Lacey stared at her in disbelief. “Always, Vi.”
“I guess I just met the right man.”
“The right man,” Lacey repeated, an image of Mick flashing in her mind—hard, rippling muscles beneath his too-sexy uniform. How more “right” could he be? Despite the cold, Lacey felt a hot, tingling sensation tiptoe across her skin as though she had just stepped into a steamy hot tub. She glanced at her watch. How many more hours till the first morning flight out of here?
“Late for something?” Vi’s voice hinted of sarcasm as she looked at Lacey, eyeing the time.
You have no idea how late. “Just wondering when the guests will start leaving.” Peeking into the window, Lacey was disappointed to not see any guests gravitating toward the coat closet. “So do I have to wait till the wedding to meet this Josh guy?”
Vi’s lips formed a thin line, and she tucked her free hand into her coat pocket. “You might. He works a lot. Working this weekend, actually, or he’d be here.”
“Well, at least he has his priorities in line.”
Vi glared. “Don’t be a bitch. Not everyone gets to take the holidays off.”
Lacey shook head, hating herself. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I was just joking,” she offered, even though she knew she hadn’t been. What was it about her sister that made her feel twelve years old again?
Vi narrowed her eyes. “I thought you’d be happy for me.”
Of course Vi had thought that. It had been Lacey who decorated the kitchen in balloons when Vi was accepted to Columbia University… popped the champagne cork when Vi got an internship at the most prestigious brokerage in New York… gathered her friends to watch Vi’s first appearance on TV.
Did she have any happiness left to offer her sister?
Angling her head, Lacey looked at Vi. Behind her sister’s department store mascara, Vi’s eyes were uneasy, as though desperate for Lacey’s approval, though God only knew why.
Lacey painted a smile on her face. “I am happy for you.”
Vi took Lacey’s hand and squeezed. “I’m glad,” she said, and Lacey could have sworn she heard her sister’s voice catch.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Goody-two-shoes Lacey had never had a speeding ticket in her life.
Today, she was willing to risk it.
Tightening her grip on the steering wheel, she sped down the empty highway heading into Annapolis, knowing that her destination was not Maeve’s house.
It was Mick’s.
She wanted him, damn it. And whether or not the distraction of having him in her life would derail her career didn’t matter anymore.
As for the broken heart that likely awaited her in the future, she couldn’t care less.
For once, now was what mattered to her. No eye on the future. Just grabbing today, as enthusiastically as she had grabbed that box of condoms at the drugstore en route.
She only hoped that he was still interested in her. Even a little.
And if he wasn’t, she had worn the sexiest bra and panties she could buy beneath her sensible traveling clothes in case he needed some enticement. Who would have known there would be a Victoria’s Secret right at the airport? That had to be a sign, right?
Slamming her car door behind her, she darted toward the Naval Academy security gates, barely stopping to show her ID as she walked briskly toward his home.
All smiles and slightly breathless, she rapped on his door.
When a woman answered it, Lacey could have sworn she heard the earsplitting sound of her own heart shattering to bits on his front door step.
Of course a gorgeous guy like Mick wouldn’t wait around for her.
Lacey struggled to regain her voice. After all, Mick was nothing more than a friend. She had no claim on him. “I’m sorry. I was looking for Mick. I should have called first.”
“No, please come in. He’s just in the kitchen,” the woman said with a comfortable smile.
Lacey was already backing down the stairs. “No, thanks. Really. Just tell him Lacey stopped by and to have a great weekend.”
Turning on her heel, she headed down the street, her walk somehow transforming into a full-blown sprint. She was almost at the security gate when she heard a voice behind her.
“Lacey!”
She groaned knowing the dampness on her cheeks was likely accompanied by streaks of dripping mascara and smudged eyeliner. Oh God, how humiliating all this was. She didn’t break stride and prayed he would give up the chase.
Damn that SEAL physical training; Mick was a lot faster. His hand touched her arm and he whipped her around to face him. “Lacey, what’s wrong? What happened?”
“Nothing, Mick. Really. I’ll talk to you later about it.”