Pierced (Lucian & Lia #1)(59)
I try to keep it light, not wanting to think about what happened in the courtroom earlier. “Mom? You must have me mistaken for someone who actually has one of those.” Rose bumps my shoulder with hers, letting me know she understands where I’m coming from. Jake also surprises me with a hug and a look of sympathy. It appears my family shame is well known by my friends, but I don’t mind. Other than Debra, they are the closest I have to family, and today has made that blindingly clear. Suddenly, I have an overwhelming desire to see Debra. I want her to meet Lucian. I asked her earlier in the week not to come to the hearing; I was afraid she would end up attacking my mother and getting locked up in the process. I vow to call her tomorrow and see if she wants to meet for lunch in the next few days.
It’s a nice evening outside and even though he argues at first, Lucian finally agrees to walk back to the apartment instead of having Sam pick us up. “Did you have a good time tonight, baby?”
Cuddling closer to his big frame, I sigh. “Thank you, Luc; I really needed an evening just like this. Well…except for maybe the awkward moment with Cruella.” His hand rubs up and down my back as he laughs softly.
“Sorry about that. I have no idea what Aidan’s doing getting involved with her. There is no way that ends well.”
Since he has admitted to sleeping with Monique, I can’t resist taking a small jab at his statement. “Isn’t that a little pot and kettle, Mr. Quinn?”
“Very funny, Miss Adams. There was never anything between Monique and me other than a quick f*ck. That might make me sound like a pig, but it’s true.” I take a moment to let his words sink in. Surprisingly, I’m not as bothered by them as I would have thought. I would rather Lucian have never slept with Monique, but somehow him just having sex is much more preferable than him having a relationship with her.
While he is sharing information, I decide to push for more. “Is Monique the last woman…you know…before me?” Is it my imagination or had his stride faltered just a tad at my question?
“No…I dated someone for a few months after her.” I stiffen, not expecting his answer. Had I thought I was the first person to spend my nights with him? As if interrupting my silence correctly, he continues. “It was nothing serious. I needed a date for different events and Laurie needed…financial assistance.”
“Oh. My. God,” I stammer, as I turn to stare at him. “Why does this sound so familiar?”
Lucian stops abruptly, pulling me from the traffic on the sidewalk. “This probably isn’t the best place to talk about this, but I don’t want you stewing all the way home. Trust me; there are no similarities between you and Laurie. She was a spoiled socialite I met at a party. At the time, I had just made the grave mistake of sleeping with Monique and couldn’t get her to leave me the hell alone. Laurie served that purpose. She had expensive taste that she couldn’t afford on the allowance her father had put her on. I helped her out with that, and she gave me the illusion of a relationship to hold Monique at bay.”
“What happened to Laurie?” I look around almost as if expecting to see her standing behind me. Dear Lord, surely she isn’t still in his life; that would be more than I could bear.
“Things are finished with her and were before you and I met. She…wanted more and I didn’t.” A sudden chill runs up my spine that has nothing to do with the nighttime air. Lucian, feeling my shiver, tucks me back under his arm. “You’re cold. Let’s go home; we can talk there.”
I let him lead me to the apartment, an uncomfortable silence falling between us. My place in his life seems fragile and uncertain. I feel silly that I have even imagined for one moment that Lucian could feel for me the way I feel for him. I am an inexperienced, unsophisticated college student, and he is a rich, successful businessman. What could he possibly see in me? Am I just another way to keep women like Monique from throwing themselves at him? I walk to the kitchen for a bottle of water as he fixes himself a drink. “Can I get you anything?” I ask from the doorway.
“No, baby.” He settles on the couch and pats the place next to him. I really want to make an excuse to go lick my wounds in another room, but I know it’s childish. If I want Lucian to see me as a mature adult, then I need to act like one. Do I want him to regret opening up to me no matter how much I hated his answer? I sit next to him, playing nervously with the cap on the water bottle. “I can practically hear your mind spinning from here, you know.”
“I’m sorry,” I say, and I mean it. I wish I could just shut my mind down for the evening and take everything he has said in stride, but the questions loom. “When you said Laurie wanted more, what did you mean? Like marriage?”
Lucian doesn’t seem surprised that I have returned to our original conversation; he almost seems to be expecting it. “Eventually, I’m sure that was her goal. She wanted access to more of my life, such as my homes.”
“She wanted to live with you? That would make sense.”
“No, baby, she wanted to see my homes, spend the night here. Laurie was never in this apartment or my house. She was in my apartment at the office a few times while I was changing for an event, but that’s it.”
I am completely blown away by his statement. How could he have dated someone for months and never had her here? Of course, would I be here now if not for the fact that I had first walked through the door as his cleaning lady? I am certain the confusion I’m feeling must be apparent in my voice as I say, “That seems strange to me. Didn’t you spend the night together…at least some of the time?” I can tell Lucian is getting tired of my twenty questions, but he continues to answer patiently.