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I could fight that all I wanted, but it wouldn’t change the truth.
I loved him. And I would never love anyone else the way I loved him.
Tears filled my eyes.
That was it, then. I was going to grow old all alone and never settle down with anyone, wasn’t I? Because I loved a man who couldn’t love me back, and I could no longer pretend to think I could find companionship from anyone else.
Loss filled me in a dizzying wave. My future felt doomed.
Covering my mouth, I silently pushed back to my feet and left him sleeping as I tried to make peace with loneliness.
Back in my room, I gathered some clothes for the day, walked into the bathroom, and shut the door behind me. There, I cried in the shower for a while, letting myself mourn the loss of everything I’d always wanted.
And then I pulled on my metaphorical big-girl panties and turned off the streaming water. I took extra care with my hair, curling and styling it just so. Then I put on some fancy jewelry and was going to apply my lotion and body spray before realizing the scent I wanted to wear was out in my room on my dresser. So I dressed and opened the door, only to yelp out a startled scream.
“Oh my God!” Clutching my heart, I blinked at the man sprawled on my bed, back propped up against the headboard and legs stretched out in front of him. “What are youdoing?”
“Waiting for you to get out,” Luke answered easily. Then he grabbed a cup from the nightstand and lifted it in cheers. “Thanks for the water, by the way.”
“Mmm,” I answered and proceeded to ignore him as I went to the dresser to find the lotion I wanted.
“I have no idea how I got here last night,” he told me from the bed.
“Trick dropped you off,” I said, frowning when I could find every other scent but the one I wanted.
This was becoming my life motto, I swear. I was never going to get what I wanted most.
“Trick?” Luke repeated in surprise. “Your brother left a stumbling drunk guy withyouto babysit? Nice,” he muttered sarcastically.
I shrugged, keeping my back to him. “Well, apparently, youbeggeduntil he finally gave in.”
He sniffed. “I bet I did.”
Not understanding the ironic tone in his voice, I glanced over my shoulder.
He sent me an apologetic wince. “I wasn’t too obnoxious, was I?”
“Meh.” I shrugged dismissively. “It wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle.” Turning back, I finally spotted the lotion I’d been searching for. Plucking it from the others, I applied it to my arms. “You passed out in the first two minutes, so I honestly didn’t have to do much. How’s your head this morning?”
When I turned his way and lifted my brows curiously, he shrugged and ran his gaze over me. “It’s bearable. I found some painkillers in your kitchen. You going somewhere?”
“I was thinking about driving into work and asking my boss to cut my leave short. I’m going stir-crazy here and want to get back to the studio.”
I mean, if finding love and building a family with someone was no longer in my future, I might as well focus solely on my career, right?
“Hmm,” Luke murmured distractedly as he watched me lift my foot to set it on the end of the bed so I could apply lotion to my leg. “Hey, pass that bottle over here, will you?”
I paused and looked over. “You want…my lotion? Right now?”
Luke nodded. “Yeah.”
“Uh…” With a shrug, I tossed it across the room to him. “Okay.”
Luke caught it with one hand and smiled suggestively before he shimmed himself to the end of the bed and flipped open the cap as he sat with his thighs on either side of my foot. “Thanks.” Then he looked up at me, and my stomach dropped. “Think your boss will let you come back early?”
When he filled his palm with a droplet of white cream, my gaze fell to his fingers. I swallowed convulsively as I watched him rub his hands together as if to warm the lotion.
“I…I hope,” I murmured as my gaze lifted to his eyes, only to find him watching me right back. The intent look in his expression made my stomach drop. “I don’t plan on taking no for an answer,” I added, barely hearing myself speak.
