Sweet Spot by Stella Rhys

14

LIA

“I look forward to speaking with you very soon.”

The line played on repeat in my head as I practically skipped across town from my meeting. Really though – what could that possibly mean besides anything good? I was genuinely trying to answer the question because I wanted desperately to keep my hopes down, or at least at a reasonable level.

But I couldn’t. I’d frickin’ killed that meeting and the cherry on top was my creamy lavender truffle tucked into my signature teal box, wrapped in a shiny peach ribbon printed with my name, Pope Chocolates. The product, the branding, my pitch – everything was completely on point and though I had no final word on anything, I needed to celebrate.

“You made it!” Sara squealed, her lithe arms outstretched as I angled my way through the crowd at The Margot. The swanky bar hosted her company’s Friday happy hour every week, and Sara had begged me for years to go but I never did. Top shelf open bar sounded like a massive hangover just waiting to happen so I had to decline.

But not tonight.

Tonight I was giving myself permission to take full advantage. I planned to drink, I planned to dance and I planned to scarf down a 2AM slice of pizza with Sara to cure the drunk munchies. I was giving myself the entire day off tomorrow, so for the next twenty-four hours, I was free.

The only thing I didn’t plan to do tonight was text Lukas.

I wanted to see him. I couldn’t deny that. He’d charmed my figurative pants off the other night by ordering me paella but I couldn’t afford to be around him this drunk. Whatever attraction I had for him was already too big too fast and I needed to slow it down. And since alcohol was never the key ingredient to slowing anything down, I nixed the idea of inviting him and decided to make it a girls night.

“So do you think it’s gonna happen? Do you think you got the deal?” Sara asked, squeezing both my hands so tight I could barely feel them.

“I don’t want to jinx it but…”

“You totally got it.”

I grimaced because I really didn’t want to jinx it but for once, I let myself be nothing but optimistic. “I… think I did.”

“Yesss!” Sara squealed so loud half the bar looked at us. I laughed as she forced me to jump up and down with her. “Oh my God, fingers crossed but even if you don’t get it, I’m so fucking proud of you and this calls for all the champagne. Come on!” She tugged urgently on my arm. “We can toast to your new business and I can introduce you to all my coworkers so they stop saying I made you up!”

I laughed as we did exactly that, grabbing two flutes of champagne at the packed bar and mingling with all the coworkers who playfully doubted my existence since they’d heard about me for years but never met me.

“Honestly, you really seemed like Sara’s imaginary friend because none of us could believe she found someone as work obsessed as her,” giggled Willa, a raven-haired girl Sara described as “one of the good ones” at the office. “We wouldn’t believe you were real if it weren’t for the chocolates Sara brings us on Mondays. Lia, the rum raisin truffle you make? It might be the best thing I’ve ever tasted.”

“Thank you so much!” I said, blushing as a couple others chimed in about the “fuckingdivine” truffles of mine that Sara was known to bring in to work from time to time. I was normally squirmy and uncomfortable when it came to accepting compliments but for some reason, I was reveling in them tonight. I felt deserving of them for once – bright, happy and confident in a way I was pretty sure I’d never felt before tonight. Before this week.

Surrounded by Sara and her favorite coworkers, we toasted to my “ninety-nine-percent-sure-gonna-happen” deal and the good vibes went on strong for the next hour or so – right up till the moment I heard a familiar voice shriek in my ear.

“Whoa, am I wasted or is Lia Pope out on a Friday night?”

Oh… no.

I turned to find my first-floor neighbor, Rachel, holding her mouth wide open as she came in for the hug. I was tipsy so I let her bring it in, flashing a warning look over her shoulder at Sara, who was already rolling her eyes and retching. She’d worked with Rachel at June Magazine for years before I moved to New York and it was only through Rachel that I found my apartment. But once I did start my lease, she apparently griped for weeks that her landlord chose some “boring goody two shoes” to rent the second-floor unit, instead of one of her “fun, cute friends.”

Obviously, Sara didn’t take kindly to it and called her out in front of their coworkers multiple times, which led to a few awkward run-ins with Rachel for me at home. Lucky for me, she had her own entrance to the townhouse so we didn’t run into each other often. Of course when we did, she tried to pressure me out of my lease, saying I didn’t need such a “centrally located apartment” since I never went out.

In summary, Rachel kind of sucked and I was already anticipating some sort of passive aggressive remark as she held my shoulders and cooed at me.

“Aww, you even got dressed up. Is that a one-inch heel I see on those flats? Damn, girl. Livin’ wild!” she giggled, giving my arm a little smack. “So what finally brings you out tonight? You’re like, literally the least social person I’ve ever met in my life.”

I flashed a strained smile and ignored her not-so-veiled insult. “Well, you know. Just had a good workday and now I’m rewarding myself with a little – ”

“Sunlight? Some actual vitamin D?” Rachel cracked. “That’s good, ‘cause you definitely need it. And while you’re at it, you should get yourself some actual D. As in dick?”

“Yes, thank you, Rachel. It was an extremely sophisticated joke, but we got that,” Sara said as she handed me a much-needed shot of vodka. Rachel smacked her arm.

“Am I not right though? We should hook her up with one of the interns. They’re cute and they’re like, nineteen,” she said, turning back to me and winking as she sucked on her straw. “They won’t even be able to tell if you don’t know what you’re doing.”

“Wow. Very kind offer, Rachel, but I think I’ll decline,” I said dryly.

“Why? It’s been ages for you and beggars can’t be choosers.”

Sara cleared her throat. “Actually,” she started in a tone I both recognized and feared. She ignored the death look I flashed her to flash a dazzlingly fake smile at Rachel. “Lia might just have the most interesting sex life out of all of right now. And by ‘might’ I mean ‘definitely’,” she said, turning back to me with a look that wordlessly begged for permission to spill. I shook my head adamantly, mouthing a clear no as Rachel let out a snort.

“Mm… doubtful.”

It irked me but I was much more inclined to let her be smug than brag about something completely uncertain. I’d slept with Lukas once. For all I knew, he would forget about me in a week. He might even move on to sleeping with Rachel. I made a face as the thought twisted something in my stomach.

“See? Look how uncomfortable she still gets about sex,” Rachel giggled as Sara groaned and nudged me hard for permission. When I ignored her, she huffed and turned away to furiously text on her phone. “Seriously though, Li,” Rachel leaned on her elbow, studying me curiously. “How are you surviving living next to Tess’s brother? He’s like, a sex maniac.”

Sara ripped the loudest snort. “Yeah, Lia, how on Earth do you survive that?” she asked as I ground my teeth.

“Wine and meditation, Sara. How about that?” I asked, but when I turned to her, she’d already disappeared into the crowd. What the hell, woman? I cursed her for leaving me, which she never did. Rachel gave a sudden gasp.

“Omigod, Lia. You know,” she sipped her drink with big, scandalous eyes. “Last weekend… I can’t even say it. You’re totally gonna die.”

“What?”

“I heard Lukas having the loudest. Sex. Ever.”

I choked on my champagne. “You… really?”

“Yes. I’m pretty sure he was like, fucking her in the hallway.”

My heart pounded. “You could actually hear that?”

“Ca-lear-ly,” she said, breaking up the word to convey just how darned clearly she heard it. “You were probably dead asleep but I was straight up wondering if I should march up there and ask if they wanted company!” she cackled, slapping my knee. “I was just back from a date myself so I still looked super cute. Pretty sure he would’ve been happy to have me.”

“Possibly,” I said, recalling the threesome I almost witnessed Lukas having the first night that we met.

“‘Possibly’? More like definitely,” Rachel scoffed. “You don’t know because you weren’t there but Lukas invited me and my friends over for drinks awhile back and he was literally in heaven surrounded by so many hot chicks. He loved it. I seriously wish you got to see him that night, Lia.”

I smiled. Oh, I saw him that night. He rubbed his rock-hard dick against me while kissing me in the hall, and I spent the next few days dreaming about the sex we wound up having later that week.

I sucked a breath between my teeth.

God, I was so tempted to say it but instead, I ground my teeth and took the high road that Sara so passionately despised, smiling and nodding as Rachel gabbed on and on about Lukas and his friends being “so flirty” that night.

“That sounds like fun!” I interrupted when I’d finally had enough. I wanted to keep my prime seats at the bar but I didn’t love them enough to hang out another second with Rachel. “Anyway, I should probably go find Sara…” I said, going on my tippy toes to scan the crowd for my best friend’s long, black hair. But I saw nothing and when I reached into my bag for my phone, I froze.

Shit.

“Where’s my phone?” I murmured, digging deeper as Rachel watched me.

“Oh,” she sucked loudly at the bottom of her drink. “I thought you knew.”

I blinked up at her. “Knew what?”

“That Sara took it? Pretty sure I saw her do that like, twenty minutes ago.”

I stared, realizing what those nudges were actually for.

“Oh… fuck.” I was in frantic denial, still searching my pocket-less outfit for my phone. I was hoping Rachel was wrong because if Sara really had it, I knew exactly what she might want with it and whom she might be trying to text. “Hey, Rachel? Can I borrow your phone really quick?” I asked, still patting myself down and surveying the bar for my soon-to-be former best friend.

“No, I’m on twelve percent,” Rachel said barely a second before a sharp gasp ripped from her throat. “Oh. My. God.” I froze, staring at Rachel’s giddy face as I felt the heat on my back. “Lukas!”

She launched off her chair as I gripped my barstool, feeling like I might topple over from the weight of my heart slamming against my chest. I still held out hope that it was another Lukas but that hope was dashed once I turned in my chair because there he was and damn it.

Goddamnit.

He looked beyond good and he knew it as he grinned at me over Rachel’s bouncing head. Hoo-boy. He looked insanely good in a black V-neck and jeans and despite nodding along with Rachel, he kept sneaking sexy little glances at me. With the last look in my direction, he gave me a full-body onceover, arching an eyebrow at the pencil skirt wrapped around my hips before turning back to Rachel with a full grin I knew was for me.

It was crazy. I could somehow feel his attention on me despite his eyes on Rachel and just to test it, I played with the stem of my champagne flute. His eyes flicked over instantly and watched my fingers stroke the glass for two seconds before breaking into a dirty laugh that he said “sorry” for to a quizzical Rachel.

Yeah… fuck it.

I wasn’t even that drunk but I couldn’t resist anymore. Cocking my head at Lukas, I drew his eye. Holding my hand up, I beckoned with one finger. I grinned with satisfaction as he promptly came to me, letting the crowd separate him from Rachel.

“That was cruel,” he said at me as he ordered a bourbon.

“What was?”

“Whatever you were just doing to remind me of your hands on my dick,” he said as he leaned into me to grab his lowball off the bar. I caught the scent of crisp cologne mixed with fresh soap and my toes curled as I imagined him getting out of the shower just thirty minutes ago.

“You should know it was Sara who texted you before.”

“Yeah? You didn’t want me here?” Lukas brought his glass to his curved lips. All eyes around us were staring at him but his were strictly on me, and it made my cheeks heat up.

“I did and I didn’t. But I’m glad you’re here now,” I finally said, peering at Rachel trying to push her way back to us. “Partially because of that one but also because I should thank you for the paella the other night.”

“You liked it?”

“I loved it. I was practically licking the plate,” I smiled, watching his eyes dip to my tongue as I said the word “lick.”

“Wish I could’ve seen that.”

I laughed. “It wasn’t as sexy as you’re imagining.”

“Well, only I get to decide what I find sexy about you and in case you haven’t noticed yet, it’s most things,” Lukas said, oblivious to the train of Sara’s coworkers who passed by to check him out and give me a big thumbs up. When I narrowed playful eyes and shook my head at them, he laughed. “For example, that.”

“What?”

“That look. You’re annoyingly sexy when you’re pissed off.”

“Oh? Is that why you’re so eager to piss me off all the time?”

Lukas tilted his chin up in a challenge. “When was the last time I pissed you off, Lia?” he asked. “Can you name it in two seconds or are you just trying to find reasons to stay mad at me?”

“Why would I need to do that?”

“Because you want to think you can do another three years of all work and no play, but you also know you feel better than you’ve ever felt in your life since fucking me, Lia,” Lukas said, watching my cheeks go red. “And you just can’t stand for that to be true, can you?” he smirked just as Rachel sidestepped her way back over to us.

“Whoa, there, Lia!” Hugging Lukas’s arm to her chest, she wiggled a finger at me. “Look at you trying to get all flirty, girl! You almost look like you know what you’re doing.”

“Thank you so much, Rachel. But as much as I love your backhanded compliments, would you mind giving me a second alone with Lukas?”

“Well, damn. Since when did you get so bold, Lia?”

I took a drink and looked up at Lukas. “When did I get so bold, Lukas?”

He read the look on my face. “Probably the night I took you to dinner and did bad things to you in the hall.” My jaw fell as Rachel choked on her drink. Despite her cough attack, Lukas kept his eyes trained on me. “I still have your panties by the way.”

Oh my God.

Rachel was frozen for what felt like a good five seconds but then with an awkward mutter and a half-complete sentence, she turned on her heel and marched off. Hand clamped over my mouth, I stared at Lukas.

“Sorry if I misread that situation,” he said, mischief curling his lips. “Thought you wouldn’t mind me saying all that in front of her.”

“That was actually kind of fun for me.”

“Kind of?”

I smirked. “Fine. Extremely.”

“Alright,” Lukas nodded in approval. “And now that we’re on the topic of confessions, why don’t you go ahead and admit one more thing for me.”

My breath shortened as he drew closer, his hand on my lap and his lips painfully close to mine. “What’s that?”

“That you want to see me again. That I make you feel better than anyone else has made you feel in a very long time.”

“Fine. I want to see you again,” I murmured as the bar lights dimmed. “I like the way you make me feel.”

“You love the way I make you feel.”

“I love it,” I said between my teeth.

“Is your pussy wet for me right now?”

I glared. “Do I really need to answer that here?”

“No. Not with the way you’re squirming,” Lukas smirked, hand on my lap as he slid his empty glass across the bar. I closed my eyes as I caught his scent again. “Jesus. I can feel your thighs twitching, Lia,” he murmured, gazing down at them. “Do you want me to fuck you in this bar?”

“No.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“No.” I looked away, scanning the crowd for anyone watching as Lukas slipped his fingertips just under my skirt. My mouth parted as they inched up further. His skin was warm but it felt ice cold against my burning thighs. I exhaled as he leaned in to kiss my neck, sliding his hand swiftly up my skirt and snapping my thong just as he pressed his lips against me. “Lukas,” I gasped as he swept his tongue over my neck, thrusting his hand between my thighs and sliding his fingers inside me, utterly ruthless as he pumped his wrist for two hot, hard seconds.

Holy shit, holy shit.We were at a bar, surrounded by people. And he was inside me.

But just as quickly as it happened, Lukas drew back completely, leaving me breathless and panting on my barstool. The void he left between my legs made my nails dig into the bottom of my seat. He grinned as he eyed me.

“Tell me how many times you’ve touched yourself in the past four days,” he said, tugging his bottom lip with the fingers he’d just had inside me. My pussy throbbed as I watched him lick his lips.

“Every night since the one you fucked me,” I breathed. “How many times did you fuck another girl and think of me?”

“None. I jerked off.”

“How much?”

“A fucking ridiculous amount.”

“What did you think about?” I asked, increasingly breathless as Lukas’s eyes blazed into me.

“What do you think?” he countered, irritated. “I thought about how big your eyes got when you first looked at my cock. I thought about all the little sounds you made when you sucked on it. Like you’d never tasted anything so good.” Lukas tightened his jaw, his hand on the bar becoming a fist. “Trust me, Lia. It’s been a rough fucking four days. All I wanted was to drown myself in you and think about nothing else but instead I had to jerk off to the thought of you while knowing you were right across the hall. Probably in the shower. Maybe asleep.” His green eyes darkened. “I’ll admit I fantasized pretty often about kicking your damned door down and just fucking you over the kitchen counter.” He grinned as he let his gaze drop. “Wouldn’t mind seeing those perfect tits dipped in chocolate.”

Holy God. “Lukas, maybe we should get going…”

“No. You’re going to wait for a little,” he said with satisfaction as I stared pleadingly. “Trust me, Lia. You can survive the next four minutes if I survived the past four days.”

“Lukas, no,” I whimpered as he cupped the back of my neck and kissed under my jaw. I closed my eyes, grateful for his hand under my skirt again.

“You can do it,” he chuckled, tickling my thigh.

“I can’t… please, just take me somewhere right now.”

“Only if you promise me one thing,” he whispered, the crowd swelling around us as he teased my clit over my thong. “No more rules and restrictions. I live across the hall from you. If I want to see you, I’m going to knock on your door. If you want to see me, you’re not going to stop yourself anymore.” He pressed down on my clit. “Is that a deal?”

My head spun. “Yes. Deal,” I exhaled.

“Alright. Then let’s go.”