers, knocking against my chest in a rapid staccato. I curl my hands around his biceps.
Some pointed throat-clearing pulls me out of the moment. Lucas gives Bennie a cold stare for a second before turning and going back to the couch. He leans over, reaches behind the far arm and produces a bouquet of calla lilies.
“Thank you,” I say, taking the flowers. I bury my nose in the blossoms, inhaling their sweet scent. It reminds me a little bit of how things were when we were in Charlottesville. He would often come over with flowers back then, too. “Let me put these in a vase and we can go.”
I kind of feel like a traitor, but I want to leave as soon as possible. Bennie isn’t happy about my reconnecting with Lucas, and I’m afraid if we stay much longer there’s going to be trouble.
Thankfully, since our place is so tiny, I’m able to keep an eye on both men. Bennie is staring at Lucas with his arms crossed over his chest, his stance overtly aggressive. Lucas merely gives him the cool, condescending smile of a man who knows he’s won. I sigh inwardly. I need to talk to Lucas about being just a tiny bit gracious.
“Okay, let’s go.” I grab my purse. Lucas places a possessive hand at the small of my back. The touch is searingly hot, and I inhale sharply as liquid heat loosens my limbs and pools between my legs.
Lucas lowers his head so he can whisper into my ear, “As much as I would love to, we’re not skipping dinner.”
I look at him over a shoulder. “Who said anything about skipping meals?”
He grins at me. It’s so unexpectedly light and carefree that I can’t help but lean into him, knowing that I’m the one who put that smile on his face.
“Ava, I might be an insensitive Neanderthal, but I can sense when you’re turned on.”
“You mean you’re a horny Neanderthal,” I tease, running my fingertip along the exposed skin at his throat. I say to Bennie, “See you later.”
“Sure.” He opens his mouth then presses his lips together tightly. “Stay safe. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
Too late. I’m already doing something he wouldn’t do. He’s worried at the moment, but once he knows things are different now it’ll be okay.
A gleaming taxi is waiting for us outside. The driver opens the door, and we get in. He starts off without any instructions from Lucas.
“Where are we going?” I ask.
“A sushi restaurant the concierge recommended. But if you don’t like it, we can do something else.”
“Like room service?” I waggle my eyebrows.
“Possible…very possible. You know how much I love room service. It’s efficient and we have a big bed to ourselves right next to the table.” His gaze is ho
t as it traces the shape of my mouth. “Dinner in bed sounds even better than breakfast in bed, don’t you think?”
I’m tempted to tell him we should go to the hotel then so we can be cocooned in each other. On the other hand, I’ve made a big deal about not being his dirty little secret, the one he hides from the world.
“We can do sushi. The anticipation will make it even hotter.”
“Mmm.” He lowers his head and kisses me so fast that I barely have the time to feel the pressure. “You’re a cruel woman, Ava.”
“Not cruel.” I place my head on his broad shoulder. “Just want to make it work this time.”
The light mood slips, and he grows serious. “I do, too. I can’t go back to what the last two years were like.” He pulls me onto his lap and holds me like he’s afraid I might vanish at any moment. He’s not the only one who feels the anxiety of botching our second chance. You’d think it’d be easier on a repeat attempt, but it’s much worse because now I know the exact shape and texture of failure.
We stop in front of a squat white building. It’s only two stories tall, and in front is a small rock garden with pale, smooth pebbles.
I reluctantly leave Lucas’s lap so he can pay our fare. The driver levers the door open, and Lucas steps out and helps me exit the cab, his warm, strong hand closing around mine. I smile at him and link my fingers tightly with his, not letting go even after I’m fully out and standing.