“Please don’t leave me, Mia,” he whispered, and it broke my resolve.
“You need to sleep this off,” I told him gently.
“I will if you stay.” Even drunk, Luc was trying to barter his way into getting what he wanted. Was there ever a time that he didn’t think of getting the upper hand in a deal?
“Okay, but you need to let me get up.”
Letting go of my hand, I got up to my feet, and I placed everything on his nightstand.
“I’ll stay over there,” I told him, gesturing at a chair in his room, but Luc got up on his feet.
“No! No. Stay with me, Mia. Please… I need you.”
Luc cupped my face in both of his hands. He had a surprisingly gentle touch considering how intoxicated he was. There was a strong smell of whiskey, but the underlying scent of mint and pinewood lingered on his skin.
I swallowed hard and felt my heart thumping in my chest, blood thundering in my ears as against my better judgement I agreed, “Okay.”
He moved aside and gestured to the bed. I paused for a moment before climbing into it, and then Luc got in beside me. His head rested on the pillow as he looked up at me, his usual styled hair messy and all over the place. Before I could stop myself, I reached out and brushed some strands away from his forehead. Catching my hand, he kissed my fingertips. The action caught me off guard and I pulled my hand away, skin tingling, before scooting farther away from him. This was business to him. I needed to be here so Dad would pay him back on time.
There would be no more episodes of clouded judgement. No more chances for me to be proven a fool.
“What happened, Luc?” I asked him. I was curious to know why he got into a fight, and wanted to move the conversation away from any dangerous topics.
“I needed to feel something,” he answered.
“What? Pain?”
Luc let out a bark of laughter that was so harsh that it made me jump. Something clouded over in his eyes as he said, “Yeah, I guess so.”
Reaching out again, I ran a hand through his dark brown hair. The remnants of product and sweat had left it with a tacky feel. Luc closed his eyes and let out a shuddering breath. “Mia, why do you keep doing this to me?” He opened his eyes again and looked up at me.
“I’m not doing anything,” I told him as my stomach flooded with adrenaline. What did I keep doing?
I wasn’t sure I’d given the answer he wanted as he closed his eyes again. I slipped farther down the bed and towards the edge before curling up, watching him. I’d wait for Luc to fall asleep before I slipped back into my room.
∞∞∞
The sharp, bright summer sunlight made me stir as it hit my face and I felt something solid against me. My eyes snapped open to see the familiar tattoos that decorated Luc’s arm around my waist and I instantly panicked. Last night I had watched Luc as he lay there, his breathing slowly becoming even, and now I remembered just how comfortable I’d felt nestled between the covers. My body had been seduced by the coziness of the bed and betrayed me by falling asleep. I made an attempt to wiggle out from Luc’s grasp, but his arm pulled me tighter against him, fitting against the curve of his body, and he mumbled something against my shoulder.
“Lucas, let go,” I told him firmly. With some effort, I managed to pull myself free as he rolled over onto his back and groaned. From the corner of my eye I saw him stretch out, covers falling to reveal his toned body, before he opened his eyes.
Tripping over my own feet in my haste to get out of his bed, I managed to catch myself before I hit the floor. Luc propped himself up on his elbows and watched me intently, traces of amusement at the corners of his mouth. He looked tired and the bruises on his face were darker than a few hours ago.
“I shouldn’t even be here,” I mumbled to myself, frustrated that I fell asleep when I had meant to return to my room. This had not helped to define lines between us again.
“Mia, I think we need to talk,” Luc said calmly.
I didn’t give him the chance to continue before I bolted out the door. I didn’t want to talk to Luc. There was nothing to discuss. What I needed was to make sure I stayed as far away from him as possible.
Chapter Eleven
Lucas
By the time I got home it was late in the afternoon. I had to retrieve my car from the bar, and I stopped in to check on Dante as way of an apology. He’d filled in the blanks from the evening’s events. Every now and then things found a way to bubble over and I turned to the bottle to help ease the pain. There were occasions, though not very often, that I forgot my limits, and unfortunately last night had been one of them.
I’d left work to Dante in order to get home early and talk to Mia. She had run from the room this morning and the hangover had stopped me from chasing after her. At the rate I was going, I knew I’d be lucky if she gave me the time of day even if I caught her. I couldn’t stop thinking about her and the way she felt in my arms this morning, fitting perfectly against my body where she belonged.
