Amy’s eyes widened as she took Lucas’s hand, allowing him to pull her to her feet. “Skiing? Are you serious?” she exclaimed.Lucas smirked, enjoying her surprise. “Completely serious.”She bit her lip, a flicker of uncertainty crossing her features. “But I’ve never skied before. No, it is too scary. I can’t.”He chuckled, tugging her hand gently. “Don’t be a chicken. I will teach you.”She shook her head no. “I will fall down the hill and break something. And then, you will be forced to take care of me for another six months. You will never find the time to woo Alicia at that pace.”Lucas stared at her in amusement. “You have no confidence in yourself, do you?”“ZERO. Now, can we do something else? Like…I don’t know…something does not involve me rolling down from high places?” Amy asked nervously.Lucas tightened his hold on her hand. “Nope. We are going skiing, and that’s final.”Amy groaned loudly, dragging her feet as Lucas led her toward the ski rental area.He rolled his eyes, ha
“Sit down on that little table, and I’ll go get your drink,” Lucas offered, shrugging out of his jacket. “Hot chocolate, right?”“Right,” Amy said with a small smile.Amy turned her gaze to the window, focusing on the view instead of the flutter in her chest. This was just a fun day out. Don’t overthink it. This was one of her many flaws. Overthinking things.A few minutes later, Lucas returned with two steaming mugs of hot chocolate, each topped with a generous swirl of whipped cream. “One for you and one for me,” he said, sliding hers across the table.Amy took a sip, the warmth spreading through her and momentarily chasing away her thoughts. “Mmm, this is amazing.”“Told you this place was worth it,” Lucas said, taking a sip of his own. “So, how does it feel to have conquered your first ski slope?”She set her mug down and leaned back in her chair. “Honestly? It feels good. I didn’t think I’d enjoy it as much as I did.”“Told you you would,” Lucas said, his eyes fixed on hers.“So…
“…and then I told her, ‘If you think that’s bad, you should see what happens when I try to use chopsticks!’” Amy’s words tumbled out in a frantic stream, her hands fluttering like startled birds as she gestured wildly. Her leg bounced incessantly, causing the entire row of airplane seats to vibrate subtly.Lucas gritted his teeth, trying to focus on the e-book displayed on his tablet.Amy had not stopped talking ever since they boarded. At this point, Lucas was used to her talking too much, but this time, it was excessive.“Oh! And did I ever tell you about the time I accidentally used dog shampoo for a month? My hair was so shiny, people kept asking if I’d had work done!” Amy let out a high-pitched laugh that set Lucas’s nerves on edge.He exhaled slowly through his nose, thumb hovering over the tablet’s screen as he debated whether to increase the volume on his noise-canceling headphones. It wouldn’t make a difference, he knew. Amy’s chatter seemed to defy the laws of physics, penet
Lucas’s car halts to a stop outside Amy’s apartment building.Amy’s heart raced as she stared at the building, realizing their unexpected adventure was coming to an end. She swallowed hard, her mouth suddenly dry.Lucas cleared his throat. “Well, here we are.”“Yep. Home sweet home,” Amy replied, her voice unnaturally high. She fumbled with her seatbelt, fingers trembling slightly as she tried to unlatch it. The damn thing seemed determined to keep her trapped in this moment.“Need some help?” Lucas asked, his voice laced with amusement.The seatbelt finally released with a soft click. Amy’s hand lingered on the buckle, her mind racing for some excuse…any excuse to prolong their time together.“I, uh…” Amy started, then trailed off, unsure what to say.Lucas turned to her, one eyebrow raised slightly. “Yes?”Amy’s breath caught in her throat as their eyes met.She opened her mouth, then closed it again. What could she possibly say that wouldn’t make her sound desperate or clingy? This
Lucas couldn’t shake off the feeling of emptiness in his chest as he drove away from Amy’s apartment and back home. He couldn’t understand why he was suddenly in such a bad mood, but the hollowness in his chest only grew stronger with each passing mile. It was as if something was missing. And the car ride was too quiet. Lucas leaned back against the seat, rubbing his temples. His fingers drummed against his thigh, restless, irritated. His mind kept drifting back to the face Amy had made when he had left her at her apartment. She looked so sad, almost near tears. The little Harpy. His jaw tightened as he exhaled sharply. He should be happy she was back home and away from him. He was finally free from her constant chattering. Then why did it feel like he’d lost something instead? Silly. He hadn’t lost shit. He could see her whenever he wanted to. It’s not like she lived in another state or something. Lucas nodded to himself. That’s right, he will just go see her. Maybe bother he
“Amy, you are back! I am so sorry about your grandma,” Joanne exclaimed, giving Amy a big hug.Amy blinked. “My grandma?”Joanne released her from her embrace and looked at her, her eyes full of sympathy. “Brian told me you called and told him you needed a week off to visit your sick grandma in Tennessee.”“I did?” Amy asked but then quickly recovered. “Ah, yes. I did. Poor granny,” she said, thinking about both of her grandmas, who had been dead for years now.Joanne patted Amy’s arm. “You did a good thing by going to her. Family comes first.”Amy forced a tight smile. “Thanks, Joanne. She will be fine. Where is Brian?”Joanne glanced toward the back office. “He’s in the back office.” Joanne gave her another sympathetic smile. Amy swallowed down the guilt bubbling up inside her. “Yeah… thanks, Joanne.”Amy made her way toward Brian’s office. So she wasn’t fired because someone called Brian and made up the fake grandma story.She lightly knocked on his door.“Come in,” Brian called o
Lucas took a bite of the cheeseburger and grinned. “Not too bad. Definitely better than what I expected from a diner.”“It’s no fancy food you are used to, that’s for sure,” Amy said.“What’s your favorite item on the menu?” Lucas asked.Amy’s eyes brightened. “The apple pie!”“Oh really?” he raised an eyebrow. “I am more of a peach cobbler kind of guy.”“With Vanilla ice cream?” Amy inquired.Lucas chuckled. “Is there any other way to eat it?”Amy leaned towards him, her tone conspiratory. “By the way. Did you have something to do with the whole…sick grandma situation?”Lucas paused, his burger halfway to his mouth, a smirk tugging at his lips. “Maybe,” he said, setting the burger down and leaning back in his seat, his eyes glinting with amusement.“How did you do that? You sound nothing like me,” Amy joked.“I called in a favor. My younger sister, Sky, called your boss and pretended to be you,” he said. “She loves acting, so I figured, why not give her something she would enjoy?”“N
Saturday night came too fast for Amy.She wasn’t prepared. Not mentally, anyway.She was anxious about seeing Lucas again and doubly stressed about spending time with her mother and her new family. Every time she was in their presence, her mom found a way to make her look bad.She stood in front of her mirror, smoothing down her sundress, debating whether she should change for the third time.Her mother was always so critical about how she dressed and how she looked. What if she thought Amy was overdressed? Or underdressed?A knock at her door made her jump. She took a deep breath and opened it to find Lucas leaning against the door frame, looking effortlessly handsome in a fitted jacket and dark jeans.“Ready to go?” he asked, flashing that boyish grin that made her stomach flip.“You are here too early,” she said, forcing herself to sound casual.Lucas raised an eyebrow. “I am?”He glanced at his watch, then back at her with an amused smirk. “Pretty sure I’m right on time.”Amy huff
Lucas turned to Amy and smirked. “Well…”Amy raised an eyebrow. “Well?”Lucas sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Some date night, huh?”Amy let out a laugh that was half-exhaustion, half-hysteria. “Oh yeah. Kidnapping, gunfights, your sister going all James Bond on us. Is this really what your life is like?” she asked, sinking onto a nearby sofa.Lucas sat beside her, close enough that their shoulders touched. “Not usually this dramatic.”“Says the man who kidnapped me the first time we met,” Amy pointed out.“That was a special circumstance,” he defended with a small smile.Amy leaned her head against his shoulder. “I should be running for the hills right now.”“Are you going to?” he asked softly.She turned to look at him, her eyes meeting his. “Not after your confession. Did you really mean it?”Lucas’s face. “I meant what I said back there, Amy. I love you.”Amy put her arms around him, drawing him closer. “When did you know?”Lucas leaned down and brushed his lips over hers
Taking a deep breath, Lucas reached for the bar. His hand hesitated for only a second before he pushed it.The door groaned open, and for a split second, neither of them breathed.No alarm.Lucas let out a sharp exhale and grabbed her hand. “Move.”They bolted outside into the chill night air, the sharp scent of gasoline and metal in the wind. The alley was empty, dimly lit by a single flickering streetlamp at the far end.“Which way?” Amy whispered, adrenaline surging through her veins.Lucas pointed left. “There’s a road a few blocks down. If we can make it there, we can steal a car or flag someone—”A gunshot cracked through the air, splintering the bricks near their heads. They both ducked instinctively, pressing themselves against the side of the building.“They know,” Amy gasped.Lucas clenched his jaw. “Run.”They took off, weaving through trash bins and broken crates. Another shot rang out, ricocheting off metal behind them.“STOP! Or I will shoot your head this time!” A voice
Lucas shifted in his chair, the zip ties digging into his wrists as he avoided her gaze. “Not exactly the most romantic setting for this conversation.”“I think we’re past worrying about ambiance,” Amy said dryly. “So?”He exhaled slowly. “I was going to say… I love you, Amy.”No one said anything for a while.“You… what?” Amy finally asked.“I love you,” he repeated, his voice steadier now. “Have for a while. It’s why I couldn’t stand seeing you with Asa. Why I acted like such an idiot.” He gave a short, self-deprecating laugh. “And now I’ve gotten you kidnapped by the mafia. Stellar boyfriend material.”Amy blinked rapidly, processing his words. “You love me.”“Yes.”“And your way of showing it was to tell me to kiss another man?”Lucas winced. “It was a stupid thing to say.”“So you stalked my date and then jumped me in a bathroom to prove it?” she asked, unable to hide her amusement. And her happiness.“When you put it that way…”“And now we’re tied to chairs in some abandoned war
Amy and Lucas were marched across the parking lot toward a black SUV with heavily tinted windows. Two more men in suits opened the rear doors.“Ladies first,” Scar-face sneered, shoving Amy forward.“Touch her again and I’ll kill you,” Lucas growled, the threat so cold and certain that even the thug hesitated.“Big words for a man in zip ties,” Baldy laughed.They were forced into the backseat, the leather cool and buttery soft against Amy’s bare legs. The door slammed behind them. The bearded man slid into the passenger seat while Scar-face took the wheel.“Where are you taking us?” Amy asked, her voice steadier than she felt.No one answered.Lucas shifted closer to Amy, his bound hands awkwardly seeking hers. When their fingers touched, she clung to him, drawing strength from the contact.“I’m sorry,” he whispered, so quietly only she could hear. “I never wanted you involved in this.”“Involved in what, exactly?” she whispered back.Before Lucas could answer, the bearded man turned
Amy knew she should stop this madness. They were in a public bathroom, for God’s sake, with her date sitting just outside. But Lucas’s fingers were working magic, and rational thought was rapidly abandoning her.“This doesn’t change anything,” she gasped as he slid one finger inside her, her hands still fumbling with his zipper.Lucas smirked against her neck. “Doesn’t it?”“No,” she insisted, even as her body arched into his touch. “You can’t just—oh!—show up and expect me to—”He curled his finger just right, and whatever argument she was building dissolved into a soft moan.“What was that?” he murmured, adding a second finger.“You are insufferable,” she managed to say, finally getting his zipper down.Lucas chuckled, the sound vibrating against her skin. “And you’re still on a date with the wrong man.”He entered her in one smooth thrust, swallowing her cry with his mouth. The feeling of fullness, of rightness, was overwhelming. Amy clung to him, her nails digging into his shoulde
“Oh, Hi, Harpy,” Lucas said casually as he leaned against the closed door.He drove as fast as he could to get there, and he would not leave until he got a real answer from Amy. He was tired of playing games.“Lucas. What the actual fuck? You can’t be here. This is the women’s restroom,” Amy hissed.“Actually. This is a unisex bathroom,” Lucas declared.“It doesn’t matter!” she screeched.Lucas moved fast, and soon, he was towering over her, pressing his palm to muffle her voice. “Shh…you want us to get caught?”Amy’s golden hazel eyes widened above his palm. She pried his fingers away from her mouth.“Caught?” she whispered fiercely. “You’re the one barging into bathrooms like some deranged stalker! How did you even know I was here?”Lucas ran a hand through his hair. “I had someone watch you.”“You had someone—” Amy closed her eyes briefly. “You are insane.”“How could you kiss him?” Lucas asked abruptly, his jaw clenching.Amy stared at him, incredulous. “Are you kidding me right n
Asa paused before getting in the car and looked at Amy, a small smile teasing his lips.“What?” Amy narrowed her eyes and asked.“You’ve got something in your hair,” Asa said, reaching out to pluck a tiny piece of confetti from her curls. “Looks like the victory fountain at the eighteenth hole got a little enthusiastic.”Amy touched her hair self-consciously. “Is there more?”“No, just that one.” His fingers lingered near her temple for a heartbeat longer than necessary.Amy felt a flutter in her chest that had nothing to do with the strange man who’d been following them. “Thanks for getting it.”“No problem,” he said. “I’m having a really good time,” Asa said, his voice genuine.“Me too,” Amy said.“I’ve been wanting to ask you out for a while.”“You have?” Amy couldn’t keep the surprise from her voice.“Since the day you helped me carry groceries up the stairs when the elevator broke. You were wearing paint-splattered overalls and complaining about your sister borrowing your car wit
“What are they doing now, Jimmy?” Lucas texted the man he hired to spy on Amy and Asa.Lucas stared at his phone as the message sent, his fingers tapping impatiently against the edge of his desk. His thoughts churned, the irritation growing with every passing second.His phone buzzed with a reply.Jimmy: They’re still on the mini golf course. No sign of anything strange. They’re just playing, talking, looks like having fun. She seems relaxed.Lucas narrowed his eyes, his mind racing.Lucas: Keep watching. I want to know if they kiss.Jimmy: They are on the last hole now. Looks like they’re finishing up. Could be wrapping up soon.Lucas: I want to know everything. Stay close, don’t miss anything.He stared at the screen, watching the little dots indicating Jimmy was typing. The delay felt agonizing, each second stretching longer than the last. Finally, the message came through.Jimmy: They are finishing up now. No kiss yet, though. She’s laughing at something he said. Looks like a prett
Amy paced across the bedroom.Seventeen steps to the window, pivot, fifteen steps back to the mirror. Her new sundress swished around her knees – impulse purchase, one size too optimistic. Twenty-seven minutes until he arrived. Twenty-six, actually. The clock on her microwave was fast.“You are a grown woman,” she told her reflection, which stared back with unconvinced eyes. “You’ve been on dates before.”“Why am I so nervous?” she asked herself in the mirror. “It’s just Asa, your nice neighbor.The sundress was yellow – “Daffodil Dream” according to the tag – with tiny white flowers scattered across the fabric like stars on a summer night.She’d spent forty-three minutes and all her remaining dignity in the fitting room deciding between this one and a blue number that made her look like a corporate retreat brochure. The yellow won because it didn’t take itself too seriously. Amy wasn’t sure she could say the same about herself right now.Amy paused at the window, fingers fidgeting wi