Page 62 of It's Complicated

“Yep, got my case stashed in my trunk.”

I drop the glasses on the table and grab two sodas from the fridge. “Uh-uh, expecting to be invited to stay overnight.” I sit opposite Jace. “Cocky.”

“Again, not you. Now that I’ve experienced the joy of falling asleep with multiple cats on my legs, cutting the circulation to my lower limbs, I can’t go back to the discomfort of sleeping star-fished on my California King. It’s just impossible.”

“I bet it is.” I take a slice of pizza. “Mmm, this is delicious. Where’d you get it?”

“Pizzeria Uno.”

“It’s a good way to say goodbye to Chicago before I have to dodge eating alligator meat.”

“We’re not going to the jungle. I’m sure New Orleans will have plenty of vegetarian options.”

“Ready for all the debauchery?” I ask Jace.

Jace smirks in a way that punches me straight in the guts. “I thought we had rules, Lola.”

I swallow, thinking of the two nights ahead of us. When we booked our trip, it seemed like a perfectly reasonable thing to share a room with Jace. We’d done it plenty of times in the past. And no matter that we’ve basically slept together every night for the past week, sharing a hotel bed after we will have been outdrinking and dancing all night is going to make it a thousand times harder not to break the rules.

26

JACE

We land at New Orleans Airport late on Friday night. As the arrivals doors swish open on the outdoors, we’re buffeted by a gust of lukewarm, humid air, a stark contrast to the cold, clear, dry winds of Chicago. We load our suitcases into two separate cabs—we’re six in total, five dudes plus Lori—and give the drivers the address of our hotel in the center of the French Quarter.

After the check-in, the guys want to head straight out to get the party started. So Lori and I barely have time to drop our bags in the room and get changed before we have to be downstairs again. And it’s a good thing I don’t have to dwell on the fact that Lori and I are sharing a hotel room. I’ve gotten pretty used to her sleeping in my bed, but a hotel setting feels different, plus, we’re going to be drinking tonight—and co-sleeping, well, it’ll be just torture.

Dude, you’re the one who set the rules.

Right, because if I gave in and had sex with Lori, and then it didn’t work out between us, I wouldn’t be able to come back from that. Already I’m in too deep. It was one thing to want Lori and not have her. But to have her and then lose her, I wouldn’tsurvive that. I’m afraid that, already, if something goes wrong between us I’ll drown.

But, gosh, the way she bites her lower lip as she stares at the giant California King bed in the middle of the room is killing me softly all the same.

“Looks cozy,” she says, sounding way too casual.

“It’ll be fine,” I tell her, even though I know it’s a lie.

Lori shrugs and goes to drop her suitcase on the bed.

“I need to get changed before we head out,” she says, picking a slippery thingy out of the suitcase that looks like it’ll be the end of me. Dress in hand, she scurries to the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

I drop my bag on the small couch in the corner and get changed, too.

I pull on a clean T-shirt and jeans and wait for Lori seated on the bed. I don’t have to wait long—she flings the bathroom door open, and I stifle a groan as she rounds the bed to stand in front of me. Her hair is swept up in a high ponytail and her eyes are outlined in smoky eyeshadow. And the dress she’s wearing hugs every single one of her gorgeous curves, and it’s shorter than what I’m used to seeing on her. Pure temptation.

I drag my gaze away from her legs, up her body, and meet her eyes.

Lori bites her lip and looks at me with those serious eyes. “I’m ready,” she breathes.

“Yeah, I can see. You look gorgeous.”

I don’t move, I can’t. I’m afraid that if I get up from this bed now, I’ll pull her down and spend the next two days shut in this room seeing to her.

Lori shifts on her feet at the intensity of my stare on her and awkwardly points at the door with her thumbs. “Should we join the others?”

“Don’t tell me you’re looking forward to all the partying.”

Lori laughs. “I’m looking forward to one thing and one thing only.”

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