“Thanks again.”
Desiree left, and I made a mental note to add her to the calendar for next week.
“You sure you’re good, Lyds?” Luke asked.
“Yes. I’m fine,” she huffed.
“Alright. Then I’m going to get going. Letty’s been feeling weird lately, and I want to get home to her.”
I reluctantly pulled myself away from Lydia to follow Luke out. Things between us had been good for the past few weeks, but we still weren’t back to normal, highlighted by the fact that I didn’t know that he was concerned about Scarlett’s pregnancy.
We stopped on the sidewalk next to his police cruiser.
“You just getting off shift?” I asked.
“Yeah. I was on my way back to the station to clock out when Lydia called.”
“Thanks, man. I know she’s your sister, and it has nothing to do with me, but… fuck, if something happened to her…” I ran my hand through my hair, the weight of the events catching up to me.
“I know. When Scarlett was at Daisy’s flower shop that night, I was going out of mind,” Luke said. Scarlett had been held hostage by a corrupt police captain and his murderous nephew last year. Luke hadn’t let Scarlett out of his sight for weeks after that. He got it.
“She called me, twice, while I was in the meeting. I felt my phone going off, but I didn’t even check to see who it was. I can’t believe I just let her go to voicemail while she had to deal with that fucker by herself.”
“Don’t beat yourself up, Seb. That girl is head over heels for you. She isn’t going to blame you for not being able to pick up her call.”
I huffed out a laugh. “I don’t know about that.”
“I do. I know what love looks like, man. You were the only person in that room that she wanted to comfort her. You were the one she turned to first, even though her brother is a literal police officer. All she wanted was you. You must be doing something right.” He smiled.
I gripped the back of my neck, my shoulders still tense with adrenaline. “I’m so fucking in love with her, man.”
“Welcome to the club,” Luke laughed. “It’s a new adventure every day, but it’s the best damn thing in the world.”
I said my goodbyes to Luke, Wyatt and Reid leaving a few minutes later.
Finally, Lydia and I were alone.
I pulled her me to again, needing to feel her skin against mine. She lifted to her toes, her mouth finding mine in a searing kiss.
“I’m sorry, Lydia. I should have answered your calls. You shouldn’t have had to deal with that yourself. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Honestly? I’m a little shaken. I didn’t like seeing him here, in my space, infiltrating my safety.”
“Me either, baby. He’s gone now. He isn’t going to be coming back.”
I pushed her hair back from her face before I fused my lips to hers, dominant and frantic. Our tongues tangled together like we were fighting the battle of our lives.
Something could have happened to her today, and that thought alone sent ice through my veins. Lydia’s demanding lips, her soft whimpers that I caught in my mouth, her hands snaking up the back of my shirt, turned that ice to a burning inferno, flowing through my blood until every part of me was tingling with need.
I grabbed the back of her thighs, lifting her into my arms without breaking the kiss. Lydia rocked her hips into me, and I groaned into her mouth. With one hand around my neck, her other hand pulled at the waist of my jeans, undoing the button.
“Lock the door.” Her words were swallowed by my mouth.
She didn’t need to tell me twice. I tossed her lightly on the couch. “Naked. Now,” I grunted, moving to lock the door and shut off the lights. It was still plenty light outside, but fuck it.
Lydia slowly pushed her shorts down her legs, baring herself to me. Christ, this woman was my undoing, but I would happily let her rip my heart out of my chest to hold in her hands. It was hers, anyway. It always had been.
30
