When his teammate Miguel made his way toward Lu and began his mating ritual, Lex found himself feeling possessive. When he had Miguel’s attention, Lex leaned in close and whispered, “Not her, she’s mine.” Miguel, a lover not a fighter, conceded with a roguish smile. “No harm, no foul,” he said. Lu, who was close enough to hear Miguel’s comment, looked at Lex quizzically. He merely cocked his eyebrow, smiled at her, and returned to the conversation he had walked away from.
Although the day had been far more manageable than he expected, he found himself watching his mother closely. Jo seemed excessively tense. And he was worried about her. The depth of her sorrow didn’t surprise him. She looked sad. But there was something else too—a fragility that was unexpected and troublesome. Jumpy and easily startled, she seemed to be waiting for something bad to happen. But even Lex couldn’t think of anything worse than the unexpected death of his father. He noticed that girls, Amber, Stacy, Cami, LeeAnn, and Natalie hovered around her like an honor guard of some sort, seemingly protecting her. Thinking about his and Lu’s long friendship, Lex watched as his mother looked up and caught his eye. A deep, penetrating look passed between them and she mouthed “sorry” across the space. Confused, Lex could merely respond with a questioning look. He swore she mouthed, “I’m so sorry,” again before she returned to the conversation swirling around her.
Lu appeared by his side right then, grasping his hand and squeezing, silently offering her support and comfort, almost as if she had observed the strange moment with this mother. Without really realizing what he was doing, he leaned down, as close as he could get to her ear and whispered, “I need to be inside you. Soon.” Then he dropped a light kiss just below her ear. He could feel her body stiffen, and she pulled her hand from his before he thought to hold his tighter. Before he knew it, she was across the room and out the door, running from him again.
He wasn’t sure what was going on with her. Unhappily, he gave in to the insecurities that had plagued him regarding Lu. He knew she—and, it seemed, everyone else—was keeping something from him. He didn’t know how he knew, but the pervasive feeling of a great conspiracy jumped to the forefront. He felt like everyone was in on it. An undercurrent seemed to flow in every conversation he had with people. And when they saw him in close proximity to Lu, he felt their curiosity. Perhaps it was merely that—curiosity. Would the childhood sweethearts find their way back to each other? Everyone loved a feel-good story. But then he would catch sight of Pete or Willa watching him, and he couldn’t help but wonder what they were holding back. He checked Lu’s left hand, searching for a sign of an engagement ring, something that would explain her reticence. He found nothing.
Then, ruefully, he thought of what he had whispered to her and he smiled. What was he thinking? Lu wasn’t some groupie. His comment had been bawdy and shockingly disrespectful to Lu. That was why she ran this time. But she wouldn’t be able to run from him. Not tonight. He needed her. And he was going to have her. Consequences be damned.
Ducking into a small, unused viewing room, Lu quietly closed the door behind her. Flinging herself into one of the striped wingback chairs, she leaned back and closed her eyes. She was trembling with a heady combination of desire and fear. Her run with Lex earlier in the day had set the stage for the rest. Their easy camaraderie had reestablished itself as their feet pounded over the packed sand. When he left her at 6:55, he’d dropped a kiss on her forehead, much like he’d done to Willa the previous evening. And while part of her wanted more than that, great appeal could be found in maintaining Lex’s friendship. The betrayal of a friend seemed so much simpler than that of a lover.
So when he’d leaned in close and whispered in her ear—what he’d whispered in her ear—shock and surprise overwhelmed her. And it had heated her. If she had stayed in the room, everyone would have seen the telltale blush run up her neck, she imagined, and creep over her cheeks. She’d felt everything in her body tighten and hum. So she fled. She expected Willa to find her at any moment as her panicked gaze had found her sister’s on the way out of the room.
Lu had to hold out. As much as she wanted Lex, she couldn’t allow herself to be with him in any way other than to support him. But damn he was irresistible, she conceded unhappily.
When she heard the door open, she looked over, thankful for her sister’s concern. But Willa wasn’t the person who walked through the door. It was Lex’s stunningly beautiful agent, Caroline Thorvaldsdottir. Lu didn’t know a lot about her, but she could tell Caroline was shrewd. Mike wouldn’t have entrusted Lex’s career to just anyone. The choosing of his agent had been a long, thorough process that Mike had agonized over for quite some time. In the beginning, he had managed Lex’s career and money. But he was more interested in being a father than an agent, so when Lex turned twenty-one, Mike bowed out. And from what Lu heard, it had been a good move for everyone involved.