“The last few rounds are about to start.” I can hear the smile in his voice.
“Got it. Thanks. Appreciate it.” Luke’s lips split into a devious smile.
God, he’s sexy.
Luke brushes my cheek with the tips of his fingers, tucking my hair behind my ear. Then drops a quick kiss on the tip of my nose. Fixing my dress, he steps away from me, adjusting himself too.
“Wait a few moments before you come out.”
“So bossy.” I cross my arms and look up at him.
“You like it.”
“I might.” I shrug and tilt my head.
Luke shakes his head and then gives me one more look, eyes roaming my face, my body.
“One of these days…” His eyes meet mine, a promise on lips.
I meet him with a small smile and a nod.It better be, because our days are running out.
He groans again, scrubbing his hands down his face with another sigh, and retreats toward the crowd.
I stand there abandoned in the dark corner of the hallway, running my fingers along my kiss-swollen lips.Another moment passes, and my heart rate slowly returns to normal.
It’s just a quick fling.
And while I know that’s all this is—all it can be—there’s a small spark of fear that I might completely lose myself to Luke Huffman if I’m not careful.
Thirty-Three
HE’S GOT THE SHITS, OKAY?
Luke
“So, you finally went for it, huh?” Josh shoves his hands into his pockets as we make our way down the street toward my truck.
I nod. No point in trying to deny it. My mind falls back on the woman I left behind at The Tavern, who was having too much fun with the girls by the time trivia ended to call it a night. I didn’t want to leave her behind. I wanted to bring her home and finish what we started, but sticking around to stare at her during what morphed into a lively girls' night was a level of desperation I wasn’t willing to stoop to.
“Look, I’m glad you’re letting loose, looking past those stupid rules of yours. But at The Tavern? On trivia night, when the whole town is in attendance? Come on, man. You’re the one who wants to keep things a secret. Help yourself out here.”
“I know. I know, I—” How do I explain that I completely lost control in there? That I don’t know how far I’d have taken things if he hadn’t shown up?
My hand reaches up and rubs the back of my neck. “She just?—”
“Oh my gosh,Luke!”a voice squeals from up ahead. Thesound of heels click-clacks against the sidewalk. Chloe and her friend come trotting up from the direction of The Bicycle Spoke.Fuck Me.
“Is it too late to run?” Josh whispers from the side of his mouth. “Why isn’t she slowing down?” he asks, slightly panicked.
Before I can even speculate, Chloe comes barreling forward, leaving her friend in the dust. She leaps at me, catching me off guard.
“I can’t believe you’re actually out!” she screeches. Her arms wrap around my neck, clinging to me like a spider monkey.
What the actual fuck? Josh’s face conveys the same thing I’m thinking as her friend finally wanders up giggling and smiling.
“Hey, Josh,” she says softly, batting her glassy eyes and swaying.
I pry a very drunk Chloe off of me, setting her down on the ground. Her too-sweet perfume is overwhelming, and mixed with the copious amounts of tequila on her breath, it all just makes my head hurt.
