AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Jack! I didn’t make your skin crawl!”
He grimaced.
“Oh, sphincter.” She put her head on the table. “Well, what am I supposed to do? The man I once loved, who dumped me for someone else, is back in town and I don’t have a boyfriend. You’d think you could just marry me out of decency. How many free beers have I given you over the years?”
“Four,” he said.
“I’d give you more in exchange for your hand in marriage.”
“It’s not you, Colleen,” he said kindly, even if he was being a jerk and not marrying her. “You know. The divorce. Trust issues and, uh, what else did my sisters say? I wasn’t really listening. Anyway. Sorry.”
“Well, this sucks.” She paused. “Will you at least be my date for Tom and Honor’s wedding? I can’t go with Connor. He might have a girlfriend.” Perhaps three martinis had been one too many. Then again, conversation hadn’t exactly been flowing. Vodka had.
“I’ll have to pass,” Jack said. “I plan to be the handsome, single brother of the bride.”
“Well, thanks for nothing,” Colleen grumbled.
And then the door opened, and bugger it all, there was Lucas Damien Campbell, Prince of Darkness. Alone. Black jeans. Black shirt. Black hair, black eyes (not in the hockey player way, but in the Heathcliff way). God, he was beautiful, a thuggish angel, the kind who did God’s dirty work. Beautiful with a side of scary.
You need to stop with the hyperbole,Connor’s voice informed her.
Colleen swallowed with an audible click, her throat dry as...as...something really dry, she couldn’t think just now.
She forced her eyes to the blond-haired, blue-eyed Jack.
“As of right now, you’re my boyfriend, Jack, and I will castrate you if you deny it.”
“And we wonder why you can’t find a man,” he said.
“Excuse me?”
“I love you deeply, Colleen, and can’t take my eyes off you.” His words were undercut by the act of taking out his phone.
Lucas saw them, did a slight double take, and came over, all predatory masculine grace (nowthatwas a great phrase, oh, mommy, yes, and even better live and in person).
“Hi,” he said.
“Lucas, what a pleasant surprise, do you know Jack Holland, my boyfriend?” Alas, Jack was texting. Colleen kicked him under the table.
“Ow!” he said. “Stop kicking me. I already have three sisters.”
Lucas smiled. The special places squeezed. The men shook hands, and Colleen couldn’t help being jealous of Jack, having Lucas’s hand squeeze his, that big, swarthy, beautiful hand, strong and sure and—
“Here’s your lava cake,” Jess said, setting it down. “Hey,” she added, looking at Lucas. “Did we go to school together?”
“No,” Colleen answered. “I mean, yes, but it was only for a little while.”
“Oh, right,” Jess said. “You guys were together. Nice to see you. Luke, right?”
“Lucas,” he corrected.
“Like George Lucas,” Colleen said. “Not like Luke Skywalker. Personally, I like Luke better, you know, like ‘Use the Force, Luke, the Force is strong within you,’ but Lucas isn’t bad. I’m not judging.”
“You’re cut off,” Jess said. “And here’s the check, whenever you’re ready.”
“Jack?” Colleen said. “Our cake is here, punkin.” She took a bite.
Unfortunately, lava cake tended to be, well...lava-hot. As her tongue shriveled in agony, Colleen reacted. Spit that cake right out.
