The American Roommate Experiment (Spanish Love Deception #2)(47)

Ugh. And to make things worse—harder for my weak, silly heart and lady parts—the result, Lucas’s food, was brilliant, incredible, amazing, showstopping, and all the rest of Lady Gaga’s superlatives.

So my heart and I had had enough.

My phone pinged with a text, shaking me off my Lucas-induced thoughts. I reached across the island, where I set camp every day to work, and unlocked it.


Unknown: Date night, today. 6pm?



Ignoring the flutter at the words date night, I reread the message a couple of times.

It had to be Lucas. There was no one else who would send me a text about a date. But then again, it wouldn’t be the first time I got an accidental message, either.


Rosie: Who’s this?

Unknown: Lucas.

Unknown: Are you waiting for somebody else to take you out?

Unknown: I thought I was your only one



“If only you knew,” I muttered under my breath, saving his number while trying to come up with a reply that wouldn’t expose me.


Rosie: fine, we’ll be experimentally exclusive

Lucas: we weren’t?



Shaking my head, I decided to cut to the chase and answer his initial question.


Rosie: 6pm sounds good. Thanks!



I was going to ask how he’d gotten my number—honestly, it was a little strange he hadn’t had it, considering we’d been living together for over a week—but the explanation landed in my inbox in a trail of texts from my best friend before I even hit Send.


Lina: Hey bestie! Just arrived in Trujillo. How is NYC?

Lina: Sorry for the radio silence, we were hiking and out of reception.

Lina: BTW I forgot to mention that my cousin would be visiting for the next few weeks. He’s staying at my place.

Lina: Okay, fine. I didn’t forget, I messed up the dates and thought he was arriving today. I suck. I still have wedding brain.

Lina: Anyways, I gave him your number. ONLY for emergencies, ’kay? Don’t feel obligated to waste your time on him. He’s a grown man.

Lina: if he texts you with unimportant shit, tell him to google it.



Guilt lodged itself deep in my stomach. Lina didn’t know about the rooming arrangement Lucas and I had. In her apartment. Nor did she know about our newly established experiment.

God, I really needed to stop lying by omission to every single person in my life.

Another text notification popped up.


Lucas: check this out.



Tapping on his conversation, an image opened on my screen.

A selfie of Lucas wearing an I NYC blue cap. His smile was lopsided, smug, and I could see the Empire State Building nearby in the background.

My rib cage squeezed, feeling a little too tight all of a sudden.


Rosie: living the full tourist experience.

Rosie: I love the cap!



I didn’t just love it. I loved it so much that before I knew what I was doing, the photo was saved to my gallery.


Rosie: Lina just texted me. She said she confused the dates and thought you were getting here today.

Rosie: she also mentioned she gave you my number.

Rosie: For emergencies.



I was working out a way to tell Lucas that we should probably tell her about the current situation, but his incoming text disrupted my train of thought, derailing whatever intention I had to confess. It was another selfie, this one from an angle that showed that wide and strong upper body I had ogled more than once or twice, and he was looking down at the camera. His crooked smile had been promoted to a full-fledged grin and the earlier flutter in my stomach had no choice but to revel, pulling out the big guns and turning into a riot.


Lucas: looking this good and not having anyone around to share it with was an emergency, Graham.



He wasn’t wrong. He did look good. Emergency-good, good.

And he’s a shameless flirt, too, I reminded myself. Remember his words: No woman has ever complained?

I rolled my eyes at myself because I really had no business feeling bitter or jealous.


Rosie: Hi Lucas’s ego. Nice to finally meet you.

Lucas: He says hi back.



The three dots jumped on the screen for a few seconds, making me bite my lip in anticipation. Then, one last message came.


Lucas: I’ll let you get back to work. Be ready at six. See you later, roomie.



Roomie.

I’d tell Lina about this. I would. The moment she and Aaron landed on US soil, I’d tell her everything.



* * *



Later in the afternoon, at exactly 5:45 p.m., I had just slipped into my favorite pair of jeans when I heard a knock.

“One sec!” I called, zipping them up as I sprinted through the apartment barefoot. “I’ll be right there!”

Throwing the door open, I was not expecting to find Lucas casually leaning against the frame.

“Lucas,” I said a little too breathlessly, before stepping back. “Did you forget your keys this morning?”

He straightened. And boy, I don’t know what was about him in that moment, but he seemed larger than usual. Bulkier, taller. But before I could process that, he took the smallest step forward and let his gaze trail down my body, slowly, in a way I had trouble processing.