“Yeah, we’re good,” he answers with a nod and I release a breath. “Now, are you and Brooklyn ready to go?”
I glance down at my outfit as I nod absentmindedly. “Just give me like two minutes.”
He nods and follows me as I turn back to the house and step inside. Alice is waiting right where I left her and she shoots me an “I told you so” look as she crosses her arms over her chest.
“Shut up,” I whisper as I race past her into the living room where Brooklyn is quietly playing with blocks. “Hey, baby girl. You ready to go?”
She looks up before dropping her block on the floor and reaching for me. Before I can grab her, Lucas laughs at something Alice says and her head whips in the direction of the foyer. She’s off like a bolt of lightning, quickly crawling out of the living room and into the foyer. A squeal greets me as Lucas laughs again and when I step into the hallway, my heart almost seizes at the sight of him holding her in his arms.
God, what is it about a sexy man holding a baby that sends ovaries into overdrive?
“Ready?” he asks and I nod, grabbing my purse off the table.
“Yeah, let’s go.”
“Y’all have fun now, ya hear?” Alice calls in a smug voice as we walk out of the house and I flip her off behind my back. Her laughter reaches me just before the door closes and I shake my head, fighting back a smile. I hate when Alice is right because that girl can gloat like no one else so I know I’ll be hearing about this for the next month, at least.
“I feel like I need to clear something up,” Lucas says as he climbs behind the wheel of my car after buckling Brooklyn into her car seat.
“What’s that?”
“Earlier, when you thought I was here to break up with you… Well, I just can’t see that happening anytime soon. Or maybe even ever if I’m being honest. We’re taking this slow because that’s what you need not because of the way I’m feeling about you.”
I blink, surprised but not unhappy with his declaration. The fear that I expected isn’t there either. “Oh.”
“Shit. Now I scared you by saying that.”
I shake my head and reach out to grab his hand. “You don’t scare me, Lucas. And if we’re being honest, I don’t even know what I meant when I asked you to take this slow. It’s just been so long since I’ve dated and I’m a different person now than I was then but I’m comfortable with the pace we’re at now and in case you haven’t noticed, I really, really like you.”
“Yeah?” he asks with a shy smile that pulls at my heart strings. I nod.
“Yeah.”
His smile grows as he reaches across the car and brushes my hair from my face. “What are the rules on kissing you?”
“Oh, the rule on kissing is simple.”
“Is it?” he asks, arching a brow. “Why don’t you enlighten me?”
“The rule is that you should kiss me as frequently and passionately as you want.”
He nods slowly, like he’s thinking over what I said before he meets my eyes again. The spark of playfulness in his gaze makes my heart skip a beat. “So, what you’re really saying, is that I’ve been dropping the ball?”
“Yes… I think you have.”
Warmth rushes through me and my body hums in anticipation as he leans in and just when his lips brush against mine, Brooklyn lets out a squeal from the back seat. Lucas drops his head and chuckles before turning to my daughter.
“No one forgot you were here, baby girl.”
“Guess you’ll have to save that kiss for later,” I whisper, tracing my finger over his bottom lip after he glances back up at me. His blue eyes darken and the hunger in his gaze feels like a bolt of electricity running through my veins but he doesn’t move. “Lucas?”
“We’re going to be late for dinner,” he growls before opening his door and climbing out of the car. I watch him, open-mouthed, as he rounds the front of the car and opens my door. Reaching into the car, he pulls me to my feet and closes the door before pressing my back to the car. There’s a flash of fear that lances through me and he picks up on it immediately, brushing his fingers across my face. “Tell me what happened to you, baby.”
“Now really isn’t the time or place, Lucas,” I whisper and he nods, studying me for a moment.
“Listen, I’ve worked with enough women who have been hurt by men to know that something bad happened to you and the last thing I would ever want to do is push you past your limits so I want you to always remember that, no matter what, you’re the one in control here. Say you understand that.”
I nod without even a moment’s hesitation. “Yes.”
“I’m gonna kiss you now,” he replies, holding my face as he leans in and my eyes flutter closed as our lips connect. I sigh. His arms slip around my waist and he pulls me close. I trail my fingers across his chest, reveling in the feeling of his firm muscles and the low hum that vibrates in the back of his throat from my touch.
“Get a room!” a voice yells and we both jerk back. I glare up at the front porch where Alice flashes me a grin.
“Go away!” I yell back and she laughs as she turns away from us. We watch her disappear into the house before Lucas turns back to me and steals another quick kiss.
“Come on. Iris will have my ass if we’re late.”
I arch a brow as I fight back a smile. “You risked your ass just for a kiss?”
“Naw, Darlin’. Not just any kiss.”
A wide smile stretches across my face and my cheeks heat as he opens my car door and after I slip inside, he closes it and rounds the front of the car again. Brooklyn squeals from the back seat as we pull out of the driveway and I laugh, turning my head to glance back at her.
“Why is it whenever you come around, I’m chopped liver to that girl?”
He laughs, peeking at her in the rearview mirror. “She’s got good taste.”
“So humble,” I tease and he flashes me a grin before turning back to the road. Butterflies start to flap around in my belly and I press my hand against it as I suck in a breath. “I can’t believe how nervous I am.”
“Don’t be nervous, sweetheart. Like I told you before, Iris is very chill.”
I nod, reaching across the center console to hold his hand. “But she’s important to you, which means that I want to make a good first impression.”
“Well, if it’s any consolation, you made a fantastic first impression on me.”
“Did I?” I laugh. “Tell me, was it the internal bleeding or panic attack that really won you over?”
“All of the above.”
With a giggle, I shake my head. “I don’t think those are going to work on Iris.”
“That’s true,” he agrees with a nod. “But we’ve been hanging out for like two weeks now and I can confidently say that you are an easy person to love.”
“Am I now?” I ask breathlessly. Does that mean that he…
“Definitely.”
Turning to him, I study his face as he focuses on the road ahead of us, trying to discern what exactly he meant by that statement. Like he just said, we’ve only been hanging out for two weeks so surely he can’t mean that he loves me. Right? Then again, I’m not all that sure how I feel about him. Saying I like him feels so inadequate for the thumping of my heart and the butterflies in my belly any time he comes around but do I love him? I don’t know.