Connections by Emilia Winters Page A

his when he saw her and even she had to admit that he was handsome.   He wasn’t necessarily good looking, not in the way Alex was at least.   His features were too rugged and harsh.   But he put her at ease and seemed genuinely pleased to see her.
    “Well, well, I’m glad to see you two are back to normal,” he said, before he brushed past her into the hallway.   “Alex didn’t tell me exactly that you two had stopped having—,” he cut himself off, glancing at her and then corrected himself, “Being intimate .   But I read between the lines.”   He winked and Olivia couldn’t help her blush.
    She didn’t feel the need to explain anything so instead she said quietly, “Luke, Alex isn’t awake.   And I don’t want to wake him up yet.”
    The man held up his massive hands, “I just came by to grab some tools I lent him.   I need them for a job today.”
    He turned down the hallway while Olivia shut and locked the door.   She followed him, curious, and found him in the kitchen.   Starting coffee, of all things.
    “Um,” Olivia murmured, unsure of what to do.   She’d only met Luke once before and it had been fleeting, since she’d been in a hurry to get the hell away from Alex.
    She watched as he poked his head around in the fridge before cursing and shutting it.   “I forgot,” he said, turning to face her.   “Alex is healthy and shit.   Doesn’t even use creamer in his coffee because of preservatives.   Such a shame.   Because milk in coffee is practically tragic and Coffee-mate has some pretty awesome flavors, ya know?”   She couldn’t help the amused smile that broke out over her face because Luke looked so put off .   “I just discovered the Pumpkin one last month and it blew my fucking mind.”   A thought seemed to cross his mind and he looked at her more intently.   “ Please tell me that you put creamer in your coffee.   If you put in sugar too, you’d be my favorite person.”
    Olivia laughed, trying to be quiet so she wouldn’t wake Alex, who was just down the hall.   She situated herself on the bar stools next the the island counter.   “I’m a baker, what do you think?”
    His eyes twinkled and Olivia knew why Alex had said Luke was a charmer who had no problem with the ladies.   “That’s right.   So now that you’re Alex’s woman, does that mean I get free cupcakes if I come into your shop?   Being Alex’s best friend and all.”
    Olivia pointed to the pink box on the counter behind him, which still held two out of the four cupcakes she’d brought over last night.   “Help yourself.”
    He lifted the lid and looked like a kid on Christmas.   “Oh man, chocolate cupcakes for breakfast.   Today is going to be a great day, I can already tell.”
    Olivia didn’t mention the fact that they were gluten-free, because something told her it would crush him.   He didn’t seem to notice anyway, since he immediately wolfed one down and moaned in appreciation.
    “You’re the best, Livy,” he informed her, smiling.   He grabbed two mugs from the cabinet and just then, the coffee maker beeped, done.   He moved around Alex’s kitchen with a familiarity that revealed how close they were.   Or at least, how close they’d once been.
    Biting her lip, she silently mulled over a question in her head.   When Luke plopped down a mug of milk and sugared coffee in front of her, she finally worked up the courage to ask him.   “Can I ask you something?”
    “Lemme guess, you want to know how in the world I’m so good looking,” he teased, raising a brow while he took a sip of his coffee.   He made a face at the taste, but didn’t complain.   “It wouldn’t be the first time someone’s asked me that.”
    But the way his shoulders tensed at her question told Olivia his response was a deflection more than anything.   “Never mind, it’s too personal,” she murmured, smiling at him in an attempt to soothe his unease.
    He leveled her a look and