The sun submerged me in a warm golden light. A slight groan resonated from under me, and I tightened my arms around the hard, fleshy feel of my body pillow. Two sturdy hands gripped my shoulders and pushed me upward. My eyes shot open, and I stared down at Luca, who was not my body pillow. His black hair poked up in every direction, probably from the number of times I ran my hands through it last night as he fucked me senseless.
The hard glare in his baby-blue eyes told me we were about to repeat the morning from eight years ago. He pushed my shoulders again, this time with more force, and I fell on my ass beside him on the cool wooden floor beside Faith and Asher’s black polyester sectional. A disappointed sigh escaped my swollen lips as I pulled my gray-cotton dress over my head.
Luca had his jeans yanked up and shirt haphazardly buttoned in seconds as he bolted out of the house. Burning rage coursed through my veins like a fatal toxin and demanded justice. It was like a volcano erupting; fury emanated from me in vicious waves. The anger and humiliation from him doing this a second time consumed me.
The shock wore off, and I took off after him like a woman scorned, only that wasn’t a metaphor. He had scorned me for the last time.
“Luca-fucking-Reed! Get your ass back here and talk to me!” I planted my bare feet on the bitter-cold gravel driveway.
His grip on his car door tightened as he twisted his head around to meet what I’d hoped was a death glare. His Adam’s apple bobbed.
“Stop being a coward and talk to me.”
A mid-winter breeze whooshed over me. My nipples hardened against the cotton dress, and I watched his eyes shift down to stare at my breasts. It brought the memories of last night back. The way he teased, sucked, and nipped them. He knew my body, and I knew his. But our bodies were the only thing we knew of each other, and that didn’t satisfy me.
His weary eyes met mine. “About what, Magnolia? It was a mistake. There’s nothing to talk about.”
“A mistake? Luca, people don’t make the same mistake twice.” I threw my hands up, enforcing my statement.
He raked a hand through his hair. “Shit. I can’t be what you need me to be, alright?”
My lips pursed. “Who said I needed you to be anything?”
His stare softened. “You’re a hell of a woman. You don’t need someone like me.”
My brows furrowed. “Someone like you?”
He didn’t answer as he slid into the driver’s seat and shut the door.
I ran toward him, ignoring the small rocks slicing the soft bottoms of my feet and slammed my hand against the window to steady myself. “You know what? You’re right. I don’t need someone like you. I need someone who will actually stay in the morning.” The words fell off my lips like venom as I pushed off the car.
I took pride as he flinched at my words. He took one last long look at me before he threw the car in reverse and drove off.Good riddance.
One Year Later
Athick silence settled over us. His unsettled green eyes shifted around the gaudy yellow hall of my apartment building. Violet Ridge had a knack for the old decor when it came to their apartments. I shifted from one foot to the other as I stared at Declan’s perfect platinum-blonde hair. From the previous two dates to this one, not one strand of hair dared to stray. His clothes were never wrinkled, and he carried himself with poise. He was an attractive man, perfect even, but too cookie-cutter for my taste.
Once his eyes finally met mine, he shot me a nervous grin. “And there’s one more thing.” His voice wavered.
I held my breath as he leaned down and tentatively pressed his soft lips to mine. I willed myself to indulge in him, but he was too stiff. There was no passion behind the kiss. We had no chemistry, and I didn’t see a reason to force it.
He took a step back. I turned my back on him and shoved the key into the lock before I twisted it. I opened the door and turned back to him. He had a satisfied smirk on his lips as he looked past me into my apartment.
A shiver of disgust ran through me, leaving a bitter taste in my mouth. I loved sex as much as the next person, but there had to be some sort of attraction for it to interest me. He may be attractive, but I wasn’t attracted to him—no matter how much I’d tried to be.
“I had a great time, Declan. Thank you for dinner.” I kept myself firmly planted in my doorframe.
His smirk dropped, and a flush crept up his neck. “Of course. I always enjoy the time I get to spend with you, flower.”
I winced at the nickname. I loathed it. Yeah, I got it. My name was Magnolia, but I was the furthest thing from a delicate flower. Anyone who knew me, knew that. My name was a source of bullying in high school. I’d always been sex-positive, even back then. I’d lost my virginity to some popular boy sophomore year in the back of his pick-up at a lake party. He bragged to everyone, and I earned the nickname Deflowered Magnolia.
Flower didn’t exactly sit well with me.
“Thank you for dropping me off,” I bit out.
“It’s been a wonderful third date. I wish it didn’t have to end.”
“Well, maybe next time it won’t end here.” I gave a tight-lipped smile.
