Page 63 of Pucking Tangled
This was what they’d all agreed to.
If Mia wanted more than one of them, they would support it.
Hell, he even told Mia as much last night.
So why the hell did it feel like his chest was caving in?
Across the table, Waylon lookedrelaxed.Like he hadn’t just fed Mia with his own fork. Like he hadn’t just looked her dead in the eye and said something that madehermouth go slack andLucawant to throw a chair.
“I bet you taste better.”
Casey bailed.
Owen looked like he was ready to punch the smirk right off Waylon’s face.
And Mia sat between them looking like she’d just been caught doing something she shouldn’t. Flushed and wide-eyed and completely,achinglybeautiful.
He was an idiot. Heknewwhat they’d agreed to. No one would claim her. They’d give Luca his moment—one night, one shot—and then the door would be open for them to each make a move. But he hadn’t expected it tohurtlike this. Not so soon.
Last night had feltreal.
He’d kissed every inch of her. Touched her like she was something sacred. Whispered her name like a promise.
But now?
Now he felt like a placeholder. Like the warm-up act before the main show.
His jaw tightened.
Waylon didn’tdeserveher. Not with the way he treated everything and everyone like a game. He didn’tknowher—not the way Luca did. He didn’t know how she got that little wrinkle between her brows when she was overthinking. The way she tucked her feet under her when she got quiet. The sound she made when shereallylet go—a gasp caught between a moan and a laugh.
Luca knew all of that.
And he wasn’t going to lose her without a fight.
He turned just in time to see Waylon saunter out of the kitchen, humming to himself like nothing had happened.
“Seriously?” Luca said, stepping in front of him. “You think that was funny?”
Waylon stopped. “I think you’re in over your head.”
Luca’s chest rose and fell with ragged breaths. “That’s not how this was supposed to go.”
“That’sexactlyhow this was supposed to go. You had your night. We gave you time and space. That’s what we agreed to,” Waylon said, eyes flashing with something sharper thanamusement now.
“I know,” Luca ground out. “But that doesn’t mean you get to?—”
“To what?” Waylon smirked. “To show her she has options? To treat her like she’sdesirableinstead of untouchable? You think she didn’t like it?”
“To pounce on her so quickly,” he clarified.
“No?” Waylon cocked his head. “Because I thought the point was we agreed to let her choose. You had your night, man. Now I’m making my move.”
“It’s not agame, Waylon.”
“No,” Waylon said, his voice growing darker. “It’s not. Which is why I’m not sitting on my hands anymore while you pretend like she belongs to you.”
Luca’s jaw clenched. “I never said that.”
