Page 115 of Him Lessons

“Nah,” he said after a hard swallow. “It looks great on you.”

She smiled. “Then I’ll get it.”

“Yeah, you should.” But even as he said it, he was shaking his head. Because hell to the fucking no, he didnotwant every man in that nightclub thinking about peeling this dress off her delectable body the way he was doing right now.

Andy cocked her head in confusion.

Luke glanced towards the rest of the dresses he’d hung outside the stall. “Although,” he said carefully, “lots of chicks will be rocking the little black dress look. You might want to go with something more unique.”

Andy nodded trustingly as he sifted through the options. When he paused on a white peasant-style number, she grabbed it. “Ooh, this one has laces up the front. It looks like something Ciri might wear, don’t you think?”

Luke was fairly certain Andy was talking about a character fromWitcher, not the Apple voice lady. “Yeah,” he nodded. “Totally Ciri. Try it on.”

Andy did and, a moment later, stepped out with another tiny smile. One that made him feel a lot less of a heel for manipulating her. Because this dress was totally Andy too.

His gaze swept down the garment, which featured long gauzy white sleeves, a corset-style top, and a flowy skirt that ended just above the knee. “It’s perfect,” he murmured.

“Yeah,” she said, excitement rising in her voice. “Well, almost. I mean, the wrist seams are a tad annoying, but I’m sure I can handle it for one night, and this dress is so not as bad as the first. And, oh my gosh, it has pockets!” She shoved her hands in the skirt of the dress, beaming at the discovery.

He chuckled. Of course Miss Cargo Pants would dig a dress with pockets. “You should get it.”

“I’ll get both,” Andy said decisively. “White for tonight. Black for another one.”

“Good call.”

She checked out the price tags, winced, then shook her head as she swiveled her hips. “Nope. I’m buying them. I don’t have any dresses, and I totally deserve this splurge, don’t I?”

She looked so pretty smiling down at the fall of fabric swishing about her thighs, Luke would have bought every dress in the shop if she’d let him. As he knew she wouldn’t, he simply brushed a wisp of hair from her face and said, “You totally do.”

She looked up at him, the happy curve of her lips so damn enticing.

God, he wanted to kiss her.

“I really want…” he began thickly.

“Yes, Luke?”

He swallowed. Hard. “I really want you to have a great time tonight. And I hope everything goes the way you want it to.”

Lies. Total lies. Especially that last part.

Andy cocked her head. “You sure you can’t come?”

Luke couldn’t fault her for finding his crib-making excuse a little sus given he would have bowed out regardless. As it was, that at least had been truthful. Hehadpromised his sister he’d swing by.

“I could totally use my wingman,” Andy pressed. “I’ll probably step on more than a few toes tonight, and I’m not talking about just the dancing.”

“You’ll do fine, Andy.”

Her gaze slid to the older woman who was pinning a blouse to a mannequin in the back. “You heard that exchange with her daughter, right?”

“Yes. My hearing is just fine.”

But his head wasn’t. It — like his heart — was all kinds of messed up. He raked a hand through his hair, a frustrated sigh slipping from him. “Andy, I can’t. I just… You know why I can’t.”

Her big blues widened, and for a moment, he wondered if she did know. If it was suddenly dawning on her that he was crazy about her, and watching her put the moves on his friend all night was an exercise in torture his poor messed-up heart just couldn’t take.

But then she merely blinked at him and said, “It must be a really big crib.”

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