She tried to fix his tie again but wasn’t having any better luck.
“Let me just take it off,” he said.
She nodded. “You can take off anything you want.”
Well, that was an invitation she probably didn’t mean. He put his tie on the coffee table. “I’ll take off the glasses too.” No need for that part of the pretense anymore. He laid them on top of the tie and headed to the kitchen. “Ginger tea coming up.”
He turned on the kettle and found the tea in question. When the tea was done, he put crackers on a plate and brought everything to her.
Once when they’d been dating, she’d gotten the flu. He’d come over and made her soup with crackers while she lay on the couch. He couldn’t help but feel a bit of déjà vu.
He set the tea and crackers on the coffee table in front of her.
She sat up and patted the spot on the couch next to her, telling him to join her. “I’ll share my saltines.”
He sat beside her. “At least we’ve learned that you’re not a mean drunk. So that’s good news.” Really, it had been far too long since he’d been around Riley without feeling like his guard had to be up.
“You have things to tell me,” she said.
“Do I?”
She nodded and took a sip of tea. “Important things.”
“Okay,” he said. She finally wanted to talk about their relationship. She might not remember any of it tomorrow, but right now she wanted to talk to him. How much did he say to her?
She smiled at him, lopsided with half-lidded eyes. “You’re adorable. Do you know that?” She put down her teacup and sighed dramatically. “I should’ve gone for you, Jace. Why didn’t I go for you?”
Now she was teasing him because he’d pretended to be his brother. “Because Lucas is the better-looking one,” he said.
She tapped a finger against her lips. “I’m pretty sure that’s not it.”
“Then it must be because he’s the charismatic and charming one.”
She fluttered her hand. “See, all that charisma should’ve been a warning flag. It’s like they say, it’s always the quiet ones who are a better catch.”
“Actually, the saying is it’s always the quiet ones who are serial killers.”
She looked at him solemnly for a moment. “They ought to change the saying. Quiet people everywhere should be offended. I mean, not me, obviously. I’ve never been quiet, so I’m clear on the serial killer front.”
Lucas laughed and shook his head. How was it that she could make him laugh even when she was slurring her words? “I’ve missed you, Riley. I should have told you that a long time ago. And that’s the important thing I need to say now.” He meant every word. He’d missed the soft Riley so much, the vulnerable one. The one without daggers pointed in his direction. He wanted her back.
“I’ve missed you too.” She put her hand on his knee. She was leaning close to him, her dark eyes watching him, her lips slightly parted.
It was all so familiar, like dozens of other times he’d sat on this couch and kissed her. He leaned over, gently cupped her chin, and pressed his lips to hers.
He’d meant for it to be a light kiss, a short one. A kiss of new beginnings. And then they’d hold hands and talk. But the taste of her lips, the feel of her mouth moving against his, was almost magnetic, drawing him to her. His hand slid behind her neck, and he kissed her more insistently.
He hadn’t realized how much he still loved her, but there it was. With one kiss, all the feelings he’d buried after their breakup shot to the surface again, as insistent as ever. Kissing her felt like coming home.
She pulled away from him, which was probably a good thing since he was having a hard time leaving her lips alone.
She let out a deep breath, and when her eyes met his, they were surprised. “You’re a really good kisser, but um, this is a little fast, considering.”
“I’m making up for lost time,” he said.
She shook her head and tightened the blanket around her. “Jace, you’ve got a girlfriend, and I dated your brother. We shouldn’t be doing this.”
Lucas’s gaze snapped to hers to see if she was joking. He knew Riley’s expressions inside and out. The one she wore now wasn’t any shade of teasing. It was regret. She put a hand to her temple and rubbed a spot there, her eyes downcast.