Page 97 of Say You'll Stay

She pulls at my shirt and I consider just locking us in the pantry for an hour, but she stops me before I make a dumb choice like that.

Her eyes sparkle, nervous, but just as hungry as I am. “Let’s go.”

Chapter39

Allie

I can’t decide if I should turn the light off or leave it on.

Lopsided breasts, stretch marks, and a touch of cellulite…

Definitely off.

Lucas is in the bathroom brushing his teeth. Thank goodness he’s clean. I mean, of course, he is. Duh. He has to be if he wants to stay stupid pretty.

And I’m in leggings and one of my dad’s old shirts.

This is a terrible idea. I should stop now. Maybe build another pillow wall. I’d probably wake up with his—ahem—poking me again.

God, I never wanted last night to end. His hands all over me and whispers of sweet things in my ear. A few things made my cheeks burn with embarrassment, but I bit down on my lip and said nothing. He used words I would never say out loud, but they sound so poetic coming from him.

Yeah, this is a bad idea.

It’s the middle of the week. People do this on Friday and Saturday nights. Not when there’s work in the morning. I could fake a headache.

“Allie?”

I could almost swear my bones just left my body momentarily at the sight of him. He’s standing in the doorway while I pace the floor like some kind of lunatic.

But I get a good look at him and I want to hear him say those things to me again.

No shirt.

No pants.

Good god, he’s in black men’s tight boxers and I can seeit. He called it a cock, but I wouldn’t be caught dead using that word.

“Are you okay?”

No, I am not okay. I’m about to have a stroke because a nearly naked Lucas-freaking-Kennedy is one article of clothing away from pure nakedness and I have yet to turn off the light so he won’t see me and run for the hills.

And he thinks he’s going to ask me to marry him? He will take one look and change his mind.

“You’re freaking out.”

I simply nod because if I speak, I’m not sure what idiot thing I’ll say.

“You are perfect just the way you are Allie. Everything about you and me, here together, like this, is perfect. You want me to turn the light off? Will that make you feel better?” He leans against the door frame casually, arms crossed over his broad chest.

Fine. I’ll say it.

I have it.A lady boner. I’m hot for this annoying and funny and gorgeous man standing in my room and he thinks he wants me too. His entire frame from his abs to whatever muscles are on the sides of those to his tattooed chest and then his shoulders. All of it. All of it looks perfect and sends my heart racing.

“I, um, I can do it.” If he does it, he’ll have to walk by me and I don’t know what I would do seeing all of that up close.

Probably faint.

I’m keenly aware of his eyes on me while I walk to my door and turn off the light. He locked it after bringing me up here. Up the stairs, he had his bag in one hand and held my hand in the other, and I just know that for me, there’s no turning back from something like this.

---