A dull smile pumps from me. “You hit the crap on the head, all right.”
“So, who is she?” Rex cranes his neck in twelve different directions right alongside of me. I know that if I confess to Rex how I feel about Lucky, it’s the same as telling Jet.
I glance around and find Ava and Grant huddled against the wall just behind her, their arms are wrapped around one another right here in the open. I happen to know that Owen is here tonight and that he’s finally accepted Grant, so the two of them are free to express themselves in any way they wish. That’s what I want with Lucky. That is, if she wants it, too.
Then in a moment of startling beauty, Lucky blinks to life in this sea of tangled limbs, brilliant and shining like the brightest star. Her lips expand in what I can only hope is a smile as those nightshade eyes of hers hook to mine.
“Do we know this girl you’re trying to impress?” Scarlett jumps up, trying to get a handle on what I’m looking at.
“Yeah, you do.” I temper a laugh because for the first time ever I feel free. “Her name is Lucky Madden.”
I head in her direction, and my grin widens as I make my way over, but Lucky inches back as if I’ve come to snatch her purse. Turns out, that wasn’t a smile she was sporting for me. It was a smirk.
“Hey.” I swallow hard just taking her in this close. My entire body shakes, begging for just one touch. “Can we go in the back and talk?”
Her features darken as she looks past my shoulder, panning the room in what looks like a mild panic.
Lucky licks her lips with one quick revolution of her tongue, and something about that simple action makes me ache for her ten times harder. “Let’s go.”
I lead the way to the farthest room in the back and entomb us inside.
My arms find themselves around her waist, and I bury my face in her wild hair, just taking in the clean sweet scent of the woman I love. Holy hell, I do love her. I love her so much it feels as if my heart is bleeding out on the inside.
“Lucky.” I pull her in and bear my gaze into hers. “That night in the tree, under the stars, the fireflies, the moon dancing in your eyes—that was magic.”
She takes a deep breath as if bracing herself for the worst. Moisture builds in her eyes, and she blinks it away, losing her gaze to the wall.
“Lucky”—I touch my finger to her chin and bring her eyes right back to mine—“I realized that night the feelings I had for you, they were more than I could have hoped for. Lucky—I’m in love with you.” A dull laugh rumbles from my chest, and her eyes widen as if I just sidelined her. “I love it when you’re near me, and it kills me when we’re apart. It kills me to think you might really think I’m an asshole—that you might really be into Eli Gates.” I blink hard at that one. “Most of all, it kills me to think that maybe you won’t feel the same. And I want you to know that whatever it is you feel for me—love, hate, friendship—I’m willing to accept it. I just want to see you happy. I want to see you around, have you in my life in some capacity.” I swallow hard because it hits me that Lucky has never been this quiet in my presence before. Silence cannot be a good fucking sign.
Her hard glare softens. A tiny smile curves her lips up at the corners, and she breaks out into a bubble brook of laugher.
“What’s so funny?” At this point it doesn’t really matter because she sliced through the tension with a razor wire, and I’m feeling relaxed right down to my bones.
“Lawson.” Her lips quiver as she cups my cheeks with her hands. Her eyes swell with tears, and this time they spill over. “I’m in love with you, too.”
I give a knowing nod into her admission—disappointment swimming rife through my veins. I knew it would have taken a lot. I knew—“What did you say?” I tilt my ear toward her in the event I didn’t hear her right.
“I said I’m inlove, you big goof!” She gives a light slap to my cheek. “That was for dry humping that cheerleader last night. We both know it should have been me.” She slaps the other cheek, markedly harder, but I can’t help but laugh. “And that’s for letting her gnaw on your face like a rat to cheese.”
“I guess that makes me the cheese.” I pull her in tight and land my lips to the top of her head, and I linger there for a moment. I never want to let go.
“Luckyfor you, I happen to like cheese.” She pulls my face toward hers, and our mouths explode over one another. Lucky and I are all tongues and teeth. Our heavy breathing rivaled by our swiveled hands moving over one another’s bodies at the speed of light.
Lucky loves me. I can’t breathe or think or see straight. This girl, right here, is all mine. There’s not an Eli Gates, not a Jet Madden, or any one person in the world who is able to stop us.
We back into the table, and Lucky jumps up and wraps her legs around me, forcing that tight little dress of hers to roll up to her waist. I glance down and catch a glimpse of her black lace panties, and my head tips back as I let out a groan.
“Come here,” she pants. “It’s time for me to meet Prince Albert.” She pulls my mouth over hers, and her hands work my jeans loose.
Shit. I’m hard, and there’s only one sure way out of this. We should go. I should take her out the back and run her all the way to Briggs, to The Row, to my bed where she belongs. I can fill her in on how I abdicated the throne before I was ever crowned. But first, I need one quick bite of those sweet, luscious tits I’ve missed so damn much.
I pull down the top of her dress, and the girls spring out like a couple of happy apples. I bury my face in them, kissing—them in turn, so fucking happy to—
The door bursts open, and the noise from the party spills inside.
“Lucky!” a male voice booms like an engine about to combust, and I don’t need to turn around to confirm it’s my worst nightmare—Jet Madden himself.
“Shit!” Lucky screams so loud, the instruments in the room vibrate like tuning forks. I do my damnedest to stuff myself back into my pants while Lucky backs away from me as if my dick just caught fire. Most likely, Jet is getting the gasoline ready.
