Chapter 23

LUCAS

If you had told me that I would be speeding down the coast highway in my hometown at random hours of the night with Drew Ellington, while singing along to Maroon 5 hits, I would have laughed in your face.

And yet here we were. She was in the driver’s seat of my McLaren-at my insistence-while I sat in the passenger seat watching her in fascination. I wished I would have captured the look of freedom and contentment on her face and kept it with me forever. We were howling along to Animal and she hadn’t noticed the camera I’d pointed in her direction. I couldn’t help myself, I needed this for my dark days.

“What are you doing?” she asked when I held my phone up and her full red lips tilted up.

“Capturing a beautiful memory,” I answered with a warm smile.

“Is that a compliment, Mancini?”

“Are you fishing for one, Ellington?”

“I’ll give you one,” she winked. “I love hearing you sing. It sounds so sexy with your accent.”