I punched him playfully on the shoulder. “I’m totally mad. You promised before, too.”
“So what would you like to do?” We left the restaurant patio and began walking slowly down the street. “It’s pretty early, and there are a few clubs in this area we could check out, maybe see some live music.”
I took a deep breath. You only live once. “Actually, I thought maybe you could show me your apartment. We could listen to some of your records or something? I mean, if you want to.”
He stopped walking and turned to face me, and his expression was an interesting mix of yes, please and holy shit, did she just say that? “Um, sure. We could do that. Of course I want to. It’s just that…” He struggled to finish the thought. It was obvious he was nervous about taking me back to his place, and I understood why.
But at this point I could bear the wait no longer.
I took a step closer to him, angling my head so that my lips were just beneath his. All he had to do was lower his lips two inches, and they’d be on mine. Suspense had me rising on tiptoe.
Please, Lucas. Kiss me.
Finally he lowered his mouth onto mine, and the warmth of his lips sent bolts of lightning straight to my core.
Tentatively, I put a hand to the back of his neck and opened my lips further, and he began to move his mouth over mine in a way that was both tender and suggestive. He kissed each of my lips, taking them gently between his own. Then he slanted his mouth more fully over mine, tilting his head so that the fit out our lips was tighter, the intensity of the kiss deeper. His hand moved to my hip, and my entire body shivered from the powerful pull of longing within me. God, how long had it been since I’d felt that?
So, so long.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, I remembered we were standing on the street, but I couldn’t resist bringing my other hand to Lucas’s jaw, desire rippling anew at the feel of his stubble on my palm. I even liked the way it felt on my lips and face—a little scratchy and rough, but new and different and exotic.
Lucas broke off the kiss and looked at me with concern in his eyes.
“Mia. I don’t want you to think I—”
“Shhh.” I put a finger on his lips. “I’m not thinking anything right now except that I want you to kiss me again.”
He smiled and brought his mouth to mine once more. Shyly, I tasted his lips with my tongue, and I was rewarded with a low moan from the back of his throat as well as the soft stroke of his tongue against mine, just once.
Oh my God. I’m shaking, I want him so badly.
I pulled back slightly. “Let’s go.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.” The word was out before he even finished the question. “And I want to tell you something.” I put a hand on his chest. It was warm and hard, and damn, I wanted to see it naked. “I do not now, nor will I ever, think you’re anything less than a perfect gentleman, OK? I can tell that you’re worried about something—maybe moving too quickly or being too forward or maybe it’s the whole canceled wedding thing—”
“All of the above.”
“—but unless you’ve got a girlfriend back in New York or a criminal past or a creepy insect collection at your apartment, I really, really, really want to come over.”
He chuckled, the corners of his eyes crinkling the way I liked. “No, no, and definitely no. I only want to be sure you’re comfortable with it.”
“I am.” I gave him a quick kiss on the lips for being so sweet. “I like you, Lucas. And I know exactly what I’m doing.”
That was a huge lie. Enormous. The Arc de Triomphe of lies.
I wanted Lucas like crazy, if my underwear was any indication. But I had no idea what I was doing.
I just knew that I liked it.
Chapter 8
We didn’t talk a lot on the way to his apartment, but he held my hand the entire time, and I had to try really hard not to start skipping. Had it really been just last night I was shuffling down these streets, miserable and alone, hating couples acting just like we were right now? It seemed impossible to believe how my luck had completely reversed.
“This is my street.” Lucas turned left, giving my hand a squeeze.
I glanced around, taking in the seven-story buildings of light stone with detailed entrances and decorative iron railings on the windows. At the street level were a few shops and cafes, but mostly it appeared to be a residential street. I saw no other people out and about and only one car passed us as we walked. “Quiet neighborhood.”
At least until I start screaming your name.
Jesus, Mia, stop it! What if he’s not thinking what you’re thinking?
“It is, pretty much,” Lucas said, letting go of me to take a key from his pocket. He went up to a large set of black double doors under a stone pediment and stuck his key in the one on the right. Then he paused to look over his shoulder at me, a grin on his face. “But I have double-paned windows, so we can be as loud as we want.”
Oh, he’s so thinking it.
I slapped him lightly on the back. “You’re awfully confident.”
He pushed open the door and stood back to let me enter first, a look of exaggerated innocence on his face. “I meant when I play you some records. Didn’t you want to look at my vinyl?”
His na**d ass was what I wanted to look at, but I thought that might be too forward to say, so I just bit my lip and moved past him into the building.
“I’m on the third floor.” He took my hand and we climbed the stairs, my anticipation rising with each step.