Just as I was slowly coming to accept the waking world and the proceedings of the last few hours.
Lucas had ... and then we’d ...
Well.
We’d both fallen asleep, but not for long, it seemed; my muscles still buzzed with a velvety, heavy warmth that pressed me down into the mattress along with Lucas’s weight. He remained nestled against me, one arm curled around my chest and his head tucked against my neck and shoulder.
I’d half-expected to wake and find him gone.Morethan half, really. It seemed impossible that he was still here, in my bed, smelling like California sunshine felt andfeelinglike a late-night wish gone solid.
These were stolen moments. He was asleep—he just hadn’t had a chance to scarper yet. The moment he woke and realized what had happened, the regret would set in. He was a nice bloke, so he’d likely let me down easy, insist we remain friends, conjure up some lie about getting back with his ex—
Dear god, let it be a lie.
I shut my eyes tight and breathed in the warm smell of his hair, which was tickling the edge of my jaw. I tried to keep my body from stiffening, from giving away the game, waking Lucas early so that he’d leave me all the quicker. I could already feel the cold prickling along my arms, the sour knot below my sternum providing more than enough evidence that he should toss me away while he still could, like Ken had, like any rational personwould—
“Shh.”
It took me a moment to realize Lucas had spoken without opening his eyes.
“I—I didn’t mean to wake you—” I began, not at all certain what I was attempting to communicate.
“Shh,” he said again, landing a kiss—eyes still closed, breath still slow—on my collarbone. “Can we stay like this for a little bit?” He yawned, then nuzzled his nose against my chest. “Inevernap during the day, but this is nice.”
“It is nice,” I managed. “We can stay like this for as long as you like.”
“I’m not bothering you?”
I couldn’t help it; I laughed. “No, hush.”
He scooted up, and there was a gentle sensation of warm lips against my neck, and Lucas’s soft murmur. “What about now? Am I bothering younow?”
His breath tickled, and I gave a louder, wheezier laugh. A delighted shiver ran through me as my body realized, once again, that it was both alive and conscious and, as a nice change, held me in contempt for neither. After all, there was Lucas. Still here.
And I was still here. If only for one last day.
And Lucas was speaking. Had already spoken and I’d missed it.
“Wha?” I rumbled—my voice had gone hoarse. “Sorry, was doing a bit of woolgathering.”
He gave a happy little huff and pressed a kiss to my shoulder. “I was just saying that your phone’s gone off twice and I was wondering if it was important maybe?” He levered himself up on one elbow and grinned down at me, strands of golden hair falling across his forehead and over his deep green eyes. “You really can sleep through anything, huh?”
Even after last night, after this morning, this closeness still made my face flare red. Being near him felt like huddling up to a heat source, like watching the stars come out in the country, like the rush of cool water on a sweltering day. My mouth pulled into a helpless smile. “Aye.”
Lucas bit his lip, eyes twinkling at me in amusement, and moved in—at first I thought for a kiss, but then he reached past me to the bedside table and held my phone up in front of my face. “You’re very cute, but I need you to make sure no one’s trying to get hold of you about an emergency, okay?”
I blinked. Was this a good time to explain to him that I was not remotely the type of person anyone sought out during an emergency in which I was not directly involved?
It was Lakshmi. Of course it was Lakshmi. Calling to tell me it was over. That Drake House had officially decided not to renew our contract. I’d been so caught up in the joyful, hedonistic bubble of Lucas that I’d allowed myself to forget that the grim reaper stalked not far behind me. I’d forgotten tomomentomymori.“It’s my agent,” I managed.
I had barely enough brain power to note that Lakshmi was attempting to commence a video call, and that I best keep my end audio only.
“Oi,” I answered guiltily.
“Demetrio, you tosser.” She squinted down at me. “Why’s your camera off?”
“I’m inbed, Lakshmi.” Not a lie. I took a deep breath. “What’s the verdict?”
“You’ve not been online yet, have you?”
