Page 76 of No Ordinary Love

Amara:Fine. I love you.

I muted myself on the Zoom meeting and called Amara. "What was that?"

"I'm busy, Lucas and—"

"Amara," I growled.

"I love you, okay? Can I go now?"

"Say it again, and this time nicely. Next time you say it, I want you to be naked."

I heard her laugh. "I love you, Lucas."

"If we were into spanking, I'd take my hand to your ass for not saying this in person to me and doing it, like a coward, over text and then the phone."

There was a long pause.

"I could be into spanking."

My dick heard that and went from half to full hard. "We've never done that."

"Maybe…we can try?"

"Anything you want,Tesoro."

"Lucas, this is going to work, right?"

"When you and I are together, Amara, we can move mountains," I promised her.

Chapter 27

Amara

Gemma and I arrived early at Magnolia's and sat at the bar to catch up before the others arrived.

Magnolia's managed to be both upscale and cozy. With its polished mahogany bar, dim lighting, and walls adorned with local art, the air was thick with the scent of bourbon and citrus—a sure sign this place knew how to make a proper cocktail.

We perched on plush leather stools and waited to get the attention of the bartender, a tall guy with a beard.

He flashed us a grin as he shook up drinks. His name tag read Ritchie, and he moved with the kind of practiced ease that only comes from years of experience.

"What can I get you ladies tonight?" Ritchie asked, his voice a deep rumble that matched the bar's ambiance perfectly.

"I'll take a French 75." I needed a light drink but with a kick.

"Whiskey sour, extra sour," Gemma added, grinning at me. "Gotta keep the edge."

Ritchie set to work, the sound of ice clinking in the shaker as he mixed our drinks. I watched as he poured the pale champagne and gin mixture into a flute, topping it off with a twist of lemon. Gemma's whiskey sour was poured into a heavy glass, the liquid a rich amber with a frothy egg white top and a garnish of a single maraschino cherry.

"I told him I loved him," I confessed to Gemma, who, along with Basil, was getting a play-by-play of everything happening in my relationship with Lucas.

"Hallelujah!"

"I think I finally gave up because I'm desperate for…."

"Dick?" Gemma quirked an eyebrow.

I flushed. It was too much to assume Ritchie didn't hear us because he did. He grinned wide as he placed our drinks on napkins. "Here you go, ladies. Enjoy."

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