Page 103 of Lucas
She nods, her wet hair clinging to her cheeks.
“Fuck. You should have told me.” I brush my thumb over her cheekbone, wiping away a drop of water.
“No, I needed you to push me to succeed.”
I tilt her chin up, forcing her to maintain eye contact. “You don’t need me to succeed, Ava. You do that all on your own.”
“Do you still want me to move into your room?”
“I offered, didn’t I?” I raise an eyebrow.
“Okay,” she says after a moment. “Just for now, so we don’t raise suspicion while Kaia is here.”
Warmth floods through me. I’m not sure I can make up for years of rivalry between our families, but as I stand here looking at her, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I’ve fallen hard.
I want her and not just what she’s willing to give. I want her heart. I’m not sure she’ll ever be willing to give it to me but damn it, I’m going to try.
These past days, I’ve been trying to figure out what to do with all these strange feelings. I tried to deny them, to push them down, but there’s no doubt in my mind now that I’m falling in love with her.
She’ll never forgive me when I carry out my revenge on her father. She’ll become collateral damage and there will be no way back.
She stands in my room's doorway, clutching her pillow to her body. She’s wearing tiny pajama shorts that leave little to the imagination and a matching top. Her hair tumbles around her shoulders in tousled waves.
“You brought your own pillow?” I point to my bed, which is piled high with at least six pillows.
She shrugs, her slender shoulders rising and falling. “I’m attached to it.”
I smile, warmth blooming in my chest. She’s going to sleep here. With me.
Fuck, I need to convince Kaia to stay longer so Ava will keep sleeping with me. I need Ava here with me as much as possible. I need to show her how much she means to me.
I strip off my shirt, tossing it aside.
“Is that how you sleep?” she asks, her eyes widening as they roam over my bare chest.
I turn to face her, raising an eyebrow. “Yes. Why?”
“You’re naked.”
I glance down at myself, then back up at her. “I’m not naked. I have underwear on. Wait, are you worried you’ll be unable to stop yourself from jumping me during the night? Because if so, that’s fine. You’re welcome to. I can handle it.” I grin at her, my eyes twinkling.
“Insufferable,” she mutters under her breath, surveying theroom. “Don’t you have a couch or something I can sleep on in here?”
“Nope.”
“Well, I guess I could sleep on the rug.” She eyes the plush, furry rug next to my bed. It’s comfortable—I’d be happy to fuck her on it—but it’s not suitable for sleeping.
“You can sleep with me in the bed.” I pat the mattress.
“Not interested, thanks. It’s just for the pretense, remember?” She continues to scan the room, looking for an alternative.
“You’d prefer I sleep on the rug?” I ask.
“Yes.”
Shit, I didn’t think she’d say yes when I offered. “Okay.”
I gather my pillow and a blanket from the bed and lie down on the rug. I try to arrange myself in a position that won’t hurt my back, twisting and turning on the hard surface beneath.
