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“Hey.” Justin tapped his stick to his helmet where it sat on the back of his head.
She grinned, flashing us a dimple on her right cheek. “Can I talk to you after practice?”
“Me?” Justin thumbed his chest.
Lucy’s blush deepened and she licked her lips. “All three of you.” She took a breath and let it out in a rush. “I need to talk to all three of you.”
9
LUCY
Ipracticed my speech over and over again as I paced my office and waited for practice to end. No matter how great the sex was with Justin, I shouldn’t continue having anything that resembled a relationship. I mean, sex wasn’t really a relationship.
Ugh. The fight between what I knew I should do and what my body wanted me to do hadn’t stopped since I left Justin’s house two nights ago. I’d known he wouldn’t call, and I was glad that he hadn’t. My heart gave a stupid little ache and I bit my lip. Okay, so maybe I was a little bit irrationally upset that he’d done exactly what I knew he’d do. That look today in the hallway had caused my body to flame. It said he wasn’t done with me yet, and I wanted that to be true.
Damn it. I kicked my toes against the wall and pushed my hair back from my face, then shook out my hands. I could do this. Ihadto do this. My goals and my career were far more important than sex. Even if it was the best sex of my life and it made me want more.
The door opened and I wheeled to face Justin, Lennox, and Zachary. I’d never admit it to them, but they looked hotas hell coming off the ice all mean-faced with their adrenaline pumping.
Lennox wiped a towel over his face and shouldered past Justin. What the hell was that all about? His eyes caught mine and a moment of pure want flashed. I tamped it down as best I could, but Lennox must have seen it because his eyes widened and he took a step forward. I held up a hand to stop him, to stop all of them, from coming any closer. Already the room felt three sizes smaller with all of them pressed in like this. I was suffocating in their presence. No, not suffocating… turned on. A surge of desire ran so heavy through me that I closed my eyes to keep from moaning. This was not happening.
Gritting my teeth, I forced my eyes open and crossed my arms over my chest to present a more closed-off personality. “I wanted to make sure we’re all on the same page about what happened the other night.”
“You mean you fucking the life right out of me?” Justin had absolutely no shame or remorse as he called me out.
My entire face heated. Yeah, there was no coming back from that. I lifted my chin anyway, determined to see this through. “Yes. That. It was a one-time thing.”
“I can’t believe you would do that to me.” Justin took a step. He smiled playfully, but I swore I saw a flash of hurt in his eyes, just like that night. “Didn’t it mean anything to you?”
“Stuff it up your ass, Justin.” Lennox punched Justin’s shoulder and moved to intercept before he came close enough to touch me. “You’re the one who leaves after one night.”
“It’s against the rules,” I interjected before they devolved into the fight I saw brewing in their clenched fists and angry snarls. They were like a couple of dogs fighting over a bone. I was no one’s property. I made my own decisions. “I’m not going to jeopardize my father’s career. Or my own.”
All three snapped to attention at that. “Your dad’s career?” Zachary asked. “What does this have to do with him?”
“It’s not just his rule that we’re not allowed to fraternize. I’m part of the staff now. What I do is a reflection of the team as a whole.” A lump formed in my throat when I thought about Dad and what he’d say to me if he knew about me and Justin.
“It’s pretty easy to keep a secret.” Justin eased past Lennox, and this time Lennox let him move close enough to brush his knuckles down my arm.
The move sent delicious shivers along my skin, and I gripped my arms to keep from swaying closer. What was it about this cocky guy that drew me in? I didn’t usually care for his type. Something about Justin told me he had a depth that no one knew about. Or that was just my libido talking, and I wanted him to be more than a giant dick—figuratively speaking.
“No.” I held out my hand, palm up, when he took another step. “I have enough going on in my life. Between my advocacy work and raising Abigail, plus working here; my life is full. I don’t need anything else complicating my days.” I looked hard at Justin. “Or my nights.”
He smirked a little at that. “I’m not ready for this relationship to be over, Lucy.”
Damn him. Damn him to hell for saying my name in a purr of sexual desire that went straight to my pussy.
Lennox and Zachary looked at each other behind Justin’s back. Lennox’s eyes narrowed and he started forward. Zachary did the same, the three of them creating a triangle of strength that I wanted to dive right in the middle of. I didn’t know where the thought came from, but once it hit, I couldn’t shake it loose. I liked all three of these men enough that for a split second, I considered tossing aside my fears and seeing where this ended.
I shook my head clear of the intoxicating thought. “We don’t have a relationship, Justin. We had a one-night stand. We both knew that going in. It was one sexual encounter. Nothing more.”
“One-night stands are the worst.” Zachary’s voice came out of nowhere, the dark tone bringing my attention to him. “Trust me. I had one in college. Be glad you remember yours. All I remember is waking up in an unfamiliar room with some girl’s pink panties on my pillow.”
His words sparked a memory of the night I’d gotten pregnant with Abigail. I’d gone to a party, gotten drunk, and fallen into bed with the first cute guy I saw. I remembered making the decision to sleep with him, then the details turned fuzzy. The guy had a strawberry birthmark on the right side of his neck, something he’d passed down to Abigail. Other than that, I had little to no memory of the night. He’d been slightly clumsy as a lover, but that could have been inexperience or alcohol or both. I’m sure I wasn’t memorable either. The pink panties comment gave me pause. I’d been wearing pink panties that night and couldn’t find them when I slipped out in the middle of the night.
I stopped my rambling thoughts, slamming the lid on that night. It’s not like Zachary was the guy I’d slept with in college. He was a hockey guy and I’d gone to a medical college. Those two were nowhere near each other. I’d remember Zachary. He was the kind of guy you couldn’t forget with his broad shoulders and wide smirk. And a tiny scar on his upper lip that crinkled when he smiled. I’d definitely remember that.
Justin closed the distance, bringing us chest to chest. His padded shirt brushed my crossed arms, and I was grateful I’d worn long sleeves to hide the way goosebumps popped out all over my skin. “We could do this.” He trailed a finger down my cheek and tipped my chin up until I met his gorgeous blue eyes. “We could make this more than one night. I’m not done with you.” He pointed over his shoulder. “And these guys can vouchfor me when I say I’ve never said that to a woman before. You’re different. There’s something about you that makes me want more.”
