afraid I’d never get it back when she drifted out of my life. Either way, Saint got the message and stepped back to let us farther into the airy front hall of the house.
“In the kitchen, terrorizing her catering staff.”
“I heard that,” a southern drawl rang out. A second later, a curvy woman with light-brown hair and eyes the color of brûlée strolled up to us. She gave Saint a reproachful look that didn’t dull the affection in her eyes. “I do not terrorize my staff.”
He wrapped an arm around her waist and hauled her close. “Whatever you say, Tot.”
The woman pursed her lips but turned her attention to Emma. “Hey! I’m so glad you’re here.”
They hugged before Emma introduced her to me. “Lucian, this is Delilah. Dee, this is Lucian Osmond.”
“Luc Osmond,” Saint said to Delilah with emphasis. “Hockey center for Washington.”
Delilah slid him a look that said she had no idea why he had to put that part in, and I bit back a laugh.
I took her hand. “Nice to meet you both. Thank you for letting me attend your wedding.”
“We’re happy to have you.” Delilah had that whole southern-hostess thing going on and gave me a wide polite smile. But it didn’t meet her eyes. I had no idea what she saw in me, but clearly both she and Saint were protective of Emma. Since I was, too, I approved, even if the distrust was in my direction.
Delilah turned to Macon. “North is looking for you. I’ll take Emma and Luc—” She glanced at me. “Or is it Lucian?”
“Luc is fine.” I said it automatically, having been called Luc for most of my adult life. But I noticed Emma stiffen at my side—because she’d called me Lucian. I didn’t look her way. Not now, with her protectors hovering in front of us.
“I’ll take Luc and Emma to their room.”
Room. She said room. I didn’t imagine that.
No, no I didn’t. Because I soon found myself being ushered into a well-appointed room overlooking the Pacific. Light poured in, slanting across the single king bed against the wall. Through a daze I heard Delilah and Emma talking, Delilah telling us to make ourselves comfortable. On the bed? The one fucking bed?
The door shut, and I blinked, suddenly alone with Emma. In our room.
Hell.
Emma
“I didn’t think this thing properly through.”
I set my bag down by the bed and turned to a scowling Lucian. “What’s got your pants in a twist now?”
I absolutely knew what was upsetting him, and I kind of loved that he was a Grumpy Gus half the time, but I would never stop giving him shit about it.
His glare was green ice, but his expressive mouth quirked. “I didn’t think about this being an overnight trip.”
“Ah.” Wait for it.
Lucian’s gaze moved over the room. It was a very nice room—lovely, even—overlooking the ocean, with a generous en suite bathroom. “I definitely didn’t think we’d be sharing a room.”
There it was.
“I knew you were going to get fussy.”
“Fussy,” he repeated, as though the word was a snake.
“Fussy.” I plopped onto the plush bed and kicked off my sandals. “To be fair, I didn’t expect the whole ‘one room to bind them’ deal either.”
He huffed in reluctant amusement, then crossed his beefy arms over his chest and quirked a brow as I continued.
“But unless we want to embarrass our hosts, which I don’t, and go find a hotel somewhere, which will be less private, we’re stuck with it. So we might as well be adults and suck it up.”
“You’re okay with this?” He stared down at the bed like it just might up and grab him.
“Are you going to try something on me without my permission?”
“No,” he spat, clearly disgusted I’d even suggested it.
I fought a smile. “Do you think I’m going to try something on you without your permission?”
His eyes narrowed. “I get the point, Em.”
I let my amusement show. “It’s a king bed. And granted, you are a big guy, but there’s plenty of room.”
Lucian rolled his shoulders and went to set his bag by the far wall. “How very grown up of you.”
“I like to think so.”
“Hmm.” The sidelong look he slanted toward me sent a bolt of heat and nerves straight through my lying soul. Because I was lying my ass off. The idea of sharing a bed with Lucian Osmond was daunting. I just might roll over in my sleep and cling to him like a monkey. I couldn’t trust my base self not to