Page 19 of Passion

Midge and I had swum for a while, but I was tired, and though everyone had drinks, I passed on them, knowing I had a shoot for new headshots first thing in the morning. I knew how puffy my face got after a night of drinking, so I opted not to. Instead, I sipped cranberry seltzer and splashed around a bit until Midge pulled me in closer, where the guys, seated on their lounge chairs talking, couldn’t hear us.

“So, are you moving out now? You have a job. You cutting him off?” She was obviously talking about Lucas and her stupid assumption that he was my sugar daddy. I wanted to argue with her and protest it, but she was convinced. I wasn’t, though. I knew if that was the case, he would never have agreed to separate bedrooms.

“When it’s time. I don’t have money coming in yet. Just a job. If you’re so worried about this, why can’t I just stay with you?” I tried to swim away, but she followed me.

“You know Daven will just fire me like he did you if I help you. I can’t take that right now. I lost almost everything too.” I took the stairs out the north end of the pool, and she followed. A quick glance at the guys talking and I noticed Henry was standing, probably to leave. We’d had a good night celebrating my new job, and it was nice meeting him, but I was ready to sleep too.

Midge and I left wet footprints around the end of the pool and picked up our towels. Henry walked up to us and shook my hand. “It was really nice meeting you, Vera. Congrats on the new contract. Good luck!”

“Thanks, Henry. I look forward to seeing you again sometime.”

He grinned, checked Midge out, then walked away. She snickered and turned to watch him walk away. I smacked her and hissed, “He’s married.”

“Look, girl, eye candy comes in all sizes and varieties, and that man is sweet.” She winked at me as we strolled over to where Lucas still sat.

“Ready to go in?” he asked, turning to rest his feet on the cement.

“I think so.” I nudged Midge. “Midge is just leaving too. I’m kind of tired.” I hoped she took the point. I grabbed my towel and began drying off. She glowered at me and said her goodbyes, heading in to change before Ubering her annoying way out of my life. I was over her badgering about Lucas.

“Everything okay between you two?” Lucas grabbed the corner of my towel and dabbed my face just below my right eye. I smiled and rubbed at the same spot. I probably had mascara streaked on my cheek.

“Yeah, she just gets annoying sometimes. It’ll be fine.” I shrugged it off and turned toward the house. “I know we have a bit of work to get me moved over to the guest room, and I’m exhausted. Can we go up now and do that?” Starting toward the house, I glanced over my shoulder at the despondent gaze Lucas cast in my direction.

“Yeah, sure.” I could tell he was discouraged and I knew it was my fault. I hadn’t meant to upset or sadden him. I just carried this constant weight around with me that I was using him or that he was being too charitable. We had great sex on the island and on his plane, but we fell into this rhythm like an old married couple without dating or even getting to know each other that much. It was all too much, too fast.

He followed me up the stairs to the bedroom and shut the door behind us when we entered. I grabbed my suitcase and laid it out on the bed, the easiest way to transport all my clothes from one room to the other. But he grabbed my hand and stopped me from unzipping it.

“No, please.”

I thought he was protesting my moving out of his room. I had prepared myself for this. I had a million and one reasons it had to happen. I still had no other place to go, but I was even prepared to get a hotel for a few weeks while I found my own place if necessary.

“Luke, I need to?—”

“I just wanted to say that you’re my guest here, and you’ve already made yourself comfortable in this room. Let me take the guest bed. Okay?” He smiled and pushed the hair out of my eyes, slowly curling my blonde strands around my ear. “It is just the polite thing to do.”

My heart flooded with warmth. I wanted to kiss him, but I wanted to have self-respect too. He was so fucking amazing. How could I not fall helplessly in love with him? But my heart was still too hurt, too in love with Daven.

“Uh, thank you?” I phrased it as a question because I couldn’t believe he was serious.

“I’m still going to use the closet and shower in here. We’ll just sleep separately like you asked. Is that okay?”

He was asking me for permission to do that in his own home? I coughed and cleared my throat. “Uh, yeah, that’s okay.” I perched on the side of the bed, towel wrapped around my wet, bikini-clad body until he grabbed his shorts to sleep in and left, but not before he kissed my forehead and said goodnight.

When he was gone, I marveled at what sort of man he was. I thought I should pinch myself and make sure this wasn’t some fairy tale dream I’d wake up from and have to tell my mother I was really homeless. How had it been my luck to wind up in this billionaire’s house with him doting on me?

I showered quickly then dressed and climbed into bed. It felt lonely without someone there with me. I’d lived with Daven for a while and gotten used to his sleeping in the same bed with me every night. Since our breakup, I’d only spent one night alone, but I slept on the couch at my apartment. It was the night before I flew to Elbow Cay and met Lucas.

I tossed and turned for a while unable to sleep, and when I realized if I didn’t sleep soon, my face would have dark circles, I broke down. My pride wasn’t too fragile to admit I'd made a mistake. I pulled my sleepy self up from my bed and trudged down the hall to the guest room. I figured Lucas was sleeping already, so I knocked softly, but he called to me and it surprised me.

“Come in.” I opened the door slowly and saw all the lights on, Lucas leaning against the headboard of the guest bed, reading. He pulled his glasses off and laid his book and the glasses on the nightstand. “Is something wrong?”

“I can’t sleep.” I put my bottom lip out. I was pathetic. I was the one who had wanted the separation, and here I was, ready to ask him to come back.

“Would you like a glass of warm milk? Maybe a sleep aid?” He turned and draped his feet over the side of the bed, ready to go to action.

“Can you come back?” I huffed out a sigh. “I am so used to someone sleeping with me, and I don’t think I can sleep if there isn’t someone there. I’m too nervous about tomorrow.” I made that last part up so I didn’t look as pathetic.

Lucas smiled, but it was a concerned smile he gave me.

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