Chapter 2 Lucas
Lucas
I heard a small moan escape her, and I lost all train of thought. What I wouldn’t give to hear that sound while she was naked under me.
Regardless, I felt as though an angel had fallen at my feet or on top of me. Earlier, when I’d been on the phone with my mom, I’d seen her looking in my direction, but with the sun in my eyes, I could barely make out her beauty.
She was gorgeous—shiny black hair, long legs that would tempt a saint, and eyes the color of the ocean off Bora Bora, greenish-blue or bluish-green.
She touched my bicep, which was as tight as a violin string. “Lucas, where did you go?”
My name on her lips sounded like a prayer and one that I would give a million bucks to hear when she was losing her inhibitions while I was inside her. Now, that would be the best birthday present ever. But she didn’t strike me as a touchdown bunny—easy and looking for a good fuck.
Get your damn mind out of the gutter, asshole.
“Did you hear me?” she asked. “Am I special or something? Or do you give special attention to all your women?”
Only those who’ve grabbed me by the balls—in a good way, of course.
“I’ve never met anyone who was allergic to chlorine.” My brain kicked into gear. “I guess pools are off-limits to you then.”
“Duh,” she replied with a soft giggle.
I stood to my full height and created distance between us. I felt this strange twist in my chest. One that I hadn’t had since I was sixteen and saw Natalia Reyes for the first time walking into Algebra—onyx hair, wide brown eyes, the kind that messed with a guy’s heart.
“And your name is?” If she didn’t tell me, I might die.
I went over to the cabinet where the late Mrs. James, Ryker’s mom, had kept all the medicinal products.
“That will cost you,” she said in a playful tone.
“I’ll pay anything,” I tossed over my shoulder.
“Careful, Hellion, you might not like my answer.”
Well, now. This beauty knew my nickname the team had given me in my sophomore year for how fast I tore down the field with the ball in my hand.
I found the Benadryl and witch hazel, grabbed the paper towels off the counter, and returned to her. “Do you follow football?” I dragged a chair closer to her and set both on the table.
“Nope. I’m not a groupie.” She gave me the impression she didn’t like football players.
We did have a stigma attached to us. Women every night. Partying until we puked. And big egos. I couldn’t argue about the women who were eager to fuck a football player. Though, despite the rumors I’d heard about me, I didn’t have a different girl in my bed every night.
She scratched the rash reddening on her arm, her forehead creasing.
I doused a paper towel with the witch hazel, shaking off the temptation to kiss her heart-shaped lips. “Give me your arm. The witch hazel will help until you take the Benadryl and it kicks in.”
She held out her arm. “Do you live here?”
“Ryker and I have been friends since elementary school. If I wasn’t at my house, I was here. His late mother kept the medicine handy and accessible in case she needed to patch up a cut or bruise.”
“That plane crash was tragic,” she said in a sad tone.
Practically the entire campus had attended the funeral last fall. If someone hadn’t heard about Ryker losing his family, they were living under a rock. After all, Ryker was the star quarterback, and news about the deaths of his parents, brother, and sister had gone viral across the country.
“This is our last party here. Ryker’s aunt is moving in next week, so he’ll be rooming with me at my place close to campus.” I dabbed the witch hazel on her rash.
She sighed. “That feels good.”
I knew something else that would feel good—me and her naked.
The sliding door opened, and Ryker sauntered in, gray eyes appraising the scene. If I knew him, he thought I was feeling up this beautiful goddess.
Following on his heels were Erik and a strawberry blonde who I would bet Erik had already had his way with.
“Mazzie,” the blonde said with a blinding smile. “I have your purse.”
Mazzie? I wondered if that was short for something.
“Lucas got me Benadryl.” She opened the bottle and popped two tablets without water.
I pushed to my feet, needing air from the kind of distractions that didn’t wear cutoff shorts and smell like summer.
Erik gave me a nod as he glanced between Mazzie and me. No doubt our massive tight end had ensured no one entered the house to disturb Mazzie and me. I would bet Ryker had put Erik up to the task. I’d seen Ryker’s look when he’d thrown me the towel. It was his classic “go for it she’s hot” look.
“I’m ready to leave,” Mazzie said to Bailey. “I want to get out of these clothes. My body is itching.”
The word no shouted in my head as I grabbed a dish towel from the sink, about to wipe up the water that had dripped onto the floor from my swim trunks.
As if Ryker could see my struggle, he waltzed over to me and whispered, “She could borrow Leigh’s clothes.”
I cocked an eyebrow at my best friend. “Are you sure?”
“Dude, my aunt will be cleaning out all the rooms. I’ve taken what I needed to from Leigh’s room.”
Mazzie was similar in size to Ryker’s late sister. But as much as I didn’t want her to leave, I felt odd extending that offer. “It needs to come from you, dude.”
Bailey was standing by Erik when Ryker and I turned around. Mazzie, on the other hand, was on her feet, wringing the water out of her hair with the towel.
“Mazzie,” Ryker said, “my sister might have some clothes that you could borrow.”
Her eyes went wide. “Thank you, but no. I couldn’t. I’m ready to leave anyway.”
Bailey was right beside her in a flash. “Take the offer. You can’t sit for forty-five minutes in wet clothes.”
Mazzie scratched both her arms. “Fine. But can I keep the witch hazel with me until the Benadryl kicks in?”
Hallelujah!
Erik must’ve seen the relief on my face because he snorted. The beefy flirt put me to shame when it came to picking up women.
“Sure, keep the witch hazel,” Ryker said. “Lucas can show you to Leigh’s room.”
My fucking pleasure.
Bailey whispered into Mazzie’s ear, and Mazzie playfully slapped her friend on the arm.
After the loss of the game and the argument with my mom, my bad day was looking better and better. Best birthday so far.
As we wound down the hall to Leigh’s bedroom, the high I was on waned as we passed the room that had belonged to Randal, Ryker’s younger brother.
Then the second I opened the door to Leigh’s bedroom, the air rushed from my lungs.
Memories hit hard and fast, and I felt Ryker’s pain as if it were my own.
“Wow!” Mazzie’s awe made me smile. “This art on the walls is stunning.”
You are too.
But I kept that to myself. “Leigh was a great artist.”
Mazzie set her sights on one sketch in particular.
“That’s Mrs. James,” I said. “Leigh found a photo of her from a debutante ball and recreated it.”
“The detail in the frilly pink dress is incredible,” she murmured, holding her stomach. “You know, I’m a little squeamish about borrowing Leigh’s clothes.”
I walked over to the closet. “Ryker would feel good if someone he knew used his sister’s clothes.”
“So sad.” Her voice cracked. “This room is filled with so much love that it’s almost hard to breathe.”
I swallowed, blinking away the sting in my eyes. Watching Ryker fall apart in here had gutted me. Now, it was my turn.
Mazzie’s forehead creased. “Are you—”
“No.” I opened the closet. “See if anything in here might fit. The dresser might have undergarments too.”
Mazzie grabbed my hand. “Hey, it’s okay to get emotional.”
I turned to her, and a tear slid down her rosy cheek. Then her gaze dropped to my lips, her chest rising and falling.
We stood motionless, both of us breathing heavily. I wanted her. But more than that, I was afraid of taking that first step. Afraid that she would reject me. Afraid that my heart would break into a thousand pieces if she did.
She wasn’t like the others. Most of the girls I hooked up with were blondes. Safe. Detached. Not reminders of Natalia Reyes, cause of my first heartbreak.
Mazzie edged closer, our lips a breath apart. “Who are you, Lucas Allen?”
“Just a guy in a room with a pretty woman.” Quick as a whip, I created distance between us, shaking off all the emotions twisting me into one big knot.
Confusion flashed in her eyes before she masked it and opened the dresser drawer containing neatly folded bras.
“I’ll leave you to change.” I slipped out fast, and the second I was in the hall, I released the breath I’d been holding.
What was happening to me? The day had started out okay. Then we lost the game, then my mom and I argued about my father, and now, I was supposed to be enjoying a belated birthday party for me. Yet here I was acting emotional in front of a woman I didn’t even know.
I heard a chuckle before I spotted Ryker standing at the other end of the hall, shoulder pressed against the wall.
I kicked my weak legs into gear. “Spying on us?”
“The last time I saw that puppy dog look on you was Natalia,” he said as sure as the night was setting in.
“You pinned me the moment I got out of the pool.” It wasn’t a question. Ryker knew me like I was his brother.
“Yep, I saw the look on your face when you came up for air with her in your arms. She’s stunning, dude. Even Haven mentioned that.”
“I’m not going down that road of love. I have too much fucked-up shit I’m dealing with. Besides, no ties while I’m in college.” The latter was my top rule. I didn’t want ties. I didn’t want to deal with heartbreak.
He pushed off the wall, strands of his black locks falling forward.
“Listen to me. Your rules won’t matter when you fall, and my gut is telling me that you’re going to fall so freaking hard for her that you won’t know what hit you.
Take it from me. You saw how my heart leapt from my chest for Haven. ”
“So now you’re a clairvoyant?” I teased.
“Just stating a fact,” he volleyed in return.
“Well, the fact is, she doesn’t like football players, hence me.” I couldn’t say that for certain.
“Uh, um. Keep telling yourself that.” He scratched his close-shaven scruff. “On another note, what happened with your mother?” he asked. “Has your old man showed up yet?”
My father, Kurtis Allen, was up for early parole after ten years in prison for embezzlement.
I crossed my arms over my chest. “No sign of him. Supposedly, he was released last weekend, but not sure.” Both my mom and I had been nervous wrecks.
“Is she planning on taking him back?” Ryker asked.
“I think she’s still in love with him. But she wants us to gather as a family and talk about things if or when he returns to Lakemont.”
I had nothing to say to the man, but I was worried he would gamble again, which meant he could play on my mom’s emotions and coax her into giving him money.
She’d worked tirelessly to build her nest egg after Kurtis had drained their bank accounts.
Like hell he would ruin her life again. I wasn’t twelve anymore, and I would literally beat his ass if he so much as made my mother cry.
“You’ve been wound tight since you heard your dad was being released on early parole,” Ryker said. “But do me a favor. Let loose tonight. Enjoy your birthday party.”
I rubbed a kink in my neck. I’d been tearing my insides to shreds for the last two months. Still, I knew one way to throw caution to the wind, and her name was Mazzie. Just being in her presence was making me feel like nothing else mattered.
“I’ll try, and if I haven’t said thank you, I really appreciate you throwing me a birthday bash.” I’d turned twenty-two in early September, but with football and other stuff going on, none of us had time for anything.
“Haven did all the planning,” he said. “You know I’m not good at the details unless it comes to football.”
“Speaking of football, I’m sorry for missing those two passes and fumbling today.”
We’d lost the game, and I blamed my poor performance. I was usually sharp on the field despite my problems. But my father returning wasn’t a menial problem like failing a test. It was a monumental issue that had me worried for more reasons than I wanted to think about tonight.
The door to Leigh’s room opened, and Ryker and I whipped our heads in that direction.
Holy fuck!
The black-haired goddess was a sight to behold. I sucked in air as I took in the red shorts, cropped Lakemont University T-shirt, and long, tanned legs.
“I think—” I couldn’t find the words.
Ryker laughed. “You’re about to fall hard and fast, and I’m here for it.”
He might be right, because Mazzie was a midnight storm—unexpected, wild, and rolled in without permission.
No matter how hard I tried to fight off that butterfly feeling, it was undeniable.