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“Nah, I don’t really do that. Do you?”
Luc took her napkin and dabbed at the corner of her mouth after she finished her last bite of pizza. “You had some rogue sauce on your lip,” Luc said with a grin.
He was either the sweetest, most adorable boyfriend-material man on the planet, or he was overdoing it just to annoy Kaden. Or, she was tipsy and imagining all of this.
“You want to get out of here soon?” Kassie asked. She didn’t feel at home in her brother’s loft after the run in with Kaden, and she kind of wanted to be anywhere but here.
“Absolutely. I’m your designated driver and will take you anywhere you want to go, just name it.”
Without hesitation, she responded. “Let’s go back to my place.”
Maybe her boldness was alcohol induced and maybe not, but she was rolling with it, regardless.
“Ready?” she asked Luc.
“Oh, you meant now? Sure.” He held out his arm for her to lock onto, like he had been doing all night, and he led her to the door.
She looked over at her brother, thinking she should say goodbye, but the disgusted look she got in response made her reconsider. However, Ali waved to her and pushed through the crowd to get to her.
“Kass! Hey, you guys leaving already?” She poked her bottom lip out in a faux pout.
“Yeah, we’re going to get out of here. Kaden doesn’t want us here. Well, not together. No use us hanging around and causing any more drama.”
“Aw, well, okay. Call me, soon? In the meantime, I’ll work on your brother.” Ali gave Kassie a bear hug. “Love you, sis.”
“Love you, too.”
Ali turned her attention to Luc. “And you, Mr. Puck-Star, get her home safely. And don’t worry too much about my husband.”
“Thanks, Ali. He’s just being a big brother, and I knew what I was getting into. I’ll take whatever he hands out, if it means I get to spend time with Kass.”
“Aww.” Ali swooned while Kaden glared across the room in their direction. “Marcella, you might just be too adorable for your own good! You two be careful going home.”
They hurried down the hall towards the elevator. Kassie knew Ali would never let her brother chase them, but the worry still lingered in the back of her mind. And she didn’t want to wait around to see.
Luckily, they had the elevator all to themselves.
“Hey, thanks for having my back in there. You were like my knight in shining armor.” She wrapped her arms around his middle and hugged him. It felt right being this close to him. She wasn’t sure why she had waited so long. Well, yeah, she did.
Luc responded with his own comforting hug. His strong arms pulled her closer. “Please. You didn’t need me to defend you. You hold your own just fine against your brother.” He released his grip on her and tilted her chin up so she had to look at him. His thumb lightly slid over her bottom lip. “But if needed, I’d fight for you every day just to see this smile.”
She bit her lip out of anxiousness at having his body pressed against her. His deep eyes were trained on her. He had the cutest little dimple on his left cheek that was more noticeable when his jaw was clenched. His cologne infiltrated her senses, a sexy mix of bergamot and amber. She couldn’t place the brand, but nonetheless, it had her heart thudding against her chest and her pulse racing. Her breathing was heavy and ragged.
The faint ding of the elevator reminded her that they were still headed towards the lobby, and this intense interaction would end soon.
Everything around her stopped as Luc lowered his head to hers. She’d been waiting for this moment. Anticipating his kiss, craving his touch. She closed her eyes and held a deep breath as Luc’s soft, plump lips finally brushed against hers, gentle and warm. She returned his slow, innocent kiss with her own. Sliding her hand up to his chest, she could feel the thud of his heart beating through his soft t-shirt.
The elevator sounded with a tone that told them they’d reached the lobby, and the doors opened with a low hum. None of that mattered while his lips moved with hers. Luc cradled her jaw in his rough hand, while he pulled her body close with the other. He opened his mouth to deepen the kiss, and then—
“Um… Hey, Marcella.”
Kassie pulled back from Luc and looked in the direction of the voice of the man who had interrupted them. His face was familiar, a Renegades player. The look on his face told her all she needed to know: he knew who she was, and he knew Luc’s lips weren’t supposed to be anywhere near hers.
Luc’s face was tense with what seemed like annoyance. He ran his hand through his dark hair with an almost silent sigh, but she heard it. “Patrick. Hey, man.” Luc grabbed Kassie’s hand and pulled her from the elevator.
“Leaving the party so soon, Marcella?” Patrick smirked, but it was noticeably not as friendly as it should be. He and his wife entered the elevator.
Not waiting around to talk, Luc held on to Kassie’s hand and pulled her towards the exit. He called over his shoulder. “You know me, Dubois, I always cut out early. Can’t hang around with you old folks all night. Tell Kaden I said hi!”
