Beauty from Pain(25)

“I wouldn’t leave you alone with him. Both of you are invited to Zac’s.”


No freakin’ way. “You and Ben can go without me. I’d rather spend Christmas by myself than be uncomfortable around a bunch of people I don’t know.” She knows I hate feeling like I’m imposing. I can’t believe she’s asked me to do this.


“You don’t think Lachlan will invite you home with him?” This is Addison’s way of trying to feel better about ditching me.


That would be a negative. “Definitely not. We just met.”


She puts her hands on her hips as though I’ve offended her. “Why do you say it like that?”


Maybe because I don’t even know his real name—that would be my first reason. “We don’t know each other well enough to spend the holidays together.”


“I haven’t known Zac much longer than you’ve known Lachlan.”


Maybe not, but she’d been banging him since the day we arrived. Okay, it was day three. “You and Zac are different. You’ve spent almost every minute together since we got here. I’ve only been out with Lachlan on a couple of dates. It’s apples and oranges.”


She holds the sexy Santa lingerie out for me. “Wear this for him and I guarantee you’ll get an invite to his family’s for the holidays. Maybe even a marriage proposal.”


I’ve gotten all the proposals I need from Mr. Lachlan Henry. I’m still debating the one currently on the table. “I’m not looking to get an invite to his family’s house. Or a marriage proposal.” I take the red and white furry lingerie from her and admire it in the mirror. “He’s asked me to spend the next few days with him. And nights. Maybe I need this. What do you think?”


“You didn’t tell me you’d be staying over at his place. That sounds more serious than a couple of dates.”


I hang up the Santa outfit and pull a naughty-elf set from the rack. “I don’t know. He asked, but I haven’t decided yet.” That’s another lie. I know I’m staying with him, but I don’t want to sound like a ho, so I pretend I’m unsure. And I pretend like I don’t know if I’ll buy this lingerie. But that’s a lie too.


I hear fear is a gift. In the event that it’s true, I’m very gifted today. I’m almost shaking as I wait for Lachlan to arrive.


My phone starts singing “Talk Dirty to Me,” so I answer and try to sound like I’m not a bundle of nerves. “Good morning.”


“Good morning to you. I’m almost at your place. Do I need to come to the door to challenge lover boy for your hand?”


That might be the case if Ben were here, but he’s not. Thank goodness. “I’m the only one here. I’m ready so I’ll come down and meet you.” I hang up and slip my Lachlan issued cell into my purse next to my own. I grab my floral duffle and lock up.


As I come out of the apartment building, Lachlan steps out of a fancy-ass convertible wearing faded jeans and a khaki button-up. It’s not dressy; it’s rugged, more like what I’d expect someone to wear in the outback. And I’ll be damned if he’s not wearing an Indiana Jones hat. Even out of a suit, he’s hotter than the devil’s ass.


This is going to be a great couple of days.


He meets me halfway on the sidewalk. “No suit today, I see.”


“As promised.”


One promise kept. We’ll see if he keeps his other.


“I see you have a bag.” He grins and kisses my cheek as he reaches to take my bag from me.


“It doesn’t mean I’m staying.” That’s such a lie. I wonder if he can tell by looking at me.


He cocks his head. “An overnight bag doesn’t mean the same thing in the US as it does in Australia?”


“This one means I like to be prepared just in case.”


“It feels heavy to me, like you’re prepared to stay a couple of nights.” He reaches for my hand and holds it as we walk to the car. This is him getting an early start on ridding us of our stranger anxiety.


“We’ll see how things go.”


He pops the trunk and puts my things inside the sporty, and very expensive, black convertible. “I’ve never seen a car like this before. What kind is it?”