The Hookup

by Zante, Lily

  The bathroom door opened and she quickly smoothed down her hair, then stepped out into the living room, putting on a brave face as if it were her battle gear. Awkwardness stretched out into the next few moments, and she wasn’t sure what to say to him.

  He cleared his throat, and she saw his car keys in his hand. They looked at one another for a few seconds, and she found herself unable to speak. Her throat was parched, the moisture drying up and making her swallow. She now found herself in a situation that was alien even to her, and she’d been in plenty of scenarios that had only lasted one night.

  “It’s late. I should go,” he said finally.

  She nodded, trying to work out what to say, how to be, what to do. With the others, things had never been this awkward, but this was different. Luke was different. He was unreachable, almost. He'd used her, and now he was set to go. The others, they had stayed around. Some had stayed the night and stayed for breakfast, some had stayed for an hour or so. It hadn’t only been sex. But this was exactly how it felt to her, with this man. He seemed to be in a rush to leave. With him there was no conversation, no finding out about him, no discussion. No lying in bed, no holding one another.

  “I didn't think it would be like this,” she blurted out, unable to hold back.

  “Like what?” he asked, not even blinking.

  He had to be freaking kidding her. The sex had been one-sided, and now he was leaving? “So fast.”

  “I told you,” he said, slowly, his knuckles tightening as he gripped the car keys. “I don’t do all that romancing stuff. I don’t stay the night, if that’s what you were expecting.”

  That wasn’t quite it. He didn’t seem to understand. He hadn’t even made her come. Folding her arms, she rubbed the sides, suddenly feeling cold, unwanted and used. “Maybe you should get a call-girl.”

  “Why the hell would you say that?” His forehead puckered into ugly little ripples. “Are you going to make a thing of this? I told you upfront, I don’t do romance or relationships. I warned you.”

  He had. Numerous times. She’d been the one who hadn’t heeded it. But she wasn’t going to let him get away with it so easily. “There was nothing in it for me.”

  She heard his audible sigh. Of irritation, it sounded like. “I’m sorry,” he ground out. “I—didn’t realize. It won’t happen again.”

  Again?

  Staring at him, standing across from her, still looking so handsome, she suddenly felt a twinge of regret that she’d called him out on it. This man was everything she could ever want in a boyfriend; rich and handsome, and enough of an enigma to make her curious. There was more than a hint of trouble beneath that beautiful façade. Unlike Dean, Luke was a closed book, and she, being a greedy reader, wasn’t about to let him slip through her fingers until she got to the end.

  She bit her lower lip, staring back silently, as she tried to hold herself together. His scent clung to her needy skin, imprinting itself on her body. “Unless you want it to,” he said, as an afterthought, or perhaps because he could read her mind. Perhaps because he knew of the effect he had on women. “The sex, I mean. It depends on you, on whether you want to get together again…or not.” She didn’t know how to answer that, so she said nothing as he walked up to her. Sliding his hands back into his trousers, he looked down at her, and even though they weren’t standing too close, she could feel the heat from his body—an electric buzz, something sharp and potent rolled off him and electrified the nerve endings inside her.

  “But, you’re right,” he continued, “It shouldn’t have happened like that. I shouldn’t have been so greedy. It’s not my fault I couldn’t control myself because you’re so goddamn sexy.”

  Freaking hell. He was saying all the right things. A charmer, like Xavier, almost, but better. In her books he was better, and sexier. He was perfection, if a little damaged, and hard-to-fathom, and she was a mass of contradictions trying to fight the feelings his words evoked. She swallowed, as arousal stirred deep inside her. Suddenly, she wanted more of him; his fingers, his mouth and his cock, against her, and inside her. “Great,” she said, managing to say something. “Blame me, why don’t you?”

  His brows pushed together, making her focus on the vertical line between them. “It’s a compliment. It’s been a while since I …fucked.” His words slapped into her, but she somehow managed to stay upright.

  Fucked?

  Technically, that described what they’d done, but to hear him say it just sounded so demeaning.

  Walk away.

  Whispered warnings from her gut rose up. As beautiful as he was, as sexy and as gorgeous as he seemed on the outside, Luke Hunter was going to bring a level of mass of complication into her life, if she let him. She didn’t need this.

  But she ignored her gut instinct. “You have a real way of making a woman feel special.”

  “I have rules, Kay, and I hinted at them before we fucked.”

  She winced, hearing him say the word again. “Can you…” she hesitated, not liking the way he threw that word around. “Can you stop saying that? I get it. I get that you’re making a big deal about not making love to me. I get that it’s just fucking to you.”

  “It’s not to you?” he asked, his eyes serious.

  “That’s all it is to me, too, but I don’t need you to keep going on about it.”

  “Good, because that’s all I can offer. Besides, you made out that you could handle it, otherwise I would never have agreed to come to your apartment.”

  “I can handle it. Don’t you worry about that. You and I aren’t so different in that respect.”

  “There are things I don’t do,” he said, gazing at her intently.

  “Go on.” She tilted her chin up, letting him know she could take anything he threw at her.

  “I don’t stay the night, and I won’t treat you like my girlfriend, or partner, or lover.”

  She chuckled, because it sounded so ridiculous. “Did some past girlfriend leave you broken hearted?” she asked, trying to make sense of his constraints.

  “I don’t waste my time thinking about crap like that. I don’t want romance or the emotional fuckery that comes with it.”

  “How about making me come? Is that also not allowed?”

  His lips clamped shut, while tight muscles flexed on either side of his jaw. “I don’t care for the other stuff,” she continued, loving the idea that she’d hit him where it hurt, “but an occasional orgasm or two would be good.”

  “I’ll see what I can do, next time.”

  “Surprise me,” she said, as she watched him walk towards the door.

  “’Bye.” He glanced over his shoulder, then left.

  She felt as if she’d just made a pact with the devil. None of her previous encounters had ever required this type of discussion. Could she change him? Fix him, even? For it was clear that this man had issues. As perfect as he looked on paper, there were still things about him that she wasn’t sure of.

  Maybe she could slowly cajole him into being the type of man she wanted.

  The question was, would it be worth it?

  The next few weeks flew by and she found herself wrapped up in a heavy workload, sometimes staying at the office until the early hours of the morning and taking the company cab home. On those nights she fell into bed around 2 to 3 am, and would then wake up, and go to work for another grueling day all over again.

  Since that night at the club when he’d had to be escorted out by security, she hadn’t spoken to Geoffrey much, apart from when it came to work related questions. Sometimes she had sensed that he was going to say something, about that incident, but he never did, and she didn’t push it.

  Savannah arrived back from her honeymoon soon after and arranged a night out for the two of them to catch up. Kay found herself looking forward to seeing her cousin, but Savannah’s suggestion to meet at The Oasis caught her by surprise. All of a sudden, it seemed as if the bar she most wanted to avoid, was most people’s favorite haunt.

&
nbsp; “Why don’t I come over to your place?” she suggested, curious to know why Savannah, who was hardly the type to go out, now wanted to.

  “We’ve just come back from our honeymoon,” said Savannah, “and I’m still on vacation mode. Let’s go to The Oasis. Besides, Tobias is meeting me there later on.”

  Damn. That wasn’t going to work. “But what about Jacob?” she pressed, eager to avoid The Oasis, and by association, Luke.

  “He’s got a sleepover at Lenny’s tonight. I hardly ever go out, so you should make the most of this opportunity. How comes you don’t want to go out?”

  “I’ve been working some crazy hours,” she said, her gut twisting at the idea of seeing Luke again. He evoked emotions in her that she didn’t fully understand. Recalling that night, and what had passed between them both disgusted and excited her. She hadn’t called Luke since, not that he was on speed dial on her phone, but she knew how to get a hold of him, and had chosen not to. “But if you want to meet there, we could go.”

  He hadn’t called her either, but each time she thought of that night with him, her body reacted. It could barely be called a night. Rough and feral, it hadn’t been a gentle or loving encounter. Yet heat stirred and coiled around inside her, and if she lingered on those memories too long, she was left in a semi-state of arousal.

  By not going to that place, she was hoping to wean herself off of him. She was fully aware that she had ignored Savannah’s sage advice regarding men, and that it was her fault entirely for being in this predicament in the first place. She had chosen Luke and what he offered—spontaneous and exciting sex—and there were obviously bound to be consequences for making this choice. If she wanted an easier life, she knew what she ought do—walk away—but she couldn’t. She didn’t want to. She could handle what they had.

  And so it was she met with Savannah at The Oasis; they’d met outside at the same time, Kay getting out of a cab, while Savannah climbed out of a chauffeured car.

  At first glance, Kay marveled at the change in her cousin. This was what a person in love looked like. Savannah’s eyes sparkled, her skin was iridescent, and her sun-kissed hair framed her face. She looked beautiful.

  Kay suddenly felt conscious of herself.

  “I still feel as if I’m on my honeymoon,” said Savannah, sinking into the oversized cushions. Their booth, near a window with red drapes, overlooked the rooftop which was busy, and full of tables. There were plenty of heaters around to keep the cold out, but sitting inside, with the amber colored table lamps sparkling like warm jewels, was so much cozier.

  Savannah looked more than well, Kay decided. She looked to be glowing, and it wasn’t the light form the lamps which was giving her that warm light.

  They’d both ordered drinks. She’d settled for a glass of wine, while Savannah had asked for a virgin mocktail. “You look freakin’ amazing, Sav. You’ll be telling me you’re pregnant next,” she offered, hiding behind a drinks menu, and hoping that she wouldn’t see Luke tonight. Her cousin wasn’t one to drink much, but the virgin mocktail hadn’t gone unnoticed by her, and the glow had to come from something.

  “Before I think about another baby, I want to make sure Jacob’s okay.”

  “Why, what’s happened to him?”

  “Nothing. Nothing much. Izzy and Xavier did a great job of keeping an eye on him.”

  “You left them to look after him?” Her eyes widened with disbelief. “Xavier?” she repeated, unable to comprehend how Savannah could have been so irresponsible.

  “Not just him, but Izzy, and my parents. Xavier wanted to help out.”

  Her brain scrambled for reasons as to why he would have. “Are they an item?” It wouldn’t surprise her. Xavier Stone could get lucky with a brick if it had a pulse. The horny little shit.

  “No.” Savannah laughed as if it was the most ridiculous suggestion. “They couldn’t be more different. My parents had Jacob most of the time, but Izzy would come over at weekends, and I think Xavier wanted to help out. Jacob likes him, and I want him to have more male role models in his life. You know how bad Colt was.”

  “And you think Xavier would be a better role model?”

  Savannah sipped her drink through a straw. “He’s misunderstood. He’s not such a bad guy. But he’s off limits to you, all the same.”

  “As if I had any intention of getting involved with him,” she cried indignantly, wanting to put that ghost to rest. She had no plans to get close to Xavier Stone even if she lived to be one hundred.

  “How’s the man-free diet going?” Savannah examined her face closely. “You would tell me, wouldn’t you? If you veered off course?”

  Kay put down her glass. “Do I look as if I have time for a man?”

  “Good evening, Ladies.”

  She didn’t need to look up to know that he was standing right next to her, so close that she could detect that electric buzz that passed between them. So close that she had no doubt he’d heard what she’d said.

  “Luke!” said Savannah, rising to her feet with a smile.

  “You’re back,” he exclaimed. “And you’re looking great.” She felt a sharp stab of jealousy hearing Luke pay a compliment to another woman. They hugged and exchanged cheek kisses, while Kay remained seated and suffered in silence, feeling even more awkward when he completely ignored her. She hadn’t been prepared for this—to see him and have him ignore her.

  Savannah remained standing while they continued their conversation, laughing and reminiscing over the wedding, making small talk as she stared into her glass feeling completely left out.

  “You know Luke, don’t you, Kay?” Savannah asked, pointedly. “He was at the wedding.” Kay begrudgingly looked up at him.

  “We’ve met.”

  “Hello,” he said, smiling. “Can I get you ladies another round of drinks?”

  “I’ll have another one of the same,” said Savannah, pointing to her half-empty glass.

  “I’m fine,” Kay told him. The expression in those cornflower blues eyes seemed cool, almost distant. He seemed to be handling this unexpected meeting better than she was.

  “I’ll be back with the drinks,” he told Savannah and then left, prompting Savannah to comment on how nice he was, and what a wonderful job he’d done at the wedding.

  “Your wedding was a fairytale come true,” mused Kay. “You’re so lucky, Sav.”

  “I am, aren’t I?” Savannah blushed. “It feels so big-headed to agree, but I feel so blessed. After Colt, I couldn’t see myself wanting to be with anyone ever again.”

  “And you hit the jackpot.” She hadn’t intended for that to sound bitter, but it did. Savannah’s brows pushed together, and she frowned. “It just happened, Kay. I wasn’t looking for it, and I didn’t have any expectations.”

  “I know,” Kay replied, flashing a smile in an effort to over-compensate.

  “Playing hard to get wouldn’t hurt.”

  “What are you trying to say?”

  “That if you didn’t give in so easily to a bit of attention—”

  “I don’t give in that easily.”

  “There’s no need to get so defensive. I’m just offering advice. If you don’t focus on looking for a relationship, you might find it.”

  “What’s it?”

  “Love.”

  “Who’s looking for love?”

  “Do you want to be Good-Time-Kay for ever?”

  She huffed out an angry breath, not liking the way even her cousin was perceiving her. “That nickname was because I liked to party. I’d go out and have fun. It didn’t necessarily mean I ended up making out with everyone.” She wasn’t that kind of woman. Not entirely. She didn’t readily jump into every man’s bed.

  “I’m sorry,” said Savannah, reaching out and tugging at her sleeve. “I hate seeing you get hurt all the time. I just meant that it you do meet someone, then playing hard to get might not be such a bad thing. You give too much of yourself, too soon.”

  “I’m going to lower my
expectations, and be more like you.” Her mouth fell open as she understood how that must have sounded. “I didn’t mean—”

  “I know.” Savannah smiled. “I know what you meant. I had this life plan all worked out, and it was only ever me and Jacob in it.” She placed a hand over her stomach and sat back. “And now, I have so much more to be thankful for. Somedays it still seems like a dream.”

  “Rub some of that magic love potion on me,” Kay begged, half-joking.

  “Here, you go, ladies.”

  Shit on a fiddlestick.

  He’d heard.

  His cornflower blue eyes seemed to see right through her, touching her deep within, making her feel and think things she had never done before. As intense as his gaze was she couldn’t look away.

  “A virgin mocktail, and a cocktail for you,” he said, putting down two cocktail glasses.

  “But I’m not drinking cocktails—” She started to say.

  “Sorry. My mistake.”

  “It was.”

  His eyebrows pushed together, as if he wasn’t quite sure what she was alluding to. “Then I’ll get you something else,” he said, with a smile, “only, you seemed to like it the last time.”

  Her mind battled to figure out if it was innuendo, or if he was talking about the cocktail. She lifted the glass and examined it. It was the same one he’d made for her on the island. The one he always made for her. “They should rename it to Kitchen Table,” she said, dryly.

  Savannah seemed pre-occupied with her cell phone, and appeared not to have heard.

  “I like it,” said Luke. “A Slow Comfortable Screw Against The Kitchen Table.”

  She wasn’t sure if he was intentionally trying to humiliate her, and as such, she didn’t know whether to slap him or throw the cocktail at his face. “It wouldn’t be against, it would be over,” she retorted, and then cringed at her pathetic comeback.