Page 84 of Frenched (Frenched 1)
“Hi.” He stayed where he was, filling a glass at the tap.
“I’m looking for someone.” I walked toward him, leaving my bags where they were.
He set the beer down in front of a customer who was watching the scene with interest. “You are?”
“Yes. And I found him. It’s you.”
“You sure about that?” Lucas grabbed a clean towel from under the bar and tossed it to me.
I wiped my face and nodded. “I’m positive, Lucas.”
His eyes softened. “Give me one minute.” He disappeared through a door at the end of the bar, and I tried to pull my bags more out of the way. In a moment, he appeared at my side. “Mia.”
I had planned to apologize, explain what Tucker was doing in my room, tell Lucas I loved him and I wanted to try to make it work, but when he stood there in front of me and said my name that way, like he was afraid I wasn’t real, all words failed me.
“Nothing to say? That’s not like you.” He smiled at me before reaching for my luggage, and shoving it out of the way underneath the bar.
“Sorry.” I flapped my hands. “I’m all…flustered.” Jeez, Mia, pull yourself together. “And wet.”
He grinned. “You love the rain now, remember?”
At the memory of kissing him in the rain, my lips stretched wide. “I love it when I’m with you. And I want to be with you all the time.”
“Yeah?”
I nodded, my heart swelling inside my chest. “Yeah. I’m sorry I sent you away before. Tucker showed up, and I was right in the middle of turning him down when you—”
“He wants you back?” Lucas’s eyes went hard.
“He does. But I’m not interested.” I took a deep breath. “I want you, Lucas. I want to try to make it work. Because I’m in love with you.”
Instead of saying anything, Lu
cas grabbed my head in his hands and crushed his mouth to mine. He held me there for a moment, during which some random Beaver patrons applauded and whooped.
“Yeah, Lucas!” hollered a loud male voice.
I couldn’t help laughing, and Lucas broke the kiss. “We have a bit of an audience,” I said.
He rolled his eyes. “It’s a few friends of mine.”
“Introduce me?”
“Of course. Come sit down. Are you—where are you staying now?” He looked at me with concern.
I shrugged. “Not sure. Maybe you can recommend a hotel a little less expensive than the Plaza? I have three more nights here.” Behind my back I crossed my fingers.
“As if I’d let you stay anywhere else but with me. You’ve only got three days, and I want to spend every moment possible with you. If you want me to.”
I beamed, my entire body tingling. “I want you to.”
He pulled me into a hug, burying his face in my wet hair. “God, I love the way you smell,” he said softly. “I can’t wait to get you alone.”
My thoughts exactly.
#
After a burger and fries and several glasses of wine, I got in a cab with Lucas’s keys in my pocket. He’d meet me at his apartment after his shift.
