Page 32 of Should've Been Us
He laughed, “God, you’re a firecracker. I love that sassy mouth of yours. I loved finally getting to kiss it. You haven’t been able to stop thinking about it, have you? Nobody’s ever kissed you like I kiss you. Admitit.”
“Go tohell.”
“Spending the past ten years near you and not being able to touch you has been exactly that, baby.” Connor caught her eyes and held her there, mesmerized, “But now that I’ve had your mouth, I intend to have the rest of you. You want it too. I can see it in those pretty eyes of yours every time you look at me now. You want to know what its like for me to claim every inch of you, don’t you? You won’t have to wait much longer. Neither of uswill.”
“Wh-what does that mean?” She hated the stutter in her voice, especially when he only smiled at her inreturn.
“You’re gonna come to metonight.”
“Like hell I am.” She frowned, “You cocky bastard, I’mnot…”
“And, switch.” The loud voice of their dance instructor commanded once again and Connor stopped dancing and slid a hand to herchin.
“Come to my room tonight,Lulu.”
“Never going to happen.” She glared back up at him but his lips only curved upwards into that knowingsmirk.
“Whatever you say, Lu. Whatever yousay.”
She narrowed her eyes. She hated it when he said that. Like what she was saying was cute but clearly untrue and he was just waiting for her to realizeit.
“Cutting in.” Derek’s voice came from next to them, making Lulu jump and Connor drop hishand.
“Of course.” Connor smiled but it didn’t quite reach his eyes when he looked at their best friend, “Allyours.”
Without a backwards glance, he turned and walked away and Lulu’s eyes followed him. Something about seeing the distance he put between them made her heart feel heavy. That smile that hadn’t really been a smile had cut at her insides and made her wonder how many times she’d missed those tense interactions between the twomen.
All this time, she’d assumed she was the only one hurting because of her obsession. Now she wondered if she hadn’t been wrong about that too. If Connor had really felt all of those things he said he did, all this time, and she’d been blind to it… Oh God. She felt a little lightheaded as she realized what itmeant.
She’d been hurting him the same way Derek hurther.
“Lulu?”
She jerked her attention back to the voice she would recognize anywhere and found Derek holding out his hand expectantly. All around them, the couples had switched off partners and begun dancing again. Derek was standing less than a foot from her and he’d had to say her name to get herattention.
That might be a first in the history of their entirefriendship.
“Sorry. Yeah.” She took his hand and let him hold her at a respectable distance as they fell into the steps with themusic.
“You okay?” His voice was soft, concerned, and she could see the worry that sparkled in his darkeyes.
“Yeah. Fine.Why?”
“You lookflushed.”
Lulu giggled but the sound was all wrong. Her voice was off. She felt like she was lying to her best friend and she supposed that she was. She wasn’t fine. She was definitely flushed. And there was no way she could tell himwhy.
“It’s hot in here, with all the wine and the dancing. I think its just going to myhead.”
Another lie. The only thing going to her head was Connor. His kiss had felt like taking a shot of whiskey. It had burned her from the inside out and even now she could taste him on herlips.
“So you and Connor weren’t fightingthen?”
“Huh? No.” She shook her head, trying to clear herthoughts.
She could barely hold onto the thread of the conversation Derek was trying to have with her. That was definitely a first. Usually Derek was the one that invaded her thoughts when he shouldn’t be there. Yet now he was right here, inches from her, their hands and bodies entwined in a dance, and she couldn’t focus on anything but the man that been doing his damndest to push Derek from her mind foryears.
He’d succeeded. Connor had finally succeeded, she realized. Derek had been there with them most of the day. He’d been there on the beach but she’d barely given him a second look. She hadn’t bemoaned her loss while she watched him with Aubrey. She’d been too busy fighting with Connor. And now? After the things he’d said, after the way he’d kissed her and touched her in her room, he was the only thing she could thinkabout.
