Page 10 of Lucky
“What’s the rush?” I ask her. “You came out to unwind, and now you’re in a hurry to leave?”
She smiles gently and pushes a finger into my chest, putting some space between us.
“I have someone waiting outside for me.”
I’m quiet as I look at her. I know she came alone. She sees the look on my face and explains that her bodyguards are waiting for her outside in the car.
“So, let them wait,” I shrug. And I’m somewhat relieved, no matter how stupid it may seem, that it’s not a husband or boyfriend that’s waiting for her. I hold her firmly around the waist as we watch each other silently. This woman. “Stay the night,” I suggest.
Her lips quirk in a faint, knowing smile, the kind that doesn’t reach her eyes. She presses a finger into my chest, creating just enough distance to remind me she’s not one to be cornered. “I don’t stay in one place too long, Lucky. You’ll learn that about me.”
“That so?” I ask, my hand still resting lightly on her waist. “Sounds exhausting, never standing still.”
She studies me for a moment, her eyes sharp, unyielding. “It’s necessary. Some of us don’t have the luxury of letting our guard down.”
I chuckle softly, shaking my head before I give her a knowing smile. “Ah. So you’re the type who doesn’t just hold the reins; you keep them knotted tight, don’t you?”
“And you don’t?” she counters, arching an elegant brow.
I grin, not bothering to hide the edge of flirtation in my tone. “Oh, I know when to loosen them. Sometimes, that’s the only way to get what you want.”
“Spoken like a man who’s used to people giving in to him.”
“Maybe,” I admit, holding her gaze. “But I also know it doesn’t work on everyone.”
Her eyes narrow slightly, but the corners of her lips twitch upward in a faint smirk. “Good. I’d hate to be predictable.”
“You’re far from predictable, Jacklyn,” I say, letting her name roll off my tongue deliberately. She stiffens at the sound, just enough for me to notice.
For a moment, neither of us speaks. The silence stretches, taut like a string pulled to its limit. Her eyes search mine, looking for… what? Weakness? An angle? Or maybe just a reason to stay a little longer.
“You talk a lot about letting go,” she says finally, her tone sharp but her voice quieter now. “But I don’t think you’re as free as you like to pretend you are.”
Her words hit like a calculated strike, and I can’t help the short laugh that escapes me. “Touché. Maybe I like control more than I let on.”
“Maybe,” she echoes, tilting her head slightly, her hair falling in a loose wave over one shoulder. “But control is a funny thing. The harder you hold on, the easier it slips through your fingers.”
Her words linger between us, heavy with double meaning.
“Is that a warning?” I ask, my voice dropping lower.
Her lips curve into a slow, deliberate smile. “It’s an observation.”
“And what would you do, Jacklyn, if someone managed to take the reins from you?” I press, my hand sliding a fraction lower on her waist, testing her reaction.
Her smile doesn’t falter, but her eyes sharpen like a blade. “No one takes them from me, Lucky. Not without a fight.”
The way she says it is both a challenge and a promise, and it leaves me wondering whether I’d survive the attempt—or if I even care.
“So why don’t you tell me who the real Jacklyn Vicci is. Other than the fact that you like to keep your world tightly controlled…” I pause, trailing my thumb in a small circle against her hip, “I don’t know anything else about you.”
Her smile falters, her expression guarded. For a split second, I think I’ve lost her, that I’ve asked for too much, but then she surprises me by leaning in, her voice low.
“There’s nothing to tell,” she throws at me.
“Nothing?” I reply, standing suddenly and taking her with me, steadying her with a hand on her back.
She gasps at the sudden movement, her hands instinctively clutching my shoulders. “What are you doing!” she laughs, but there’s a rare looseness to her tone, as though she’s allowing herself to surrender to the moment, if only for a fleeting second.