Page 50 of Third Time Lucky

‘Who would we be to stand in the way of love?’ he asks.

‘Exactly.’

‘Double dating,’ he comments, as if recalling a distant memory. ‘We haven’t done that since high school.’

He’s right. We double-dated as teens – Ash with a girl named Isabella and me with Kris. We did all the typical teenage things. Bowling, movies, stalking the dying mall, ate greasy food, and even snuck out a few times for some underage clubbing.

It was so much fun – except for that time I fractured my ankle ice skating. I was not a natural, and Kris could barely stand himself. So, after one particularly hard landing when I thought turning around would be easy, Ash skated over like a pro (apparently, he’d learned to skate to play hockey as a kid) and carried me back to the side of the rink, getting me help in no time. He’s always been a total saint.

‘As friends on our side – just like before,’ I say, mostly to remind myself.

‘Yeah.’ He nods. ‘We may just be the perfect candidates for this kind of operation. And getting to spend more time with you doesn’t sound terrible either.’

A slight gasp leaves my lips as he throws thatobviousflirt into the ring. Do I flirt back? No. Do I want to? Yes?

I catch his eye and hold his gaze, feeling the tension crackling between us like electricity. A flicker of something more is in his eyes, something that mirrors the flutter of excitement in own chest. It’s dangerous territory, this dance we’re doing, flirting on the edge of friendship and something deeper. But as I look at him in the dim glow of the city lights filtering through the car window, I can’t deny the pull I feel toward him.

‘Spending more time with you sounds pretty great to me, too,’ I admit softly, my voice barely above a whisper.

He smiles a slow grin that reaches his eyes, lighting up his face like the stars above us.

‘Let’s make it happen then,’ he suggests eagerly.

‘Let’s,’ I say with a grin.

Before I can exit his car, he beats me to it and walks around the front to my side, pulling open my door like a gentleman. Brandon never opened any doors for me. This is sweet.

The summer evening air wraps around us, tinged with the scent of the nearby blooming flowers planted around Mitzi’s front porch.

‘Thanks for bringing me tonight,’ I say softly, meeting his gaze.

He smiles back, his eyes sparkling under the moonlight. ‘No, thank you for coming with me,’ he replies sincerely. ‘I had a great time, and I can honestly say that it’s been a while since I’ve had that with a woman.’

My heart skips a beat at his words, but I try to play it cool.

‘Are you implying that you’re not the man-whore your friend is?’

Please, say no.Please, say no.

A laugh bursts out of him, shaking his head repeatedly. ‘Not even a little bit.’

‘Thank God,’ I say through a sigh of relief.

He raises a single eyebrow.

‘I mean, that’s refreshing to hear.’

Smooth, Luce.I’m sure that saved it.

He laughs, shaking his head, looking as stunned by what’s going on between us as I am.

‘Yeah, my last girlfriend was a couple of years ago, and since then, I think I could count my dates on one hand.’

‘Well, that’snotrefreshing,’ I say, as we walk toward the porch together. ‘How come?’

‘Work is my girlfriend,’ he says with a shrug like he just can’t help it. ‘I’ve got a goal and can almost see the light at the end of the tunnel. Trying to stay focused.’

‘I get it,’ I say. ‘Work has become my boyfriend too. It’s safer than laying my heart out for someone who could crush it in an instant without warning.’

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