Chapter 18
He captured her lips between his and gave them a gentle suction that nearly had her undone. A sound escaped from the back of her throat that sounded an awful lot like a moan. His hand ran down to the nape of her neck, and he stroked the smooth diamonds that rested there.
Slowly, and almost hesitantly he pulled back, with sparkling eyes as a smile tugged across his lips. His breath spanned across her face as he let out a soft content sigh. He moved his hand to the side of her face to tuck in a stray piece of hair behind her ear. His knuckles brushed across her cheek sending shivers down her spine.
Flustered she sank against the door frame, trying to regain her composure. She was scared to look up at his face. Fear of finding it filled with regret over took her. She felt him take a small step back, and knew that he was running his eyes across her flushed face.
His fingers trailed from her ear to her mouth, and gently traced the bottom of her now plumped lip with his pulsing thumb.
She looked up at him, lost within his touch.
"Merry Christmas Megs." He whispered lightly with a slight smirk that she was now beginning to see as his signature look.
Suddenly reality came rushing in. Without thinking about what she was doing Megan rushed out from under him and scurried across the hallway into her room. Ignoring Luca's voice calling towards her she slammed the door shut behind her.
When she finally made it downstairs almost all the guests were there. Everyone was dressed in formal attire.
"Megan honey you are finally down!" Nat exclaimed closing the space towards her daughter. Once she got closer she whispers, "What took you so long? Everyone's been asking for you honey."
"Sorry I just couldn't get my hair right." Megan whispered back. It was slightly true, after her little "rendezvous" with Luca her hair was all out of place so it took her a while to set it right again.
"Well you and your hair both look stunning. Now go mingle! The caterers are going around with the appetizers so make sure you grab something to eat, dinner won't be for a little while." Nat told her, as she gently pushed her towards the crowd of people.
Megan looked back at her mom who had already disappeared towards the kitchen.
She decided to find Stacy first so she made her way through the living room, bumping in quite a few people. Most of them were family friends, but there also some of her father's business associates. She stayed and chatted with each guest she bumped into before finally feasting her eyes on a short with a beautiful white romper, and almost ten inch nude colored heels. She was standing in a circle with a group of people. Before she could call out to her, the whole group turned to look at her.
"Meg!" "Megan!" "Meggers!" the voices came simultaneously.
She didn't know who to address first as they were all her close friends but one stuck out more than the others. The voice that called her Meggers.
"Alex!" she exclaimed letting herself get wrapped up in a large hug. He was one her best friends from high school and she started to think that she wouldn't be able see him this break.
He was very attractive, with dark eyes and dark hair. He got into one of the most prestigious colleges in the nation on a full ride scholarship for his acting skills. It was his dream to become an actor someday.
"I didn't think I was going to see you this time around." She said as they pulled out of the hug, but he kept an arm slung across her shoulder, and she kept her arm circled across his waist.
"Like I would let that happen. Megster." He said looking down at her.
"Megster? Really Alex?" Stacy asked rolling her eyes.
"Yep, Staysters." He replied with a mocking smile. He had a habit of making up new names of people using part of their real name.
Megan finally turned her attention to the other people that called out her name and went to give them all a hug with was a little hard because Alex wouldn't let her go.
"It's going to have to be a group hug." He said every time she went to hug someone.
She just laughed at him, "You haven't change a bit." She said shaking her head.
"Why would you want me to? I'm perfect just the way I am." He said squeezing her towards his side.
Megan just rolled her eyes and laughed at him. She forgot how much she missed him.
She used to have a crush on him when she first met him but as time went on she realized that she really just like him as a great friend. She knew that he recently broke up with his girlfriend after finding out that she was cheating on him with a professor from their school. He was devastated when he found out, he thought that he was in love with her and he almost asked her to move in with him. Which was a major step for him, because he had never had a real relationship before.
"So Megs what's life like?" he slowly pulled her away from her group and into an abandoned hallway where they could be alone.
"Life is life Alex. It's fun sometimes, and then it's not as fun other times. What about you?" She asked sinking against the wall behind her.
Alex shrugged. "It's fine. As stupid as it is I am still beaten over what happened with Sarah. I was in love with her you know? I thought she felt the same way but I guess not." He said shaking his head.
She reached out and took his hand. "I'm so sorry Alex. And it's not stupid at all. She was your first love and she broke your heart. You deserve to be upset about that."
"I can't believe she was sleeping with the acting fundamentals professor. He is seven years older than her. It's not like she was in love with him or anything. She just really wanted a role in a movie that the professor was working on. I think that's what hurts the most, knowing that she cheated on me to go further in her career. In the end she didn't even get the role. Apparently the professor was just using her to make another student jealous." He gave a weak laugh.
Megan didn't say anything, just wrapped her arms around him and held him as she felt him relaxing against her. He just needed a hug right now, and she was more than happy to be the one that give him what he needed.
"Thanks Meggers." He said into her ear, holding back a small laugh.
Megan just shook her head and continued to hold him, "You are such a dork Alex."
Alex let go of her and looked shocked, "I resent that comment."
"I'm sorry that you do, but I'm not taking it back." She held up her chin.
"Oh is that right?" he asked in a threatening voice.
"Uh uh." She whispered nervously. Suddenly he was charging towards her with a bemused expression.
She knew what was coming and moved back out of the hallway quickly. She looked back to see that Alex was very close to her.
"Uh oh." She mumbled as she picked up her pace. Suddenly she was stopped by something that blocked her way.
"What are you doing?" Luca asked holding her at arm's length.
Shocked to see him, she looked up feeling her nerves going crazy.
"Uh I was just trying to get way from Alex. He was going to tickle me." She said softly.
"Alex? Alex is here?" he asked finally looking up behind her and noticing a guy walking slowly towards them.
"You were able to get away this time Megs but next time you won't be so lucky." Alex said with a smirk then turned to Luca. "You are Luca right? It's nice to see you again man. After you and Zach left our football team wasn't nearly as good."
Luca smiled, "Oh I don't know about that. I heard the new team had a pretty great captain."
Megan noticed that Alex actually blushed. "Thanks. Of course I wasn't anywhere as good as you but I tried my best."
Luca nodded back towards the hallway letting the dark look he had earlier take over his face again. "What were you two doing?"
Alex turned back to look at the dark hallway they had just come out of.
"Nothing." He replied with a shrug, "Meg was just being an amazing friend and listening to me complain about finding out that the love of my life cheated on me."
Luca's face visibly softened, "I'm sorry man. That's harsh." He said patting the other guy on the back.
There was silence between them for a few seconds and Megan turned to leave but Luca quickly grasped her arm.
"Do you mind if I borrow Meg for a little bit?" Luca asked. Megan tried to protest but before she got any words out Alex answered.
"Sure man. I'll just be with Stacy come find me after." He told Megan and strolled out into the living room.
Luca took hold of her upper arm and led her down the same hallway that she had come from.
Pushed open one of the doors and led her inside closing the door gently behind them.
He situated himself again the desk and waited as Megan fidgeted uncomfortably on the couch.
"Now that he's out of a relationship are you revisiting the feelings you had for him?" Luca asked.
Megan shot up her head in surprise. Of all the things she thought he would say, this wasn't one of them.
"Wh...What?" she asked unsure about whether she heard him right.
"Have your feelings for Alex returned?" He asked again slowly.
"What are you taking about Luca?" How did he know that she used to have a crush on Alex? Stacy was the only one who knew, and she knew that Stacy would never have told a soul.
"Zach heard you and Stacy talking a few years ago about your crush on Alex." He walked over and sat on the coffee table across from her.
She turned crimson.
"And he decided to just tell you about it?" she feeling a little hurt that Zach would share that information with anyone.
"It wasn't like that. It just came up in a conversation. But you still didn't answer my question." He waited patiently as Megan looked at the carpet.
When she finally spoke it was very soft. "This is the second time during this break that you have showed interested in my relationship with others. Why do you care? Did Zach put you up to this?"
Instead of answering her question he asked one of his own, "Why did you run away from me earlier?"
That crimson turned into dark cherry as the blood came rushing back to her face.
She stammered out "Because it...it was a...a mistake. I mean...you are Luca why would you want to kiss me? I am sorry that I let it happen. You probably hate me now."
Luca was on his feet within one second and seated next to Megan the next.
He tiled his body towards her and forced her to do the same so they were face to face.
"Let it happen? Hate you? What the hell are you talking about Megan?" His voiced was strained. "I don't know if you remember but I was the one that kissed you, not the other way around. And as for hating you, what I feel towards you is the farthest thing from it."
"But you are just used to kissing girls and when you saw the mistletoe you probably forgot it was me." She whispered so softly that he had to move closer just to hear her.
He let out a loud sigh, "Megs, I knew exactly who I was kissing."
"Oh." She looked at his face.
"Yes oh. You know how damn long I have been waiting to do that? And then you bloody just ran off and I didn't know what I did wrong."
His admission threw her. She was shocked and confused and above her tried desperately to control the little hope that was bubbling up inside her.
"Luca?" she managed to spit out.
"Didn't you ever wonder why I hated Ryan so much?" He asked searching her eyes.
Megan opened her mouth and gasped at him, "You hate Ryan?"
Shaking his head, "I don't hate him, but I felt like I did."
"Is that why you were always glaring at him? Ryan mentioned that he thought you hated him but I told him he was just being silly."
"He noticed huh? Smart guy." Luca looked off into the distance.
"Why did you hate Ryan?" She asked inaudibly.
Luca looked back at her. He looked at her face and suddenly couldn't help himself from reaching out and touching the stray piece of hair that escaped. It was a piece that had been bothering her all night, it was from her bangs but since she had the hair up she decided to pin the bang back. However, a little strand kept escaping all night.
He gently tucked it back behind her ear and tiled her chin up towards him.
"Luca?" She whispered, not being able to think as she felt the heat coming off of his fingers.
He shot up so fast that she thought she imagined the whole scene.
"We should go. Dinner is probably ready." He said already heading towards the door.
Megan was frustrated, one minute he was kissing her and then dragging her to a empty room then abruptly leaving her.
"Luca!" she said a little loudly.
He turned towards her with a blank expression.
"If you regret the kiss that's okay but you need to tell me. You can't be so evasive and leave." She strolled towards him, "You told me that if I am ever upset or mad you wanted me to talk to you. Well I am talking to you now. Why did you hate Ryan so much?"
A muscle in his jaw popped in and out as his eyes instantly changed colors. His expression however, remained blank. She couldn't tell what he was thinking or how he felt. He simply looked at her without blinking.
"I hated him because he had something that I wish I had." He said and with that he left her in her room with her jaw hanging wide.
I hate him because he had something that I wish I had. Those words kept playing through her head all through dinner. Luca avoided her like the plague for the rest of the night. When she was even five feet from him he moved further away. Unfortunately he was seated across from her during dinner.
Her mom had made a seating chair so people wouldn't have to try to find a random seat. Luckily Alex was seated next to her so she had someone to talk to. Alex noticed her change in mood and tried to make her smile by telling her cheesy jokes. Every time she laughed, Luca would look up at her and Alex with a scowl and then turn back to the gorgeous blonde seated next to him.
Melissa was one of her dad's business associate's daughter. Who had taken a keen interest in Luca. She seen her trailing after him all through the night a stab of jealously went through her.
"Meg, what did the baby corn say to mama corn?" Alex asked her, "Where is pop corn?" he answered his own question and burst out laughing.
His laughter was so infectious she couldn't help but laugh with him.
"That was terrible Alex." She said as she tried to collect in air, in between laughing.
"Oh come on you loved it!" he slung an arm across her back as they waited for the soup to arrive. "Why do girls with big boobs have small feet?" he asked.
Megan just rolled her eyes at him, "Why Alex?" she asked sarcastically.
"Because things don't grow under shades." He replied with a chuckle.
"Oh my goodness you are horrible." She said as he pulled her towards him. All the parents were seated in the grand dining room while the others were seated in the smaller room.
"Damn Meggers, your necklace almost cut my skin open." He said loudly rubbing his tender skin.
"Oh no! Let me see your arm." She said pulling it off of her neck. She grasped his arm in his and looked at the little scratch marks from where the edge of the necklace scraped him.
"I'm so sorry Alex." She said tracing her fingers over the little marks.
"It's fine it's just a starch. But dang that thing is sharp." He commented.
"I can take it back to the jewelers and get it smoothened out." Luca put it observing the little interactions between the two.
Megan blushed under his gaze but luckily no one noticed.
"That is a gorgeous necklace Megan." Melissa said.
"Thank you." Megan replied absentmindedly stroking the gems that lay against her neck.
"Where did you get it?" Melissa asked.
"Um I'm not sure it was a gift." She blushed deeper, noticing the tug on Luca's lips.
"That's quite an extravagant gift. Who ever got it must really like you." Melissa put it. No one got a chance to say anything as the soup arrived precisely at the moment.
Megan looked up at Luca and caught his eyes on her. He gave her a gentle smile before turning to Melissa as she ran her fingers over his perfectly fitted tux that covered his upper arm.
After dinner and drinks all the guests finally bid each other goodbye and made it out the door by one in the morning.
"The cleaners will be here first thing in the morning. So don't worry about putting anything away. I'm going to make sure that the caterers had something to eat. The rest of you should head off to bed." Nat said, kissing her mother on her cheeks.
"I'll come with you." Alex stated and moved to give Adena and his daughter a kiss and a hug.
"I am so tired!" Zach complained and ran up the stairs.
Megan said good night to her grandparents and followed Zach up the stairs.
She shed her dress and gently removed her jewelry. She was just putting on her night shirt when she heard a knock on her door.
She figured it was her mom and went to go open it. Instead of finding Nat she found Luca standing still in his tux.
"Can I come in?" he asked and stepped into the room without waiting for her reply.
Megan thought about how she must have looked, with her black pants and a tee-shirt with her hair still up and makeup still in place.
He gently shut the door close behind him. She waited for him to say something as she sat on her bed.
He continued to stand by the door, and slowly turned to her.
"I'm sorry." He whispered looking down at the floor.
"What?" Megan asked unable to hear him.
He moved to stand in front of her. "I'm sorry." He said again.
She nodded her heard. Letting him know she heard him this time.
"I know you are confused. Hell I am confused myself. But I don't regret what happened." He sunk down on the chair by her bed. "I couldn't let you go to bed thinking that I regretted it."
"You don't regret it?" Her voice came out shakier than she anticipated.
"No. I don't. In fact I liked it so much that I have wanted to do it again ever since it happened." He looked at her shocked eyes and continued. "But I know I can't Megs. There are so many reasons that I can't. For one you are my best friend's little sister. Zach would murder me if he knew that I kissed his little sister and actually liked it!" He gave a small chuckle. "I am also not good enough for you. You deserve someone that can stay in a relationship with you and I am not the guy for that. You aren't the type for a casual relationship and I won't let you be."
Megan remained quite. She watched him as he struggled to maintain a steady breath. When she continued to remain silent. Luca got up and started towards the door.
"I like it too." She said just loud enough for him to hear.
He slowly turned back. He heard her but he couldn't help asking, "What?"
"I said I liked it too." She said getting off her bed and standing besides it.
He ran his fingers through his hair making little bits stand up straight.
He let out a groan. "Megs you are killing me." He mumbled.
Within a second he was just inches from her.
"I can't believe I am about to do this again." He whispered and lowered his mouth down to hers.
She couldn't help herself from stepping back and sitting on her bed pulling Luca down with her.
"Oh Megs." He let out and he grabbed and turned so he was seated on the bed and she was seated on him.
He scoot back onto the bed so her legs were more comfortable at her sided. He reached for her hair and gently pulled out the clips that were holding it in place. One by one the strands of hair fell across her back.
He broke the kiss, "I have been craving to do this all night." He murmured running his fingers through her soft hair.
"Hmm." Was all she was able to get out before his lips captured hers once again.
This kiss was different than the one earlier, it was more intense. There was more need and anticipation in this kiss. They both got a taste of each other earlier and now they couldn't stop.
Before she knew what she was doing she pulled off his suite and threw it across her bed. Luca pulled her closer to him so their chests were touching. She held onto his shoulders as he trailed little kisses down the side of her face and to her neck.
She reached to undo the button on the top of his shirt but suddenly she was on her feet.
She looked at him to find an aggrieved look across his face and felt the blood rush to her face. She wasn't good enough for him. He had so many experienced girls that she was nothing compared to them and he finally realized that. She turned away from him with tears threating to fall from her eyes. He had pushed her away.
"Meg..." Luca started.
"Just leave." She told him walking towards her bathroom. Refusing to let him see her tears.
"Megan please listen..." He started in a choked voice.
"Go Luca. That was a mistake it will never happen again. So please just leave." She said and went into her bathroom closing the door behind her.
She waited to hear him leave. When she finally heard the bedroom door slam close, she let the tears flow. She sank down again the door and cried till no more tears would fall.
She washed her face and climbed into bed. Forcing herself to forget that tonight ever happened.