Page 42 of Falling Hard
"Your list will most likely be longer."
I raised the corners of my lips. "Don't be jealous you've never learned how to make friends and charm them."
"That's because I put all my effort into you," Luke said. He leaned over, his breakfast and coffee forgotten, eyes locked on mine with an intensity that made the rest of the world fade. I met him halfway, breath caught in my throat, and when our lips touched, there was nothing gentle about it. The kiss was hungry, years of silence erupting into fire. Raw, blazing, and finally free. My fingers curled into the fabric of his shirt as the table between us seemed to disappear, leaving only the heat building between us.
My phone started vibrating.It had been nonstop since Luke and I updated our status, but I ignored most of the messages and went straight to the group chat with my girls.
Alex:Damn, you think you know someone, and she doesn’t even call to say she’s engaged.
Before I could reply, Mei chimed in.
Mei:Can you talk? We need details. How did you pull this off?
Luke is here, but I can text,I answered.
I gave them the rundown, explaining everything.
Alex:What? I hope you kicked him in the crotch.
Mei:She has better things to do with that area.
I laughed out loud.
Then noted Demetria's silence, likely tied up in court.
I promised the girls we’d meet up soon and slipped my phone away.
Even now,my skin tingled from the morning I’d spent with Luke. Loving him, and letting him love me back, was like nothing else. We walked, like the cute couple we were, to my favorite coffee shop. Tami smiled when she saw me.
"One latte with oat milk, please. And he'll take it black."
"Sure, can I have the names for the order?"
She knew mine, so I answered her curiosity. "Luke."
Her eyes flew open. "Luke? That Luke? THE Luke?"
He slipped his arm around shoulder. "The one and only."
Tami squealed. "I've been waiting for an update."
I glared at her and tried to telepathically communicate,Shut up, girl!
Tami did not speak my language. "What happened to Solstice, or whatever her name was?"
Laughter from Luke gnawed at me. I lowered my eyes, embarrassed, and muttered, "He came to his senses and dumped her for me."
Tami clasped her hands together. "This is good news. Olivia was obsessed."
Her use of the word irritated me. Maybe I talked about him a lot. "No, I wasn't," I snapped.
"I'm the one obsessed with Liv, not the other way around."
My heart nearly stopped at his proclamation.
"Wait, then why did you get engaged to Solstice?" the nosy barista asked.
This had gone on long enough. "Tami, the people behind us in line probably want to place their order, so we'll step aside."
