Page 26 of Sprite Wedding
Thinking about him with other women struck an unappetizing image in my brain. I forced it away.
He lowered his hands to his sides and said, “I like to take care of my mate.”
“You do, indeed,” I agreed with a hearty nod.
Twenty minutes later, we were seated at one of the pubs we frequented downtown. It had dark panels and often played classic and alternative rock, much to Lucas’s satisfaction. He could be a music snob and complained about current pop music.
After I ordered a French dip sandwich and he a steak and cheese, I asked him, “Anything exciting happen today?”
Lucas’s gaze shifted to the side and downward. “Nope.”
That odd reaction struck me with a pang. What was he keeping from me?
I couldn’t go around seeking signs of a suspicious nature just because I was a detective. And I especially couldn’t go about doing so with my partner.
“You know me, as boring as an accountant with a spreadsheet.”
I chuckled. “I don’t think anybody would use the word boring to describe you.”
“Oh, and how would they describe me?”
“Vivacious, fun-loving, energetic.”
“Not sexy or devastatingly hot?” He reached under the table and squeezed my thigh.
“They might, but they better not around me,” I teased.
“Oh, is that right, Zoe?” His blue eyes twinkled. “Are you feeling a little possessive?”
“Maybe,” I admitted, pursing my lips. I took a sip of my sangria. “I have to say, it had been a while since I’d seen you dance like that in the club. I’ve been used to thinking of you as all mine. Seeing how all those women gawked at you like you were as juicy as my sandwich here got under my skin. I can’t help but feel a little jealous.”
His eyes flickered with something I tried to read. Was it fear? Guilt? Shame?
That didn’t make sense. It had to be me reading too much into nothing again.
“You have nothing to worry about, Zoe,” he replied in a strange, flat tone. “The fact that I was even dancing like that in public was a one-time thing.”
When I raised my index finger to counter, he added, “A two-time thing. It’s not going to happen again.”
A question that had been irking me wormed its way to my lips. “The reason it happened is still murky, Lucas. I wonder if what happened tapped into your deepest desires, if it’s something you crave.”
“What?” He scrunched his face. “No, it was most likely something familiar, retrieved from the old vault.” He tapped the side of his head. “It’s what I used to do.”
“But you loved it. Maybe you miss being on stage. I know you loved the attention and applause.”And the women.I kept that part to myself to avoid sounding even more jealous. “I can’t see how you can walk away from something you love and not miss it.”
“Because I gained something so much better.” He reached across the table and took my hand. “You.”
My pulse kicked up a notch. “Oh, Lucas.” The tips of my ears warmed.
“Your ears are pink.”
“Oh.” I covered them with my hair.
“You’re not embarrassed by me saying that, are you?”
“No.” I rolled one shoulder. “I’m not used to the affection, but I like it coming from you.”
“I hope so,” he noted with a warm expression. “Because I’ll tell you how much you mean to me every day if it helps you accept you’re all I want.”
