Page 56 of Sins and Secrets

He pulls me into his chest and kisses my forehead. “Waverly, no one cares about me the way you do.”

I think it’s meant to be a compliment, but it breaks my heart instead. “I’m sorry you’ve been alone for so long.”

I’m with people all the time and yet I’m also alone. With him, that loneliness empties and vanishes. He takes care of me in ways I never knew I needed. I try to nuzzle in closer, but our bodies are already pressed together as far as we can go.

“Would you like my cupcake?” he asks.

“No, it’s for you.”

We hold each other in silence, listening to each other’s heartbeats.

“Thank you for sharing your fantasy with me. I know it must’ve been really scary.”

I laugh. “Well, you rewarded my bravery. I should be thanking you.”

His phone buzzes and he sighs. It must be time for him to get ready to leave. He redresses me but without my thong. It feels weird to wear leggings without it. Naughty.

As he gathers his care package and bags, he pauses while I put on my coat. “Hey, who’s the other guy?”

I laugh. “Oh, it’s kinda interchangeable between one of the actors ofThe Knights of the Nightand some music producer named Grae. He’s super-hot and writes a lot of Amanda Chase’s music.”

Lukas blinks at me a few times and then gathers his bags again. “You’ve got interesting taste.” He wraps his arm around me. “I happen to be flying out to LA to tattoo Grae this week. I could lay the groundwork.”

All blood flow stops. The world flips. And words come flying out before I can stop them. “Red. Red. Maroon. RED! No. No. No.” I shake my head violently. “No.”

Lukas jumps back a little, his eyes wide with twinges of panic. “Ok, that’s fine.” He scrubs the back of his head. “Can you talk to me about it?”

I step as far away from him as I can and start pacing. “First of all, it’s fun because it’s a fantasy. Like, logically, I know he’s a real person, but as soon as he becomesrealreal, the fantasy changes. It means he has feelings and emotions. It stops being about my fun selfish desires and starts being about the three of us.” I motion in the space between us. “This started like fifteen seconds ago, and you’re gonna throw someone else into the mix?”

He throws his hands up. “Whoa, no, not at all. I figured since I was going out there, I would let you know. For the future. I don’t need another person in this.” His voice drops. “But if this fantasy is something important to you to explore or try, then I would try to make it happen.”

Oh my God, he’s the sweetest. He’s wonderful and he has way more faith in my sexual capabilities then I do at this point. I take a deep breath. “I fantasized about having a Pegasus, flying around in the air, but that doesn’t mean I want horse shit landing on my car.” I take a step closer to him. “It’s fun because it’s not real. There are no consequences.” I place my hands on his cheeks. “You’re the only one I want to be with.”

His concern vanishes as he relaxes into my hand. “Got it, loud and clear. Excellent communication.”

Still, there’s a tiny voice in my head that wonders, “What’s Grae like?”

Lukas gives me a side-eye followed by the tiniest smirk. “He’s sweet, and funny, and the pictures never do him justice.”

“Oh,” I whisper.

Lukas kisses my forehead. “Really, you couldn’t have picked a better second.” He squeezes my hands and steps back to grab his bag. “I don’t need another partner, nor am I interested in one. But if you’re twisting my arm, he might be on the list.”

“Oh.” I bite my lip and twist my fingers for a second. “So, over time our greens, yellows and reds might change, right?”

He hitches his bag on his shoulder. “Of course.”

“Okay, I’m still a red, but maybe in a year or two I’ll be an orange.” I shrug and look anywhere but at him.

There’s a lightness to his voice I haven’t heard in a while. “Oh, a year or two, huh? Are you doing some long-term planning there?”

“What!” Oh no, what have I done? I shove my weight against him, but he doesn’t move. A second try earns me a step closer to the door. “No. Um, you have a flight to catch, you should go. Now!”

He huffs a few quick breaths of air out of his nose, like Alana does when she’s kinda laughing, before his lips press against mine. “I’ll call you when I land.”

ChapterTwenty-Four

SEVEN YEARS AGO

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