Page 80 of A Win-Win Situation
A lump forms in my throat as I nervously tuck a strand of hair behind my ear.
"I’ll take the floor tonight. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable."
I raise my eyebrows, he really can’t see me as anything other than a friend. He would rather sleep on the floor than next to me. However, the idea of him sleeping on the ground is almost more uncomfortable for me.
"No, no, that's not necessary," I say quickly. "We can share a bed for a weekend. I won’t jump you, don’t worry."
He nods slowly, ignoring my latter comment, and I can see the relief in his eyes.
"Okay then, what side do you prefer?"
"Um, I don't know," I mumble, avoiding his gaze. "I guess I'll take the left side."
"Great." He starts to unbutton his shirt.
"What are you doing?"
"Taking off my shirt?" His head tilts to the side as he looks at me with an amused expression.
I roll my eyes. "Yes, I can see that, but why?"
"We’re going to bed, aren’t we?"
I gesture toward his immaculate torso. "Are you planning on sleeping without a shirt?"
"Yeah, I usually sleep like this. Is that a problem? I can put on a t-shirt."
"No, no. Not a problem at all. I was just surprised, that’s all," I say, feeling a little embarrassed at my reaction. "Do whatever makes you comfortable."
Lucas nods and finishes unbuttoning his shirt, revealing a toned chest with a sprinkling of hair. My eyes trail over his body, unable to resist the sight. The light reflects on his olive skin, enticing a desire to reach out and touch it. At this moment, he looks more like a piece of art than anything we’ll see in the Louvre tomorrow.
"Like what you see?" There’s a smirk on his face, like he knows exactly what I was thinking.
I flush and look away. "I was just . . ."
"Admiring the view?" he finishes for me, a teasing glint in his eyes.
I playfully roll my eyes. "You wish."
"You’ve seen me shirtless before, Leora."
"Yeah, I know."
He chuckles softly. "Then why are you blushing?"
I feel my cheeks burning even more as I try to avoid his gaze. "I mean, it's not like I was staring or anything," I mutter, mortified. "I just . . . noticed."
Lucas raises an eyebrow. "Noticed, huh? What did you notice, Leora?" he asks, his smirk growing more prominent. I must look like a ripe tomato at this point.
I clear my throat nervously. "I just noticed that you have a lot of tattoos," I reply, avoiding eye contact with him.
Lucas chuckles. "Do you like tattoos? "
I shrug, feeling flustered. "I don't know. I guess."
"Do you likemytattoos?" Lucas's question catches me off guard, and I find myself at a loss for words. After a moment of hesitation, I meet his gaze and reply, "I-I mean, they're nice. They look good on you." I can feel my heart pounding in my chest as I wait for his response, unsure of how he'll react.
"Just nice?" He takes a few steps toward me. "Have you seen many tattoos like this, Leora?" His tone is low and it sounds like a challenge.
