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Harrison waved him away. “No, I’m ready to go, anyway.” His gaze moved to me. “Do you want a ride home? I know you came with Ollie and Chip, and they might want to stay for a while. You can’t hide out here for too much longer. It’s too cold.”
I gaped at him. Was this some sort of an act? I mean, I’d been so rude, and yet he’d been nothing but friendly tonight, and now he was worried about me having to stay. Yeah, I got that we’d had a moment, both of us trying to escape all of the lovey-dovey inside, but he wasn’t responsible for me. Next time I’d know to drive myself, but—
Before I answered, the door opened again, and Chip stuck his head out. “There you are, Luca.” He looked around at the three of us. “Is everything okay out here?”
Harrison shook his head. “Why does everyone keep asking us that?” he asked in a teasing voice.
If we hadn't had an audience, I might have apologized. It felt…uncomfortable that my hang-ups painted Harrison in a bad light to his friends. I didn’t know what my face showed, but he winked at me. “Don't worry about it, Luca. We’re fine, and it was lovely chatting with you tonight. Thank you for keeping me company while I…” He lifted his cigar up.
“You’re leaving with Orson?” Chip asked.
“I am.” Like a goof, he bowed at the waist. “If you gentlemen would excuse me, I need to run in and thank Samuel and Toby for a nice evening.” Then he handed Orson his cigar and slipped by Chip and inside.
Orson eyed me curiously. “Do you need a ride or anything, Luca?”
“Oh, no,” Chip answered for me. “That’s why I was looking for him. Ollie and I are planning on heading out. I wanted to see if you’re ready, Luca. If not, we can stay longer.”
“No, I’m ready,” I said, perhaps a little too eagerly. Tonight had been amazing in so many ways, but the interlude with Harrison had me all balled up inside. I needed time to think.
CHAPTERFIVE
Luca
Four days! For four days, all I’d done was think about Harrison, and I was getting on my own nerves. When I was here working, it took everything in me not to watch the door, alternating between hoping and dreading that he might come in. It didn’t help that he came in during the day for business meetings just as often as he came in to hang out with his friends at night, so there was never a time when he might not walk in. When I was at home, I played our conversation over and over in my head, which screwed with my studying, which was really starting to piss me off. At myself. But the worst time was when I went to bed and he followed me into my dreams, which had become super-erotic fantasies where he stripped me down and bent me over, spanking my ass with that spicy, woodsy scent of his cigar lingering in the air.
“Hey, what are you daydreaming about?” Indie asked, poking me in the side. “Or should I ask who?”
Bristling, I narrowed my eyes. “What’s that supposed to mean? You know I’m not dating anyone.”
“Rumor has it, you and Harrison hung out for a while the other night at Toby’s party, and your head’s been in the clouds ever since.” He waggled his eyebrows.
I bit back a groan. Rumor has it, my ass. Lucky me, when I went in to thank Samuel and Toby for the wonderful party, they were standing near the door saying goodbye to Harrison and Ollie. And like icing on the cake, Toby had connected the dots that Harrison and I had been outside together and commented on it—loudly. I doubted anyone in the house hadn’t realized. “Wow,” I said, keeping a blank face. “How long have you been wanting to say that?”
“Pretty much since the minute Toby announced you and Harrison were outside together, but Cameron wouldn’t let me.” He pouted. Then, leaning in, he said conspiratorially, “And I’d appreciate it if you did not mention that I said anything now.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t bring it up just to get in trouble with Cameron.”
“Yeah, well, if he’d threatened something good, I might’ve. Instead, he told me to leave you alone, or he’d be leaving me alone.” He put a hand to his chest. “Can you imagine? No sex.”
He sounded so horrified a laugh slipped free before I could bite it back, and the customers at the tables near us looked over curiously. “Your secret is safe with me. No point in you losing sexy-time privileges when the only thing I’ve been thinking about is finishing up my semester. It’s stressful.”
“Oh.” He pouted. “Well, that’s boring.”
Boring like my life.Ugh. That wasn’t true. Things were better than they’d been in years. I had great friends like Indie who actually cared about me enough to tease me, and I had plans outside of work and school next week. Just because my libido had decided to wake back up over the wrong man didn’t mean that hanging out at home, alone, suddenly sucked balls.
“Luca, are you going to be okay tonight?” Cameron asked, looping an arm around Indie’s shoulders.
“Why wouldn’t I be?” I asked, confused.
Indie frowned. “Oh, I don’t know. Because it’s snowing, and they’re saying it might get bad.”
I scoffed. “Sure it will. I’m not too worried about it. It’ll probably stop within an hour, and it definitely won’t stick.”
“I don’t know,” Cameron said. “I’ve already given permission to go to a skeleton crew if it’s dead in here tonight. Oz and a few of the others who live close will stay. But if you end up needing a ride or anything else, call us.”
“Yes.” Indie jabbed me in the chest. “You’re not doing this on your own anymore. If it’s coming down too hard and you’re nervous to drive or whatever, let us know. No offense, Luca, but your car looks like it’s hanging on by sheer willpower.”
Shrugging, I said, “That’s the life of a perpetual college student, my friend.”
