Cupid Loves Curves (Curvy Collections #11)

Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

JESSICA

H ello?” I groan, not even looking at my phone when I answer it. All I want is to go back to the sex dream where Luke had my arms pinned above my head and was kissing me so slowly that I was squirming for more.

“Jessica! I’m downstairs. Where are you?”

I sit up in bed, realizing I won’t be going back to my dreams anytime soon. “Ugh. Sorry. Overslept. Come up, and I’ll get ready. I’ll unlock the door.”

I run my fingers over my lips, remembering the tickle of Luke’s stubble and how his firm lips pressed against mine last night. My gaze moves to my night table, wishing I had time for my battery-operated boyfriend, but I know Ruby won’t be put off. Her jaw will hit the floor when she finds out I was matched with Luke.

Damn. I snuggle in bed for one last second, remembering Luke’s hands on my hips as I played pinball. And that kiss… I’ll forever curse whoever called him and cut our night short. Even if we didn’t have a future together, I was all in for having one more night together. It stung that he left after the phone call he got, but I reminded myself I don’t have a claim on him.

I barely manage to wash my face and put on leggings and an oversized sweater before Ruby knocks on my door.

Please let her have coffee…

Ruby’s green eyes are bright when I open my door, and she waggles her eyebrows at me. “I’ll trade coffee for all the deets!” She laughs, holding up coffee and a paper bag from the café on the corner.

“I’ll do anything for coffee right now,” I say, gratefully taking the cup she offers me. My stomach growls when I smell breakfast sandwiches. “Come in.”

Ruby walks straight to my living room and settles on the couch. She rips open the bag and sets out napkins before taking out the breakfast sandwiches.

“You are an angel,” I say, grabbing one and taking a big bite.

“Soooo. Spill!. How was the date?” she asks, anticipation written over her face.

I pause because I know what will happen when I tell her. “It was... wow. You won’t believe who it was!”

“It was someone you know?” Ruby’s voice is surprised.

“Now, don’t get all excited, but…it was Luke.”

Ruby freezes and looks at me, her eyes wide as saucers. “Luke Foster? How in the world…”

“I know, right? Apparently, one of his friends up on King Mountain signed him up. I can’t believe he even showed up for a blind date.”

“So, how was it? Was it weird? Amazing? Did you get laid?”

I laugh and raise my hands. “Slow down. It was kind of weird at the beginning, but then…it wasn’t. It’s probably cliché to say it, but it felt different.”

She tilts her head, giving me a knowing look. “Different good or different ‘I’m projecting what I wished happened the first time and am trying to convince myself Luke Foster could actually commit to me’ good?”

“Different good,” I say quickly. “But maybe both? I don’t know,” I say honestly. I put down the breakfast sandwich and take a long drink of coffee, relishing the caffeine as it hits my bloodstream. “It was unexpected.”

Ruby watches me closely, and her red hair bounces as she shakes her head. “Girl, you’ve got it bad. I thought you were over him?”

I sigh. “I thought so, too, Ruby. I did. But then he walked up to me on the street, and it was a bunch of ‘what are you doing here?’ and ‘you wouldn’t believe me if I told you,’ and then we did the date. I thought it was a ‘let’s do this thing since we’re here,’ but it turned into a capital D date.”

“Hmm,” Ruby says. I can tell she wants to say more but is holding off. “So what’s next? Are you two gonna see each other again?”

“I hope so.” I fidget with the hem of my sweater as I imagine Luke’s calloused hands lightly gripping my hips. “He said he’d call. And the way he kissed me…” I trail off, biting my lip as the memory sends shivers down my spine.

“Kissed you?” she presses, eyes alight. “Do tell.”

“We were flirting half the night, and then we ended up at Flashback Games, and things escalated. It was like it was before. I know nothing can come of it, but it was like being in a bubble with someone perfect.” I sigh, unsure of whether to feel happy or frustrated.

“Jessica Pierce, you’re blushing!” Ruby teases, wiping her mouth with a napkin. “But, hey, I get it. I know how much you cared about him. Did he say what happened? Apologize for hurting you?”

“No. It was…surreal, I guess. But it all felt real. Like, really real. I don’t think he could have faked all that.”

“What’s there to fake? You’re a hot babe. You both have history. Maybe he finally realized that he lost an incredible woman.”

I half-snort. “Maybe. Doesn’t change what happened, and it’s not like it could go back to the way it was. Besides,” I sigh, “my brother would probably kill Luke and me if he knew what happened.”

“Maybe your brother should allow you to make your own decisions about who you give your heart to,” Ruby says, a hard tone in her voice.

Ruby doesn’t have a brother, so she doesn’t understand that it’s not that Jake wants to control me but that he’s the standard over-protective brother. After we lost Dad, he became very protective of me.

“Oh, he’s just protective of me. It’s not like he tries to control me. He wants what’s best for me. I know he was furious with Luke about how he ended things.”

“I suppose,” Ruby concedes, though I can see she’s doubtful. “But what about you? Do you even want to try again with Luke? Or do you just one last roll in the hay with him?”

I can’t help blushing, and that sets Ruby laughing. “Maybe?” I admit. “But I’m trying not to get ahead of myself. It’s just...” I pause, swallowing the sudden lump in my throat. “What if this is real? I don’t know if I’m projecting, but it was amazing to see him and be with him last night.”

“Then you grab it with both hands and don’t let go.” Ruby’s voice softens, her playful demeanor giving way to sincerity. “You deserve this, Jessica. You deserve someone who makes your heart race and your knees weak. But you damn well make sure he treats you properly this time. You deserve to be worshipped, not discarded without an explanation.”

I sigh, my smile fading as my heart fills with conflicting emotions. “Ruby, he’s ghosted me before. After everything seemed perfect. How do I know he won’t just disappear again?”

“Jessica, look at me.” She grips my shoulders, her touch steady and sure. “Luke would be a fool to let you slip away a second time.”

“Maybe.” I chew on my lower lip, the uncertainty gnawing at my insides. “But—”

“No buts.” She wags a finger. “If you want him, and it’s plain as day that you do, open your heart and give it a second chance. Otherwise, you’ll always wonder what if.”

Maybe this time could be different.

“Okay, so it’s your turn to spill. You’ve seen me through every disastrous date—what’s your secret to staying optimistic?” I ask Ruby as I walk to the kitchen to make more coffee. One cup was absolutely not enough.

“Optimistic? I’m just realistic. There’s a difference. I’m determined to find that mind-blowing connection—you know, the kind that knocks you right off your feet.”

“Passionate, huh?” I tease, watching as she playfully twirls a curl of red hair around her finger. “I can see that. But what about commitment? Do you ever think you use your humor as a shield? That maybe you’re scared to get too close to someone?”

“Scared? No,” she replies. “I think I understand what you’re trying to ask. Commitment isn’t a trap, Jessica,” she replies, her tone softening as she reads the concern etched on my face. “You put yourself out there, and sometimes you get hurt. But when it’s right, it’s worth it.”

“Maybe,” I concede, chewing on my lip. “But with Luke... it feels like playing with fire.”

“Then turn up the heat,” Ruby declares, her laughter filling the room. “Make him realize you’re the flame he can’t live without. Seriously though,” she continues, “I’m a firm believer in love at first sight. Or at least lust by the first fuck.”

I nearly choke on my fresh coffee, coughing as I set my mug on a stack of old magazines. “Ruby!” My voice lifts an octave, incredulous yet amused. “You can’t be serious.”

“I’m absolutely serious! Come on, Jessica. Tell me you’ve never felt that zing—the kind that makes you want to rip someone’s clothes off with your teeth?”

Luke. Only with Luke. Laughter bubbles out of me, and the tension eases from my shoulders like steam. “A ‘zing’?” I mimic, raising an eyebrow. “Is that the technical term?”

“Absolutely,” she fires back, wiping her mouth with a napkin. “And don’t pretend you haven’t felt it with Luke. That man has ‘zing’ written all over him.”

Ruby grins, leaning forward to tap her mug against mine in a mock toast. “To finding love—or at least a good ‘zing’—in the most unexpected places.”

“To love and zing,” I echo, clinking my mug with hers, my heart filled with uncertainty. “But this is different. This is Luke. It feels like the stakes are higher.”

“That’s because they are , babe,” Ruby says, her gaze softening. “Look, I know you’re scared, but isn’t it worth the risk?” Her voice has a gentle challenge, pushing me to be honest with myself.

I pause, closing my eyes as I imagine Luke’s strong hands on my hips and the way he looked at me like I was a goddess. Being with him was intoxicating in the best way.

“Maybe it is.”