“Okay, my ass is normal.”
“It's a joke today. Tomorrow, it's a diet plan or a personal trainer or a bottle of
herbal metabolism boosters.”
“I won't do any of that. I swear.”
“It's not a good idea.”
“I'm not going to wait forever,” I say.
“You just got better, sweetheart. Why do you want to go back to the lifestyle that made you so sick?”
“Because I love it.”
Ryan sighs, “You're an adult. I can't force you to stay on hiatus, but I do wish you'd put your health first. We agreed on those ground rules for a reason.”
“Please, Ryan.”
He kisses me on the forehead. “You don't need to worry about your career anymore,” he says. “We're engaged now. I'm going to keep taking care of you.”
Lucky me.
“We'll talk about it in a few weeks,” he says. “After you've given it some serious thought.”
A knock on the door interrupts us.
“That must be Luke. Ignore him,” Ryan says.
Luke steps inside. He's taller than I imagined. Younger too. In his late 20s probably. He's built like a runner—tall with long, lean muscles. And he's handsome. Very handsome. His coffee-colored eyes and messy black hair stand out against his light skin.
Okay, handsome was the wrong word. He's hot. Smoking hot.
“Sorry to interrupt,” he says. “You must be Alyssa. I'm Luke. Luke Lawrence.”
His eyes connect with mine. Jesus, his eyes are amazing—the darkest of browns, big and full of life. He holds my gaze as he shakes my hand. I nod. He's Luke. Luke Lawrence. Ryan's partner. Remember Ryan, your fiancé? He's standing behind you.
“Nice to meet you,” I say.
Luke brushes his fingers across my wrist, and I feel a rush of electricity flood my body. I gulp. It's nice enough when Ryan touches me, but it's nothing like this. Nothing so intense.
“What do you want?” Ryan asks, barely able to hide his hostility.
“We've been working together three years. Don't you think it's time I met your girlfriend? Excuse me, your fiancée.”
“You've had chances,” Ryan says.
“Aren't you going to offer her something to drink?” Luke asks.
“I'm fine,” I say.
“Are you sure? We have a bunch of crap. Water. Tea. Coffee.”
“Maybe a coffee.”
“Alyssa was just leaving,” Ryan says.
“She can leave after her coffee,” Luke turns to me and offers his hand. “I'll walk you out.”