Page 58 of Trusting You
Whatever vulnerability he was about to allow to escape has long vanished. I straighten. “One can never be too careful.”
Locke busies himself pulling plates out of the top cabinets. “So, you’ll go?”
“Go where? Back to Florida?”
“No, out with my sister. She’s assaulting me via text. I have to give her an answer.”
“Uh, sure. I guess.”
“So that means you’re staying.” Locke smirks again, but there’s more behind it this time. It’s not just for show.
“With no uncertain terms,” I state firmly.
He cocks a brow, that one-sided move that few know how to do with such carefree arrogance. “Go ahead. Make them certain.”
“We can’t keep going on like this. We both know that.” I follow him to the table, hooking under Lily’s arms on the way and settling her into the high chair. “This evening proves that.”
“True.”
“So, we need a timeline.”
Locke places his palms on the wooden table, leaning closer to me on the other side. He ponders for a moment, his forehead going smooth and his stare drifting over my shoulder. He’s so close I can trace his cheekbones, maybe press a thumb to his lower lip, bigger than his upper, tantalizing enough to bite.
“Lily’s first birthday is coming up, right?”
His question has me drifting up to his stare, now hooded, his eye color darkened by his lashes, but no less compelling.
“Yes,” I manage to say.
“You should be there for that.” His voice has gone soft, husky, and I’m back to staring at those lips.
Unconsciously, I lick my own. I hear a low growl in response.
I’m damp in unspeakable places. I want to cross my legs, to brush up against pleasure, but I’m standing. The last thing I want to be is upright. Under him, on top of him, those are positions I’d prefer…
I want to scrape my teeth against his jaw.
“BAH!”
We both startle apart, Lily appearing in the middle of us, smacking her palms on her plastic table.
The very reason I’m forbidden to have this fantasy stares back at me. Paige’s daughter. Locke’s child.
Because they slept together. Locke and Paige came together in the most intimate way. He hugged her curves, she caressed his body. They were naked, heard each other’s sighs, together.
I’m lucky Lily is here policing the situation.
Phantom cold water splashes against my cheeks and I stumble farther away. “Lily’s birthday. That’s in a little under three weeks. I can do that.”
As much as instinct screams at me to leave now, to back away from Locke, I can’t leave Lily so soon. Locke’s right, I’d love to be here for such a milestone.
“That’s settled then.” Locke’s scratching at his chin as if he’s also coming to terms with what we almost did.
“Yep. Settled. I’ll get the pasta.”
I scurry away, conscious of Locke’s stare on my back and look for a hot plate to set down the pot. Finding none, I bring the pasta and a hand towel to put under the still-steaming pan. Locke watches me do all this with careful consideration.
“Huh,” he says with a shoulder jerk like I’ve just come up with the solution for gravity.
“You need a potholder,” I snap, then plop down on the chair and start serving Lily.
I avoid his stare throughout dinner, and he doesn’t attempt small talk, other than trying to learn Lily’s language. Outside city noises are the soundscape to our dinner, but I prefer it that way. In fact, I prefer the solid, tangible, cold wooden table coming between us. And Lily herself, sharing Paige and Locke’s DNA, because of sex. Paige and Locke had sex.
So many glaring reasons during this very dinner to stay far away from whatever inkling is stirring in my soul, enticing and seductive as it uncoils.
Three more weeks will not give me enough time to fall in love with Lachlan Hayes.
I’ll make sure of it.