Page 111 of Tulips and Lost Time

The moment the fabric clears her face and our eyes meet, I grin. “Will you come out to dinner with me, Bear?” I drop the shirt and slide my hands over her delicate ribs. “I miss you so fucking much when we’re in this town.”

“You miss me when we’re in town?” Her cheeks warm. “How is that possible? We practically work together, and we sleep in the same bed five nights out of seven.”

“Yeah. But we can’t be open about who we are.” I slide my hand up and around to cup the back of her neck. “I want to tell the entire world who we are.”

“Luc—”

“I know.” I draw her in and press a gentle, barely-there kiss to her plump lips. “Marc’s going through some stuff with Meg and the baby, and you don’t want me to die.” I brush the threat of a beat down aside and chuckle instead. “The time isn’t right. I’m ready when you are, but it’s your call.”

“Soon.” She trembles on my lap, rolling her hips and studying my eyes. “Swear. But not while all the Meg stuff is going down. In the meantime,” she leans closer, her long hair draping around our faces to create a curtain we both get to hide within. “I don’t want to talk about them while I’m grinding on your lap.”

“Thank fuck.” I dig my fingers into the waistband of her pants. “I don’t wanna talk about them while my cock is hard. It’s… off putting.”

She snickers, her breath hitting my tongue and her breasts pressing to my chest. “We have work in a few hours.”

“All the more reason to get on my bike, right now. Head to the city. Call in sick.”

She rolls her eyes, though her smile is small and delicious. “That won’t look suspicious at all. People could die if we’re not at work.”

“Sounds like a them problem.” I massage the round globes of her ass and grin when she smacks my shoulder. “Tomorrow night, then?” I draw my hands along her back and trace the valley of her spine. “No work tomorrow. No dead people on our conscience. Besides, how am I supposed to ask you to marry me for real if we’re never openly a couple?”

“Marry?” She freezes in my lap. Stiffens and widens her eyes. “Luc, you?—”

“Did you forget this was where we were heading?” I lean in and take the warm column of her neck between my lips. “Did you think I was bullshitting when I said I loved you?”

“Well…” She gulps so I hear the sound through her delicate skin. “No. But we’re?—”

“Endgame.” I cup her jaw and tilt her head to the side to make more room. “We’re forever, Bear. We have time, since forever never ends. But my intentions have been clear from day one.”

The apartment door opens without warning. No knock. No keys in the lock. No boots stomping on the steps outside. I lean to the right, expecting to find my sisters on the threshold. Not ideal, considering Kari is half naked, but not nearly as bad as what I actually find.

“Marc?” My stomach heaves. Painful, horrified, sickening nausea sprinting through my gut as Kari swings around on my lap. “Dude, we can explain?—”

“Marc!” Kari bounds up off my lap at the same moment her brother charges from the front door. Red in his eyes and fists already balled and coming for my face. “No!”

He slams his fist down on my jaw, a sickening crack echoing through to the back of my skull. Then blood spurts across the floor and bells ring in my ears, clanging and deafening, so I don’t even hear Kari’s screams.

“I’ll kill you, motherfucker!” Marc swings again, tossing me off the couch and raining hands down over my face. It’s all I can do to bring my arms up and shield myself. Guard. Don’t fucking die. “She’s mine!” he snarls, spittle hitting my skin alongside my own blood. “Mine!”

He’s a man possessed. Owned by his own fear and pain. Devastated by the circumstances of his life. And still, I let him. Bones crumble beneath his fists. Muscles ache because of his strength. But I don’t dare fight back. I let him take out a lifetime of anger and fear on my face and hope I’ll live tomorrow to still see Kari.

It could be an hour. Or it could be a single second. Fuck knows, my vision turns dark, and my arms scream for relief. But Marc continues to rain enraged fists down on my body. Kari screams for him to stop. He screams for me to undo what I’ve done. My brain screams for the pain to stop.

Then he’s gone. Reeling backwards when a pair of hands grab on and drag him away. He kicks out wildly, his feet arcing through the air and slamming my chin until stars float in my vision and exhaustion tries to drag me under.

Then he’s gone… and so am I.

“Luc!” Kari skids down by my side, her hands fluttering over my swollen face. “Oh my gosh!” She cries out. “Luc!”

“Cool it!” Jack Reilly’s voice booms throughout the apartment. “Dude! Fucking cool it, or I’ll call X.”

“Luc!” Kari uses her shirt and presses it to my cheek. Am I cut? Is it bad? “Holy shit. I can’t believe he just?—”

“He touched my baby sister!” Marcus roars. Kicking and fighting from somewhere else in the apartment. “I’ll kill him. I’ll kill that motherfucker!”

“I think you already did, you fuckin’ idiot. X,” Jack adds… on the phone? “You need to come to Kari’s place. Now. It’s Luc. He might need an ambulance or something.”

I search for Kari. For her beautiful green eyes, but all I find are tears. She’s crying again. Because of me.

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