I narrow my eyes and glare at the guy who still holds me like I’m a possession and not a human. “Wow.”
“Um… no.” Jason drops his hands into his pockets and rocks back on his heels. “But you and her?”
“Love of my life,” Luke drops out there for all three of us to stare at. “Staying in town long?”
Jason grins and brings a hand up to rub at his stubble. “Undecided. I just got here, and have to head over to a job site soon for work. Once I do that, the length of my stay will be clearer. Could be a few days, could be a couple months. It really depends on factors that are outside my control.”
“Well, that’s cool. Ally?” Luke drops a noisy kiss on my cheek and nudges me a step to the left. “I’ll walk you up to your room.”
“Luke, you’re being—”
“Goodbye, Jason.” He waves to the guy and leads me into the hotel lobby. “Fuckface.”
The second we’re inside and the doors separate us from Jason, I escape Luke’s hold and smack his chest. “What the hell is your problem?”
“What? He was looking at you. It’s my job to make sure he knows you’re busy with someone else. Someone better – evolutionarily speaking.”
“Really? Who?” I look around the slow-moving lobby and lift my shoulders. “I see no one here who has evolved beyond the club-swinging barbarians from a cave.”
“Burn.” Luke rolls his eyes and leads me toward the staircase on the other side of this large, communal space. “If you think you kinda wanna go back out there and flirt with that guy, then we’re gonna have problems. But if you don’t feel like you wanna slide up on his business, then we’re square. You’ve lost nothing by my intervention.”
“You were rude to that guy, and I now smell like pee. And why the hell are you here? I feel like if this was a slasher film, we’d all be shouting at the screen right now, saying you’re the stalker-slash-killer.”
“I went for a run to work off a little of last night’s energy. I run every single day, it’s just part of my routine. And sure, I came this way because I kinda like looking at you. So fuckin’ sue me.”
“So… stalking?”
“Appreciating,” he grumbles as we step onto my floor. “Every guy and every girl in the history of the world who like each other behave in such a way that they want to see the other a little more. I was running, so instead of turning left like I normally would, I turned right and came this way. If I happened to see you, then awesome. If I didn’t, then that’s cool, because I still got my run in. What’s the damn problem?”
“You mean apart from the fact you were seriously rude to Jason?”
“Jason.” Luke adopts a feminine voice and mocks the guy’s name. “Oh, Jason, you’re just so handsome and sweet.”
“You are seriously disturbed.” I insert my key into the lock and push my room door open. “And I’m going to have a shower. Despite your little show of insecurity, I still have your mess in my underwear, so I’m gonna need to go wash that off.” I stop just inside my room, and when Luke tries to waltz on in, I slap a hand to his chest and smile. “Without you. You can go back to running. Perhaps try to work some of that testosterone out of your system.”
“I’m just me, Ally. This testosterone is a part of who I am.”
“And it’s going to get you into trouble really quick. Oh wait.” I roll my eyes and slowly close my door. “It already did, hence the court-ordered therapy sessions. Burn.”
“You’re mean in the mornings.”
“No, I’m intolerant of feeling like a possession rather than a woman with independence. I was raised by a single mom, Luke, in the city where I was a latchkey kid. I went to college, and learned about human behavior, and before you ask, yeah, I met my fair share of college guys. I even spent time with a few just like you.”
His top lip curls back into a snarl. “Really?”
“Big guy, ink, sports, arrogance, and a wicked smirk? Yeah, there are lots of you around. So unless you can offer something a little more unique than big-muscled dominance wrapped in a fake shell you call best friend, then I’m gonna have to pass on the alpha act. But that guy from last night? The funny guy who played strip poker and helped me anti-steal something… he was cool. Maybe you could ask him to give me a call.”
I step backwards into my room, and close the door once I’m out of the way. And since I’m still on the countdown to when I have to be at work, I leave Luke and all guy problems in the hall, and instead, turn and dash toward the bathroom.
I strip as I go, type out a text as I walk: I don’t do possession, Luke. But I like you. So here’s my number. Don’t make me regret giving it to you.
I drop my clothes and phone on the floor and annoy a future version of myself when I have to come back through and clean up. But still, I drop it all as I go, I flick the taps on the very second I enter the bathroom, and dropping my panties on the floor, I step into the shower and tip my head back so the water spray hits my face and washes away the remnants of a sleepless night.
I smile as I shower, hum as I move shampoo through my hair, and each time I clench my thighs together and memories of last night wash through my stomach, I bite down on my groan and let my smile be free. I had a good night; alpha-hole tendencies and all. I had fun with Luke, Rob, and Emma. Drinking, cards, pretzels and a bucket of skittles. After that, the statue relocation operation, and after that, the best part of the whole night.
But perhaps, even after all of that goodness, this morning, standing in his hall might have been my favorite part of my day. The best friend stuff, the offer of a date. The sweet kiss goodbye.
Stupid, arrogant jerk thinks he gets to ruin all the sweet by peeing on my leg the second a guy – who is much older than me, it should be noted – smiles my way.
Shaking my head, I wash the shampoo from my hair, then I work on the conditioner, and just a few minutes after stepping into the shower, I step out again and go to work drying, moisturizing, and styling.
With enough time to spare, I slide into a pair of heels, and snatch up my phone on the run, then I’m out the door again and heading toward the bakery for my morning iced coffee.
My phone dings just as soon as I join the line for my morning caffeine, a single chirp indicating a text, and when I glance at the screen, I find Luke’s name and open the message – despite the fact I really probably shouldn’t.
I should let him stew, right? A study in human behavior – of behavior modification – means I should ignore him for a little while and let him worry about how to be better.
But I don’t want to modify his behavior. I don’t want to train him like some scared little monkey in the circus. So I open the text immediately, and smile when his words arrow straight for my heart.
‘Best friends forever’ stipulates that we must remain friends… forever. No possession. No weird jealousy. That was my bad, Ally. But in my defense, you should know I’m fighting against evolution here. Do you remember the story about my dad and the guy he thought wanted my mom? Yeah. That’s the kind of bloodline I’m working with. Be patient with me while I learn.