BELLA
Bella thanked the manager for the disc and crept toward the door. Her plan was to sneak out of the restaurant and walk around the corner to request an Uber. When she stepped outside, the cool night air kissed her face. Bella took a deep breath. But, before she could exhale, she heard…
“Going somewhere?”
She turned to her right to find Lucas leaning against the brick wall. “I don’t wanna be a bother. I can hop in an Uber.”
“It’s no bother at all, Bella. I’d be happy to take you home,” Lucas assured with a sexy smirk. “As a matter of fact, here we are now.”
Just as Bella looked up, a valet pulled a black Land Rover to the curb.
“Shall we?” Lucas offered.
With his hand pressed to her back, he ushered her to the SUV. A surge of heat traveled throughout her entire body. Bella wouldn’t dare try to deny her attraction to Lucas. In fact, she was more than attracted to him. She would even venture to say that she was captivated.
Bella allowed him to help her inside the vehicle. She watched as he walked around the front of the SUV. Lucas walked with a self-assuredness that most didn’t possess. He had more of a strut than a walk. He was extremely handsome. And, judging by the confident way he carried himself, he knew it.
Lucas climbed into the vehicle and looked over at Bella. “Seatbelt,” he ordered with a smile. “It’s the law.”
“I know the law,” Bella muttered as she fastened her seatbelt.
When Lucas turned the ignition, Guns N’ Roses’ “Sweet Child O’ Mine” blared from the speakers. He quickly turned down the volume and apologized. Bella nodded, but she didn’t mind. The song happened to be one of her favorites.
Lucas pulled away from the curb. The traffic was light, so getting home shouldn’t take long.
“Bella, there is something I need to know before I take you home.”
Bella looked out of the window and prepared herself for an inquisition. Surely, there was going to be more questions about why she didn’t want to get involved with him. Shit, at that point, Bella didn’t even know. Could she simply admit that she was afraid?
“What is that you want to know?”
He graced her with a sexy, lopsided grin and responded with, “Your address.”
Bella laughed out loud and rattled off her address. Thankfully, on the way to her house, they enjoyed a light-hearted conversation, which did not include a proposition. Maybe he’d gotten tired of chasing her. Maybe he’d given up. For some reason, Bella was not celebrating the possibility.
After an awkward moment of silence, Lucas pulled over. His eyes were filled with sympathy when he turned to face her.
“What are you doing?” Bella asked him. “What’s wrong?”
“I had a talk with Dean,” Lucas admitted.
“And?”
“And he told me that he was gay.” His tone was low, and his voice was filled with compassion.
Bella couldn’t believe Dean’s nerve. He’d had no right whatsoever to tell Lucas her business. Bella was sick of him and everyone else telling her what they thought she needed.
Bella threw her head back on the headrest and grunted. The last thing that she needed was pity from Lucas. “Drive the car.” Bella’s voice had come out hoarser than she’d expected.
“Bella, listen. I—”
“Lucas, drive the car,” Bella gritted.
Bella knew exactly why Dean was constantly interfering in her life. He needed to quell his guilt for leaving her to be with men. He wanted desperately for Bella to find a man…anydamn man.
Thankfully, Lucas shifted into drive and pulled off. The drive to Bella’s house was painfully silent. When Lucas turned on down her block, she was instantly relieved. She didn’t want to have a conversation. She didn’t feel the need to explain herself.
Lucas parked in the driveway. The burning sensation on the side of her face was an indication that he was looking at her. But Bella ignored his gaze and pretended that undoing her seatbelt was a consuming task.
