Page 79 of Looks Real Good Now
“Well, that’s quite the welcome home,” I teased.
“Don’t get used to it. The glasses, sweatpants combo you have going on short-circuited my brain for a moment.”
“You know you shouldn’t have told me that, right?” I pulled her in for another kiss, my hand cupping the back of her neck. She deepened it instantly.
I was the one to pull away this time. Lenny cast her eyes down and noticed the hardness pressed against my sweatpants. She dropped a hand down against it and squeezed, my hips stuttered into her grip before she released me.
“That’s quite enough of that.” She winked. “Come on, Max is at mine. She’s cooking, and she keeps texting with threats of using my brownie ingredients to make them herself because I’m taking too long to get back. She might call my bluff and actually do it, which we need to prevent because Max is not a baker.”
“You were gonna make me brownies?”
“Yeah, I am making you brownies.”
“Lucky me. Give me the car keys.” I held out one of my hands as I readjusted myself with the other.
“I can drive back,” she countered, although her eyes were looking downwards.
“Yeah, but you don’t have to.”
She looked back up and our eyes locked. She smiled and dropped the keys in my hand.
“You better start thinking unsexy things now because Max will notice that thing if it’s still standing to attention when we get back. And I have welcome home plans for you that do not involve you coming any time soon,” she said, as she climbed in the car.
I got in on the driver’s side. “What do your plans entail?”
“You’ll find out,” she teased, brushing her lips against mine once more before I turned the car on and drove out of the airport.
44
Alana
Sweet Nothing’s New Year’s Eve party had been in full swing for nearly three hours, and I had yet to make an appearance. Liam had gone down early to greet people, and I had procrastinated in every way imaginable to avoid showing up. I knew there was a high chance of bumping into someone who was going to want to talk to me about Kai. It was a toss-up whether they would ask for the gossip, or if they would plead his case.
Either scenario was less than ideal. The likely combination of both, even more so.
When I had truly run out of things to do and started to feel bad about leaving Liam on his own, I headed downstairs.
“Alana.”
For a brief moment, I thought I was making him up, but Kai always had a very specific way of saying my name that even my memory couldn’t replicate exactly. Of course, he would be the first person I see upon entering what should have been our engagement party.
It was too late for me to turn around now.
“Kai,” I replied, false pep making me sound high-pitched.
“Happy New Year’s Eve.” Kai raised a glass at me, which would have worked better if I had one to clink against his. As it was, my hands were hovering in the air, and I wished I had picked a dress with pockets. But no, I had to wear a dress that I knew would fuck with my boyfriend.
“And to you. Wasn’t expecting to see you here?”
“I was invited, wasn’t I?”
“Technically, sure. I guess, I thought you would…it doesn’t matter,” I said.
“We still share friends, Alana. They said they were coming, and I didn’t want to spend New Year’s alone.”
I nodded. I really had no clue what to say to him anymore.
“Where’s your—”
