12. Chapter Twelve
Chapter Twelve
PENNY
“ P enny, wake up.” I feel a nudge on my shoulder, and I jolt up in the seat. Blinking heavily, I stretch my arms in front of me. The long drive and stress of the morning had lulled me to sleep.
Glancing around, I see we’re in a dim parking garage. “We’re at your apartment already?” I ask.
Lucas chuckles. “The travel time goes fast when you sleep through most of it.”
I give him a sheepish grin.
“Come on. Let’s get you settled. I have a private elevator that takes us straight to my apartment. No one will know you’re here.”
Lucas was right when he said I can’t hide forever. And I will show my face again. I guess I have to arrange a meeting with Claudia and my mother to work out how I get back out there after the lies that have been said about me. Until then, I want to enjoy whatever time I have left with Lucas before we go back to our normal lives.
There’s so much I need to think about, but for now, all I want to do is take a long, hot shower with Lucas and curl into bed with him. It’s amazing after only spending a few days together he seems to be all I want to think about and spend my time with. It’s funny how quickly I’ve become comfortable with him.
Getting out of the car, we make our way to the elevator. He punches a code into the keypad next to the door. A moment later the doors slide open, and we step inside. As soon as they close, Lucas presses me against the cool mirrored wall, his body melding into mine.
His lips hover above my mouth. “I’ve been wanting to kiss you for hours.”
“Then do it.” I’m not one to argue.
Lucas tunnels his fingers through my hair, pulling me forward. Our lips meet on an urgent kiss, like we haven’t touched each other in days not hours. I wrap my arms around his waist, holding him tight.
How does this feel so right? I’ve never felt so alive in a man’s arms. If I’m not careful, I’ll want this forever. But Lucas isn’t offering forever. He isn’t even offering a relationship, because he doesn’t believe in them.
I can’t imagine Lucas treating a woman he loves the way his father treated his mother. Not when he’s shown me—a woman he originally hated—compassion and care. I think he’d be great relationship material. Not with me though; I’m not ready to jump into another one. I’ll enjoy this moment and every other moment before it comes to an end.
His hand floats down to my chest, and he massages my breast in a slow, circular motion and brushes a thumb over my nipple, pulling out a long sigh from me. Oh, he’s so good with his hands. I’m going to miss this.
All too soon, the elevator dings, announcing our arrival. We pull apart and I adjust my top before the doors slide open.
“We’ll continue this inside,” he says like he can sense my disappointment at having to stop.
Taking my hand, he leads me along a small corridor until we reach two enormous timber double doors. Once again, he enters a code into a nearby keypad and pushes the doors open. We step into a luxurious foyer with white, marbled flooring and a huge chandelier. Photographs of beautiful mountains, forests, and beaches—I’m assuming photographed by Lucas—line the walls. I want to stop and admire his work, but he keeps pulling me along with urgency.
As we enter the living room, we pull up short. Lucas’ family is in the room. Finn and Harper are sitting on a caramel leather couch. Finn is bouncing their daughter Avery on his knee. Hayden and Alyssa are sitting on the floor with their daughters Lily and Sadie. Sadie is lying on a plush blanket while Lily is dangling a soft toy above her head. They all stop what they’re doing when they see us. Huge grins spread across their faces.
“What the hell are you all doing here?” Lucas asks.
“We thought you’d never get here. We’ve been waiting for ages,” Hayden says, not answering the question. He pushes himself off the floor and saunters to us. First he shakes Lucas’ hand, and then he gives me a quick hug. The rest of his family follows.
“What are you doing here?” Lucas asks again. “My code is supposed to be used for emergencies only. You can’t walk in here whenever the hell you want. I need to change the code to my apartment and tell security to ban you all,” he threatens, though his words hold no heat.
“We wanted to see you. Make sure you didn’t need anything,” Hayden says.
“I told you on the phone on the way home that we’re okay. We didn’t need a greeting party.”
“Admit it, you’re happy to see us,” Alyssa says. Sadie has fallen asleep on her shoulder.
Lucas playfully rolls his eyes. “Don’t you have better things to do with your time?” He aims the words at all of them. “Because I know I have,” he mumbles for only me to hear. I bite back a giggle.
“Nope. Being here and finding out what the two of you have been up to these past few days is more interesting.” Alyssa wiggles her eyebrows like she knows there’s saucy information to be shared. Did Lucas tell them anything about us?
Harper takes a seat back on the couch, cradling Avery, who has also nodded off to sleep. Lily, Hayden and Alyssa’s eight-year-old daughter, sidles up to her stepmother. Alyssa is the only mother Lily has ever known. Her own left her with Hayden as a newborn. “Mom, can I go in the theatre room and watch a movie?”
Alyssa brushes her hand over Lily’s hair. “Only if Uncle Lucas says it’s okay.”
“No problem, Lily. The Disney channel is set up.”
Hayden laughs. “You watch the Disney channel?”
Lucas shuffles his feet. “I got it for Lily.”
With a dubious expression, Hayden says, “Right…it’s for Lily.”
Lucas shrugs with a huff. “Fine, I got it for myself. There are some great movies. Have you watched The Lion King ? It’s a tearjerker.”
Everyone bursts out laughing.
Lily bounces on her toes. “Thanks, Uncle Lucas.” Then she runs off.
“That girl has so much energy I can barely keep up,” Alyssa says.
But since Alyssa is a professional dancer and dance teacher, I doubt the truthfulness of that statement. Alyssa is probably fitter than all of us put together and she had a baby five months ago.
“How about you boys organize some food and drinks so we girls can chat,” Harper suggests.
“Food sounds amazing right now. Nursing makes me so hungry,” Alyssa says.
“Sure thing.” Lucas chuckles. “Any suggestions?”
“Anything cheesy and greasy,” Alyssa offers.
“Coming up. What about you, Pixie? Want a cream cheese bagel? I still owe you one.” He winks and walks away. Finn and Hayden follow him.
I can feel Harper and Alyssa’s stare on me. My face heats. Although Lucas’ suggestion of food sounded innocent enough, there was an innuendo that couldn’t be masked.
Turning to face them, I’m met with huge grins. Oh yeah, they’ve picked up on something.
“As much as I want to hear what that’s all about—” Alyssa says then taps her hand on the seat next to her. I sit. “I want to know how you’re doing after, you know…the publicized… incident . We haven’t had a chance to catch up. After the show we couldn’t reach you.”
“Thank you for your messages. Things were so chaotic. I wasn’t in the right headspace to talk and needed time to myself. Then at Oaks Valley cell reception was bad, and I only called Claudia to check on things. I’m sorry I never responded.”
Harper waves a dismissive hand. “Don’t apologize. We understand it was a difficult time. If you don’t want to talk about what happened, you don’t have to.”
“No, I don’t mind.”
From the moment I met Harper and Alyssa while organizing a party for Harper’s family, we immediately clicked. I’ve only known them for a few months, yet it feels like years. Apart from Claudia, I’ve never had other girlfriends to talk to. Trust. Open up with. It’s a great feeling to have so much support and friendship.
I fill them in on how Lucas found me at my lowest, surrounded by paparazzi at the hotel. How instead of going on what would have been my honeymoon with Claudia I couldn’t because more photographers were waiting at the airport. So Lucas took me to his cabin. I tell them about going online and reading what was being said about me. Seeing humiliating photos, and how I let go of pent-up emotions I’d been holding onto. I don’t go into detail about how Lucas brought me from a dark place. Or how he kissed me. Touched me. Those moments are private and will live in my heart forever.
“Thank God Lucas was there to help you,” Harper says.
I’ll always be grateful for everything he’s done—and is still doing—for me.
“Have you spoken to Darren? I can’t believe the rubbish he’s spreading about you having an affair.” Alyssa rolls her eyes, clearly not believing his lies. “He and Karen Featherstone should be ashamed of their disgusting behavior.”
“No. Not since I left the apartment. I never want to speak to him again. How did I not see what a douchebag he was?”
“Love is blind,” Harper offers.
I shake my head. “That would be true if I loved him. If anything, his affair made me open my eyes and face how I really feel about him. I’m ashamed to admit it, but being with Darren was convenient. Comfortable. The video made me mad because he humiliated me. I confused it for being heartbroken. I wasn’t—I’m not. I don’t miss him. I don’t love him.” It only took a couple of days and being with Lucas to realize it.
“I hate the humiliation you went through to get to the place you’re at. No one should be treated that way. I’m glad you didn’t go through with the wedding. It would have been a disaster,” Harper says as she pats Avery’s diaper when she stirs.
Sighing, I slump back into the couch pillows. “Me too.” I hate to think what my life with him would have turned into. I inwardly shudder. “Can we talk about something else? I don’t want to think about Darren anymore.”
“Then how about we talk about the cute nickname and wink Lucas gave you before going into the kitchen,” Alyssa suggests. “Alone in the woods and secluded from everyone, did you and Lucas get up to anything fun and exciting? Tell me you had amazing revenge sex.” Alyssa gives me a playful grin as she rocks Sadie in her arms.
Heat flames my cheeks, and I avert my eyes for a beat.
Alyssa’s grin grows wider. “You did! I knew it. As soon as I saw the two of you together I could see sparks flying. Something about the way you looked at each other. This makes me so happy.”
“Now Lucas is my brother-in-law, so I don’t want to know all the juicy details—”
“I want to hear them and he’s my brother-in-law too,” Alyssa interrupts Harper.
“That’s because you’re sick.” Harper laughs.
Alyssa shrugs, not looking offended at Harper’s comment. “Was it fantastic? Who initiated it? How many times did you do it? Wait…” Alyssa pauses and frowns like a thought just hit her. “Don’t you and Lucas hate each other? I should be asking if you nearly killed each other.”
I could play dumb and avoid the questions. But I don’t want to. If I don’t share something with someone, I’m going to explode, and who better than my friends? “Yes, it was fantastic. I initiated it. Lost count of how many times. We nearly did kill each other. Now there’s no more hate.”
We all burst into giggles.
It feels wonderful to be so free with close friends. Claudia and I have been friends for years, and there’s not much we don’t know about each other, yet when was the last time we had girl talk and giggled like we were teenagers? Lately all we seem to talk about is work.
“I love this so much,” Harper says gleefully. “Lucas needs a woman like you in his life.”
I jerk back. “Arrhh. Don’t get too excited. This isn’t turning into anything.”
“Why not?” Harper raises an eyebrow. “There’s obviously chemistry zapping between the two of you.”
“I can’t deny the chemistry, but that’s all it is.”
Alyssa scratches the side of her face. “Why are you staying in his penthouse if nothing is happening?”
“I needed a place to stay, and he offered his apartment. When I get things sorted, we’ll go our separate ways.”
Harper and Alyssa stare at me with confusion.
“What about the sparks and the zapping?” Alyssa waves her hand around.
“That’s all. It’s just sex.”
Harper looks unconvinced. “If it’s just sex, why has he brought you home with him? He could have dropped you off at your mother’s or Claudia’s if you didn’t want to stay at another hotel after what happened.”
“There’s no security at their homes. Lucas suggested I stay here until I can get Darren out of my apartment and ramp up security in my building,” I explain.
Alyssa narrows her eyes as she stares at me intently. “I sense something else simmering under the surface. Like this is all a plan for Lucas to keep you here because he has feelings developing.”
“I agree,” Harper says. “Lucas never has women stay over. He wouldn’t invite you here unless he cared.”
No, Harper and Alyssa are wrong about him having feelings. “Sure, he cares as a friend. That’s all.”
“What about you? How are you feeling about Lucas?” Alyssa asks.
There’s nothing more than friendship. Right? “Thinking about the past few days, with everything that’s happened and everything he’s done for me, he’s become an important person in my life.”
Then I remember the way he smiles at me. Touches me. My heart pounds against my ribs.
Or am I falling for him?