Green Card

7 The One-Bed Problem (Piper)

I was seriously beginning to regret my No Sex rule.

So Lucas was hot. Seriously, scorching, blazing hot. Even more so in that polished tuxedo of his. And the way he had been touching me all night, hands on my bare back, fingers under my chin, was driving me crazy in ways I didn't even know I could be driven.

And now we were sitting in the back of his limo, our thighs touching on top of the elegant leather. Kevin had raised the partition, likely because of the way we'd been gazing into each other's eyes when he pulled up to escort us home, but Lucas hadn't made a move. He wanted to. I could tell he wanted to. Even now, my eyes flicked down to where his hands sat, clenched on both sides as if he were physically restraining himself from jumping me right now. I knew it was my fault that he was holding himself back, me and my stupid no sex rule.

He was a perfect gentleman, he had been ever since I'd arrived, and he wouldn't dare cross a line that I didn't invite him over. And damn, I wanted to invite him over. But I was too chicken, or too worried, or... something. I wasn't even sure anymore. I looked over at him, the chiselled jawline, the corded neck muscles leading beneath his loosened collar to all manner of muscle my mind could hardly fathom. He looked up at me and my eyes snapped back to the front. Ugh. You could cut the sexual tension in this limo with a knife.

"So our anniversary," Lucas said suddenly and I looked back at him in surprise. Of all the things I had thought he might say, that was not one of them. "I have a couple of ideas."

"I was kidding about that," I told him. "Obviously, we don't have to do anything."

"Like hell we don't! It's our sixth anniversary and the only one we've ever celebrated. We're going big."

I watched him for a moment and then smiled when I realized he was serious.

"Okay, Vega," I said, raising my brow in challenge. "Blow me away."

"What? You don't think I can?" he asked, rising to the bait.

"I guess we'll see. Won't we?"

The limo came to a stop and I realized that we were back at Lucas' mansion. But neither one of us moved to exit the car. Kevin didn't open the door either, though I knew he'd already gotten out of the driver's seat. Lucas' eyes had darkened with something that was calling to some deep primal urge within me. He leaned closer and my pulse quickened. I took a breath, very aware of how close we were, and how utterly alone.

"Thank you," he whispered, his breath against my lips. I blinked at him.

"For what?" I asked.

"This," he told me, gesturing between us. "All of this. It may not have meant much to you, Piper, but it's been the best six years of my life."

With that, he opened his door and stepped outside, turning and holding out a hand for me. Still reeling from what he'd just said, I took it and, for the dozenth time that night, let him lead me onward, into the house that awaited us. Luisa greeted us, opening and closing the door behind us, locking it tightly. She informed us there were snacks in the kitchen if we were hungry and then went off to bed once Lucas had assured her we were fine.

We stood in the foyer for a moment, just watching one another. Then I blinked and stepped back, toward the hallway to my room.

"I should— well, goodnight," I told him.

He smiled and nodded.

"Goodnight, Piper."

I turned and headed down the hall for my room. Maria was waiting inside, eager to help me out of my dress and to arrange my pajamas, hairbrush, and anything else I might need while I showered. Once I was cleaned, my makeup removed, hair brushed, and little satin shorts and camisole on, I thanked Maria and insisted she get some sleep of her own. Then I crawled into my enormous bed.

I pulled my phone out and peered down at the screen. Half a dozen texts from Leah and Connor begging me to tell them every detail of what was happening. I sighed and pushed my phone away, falling back onto my pillow and staring up at the ceiling.

Restless, that's what I was feeling. Turned on and left on. With no outlet, all alone.

I sat up suddenly.

Before I could think about what I was doing, I slid out of the bed and padded towards the door on bare feet. I poked my head out into the hall but everything was dark, quiet. Maria and Luisa were nowhere to be found. I stepped outside and strode down the hallway, headed for the kitchen. There were snacks there, according to Luisa. Maybe all I needed was something more substantial than a martini to settle my roiling stomach.

But the snacks, as I found them lying on the counter as promised, did not deliver the feeling I was searching for. It was something else I was missing and, as soon as I realized what it was, I blew a puff of aggravated breath from my lungs.

Fine.

I turned down the opposite hallway from mine, the one behind the library, and walked until I saw light creeping into the hall from under one of the doors. I knocked lightly but that simple contact pushed open the door itself and I found myself peering into an enormous master bedroom. A kingsize bed sat directly across from the door, black satin sheets and pillows adorning it. Another couple of bookshelves full to the brim and a desk covered in papers and an open Macbook filled another corner. A couch and two armchairs bordered a sleek glass coffee table in another.

"Piper?" a masculine voice inquired and I turned to see Lucas watching me carefully.

The moment I saw Lucas Vega standing in his bedroom, shirtless, I swear my soul left my body. The man had a solid set of abs. The way they contorted when he turned, strong shoulders pointing toward me as he turned to look my way, nearly had me drooling all over his luxurious carpet.

"I– I'm sorry," I stuttered, unable to get it together enough to even speak to him. "I was just lying in bed and I thought– well, I was thinking–"

Amused, he leaned against the door to his closet which he was standing in front of and raised a brow.

"What's our story here?" I asked with a sigh, trying to focus. "Because we've been telling everyone all night that we're this happily married couple who celebrates their anniversary and keeps our love life private and that makes sense. I'm sure ICE will question those people. Your coworkers are quite close to you. But won't they... I mean, they would want to question Maria and Luisa too, right? And even Kevin? If they mention our... separation–"

"You want to share a room," he finished for me and I breathed in relief.

"If we're going to sell this," I started. "We have to commit."

He thought about it for a moment and then turned away from me. For a second, I was worried I had offended him, had proposed too much too soon, had invaded his privacy one too many times. But then he opened a drawer on the other side of the room and pulled a second comforter from it. He grabbed a pillow from the bed on the way and laid down on the couch, propping himself up on the pillow and covering himself with the blanket. He stretched out for a moment and then yawned and closed his eyes.

"We'll have Maria move your things into my closet in the morning," he said. I blinked at him, at how easily he had accepted this. My eyes trailed from him, stretched out on his couch, to the massive bed nearby.

"You can sleep in the bed," I told him. "It's enormous. We can share."

"Cariño, if I get into that bed tonight, neither one of us will be doing much sleeping."

He was asleep before he could see my blush.