Page 90 of Love By a Landslide

He’s here.

What is he doing here?

Lucy lifted her glass and swallowed the rest of her drink, cringing only slightly as the bourbon burned a fiery path down her esophagus. Her manic gaze flitted around the table then the room. Half of the attendees, including her friends, seemed to be watching her, taking in her bewildered expression. They’d all been in on it. Convinced her to come, dressed her in a sexy outfit, all so that . . . what, exactly? So that Jonathan could make some grand show? To what end? Had he changed his mind about being with her? He must have; otherwise, what would be the point? A rush of heartbeats thundered through her chest, louder than any raging river could possibly manage.

Nearing the end of the stage, Jonathan hopped onto the floor. He meandered around the table, stopping just beside Lucy, and slid her chair back so he stood directly before her. She hadn’t moved, fingers clenching the side of her seat. None of it felt real, yet there he was, kneeling before her, face turned up in supplication, silently pleading for forgiveness.

The final bars of music faded away. The stillness of the room was thick with anticipation. She knew over a hundred people were watching them. Waiting to see her reaction to her former lover’s extravagant display.

“Lucy.” His voice was husky, tough with emotion and nerves. “You are the most dazzling person I have ever had the privilege of knowing. The biggest mistake I ever made was convincing myself that I didn’t need you. I denied my feelings and hurt you in the process. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to forgive myself for that, but I hope desperately that you will. I’m so sorry, sunshine. You are worthanyrisk. And I want nothing more than to love you and protect you for the rest of my life. Please, please forgive me.” He skated large hands up her calves and laid his headin Lucy’s lap. His chest heaved with weighted breaths against her shins.

As she inhaled the comforting scent of cedar and fabric softener, words stuck in Lucy’s throat. Relief and disbelief battled for victory in her mind.Fool me once, skittered through her mind, but the sentiment felt false in her heart.

She willed her hands to release the sides of her seat and touched his dark blond hair. It was firmer than usual, clotted with gel for a more stage-ready effect. But she envisioned sinking her fingers into the familiar softness she’d regularly fantasized about. He squeezed her tighter, fingertips pressing divots into her leg muscles, causing sparks to shoot up to the center of her.

“Jonathan.” His name tasted sweet on her tongue, like the first bite of cake after abstaining from sugar for two months. She cupped his jaw, and he raised his face to look at her. Moisture welled in his glimmering, saffron eyes. Black liner smeared as tears escaped and trailed down his cheeks. She swiped them away with her thumbs. “I forgive you.”

A smile rippled across his face like a pebble dropped into a still lake, starting small and then growing wide. He stood abruptly, pulling Lucy along with him, and pressed a kiss to her lips. She wobbled at the sudden positional shift, and he wrapped his arms around her waist to keep her upright.

The audience erupted in a chorus of cheers and applause. The rumble of merriment startled Lucy, reminding her that it wasn’t just her and Jonathan in the room but a gaggle of onlookers whistling in celebration.

“Should we get out of here?” His warm breath teased her ear. She nodded, and he snatched her purse from the back of her chair and pulled her toward the exit.

Lucy turned, waved to Lydia and Kylie, and then blew a kiss to her and Jonathan’s fairy dragmother. Dirty O’Feelya beamedhappily then sauntered off stage.

“We might as well call it a night because I doubt anyone will top that performance,” Goldie du Jour groused into the microphone as she returned to the spotlight. “I’m teasing of course! We have so many colorful acts lined up for you tonight . . .”

The warm summer air enveloped Lucy as she and Jonathan all but ran around back to a small parking lot where Betty the Subaru awaited their getaway.

Chapter forty-four

Lucy

Jonathan stepped up behind Lucy and laid a searing kiss on her neck just below her ear, igniting a thousand tiny fuses that raced through her bloodstream. Her heart exploded with joy but was left the slightest bit heavy.

“What took you so long?” she asked, her fingers gripping at the white terry cloth wrapped around her body.

“I had to brush my teeth again. I think there’s still glitter stuck in my mouth.”

“You know what I mean.” Lucy inhaled deeply and turned in Jonathan’s arms. “Two months without a word. Why?” She choked a little on the question, unsure if she wanted a real answer.

His large, warm hands slid gently up and down her arms as he met her gaze. So many emotions mingled in his eyes. Torment, regret, sadness. Love? She couldn’t translate them among the swirls of amber and thick lashes.

“You deserved better than me,” he said with a sigh, fingers tracing along her collarbone.

“What gave you the right to make that call?” She took a small step back, not out of reach but just enough to clear the clouds in her distracted mind. The closer he was the harder it was to think. They’d spent the last two hours re-exploring the details of each others’ bodies; thinking hadn’t been a necessity. But it was time to talk, despite where the conversation might lead.

“I was the one with the best vantage point.”

Was he trying to being condescending? Glib? What the hell did that mean? “You’re saying I was blinded? Or . . . or too naive to make a good decision?” For the first time that evening, the heat she felt strobing though her body had nothing to do with lust. Indignation and resentment took the wheel.

“No.” Jonathan was exhausted. He’d mentioned he hadn’t been sleeping well because he’d been too keyed up about the performance, but there was more to it than that. It was a heavier fatigue.

“Then what?”

“You didn’t have all the facts from my end of things.”

“You told me all about Cynthia. Were you keeping some earth-shattering detail from me?”

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