Page 60 of Sweet Temptation
“Guess so,” I agree and turn to look at him. He’s got a bag slung over his shoulder and a sheepish look in his eyes. “You out of here?”
“Yeah. Don’t wait up.”
I wrap my chunky cream cable-knit blanket around myself and tuck my feet inside as I turn back to the pool “Hey, Linc... Have you seen Lucky?”
“Yeah. He just got home. He’s in the kitchen.”
“Thanks. Love you,” I murmur, not sure why I’m relieved.
“You okay, Lex?”
“Yup. See you tomorrow.” I want him to go and have fun, not listen to me cry, so I push him to leave. It’s easier that way.
I hear a fainthey, man,before the door closes and then reopens in the next instant. Chills break out along my skin with awareness. Lucky.
“You made me an omelet,” he says as he sits next to me on the couch, careful not to touch but close enough that he could. He’s showered and changed since I saw him. His shorts and tank are gone. Replaced with sweats and no shirt. Like he knew I couldn’t resist him like this.
Not like I’ve ever really been able to resist Lucky Beneventi at all.
Not since I realized boys weren’t gross.
Not since I knew I wanted this one to kiss me.
“I had to make sure you knew what they should look like. I was starting to wonder,” I lie dryly, no humor in my voice.
“I’d offer you some, but you put cheese on it.” Lucky sits with his legs spread widely, invading my space and my senses. He smells like crisp, clean soap, mixed with that naturally delicious scent that’s all him.
“I made it for you. I don’t want any, but thank you.” I look away. Back at the pool. Anywhere but at him. It’s safer this way. For him and for me. “What I did wasn’t fair, Lucky. I shouldn’t have asked you to give me one night. I shouldn’t have asked you for anything.”
“Lex...” He puts his plate on the coffee table and moves in front of me, his bright baby-blue eyes on fire. “What’s this one-night shit? I want so much more than one fucking night with you. So if that’s all you’re offering, you better be prepared for a fight because I’m not okay with that. And I shouldn’t have let you think I was.”
“You didn’t listen,” I argue. “You never have.”
“Yeah. I’m not great at that. But I can promise to work on it. You’re not great at sharing your feelings, so how about you promise to work on that too? We can meet in the middle. I hear that’s how relationships work.”
“I can’t have a relationship, Lucky.” I cling to my blanket as he reaches for me with gentle hands and drags me closer. “You have to listen to me.”
“What’s wrong,dolcezza? There’s more to this than you’re telling me.” His hands rub my calves as he throws my legs over his lap, and I let him. “Was everything okay at the doctor’s?”
I shake my head, not sure I’m ready to talk about that.
Not sure I’m ready to talk about any of this.
Not with him or my parents or my friends.
His palm slides to my cheek, and I close my eyes.
I should pull away. I’m still mad at him. I shouldn’t want him to touch me. Shouldn’t want the comfort it brings. But I do. I lean into it and feel the weight sitting on my shoulders and my chest weighing me down like a ten-ton boulder when I do. “I don’t honestly even understand why you’d want a relationship with me, Lucky. I’m a bad bet.”
“Lexie, do you really not know?” he asks quietly, disappointment clear in every word.
“Should I? Before the other night, when have we ever done anything but fight?” I push back, but the words are weak. “There’s never been anus,Lucky. Why would I think any differently. You were my brother’s best friend. Not mine. I’m not sure I would even classify us as friends before I moved home.”
Lucky
Lochlan’s words from the beach echo in my mind, ringing true as much today as they did that morning. Fuck this. “You might not be lying to me, but you better believe you’re lying to yourself, Lex. We didn’t just start. We’ve always been brewing. There’s always been an us, and you know it.”
“You’re right.” Her beautiful face softens, and tears pool in her eyes. “There was an us. But that was a long time ago. I used to trust you with my life. I used to think you were the one person who understood me. You never treated me like my brothers or my parents. You never made me feel like I needed to live in a glass cage, always needing to be protected. And you left. You ran away as fast as you could.”
