Better to let her keep realizing she liked me as a person rather than just someone who could make her toes curl. It would be too easy when we got back to Shady Valley for her to brushoff an affair like some silly road trip fling. But if I never let it go there, she might need to confront actual feelings instead.
And that was the end goal here.
Not just to fuck her, but for her to see that we could actually work.
Did I make her rub sunblock on my back, though? You’re goddamn right I did. I’m a red-blooded man after all. And a quick dip in the ocean fixed the whole uncomfortable hard-on thing.
“See, now,” she said, clucking her tongue at me as she came out of the Cuban sandwich shop with a bag and two sweating drinks pressed between her chest and arm, “that’s what you get for leaving your shirt back at the house.”
There’d been a ‘No shoes, no shirt, no service’ sign on the door when we’d arrived, making her shoot me a smirk and me resign myself to staying outside while she ordered the food.
We were just gathering up our garbage when I heard a familiar voice break through the crowd.
“Raff! My friend!”
Lula’s brows lifted as she glanced between me and a man she had no idea was a notorious international arms dealer.
“Zayn,” I said, getting to my feet, tossing the trash, then walking into the hug that was offered to me. “I’d say ‘long time, no see,’ but…”
“Did you not leave?”
“I left. I’m back.”
Lula had gotten to her feet and approached, dragging Zayn’s attention from me.
“And who is this magnificent creature?” he asked, taking her hand and fawning all over it.
“This is Lula.”
“Lula. What are you doing with a man like this, hm?”
“A road trip, actually,” Lula said. If I wasn’t mistaken, there was a harder edge to her voice. “We’ve had a lot of fun.”
Was she… trying to defend me to Zayn?
That was unexpectedly sweet. Even if I knew Zayn meant nothing by that.
“I believe it. You’re resplendent.”
Lula shot me a smile. “When you guys go out, is it a competition for who can say the most absurd things to women?”
“Speaking of going out, you have to come to my club.”
“Your club?” Lula asked.
“I opened a new club!” Of course he did. It was a smart business move. I wasn’t sure how he didn’t have more legitimate businesses to hide his weapon empire.
“Of course you did,” I said, finally spotting his private security guy, Daniyal, hanging back under the awning of a smoothie shop, his gaze moving up and down the street.
“You have to come. I have a VIP section just waiting for you.”
I glanced at Lula, a question in my eyes. She gave me a little shrug.
“We’ll drop by then. We have a few things to do today, but once it gets dark, we will come say hi.”
“I’ll put your name on the list. Viper Lounge. Dresses for the ladies. Slacks and button-ups for the men.”
“Got it.” I guess we had another shopping trip ahead of us.
