“I’m sorry that happened to you, Luce, but his loss was our gain.”
Luce smiled at him and stroked his cheek. “When I got back, I walked into the main room of the Lodge and discovered him fooling around with one of the singles who was staying there. And it wasn’t innocent flirting either. He had his arms around her and had her pressed into a corner. Even though I’d already decided it was time to end it, I was still crushed that he’d be that flagrant in his disregard for my feelings.”
“Please tell me this is where you gave that bastard the heave-ho?” Patrick asked.
Lucy’s lips pressed together into a flat line and she squinted a bit as though recalling the memory. “I called a rental agency and arranged to have a vehicle brought to me that afternoon. I told Chuck I couldn’t stand his snobbish family and that I wouldn’t abide a cheating asshole for a husband. I told him our engagement was off and that he could kiss my ass.”
Patrick couldn’t help his laughter as he envisioned her doing exactly that. “That definitely sounds like the Lucy I know.”
“Well at least you got them out of your life, Lucy,” Beck said as he caressed her knee. “You wouldn’t have been happy with him anyway.”
“All very true. I returned his ring, the clothing, everything. Unfortunately, that didn’t stop him from throwing a hissy fit and deciding to take revenge. He burned my house down.”
Patrick’s jaw dropped for a moment. Then he said, “Burned your house down? That’s a pretty extreme reaction to being jilted.”
“Before he showed his true colors, I would’ve told you he was passionate. That was one of the things I liked about him. I’d just never seen it taken to an extreme before. I had insurance on the rental property so my loss was covered. The investigators could tell the fire had been set but could never prove anything even though they suspected him. I’d already graduated from school and come to Divine. I just wanted to get on with my life and forget about him so I didn’t pursue it. Then I met the two of you…and the rest you know.”
“That was a real low point in your life, huh?” Beck asked as he lifted her hand to his lips and rubbed them against her knuckle before pecking them softly.
“Yeah.”
“And there you were trying to have fun, and then I go and hurt your feelings. I’m sorry, sweetness.” Beck’s words were so soft, Patrick almost didn’t hear them.
“You and I both know that was a misunderstanding now. Sorry for boring you with my sob story,” Lucy murmured. “But maybe you can understand why it is that the first thing that comes to mind when you asked why I’d be attracted to you is the fact that you’re loyal. Loyalty and honesty mean more to me than pretty words and lots of money. Can we talk about something else?”
“Sure,” Beck replied, glancing at Patrick. The uncertainty in Beck’s eyes told him that Lucy wasn’t the only one who was stumbling. “What would you like to talk about?”
When Lucy seemed to flounder for words, Patrick spoke up. “Are you worried how all this is supposed to work out?”
“Definitely. I want you to know from the get-go that I’m not perfect.”
Patrick mulled her words over for a few seconds. “Only time will tell you this, Luce, but I want you to know that we do see you as perfect. Perfect for us. But we know you’re not a perfect person and wouldn’t want you to be anyway.”
Lucy stopped wringing her hands together as she replied, “It’s a terrible expectation to put on a person. Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like our friends who are involved in ménages make it look so easy.”
Patrick said, “I’m sure they all had to work a few things out, behind closed doors. I can’t imagine we’re the only possessive men, who wondered if they could really share their woman with another man, in that whole bunch. But they make it happen. We can, too. We just need to try.”
Beck tipped her chin so that she could look directly into his eyes and said, “I’m taking a lion’s share of the blame. I’ve held you at arm’s length so long that now relating to me romantically must feel odd to you. I’m happy you’re willing to start over. If we give it time, maybe we can be on the same footing as the other ménage groups.” Beck gently caressed her upper arm with his knuckles. “You took my breath away tonight.”
Patrick felt it when gooseflesh broke out all over her upper body as he stroked her other bare upper arm. She shivered and smiled.
She stroked Beck’s jaw, touching his dimples and the cleft in his chin. “Speaking of looking good, this is really sexy.” Beck turned his face into her hand so he could kiss her palm and Patrick watched Lucy as she watched Beck’s mouth. She bit her lip and another blush suffused her cheeks.