Page 9 of The Luminosity of Loriana Harper

Mitchwasdoinghislevel best to pay attention to Ardelle, but he was struggling. Oh, the older woman was lovely. With her brown curls with streaks of gray and the crow’s feet around her eyes, she had some mileage. She’d attended parties regularly since her divorce.

See, I’m paying attention.

Except he couldn’t stop from glancing over at Loriana and Geoff.

“May I touch your arm?”

Ardelle’s question caught him unawares. “Yes, certainly.” He wasn’t feeling enthusiastic, but curiosity warred with the maybe and won out.

She pressed a sturdy hand to his forearm. “Go see how she’s doing. Maybe offer to lie next to her. There are plenty of threesomes.”

He glanced around. And a foursome, and what he assumed was the puppy pile. At least six people contorted into a pile of limbs.

Was he that obvious? That he wanted to be near Loriana? That his protective instincts were kicking into high gear? Placing a hand on Ardelle’s, he offered a genuine smile. “I don’t want to abandon you.”

She laughed. “You’re not, I promise. Vance assured me a neck rub, and that tickles Patsy to no end.” Her eyes grew a little misty. “As long as you’re doing it for the right reasons, she’ll see you care.”

“The right reasons?”

“You know—abiding affection, desire to be close, wanting intimacy—although platonic here, to be sure.”

“And the wrong reasons?”

“Jealousy. Desire to dominate. Need to be in charge.” Her smile was wistful. “Most people don’t come here looking for a caveman, if you know what I mean.”

He did. He appreciated her articulating those thoughts, because although he wasn’t jealous per se—he was concerned.

Ardelle squeezed his arm. “I’ve known Geoff for several years. He’s as safe as they come. Your friend is in excellent hands.”

He couldn’t see what was going on beneath the comforter, but Loriana’s head appeared relaxed on the pillow. No, he couldn’t argue with Ardelle’s assertion that all was well. “Do you think I’d be welcomed?”

She tilted her head. “You do what feels right. You can sit next to me while I get my neck massage and look around so it’s not obvious what you’re doing, or you can get up the gumption to go over and ask to join. Geoff’s an equal opportunity cuddler, so don’t worry about him. Last month there were four single men, and they all got together.”

Mitch raised an eyebrow.

“Nah, they weren’t all gay. Just that women were fewer, and the men weren’t going to miss out on the opportunity for some quality cuddling.”

He hadn’t expected such enlightenment, but he wasn’t surprised either. “Thank you.” Quietly said.

Ardelle’s smile was wide. “If you come back another night, we might do a puppy pile together.”

He wasn’t sure about that, but would he return? His gut instinct told him it’d depend on how his relationship with Loriana was progressing.

Progressing? Hell, it hadn’t even started. Yet the undeniable pull was there, and he again glanced over at her. He turned back to Ardelle. “May I give you a hug?” Not just because he felt he owed her some kind of physical affection, mind, but because she’d given him plenty to think about. And encouragement he really needed.

She nodded vigorously, but instead of allowing herself to be enfolded, she wrapped her arms around him. Although unexpected, it wasn’t unpleasant. She smelled faintly of roses—a scent he associated with his mother—and he was thrown back into a memory of the woman who had raised him until she was gone too soon under tragic circumstances and, as with every other time he remembered her, he choked up.

“I hope you find happiness,” Ardelle whispered into his ear.

Before he could respond, she let him go, rose, and headed over to Vance who greeted her with a beaming smile.

You can do this.

Perhaps hehadto do this would be more precise. Because he wasn’t a chickenshit. Or at least he hadn’t been. Maybe he should’ve stayed in California and fought.

So not the time.

Action now—wallowing later.

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