Page 29 of Back To You

I amnotabout to let one kiss change anything.

“Well, I was done kissing you.” I pour my fake confidence into my delivery and hope Luke didn’t notice how long it took for me to come up with a response—and not a very good one.

Before he can say anything else, I get our conversation back on track. “I meant the conversation before we found out the baby was coming.”

Luke takes Rosie’s leash off and hangs it up by the door. We both follow her into the living room, sitting on either side of her when she jumps up and plops down in the middle of the couch.

Once again playing the part of a perfect buffer.

I’m still in my red workout set from my walk, a sports bra and biker shorts, and I usually have to throw on a sweatshirt when I get back because of how cold Lukekeeps the temperature in here. But for some reason I don’t care to admit, I find myself needing to throw my hair up in a ponytail because I can’t get my skin to cool.

“So you want to talk more about how you were jealous?” he says matter-of-factly, but the smirk on his lips gives him away. I feel the tips of my ears burn, reaching behind me to grab a pillow to chuck at him so he won’t notice.

Why did I ever think this conversation was going to be easy?

He lets the pillow hit him, and I wish I threw it harder.

“First of all, bartender, I was not jealous. I told you I just felt bad for the new girl who had to spend every night of the week with you. Second of all, I have no reason to be jealous. She’s just some girl you work with.”

I regret the words almost instantly, not liking how they sound outside my head.Just some girl you work with?I soundexactlylike a jealous girlfriend.

“Woah, careful there, honey. You’re sounding like you might like me a little bit.”

The smirk on his face makes me want to bite his lip off. “You wish,” I argue, ignoring the term of endearment. I almost resort to sticking my tongue out, but I think it would turn him on.

He doesn’t miss a beat. “More than you know.”

“I hate you.”

“No, you don’t.”

I close my eyes and let out an exhale because this man is insufferable, and my patience is running thin.

“I wanted to talk about my living situation, but it seems like I might not have to, considering I will probably kill you before our month is up and can just take your apartment from your cold, dead hands.”

“You talking about how you want to kill me all the time doesn’t have the effect you think it does.”

I shake my head. “I’m ignoring that. Not because I don’t have anything to say but because I think you’ll like it too much.”

“Aw, Annie girl. You know me too well,” he flirts, throwing my words from earlier back at me.

I resist the urge to outwardly groan. “Like I was saying last night,” I continue, needing to remember why I am willingly sitting on the couch with Luke, alone in our—his—apartment, suffering through his flirting. “I don’t think I want to go back to my old complex. Whether the apartment is found negligent for the break-in or not, it just all put a bad taste in my mouth about it.”

Luke nods, finally staying quiet, allowing me to go on.

Good boy.

“And I was thinking,” I say, stretching out the words, trying to not avoid looking at his face even though I’m 99% sure his eyes on me are what is making it feel so hot in here. “Since you—”

“You can stay here,” he interrupts, and I momentarily forget what I was about to say.

“No, I mean—” I try, but he keeps talking before I can get the words out.

“You can stay however long you need.”

Does he do this on purpose? Make it so hard to pull away.

“No, Luke. That’s not what I meant. I thought because you’re moving back home, I could take this place.”

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