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Lucian shut the doorbehind him, giving me one last look at his beautiful chiseled ass in those tight jeans before he left.
Well. It was time to face the music.
I turned back to Annabelle, who stood there with a big grin of anticipation, looking like a little pressure cooker of questions about to explode.
“Sooo,” she started, dragging the syllable on for much longer than I thought was humanly possible. “Did you, like, invite him back here for a nightcap, and then, I dunno, one thing led to another…? Because let me tell you, girl, he was super into you. The way he looked at you, wow.”
I bit my lip, then decided there was no point in denying it. “It wasn’t planned or anything. But yeah.”
“Oh. My. God.” Annabelle ran to me and gave me a hug, squeezing me tight. “Zo! I’m so happy for you!”
“Settle down,” I managed to say despite her nearly crushing me with her hug. “I mean, it could have just been a one time thing.”
Annabelle immediately jerked away, her hand in a fist. “Wait. You think that might’ve been a pump and dump?! The nerve of that stupid, sexy bastard!”
“No, no, I’m not saying that either! It’s just… It’s too good to be true. The connection we felt. It was so… immediate.” My gaze drifted off to some faraway place, recalling the passion we had shared. “I can’t help but wonder if maybe there’s some sort of catch.”
Annabelle placed her hands on my shoulders and squeezed reassuringly. “I can tell you that I knew Jacob was a turbo-douche on day one. This guy? Nuh uh. Not even a smidge. He’s a keeper.”
“Yeah, but—”
“And besides, if it turns out I’m wrong, I’ll sic my dog on him.”
“Pico is one-hundredth that guy’s body mass.”
“It’s the fight in the dog that matters, and if that guy’s dumb enough to not treat you right, he should be embarrassed to call himself a hellhound.” She suddenly gasped, becoming sidetracked again. “Hellhounds do the whole mating thing, right? Like werewolves? Did he… you know?”
“No,” was all I said, too shy to get into the details.
Annabelle pursed her lips, eyeing me suspiciously. “Man. He must have some crazy self control.”
“Apparently it’s a big deal to him. I’m not sure what the exact details are, but it seems like it’s a lifelong commitment.”
“It is! That’s what mating is, you dummy. It’s not just something you can do whenever.”
“I’m not saying that.” I groaned and buried my face in my hands. “I’m sorry. It’s a lot to process. I’ve never… This is all so new for me.”
“Hey, I get it. Just promise me you won’t overthink it. Sometimes when things are going so right, that’s the first step to a disaster. You’ll get cold feet, let doubts creep in…”
“Should I not be a little careful, after what happened with Jacob?”
“Okay. I’ll give you that one. Yes, maybe be a little cautious. But not too cautious. Just, like, a normal amount of caution. A healthy amount. You know what I mean?”
My head was spinning. “Ugh. I need to finish my coffee then pick up my ingredients for the day.”
“Oh yeah. About that? Maybe double your usual quantities when you go shopping.”
I hardly wanted to ask. “Why?”
“Because…” Annabelle took out her phone, then pulled up about two dozen photos she had saved on her Instagram…
They were all photos of Lucian wearing nothing more than two aprons in public, his sexy and clearly naked body just barely concealed beneath them, with “Miss Gumbo” written across the apron on his back.
“He was like a walking billboard,” Annabelle commented as she scrolled. “God, these descriptions and comments are absurd. Look at all these chicks thirst-posting about him. They all want a piece! I mean, I guess I’m one to talk, but yeah.”
“Oh my dear God,” I said as I looked away and dragged a hand down my face. This wasn’t actually happening, was it?
“You can bet your ass they’re gonna be hunting your truck down today. Sure, they’ll be disappointed when Mr. Smokeshow isn’tthere, but your future-award-winning gumbo will soften the blow, I’m sure.”
