Page 55 of Fast Currents
I could feel Nick’s gaze like a spotlight, lingering where it had no business being. It made my skin crawl, but not with shame. I’d done nothing wrong.
Still, when Clay stepped between us, offering his jacket, part of me flinched. Was he trying to shield me…or cover me up?
Christopher had endless opinions about how I should dress. What I should wear. What was too revealing for public consumption. I shook myself. Clay wasn’t Christopher. He wasn’t looking at me like a problem to fix. Just a woman worth protecting.
I squared my shoulders and smiled. “I’m good, thanks.”
And for the first time in years, I meant it.
Chapter 23 Clay
Clenching my teeth so hard my jaw ached from my ears to my chin, I worked on consciously relaxing my shoulders. Lucy was brave tonight. Not just for helping pull this show together, but for letting herself be seen.
Fully seen.
The bare sweep of her back. The soft curve of her shoulders. The birthmark she used to hide.
And now she stood in front of a crowd, glowing. Calm. Confident.
It was just one more thing to love.
Elbowing Nick in the gut wouldn’t be the gentlemanly thing to do. But after he stared at Lucy’s breasts like he was considering taking up residency, it was hard to remember my manners. Especially when he’d utterly forgotten his. I’d expected more discretion from a man used to working undercover. Just my luck that the persona he’d chosen to adopt for the evening was horny by nature.
Sliding between them and offering my jacket wasn’t about jealousy. It was about giving her a shield if she wanted it.
When she reached for my hand instead, that simple touch was enough to unlock my jaw. If she was fine, I was fine.
I wasn’t the jealous type. But I also couldn’t stand creeps. And Nick seemed oblivious to the fact that Lucy and I were a couple. Asking her to marry me right now would be a dick move. Especially after I’d vowed to stop. But the urge rode me hard. And it didn’t take more than a microsecond of introspection to figure out why.
Because when I saw her standing tall, owning the room…I’d never wanted to be hers more.
What Jen and I had was gentle, the sort of love that matured out of first love.
Things with Lucy were different. We had sharp edges. Independent lives. Wounds we didn’t expect each other to fix. Loving her wasn’t easy. It wasn’t soft. It was exciting. Challenging. It was a choice I made every damn day.
And in moments like this, watching her shine, it felt like the most powerful kind of love there was.
Anya jumped into the fray, picking up the thread of the conversation. “So, Nick. Have you made any purchases tonight?”
“I’ve got my eye on a few things,” he said easily.
I tensed, but he kept his gaze neutral. If he’d darted down to Lucy’s cleavage again, I might have dropped any pretense of cool.
“A lot of the art has sold already,” he observed. “Have any of you made purchases?”
“Not yet,” Violet said with a smile. “But we just got here. Shall we circulate?”
Slowly, our group made a tour of the gallery, pausing in front of each arrangement. I should have been focused on the numberof “sold” tags supporting our volunteer program, but I could only be aware of Lucy at my side.
Was she clinging to me because she knew I was one titty-glance from decking our good DEA agent?
Chaz and his wife, Dr. Underwood, approached our group. They’d dressed for the occasion, choosing flamboyant Bride of Frankenstein and Frankenstein wigs with the requisite white streaks. Megan wore a flowing black satin dress that hugged her generous curves, while her husband sported a black suit coat and tie.
“Lucy and Clay, there you are. Can I introduce you around? There are a few patrons here who would like to meet you.”
Chaz whisked us away, keeping us busy with a steady stream of introductions. Lucy finished her wine, and I jumped on the excuse to escape.
“Thanks, Chaz. Lucy and I need refills. We’ll see you later?” Hastily, I tugged her back to the drink line. “What would you like?”
