“What did Noelle say to you?”
I shook my head for several seconds. “It wasn’t her.”
“But what did she say?”
I rolled my eyes, hardly wanting to repeat it. “She said a lot of bullshit. She said you two were still sleeping together. She said when I wasn’t with you, you were fucking her at the office. She claimed that you had called her in the night telling her you missed fucking her, and you were tired of me.”
Lukas smirked. “You didn’t believe it for a second,” he said with audible pride.
“Of course not.”
“Did she say anything else?”
“Stupid stuff. But – ” I grimaced. “Honestly, Lukas, I’d woken up feeling just… uneasy. I didn’t know what it was and I thought maybe it was everything catching up to me. Before you met me, I was tense and rigid and any tiny switch-up in my perfectly carved out routine would throw me into a panic. And I thought I was just past that with you because for so long, we were together and all I felt was good.” I closed my eyes, relishing in the heat of his chest close to my lips. “I guess I just freaked out and… I’d like to think seeing Noelle didn’t make a real difference but the last thing she said to me was, ‘You know he doesn’t love you.’ I had an argument for everything else she said, but I wasn’t sure I could argue that one.”
Lukas gripped his jaw as he shook his head. He was angry at Noelle and I could see it, but for some reason, all I could think about was how sexy he looked. How much I’d missed those big arms and how I needed them wrapped around me right now, more than ever. I was so out of it I almost didn’t know what he was talking about when he spoke again.
“You don’t mind if I say it here? In a grocery store?” Lukas asked with amusement, his hand cupping the back of my neck. I leaned back on him a little, enjoying the touch of his other hand
on my lower back
“I would want to hear it anywhere.”
“Yeah?” Lukas held me against his chest. “Then what if I waited till we got home tonight, till after you’ve taken a nap,” he laughed, “and after I’ve cooked you a proper dinner. Would it be okay if I waited then to say it? ‘Cause I honestly never imagined I’d do it for the first time so close to the ten items or less lane.”
I burst out laughing and as I covered my mouth, I felt the sleepy tears, the emotional tears and the overwhelmed tears start to fall from my eyes. I giggled deliriously, thanking God for Chris who zipped past Lukas to take over my sample station as I tried to gather myself.
“Okay,” I finally said, my voice barely above a whisper. “You can wait a little longer to say it.”
“Okay,” Lukas smiled down at me, stroking his thumb along my jaw. “So, in the meantime,” he leaned in to give me the lightest, sweetest kiss on the lips, “let’s get you a coffee and a croissant so you can keep those pretty eyes awake for the next hour or two, and then I’ll take you home and take care of you like any good boyfriend would do. Alright?”
Oh God, I was full on crying now. In the middle of the supermarket, right next to the ten items or less lane. Everyone who passed me eyed me curiously, most of them with knowing smiles. One older woman even offered me a sample of my own truffle, saying, “Here, dear, this rum raisin’s so good you’ll forget whatever’s making you sad right now. Quick – it’s the last one.” Probably selfish, but I did accept and eat it, and I actually thought to myself that it was the best thing I’d ever tasted. But as Lukas leaned over to kiss me once more before guiding me toward some much-needed caffeine, I changed my mind.
That chocolate was actually the second best thing I’d ever tasted in my life.
34
LIA
I napped on the couch and woke up to the smell of lemon, chorizo and chicken. I smiled in my sleep because my subconscious had been listening for hours to Lukas cooking me dinner.
“Mmm,” I sighed as I finally stirred, rolling onto my back and grinning as I stretched because I could already hear him coming to me.
“’Morning,” he murmured even though it was night. I kept my eyes closed as he lowered himself onto me, kissing my neck, my shoulders, the tops of my breasts. “Hey. Wake up.”
“Mm.” I whined, pulling my blanket up over my head. I laughed when Lukas yanked it back down, pulling it clean off my body and tossing it onto the floor. Pulling me up, he lifted me swiftly off the couch, holding me against his naked chest and kissing my grin as he carried me across the floor to the kitchen. Setting me down on the counter stool, he placed a polished wine glass in front of me.
“Say when,” he said, pouring a deep red wine high over my glass. When he reached nearly the top without me saying when, he laughed. “Are you still asleep?”
“No. I just need a drink.”
“Why?” Lukas frowned.
“No reason. Just been a crazy week. Still haven’t heard about the lease. Still got a lot of work to do, more samples to run.” My lips wiggled into a smile. “Also, apparently I’ve got a boyfriend now, so… yeah, it’s been a little crazy.”
Lukas laughed. “I know you don’t like to mix business with pleasure, but I hope you know your boyfriend is going to make sure no one fucks with you. Ever.”
“Mmm, is that so?” I sipped my wine. “How?”