Chapter Nine
Rainey
On the drive to Kaylee’s, my mind spins, trying to figure out who could have thrown the brick. Who sent the postcard? Who wants me to go away so badly?
“Are you okay?” Lucas asks, glancing at me before returning his gaze to the road.
I shrug. “Shaken up. I have no idea who would throw a brick through the window just to send me a message.”
He reaches over and threads our fingers together.
“We’ll find out.” He squeezes in reassurance, and it works.
Instead of thinking about the incident tonight, my mind drifts back to the moment right before.
Lucas and I kissed and the feeling was magical.
His lips were softer than I imagined and his taste was delicious.
There are no words to describe the sweep of his mouth on mine, his tongue plundering inside.
Just us making that first connection I’ve been craving arouses my body and has my mind whirling.
My free hand drifts to my lips, and I feel the heat of his gaze for a brief second before he rubs his thumb back and forth over the top of my hand. “We have time to sort that out,” he says, reading my mind.
“I know. But it’s like we let the genie out of the bottle, and I don’t know what happens next.” And I’m not good with things being up in the air.
“We have time,” he assures me.
It’s not an answer, nor does it tell me how he feels.
But he’s right. With everything going on in my life, I have more important things to think about.
Because whoever threw that brick is escalating from sending a harmless postcard.
If anyone had been standing by the window, they could have been hurt.
He pulls the SUV up to Kaylee’s apartment and parks out front, then turns to me. “You have my number, so if you need anything, call me.”
I manage a smile. “I will.”
His gaze holds mine. “I mean it, Rainey. Any time.”
I nod, grateful for him. Between his gruff tone and the reassurance that he’ll be there for me, I feel warm and cared for in ways I’ve never experienced before from a man I’m interested in. It’s not like when my dad or my brothers want to protect me. This feels more… personal. And I like it.
“Thank you. I’m glad you were there when it happened.” I could have handled things myself, but having someone there when I felt so vulnerable helped. He helped.
“I’m glad too.” He lifts the hand he’s holding and brings it to his lips, pressing a kiss to my skin.
I lean toward him, across the center console, and before I realize my intent, his mouth touches mine and the kiss we’d begun earlier picks up where we left off.
His tongue sweeps across my parted lips and delves inside.
Sparks light up inside me and my body reacts, my nipples growing hard and my sex clenching with need.
But I’m aware we’re inside an SUV and nothing more than this can happen.
Still, I’m disappointed when he pulls back. “I should walk you up,” he says, and I’ve already learned better than to argue.
“Okay.” I rub my damp lower lip with my finger, and he lets out a groan before turning away to open the door.
At least I’m not the only one left frustrated and wanting, I think, as he comes up to my side of the vehicle and helps me exit.
Together, we walk up the path to the main entrance of the building where Kaylee is waiting, her eyebrows raised. “I was so worried!” She pulls me into a hug and whispers in my ear. “You’d better believe we’re going to talk about that kiss.”
I’m not sure how she saw from here, but I’ll ask her later, I think, as I step out of her arms.
“Come on. I’ll walk you ladies to the apartment,” Lucas says, pointing to the elevator not far away.
Kaylee nods at her doorman and smiles.
Once we’re in front of her door, I turn to Lucas. “Thanks again for everything.”
He nods. “Don’t forget what I said. Any time.”
I know what he’s referring to and smile in return.
“Be safe, both of you. Now go inside and lock the door.” He gestures to the apartment with one hand.
We do as he instructs, and once in the apartment, Kaylee turns the lock, then the deadbolt. “So,” she says, as she turns and leans against the door. “Talk to me.”
“I told you everything that happened at the office already.” Am I playing dumb? Yes. But procrastinating seems best, though I know Kaylee will get right to the point anyway.
“But I don’t know about you and Lucas. Last I heard, you were mortified and going to act like offering yourself to him never happened.
” She raises an eyebrow. “But tonight, I go downstairs to wait for you, I see the Mercedes pull up and recognize Lucas’s profile, so I start down the walkway to meet you.
Except when I look in the window again, you two are making out like teenagers, so I went back inside to wait. ”
I frown at her phrasing. “I never said I offered myself up to him,” I mutter.
“You offered your mouth. Potato, potahto.”
Unable to hold back, I let out a much-needed laugh. “Fine. We kissed. Twice. Now, can I please get something to eat, because I didn’t have dinner and I’m starving.”
“Luckily for you, I have leftovers from the restaurant tonight. Chicken parm and spaghetti. I am so relieved I have my appetite back and can eat whatever I want again.” Though her eyes had opened wide when I said I’d kissed Lucas twice, she’s obviously taking pity on my empty stomach.
I reheat the food in the microwave and sit down to eat, grateful for the delicious meal.
“Now, spill,” Kaylee says in her most demanding tone.
“I really don’t know how to explain it. We were working and getting along really well, sharing ideas. I confided in him about what happened with Gregory Atwater, and of course I was upset. He said something to make me laugh… and the next thing I know—”
“You locked lips. Yep, got it. I don’t need a description.”
Shaking my head at her, I grin. “That’s about it.”
“Well, I’m happy for you,” she says, and I know, without a doubt, she means it. She’s always in my corner and I’m in hers.
I hold up one hand. “Not so fast. We kissed and then the brick came flying through the window. We’ve had no time to talk about what it meant, if anything.” Though my heart squeezes at the thought of me being just a blip on the man’s list of willing women.
Kaylee purses her lips and thinks before speaking. “He kissed you a second time, so I hardly think it meant nothing to him.”
“True. But I still think there are obstacles. Big obstacles like my brother. My father. Me not acting professionally if things go further.”
Leaning back in her seat, Kaylee shakes her head. “Brother’s best friend. Brother’s business partner. Forbidden romance,” she says.
“What are you talking about?”
“Romance novel tropes. I just listed three of them. They’re the things that keep the hero and heroine apart,” she explains.
“I forgot. You’re my true crime watching, romance reading friend.”
She smiles, proud of her hobbies. “Correct. So, with all my knowledge, here’s what I suggest.”
Having finished my meal, I push the plate aside. I’ll clean before bed because I’m a grateful and neat houseguest. “I’m listening.”
“Sleep with him.”
“What?” I’m sure I heard her wrong.
She props her chin in her hands. “I said, sleep with him. Call it a fling until working together is over and agree you won’t tell anyone who might get upset by the news. You’ll both know going into it, it’s not serious. That way, nobody gets hurt.”
Though she’s telling me about book tropes, I have to admit her idea makes sense. I haven’t ended up in love with any of the men I’ve dated long term, so it should be easy to keep my heart safe from falling for Lucas, right? That pesky organ in my chest thumps hard, as if disagreeing with me.
“I’ll think about it,” I tell her. Because the idea of jumping into bed with Lucas isn’t something I’ll take lightly. I rise from my seat and gather my plate.
“Think about something else while you’re at it. You deserve to be happy, no matter what your family or anyone else thinks.”
I sigh. If only it was that easy. She didn’t grow up a daddy’s girl, Ian Dare’s daughter who always wanted to make him proud. Sure, I’m twenty-nine years old and can make my own choices, but I’m still compelled to act as expected.
While I clean up, we talk about the brick attack, and who might be behind it, but we both come up empty.
Afterward, she turns out the lights and walks me to the room next to hers, a pretty second bedroom with neutral colors I’ve stayed in before.
She lends me a T-shirt to sleep in and clothes for tomorrow.
Since I’m curvier than she is, I hope the leggings and top fit.
Though I’m tired by the time I wash up and lay down in bed, I can’t sleep.
The crash of the brick through the window replays in my head and my heart pounds as hard as it did when it happened.
I think back to Lucas telling me to call him any time and pick up my cell to do just that.
Except I need to think more about our two kisses and Kaylee’s suggestion.
As much as the idea appeals to me, I’m already too into him to keep things light and casual.
Instead of calling or texting him, I toss and turn for most of the night.
When the sun streams through the window, waking me, I realize at some point in the early hours of the morning, I fell asleep. My eyes still feel gritty and I’m tired. After stretching, I pick up my phone to see it’s after ten a.m. and I sit upright in bed. I overslept and Kaylee didn’t wake me.
I grab the clothing she’d given me and head to the bathroom to brush my teeth and wash up, then dress and walk to the kitchen. Kaylee, dressed in the same type of casual clothing as me, is making French toast.
“Morning. Why didn’t you wake me?” I ask.
She turns her head toward me. “Because I figured you needed to rest, so I used this morning to sleep in, too. I was going to wake you once I finished these.” She rotates back to the cooktop.
Using a spatula, she takes the last piece of French toast from the frying pan and places it on a plate. “I made your favorite.”
“It smells delicious, but you didn’t have to go to any trouble.”
“No big deal. Oh! Speaking of trouble, Ashlynn arrived at the office to discover a contractor was there installing new windows,” Kaylee tells me.
I raise my eyebrows. “Did you call anyone first thing this morning to fix it?” Because how else would someone be working already?
She shakes her head, then places our plates on the table. She puts the frying pan into the sink and turns on the water.
“Leave it,” I tell her. “I’ll clean up.”
She shuts off the faucet. “I won’t argue with that.” We take our seats at the table. She already has maple syrup and powdered sugar on the table, along with orange juice and water. “You know where the coffee is,” she says, picking up her fork.
“Aren’t you concerned someone is fixing our windows?” I ask.
“Nope. Because the man said Lucas Carras arranged for the work to be done.” She pours syrup onto her plate, cuts off a piece of bread, stabs it with a fork, and pops the piece into her mouth.
I’m stunned speechless. “Please tell me you called in and gave the man your business credit card?” Because I don’t want Lucas paying for us. Especially something so expensive.
“Again, nope. That’s between you two.” She points to my plate with her fork. “Eat up before it gets cold.”
I shake my head and wonder what I’m going to do about the man I can’t get out of my head, the man who’s inserted himself into my life, all the while knowing we can’t ever really be together.
Unless… I do what my best friend suggested and sleep with him for the short time we have. Stumped and too tired to keep thinking, I pick up the syrup and drown my French toast before digging in.