A Modern Love Story (14 page)

He sniffed, the corner of his mouth twitched. “Yeah. Much.” He dug out his wallet, threw a few bills on the table. “Come on. Let’s call it a night.”

“
Alrighty
.” Robbie stood, wobbled.

“You okay there, Squirt?” Luc took her arm as he wrapped his around her shoulder.

“Yup. Just not used to Mai Tais, I guess.” She giggled and swayed. “Once I get moving, I should be okay.”

They walked up together, arm-in-arm, as Robbie continued to needle him about the
sex
talk
. They stopped in front of his door.

“Here’s your room, Stretch. I’ll just leave you here, head on up to my own.”

“
Naw
, I’ll walk you. You shouldn’t—”

Robbie’s ears perked. “Is that…?”

Luc pressed his ear to the door, and Robbie matched his position.

“Conrad and Lizbeth,” they said together.

Robbie snickered, and slapped a hand to his chest. “Looks like you’re bunking with me, pal.”

“Looks like,” he said with a funny little smile Robbie couldn’t quite figure out.

“Oh,” Robbie gushed, slipping her arm around his again. “I can show you the suit I’m wearing tomorrow. If you thought today’s was non-existent then wait until you get a load of this one.”

Luc shot her a glare as she shoved him into her suite.

“Just wait right there. Let me go get it.” She ducked into the bedroom to yank it from her suitcase. “Ta
dah
!”

He slowly turned from his position on the couch, and then smiled. “
Very
nice, Rob.”

“Ha!” She held up the navy one-piece. “Thought you’d like that.” She tossed it on the end table and joined him on the couch. “God. I’m exhausted. Too much sun today.”

“Go ahead and crash. I’m just gonna stay up, watch some TV.”

“You sure?”

“I’m good.”

“All right. The couch pulls out into a bed, and I saw some extra blankets in the closet over there.” She looked at his expression. “But…you already knew that ‘cause your room is exactly the same. Got it.”

“Go to bed, Squirt.”

“Will do.” She stood and, without really thinking about it, kissed him. Normally, a kiss on the cheek was standard, but this time, for whatever reason, she kissed him right on the lips. And not just a quick peck, but the kind that lingered for just a second longer, crossing the line from
platonic
and
eeking
toward
intimate
. Damn, Mai Tais.

His gaze locked on hers as he tilted his head, tension washing through his features and the tips of his ears turning red.

She issued a nervous chuckle and patted him on the shoulder before backing away. “So, yeah,” she said. “Goodnight.”

“Night, Rob.”

She backed off another step, shook her head and turned. “Sleep tight.”

“Wait.”

Robbie froze, slowly looking over her shoulder. She had never seen Luc at a loss for words, but it was as if she could see right into him, watching as he mentally rummaged around trying to find the ones that fit.

He opened his mouth, closed it, then shrugged with an all-together different expression: Confusion. “What does that mean, anyway?”

“Excuse me?”

“Sleep tight.”

Robbie’s breath let out with a
whoosh
and she groaned—partially in relief, partially in frustration. “Goodnight, Luc.”

“I know you know what it means, Squirt,” he called after her.

“Another time, Stretch. Another time.”

Chapter 6

Twenty-two years old (Present day)

“Luc. Glad you could make it in.”

Luc looked up to see his attorney cutting through the reception area. He stood to greet him with a handshake. “Hey, Bryan. I just wanted to drop off these papers.” Luc smacked the manila envelope against his palm before handing them over.

“All signed and ready to go then?” Bryan pulled out the documents. “Sure you don’t want to come on back to my office while I look these over?”

“
Naw
. I have to get back.” He jerked his chin towards the papers. “You know how to reach me if there’s anything else, but that ought to do it.”

“All right.” Bryan held out his hand. “I’ll let you know if there’s anything else.”

“Sounds good.” Luc gave Bryan’s hand a firm pump.

Someone calling Bryan’s name had Luc turning towards the strong, feminine voice.

A woman with platinum blond hair, pulled back in a smooth twist-thingy, and piercing ice-blue eyes, approached. Sensible pumps brought her close to Luc’s height, a prim skirt showcased her never-ending legs, and a professionally-cut, though form-fitting, jacket completed the picture. High-powered business woman in high-powered gear, Luc decided.

“I don’t believe we’ve had the pleasure,” she said, holding out her hand.

“Luc Cintrone, may I introduce Payten Carmichael,” Bryan gestured as Luc took her hand in his. “Miss Carmichael is one of our heavy-hitters around here.”

“You’re just saying that because my father signs your paychecks.” She laughed—a polite, musical sound—as she shook Luc’s hand. “Mr. Cintrone. It is indeed a pleasure to meet you.”

“Likewise,” Luc said, giving her another discreet once over as he let go of her hand. He could probably go for some of that, but most likely she’d turn it into some kind of fucking legal issue when he rolled right back off and walked away. Not worth the hassle, even with legs like those.

“Luc here owns Hooligan’s down on Summit,” Bryan said to Payten.

“Oh, yes, I do believe I’ve seen it.” She nodded as she folded her hands in front of her, not hiding the once over she was now giving him. “I’ll have to stop by sometime.”

Luc heard the little alarm bells going off in his head, and took a mental step back. “I’m thinking it won’t be your style. Look, I
gotta
take off, Bryan. Catch ya later. Payten. Take care.”

She smiled, halted him with a hand to his arm. “I’ll stop by anyway. I’m always looking for someplace new.”

He shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

*****

Luc was wiping down the bar when Conrad walked in from the back.

“Delivery’s been signed for. He’s unloading now.” Conrad shoved a case of beer on the counter. “I’ll get these into the cooler.”

“Sounds good.” Luc glanced over at his friend. “Just so you know, you are now officially half owner of Hooligan’s.”

“Really?” Conrad grinned as he clapped Luc on the back. “That was fast.”

“Ran the papers over this morning.” Luc smiled and jerked his thumb towards the back. “Now get to work.”

Conrad laughed. “Nothing changes, huh?”

“Not true. You’ll get a bigger paycheck.”

“Which Lizbeth will insist I spend on her.”

“That’s your own fault for getting involved.” Luc shook his head. “And staying involved.”

“Hey, I heard that!” Lizbeth called from the back.

“You could have told me she was here,” Luc mumbled, looking over at Lizbeth as she walked in.

“Just for that, I might not help you stock.” She slipped an arm around Conrad’s waist. “Congrats on the raise. Where’re you taking me?”

“Anywhere you want, gorgeous.”

“Oh, Jesus.” Luc said, eyeing up the couple. “Don’t you two ever let up?”

“Why would we?” she asked, popping open the case of beer. “We enjoy each other’s company, we’re in love, and the sex is amazing. Why walk away from that?”

“She’s got a point, especially about the sex.” Conrad patted her ass before ducking in the back room.

Luc tipped his head. “Is Robbie back there too?”

“Nope. She ran out to get a DVD for tonight.”

Luc froze. “She what?”

Lizbeth started unloading the box. “You heard me.”

“She was supposed to wait for me.”

“Well, I guess she got sick of waiting on you.”

“Shit.” He tossed down his towel and made his way behind the bar, scooting around her in the process. “Last time she picked one out by herself, I was stuck watching
Moonstruck
.”

“Ya know, you could avoid all this if you just took her out on a real date.”

He stopped and turned. “It’s not a fucking date. We’re just hanging out.”

“And maybe
that’s
your problem.”

What the fuck? “Look, I don’t have time to play
guess what the crazy female is thinking
. I have to go stop another female from subjecting me to
The Sound of Music
or some shit.” He grabbed his jacket by the back door and shrugged into it. “You’re on your own, Conrad. Go control your woman. She’s getting some crazy ass ideas again.”

*****

Luc set the huge bowl of popcorn on the table and settled into his overstuffed couch. “You’ve got that interview tomorrow, right?”

“Yup. I hope I get it, too. Give this college education a ride.” Robbie chuckled as she stretched out, her head on the pillow in his lap. “Five years of slinging pizza slices is enough.”

He stroked her hair, watching the way the silky strands cascaded against her milky neck. “You’ll get it.”

“We’ll find out. I’ll stop by the bar afterward and let you know how it went.”

“Sounds good.”

“Ready for the movie?” she asked, grabbing the remote.

“Sure thing, Squirt.” He slung his arm around her and kicked back. As the opening credits flashed across the screen, he took stock of their position. They always cuddled like this, for as long as he could remember. But why was it this could feel so comfortable, they could fit together so right, but have no elements of intimacy? He supposed, though, that the intimacy was there, just not the getting-down-and-dirty kind. His belly tightened. Jesus, he thought, don’t even go there. Think about something else. And for the next hour and forty-seven minutes, he managed to successfully do just that.

Robbie stretched and did a sexy little wiggle as she looked up at him with sleepy eyes. “Next time we get something with more action.”

“Deal.”

“Is it okay if I crash here tonight?”

“That’s cool. You can take my bed.”

She got up and he could feel her eyes on him as he shifted. “Don’t be an idiot. I’ll sleep on the couch.”

“Robbie, I’m not gonna have you sleeping on the couch.”

“Enough, Luc. We have this same damn argument every time one of us crashes at the other’s, and it always ends up with you on couch cushions on the floor, and me feeling enormously guilty. So just cut the crap, and go to bed.”

“Bossy little thing, aren’t you?” He snickered, tugging on her hair.