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Not that it had been enough time to really get to know him.
And even then, I had been so convinced that I knew Jacob once too…
I let out a shaky breath and climbed into the truck, started it up, then sat there. I pulled out my phone and scrolled for ten minutes, but somehow none of the images or text registered. It was like I was some mindless zombie, just going through the motions.
Enough time had passed though. He wasn’t coming back, was he?
Just as I set my phone down and reached to put the truck into drive, a knock on the passenger window startled me.
There, peeking in, was Lucian.
And good God, he looked sexy.
He was dressed in all black, looking every bit the dark and handsome bad boy, ready to ride with me out of town and away from all my problems.
I was too busy staring to move. After a moment, he pointed at the lock, indicating he wanted to climb in.
I smiled and unlocked the doors.
Lucian slid into the seat, his smoky scent filling the small space. I swear it had notes of cedar that reminded me of deep woods and starry nights.
“Sorry for taking so long,” he said.
I shook my head. “No worries.”
He peeled back his leather jacket and pulled out the two aprons, rolled up nice and tight. “Here. Thanks for letting me borrow them.”
“Of course,” I said, trying to sound calm and collected as I stashed the aprons away, silently vowing to never wash them again.
“So…” he began. “Your place? I’ll give the perimeter a quick walk and make sure your ex isn’t lurking. I can usually catch scents up to five blocks in the city.”
“You’re not planning on, like, standing guard the whole time, right?”
Lucian glanced at me, as if that hadn’t already been the plan.
“Oh,” I said, surprised by his dedication.
“He looked like he was about to assault you.”
Well, when I thought back on it, Jacob very well seemed like he was about to do something physical to me. I guess that at that moment, I just couldn’t believe it.
“Yeah, maybe…” I surmised. “My apartment has decent security, though. And I’ve got a deadbolt and chain.”
Lucian nodded. “All right. But I’ll at least check the area.”
Jesus, I was blowing it! Here I was, with the perfect excuse to invite him into my apartment, maybe get to know him better in an intimate setting… And he wasn’t wrong that I’d feel a lot safer with him around.
“You know…” I started, as I finally put the truck into drive and pulled out onto the road. “It’s not just gumbo that I specialize in. I make a mean pour-over too. I mean, if that’s your kinda thing.”
He grinned at me, a playful squint in his eyes. “Oh? How mean are we talking, here?”
“Very.”
“If it’s as mean as your spicy gumbo, it just might keep me up all night.”
“And what if it does?” I said, before it really hit me that I was so blatantly flirting with him. A faint flush of embarrassment crept up my neck and cheeks, but when I glanced over at Lucian, his smile was broad and bright.
“I’ll risk it,” he said confidently.
