Page 154 of Things We Left Behind
“You can be in control during a blow job.”
His gaze slid to my mouth. “Not enough.”
“Clearly, you haven’t experienced the right kind of oral sex. I’ll be happy to demonstrate in…” I checked the clock on the mantel. “Seven minutes.”
“Pass.”
“Party pooper. Since that was a lame answer, I get another question. Did you tattoo over all your scars?”
Lucian stared at me for a long beat. I wondered if I’d pushed too far.
“Yes,” he said finally.
“Why?”
“Because I’d rather have marks on my body that I chose.”
I nodded. It made sense. The man was literally rewriting his past on his own skin. He surprised me and reached for my wrist. He rolled it over and examined the silvery scars left behind. “A plastic surgeon could probably do something with this.”
I smirked. “I dunno. I kinda think it makes me look like a badass. It reminds me of how brave I was once.”
He cleared his throat and released my wrist. “Have you met your future husband yet?” he asked, changing the subject.
I closed my eyes. “I officially had my best date since I started this quest.”
“And?” he prompted.
“Best doesn’t mean much when it’s stacked up against all the other catastrophes. Nice guy. Wants kids. Zero sparks. I almost fell asleep in my soup while he was talking about last season’s fantasy football league. But maybe that’s what marriage is? A sparkless partnership based on what you can accomplish together.”
“Is that what you think our friends have? Sparkless partnerships?” Lucian asked, his lips curving ever so slightly.
I sighed. “No. They tamed the unicorn.” At his blank expression, I continued. “You know, they found the smoldering, I-wasn’t-my-best-self-until-I-met-you, I-want-to-make-all-your-dreams-come-true kind of once-in-a-lifetime, I-still-watch-you-walk-out-of-the-room love.”
“And you want the unicorn?” Lucian guessed.
“Who doesn’t? Present company excluded, of course.”
“Of course.”
“Yeah. I want the unicorn,” I admitted.
“Then you’ll get it.”
I glanced up at him, but there was no hint that he was making fun of me.
“You think so?”
He rolled his eyes. “Sloane, what have you ever worked for that you didn’t end up getting?”
The man had a point. With the exception of my father’s health, everything I set my sights on eventually came to fruition. Could I just will the perfect man into my life?
“Thanks,” I said. “So tell me one of the things my mom was thanking you for at the funeral.”
He remained silent.
“As per the rules, I’m not allowed to hold it against you or throw it back in your face ever,” I reminded him.
He lifted my foot and applied a heavenly thumb to my arch. “Fine. I helped them find their condo.”
