I felt my pulse start to race when he closed the door. My heart ached at the sight of him in his suit, his hair windblown from the storm that raged on outside.
It was perfect for both our moods.
“Leda,” he finally said, hands in his pockets. “How are you?”
“Fine,” I told him. My body was raw and sore from last night, and my cheek still smarted from his slap. But other than that, I was physically fine.
My heart on the other hand…
But I didn’t want to talk to him about that.
Lucas eyed me for a few moments before he walked over and joined me on the sofa, leaning back against the cushions as he sank in.
I wanted to move over and curl against his side but stayed in my place, not sure what to say to him, really. Lucas had put me on an emotional roller coaster the last few days, and I wasn’t sure if I was about to take another turn.
I wasn’t sure if my heart could handle another turn.
“I’m sorry,” he said quietly, his jaw clenched as he looked at me. “I’m sorry about last night and the night before that. I know you don’t want to believe me, but I am, Leda. I never wanted to hurt you like that.”
I felt the sting of emotion in my nose, and fought to keep tears from welling in my eyes.
“You probably fucking hate me for what I did,” Lucas continued. “But you need to know that I’m terrified of losing you.”
Clearing my throat, I forced back the tears. “I’m not going anywhere,” I told him. It was the honest truth. No matter what went on between us, I didn’t want to leave.
I didn’t want to leave him. I wanted there to be something for us in the future, something that both of us could find peace in.
Lucas let out a ragged breath and turned his face away from me.
“You will.”
I doubted it, but there was conflict in the expression on his face that I wasn’t able to decipher. Something was wrong.
“Why?” I asked softly, hoping that my prying wasn’t going to scare him away again.
He shook his head and I moved off the couch, walking over to stand in front of him.
“Lucas, talk to me.”
His eyes followed my every move as I straddled him, clasping my hands to either side of his face. Up close, I could see the exhaustion in his blood-shot eyes, and my heart clenched just a bit tighter.
Lucas was still, barely breathing as I ran my fingers over his gorgeous features, from the high forehead to the tip of his chin, pressing my lips in random places on his face. My teeth scraped the underside of his jaw, and he groaned.
“Leda,” he breathed, his breath fanning over my cheek. “Please don’t do this. Not now”
“Lucas,” I said against his skin, my hands sliding down to his shoulders. “I want to.”
I wanted to just love him. My feelings had become pretty clear over the past few days, and no matter how much I really didn’t want to love him, my heart knew what it wanted.
It wanted Lucas.
My fingers found the lapels of his suit coat, and I pushed at it. “Take it off.”
Lucas awkwardly got his coat off with me seated on his lap, and worked on the buttons of his shirt. My heartbeat picked up as I feasted on his broad chest.
“You’re beautiful,” I told him.
And he was, scars and all. From the broad shoulders to the tattoo that licked up the side of his rib cage. I ran my hands over his biceps, and when I reached his forearms, Lucas shook his head.