Page 36 of The Hookup
“Go on.” She tilted her chin up, letting him know she could take anything he threw at her.
“I don’t stay the night, and I won’t treat you like my girlfriend, or partner, or lover.”
She chuckled, because it sounded so ridiculous. “Did some past girlfriend leave you broken hearted?” she asked, trying to make sense of his constraints.
“I don’t waste my time thinking about crap like that. I don’t want romance or the emotional fuckery that comes with it.”
“How about making me come? Is that also not allowed?”
His lips clamped shut, while tight muscles flexed on either side of his jaw. “I don’t care for the other stuff,” she continued, loving the idea that she’d hit him where it hurt, “but an occasional orgasm or two would be good.”
“I’ll see what I can do, next time.”
“Surprise me,” she said, as she watched him walk towards the door.
“’Bye.” He glanced over his shoulder, then left.
She felt as if she’d just made a pact with the devil. None of her previous encounters had ever required this type of discussion. Could she change him? Fix him, even? For it was clear that this man had issues. As perfect as he looked on paper, there were still things about him that she wasn’t sure of.
Maybe she could slowly cajole him into being the type of man she wanted.
The question was, would it be worth it?
The next few weeks flew by and she found herself wrapped up in a heavy workload, sometimes staying at the office until the early hours of the morning and taking the company cab home. On those nights she fell into bed around 2 to 3 am, and would then wake up, and go to work for another grueling day all over again.
Since that night at the club when he’d had to be escorted out by security, she hadn’t spoken to Geoffrey much, apart from when it came to work related questions. Sometimes she had sensed that he was going to say something, about that incident, but he never did, and she didn’t push it.
Savannah arrived back from her honeymoon soon after and arranged a night out for the two of them to catch up. Kay found herself looking forward to seeing her cousin, but Savannah’s suggestion to meet at The Oasis caught her by surprise. All of a sudden, it seemed as if the bar she most wanted to avoid, was most people’s favorite haunt.
“Why don’t I come over to your place?” she suggested, curious to know why Savannah, who was hardly the type to go out, now wanted to.
“We’ve just come back from our honeymoon,” said Savannah, “and I’m still on vacation mode. Let’s go to The Oasis. Besides, Tobias is meeting me there later on.”
Damn. That wasn’t going to work. “But what about Jacob?” she pressed, eager to avoid The Oasis, and by association, Luke.
“He’s got a sleepover at Lenny’s tonight. I hardly ever go out, so you should make the most of this opportunity. How comes you don’t want to go out?”
“I’ve been working some crazy hours,” she said, her gut twisting at the idea of seeing Luke again. He evoked emotions in her that she didn’t fully understand. Recalling that night, and what had passed between them both disgusted and excited her. She hadn’t called Luke since, not that he was on speed dial on her phone, but she knew how to get a hold of him, and had chosen not to. “But if you want to meet there, we could go.”
He hadn’t called her either, but each time she thought of that night with him, her body reacted. It could barely be called a night. Rough and feral, it hadn’t been a gentle or loving encounter. Yet heat stirred and coiled around inside her, and if she lingered on those memories too long, she was left in a semi-state of arousal.
By not going to that place, she was hoping to wean herself off of him. She was fully aware that she had ignored Savannah’s sage advice regarding men, and that it was her fault entirely for being in this predicament in the first place. She had chosen Luke and what he offered—spontaneous and exciting sex—and there were obviously bound to be consequences for making this choice. If she wanted an easier life, she knew what sheoughtdo—walk away—but she couldn’t. She didn’t want to. She could handle what they had.
And so it was she met with Savannah at The Oasis; they’d met outside at the same time, Kay getting out of a cab, while Savannah climbed out of a chauffeured car.
At first glance, Kay marveled at the change in her cousin. This was what a person in love looked like. Savannah’s eyes sparkled, her skin was iridescent, and her sun-kissed hair framed her face. She looked beautiful.
Kay suddenly felt conscious of herself.
“I still feel as if I’m on my honeymoon,” said Savannah, sinking into the oversized cushions. Their booth, near a window with red drapes, overlooked the rooftop which was busy, and full of tables. There were plenty of heaters around to keep the cold out, but sitting inside, with the amber colored table lamps sparkling like warm jewels, was so much cozier.
Savannah looked more than well, Kay decided. She looked to be glowing, and it wasn’t the light form the lamps which was giving her that warm light.
They’d both ordered drinks. She’d settled for a glass of wine, while Savannah had asked for a virgin mocktail. “You look freakin’ amazing, Sav. You’ll be telling me you’re pregnant next,” she offered, hiding behind a drinks menu, and hoping that she wouldn’t see Luke tonight. Her cousin wasn’t one to drink much, but the virgin mocktail hadn’t gone unnoticed by her, and the glow had to come from something.
“Before I think about another baby, I want to make sure Jacob’s okay.”
“Why, what’s happened to him?”
