Sweet Spot by Stella Rhys

8

LUKAS

In the morning, I awoke to a charmingly scatterbrained text.

LIA:Actually never mind. Let’s go to dinner first. Yes.

I grinned, having had a feeling that she’d change her mind about the original plan. She’d texted it to me last night while I was at a bar with Emmett, enduring a round of drinks to give her the head start home that she wanted. Hanging out with Emmett was usually torture for a variety of reasons, but last night it had all to do with Lia.

All I could think about was her. Within seconds of leaving her, I wanted more of her. I waited for the feeling to drift off as we moved from the first bar to one of Emmett’s, but it didn’t. I was experienced when it came to the pain of her sexy image haunting me, but last night it was also her scent. Her sounds. Her sweet fucking taste. It had me desperate to just go home, find her and fuck her senseless on her bed. But I’d agreed to let her decide on the plan and according to the text she sent, the plan was for me to show up at her apartment this evening for sex. No strings attached.

I had no problem with that. In fact, I got hard just reading the message but like a masochist, I suggested dinner first. I was skeptical of her ability to dive right in and I wound up right. She’d declined the offer last night but after sleeping on it, clearly she had changed her mind.

ME:Great. I like that plan better. Pick you up at 8?

LIA:8 is perfect.

I watched the ellipsis disappear and reappear repeatedly as Lia clearly kept typing and deleting whatever was on her mind. But finally, her text came through and it spread the grin on my lip even wider.

LIA:Can’t wait : )

* * *

“Lukas. You didn’t. Why?” Tess sounded less than pleased when I confessed my plans for the night.

It was closing in on 2AM where she was but I was hardly surprised to hear her call. Like me, she’d always been a night owl. I blamed our parents. As kids, we refused to sleep till we knew they were home and of course, they were never in a rush. Once Tess and I realized the pattern, we started betting on who could stay awake longer at night. I lost years’ worth of allowance to that girl. Apparently, the kid didn’t need sleep. I grew up convinced of it because every night, without fail, she stayed up till Mom and Dad got home, whether it was one in the morning or eight.

“Lukas. Lukas James Hendricks. Do not ignore me.”

I laughed as I grabbed my phone off the counter and went to the couch. “Sorry. I was getting a drink.”

“Don’t be sorry about that, be sorry about the fact that you’re trying to sleep with my favorite neighbor.”

“You only have two.”

“Yeah, and you’re sleeping with the one I actually like,” she protested. “What happens when you break her heart, Luke? I’m going to come home and she’s going to hate me because I’m associated with the guy who chased her like it was his job and then dumped her once he got her in bed.”

“Christ. You make it sound like I do that often.”

“Dude,” Tess said dryly. “You do. You see a pretty girl, you decide you need to have her and then you get your taste and it’s on to the next. The only ones you sleep with repeatedly are the ones at the office and that’s only because it’s convenient for you.”

“If it makes you feel any better, I’ve spent an irritating amount of time thinking about this girl.”

“I mean you should because she’s awesome and nice and crazy hardworking but that’s historically never mattered for you. I mean I love you, Lukas, but you’re kind of shallow.”

“What? Alright. Take it easy, Tinker Bell.”

She groaned. “I just like her is all.”

“Trust me, I’m in the same boat.”

“Yeah? Name one thing you like about her besides the way she looks.”

“I might be addicted to her voice,” I said. “I can tell she’s fiercely protective of her independence and I find that intriguing.” I paused, taking a drink. “She’s also insanely sexy when she’s pissed at me so I can only imagine what she looks like pleased with me.”

“Well, if you want a shot at finding out you better go,” Tess muttered, annoyed. “It’s five past eight.”

“Shit.” I sprung to my feet. “Talk to you later.”

“Love you,” she grumbled, adding, “dickhead,” before hanging up.

I laughed as I grabbed my jacket and keys. My sister was clearly annoyed with me but I still counted that conversation as a good one. Anytime I could hear her voice sounding crisp and clear with some sort of audible emotion, it was a win. Especially now. It was getting close to the anniversary of the day that turned our lives upside down. We were both known to fall into dark places in the weeks leading up to it but lately, between Lia and the constant drama at work, I had my distractions. Tess, however, had nothing but countryside to stare out at all day and night. But on the bright side, she had Grandma Elodie. At eight-six, the woman still jogged every morning and was still sharp as a whip, so I could definitely take comfort in the fact that she was with Tess, keeping an eye on her at all times.

Though I hoped Grandma Elodie hadn’t overheard that particular conversation. Shallow my ass, I thought as I knocked on Lia’s door.

“Just a minute!” I heard her call from inside.

“Take your time,” I said, quickly replying to the apology text Tess sent me. I was laughing at her text back when Lia finally opened the door. “Sorry, I was just – ”

I shut up once I looked up, her smile snatching the words off my tongue. Shit. Tugging the knot of my tie, I gave her the onceover. God-fuckin’-damn. She looked incredible. The olive green dress stretched over her body was long, skimming her ankles, but it hugged her curves perfectly and gave me a generous hint of leg with the slit up the side.

Judging from the look on her face, she had at least a hunch she looked good.

“Hi,” Lia said, biting her lip as she stepped out into the hall.

“I take it back.”

“What?”

“Let’s go to bed and get dinner after.”

“Shut up,” she rolled her eyes, walking ahead of me down the hall. Christ, that ass. It was tight, round and perfect, and the way her hips twitched from side to side with every stepwas fucking hypnotizing.

“What if I said please?”

“I didn’t take an hour getting dressed for nothing, Lukas, now let’s go.”

“Hold up.” I grinned at the dry look she was already shooting me. “You took an hour to get ready for me?”

“Yes. I did. I haven’t dated in a long time so sue me for enjoying myself while getting ready.”

I nodded. “So this is a date.”

“No. It’s not a date,” she corrected hastily. “It’s just… foreplay.”

I could feel the dirtiness in my smirk. “I can work with that.”

“Ah, ah, ah,” Lia warned, narrowing those sexy eyes at me. “No funny business while we’re at dinner. I didn’t mean foreplay as in you trying to… touch me under the table.”

“Touch what? You’re not seriously going to be shy with me when I had my tongue in your pussy last night, are you?”

“Lukas!” Lia hissed, covering her face for a moment. “Please do not talk about what happened last night.”

“Why?”

“Because I want to sit through dinner before I ruin my panties,” she snapped, grinning when I lifted my eyebrows. “They’re new,” she said, her voice softer. “And they’re pretty,” she added with a little smirk.

I gave her a look of warning. “Keep telling me. I’ll fuck you in this hall, Lia.”

“Stop.” Her giggle was half-groan as she stared up at the ceiling, red in the cheeks. “Don’t torture me, Lukas. We’re going to dinner first,” she finally said sternly. “You made a reservation and I bought a new dress. Now are you coming or not?”

“We could both be coming in about fifteen if you let me pin you up on this wall.”

“And for that, you don’t get to touch me at all during dinner.”

My face fell. “Whoa, hey. That’s fucked up,” I said and I meant it. But for the laugh it put on her face, I let it go and followed her with a grin down the hall.