Chapter 18
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Progress is progress.
Clara
“Come on, cupcake.” Lukas hugs me from behind—an inconvenient thing if ever there was one—and kisses my neck—one of my favorite developments about him embracing even more casual affection with me since we officially became a couple. “Please.”
“No,” I say, again, for the fifth time. We’re doing great at this whole desensitization to the fear of rejection and persistence in standing ground thing. I’m proud of us. So proud of us.
He snuggles. “You know you want to.”
I do not want to. IknowI do not want to. And I am making that known, firmly and consistently. “I will not stop making Kyran a sandwich when he misses breakfast.” The youngest Bachelor brother has started leaving me little thank-you notes with poorly-drawn weeping puppy eye emojis. This whole family ispackedto thebrimwith sweethearts, and I intend to protect and care for them, as either a lover or a sister.
“I’ll make it worth your while,” Lukas purrs, andahhthe idea of what he’d concoct to make it worth my while has mebuzzing.
But, no.
My moral compass saysfeed the babe, and I’m not sacrificing my character for someone else.
And Lukas isn’t getting mad no matter how many times we go back and forth.
And I’m just smiling wider.
He squeezes my waist, making it hard for me to cut Kyran’s sub. Yesterday’s jaunt through classic fast food put me on a kick, so today Kyran gets copycat Subway. I’m even adding a little wrapped cookie for him.
Which makes Lukas want to give his youngest brother a wet willy.
“I’ll have to punish you if you insist on being so nice to people who aren’t me,” he murmurs, voice low and dark in my ear.
Oh boy. “You will?How?”
“You’re sounding too eager.”
I am so eager.
He exhales a swear against my neck and uncoils one arm to pull my hair away so he can kiss my nape, suck, nip. “You want my attention so bad, don’t you?”
“Ilivefor it, King.”
His lips smile against my skin. “Patronizing me. You’re real sassy, you know that? It’s so sexy. I love it. More of that, please.”
I find myself leaning into him, letting my back find solace against his chest.
That someone appreciates the sass I’ve always shoved deep down into the nowhere zones of my soul is healing. He is healing me in ways I didn’t even know I needed to be healed. I love it. “The faster I finish Kyran’s sandwich, the sooner I can tell you about my current read. It’s aroyalromcom. He’s her bodyguard. Her father wants her to marry someone else… It’s all very drama, drama. Something you know nothing about, I’m sure.”
“Stupid brother,” Lukas mutters, freeing me so I can finish up.
Once I have packaged the sandwich up all nice and neat, I turn to find Lukas inches away, closing in.
“Oh.” My lips part as he plants his hands on the counter behind me, caging.
“Tell me I’m your favorite,” he demands.
“You’re my absolute favorite.”
He smiles. “I love how kind you are. I hate it, too, though.”
