Sweet Surrendering (Surrender Saga #1)(42)
Author: Chelsea M. Cameron

“Do you have any guy friends?” He’d never talked about anyone.

“Yeah, a few.” He sat down next to me wearing boxers.

“Why haven’t I ever heard of them?”

He shrugged one shoulder.

“I don’t know. I just don’t talk about them with you, that’s all.” I reached for my bra and put it on.

“Why are you always so closed, Lucah? I’m not asking for your entire history. I’m asking you to share some things about your life. Just basic information a friend would know. Aren’t we friends?” I came over and put my chin on his legs.

“Friends who work together and f**k together,” he said, holding my face.

“Strike four.”

“Didn’t I already take care of at least one of those strikes?”

“One. Just one.” I held one finger up, and he stuck it in his mouth and sucked on my finger. “But now you’re trying to distract me.”

He gave me my finger back and sighed.

“I’m sorry, Sunshine. There are just some doors that I need to keep closed. Understand?” I shook my head.

“God, you’re stubborn.”

“I’m also a bitch. How do you think I got where I am at Clarke Enterprises? My pretty face?” I puckered my lips at him. “I’m not asking for the world. Just a little more information. Just a bit.”

Putting his head back he looked at the ceiling like he was praying for me to drop it.

“What do you want to know?”

“I’m an only child. I wanna know about your siblings. Obviously since you have nieces, you have at least one brother or sister, and you mentioned playing with brothers, so you have at least two. Come on, tell me, tell me.” As great and fabulous as the sex was, I also liked just talking with Lucah.

“I have two brothers. One older, one younger.”

“Aha!” I couldn’t stop myself from saying.

“Whoa, what was that for?”

“You have middle child syndrome. See? This explains so much now. Keep going, this is fascinating.”

“You’re ridiculous.”

But he didn’t stop talking. He told me about his brothers, Tate and Ryder, and that they were close when they were growing up. Tate had a wife, April, and the two little girls, Gracie and Fiona. He saw them nearly every weekend since they lived not that far away in Cambridge. He didn’t elaborate much on Ryder and I could sense there was brotherly tension, so I let that go. I was afraid to say anything or interrupt him, because this was the first time he’d voluntarily talked about himself.

Well, the first time he’d talked about himself under duress.

Then he talked a little bit about school, and then he asked me about school and I found myself telling stupid stories that I’d never told anyone else. Maybe it was the nudity. I hadn’t gotten to put my panties on, just my bra.

We talked until my voice got tired and he took me to bed, removing my bra. I wanted to have sex again, but we were both too tired, so we just lay there and he stroked my hair and fell asleep and I felt for the first time that I was starting to unwrap the mystery that was Lucah (Lucas) Blaine.

18

I spent every night of the following week at his place, and Sloane didn’t seem to mind and I didn’t mind and Lucah certainly didn’t mind.

My stuff started making its way to his place and when my period arrived, tampons made their way into his bathroom. He made no mention of it and I was happy that our extra-sexular activities didn’t slow in the slightest. Royce wouldn’t even go near me when I was on my period, but Lucah wanted me as much as ever.

The sex. Je-sus Christ, the sex. I felt like I walked around in a constant state of post-coital glow and even though I wasn’t sleeping for as many hours, I was getting better quality sleep and I felt better.

We’d also finally sort of got our working relationship on solid ground, or at least ground that we both felt comfortable walking on. We practiced speaking cordially to one another when we were naked sometimes and we always just ended up laughing, but no one seemed the wiser in the office.

As long as we kept our interactions in front of others on the up and up, I was pretty sure we were fine. He did do little things to let me know that he was thinking of me. Like asking me if I wanted “coffee” via a sticky note on a stack of files, or brushing against me in the break room, or sending me naughty text messages. As long as he didn’t do anything overt, I didn’t mind. In fact, I kind of looked forward to those little things.

I had lunch with my Dad on Friday because our schedules finally synched up and we had the time.

“You look good, Rory girl. Happy. I haven’t seen you smiling so much in a long time. Any particular reason?” This was going to require more evasive maneuvers on my part.

“Not really. I’ve just been feeling really good lately. Maybe it’s all the cake Sloane’s been making.” Sure. Blame it on cake. Cake was responsible for the fact that I looked like I was on mood enhancers all the time.

“She does make a good cake. I haven’t seen Sloane in a while. You should bring her to dinner.” My parents adored Sloane. Mostly because Sloane could charm anyone.

“I’ll ask her and see if she’ll make some coconut cake for you.” That was Dad’s favorite. I changed the subject and we talked about a trip my parents were taking for their anniversary and the difficulties of me planning the girls’ trip to Jamaica.

“You could always bring them up to Maine. The house is yours to use whenever you want. Or you could go camping.”

He’d offered a bunch of times before, but I just couldn’t see my friends roughing it, not to mention camping. That would be a hell no. Especially not Sloane. She would die without access to a shower, hot water, and her extensive makeup collection. Marisol or Chloe weren’t that much better.

“Thanks, Dad, but we’ll work it out.”

I finished my soup and salad and we split a piece of double chocolate cake, but I could tell he wasn’t done with me.

“Are you sure there isn’t someone special in your life?” I swore he could smell the sex on me, but that was gross and ridiculous.

“No, Dad. I don’t need a man to be happy, do I?”

“Absolutely not. I just feel like there’s something you’re not telling me. But if you say there isn’t, then I believe you.” Ugh. That was the worst.

“Maybe I’m just finally glad I got rid of one,” I said with a wink. Dad had never liked Royce, but since he came from a good family and had money, he couldn’t really say anything or else risk alienating a few of his friends. Rich people were complicated. Yes, I knew I was technically part of that group, but I never really felt like I was a member of it.