Page 35 of Always Be Mine

Kat had filled him in on how they’d come over to say hi to Lucy on her first day. It seemed that she’d left out a few details of their visit.

Craig clenched his teeth as a surge of caveman jealousy washed through him at the thought of Lucy pressed up against Asher’s chest in any way. His brother needed to keep his distance when it came to Lucy. He didn’t want Asher and his playboy ways anywhere near her.

“Yes. Of course.” Craig stepped to the side and let her pass when what he really wanted to do was reach for her and pull her up against his naked chest to kiss that sexy smile. The thought shot into his brain so quickly that it rendered him immobile. Still dressed only in a towel, trying to make sense of where these unfamiliar thoughts were coming from and what the hell he was going to do about them, it took him a few minutes to pull himself together long enough to retreat to his bedroom and get dressed.

Somehow Lucy managed to make it to the safety of the kitchen before she leaned up against the fridge and took a deep breath.

He’d been practically naked. His towel slipped. There were water droplets in his hair.

Deep breath, Lucy.She forced herself to take a breath and then another one.

He’s your boss. Your boss. He’s not a man. He’s your boss.

Boss.

Yes. She forced herself to fixate on that word.

It didn’t matter how she was feeling inside after their close encounter in the hall. And the fact that he smelled like peppermint with just a trace of something sweet, almost like cotton candy, didn’t matter. Not at all. That was a detail that had no bearing on her relationship with herboss.

“Pull yourself together, Lucy,” she muttered under her breath and forced her mind into safer territory, like breakfast and putting together Meri’s school snack.

She’d managed to slow her heart rate and put the image of Craig’s bare chest out of her head—mostly—by the time Meri raced into the kitchen. “Ready for breakfast, kiddo?”

Lucy slid the bowl of granola in front of her, and Meri dug in while Lucy made herself a cup of the tea Craig had stocked for her. She poured Craig a coffee and added sugar to each of their cups moments before he joined them in the kitchen.

“You’re amazing.” He accepted the coffee gratefully.

“It’s just coffee.” She smiled but avoided his gaze.

“No. I don’t just mean the coffee.” Craig used his head to motion toward Meri. “I mean with her. How did you do that earlier?”

“Do what?”

“Get her to wake up like that? I swear, when I do it, my normally sweet little princess becomes some sort of demon-possessed. But with you, she was…”

“Lovely?” Lucy laughed when he nodded his agreement. “I could say I got lucky, but I think it’s all in the approach. Some people don’t like to be jarred awake, but like to wake up gently. I’ve noticed that when you do it, you go in full steam, flipping lights on and pulling covers back.” She shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal. “I went with the opposite approach.”

“Well, it worked.” He shook his head approvingly. “Admittedly, mornings aren’t my favorite. It doesn’t help that I’ve never been a morning person either.”

“Well, I’m happy to help.” She reached past him for a napkin, but he grabbed her hand and held it for a moment. Lucy sucked in a breath and willed herself not to react despite the fact that her heart was still racing from their close encounter in the hallway and now, with his hand on hers, it felt like it might burst straight out of her chest.

What was happening to her?

Slowly, Lucy turned to look him in the eye.

“Thank you.” His voice was soft, his gaze intense. “It’s really amazing how Meri has responded to you.”

“No problem.” She swallowed hard. “I’m just doing my job.”

Job. Boss.

He. Is. Your. Boss.

He was still touching her, and the contact wasn’t helping her get the image of his hard, naked chest out of her brain.How did he get so friggin’ ripped?

Lucy took a step back and wrapped her free hand around her tea mug to keep it from shaking.

Maybe Mandi was right, and she should entertain the idea of a littlerelease?It might settle her down a little.

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