“Did you say she?” After a moment’s pause, Lacey asked, “Is she your . . . friend?”
I knew what she really wanted to ask, and I wasn’t ashamed of the answer. So it was high time to cut to the chase and give her full disclosure.
“Sort of. Our situation is unconventional,” I said. “We are friends . . . who also sleep together sometimes. But we’re not exclusive.”
Lacey blinked, her expression unreadable. Was she offended? Disgusted? Or was she just startled and taking a minute to process everything?
“I’m telling you this so there’s no confusion or hurt feelings down the road. If you’re not interested in me anymore, I understand completely. But Daniella’s an important part of my life.”
Another slow, big-eyed blink. Just as I started preparing for her to freak out, she replied, “So long as you don’t expect me to have a threesome, we’re cool.” And then she sipped at her margarita, as casual as could be.
My eyebrows raised slightly. Well, hell. That had gone better than expected. The good girl just kept on surprising me. But despite her airy tone, I could tell she had opinions that she was keeping to herself.
“Tell me what you’re thinking, Lacey,” I said, my tone leaving no room for negotiation.
The last thing I wanted was a lover who acted chill, trying to be someone she wasn’t, until she couldn’t keep a lid on her resentment anymore.
Chapter Two
Lacey
Taking a sip of my margarita, I fought to maintain a neutral expression, even while my stomach had jumped into my throat and the lime from my drink burned like acid on my tongue.
When the dangerously sexy man seated before me admitted that he had another lover, my first instinct was to abort. Run, common sense demanded. The restless side of me, however, was willing to hear him out.
An open relationship was not conventional in my world. Things like this didn’t happen where I was from. At least, not that I was aware of. But I wasn’t looking for a boyfriend, or even monogamy. So I put on my best open-minded expression and listened to what he had to say.
Hearing him talk about her, though, it was clear that she had a special place in his life. I didn’t understand it yet, but the woman obviously filled a unique role.
“Tell me what you’re thinking, Lacey,” Nolan said.
My name on his lips was like a soft plea. There was no way I could lie to him—at least, not about this—even if I’d wanted to. He was every bit the firm-tempered alpha male I dreamed he might be. Former military special forces, decorated in combat, and now a civilian, but certainly not soft.
“It’s an unusual arrangement, but as long as you’re up front with everything, I don’t see any harm.” I didn’t know if my words were the complete truth, but who was I to judge his situation? I had plenty of baggage of my own.
I supposed it was no different from most casual dating situations these days. Men and woman often explored various relationships, multiple partners before settling down, and at least Nolan wasn’t doing it behind anyone’s back.
As I watched him take another sip of his drink, I couldn’t stop my mind from wandering to illicit things. Like the way his strong arms might feel around me, the way his lips might feel on mine. The intensity rolling off him in waves, even his scent—the perfect combination of cologne and mild soap—made my heart beat like a drum.
“And all of this, it’s . . . cool with her? Your friend, I mean.” I stumbled over my words, my lack of experience with the situation shining through.
“Daniella is definitely cool with me having other fucks, yes.” He chuckled softly, as if I’d missed some inside joke or dark reference. “But something tells me you’re not a one-night, fuck-hard-and-leave type of girl.”
I swallowed, my throat tightening as his words washed over me. The leave part, not so much, but the fuck hard part . . . that sounded pretty good right now.
“No, I guess I’m not. If there’s enough passion and connection between two people, why should it end at one night?”
Setting down his now-empty glass of whiskey, Nolan leaned closer. His expression was amused. “Looking at you, I couldn’t agree more. I haven’t properly dated in a long damn time, but you have me . . . intrigued.”
“So we’ll take it slow. Friends,” I added. There was no sense rushing into this. I needed time to feel him out. Make sure I had done the right thing by coming here.
“Might be hard to be friends with someone I want under me.”
I blinked at him.
“I want you in my bed, Lacey. No use denying it.” His thumb slid across the rim of his glass, the movement innocent, yet suggestive at the same time.
After I got over the initial shock of his blunt words, I appreciated his straightforward attitude. The man certainly didn’t try to hide things.
“What makes you think I’m ever going to be in your bed?” I asked, my gaze steady and holding his.
“I know what you’re doing,” he murmured.
“What’s that?”
He leaned closer, placing his elbows on the table, invading more of my space. “Playing hard to get. You know as well as I do that men like the chase.”
“So you’re really just a predator. No better than a caveman.”
His gaze cut through me like a knife. “Instinct tells us to seek, hunt, and—”
“Fuck,” I interrupted, knowing full well what was on his mind. The bar’s warm atmosphere and the tequila coursing through my veins had apparently loosened my tongue.