Page 13 of Lacey's Fight

Lacey sighed, a deep sound that seemed to emanate from her soul. “Yeah, it was.”

“I know how that goes.” When he reached out and placed a hand over hers, she didn’t bother to shrug it off.

The touch was nice.

It made her feel connected.

Sometimes, she felt just like she had today in the ocean. All alone in a vast empty world being buffeted from every angle, knocked down over and over again. No matter how hard you fought it felt like you were stuck in the same place not moving anywhere.

Was it really such a bad thing that she looked for moments of joy where she could find them? And if that way of finding them was by having sex, so what?

She wasn’t doing anything wrong.

“You had a bad day, too?” she asked.

Weariness filled the man’s green-blue eyes, and she knew exactly how he felt. Bone-deep exhaustion that clung to you like a bad smell you couldn’t get rid of.

Problem was, you were the bad smell so there was no escaping yourself.

“You could say that. It’s brightened up a little now though.”

At his smile, she couldn’t help but smile back. The guy seemed nice, and he was what she was usually attracted to. Big, strong, and muscled, she liked to feel protected by a lover. Oftentimes she went for military, SEALs, Delta, or Green Berets. It didn’t matter to her, they were just the kind of man she understood. When it wasn’t a military man, chances were she’d wind up with a cop or a firefighter. It was like she had an internal radar for that protector persona.

“You’re a sweet talker, aren’t you?” she teased. “Cop?”

Surprise flitted across his expression. “How’d you know?”

“Lucky guess.”

“Guess we were both lucky tonight then because mine certainly changed when I saw you.”

“You keep saying that and we will both be getting lucky tonight,” she said with a laugh.

The man laughed along with her. “I’m Trent.”

“Lacey.”

“What do you do, Lacey?”

While her job wasn’t a secret, and since the guy was in law enforcement he likely knew all about Prey, she didn’t want to think about work right now. “On a good day I try to stay sane,” she admitted, telling a one-night stand more than she probably should.

“Job the cause of the bad day?”

“Yep. Yours wasn’t?”

“Got dumped. My fiancée was cheating on me with three other guys apparently. None of us knew about the others. Turns out she’s decided to try being single.”

“Ouch.” Lacey winced in sympathy.

“Thought I’d come here, find something to do to take my mind off her.”

“Something or someone?” she asked. Wouldn’t be the first time she’d been used as a distraction. Hell, sex for her was the distraction, her coping mechanism of choice, so she could hardly be angry about it.

“Well, I didn’t expect to meet someone as stunning as you.” He gave her an appreciative once over, and she knew she looked good in the simple pale pink halter-neck dress she’d chosen. It highlighted her slim curves without giving too much away. “So do you want to take this somewhere a little more private?”

“I’d love to.”

Trent held out his hand, and she reached out and took it, but the second his fingers closed around hers an image of Ben filled her mind.

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