One Night Stand-In (Boyfriend Material #3) - Lauren Blakely Page 0,54
“They are, and I don’t know what I’d do in that type of . . . situation,” he says, choosing his words carefully, it seems. “But then, it hasn’t happened to me.”
“Same here. I’ve dated, had some long-term boyfriends. But no one who rocked my world,” I say, but there’s more to it. There’s a part of me that’s terrified of a love so powerful that it could consume me. I’ve seen the kind of damage that can do. I don’t want to watch other parts of my life, and myself, burn to embers. “Love feels like such an all-or-nothing proposition,” I say with a sad sigh.
His eyes meet mine again. There’s an intensity in his gaze, but an understanding too. “It does. Why can’t there be some middle ground?”
I force out a laugh. “Halfway love?”
“That sounds like a book title. We’ll design the cover after we finish Things Overheard in Coffee Shops.”
“As long as it’s not a cracked heart design, I’m in.”
“Please. We’re kick-ass, not derivative,” he says, then he flinches, startled, and turns to find Frick rubbing his snout against his shoulder.
“I believe someone wants something from you,” I tease.
Lucas smiles at the animal, and whatever wariness he felt earlier has vanished. “This guy doesn’t want halfway love. He wants it all,” he whispers, then thrusts out his hand and offers the food. The llama scoops it up with his tongue. Lucas’s eyes light up with childlike glee. “Ha! That’s awesome.”
The delight in his expression is infectious. It spreads through my soul. I bounce on my feet, smiling. “Lucas Xavier, you are definitely not like your parents at all.”
He tilts his head, meeting my gaze. “Why do you say that?”
I point at the animal eating happily from his hand. “Because you’re falling in love with a llama, and there’s nothing halfway about it.”
He narrows his eyes, but the corner of his lips turns up as he meets Frick’s gaze. “Hey there, buddy.”
And my heart—forget warming up; it’s simply glowing as he pets Frick. “You so are,” I add.
“So what? He’s cute,” Lucas grumbles. “Want more, buddy?” He bends to the bale, grabs some hay, and returns to feeding.
“You went from wary and suspicious of llamas to in love in sixty seconds,” I remark as I snag some hay for Frack.
Lucas nods to Frack. “Same for you, woman. Didn’t take Frack long to romance you.”
“Maybe I’m easy when it comes to four-legged creatures,” I say as Frack hums against my palm, gobbling up the hay.
He smiles. “Did you have pets growing up?”
“Cats. We had all the cats in Miami. My parents rescued stray cats any chance they could. We had a menagerie for some time. Funny thing is, the pets were about the only thing they took care of when they lost interest in Luna and me.”
He shoots me a sympathetic look. “For real?”
I shrug, but it doesn’t hurt like it did when I was younger. “They loved their cats more than their kids. I guess they’re dicks too.”
Lucas lifts his free hand and strokes Frick’s snout. “Let’s make a vow not to be like that. What do you think, Lo?”
“I’m down with that plan,” I say, mirroring him as I pet Frack.
We’re quiet for a few moments, feeding the pair of siblings as they purr their appreciation for the simple things in life.
“Seems there’s more to Luna and Rowan than I thought,” Lucas says, his voice a little faraway. “I always pictured them as this hotheaded young couple, but there was more going on. And they have quite the interesting life.”
I nod, picturing Luna and Rowan spending the occasional weekend here. “It’s funny because I think I know my sister, but I can also see there’s a lot I don’t know about her. She’s more selfless than I thought.”
He smiles a crooked grin. “Kind of cool to learn, isn’t it? It makes me feel better about picking up the slack for him now and then,” Lucas says as he hands more hay to the animal. “He really tries to give back. Did you know he visits the children’s hospital and plays games with the kids?”
I smile, loving that image, as I offer hay to Frack. “I had no idea. That’s so sweet.”
“He’s a good one. Total pain in the ass, but total softie too.”
“What would they say about us if the roles were reversed?” I ask.
Lucas’s dark eyes roam up and down my frame. “You are definitely a total pain in the ass, but a softie too.”