Page 41 of No Ordinary Love

But he told you he hasn't slept with anyone since you. That means something, doesn't it?

Big fucking deal, I told myself. I hadn't had sex with anyone since Lucas either, so it wasn't like he'd made somebigsacrifice.

Lucas obviously didn't listen to my instructions and leaned against the counter as I pulled out the duck to rest under foil. I turned the oven off and set the dinner plates in to warm up.

"You always do that. Warm the plates," Lucas mused.

"My mother used to do this."

"I know, you told me. How's your father doing?"

"He wants to knock your teeth out," I muttered angrily as I started to assemble everything I needed to plate the meal. I was serving the duck with parsnip puree, steamed broccolini, and a side watercress salad with orange sections.

"I'm sorry, Amara. Don't shut me out."

"Why?"

"Because," he dropped his voice so only I could hear him, "I love you."

His words hung in the air, heavy, and I felt my resolve waver. He was saying what I wanted to hear, everything I'd been afraid to hope for. But I couldn't just let myself fall into his arms and forget the pain he'd caused.

"You never said it before. I don't know if I can believe you now." My voice trembled despite my best efforts.

"Give me a chance to show you."

"You hurt me, Lucas. How do I know this time will be different?"

He moved closer to me and I could feel the heat of his body, and when he spoke, his voice was low and filled with a raw honesty that sent a shiver up my spine. "You don't,Tesoro. And I'm not asking you to believe me right away. But I'm asking you to give me a chance—one chance to prove to you that I'm not the same man who let you go."

I stared at him, my heart pounding in my chest, torn between the part of me that wanted to believe him and the part of me that wanted to protect myself from more hurt.

"I don't know if I can do that," I whispered, the vulnerability in my voice catching me off guard.

Lucas reached out, gently taking my hand in his. His touch was warm and grounding, and for a moment, I let myself just feel it—feel him.

"There's no rush. Just let's enjoy the wonderful meal you've cooked," he suggested. "And maybe Basil will add to the entertainment by beating the shit out of me."

I choked out a watery laugh.

"You can stay for dinner." My voice was barely above a whisper. "But don't think for a second that this is more than that. We're not friends. We're not lovers. We'renothing."

He gave me one of his genuine smiles. "I'm a guest at your dinner table. For now, that's enough."

We worked together in harmony, as we used to when we dated and lived together. I did the duck and the vegetables. He added the salad and topped it with pine nuts for some crunch.

To my surprise, dinner was fun, easy, and relaxed despite the initial drama. We had good food, great wine, and some very eclectic and interesting people coming together.

I loved the diversity in my friend circle. Gemma was African American. Basil was half Latino and half white. Ace and Emily were both mixed race, though I wasn't sure of the specifics. As for me, with my half-Italian father, quarter-Native American maternal grandmother, and quarter-British maternal grandfather, I was also far from typical Anglo-Saxon, though I often passed for it.

We also had various professions at the table. Ace and Jax were professional golfers, though I learned that Ace also worked at a veteran's rehab center as he was a trained physical therapist. Emily had her own event planning business and had been working as a planner for many years. Lucas had his own company. Gemma, Basil, and I were academics, though different disciplines.

Eventually, Basil didn't beat the shit out of Lucas, but he also told him to buzz off when he offered to clean up after dinner.

"I haven't seen my girl in months, and she still likes me," he told Lucas.

Thankfully, Lucas left with a polite thank you and didn't respond to my "don't send me anymore flowers" demand.

Once we finished cleaning up, Basil and I sat on my back porch with glasses of vintage port that he'd brought.

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