First Dance (Strip in the City, Book 3)

05 • Bride or Die

Kennedy

When I was little, I asked Momma how she knew Daddy was the right man for her. And you know what she told me?

"When you know, you know."

Well, that never made much sense to me.

How do you just know?

But when I wake up to the sun coming in and Lucas's arm draped over me, I think I know something I didn't know yesterday.

It's the tingles. That feeling in your stomach that tells you you're with the right person.

Lucas and I kissed last night, and I can't make myself regret it. It was the best kiss I've ever had. And the way he moved his tongue, dear lord. But it isn't just the kiss. Being here with him feels right.

Maybe it's too fast to move on from the man you were just engaged to marry, but Lucas isn't just a one night stand. Last night, when I practically threw myself at him, he said he cared about me and didn't want to be a mistake.

I lean back into Lucas, nestling my backside against him, and dang, this boy is hard as hell. I can't help but wonder what will happen between us once he wakes up.

Thinking about all the possibilities leaves me restless, and his thick length pressing into me isn't helping.

If I'm planning to kiss him again, I need to pee and brush my teeth.

As quietly as possible, I slide out of bed and tiptoe to the adjoining bathroom to take care of the necessities. I'm not trying to be nosy, but I notice Lucas's phone charging on the bathroom counter, buzzing with notifications.

I don't know why, but a sick feeling settles in my gut. I'm no clairvoyant, but I know I'm not going to like what I see if I do something stupid like check who's reaching out to him. But on the heels of Flynn's cheating and the prospect of starting something new with Lucas, I feel like I should know what I'm getting into.

Before I reach for the phone, I stop myself. It's wrong to violate his privacy. I know that. But I can't get that sick feeling to go away. Something's telling me to look.

Curiosity gets the best of me, and even though it's locked, I can scroll through the notification center and see the messages.

There's a heap of social media notifications that are pretty strange. Things like, I'd let you knead me like dough. And, I identify as a carb. I don't even know what in the heck that's supposed to mean, so I scroll through and see his text message alerts.

I drop the phone when I see one from my traitorous cousin, Clara.

It's a picture, and even though it's tiny, I can clearly tell it's a picture of her tits.

Jesus, help me.

I turn to look at Lucas, who is still fast asleep in bed. Lookin' like a perfect angel in the early morning light. Meanwhile, I feel like I might puke. Stomach acid and honey whiskey are not sitting well together.

I can't believe he went behind my back and got Clara's number. Her name is saved in his phone, so it's not like she got his number from Tan or something. He said he would distract her, but he didn't say how.

Running my hands through my tangled hair, I feel dizzy as the weight of everything settles on my shoulders.

What was I thinking? That I could be with Lucas? That he was somehow better than Flynn?

Lucas never takes anything seriously. He probably didn't take his offer last night seriously, either.

At twenty-nine, I'm not in the market for a rebound hookup. I need a slam dunk. Lucas isn't going to change his ways for me, and truthfully, I don't want him to.