Chasing Forever (The Forever Series #1)(45)

“Yes, we went on two dates, but we do have another scheduled for next weekend, and I can’t cancel. He asked me a few weeks ago.”

“Wait, let me get this straight. Last night you slept in my bed, yet you fully intend to continue dating Parker.”

“It’s not like that,” Regan said weakly, her words sounding hollow even to her own ears.

Lucas folded his arms across his chest. “Then what is it like?”

Not sure what to say, Regan pulled her purse into her lap, looking for something, anything to avoid looking at him. “He asked me to his brother’s engagement party. I can’t flake because his whole family will be there. I don’t want to embarrass him.” She pulled a piece of gum out of the side pocket of her purse and stuffed it in her mouth.

“You’re already meeting his family,” he said with a blank look on his face, the spark in his amber eyes dull. “Interesting.”

“It’s not like that,” she repeated as she reached out to grab his arm, and he flinched, then pulled away as though he couldn’t stand her touch. “Lucas, listen to me,” said pleaded, her voice turning desperate. She may have wanted to hurt him or his ego, but she didn’t want him to be angry, not like this.

“What’s there to say? I get it. You had a fun couple days, but you still want to keep your options open, play the field, see if there’s anything better out there.” Anger radiated off of him.

“No!” She yelled, causing the people on the other side of the aisle to turn and look at her. She grabbed his hand again and pulled it into her lap, with enough force that he couldn’t pull away without making a scene. “Parker and I have been friends for over two years, and yes we went on a few dates, but I have no intention of pursuing anything with him. If I felt anything for him other than friendship, nothing would have happened between us this weekend. I know it looks bad, but I don’t play games with people.”

“Then don’t go with him next weekend,” he demanded, his face still tight with anger.

She leaned her forehead against his shoulder inhaling his clean, spicy scent and she didn’t know what to say. She didn’t want to go with Parker, but she promised and more than anything Parker was her friend. As for Lucas, she wanted him so much her heart hurt, but she couldn’t trust herself when it came to him. She already craved him as much if not more than six years ago and that scared her. He could destroy her and tie her into knots with one heated look or his provocative smile.

“He’s my friend and I hate to break a promise. I’m not okay hurting him,” she murmured into his side.

He placed one of his hands on her back, then he leaned in and kissed the top of her head, coaxing a slight shiver out of her. “I know, but he wants to be more than friends, and I’m not okay with that.”

“You don’t have to be,” she said, peering up at him, a soft smile on her face. “Nothing will happen between Parker and me.”

“How can you promise that?”

She rubbed her temples in frustration. “Because I don’t want to be with him. Nothing will change my mind.”

“What if I wanted to go to dinner with a woman who wanted a relationship with me, but I assured you I wasn’t interested in them?” He laced his fingers through hers. “Would you be okay with that?”

She opened her mouth to say she wouldn’t mind, but then stopped herself. Who was she kidding? She hated the thought of Lucas within five feet of another woman so there was no way she’d be okay with him going on a date with someone else regardless of his intentions. “No,” she finally admitted. “I don’t want you to date anyone else.”

“Then tell him we’re together and you have to decline the invitation.”

She didn’t want to tell Parker about Lucas specifically, especially after what she said about him. “I’ll tell him that I’m seeing someone and that I can’t accept his invitation,” she clarified.

Lucas scowled. “Why do I think there’s a story behind that?”

“What do you mean?” she asked, trying to deflect the question.

“You said you’d tell him you’re seeing someone rather than you’re seeing me.”

She laughed. “It’s not a big deal. Besides,” she shrugged, “you said you wanted to keep our relationship secret until the end of the summer.”

“I don’t want to keep it secret. We need to keep it secret. There’s a big difference. If it didn’t matter, I’d tell everyone and anyone who would listen.”

With that small explanation, he chipped away more of her reservations about their future. “I would too,” she said, surprising herself with how much she meant it.

Tipping up her chin, he cradled her face with such sincerity and tenderness that her throat constricted. Slowly, cautiously, his lips found hers. The kiss was too hot and too intimate for the semi-public venue of the plane. But hidden in the sweetness of the kiss, there was something so raw and possessive that when he pulled away from her she felt more alive and on edge than ever before. Looking down, she noticed her hands shook, but she couldn’t stop her reaction if she tried.

“So what are the rules for work?” she asked.

“Nothing too complicated. We just need to keep everything professional—no closed doors, no diverted lunch meetings, no closets. You get the idea.”