Chapter 31
Tessa
It's only been days since Lucas opened up his heart to me at High Rise, but our relationship had blossomed so quickly that it felt like weeks had passed.
It felt like we were a married couple enjoying their honeymoon phase, with the only other thing—person missing being Levi.
Lucas and I indulged in cozy conversations, told stories, and made love as if this were all we would ever need.
The rest of the world was stuck in LA traffic, but we were hauling ass in the fast lane.
And for the life of me, I didn’t want this momentum to stop.
The moment Levi returned home, all I wanted to do was drag him into the bedroom and fuck him until he loved me like his brother.
I wanted to know I had them both, signed and sealed on the dotted line, before I could submit myself to the same commitment—mind, body, and soul.
“My princess is in for a real treat today.” Lucas leaned over the back of the couch, handing me a glass of red wine as I sank into the pillows at the sound of his voice.
“You’ve managed to be that all on your own. What else could be better than you?” I taunted, bringing the glass to my lips and taking a sip, the sweet taste of jammy berries and chocolate coating my tongue and warmed my throat on the way down.
“Yeah, you’re right. Nothing and no one could be better than me.” He chuckled, setting his glass on the coffee table before falling onto the couch beside me and pulling my legs over his lap.
“Your brother, perhaps?” I quipped, propping an elbow on the back of the couch as I made myself even more comfortable.
I pressed the side of my head against my knuckles while taking another long sip from my glass, admiring his sharp jawline and dimples.
I never noticed them on Levi, but every time Lucas smiled, his cheeks indented in the cutest way.
They were hard to ignore, and I found myself returning his smile just as broadly every time I caught sight of them.
“Levi likes to think he is, but I know I’m the biggest catch.” Lucas stretched his arms out wide, looping one around my waist before pulling me to straddle his lap, and then rested his chin on my tits like they were a pillow.
His warm breath tickled my skin. It had begun to flush from the feel of his rough stubble on my cleavage, my body craving that same sensation but much, much lower.
“I’m sure he appreciates you thinking like that.” I hummed into my glass as I tipped back what was left.
“Oh, he knows. Might not admit it when brought up in casual conversation, but he’s well aware that I am the favorite twin.
” Lucas took my empty glass and bent forward to quickly set it on the table before gripping my chin, luring my mouth to his.
I didn’t get a chance to swallow my last sip before his lips parted against mine, and he pulled the warm liquid through them with a greedy moan.
“And I think I just discovered a newfound love for wine.”
My eyes drifted shut as his tongue dragged up the side of my chin, catching a runaway drop before claiming my mouth once more, delivering a deep and passionate kiss that stole my will to breathe.
“Well…” My eyes fluttered open to a dreamy gaze. “Drink preference aside, if it makes any difference, I’m not picking favorites or choosing between either of you.”
“Good, and you shouldn’t. Because no matter how much shit I give my brother, I know we both deserve you equally and nothing outside of that matters.” Lucas was always so sincere and honest with his words, especially when they involved Levi.
“I love that…” I uttered mindlessly, thinking about how much I wished that they had come into my life sooner. Just how badly I needed someone like them years ago.
“What?” He tilted his head to the side, brows raised as he gazed longingly into my eyes, dragging the pad of his thumb along my bottom lip.
“The fact that you care about your brother and would do anything to keep the peace between you.” They were the definition of perfect… “You don’t compete or fight against each other; you share. It’s refreshing. Beautiful, even.”
“Levi will give you his side of our story when he’s ready…
But for the most part, growing up, all we’ve ever had was each other, which was no fault of our own.
The bond we share has been the only constant in our lives that we could consistently rely on.
People, relationships, they all come and go, but Levi?
He’ll always be my brother, my best friend, and there isn’t a single thing he could do that would change that. ”
“And where does that leave me? Crashing your party of two?” I joked, making light of our conversation, seeing the hurt in his eyes. It was a feeling that I knew all too well.
“You, my princess, are the piece we’ve been missing—the one thing my brother and I have desired so deeply but could never find the right woman to claim the position.
We didn’t believe we ever would.” His arms tightened around my waist, squeezing my heart right along with it.
“You showed up out of nowhere—twice—and stole both of our hearts in the process. I know that I’ve found my soulmate in you.
And I sure as fuck don’t need anyone telling me that I’m crazy for believing in it either, because I’m well aware that I am, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. ”
“Again with the words…” I drawled with a warm smile as I tapped his nose with my finger and giggled.
“Have you always been such a heartfelt romantic?” I dragged the tip of my nose along the bridge of his, as I settled myself against him, an arm draped over each shoulder, fingers lazily playing with the strands at the back of his head.
“Not in the least.” Lucas chuckled, sliding his warm palms underneath my shirt. “Levi is the hopeless romantic, and if you think I’m sentimental, just wait. He’ll give you a first-class ticket into his soul, and I’ll bet you’ll never want to leave…”
There was a weight to his promise, and it made me want my time with Levi even more. Finally getting everything I’d ever dreamed of when I ran away, I was about to double down once he was home from the tour.