Page 54 of Right With You
Her voice rose and her cheeks were flushed with the impassioned tone, and I could no longer sit with the poor me feelings that’d been trying to surface. I simply slipped a hand around the back of her head and drew her in, taking her lips with mine.
One quick peck, and I backed away, remembering myself. “This okay?”
“Yes,” was all breath, but I heard it and took it as law, instantly returning to kiss her again, deepening the pressure with a ravenous kind of hunger I hadn’t allowed our earlier kiss to acquire.
Her hands slipped into my hair, and our bodies were flush. I was seconds away from hoisting her up when the front door swung open, and a sharp gasp followed by a low giggle hit my ears and must’ve met Elise’s, too, because we jumped apart.
Only one man giggled quite like that, and turning to glance at the front door, sure enough, there was Michele, Aurelie, and somehow, Kenny and Liz.
CHAPTERTWENTY-SIX
Elise
Kenny dangled a key in his hand and grinned so wide, he looked like he had multiple sets of teeth like a shark.
“Knew having a set of your keys would come in handy,” he gloated and sauntered into the living room. “Your sister wasn’t sure you’d be home, and she forgot to ask for a key. We ran into each other outside the resort and got to talking. In the name of NATO and our relationship as allies, not to mention my place as your adopted brother, I offered to get them in.”
Luc loosed a pent-up laugh and I exhaled out a heap of tension.
Liz’s eyes were wide, brow raised, and she had “we have some catching up to do” written all over her face.
Girl, do we.
I owed everyone an update, but Liz had been gone and super busy with wrapping up her life elsewhere, and we’d only swapped a few texts. The more I got to know her and spend time with her, the more I liked her and wanted her to know me. That thought was novel because I’d only had it with my existing friends, and to feel it so keenly for someone new was unheard of for me.
Granted, I felt that way more and more with Luc.
Liz had let us in either because Jo had sort of forced us on her, or because she’d allowed it—probably both. But I hadn’t done the same. I’d kept everything close and deluded myself to think I was doing them all a favor.
I’d kept everything to myself when I was with Callum, and I thought I’d learned the lesson about not leaning on myself when I had friends who genuinely loved and supported me. And yet, thedoingof it was so hard. Sharing myself and what felt like my massive failures—to see what a jerk Callum was, to successfully fund this business on my own, to handle the pressure from my awful ex, and maybe even to navigate this fake fiancée business without catching feelings… I didn’t look forward to it. But at the same time, I would do it because I wanted them.
“You barged into my home for what reason?” Luc asked, his face more than a little perturbed.
“We came to say hi and see how it’s going,” Kenny said, smacking a piece of gum between his teeth. “See how the happy couple is handling Grandpappy’s visit.”
The meaningful glance he gave Luc communicated much, not the least of which was that he wasn’t about to ruin the whole thing by letting on that he knew we weren’t actually engaged.
I went to Liz and opened my arms, eager for a reprieve from the weird tension and genuinely wanting to welcome her home.
“Everything wrap up okay in DC?” I asked, knowing she couldn’t tell me much about her past life in the CIA, but hoping she’d settle in and feel more and more at home here.
“All done.” She blinked, a smile growing wide. “I worried I’d be kind of heartbroken, and there have been some bittersweet moments for sure, but mostly I just feel happy.”
I hugged her tight again, then released her, joining in her smile and feeling the happiness coming off her in waves.
“And how long are you going to make him wait? I heard he’s waiting for permission to ask you to marry him?” It was perfectly Kenny that he’d be ready and waiting for her.
What would it be like to have a man like that? Someone so eager to commit to you and delight in you?
My gaze flickered toward Luc and found him already looking back at me. A cork popped and pinged around inside my chest when his eyes seemed to soften and a smile flashed across his face before he focused fully in on whatever Kenny was saying.
“I’m not sure. I think the bigger question is… how’s engaged life? You’d know, wouldn’t you?” Liz’s eyes narrowed on me.
With a deep breath, I brushed the hair out of my eyes and nodded, glancing to make sure the others weren’t listening. “Kind of, yes. And I plan to fill everyone in at book club this weekend. We have the gala tomorrow, and I’ll see you and most of the guys there, and then I’ll be ready to explain everything Saturday.”
Nerves whistled through me at the thought of both the gala and laying it all out for my friends.
It’d be a relief to have both events over with.
