“Good. Everything’s going good,” Olly says, looking anywhere but at me.
Out of the corner of my eye, something shifts—a dark blur in the doorway.
I turn my head just in time to see him.
Beckett, in his standard “I own nothing but black” uniform, slips into the kitchen like he belongs in every room he walks into. Close behind him is Lucas, bright where Beckett is shadowed, talking too easily, standing too close.
And there it is. The reminder.
My jaw tightens before I can stop it.
Lucas leans in to say something, and Beckett’s mouth curves. That little half smile I’ve been chasing for weeks. The one I earned once, with my hands in his hair and his nails in my shoulders. Now he’s smiling it in a kitchen I’m not standing in, with someone who gets to see him at home every day.
I watch Beckett gesture animatedly, hands moving as he talks recipes, plans, ideas. Lucas is soaking it in, nodding, bumpingshoulders with him like they’ve done this a thousand times. It’s friendly. It’s harmless.
It still hits like a punch.
“Ahh, so how about you? Everything going all right?”
I turn back to Olly. “Yep, never better.”
“Uh-huh, you look a little tense. Are you sure?” he asks, and I swear he jumps when he does.
Pft… A little tense.
“You know what? No, everything isnotfine.” Olly’s eyes go wide, and he takes a step back. “Who does this little twerp think he is?”
“I’m assuming you’re talking about Beckett’s friend from LA?” he asks hesitantly.
“Friend from LA,” I huff with a humorless chuckle.
“He seems nice,” Olly offers.
“What do we even know about him? He shows up here from LA, moves in with Beckett, and now he’s here, cooking at the family dinner. He could poison us for all we know.” My skin is crawling with irritation, and I hate it.
A bolt of jealousy ricocheted through me the other night when Beckett mentioned Lucas moving here. So when I see Lucas here, it flares again.
“Okaaay,well, I don’t think he’s actually moving in with Beckett. He told me Lucas is looking for his own place, and that he’s just staying with him while he’s in town deciding.”
“Oh, did he really, now?” That little… He failed to mention that.
“Umm, yes…”
“Interesting. Thanks for the heads-up. If you’ll excuse me,” I say before turning and making my way over to Beckett, who is setting down a tray of finger foods.
Beckett smirks when he sees me coming, so when I reach him,I lean in real nice and close, whispering, “As soon as the presents are opened, and the cake is cut, you’re going to find any excuse to leave. Then you’re going to go over to my place, go upstairs to my bedroom, and take off everything but those tiny black briefs.”
He sucks in a sharp breath. “How did you know?”
“You think I wouldn’t be checking out that pretty ass every time you bent over tonight? It was almost like you were putting on a show for me.”
I can feel the gaze of a thousand eyes on us, and I pay no attention. “Plus, it seems you left out a small detail when telling me Lucas was moving here.”
“Wha… What’s that?” Beckett swallows thickly, and I can’t help but chuckle.
“Where is Lucas living when he moves here, little mouse?”
“He’s looking at buying a place.”
