“So tell me,” Lucas said, leaning back in his chair. “What made you decide to come out tonight? After our… encounter… I half expected you to ghost me.”
Emily considered her answer carefully. “I’m not one for games,” she said finally. “What happened between us was… intense. But I wanted to see if there was anything else there.”
Lucas’ eyes darkened with desire. “Oh, there’s definitely more, baby girl. So much more.”
Emily’s lips curled into a mischievous smirk as she leaned forward, the candlelight catching the sparkle in her eyes. “I hope you realise that saving your number as ‘Daddy’ in my phone led to quite an interesting conversation the next morning.”
Lucas cocked an eyebrow, intrigued. “Oh? How’s that, baby girl?”
She took a sip of wine, savouring the rich flavour as she gathered her thoughts. Fuck it, might as well dive right in. “Well, when I saw Sophia the next day, she asked if I was going to text you. At that point, I had no clue what I’d even say.”
Emily’s mind flashed back to Sophia’s apartment, the smell of burnt pancakes and tequila still lingering in the air. She could almost hear Sophia’s cackling laughter echoing in her ears.
“Before I could stop her, Sophia snatched my phone to text you herself,” Emily continued, rolling her eyes at the memory. “Of course, she couldn’t find your number under Lucas or Luke.”
Lucas let out a deep chuckle, his eyes dancing with amusement. “I bet that was quite the shock for her.”
Emily nodded, feeling a mix of embarrassment and excitement bubbling up inside her. “You have no idea. I thought Sophia was going to piss herself laughing when she realised what it was saved under.”
As the words left her mouth, Emily felt a sudden spark of boldness. She leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a sultry whisper. “But you know what, Daddy? I kind of like it.”
Lucas’ eyes darkened, a smirk playing at the corner of his lips. “Do you, now?” He leaned in, matching her posture. “And did you tell Sophia that you like calling me Daddy?”
Emily’s heart raced, a delicious thrill running through her body. She bit her lip, fighting back a grin. “I did,” she admitted, her voice low and teasing. “But that means I’m now Sophia’s baby girl too.” She smirked, watching Lucas’ reaction closely.
His eyebrows shot up, a mix of surprise and intrigue crossing his face. “Is that so?” he murmured, his voice husky.
Emily’s mind whirled. Shit, did I go too far? But the heat in Lucas’ gaze told her otherwise. She decided to push it a little further.
“Mhmm,” she hummed, tracing the rim of her wine glass with her finger. “Sophia thought it was hilarious. Said she’d have to start bossing me around too.”
Lucas leaned back in his chair, his eyes never leaving hers. “And how do you feel about that, baby girl?”
The tension between them was palpable, crackling like electricity. Emily’s skin tingled with anticipation. She took another sip of wine, buying herself a moment to steady her nerves.
“I think,” she said slowly, deliberately, “that I might enjoy it. Being told what to do… by the right person.”
Lucas’ eyes darkened, a predatory smile playing at the corners of his mouth. He leaned forward, his voice low and intense. “I’d like to be that right person, baby girl.”
A shiver ran down Emily’s spine. Fuck, the way he said that… She swallowed hard, her mouth suddenly dry. “Yeah?” she managed, her voice barely above a whisper.
He reached across the table, his fingers brushing against hers. The touch sent sparks shooting through her body. “Yeah,” he confirmed, his thumb tracing small circles on her wrist. “I think we could have a lot of fun together.”
Emily’s mind raced, images of their night together flashing through her head. The way he’d pinned her against the wall, his strong hands gripping her hips. The feeling of his lips on her neck, her chest, moving lower…
She shifted in her seat, acutely aware of the lace underwear beneath her dress. “I think you might be right about that,” she murmured, her voice husky with desire.
Lucas’ grin widened. He leaned in closer, his breath hot against her ear. “And I think you’d look so pretty on your knees for me, wouldn’t you?”
Emily’s breath caught in her throat. Holy shit. She nodded, not trusting herself to speak.
Just as Lucas opened his mouth to speak again, a shrill ringing cut through the air. Emily jumped, her cheeks flushing as she fumbled for her clutch.
“Shit, I’m so sorry,” she muttered, fishing out her phone. “I thought I put this on silent.”
Her stomach dropped as she saw the name on the screen. Ryan. Fuck. Emily jabbed the reject button with more force than necessary, shoving the phone back into her bag.
Lucas’ brow furrowed, concern replacing the heat in his eyes. “Everything okay?”
Emily forced a smile, willing her heart to stop racing. “Yeah, it’s fine. Just my ex.”
“The one you mentioned in the bar?” Lucas asked, his voice carefully neutral.
Emily nodded, her fingers fidgeting with her napkin. “Yeah.” She let out a humorless laugh. “Guess he decided now was a great time to reach out.”
Lucas leaned back, studying her face. “Want to talk about it?”
Emily hesitated. Did she? Part of her wanted to brush it off, to get back to the heat and chemistry between them. But another part… fuck. Maybe it would help to get it out.
Emily took a deep breath, meeting Lucas’ steady gaze. “We were supposed to get married in a couple months,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “Had it all planned out venue, dress, the works. Then I walked in on him with his pants around his ankles and his assistant bent over his desk.”
Lucas’ jaw tightened, a flash of anger crossing his face. “Jesus. What a fucking asshole.”
Emily nodded, a bitter smile twisting her lips. “Yeah, tell me about it. I was a mess for weeks. That night I met you? I was drowning all his bullshit in tequila and picking myself back up.”
She looked down at her hands, twisting her fingers together. “God, I sound pathetic, don’t I? Here I am on a date with you, and I’m whining about my ex.”
Lucas reached across the table, gently taking her hand. “Hey. Look at me, baby girl.”
Emily’s eyes snapped up, meeting his intense gaze.
“You’re not pathetic,” he said firmly. “You’re strong as hell. You caught that bastard cheating, knew you deserve better, and you walked away. A lot of people would’ve stayed, made excuses. But you? You threw the ring at him, cried it out, then you went out, got shit-faced, and picked up a sexy stranger in a biker bar.”
A surprised laugh burst from Emily’s lips. “When you put it that way, it does sound pretty badass.”
Emily felt a warmth spreading through her chest at Lucas’ words. She squeezed his hand, her lips lifting into a genuine smile.