Page 73 of Lilacs and Leather
“He’s got a pretty cute butt,” I comment, shrugging.
She lets out a startled burst of laughter, and I smile back. She looks at me for another long moment, and I go still. Her eyes are warm, almost golden in the late afternoon light filtering through the balcony doors. Her skin glows with it, taking my breath away.
“Rhett, my love. When you go to the wedding, stay at the apartment. It’ll be better than staying in whatever chain hotel they’ve no doubt blocked,” Alexandra calls over her shoulder.
“Can I go?” Lucas asks eagerly.
I nearly choke on my inhale, face paling. All the eyes in the room snap to me as I recover, blushing bright red.
“I don’t think it would be a good idea for me to bring my boyfriend to my girlfriend’s brother’s wedding,” Rhett chides firmly.
My cheeks heat further at Rhett’s words, my heart fluttering. I’d come to the same conclusion in my head, even if I’d never put into words. It should feel weird for my boyfriend to also have a boyfriend, but I only feel the happy little dancing butterflies in my stomach when I think about Rhett officially acknowledging us as a couple. My gaze flicks to Mateo, but he’s smiling fondly at Rhett. He seems to sense my look, finding my eyes from across the room. He gives me a little nod and a wink, and I try not to melt in my chair.
“Obviously not to the wedding. Though I’m sure we’d liven up the place. I just meant on the trip. I want to check in on a few friends from culinary school, maybe do a little headhunting. It would be a business trip,” Lucas presses.
“We’ll talk about it,” Rhett says, looking between me and Lucas.
I nod with a relieved sigh. I didn’t know Lucas well enough to be able to navigate that sort of interaction, of figuring out exactly how our dynamics would balance out, and having Rhett as backup would be a godsend.
“Did you get enough to eat, Lydi? We can pack up some leftovers for you,” Lucas asks from the kitchen.
I give him a polite smile and nod. I only had a small portion compared to the rest of them, but I didn’t want to overindulge. I’m also a little taken aback by Lucas’s use of my brother’s nickname. I like the way it sounds in his not-quite-Southern accent.
“Sorry if this is rude, but where are you from, Lucas?” I ask curiously.
Lucas chuckles, moving to the sink to wash the serving utensils. “It’s not rude, first of all. And I’m from New York, not the city. Rochester, specifically,” he replies with a smirk.
I hum a response, tilting my head a little. “How d’you end up here?”
“I drift, and the winds of fate blew me into the waiting arms of my alphas,” Lucas returns with a wistful sigh.
“Translation: he was couch surfing and applied for the job at The Valencia on a whim,” Rhett deadpans with a roll of his eyes.
“You take the magic out of everything,” Lucas scoffs.
I raise my eyebrows and purse my lips as I tilt my head. Rhett certainly doesnottake the magic out of the bedroom. Alexandra catches my look, and her melodious laugh makes me blush.
“Lucas told me of the favor you did us a few weeks ago,” Alexandra starts, turning to face me more fully.
I swallow, all of those happy feelings gone. It feels like the principal has called me to her office, but I didn’t know the reason yet. Her eyes are soft, but the stern set of her face is nearly impossible to read. I nod, settling on letting her take the lead rather than incriminating myself.
“Ella was very impressed, as were several of her bridesmaids. That photographer you brought in, Bryan? His photos were incredible, and he’s really stepped up. We’re considering his reapplication to our vendor affiliate program,” Alexandra goes on, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
“Too bad his other line of work isn’t as sterling,” Rhett grumbles, just loud enough for us to hear.
“For the last time, they were for his personal collection. And they were very tasteful.” I sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose.
“I’msorry.What sort of photos are we talking about? Lewds? Nudes?” Lucas asks, voice exuberant with his excitement.
“Nothing like that. He... “
“Likes feet. Artsy pictures of feet,” Rhett finishes, words clipped.
Lucas lets out a cackling laugh, and I look back to Alexandra, feeling the heat creeping down my face. Her eyes sparkling, she presses her lips into a thin line as she tries not to laugh outright.
“Rhett, I think you need to make a stop at the Leg Store, because you don’t have one to stand on,” Mateo comments, leaning against the sink as he dries his hands with a towel.
Lucas’s laughter dies in a snort. “Do you want to be the pot or the kettle, Matty?” he snipes.