Page 18 of Lucky Laces

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She flicks up her brows.

“Got it,” I manage to rasp out, even knowing it’s fucking hopeless.“I’ll go back to the beginning and get it down.”

That has her stilling, head tilting to the side, that strand of hair slipping free again.“Is there…” She pauses again, eyes on mine, as though searching, delving into the depths of my soul.

My stomach clenches.

“Do you have any concerns?”she asks quietly.

“Concerns?”

“Anything that’s impacting you?Getting in the way of you reviewing things?”

Fucking hell.

What is she getting at?

Suspecting?

Knowing?

“I’m good,” I say, gripping the arms of the chair so tightly I swear I hear the wood groan in protest.

Her gaze goes there, lingers, and I force myself to loosen my grip, to relax against the cushion.

Green eyes on mine, holding for a long moment.

Then she nods and pushes off the desk and hell if I don’t see—imagine?—a flicker of disappointment in her eyes.But it’s there and gone so quickly, I can’t be for certain.“Okay, well,” she says.“If that changes and you need anything—a new tablet, different resources, just let me know, yeah?”

“Yeah,” I say.“Thanks, Coach.”

“I’m here for you guys.”She wrinkles her nose and fuck if that isn’t the mostly adorable thing I’ve ever seen.“Which sounds cheesy, but I mean it.”

I want to kiss the ridges there, smooth them away.

Then kiss her somewhere else.

Kiss hereverywhere else.

Before I can do anything insane—like commence with that kissing—she moves to the door, pulling it open so I can see the hallway beyond.

“I’ll see you soon,” she says in that quiet, sure, melodic voice.

And…

I’m staring again.

Committing every freckle, every eyelash to memory.

Obsessed.

Christ, I’m losing it.

No.I’velostit, gone so far down the path of delusion I can’t see a way out.

All while my career might be falling apart.

Cool, Huddy.You’re doing awesome.

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