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I nearly said no, but I didn’t. The fact was, I was very much alone. “Yeah. That’s my sister up there on stage.”
She wasn’t that interested in my sister, it seemed. She barely glanced at the stage before running her hand up my chest to my shoulder. “You feel like some company?”
Did I feel like some company? Fuck yes, I did. But not her company. She was nice-looking, and under normal circumstances I would have jumped at her suggestion. But she wasn’t tall enough, or curvy enough, or blond enough. She didn’t have serious green eyes that lit up with shocked laughter when I said something outrageous. And I knew without a shadow of doubt that if I complimented her on her nice tits, she wouldn’t blush. So instead of taking her up on her offer, I shook my head. “No thanks. I’m just here for my sister.”
Her face fell, then she scowled. Flattering, I guess. “Suit yourself.”
“Thanks.”
She went off in a huff, leaving me to nurse my beer and turn my attention back to the onslaught of noise up on stage.
A few hours later, stretched out on Stef’s sofa bed, I brought up Lucy’s website on my phone again, like the complete fucking loser I was. There was a lovely professional head shot of her, in her office with her gorgeous blond hair in a tight bun, wearing the same bland suit she’d worn at the bar on that first night. The memory of what happened after the bar, when I told her to take her hair down and she had, made me instantly hard. Great, now I was going to have to refrain from jerking off in my sister’s living room.
A notification pinged. A new email. More than a little hoping it might be from Lucy, as if the power of my longing might have reached her, I clicked it. It wasn’t from Lucy. It looked like the wait was over and I was finally being given my orders. I sat bolt upright, reading through the details again.
You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.
Kingsley Airforce Base, NC.
“If you’re ever, you know, around Esperance way, look me up?” she’d said. Well, guess what, Lucia. You’re about to be seriously looked up. I fell back on the thin mattress, gazing up at the ceiling, a small smile spreading across my lips.
It took me hours to fall asleep. I couldn’t stop picturing Lucy’s face when I saw her again.
CHAPTER12
Lucy
Late fall sunshine streamed into my living room, bathing all my new furniture in fresh, bright light. The place looked great. Polished wooden floors. A big, comfy sofa in a deep navy-blue denim fabric. Cushions in a light pink shade that contrasted well. A thick cream rug on the floor. An open fireplace with wood already stacked next to it, ready for its first lighting. Oh, yeah. Something told me I’d be spending a lot of time in this room.
“You’ve done so well, Luce.” Emma stood near the bay window, the sunlight making her blond hair look, as always, like an angel’s halo.
“Thanks, Em.”
It had been a frantic few weeks, closing the house deal and getting everything delivered and put in place. Luckily, I had such an amazing family and great friends that I’d barely had to lift a finger. And it had all turned out exactly how I’d shown Dante, just a few weeks back when we’d sat in that stupid, fancy restaurant.Fuck, don’t think about that.My throat grew tight at the memory, at how he’d teased me about the different shades of blue I was trying to decide on for the sofa.
“It’s the top cupboard you said you wanted the platters in, yeah?” Zara called from the kitchen.
“Yeah, thanks.”
“Great. Can you please get your ass in here so we can give you your housewarming present already?” That was Allegra, or Ally for short. We’d only met a few months ago, when she was helping Zara get her Great-Aunt’s house ready for sale. Who would have guessed that instead, Zara and my brother Matt would fall head over heels in love and end up living in the house themselves? So sweet.
“What the fuck?” I squinted at Emma with narrowed eyes. “I very clearly said no presents. I already owe you all so much already.”
Her blue eyes glowing mischievously, Emma flapped her hands dismissively. “It’s a gift that’ll keep on giving, trust me.”
“Uh huh.” We went into the kitchen, where Zara and Ally were already at my little round table.
I already loved this room. Pretty lace curtains hung at the window and the freshly-painted blue cabinetry looked amazing. I folded my arms across my middle, trying my hardest to glare at them both, but they looked so excited, I just couldn’t do it.
A big box sat in the middle of the table, covered in plain paper. Ally, her dark curls piled high on her head, gestured to it. “Open it so we can use it.”
Laughing, I stepped forward and did my usual.
“For fuck’s sake, not like that!”
My “usual” was to peel the tape off slowly and carefully and neatly fold the paper so I could use it again. Laughing some more, I said, “Fine,” and ripped the paper off all at once. “You didn’t!”
“We did!” Zara said, clapping excitedly.
