Page 32 of Cupid Loves Curves

Luke. Only with Luke. Laughter bubbles out of me, and the tension eases from my shoulders like steam. “A ‘zing’?” I mimic, raising an eyebrow. “Is that the technical term?”

“Absolutely,” she fires back, wiping her mouth with a napkin. “And don’t pretend you haven’t felt it with Luke. That man has ‘zing’ written all over him.”

Ruby grins, leaning forward to tap her mug against mine in a mock toast. “To finding love—or at least a good ‘zing’—in the most unexpected places.”

“To love and zing,” I echo, clinking my mug with hers, my heart filled with uncertainty. “But this is different. This is Luke. It feels like the stakes are higher.”

“That’s because theyare, babe,” Ruby says, her gaze softening. “Look, I know you’re scared, but isn’t it worth the risk?” Her voice has a gentle challenge, pushing me to be honest with myself.

I pause, closing my eyes as I imagine Luke’s strong hands on my hips and the way he looked at me like I was a goddess. Being with him was intoxicating in the best way.

“Maybe it is.”

CHAPTER 6

LUKE

Istride into Ghost Security, my heart hammering like I’m headed into battle. The steel and glass of the office don’t do a damn thing to cool my nerves. Jake’s desk is a fortress of monitors and tech. He stands by the window, looking out over Jefferson with that intense focus he gets when solving a problem.

“Jake,” I start without preamble, “we need to talk.”

He turns, his eyes watching me closely. “What’s up, Foster?”

“Can we—somewhere private?” My voice is gruff and even I can hear the strain in it.

I’m not looking forward to this conversation, but I know it’s better to have it now than later. One thing therapy taught me is to work on getting in front of issues, not hiding and waiting until they explode like an IED. Besides, Jessica is worth it.

Without a word, Jake leads me to a small conference room with floor-to-ceiling windows. It’s a room meant to impress and intimidate. The sounds of the office disappear as Jake closes the door.

Jake turns to me and crosses his arms over his chest. “Spit it out, Foster.”

“It’s about your sister,” I start, the words sticking in my throat.

“Is she okay?” Jake’s demeanor changes to concern with a coiled intensity. He’s deeply protective of her.

“What? No, no, she’s fine.” She’s fantastic, actually. “It’s…we went on a date.”

Jake lowers his head for a long moment, and I see the muscles in his arms clenching.

“What have I told you? You need to stay the fuck away from my sister. You hurt her again, and you’ll regret it. You’ll end up on that mountain in a ditch where no one will find you for a hundred years.”

I wince. He may be a computer guy, but I know full well he did combat training in the Army. I’m no stranger to combat, but I don’t want to fight my closest friend. It strikes me that my challenge now isn’t only to win over Jessica—I need to convince her brother, too, sohedoesn’t try to kill me.

The air between us crackles with tension. Jake’s jaw clenches, and he doesn’t hide his feelings about me wanting to see his sister again.

“Listen, I know how protective you are about her, and I respect that, but—”

“Respect?” Jake cuts me off, his voice low and dangerous. “If you respected it, you wouldn’t be here telling me this.”

“I’m herebecauseI respect you. Her happiness is important to me,” I counter, staring my best friend down.

“Is it? Or is this just another conquest, Luke?” The accusation stings because part of me fears he may be right.

“Conquest?” I shake my head, heat rising in my cheeks. “No, it’s not like that. I don’t sleep around, and you know it. With Jessica, it’s different.”

“Didn’t seem that way when she told me you ghosted her the summer you came back. She’s not a woman you can string along. If you hurt her—”

“I’m not intending to hurt her,” I interrupt, my hands fisted at my sides. “Hell, I didn’t want to hurt her before, but you know the shit I was dealing with. If I had stayed with her, she would have ended up hurt worse. I’m not making the mistake of letting her go again.”

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