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“Yeah,” I assure him.
Alec breathes in relief. “Good.” He hugs me. “Do you want me to take you home?”
I shake my head. “I’m staying here.”
My hand finds Lucas’ and I thread our fingers together.
“Okay. I’ll crash at Devlin’s after I drive everyone over there.”
“This way—yes you, too. Come on.”
Connor waves like he’s guiding a plane, directing people to the line of running cars with open doors. The foggy headlights of swanky brands make it look like a mismatched caterpillar of expensive proportions.
Devlin sees my confused expression and gestures to the cars as people pile in. “Drunk shuttle service.”
There’s a tug on my hand.
“Come on.” Lucas nods to the deck.
I follow him up. Lancelot runs inside, pads across the room, and flops into a cushy bed. The house empties and we have the place to ourselves.
* * *
Steam fills the bathroom.
Lucas asks before taking off my ripped shirt, voice deep.
It’s funny how the first time I was in this room I felt on high alert. Now I feel safe and at ease.
“It’s okay. I trust you.”
He sways into me, dropping feathery kisses on my cheek.
Lucas peels my ruined shirt over my head and watches my face for any protest before unclasping my bra. He hugs me. My breasts press to his bare chest. His skin is warm.
He spends a few minutes massaging my back until the rigidness bleeds out of me. I melt against him with a faint sound.
“I’ve got you, baby. Let me erase all your hurts.”
We finish undressing, both of us cracking up as we struggle with the leather pants that melded to my body after the rain. The burst of humor feels good. Lucas kneels at my feet to yank them down until I’m free, mouthing at my thigh as he exposes it.
The kiss of the shower when we step in is heaven. I tip my head back and Lucas supports my weight from behind. The hot water washes over my skin in a cascade I embrace.
I lift his hand and clean the blood until the water runs clear, then bring it against my lips to nuzzle it. The skin is red and tender, likely to bruise.
Lucas turns me in his arms and I wrap around him. Steam cloaks us as the water beats down on my back.
“This isn’t the first time,” I whisper against his chest.
His embrace tightens, but he remains quiet. I tip all of my secrets out, ready to give Lucas my whole heart.
“I was sixteen. He was…Alec’s best friend. We’ve known him since we were kids. We were all at a party. Matt and I had been flirting a lot. I was crushing on him hard.”
There’s a rumble in Lucas’ chest. His hands flex on my back.
“I thought Matt was going to ask me out. That’s why I went into the room with him, away from the party. The cheap beer went to my head. I didn’t realize until—” At the hitch in my breath, Lucas crushes me to him. It gives me the anchor I need to go on. “He never kissed me. He only held me down and tried to—”
The last of my sentence is cut off when Lucas tips my head up and seals his lips to mine. His shoulders shake and I press my fingers into them to bring him back to me. He pants against my mouth.
