After I moved in with the Youngs, I’d lost so much weight that Ma spent months making cakes just so I could gain a few pounds. Stress made food the least of my concerns. Always had been that way, so my weight fluctuated a lot. I’d been under a tremendous amount of stress over the past year. Mostly, because I was unhappy. With my life, with my location, with mynon-relationships. “I’m doing better,” I said.
He searched my eyes the way he always did. Like he was seeing every part of me. It felt safe, but also strangely arousing. “Sure?”
Do I need to have no-strings-attached sex? Maybe Dallas was right. I let out a shaky breath and prayed my reaction to Duke was just a symptom of the underlying issue.I’m just horny. “Yeah.” I twisted my napkin around my finger. “I’m going back and forth on whether to sell my place.”
Leaning forward, he asked, “What if you let me buy it?”
“You want to move to California?” For some reason, the thought of him moving to LA while I moved to Atlanta didn’t sit right. I’d chosen Georgia because I had family there. He was a huge part of my decision because I knew I’d have some support. “I—”
“No. I’m not moving here. I just think it’s good business to have a place to land in Cali because I’m here a lot.”
I set my fork down. “I can understand that.”
He frowned. “You alright?”
Nodding, I told him I was fine. “I wasn’t sure what your answer would be.”
“You’d be upset if I moved here?”
I thought about lying, because it made absolutely no sense to be angry about him living his life. But he’d see right through it. “Maybe a tiny bitdisappointed. I wouldn’t begrudge you, though.”
He flashed a sexy-as-fuck smile. Wait…Sexy? What the hell was wrong with me? His lips had been the same since I’d met him. Just regular, notsexy. I zeroed in on his mouth again, then chided myself for thinking outside of the set parameters of our relationship.
“Demi,” he called, pulling me out of my thoughts. “What’s up?”
“Nothing.” I bit into one of the house-made pickles. “Yum.” I took a sip of my lemonade. “I love it here.”
He raised a questioning brow. “Really?”
The warm, low timbre of his voice made my stomach do an odd flip.Note to self. Get. Some.But not with Duke. I pointed at him. “Stop.”
“Stop what?” He folded his arms over his massive chest, and my eyes were laser-focused on the way his shirt fit just right, accentuating his ripped body.
What the fuck? We’d argued about him not closing the toilet. We’d fought over the last bowl of cereal. I was technically his sister. “Nothing.” I gulped down the rest of my lemonade and asked the passing waiter for a refill.I need to go to sleep and start over tomorrow.
“Anyway,” he said, “What do you think?”
I blinked. “About…?”
“Buying your condo?”
“Oh.”
“Or you could let me buy half and we share the expenses?” He stared at me with those light eyes. The same ones that hadneverignited a fire deep in my belly—until now. “Since you’ll still represent clients in the area.”
I’m losing my damn mind. Panic rose inside of me as I fanned myself with the menu. Luckily, the waiter arrived, dropping off a fresh drink just in time. “It’s hot in here,” I croaked.
“Okay,” he grumbled. “Whatever, Demi. If you don’t like the idea, just say it.”
Again, the voice. It was like a warm embrace.Oh God. I sighed. “Why are you doing this?”
He eyed me warily. “What am I doing? You’re trippin’ the fuck out for some mysterious reason.”
I motioned toward is face. “You’re flirting with me,” I blurted out.
Duke leaned back in his seat, a soft smile forming on his beautiful lips.Why am I looking at his mouth again? “I’m not flirting with you.”
I snorted. “You definitely are.”
