Page 59 of Seduction Under the Southern Stars
I nod. “Of course.”
He hesitates. “Are you going to be all right here on your own?”
I smile. “I’ll just check the door eighty-five times and I’ll be fine.”
“Aw,” he says, and he pulls me into his arms and gives me a hug.
I bury my nose in his shoulder and inhale the scent of his cologne. “Shiver me timbers,” I mumble, and I feel him chuckle. I inhale, then give a big sigh before I can think better of it.
He moves back and gives me a puzzled look. “What was that for?”
“Nothing. Sorry.”
“Don’t apologize. Come on, you promised to tell me what was on your mind.”
“I don’t remember making that promise.”
“Oh you definitely did. Your memory must be going. So go on, why did you sigh?”
Screw it, I think. He’s only going to be here for a couple of days and then I doubt I’ll ever see him again.
“I just wish you didn’t see me as a sister. I mean, I understand why, but…” I shrug, a little embarrassed now it’s out there.
Linc, however, gives me an amused look. “I don’t.”
“You don’t what?”
“See you as a sister.” His brows draw together. “Is that really what you thought?”
“Well, yeah. You said, I just want to spend time with an old friend. You’re like my sister, right?”
“Ah… shit…”
“It’s okay, I understand, I mean, you were friends with Joel and Fraser, and you’ve always treated me like your sister…”
“Lora, I kissed you, remember? That was what got me sent to the other side of the world!”
“That’s true, but… well, I assumed it was a spur of the moment thing, and you regretted it, and…” I trail off.
“I don’t regret kissing you,” he says. “I’ve never regretted it. And it wasn’t a spur of the moment thing. It took me weeks to summon the courage to do it.”
My eyebrows rise. “Seriously?”
“Yeah. I’d never kissed a girl before. And I was conscious of your age, and I debated whether I should for some time. But in the end, I thought fuck it. I want to kiss her, and I’m going to.” He gives a mischievous smile.
My lips curve up. “I didn’t know.”
He tips his head to the side, his gaze caressing my face. He pauses, as if he’s considering whether to say something. Then he says, “My angel wings…”
I glance at the back of his neck—I can just see the tattoo above his tee. “Yes?”
“I got them for you.”
“Yes, you told me.”
“No, I said I got them for your family, but I lied. I got them because I missed you, Lora. Yes, I missed everyone else too, but I got the tattoo because of you. Your dad sent me away from the girl I was in love with. It broke my heart. I pined for months, and I’ve never forgotten how I felt about you.”
My brain has gone blank. “What?”
