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Fire licked up my spine, and I stepped up to him, the intoxicating kiss fueling my boldness as I fiddled with his tie. “See that you do.”
CHAPTER 6
Brad
Luna sat across from me in her bucket seat on the plane I’d chartered to take us to Myrtle Beach. She was bent over her sketchbook, eyes focused and intent as she dragged a pencil back and forth in a rhythmic pattern that was impossible not to watch.
Her long red hair hung over one shoulder, lightly brushing the edges of her sketchbook as she worked, and her full lips were parted just slightly, her tongue darting out every now and then in concentration.
Fuck, those lips were more than tempting now that I knew exactly how they felt against mine.
Memories of kissing Luna in Lucid had consumed me every day since. It’d been five days, but I swear I could still taste her on my tongue, and fuck me, I wanted more.
I shouldn’t want more, but I’d always had a hard time ignoring my instincts, and now that we’d crossed that line? It was all I could think about. She’d been so responsive, so passionate as she opened up for me, and yeah, we’d said it was all in the name of practice, but it felt like more than that to me.
I’d tried like hell to play it off the second we broke apart, the second I’d felt my control slipping. I had been more than ready to throw her over my shoulder, take her home, and show her exactly how well I could practice. But that would change everything between us, and I refused to risk our friendship for one fun night.
You want more than one night.
I ignored the pleading voice in my head, forcing myself to catch up on my emails instead of continuing to watch Luna work—which I could do for hours. There was something so captivating about watching her create works of art on blank sheets of paper.
After an hour of checking and responding to emails, I pocketed my phone, looking over at Luna who was finally taking a break from her work.
“Can I see?” I asked, noting she’d packed away her pencils in the little bag she kept in her much bigger bag.
Hesitation fluttered over her features before she turned her sketchbook toward me. “It’s not finished yet,” she said. “But I’m getting close.”
I took the offered sketchbook, scanning the contents of the pages. “This is your line,” I said, recognizing the theme immediately. She’d been working on her own clothing line for years, but this was the first time I’d seen it in a cohesive setting. “This is amazing,” I said as I flipped through the pages. “I love that you have the designs on all types of bodies.”
“That’s my whole vision,” she said, excitement flaring in her eyes. “I want to put out a line that is stylish and fun for every type of personality and body. I want it to be fluid too, with no gender labels attached.”
“I can see that,” I said, dragging my finger along the design of an outfit that could be worn and showcased by anyone. “This is really something, Luna.”
“You think?” she asked, biting the corner of her bottom lip. Fuck, I hated the doubt shadowing all of her excitement.
“Yes,” I said. “You’re working on something that has a wide appeal and it’s not only inclusive, but also fun. Empowering.”
“Empowering?” She laughed nervously, shaking her head. “I don’t know about that—”
“It’s all over this,” I said, motioning to the sketches. The poses she put the non-descript models in were all powerful and confident. “Your clothes will give people a combination of style, freedom, and confidence.”
“Wow,” she said, tucking some hair behind her ear. “You really think so?”
“Definitely,” I said, handing her back the book. She closed it and tucked in into her giant over-the-shoulder bag. “Why is that so hard to believe?”
She blew out a breath, glancing out the window as the clouds rolled by. “Dennis always said I was reaching,” she admitted. “He said that I should be happy I got lucky with my shop and not expect anything more. That I wouldn’t appeal to anyone outside of Sweet Water.”
I ground my teeth to keep from snapping, and took a deep breath through my nose before letting it out. “You should never settle for anything less than what makes your heart race,” I finally said. “Hey,” I said, reaching across the space between us and tipping her chin up to mine so she’d meet my eyes. “You shouldn’t. Not in life, business, or love.”
Her eyes locked with mine, something churning there that I couldn’t quite figure out. That recurring tense energy crackled between us, making all my muscles go tight. Fuck, it was like there was a charge in the air and one wrong move would send us up in flames.
