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The place rang with a hollow emptiness that made my stomach clench. I hated these narrow corridors and the way every step made it sound like someone was chasing me. Sweatran down my forehead and I dashed it away before it stung my eyes. I turned the corner and spotted Lucy’s door cracked open.
She stood on the other side, her blonde hair in a high ponytail that caused curls to sweep over her shoulder.
Justin was an idiot in some things, but he’d gotten this one right. There was something about Lucy that made my pulse beat faster. It was a physical attraction at first, but when I’d seen her advocate for the kids at the center, I started to fall for her kind spirit and gentle nature. She fought for what she believed in, the same as me.
I palmed open the door and stepped into the quiet room.
Lucy turned to face me, her face a mask. Her eyebrows shot up and her gaze raked me over from head to toe. “Zachary, are you alright? Did you get injured?” She switched into doctor mode in an instant, and her careful concern made me want to grab her and kiss her senseless.
Fuck, I was a mess for this woman. It happened so quickly that it made no sense, but there was no denying the way my cock responded to her soft voice. When she touched my arm with concern, I had trouble dragging my attention back to her question and forcing away the image of those soft hands wrapping around my dick. I had no place thinking shit like that. She’d slept with Justin. That didn’t mean she’d have me… unless Justin was right yesterday. He hadn’t stopped talking after we left Lucy’s office when the douche reporter showed up. Justin had it in his head that Lucy liked all of us the same way we liked her.
Lennox called him a daft bastard, and I’d agreed. Until I looked down and saw Lucy staring up at me. She blinked slowly and licked her lips. My cock twitched again as another rush of images invaded my skull.
“I have to go pick up my daughter from school.” Her hand stayed on my arm. “What did you need? If you came here to talk about Justin, there’s nothing left to say.”
Justin’s name on her lips should have been a bucket of ice water over my head, but it had the opposite effect. I imagined her with Justin, and it didn’t bother me the way it should. He treated women with respect even though he never called them back. I knew he’d showed Lucy a good time. The way she watched him yesterday told me she’d enjoyed herself and wanted to do it again.
Was Justin right? Did she want all of us? The more I tried to get rid of that question, the harder it sank its claws into me. I had to focus. I’d come here to talk, and I hadn’t said a damned word.
I placed my hand over hers where it rested on my arm. Her breath hitched and she licked her lips again. “Be careful with Justin.”
Her brows crashed together. “What do you mean? We slept together once. It didn’t mean anything to either of us.” Her words sounded true enough, but her expression and tone didn’t match. She spoke with a low huskiness and her eyes were wide, almost hopeful, and her pulse thrummed where my fingers rested on her wrist.
She tugged her hand back and clutched it to her neck.
“That’s what you both say.” I followed her when she walked backward, stopping when I came within touching distance. I didn’t want to come off as creepy or a stalker, so I backed off. “I’m asking you not to hurt him.”
We’d all heard him tell her that he wouldn’t let anything bad happen to her. I felt the same way, but I also needed to protect Justin. That was part of my job as his friend and teammate.
“What makes you think I have that kind of power?” Lucy put her hands behind her and gripped the edge of the exam table. The paper made a crinkling sound that might as well have beenas loud as a gunshot. It rattled through me, reminding me we stood in the middle of her very public office and the door behind me was still open.
I looked around her space, taking in the changes she’d made since I helped paint the walls. Colorful landscapes hung on three of the walls, and her diploma took up a spot on the fourth. Medical equipment sat on the counters, and I recognized the array of exercise bands on top of the filing cabinet. She’d taken a drab, depressing place and made it feel homey. This was how she could hurt Justin, she just didn’t know it. “Justin’s not as laid-back as he seems. I’ve never seen him react to anyone the way he does with you. It’s unsettling, and I’m not sure what to think about it. He’s my friend.”
“You look out for each other.” Lucy shrugged one slim shoulder, bringing it to her ear before dropping it again. “I respect that.” Reaching up, she tossed her ponytail over her shoulder. The move wasn’t sexual at all, but it brought my attention to the slim curve of her neck.
I fisted my hands and shoved them into my pockets before I did something foolish like wind my hands into her hair and see if it felt as silky as it looked. I’d never been this attracted to a woman after a handful of interactions. I tended to stay away from most women, since my last few girlfriends all tried to get me to quit hockey after watching one game. No one needed that kind of negativity in their life.
“Is that all?” Lucy’s soft gaze found mine. “I really do need to go pick up my daughter.”
I believed her, but I couldn’t shake Justin’s words away. Curious, I tipped my head to the side and watched Lucy squirm when the silence continued to stretch. She could walk away, but she chose to stay here. I stood between her and the door, but I wasn’t stopping her from leaving. I moved closer but off to theside, opening the space between her and the door. “Justin said something yesterday.”
“Justin says a lot of things,” she scoffed with a grin that brightened her eyes and made my chest warm.
“Yeah.” I agreed with a nod. “But this involved you. And now I can’t get it out of my head.”
Her cheeks pinked and she ducked her chin. “He better not have told you about… that.” She rocked her head side to side.
“That?”
Huffing and pressing her eyes closed with her fingertips, she whispered, “If he told you anything about me and him having sex, you’ll have to do more than protect him from a broken heart. I’ll break his fucking nose.” Her fingers fell away from her eyes and she clenched both hands into fists.
I laughed and wrapped my hands around hers, prying open her fingers one by one. “Justin doesn’t kiss and tell. He’s an asshole, but he’s honorable.” Her pulse ratcheted up and her chest rose in a rapid inhale when I stroked my thumb over her palm. “No, he said something else.” I flipped her hand over and kissed her wrist where her pulse thundered. “He said you might be interested in me too.” It was ridiculous to even think about. But I’d seen the way she looked at me yesterday, and when we first met. Curiosity and interest were similar, but the sexual heat between us now was undeniable. I didn’t know if she’d admit it or brush it aside. There were consequences to what I was asking, consequences we’d discussed at length yesterday. Consequences I didn’t give a damn about with Lucy standing in front of me with that look of want in her eyes. I kissed her wrist again.
Her fingers curled over my cheek and she sucked in a ragged breath. “Zachary.”
The sound of my name in that breathless tone undid me from the inside out. It wrapped around my heart and squeezed until I lost all ability to think. “I get it now.”
“What?” Pink gilded her cheeks and she sank her teeth into her lower lip.
