"If you weren't drunk now, I would kiss you."

My breath hitched and I closed my eyes. I really wish I wasn't drunk. Then again sober me wouldn't be doing this, sober me would have at least a whole arm lengths full of distance between me and Lucas. The conclusion, sober me sucks.

The glass door to the kitchen slid open and Lucas and I immediately jumped apart. Monica was standing in the doorway with her eyes narrowed.

"Are the two of you trying to wake the dead?"

"Mom! I didn't know you were back."

Monica rolled her eyes, "Yeah, I can see that. Katelyn are you alright?"

I saluted Monica and swayed on my feet until Lucas took a hold of my forearm to steady me.

"Aye aye, captain!" I said a little louder than needed.

I saw Lucas go bright red and Monica try to stifle a laugh, "Okay get her to bed before she wakes up the old hag next-door."

Monica turned and went back inside the house while Lucas took me to the cottage. Once inside he lead me to the bedroom. It was all a blur, Lucas helped me to take out my shoes and then I just crashed into bed and turned on my back, staring up at the ceiling.

"Why is the room spinning?"

"Because you had too much tequila, it tends to do that."

I rolled over on my side, "Liar, I only had three!"

"No, you had two beers and you stopped counting after three shots."

Lucas kneeled next to the bed and my eyes went wide, "I had more than three? That actually explains a lot."

I snorted a laugh and saw Lucas smile, "Get some sleep, you're gonna feel this tomorrow."

"You wanted to kiss me." I said with a smile as my eyes closed.

"Didn't think you were gonna remember that."

My eyes were closed and I felt the sleep start to pull me under, "I wanted you to kiss me." I said.

There was a beat of silence and for a minute I thought Lucas had left, "You're definitely not going to remember that in the morning."

My body grew heavy and my breathing started to even out, lulling me to sleep. Something soft and delicate brushed my forehead and I smiled.

"Good night Katelyn."

------------

My head was pounding, my brain was drumming against my skull in a bid to get out and probably beat me with a shovel. There was a disgusting taste in my mouth and I felt like I was dying of thirst. I wasn't even going to mention my stomach because just thinking about it made me feel like I was going to lose whatever was in there. The best part? I haven't even gotten out of bed yet. I had the covers pulled over my head and tucked into the back of the pillow because the light hurt my eyes. I will never, ever drink again. Now I know why I always said no in college, there was a reason and I sure was feeling it then.

There was a knock at my bedroom door and I didn't even bother to pull the covers off my head, "Go away!"

I heard the door open and seconds later the left side of the bed dipped like someone had sat down, "You need to wake up, that hangover isn't going to go away on it's own and you can't sleep it away. We have work to do."

I groaned but stayed under the covers, "Lucas, this is your fault! All I want to do is just lay here."

"No, don't blame me, this is all you and Chloe."

The she devil! I wondered if she was feeling even remotely as bad as I was feeling. It was probably mean but, I sure hoped so. I rolled around but still didn't take the covers off my face, I did that already once this morning and that shit hurts worse than the initial head pounding. Today, I'm a vampire, end of story.

"Fine, it's my fault. Now let me wallow in peace."

Lucas chuckled and shifted on the bed, "What if I told you, I have the cure for hangover right here?"

"I'd say, you're trying to trick me."

"Katelyn, I've had many hangovers but after this, I promise it will feel better."

I finally pulled the covers back and kept my eyes shut. Then I smelled something, heaven, it had to be. I opened my eyes slowly to a full plate of greasy bacon with fluffy scrambled eggs and toast. My stomach growled but I didn't even care. How was it possible to feel so disgusting but still be so damn hungry at the same time?

Lucas was sitting on the bed holding my food and a glass of water. He must have just had a shower because he smelled like mint and cedar wood, his hair was damp with the dark strands clinging to his face. He had also shaved and I had to take a second glance. Not once since I met him did he shave but I had no idea which I liked more. Meanwhile, I probably looked like I crawled out of a grave and I was still wearing last nights clothes.

Lucas handed me the glass of water, "Here."

I gratefully took the glass from him and started guzzling the cool liquid almost immediately. In about two second, I started feeling better. My eyes dipped towards the bacon and eggs just as my stomach growled loudly.

Lucas laughed, "Okay eat something and I got you these," Lucas held up a closed fist and I held out my palm. He placed two Advil in my hand and I almost cried, "Eat something then take that. Also, take a shower."

I narrowed my eyes, "Are you really going to insult me now?"

"No, but a shower is going to make you feel better."

I grumbled like child, "Fine."

Then Lucas handed me the plate and it took every part of self control I had not to start scarfing it down like some wild animal. It tasted better than everything I've ever eaten and I can swear I heard my stomach purr in appreciation. That or, I had a really bad case of indigestion.

"I'm going to give you half an hour to get ready."

"Where are we going?" I said through bites, not really paying attention at all.

"To your house. We're seeing the landscaper and I need to check on the plumber and electrician."

I was feeling better but was I feeling up for checking on the house? Not even remotely, all I wanted was to eat my bacon, take my Advil and go back to sleep.

"Do we really have to?"

"Just two days ago you were begging me to be apart of this, now you want to stay in bed?"

"I wouldn't say I begged."

Lucas lifted one eyebrow, "Half an hour. Then coming to get you whether you're ready or not."

Lucas stood up from the bed and I watched as he walked out. A part of me wanted to eat, roll over and go back to bed but I knew he would make good on his promise to come get me. Even if I refused he wasn't likely to leave me here and a shower actually sounded good right about now.

So after I had a very greasy breakfast, I took the Advil off the bedside table and swallowed it in one go. Then I ran to the bathroom, stripping off last nights clothes. I did feel slightly better but I still felt gross, so much that I washed my hair and brushed my teeth twice. I wore my oldest blue jeans with a white button down and wondered if I could ask Lucas for a dry cleaner in town. Or, I could ask Chloe to go shopping which could be therapeutic. I pulled my hair into a tight ponytail and tied the laced on my sneakers, then it was finally done and I felt better than I did since I woke up.

When I was done I still had ten minutes left so I walked to the main house. Monica was in the kitchen cleaning up and I wondered for a minute if she liver here. She was always in the kitchen busy cooking and I hardly ever saw her anywhere else.

"Morning captain, how do you feel."

My face caught fire as I remembered Monica busting me last night while trying to sneak into the house. Not my best moment.

"I'm really sorry about last night."

"Oh, don't worry about it hon, Lucas used to be ten times worse. He'd wake the neighbors and jump into the pool."

I laughed at the thought of Lucas drunk diving into the pool and some of my embarrassment ebbed away. I could always rely on Monica to make me feel better about a situation. Just them Lucas walked into the kitchen whistling under his breath.

"Feeling any better?"

"Still not enough to like you for dragging me out bed but yes, I do feel slightly better."

Lucas grabbed an apple from the bowl standing on the table, "Well, tough luck princess, we have work to do."

Then he gave me a devilish smirk before biting the apple all while his eyes never left mine. My mouth ran dry and my idiot heart finally woke up. There was a foggy memory in my head about a tequila shot and a dare but I couldn't fully grasp it. It was like last night was a dream and I was only getting bits and pieces. I started to wonder, what the hell happened last night?

I followed Lucas outside to his truck, the bright sunlight burning what was left of my retinas. Obviously, I'm still very hungover. I got into the truck and pulled my sunglasses from my bag before putting them on. When Lucas got into the truck, he took one look at me and started to laugh.

"Now you look like a fruit-fly!"

I adjusted my glasses on my face and turned my head away from him, "Oh, shut up. The sun hurts my eyes! It's not like I wear them everyday."

"Wait a minute, you're acting like this is your first hangover."

My cheeks felt hot and I tried to convince myself it was the summer heat, "Is not!"

Lucas leaned in and brushed a strand of hair behind my ear, "You, Katelyn Davis, are a bad liar."

"Okay no, I've never been hungover before but I've also never been as drunk as last night. I can hardly remember anything!"

Lucas put the truck in drive and pulled out of the driveway, "What can you remember."

I looked over but Lucas kept his eyes on the road, purposefully avoiding me. Now, I might have been worried before that something happened but I was damn near terrified now.

"Uh, I'll have to get back to you on that."

Within minutes we pulled into the driveway of my own home and there was an old beat up truck standing on the curb. A scrawny guy in blue overalls hoped out just as Lucas and I got out of the truck. The pulled out rolled up pieces of paper from his truck and Lucas and I walked over to him.

"Katelyn, this is Dustin."

I shook Dustin's hand and he gave me a lopsided grin, "Nice to meet you mam, I have all the plans right here for the yard and I think you're gonna love them. Then again if you don't we can just do something else! I mean it's your house so it's also your choice--"

"Dustin, buddy slow down." Lucas said placing his hand on Dustin's shoulder, "I'm sure Katelyn will love the ideas you have up with."

We walked around to the backyard with Dustin still nervously talking my ear off. On a normal day, I might find this adorable but today I was hungover.

Dustin handed me the plans and I unfurled the first one, gawking at the precision and detail of the drawing. It was an areal picture of the yard with a flower bed around the tree and by the back door. Next to the far wall by the swimming pool, Dusting had drawn a clear space that he marked as 'future garden'.

In the middle of the yard he placed a round white gazebo with small bushes of greenery around it. The grass in the picture was clean cut and he had even included the swing set. I compared the picture with the barren landscape in front of me and I knew that this was the one. There was no need for more planning or drawing this was the one.

I looked at Dustin and smiled, "This is absolutely perfect."

Dustin went beet red, "Are you sure? Cuz I can still change it!"

"No, Dustin this is exactly what I want you don't have to change anything."

After that Dustin showed me what the front of the house would look like and I was just as stunned. These was a beautiful porch with white trimmings and a lush greed garden around it. The walkway up to the porch was white cobblestone up until the first porch step.

Lucas had left me and Dustin alone to check on the inside of the house and just as Dustin left, Lucas walked out of the house.

"Want to see the inside?"

I nodded my head and followed Lucas inside the house. The walls were stripped away and I could see the wires poking out. In the kitchen all the cupboards were taken out and the floors were also gone. What bothered me though was the fact that there was no one inside the house except for me and Lucas.

"Now keep in mind, they're still busy here. In a week from now all this will be done and you can choose what you want done with the place."

Lucas was standing behind me so I turned to face him, "Where is everyone."

"I gave them the day off."

Lucas took a step closer and I took one back until I had my back pressed against the wall. The proximity had me shivering and all I could think was, not close enough. There was a memory in my mind, trying to break free. Me and Lucas at the pool side, talking and something more but I couldn't grasp the full picture.

"Why?" I asked breathlessly.

Lucas placed his palms flat against the wall next to my head, caging me in with his eyes never leaving mine. I swallowed the lump in my throat while my heart felt like I was running a marathon.

"What do you remember about last night? After we got home."

My body started to shake in anticipation but Lucas' expression gave nothing away.

"We were by the pool. Your mom caught us."

Lucas' lips quirked up in a smile, "A little bit before that?"

I closed my eyes, focusing on the memory by the poolside. I had laughed a lot and thanked him for the day. Then, I had brazenly stepped up to him, I wanted him to kiss me right then and there.

If you weren't drunk right now, I would kiss you.

I heard his voice as clear as day and my eyes shot open only to find Lucas grinning at me.

"You said you wanted to kiss me." I said.

My breath hitched with my chest rising and falling in rapid breaths. I knew something happened and I knew that last night I didn't want anything as much as I wanted that kiss. Now Lucas had me pinned against a wall with nowhere to go and stone cold sober.

"Can you remember what you said to me as you fell asleep?"

I frowned, unable to recall the memory through the haze. The lust in his eyes had my head spinning but my body vibrating with the need to release. I couldn't remember no matter how much I tried. But I wanted this kiss and I wanted him, there was no denying that fundamental fact but Lucas wasn't done toying with me.

"You said that you wanted me to kiss you," he cupping my cheek his face only inches away from my own, "So, Katelyn, do you still want me to kiss you?"

I couldn't find words. Not even one, if my breathing was messed up before it was shot to smithereens now. But I wanted him to kiss me, oh, I wanted so much more in that moment and I knew I wouldn't be able to resit. I bit my lip, still looking into those clear blue eyes and nodded my head.

Lucas smirked and shook his head, "I want you to say it."

My heart jumped into my throat and Lucas leaned in, resting his forehead against mine. His breath fanned against my face and I shivered. I placed my palm flat against him chest and I could feel his heart thundering against my skin. His eyes flicked down to my palm and Lucas sucked in a sharp breath. Then he placed his other hand on top of mine and looked into my eyes. I knew he wasn't going to give me what I wanted until I gave in first.

"I want you to kiss me." I said.

The words tumbled out of my mouth and I couldn't stop it anymore than I could stop my racing heart. Lucas leaned in, his lips barely touching mine and I almost wanted to beg him just to kiss me already. This was torture to the highest degree.

There was a thundering knock on the front door bursting the moment between me and Lucas. I blinked a few times as if waking up from a very pleasant dream but not wanting it to end yet.

Lucas sighed and closed his eyes, "One of the workers probably forgot something. I'll check."

With not another word Lucas ran for the front door and I sagged against the wall. That was so damn close but I couldn't help but feel regret. If I had just answered him sooner, he would have kissed me and to hell with whoever was knocking at the door.

"Katelyn, It's for you!" I heard Lucas scream from the door.

I wondered if it was Chloe looking for me because then I was really going to strangle her, for last night and for now. I walked to front door, not entirely paying attention to what was going on around me but when my eyes landed on the person standing in the doorway my feet skidded to a halt. It sure wasn't Chloe.

"Micheal?"