I tripped over my own feet, stumbled against the chair, and barely grabbed the peanut sauce from his hands before he dropped it into the trash can.
“Someone should hold out a piece of bacon and time your sprints,” he joked.
I glowered down at his perfect face and stupid chest and sexy smile—and I prayed for all his teeth to fall out, except for one. Because then I could call him Toothclops—like a Cyclops of teeth!
Clearly, my blood sugar was dipping.
“Avery”—his eyes pleaded with me—“sit.”
“I’ll stand.”
“Fine.” He handed me a carton of pad Thai and a fork.
“Fine,” I repeated like a six-year-old.
He sighed.
We ate in silence.
I stood, moaned, made a few whimpering noises, and nearly licked the box. Lucas sat and watched me.
Normally, I would care about having food on my face.
But today wasn’t normal.
Nope, today was the day that a Friday came in on a Thursday and reminded me why sleeping with Lucas Thorn was a bad life choice.
“Nothing happened.”
“Not my business.”
“I broke it off with her.”
This, this intrigued me. “I’m sure you’ll find a replacement soon enough, you always do.”
“Funny, since I’ve met you, I’ve done nothing but lose girls.”
“I’m not interviewing potential whores for you, Thorn. I don’t give a rat’s ass that you kiss like a god. I will not be sucked in”—I fidgeted with my hands—“again.”
“Not even for a hamburger?”
“STOP BRIBING ME WITH FOOD!”
“STOP ACCUSING ME OF CHEATING!”
We were chest to chest. How did that happen? Again?
He grabbed my hand and tugged me into his office, slamming the door behind us and causing the blinds to slam against the windows—all before his mouth was on mine.
He tasted like peanut sauce.
So I licked.
Because that’s what starving women do when they’re placed in a situation like that!
Low blood sugar.
Bad choices.
Thai food.
And Lucas Thorn.
Nobody had a right to taste that good after having lunch—it wasn’t fair. I ran my hands over his cheeks, and currents of desire washed over me as his mesmerizing eyes searched mine. He sighed. “I didn’t kiss her.”
“She kissed you?” I hated how weak my voice sounded. “You know it doesn’t matter.”
“It matters.” He gave my body a little shake. “Believe me, it matters.”
Sighing, I tried to pull away, but he locked his arms around me, and I was powerless. “Today may be Thursday, but tomorrow’s Friday.”
“And I’m never seeing Nadia again.”
I tried to calm my racing pulse.
“And you don’t have a Saturday anymore either. Should we hold auditions at the homeless shelter?”
He slapped me on the ass. Hard. “Why do you have to be so difficult?”
“Me? Difficult? Why all you have to do is feed me, and I’m calm, cool, and collected—while also being sexy and downright aloof when I want to be.”
His eyes raked me over before he silenced me with another kiss and released me. “This isn’t over.”
“This?” I hid my shaking hands behind my back. “Thorn, there isn’t anything to be over. Remember—one day?”
“I owe you a burger tonight.”
“It’s just a meal, breaking bread—not sex, Thorn. Get your mind out of the gutter.”
“If you wouldn’t wear such a tight skirt, my brain wouldn’t be functioning at such a dirty level, Avery Bug.”
I hated that his comment had me smiling all the way to my desk, until I looked at his calendar again.
He was bored.
He wanted sex.
I was available.
And convenient.
Nothing more.
Chapter Thirty-Five
LUCAS
“Right. There.” I moaned and then broke out in a cold sweat. “Wait, just a little to the left. No, right! Left!”
“Did you FAIL when you were taught direction in first grade?” Avery asked. “Just tell me where it is.”
“You were just there. Damn it!”
“Right or left!”
“RIGHT!” I pointed to the nightstand, not that she could see.
Avery made a triumphant noise, clearly forgetting she was under the table and giving me the show of a lifetime. She bumped her head while attempting to jump to her feet, no doubt to celebrate her ability to locate the penny she’d dropped.
“Ouch.” Avery rubbed her head and then thrust the penny against my chest. “Heads we go with the death scenario, or tails we power through, man up, and make them think that we are together for real. We eat the food, we talk to the people, we wave, we kiss for pictures, and”—her eyes widened—“Uh-oh. I don’t have a ring.”
“We haven’t even flipped the coin yet.” My hands moved to her hips in a vain attempt to pull her against my body.
“Stop that”—she swatted my hands—“I’m off-limits, remember?”
“I keep forgetting.”
“How convenient for your penis.”
“This is a bad idea.”
“Thank you!” She threw her hands in the air. “Finally, you get it. Sex? Always a bad idea.”
I reached for her again, only to be shoved back.
“Not the sex, the sex is always a solid plan—I mean, going home for the so-called engagement party.”
Hurt clouded her eyes. “Which is why we decided to flip the coin.”
“No, you decided to flip the coin after I fed you a hamburger and you declared that the beef inspired you.”
She shrugged. “Foodspiration. I called it foodspiration, Thorn.”
Groaning, I positioned the coin on my palm. “Fine. Are you ready?”
“I’ve never really thought about planning my own death—so, no, I’m not ready, Thorn. But what other choice do we have? You said my mom cried! She cried and hugged your mom! They’re finally back together! Peace has been restored. If we fess up now, we’re completely screwed, and you know it. Suddenly, we’re back at square one, and they’ll think you somehow brainwashed me to go through with this plan and”—she was starting to hyperventilate—“Kayla, will hate you all over again. And it’s not fair, not when—”
I swallowed and
looked away.
Not when it always takes two.
The truth loomed over both of us.
“Clearly, sticking to the plan has caused a domino effect,” I said.
She shook her head.
“But going to the engagement party and continuing on with this plan . . . Well, the last time we said yes to one of the mothers, you were spread-eagled on the doctor’s table and—”
“I was there, Thorn, don’t need a recap.” She covered my mouth with her hand. Her skin smelled like coconut. “Stop looking at me like you want to eat me.”
“I do want to eat you.”
“Lucas . . .”
“Oh, so it’s Lucas now?”
“Flip the damn coin.”
I held my breath and tossed it in the air. Once it hit the ground, Avery and I stood over it and simultaneously let out a sigh of relief.
“Tails!” we said in unison. I reached out and grabbed her hand, rubbing her skin softly.
When she looked into my eyes, tears were already filling hers. “We’ve come this far. They can’t know the truth.”
“The truth.” What was the truth anyway? That I was falling for her? That I didn’t know what the hell I was doing? That I was a cheating bastard who fell for her long ago even though I’d asked her sister to marry me?
Avery squeezed my hand. “Here’s our story: I was your intern, one thing led to another . . .” She chewed on a fingernail. “Love at first sight. I sharpened your pencils, saved the day by fixing the copy machine—we shared a laugh in the break room, hah-hah.” She was bordering on delirious. “And then we kissed. End of story. No, I’m not pregnant. Yes, we’ll eventually get married. No, I don’t have a ring because it’s too conventional. Done.”
“Wow, you’ve thought of everything.”
“I have.” She exhaled, looking pleased with herself. “I really have.”
“You barely started your new job, Avery Bug.”
“Curses.”
“So unless we were dating in secret, that part of the story isn’t going to work. It’s going to seem like we’re moving too fast. It may have worked when we told my parents, but they’ve been too busy thinking about grandkids to actually process the whole time line.”