Never Lie (35)
“I disagree. We have a lot to explore here.”
“Really.”
“Yes. You’re a very complex and interesting person, Luke Strauss.”
“Am I?”
“Don’t laugh. You just gave up your entire evening to do a favor for a woman you hardly even know. And you expected nothing from this woman in return.”
“I had to do it. She lives in the middle of nowhere. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to her.”
“That’s considerate.”
“I’m a nice guy, I guess. Or a sucker.”
“You’d only be a sucker if you did it expecting something from her that she didn’t intend to deliver.”
“I don’t… I mean, I’m not expecting anything. Hoping, I guess.”
“Hoping for what?”
“Nothing. Never mind.”
“No, tell me.”
“So this woman I helped tonight… you called me complex and interesting, and I don’t know if you’re right, but this woman, she’s all those things. And more. Really smart—like you wouldn’t believe. Also, she comes to this low-income clinic on her own free time and she really cares about the patients there. She acts like it’s no big deal, but what she does for them is amazing. They love her.”
“So you wanted to help her because she helps others?”
“Yes… I mean, that’s part of it, but…”
“But?”
“She’s interesting and complex and caring and intelligent. But she’s also…”
“What?”
“She’s beautiful.”
“You think so, do you?”
“I do. I really do.”
“I see. So what you’re saying is that you have romantic intentions towards this woman?”
“Uh…”
“Are you aware that your face is bright red right now?”
“Ha ha, very amusing. Okay, I… look, what do you want me to say? Yes. Yes, I like her.”
“And how does she feel about you?”
“Until today, I would have said she doesn’t like me much. But now I’m not so sure. She’s very hard to read.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah. I mean, I’ve been at her house for two hours, then she gets me on her sofa and does this crazy pretend interview, asking me all these questions. And the whole time, I keep thinking, what if I just got up off the sofa and kissed her? How would she react?”
“Why don’t you do it then?”
“What if she doesn’t want me to? What if she slaps me?”
“I don’t think she will.”
“No?”
“You never know unless you try.”
Chapter 25
ADRIENNE
Before
I never expected to end up in bed with Luke Strauss. Dinner? Maybe. A few drinks? Possibly. But not this. It came as a complete surprise.
But not an unpleasant one. Just the opposite. I had thought of myself as the sort of person who could go indefinitely without physical affection, but the second Luke kissed me after I goaded him into it, I realized I was kidding myself. I wanted this. I wanted it so badly that even when he respectfully tried to slow things down, I wouldn’t let him.
Whatever you want, Adrienne.
I got exactly what I wanted. A night of passion with a man who surprised me by very much knowing what he was doing. He did a good job installing my security system. He did a better job in the bedroom.
I feel utterly satisfied.
But now it is over. Luke has his arm around my shoulders and my naked body is pressed against his, and all I can think about is, How am I going to get him to leave? It’s after midnight—surely he expects to spend the night. I like him, but I don’t want him in my bed anymore. I don’t want him tossing and turning and snoring and trying to cuddle me while I sleep. I need my sleep.
I also sense that it would be tacky to turn to him and say, Hey, that was fun. How about you run along home now? I might be stuck with him. The entire night.
“You know what?” Luke murmurs into my hair. “I’m starving.”
At his words, my stomach growls loud enough for him to hear. He laughs. “I guess that means you concur.”
“Do you want to get some food downstairs? We can raid my fridge.”
“Sounds good to me.”
He might not say that when he discovers the meager contents of my refrigerator. But then again, I sense he won’t be too bothered. Luke is very agreeable. I haven’t decided whether I am fond of that quality about him or not.
Luke climbs out of bed and gathers the clothing that was tossed around the room in a fit of passion. As he’s zipping up his pants, he notices that I’m watching him and looks up at me with a grin. For the first time since I saw that video on my phone, I feel a flash of happiness.
That video. EJ. That asshole.
No. Don’t think about it. Not now.
Luke throws his partially buttoned shirt over his head but doesn’t secure the rest of the buttons. Then he grabs his tie from the floor and lets it hang loose around his neck. I consider getting dressed in my clothes from earlier today like he has, but then I decide to hell with it. I grab my red fleece robe and wrap it around my body.