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12
London
Sitting in the guest parking spot of Luc’s condo building, I’m more nervous than I was yesterday when I told my dad.Telling Mom was easy; she’s all about being the wind underneath her daughters’ wings, enabling us to fly.But telling Luc I’m not only moving, but that I’ve already found a place and signed the lease without him even having a clue what I was doing has my muscles all twitchy and my stomach doing flip-flops—and not the good kind.
I don’t even knowwhyI’m like this.It actually has nothing to do with Luc.But it haseverythingto do with him too ...
This is me pulling on my big girl panties and making moves formeandmyfuture.Getting into my own space is just the first step.My job is more secure than concrete shoes, and Val and I are even talking about the potential for opening up at a second location, with me taking over management of it under Val’s watchful eye.It would be a huge opportunity for me professionally and, as Val herself said to me today when she took me to lunch and laid out her world domination plans.“You have your career, you’ll have your apartment, and now ...all that’s left is for you to find a handsome, hot-as-Hades man to warm your bed and make my brother jealous.Then you’ll be set.”
I tried to argue with her about the making-Luc-jealous part of that future, but she waved me off and wouldn’t hear of it.I love Val to death, but she needs to move past the idea that Luc will wake up and suddenly realize he’s in love with me.If he hasn’t looked across the room at me and been hit by Cupid’s arrow in the ass by now, it’s not going to happen—because Lord knows, he’s had long enough.
A knock on the glass of my driver’s widow has a shriek escaping me and my head snapping left.An unhappy Luc looks back at me.
Shaking my head, I grab my purse from the passenger seat as Luc opens the door for me.
“You were sitting in your car alone in a basement parking garage with your doors unlocked,” he says by way of a greeting.
I quirk a brow.“And?”
“And?”he growls.“Beautiful, you’re too smart to be that dumb.”
“I’m not dumb,” I snap, getting all uppity.
“You’re not, but you’re a gorgeous woman driving alone with your doors unlocked.That’s dumb.”
“You’re dumb,” I retort, feeling ten years younger than I am.
He twitches his lips and softens his eyes.“I’ve been known to be dumb now and then, yes.”
I snort and step out of my car, expecting Luc to step back.When I straighten and he’s stillright there, our chests less than an inch apart, my neck arched up and his bent down, I can’t help my soft gasp.Nor do I miss the flash ofsomethingthat crosses his gaze and the way his eyes drop to my lips ...or the fact that hedoesn’tmove away.
“You’re kind of in my personal bubble right now,” I say, my voice surprisingly steady, if not a little bit rough.
“Hasn’t bothered you before.”His gaze roams over my face as we just stand there, staring at each other.What the hell is happening here?
I return to my default setting—sass—tilting my head and narrowing my eyes.“Maybe it has and I just didn’t say anything?”
He chuckles and shifts back a step, his hand dropping to the door handle.“Well then, I’ll make surenotto invade your personal bubble again in future, Lonnie.”
“Good.That would be great,” Now my brain is scrambled because I don’t want him tonotinvade myanything.Which makes me realize that moving on in my life isn’t going to be a magic Band-Aid when it comes to getting over my crush on my best friend.Not when he just can’t help being so charming and irresistible and—
“So, are you going to let me close the car door and take you upstairs to wow you with my cooking skills again, or are we hanging out in the basement tonight?”He shrugs.“Doesn’t really bother me either way.I’ll still be spending time with my girl either way; it just won’t be with the dinner I’ve cooked for you upstairs.”
“Dinner?”I’m still in a daze, or maybe my brain has been scrambled by Luc’s pheromones or something.
His answering grin is nothing short of proud puppy level.“Yep.And don’t forget the wine to go along with it.”
I move sideways, allowing him to close my car door before I beep the locks and we stand there awkwardly, looking at each other.
“Why do you keep staring at me?”I blurt out.
“I don’t know.There’s just something ...differentabout you.I can’t put my finger on it.”
I bounce a shoulder.“I’m just me, Luc.Nothing drastic or life-changing has happened since you saw me at the firehouse yesterday.”
“Then why are you packing?”
My head jerks back.“What?”
