She knew Luke was goading her, trying to wind her up more, and on one level he was succeeding. But on another, his words sparked something in April.Losther touch? Absolutely not. Was she seriously going to let him rile her up like this for his own enjoyment? She’d spent years of her life going head to head with Luke and she couldn’t back down now just because she was horny. Her desire ebbed, replaced with a furious competitiveness toward Luke that was all too familiar.
April:
You wish, Luke.
April:
I don’t “need” you, it’s just been funny toying with you. You’re making it so easy, after all
April:
Anyways, it’s late. Sweet dreams, Pointer.
She switched her phone off and hid it in the drawer of her nightstand, determined not to get lured back into conversation with Luke. She felt like she’d managed to claw back at least some of her dignity, but was still a little shocked that she’d basically sentLuke PointeraYou up?text. What was going on with her?
As she lay in the darkness, staring at the few glow-in-the-dark stars that still clung to the ceiling, she turned the whole thing over in her mind. In all her years with Tyler, she’d never felt so inexplicably drawn to him, needy to the point of losing all sense and reason. But with Luke? It was intoxicating, like she could never have enough of him to satisfy herself. It didn’t matter that she didn’t like him. In some ways, she realized,it just made the whole thing even more of a turn-on.Dammit.
She was still cursing herself the next morning as she made her way downstairs, preparing for a breakfast that was undoubtedly going to be painful. It felt like she was doing the walk of shame in her own house—and she hadn’t even orgasmed. Truly, there were no winners here.
Noah had apparently decided to stay the night, so she could only assume that he now knew about their mom’s sleeping arrangement.
Still, she was a grown woman. She could face a few knowing looks at the breakfast table.
But she drew the line at her brother stealing the last of her favorite tea.
“You don’t even like it,” she protested as Noah blew on the steam coming from his mug and wafted the sweet smell of raspberry her way. “You’re such an ass.” Their mom walked in and April pointed at Noah. “He stole the last of the raspberry hibiscus!”
“You kissed my friend,” he countered, and she gaped.
“Sorry, wereyouwaiting to kiss him?” She hadn’t expected Noah to be so brazen about what he’d seen the night before, and his words prompted a memory of Luke’s lips against hers to flash across her mind.Get it together, April.
“Enough, you two. You’re giving me a headache,” Kathy muttered.
“Did you sleep on the sofa again?” Maybe it was petty, but she’d been meaning to talk to Noah about it anyway, plus this shifted the attention off of her and Luke.
“Again?” Noah frowned. “Mom, you told me that was a one-time thing.”
“Try a six-month thing,” April muttered and yelped when their mom pinched her. “Well, it’s time he knew,” she protested.
April backed away before she could get pinched again and set about making a fresh kettle of water for tea. She’d picked up a new one in town the other day that she was eager to try—ambiguously titledSpring in Bloom. It had smelled pretty good, though, so she hoped it tasted just as nice.
“Why would you hide this from me?” Noah was asking as April busied herself with a mug for herself and one for their mom. “I would never judge you. You could have come to stay with me if you weren’t feeling comfortable here.”