26. Lucy
Lucy
Irun into the training room and spot Leo on one of the exercise bikes. I make a beeline straight for him.
When he sees me, he pulls out his earbuds.
Before he can say anything, I blurt, “I got it! I got the job!”
His handsome face breaks into a gorgeous smile. He hops off the bike and pumps his fist. “Fuck, yeah!” he yells.
A couple of his teammates, who are working out in the training room, jolt at the noise, but Leo doesn’t even notice. Or care.
He high-fives me, then pulls me into a hug. I’m smiling so hard, my cheeks hurt. I breathe and get a whiff of his scent. He smells like rain, wood, spice, and sweat. I almost groan. He smells so manly.
Is this what all guys smell like when they sweat? I think back to my high school boyfriend. I don’t remember him smelling this good when he was sweaty.
He sets me down on my feet. “I knew you’d get it.”
I bite my lip, that tingly, happy feeling coursing through me at how sweet Leo is.
“I can finally quit my job at the strip club,” I say.
Something flickers in his gaze as he watches me. It looks like relief and something else. Something more intense. “I’m glad.”
“Paula and Evan said I can start on Monday.” I bite back a squeal. “I’ll be working twenty to thirty hours a week, so I can still work at the diner in the evenings and weekends. I’ll be able to save the money I need for my own place.”
“That’s awesome, Luce.” He grabs the hem of the gray T-shirt and wipes the sweat from his face.
My eyes go wide at the sight of his stomach. Those abs. Holy crap. He has an actual six-pack.
His torso is all hard lines and cut muscle. I swallow hard, and force myself to look away before he notices me gawking at him.
“We gotta celebrate,” he says. “Let me take you out.”
My insides go gooey at how thoughtful he is.
“I have to go to work at the diner tonight,” I say.
He grabs his water bottle from the floor next to the exercise bike and takes a drink. He wipes his mouth on the back of his forearm. I gasp softly when I see the thick veins along his skin. Whoa. That’s pretty hot.
How have I not noticed his forearms until now?
I push the thought out of my mind. I shouldn’t be thinking about how sexy his veins or forearms or muscles are. Especially not when he’s being so sweet.
“I have an idea.” His mouth tilts up in a half-smile that makes my tummy dip. “Let’s go.”
* * *
Twenty minutes later, Leo pulls into a parking garage in downtown Denver.
We hop out of his car and walk down the block. I follow behind Leo, who uses his big, broad body to cut through the crowded sidewalk.
“Where are we going?” I ask.
He looks down at me and smiles. “You’ll see.”
A few minutes later, we’re standing in front of The Cheesecake Factory. I gasp and grin at him. “Wait, seriously?”
“Yeah. Let’s get you some cheesecake to-go to celebrate your new job.”
Emotion surges up in my chest. My smile turns wobbly, and I fan my face with my hands to keep from crying.
Leo’s eyes widen in panic. “Crap, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you sad. I just remember you said that you loved Cheesecake Factory, and hadn’t been in a while, so I thought…”
I grab his hand. “No, I love it. These are happy tears.”
He lets out a breath and flashes a relieved smile. “Oh, good. It’s just that sometimes your sad tears and happy tears are hard to tell apart.”
I laugh. “Can we get cheesecake now?”
He grabs my hand and leads me inside. Nostalgia hits me the second I see the funky decor. I take in the big columns, French limestone floors, and cream-hued colors. It looks exactly the same as when I came here with my dad years ago.
We walk up to the cheesecake display, which is off to the side of the dining area.
“Pick any flavors you want,” Leo says.
“Flavors? I get more than one?”
“You can get all of the flavors if you want. We’re celebrating.”
I bite back a giddy smile and turn to the employee behind the counter. “Could I please get a slice of the Oreo cheesecake, a slice of the raspberry white chocolate cheesecake, and a slice of the tiramisu cheesecake?”
I catch Leo giving me a proud smile. He pays for our order, the worker packs it up, and we head out of the restaurant.
When we’re back in his car, he hands me the bag. “Eat up.”
I open the Oreo cheesecake slice. “You need to help me.”
“I’m not really into sweets.”
I raise my eyebrow at him. “It’s Oreo cookies. Everyone in the world likes Oreos.”
He grins. “Okay, fine. I’ll have a little. But you have the first bite.”
I moan at the rich, sweet flavor. “Oh wow.” The cheesecake is so silky and rich.
When I glance at Leo, his cheeks are a little red. “Good?” he asks.
I nod and hold up the plastic fork with a big hunk of the cheesecake. He eyes it for a second, like he’s debating with himself if he should indulge. He takes a bite.
He closes his eyes and moans. He leans his head back against the headrest of his seat. “Oh, fuck.”
My tummy flutters at the sound of his voice. It’s so low and rough…and kind of hot.
Is that what he sounds like in bed?
I instantly banish the thought. Why am I imagining the noises he makes in bed?
“That’s insanely good,” he mutters.
I hold up another forkful. “More?”
He sighs. “Yeah, one more.”
I feed him another bite, happy that he’s letting himself enjoy himself.
I take another bite, then offer him another. He accepts. Before I know it, we’ve finished the whole slice.
“So much for just one more bite,” he says, wiping his mouth with a napkin.
“It’s okay to let yourself indulge. You worked out on the exercise bike, remember?”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
“And even if you didn’t, it would still be okay. You deserve to eat something sweet. You don’t always have to deny yourself.”
Warmth flashes in his eyes. “Thanks, Luce.”
I smile at the nickname he’s given me. “Thank you for doing something so thoughtful for me.” I glance down at the empty container. “Oreo cheesecake was my dad’s favorite. He’d order it for dessert every time we came here.”
“Your dad had great taste. That was really damn good.”
A quiet moment stretches between us as we look at each other. Leo’s gaze falls to my mouth. He smiles.
“What?”
“You have whipped cream on your lip,” he says.
I wipe my mouth. “Did I get it?”
He shakes his head. I try again, but he just laughs.
“How about you help me instead of laughing at me?” I tease.
He reaches over and gently grips my chin with his massive hand. “Hold still.”
I shiver at the command in his tone. Hot.
He softly swipes his giant thumb along the edge of my bottom lip. He holds my gaze. Heat flickers in his eyes. My breath catches. I have the sudden urge to stick my tongue out and suck his thumb into my mouth…
“Got it,” he rasps.
I snap out of the trance. When he pulls his hand away, I hold back the whiny noise in my throat.
That was so hot. Unexpectedly hot. And I don’t want him to stop touching me…
I cut the thought off instantly. Nope. I can’t have a crush on Leo.
Yeah, he surprised me with the sweetest, most thoughtful gesture ever, but it’s not romantic. He’s just my friend. Nothing more.
“I should head back and get ready for work,” I say.
He clears his throat and blinks a few times. “Uh, yeah. Right.”
“You want more cheesecake?”
He shakes his head and starts his car. “No, I think I’ve hit my sugar quota for the week. The rest is for you.” He pulls out of the parking spot and drives back to the house.
The whole ride there, I try to ignore that giddy feeling as it intensifies inside of me. It feels a lot like a crush.
I shove away the thought and remind myself for the millionth time that he’s just a friend.
* * *
I finish cleaning the equipment in the training room, gather all the dirty towels, and take them to the laundry room.
I stop by Evan and Paula’s office. Evan’s working with one of the players from the team, so it’s just Paula sitting at her desk, going over some notes.
“Hey, Paula. It’s the end of my shift, so I just wanted to check in with you and see if there’s anything else you need me to do?”
She smiles. “No, you’re good. Great work, by the way. You really impressed us during your first week on the job.”
Pride blooms in my chest. Working as an assistant has been a blast. No day is the same.
Sometimes I’m assisting Evan and Paula as they treat the players and guide them through therapy exercises.
Sometimes I’m testing equipment and cleaning the massage tables.
I go to their meetings with the staff and coaches and take notes.
And I’ve been reading a lot of articles about training and massage methods, so I’m more knowledgeable about the job.
“If you want to watch tonight’s game, you’re welcome to,” Paula says.
“Really? That would be okay?”
“Yeah, of course. I think it would be helpful for you to see how the players warm up and move on the ice. You’ll get more familiar with the intensity of their training,” she says.
“Evan and I attend home games when our schedules allow it. We get tickets through the team, so you don’t have to pay.
Or you can always watch from the tunnel too, if you don’t feel like sitting in the stands. That’s where I’ll be tonight.”
“Yeah, sure, I’d love to.”
* * *
I’m standing in the tunnel when the team heads out onto the ice. When Leo spots me, he smiles.
“Hey. What are you doing here?”
“Paula said I can come watch home games if I want. She said it would be good on-the-job learning for me.”
His smile widens, and his eyes are bright. Like he’s so happy to see me.
I take in the sight of him in his black and blue uniform. He looks huge. He’s already more than a foot taller than me, but in his skates and pads and helmet, he towers over me.
Tingles swoop through my tummy. I like how much bigger he is than me. I bet he could haul me over his shoulder and not even break a sweat.
Travis, Nick, and Blake walk by and nod hi at me as they head onto the ice.
“You should probably go warm up,” I say to Leo.
“I’ll have to play extra hard since you’re here. Make it worth your while,” he says.
I chuckle and smack his shoulder. He walks off, still flashing that handsome half-smile.
When he hits the ice, I watch him stretch. He’s huge and muscular, but he’s also really flexible.
He lies down, chest on the ice, moving into a stretch that opens up his hips and pelvis. Then he moves his legs and hips. Almost like he’s gyrating. Or thrusting in bed. My eyes go wide.
That’s…unexpectedly hot.
A second later, he looks up and catches eyes with me. His mouth tilts up in a sexy grin, and he winks at me.
I can’t help the flustered smile that pulls at my mouth. I roll my eyes and look away, my face warm.
The teams get ready for puck drop. I watch as Leo’s expression turns focused as he heads to center ice. The second the game starts, he springs into action. Nick has the puck, so Leo is covering the players on the opposing team.
I watch in awe at how fast he is. He’s wearing all those pads, but he’s flying across the ice at lightning speed.
He manages to get possession of the puck from an opposing player and takes off across the ice toward the visiting team’s net. His stick movements are controlled but also quick. He moves like it’s an extension of his body, not a piece of equipment he’s trying to handle.
He gets close to the net, but then passes the puck to Blake, who shoots past the goalie’s glove, scoring a goal.
The buzzer sounds, and the home crowd cheers. I’m clapping too. That was an incredible assist from Leo.
I watch as he celebrates with his teammates on the ice. When they break apart, Leo glances over at me again. He flashes that sexy smile and blesses me with another wink.
That familiar dip in my tummy hits once more.
I definitely don’t have a crush on Leo. Nope. Not at all.