My gaze shot to his hand as it rested on his leg. It hadn’t exactly been obvious, but I’d noticed he favored his left side. I remembered that first night, too, when he nearly fell over.
What happened to you, Lucas? I wanted to ask.
But I didn’t, because something told me that him opening up and admitting this out loud was already… big enough. Out of the ordinary. And I wanted to treasure it, but above all, I wanted to show him we could do this at his own pace, on his own terms, and I wouldn’t pry him open just because I was curious. “So, you’re saying that I would be doing something for you, too? If we were to be… experiment partners?”
“You would, Rosie.” He met my gaze. “More than you know.”
I liked that. So much that I felt a tingly, fuzzy sensation filling up my chest.
“These experimental dates need to feel real, though. I’m not talking about… kissing or canoodling or holding hands. But about everything else. About being… romanced. Connecting. Sharing things you would in real dates.”
His chuckle was deep. “What’s canoodling?”
“You know, getting… close, physically.” Some of the amusement left his eyes, but I ignored that. “That could mess up things between us. Our friendship.”
Lucas didn’t hesitate when he said, “Then we’ll be honest with each other if that ever happens.”
Honest with each other.
Honest like one of the parties confessing to having harbored a crush on the other?
Strike one for Rosie.
Lucas leaned forward, a whiff of his soapy, clean scent hitting me straight in the gut. “I’ll tell you what,” he said, and I swallowed. Mostly because he was now much, much closer. Right on the edge of the coffee table, his long legs caging me in. “I promise you that I won’t let this interfere with our friendship.” He moved another inch forward. “You’ll tell me all about those dating phases you need to experience, we’ll go on the dates, be the best experiment partners we can be, and at the end of the day, when we come back home, we’ll be Rosie and Lucas. Roommates. Friends. Soon enough, best friends.”
“Best friends?” I croaked.
“Yeah.” He nodded, then repeated, that deep, musical voice of his enunciating the words, “Best friends.”
Clearly dazzled by his scent, his words, the way his brown eyes seemed to twinkle up close, I didn’t say anything.
That was probably why Lucas felt the need to add, “And if you’re still on the fence, I can promise you something.” A pause. “I promise I will not fall in love with you and make things awkward, Rosalyn Sage.”
I swallowed, giving myself time, because I had no reason whatsoever to feel this… heartbroken over that vow.
In fact, I had no reason whatsoever to feel anything but excited. Lucas was offering to help me. And whether I did this with him or not, at the end of the next five weeks, he was leaving. Either way. To a different continent. And two weeks after that, I needed to hand over my manuscript.
So, what did I have to lose?
“All right,” I said. “Let’s do it.”
He flashed me one of those smiles I didn’t know what to do with.
“Four dates—experimental dates,” I corrected myself and stuck my hand in front of me to be extra safe. “Five would be… too many if you’re staying here for only five more weeks. And three wouldn’t be enough. So, four.”
“Four dates it is,” he agreed, unfolding his long body and coming to a standing position in front of me. “So, I guess we’re research partners now. Experiment buddies. Field… workers? You’re the mastermind.”
I laughed, and it came out choppy and helpless. Exactly how I felt. “All I do lately is strike bizarre deals with you.”
“Bizarre?” He huffed dramatically as he offered a hand I didn’t take. “You wound me, Rosie. All I have are amazing ideas.”
“We’ll have to draw lines. Terms,” I said more for myself than for him. “Like what I’ve mentioned earlier. No matter what, nothing changes. No awkwardness.” You heard that, crazy silly crush? Don’t make it awkward. “And you don’t go around spending unnecessary money on me. I’m cheap and low maintenance. We always split the bill.”
“I can get on board with some of those rules.” That hand still dangled in the air, fingers I knew were warm and strong wiggling in front of me. “But you’ll have to trust me on the rest.”