“You already paid for lunch, so this is my treat.”
“I invited you out for dinner, so it’s mine,” I replied, watching as her eyes became slits before she shrugged it off.
“Fine, but the only way I’ll eat is if you promise it will be my treat next time.” She held my gaze. “I mean it. We’re going to end up eating together again sometime, and when that time comes, it’s on me.”
“Deal.” I didn’t like it, but I could see from the determination in her rigid stance that she wasn’t going to back off. I understood that—feeling like you needed to pay your own way.
Money wasn’t a problem for me at all anymore, but that didn’t mean I’d forgotten how it sometimes felt like your independence was tied in with it from back when I hadn’t had any.
Also, it wasn’t even really about the money here. Luna was doing me a huge favor and I didn’t want her incurring any expenses she might not have otherwise. As it was, she’d paid that employee today to stand in for her.
If she had been a wedding planner, she would have been earning good money for the work she was helping me do right now. It wasn’t right, but somehow, I didn’t think she’d like it if I offered to pay her for her services, even though it would have been more than fair for me to do it.
Piping-hot tacos were passed down from the counter and Luna covered them in a variety of sauces without asking if I wanted any. She stuffed two of the tacos into my hands when she turned and jerked her head in the direction of the park.
“Try those. If you don’t like them like that, I don’t think we can be friends. Let’s go grab a bench. I’m glad we got here early. You won’t believe how busy this truck gets.”
When I took my first bite, I understood why the truck was so busy. Speaking around the bite I’d just taken, I let my eyes go wide. “This is amazing.”
“Isn’t it?” She smiled almost serenely down at her food. “It’s like a religion.”
“Seconded.” I inhaled the rest of my taco and dabbed the side of my mouth with a napkin before starting on the next one. “What made you decide to bring me here instead of just having dinner at the restaurant?”
Something flickered in her eyes as her chewing slowed. When she swallowed, it seemed like she was doing it for more than just to swallow the last bite of her taco. Almost like she was nervous about something.
“I wanted to talk to you about something, but I’m not sure how to say it.”
“The easiest way is usually just to say it.” My curiosity was piqued. I’d give her that much. “You haven’t seemed to have any trouble saying anything to me before.”
“Yeah, but this is…” She closed her eyes and sucked in a breath, releasing it slowly. “You don’t want a relationship and I’m ready for some freedom. Earlier when you asked me what I was looking for in this, I had to make sure you knew that I’m not looking to turn this into a relationship. There really are no ulterior motives to me helping you. I really do want some freedom, even if one day in a long, long time from now I do hope to settle down.”
“Okay?” I frowned. “I get what you’re saying, but why are you telling me this?”
“Because I think we could use each other,” she blurted out after a brief pause. The words came tumbling out of her mouth so fast, I almost didn’t understand them.
But then I put the near unintelligible sounds together and my brows rose as my tongue flicked across the inner seam of my lips. “Use each other how?”
“How do you think?” she muttered, her eyes seemingly stuck to her taco. “I’m sure you know this, but you’re a good-looking guy. I’m attracted to you, and unless I’ve read the way you look at me sometimes very wrong, you’re attracted to me too.”
“So you want us to use each other for sex?” I said the words slowly, carefully enunciating each one. “Is that right?”
“Yes. No strings attached. Would that be something you’d be interested in?”
Could I believe what I was hearing? No.
Would I be interested in it? “Fuck, yes. When and where?”
A flush crept to the apples of her cheeks as she stood up. “My place. Right now?”
“I can definitely go for that.”
We practically jogged back to my car and I pushed the speed limit all the way to Luna’s place. Neither of us said a word, but I was turned on as fuck, and if the heat in her eyes was any indication, she felt the same way.
She let her apartment door swing shut behind us, her hands moving to the thin sash around her waist but her gaze on mine. “No strings attached, right?”
“No strings attached,” I confirmed.
Luna didn’t waste any time after that. Her fingers tugged at the loose knot on the sash and then she reached up to her shoulders to push a strap off each of them.
Before I could fully comprehend that this was really happening and that the hot, sweet florist with the innocent mouth and never-ending energy was actually stripping for me, her dress fell to the floor to pool around her feet.
And she was stark. Fucking. Naked.
Chapter 11
Luna
Risky wasn’t really my business, but I’d decided to throw all caution to the wind tonight. I was glad I had, though. Deciding to live a little was definitely paying off big time.
Cyrus cycled through a montage of facial expressions when I dropped my dress, but the one that stuck was lust. Raw, primal lust that darkened his eyes as his pupils grew until there was only a hint of emerald around the rims. It made him look downright carnal, hungry even.
Both of us just stood there for a moment, me with my hands on my hips and my heart hammering. Cyrus with shock, awe, and finally that mouthwatering expression of absolute lust.
In the entirety of my twenty-eight years on the planet, I’d never felt as crazy or as vulnerable as when I’d propositioned him earlier. It would have been worth it even if he turned and walked out right now, just to have seen that look on his face. It was making me feel more desirable than I ever had before, which was a nice boost for my self-esteem even if nothing else happened.
Cyrus curled his long fingers into fists at his sides, then cocked his head and narrowed his eyes. It would have been intimidating if it wasn’t so damn hot, but it was.
“I guess you’re sure about this then?” His voice was as rough as a growl. “Because I’m not asking you again.”
“I’m sure.” Not at all sure what I was getting myself into by trying to be with a guy like him, but sure that I wanted to find out. Gun to my head, I’d guess I was in for a pretty wild but spectacular night—if his body could cash the checks his expression was writing.
I swallowed hard under his heated gaze but nodded. “I was the one who brought this up, wasn’t I? I brought you here, so yes, I’m sure. You don’t need to ask again.”
He took another second to search my eyes. Then his gaze dropped to do a long, slow onceover of all the flesh I’d put on display for him. At the same time, his fingers unfurled and came up to start unbuttoning his shirt and his tongue darted out to lick his lips.