“Well, I won’t. So, let’s clean up, see what kind of pasta sauce Lu has, and then go buy ice cream. Then, we’ll eat and watch Moana. Sound like a plan?”
“The best!”
Chapter Nine
Ninth encounter
Lucas’ gaze slid down Anna’s bare back. She was on her stomach, her hands clasped beneath her head, sound asleep. He had only been gone for thirty seconds to get a glass of water! How could she possibly be asleep?
Chuckling softly, he shook his head and traced the contours of her body one last time before kneeling on the mattress and gently kissing her neck. Then, he dressed and left.
Shortly after nine, Lucas finally pulled into his driveway. It was dark, and he was annoyed that he hadn’t been able to put Mel to bed again. Even though she would still be awake, it was the first attempt that really mattered.
Coach Gray had gone over just about every play they’d messed up in the last two years before sending most of the team home. Poor Fox, however, was still thereperforming his captain’s duties.
His phone vibrated with the third text from Hazel:
Who’s Anna? Why aren’t you answering me?
She’s nobody
he texted back impatiently, wearily running a hand over his face before unlocking the front door. The sounds of the TV wafted toward him. He took off his shoes, his back muscles automatically tensing. Anna was here. In his house.
He’d never had one of his…women here. Hazel was here often, but then he’d never slept with his agent, or even wanted to sleep with her.
Knowing that Anna was sitting on his couch was disconcerting. It put his whole body on alert, which was bad because he tended to act like a shit when he was uncomfortable. He’d actually planned to be nice to Anna. In a non-physical way. He had no problem with her, and they both knew that.
God, she’d saved his ass today. He owed her a thank you. A favor. An apology.
He walked down the hall, peeked into the kitchen, which was a mess of pasta – and green pesto? – opened the living room door…and froze.
Melody was asleep. And she wasn’t the only one. They were both lying on the couch, a blanket wrapped around their legs. Anna had her head on the armrest and her arm around Melody, who was slumbering on her shoulder. A loud song came from the TV – some Disney movie was playing – apparently not disturbing the two of them at all. His heart twisted strangely as his gaze flickered over them. It contracted and expanded at the same time, alternating warm and cold. It was as if it were going through a car wash.
They looked peaceful. Both of them. They were perfectly content to wake up tomorrow with a stiff neck.
And yet Melneverfell asleep knowing he was due back later. Not for months, she hadn’t. Nevertheless, there she was, asleep, her mouth slightly open, drooling on Anna’s t-shirt. What had Anna done to make her so exhausted?
Shaking his head, he stepped closer to the couch and carefully pulled the blanket off Melody’s body before lifting her into his arms. He carried her through the hallway and up the stairs, careful not to make any sudden movements… yet he still woke her.
“Lu?” she whispered, wrapping her slender arms around his neck.
“Yeah, I’m back,” he murmured, kissing her gently on the cheek.
She nodded. “I had a lot of fun.”
A smile tugged at his mouth as he pushed open her bedroom door with his foot. “I’m glad. What did you do?”
“I fixed Anna,” she explained, her voice quiet and sleepy. “She kept breaking her ankle. I put a bandage on her. She helped me. I’m going to be a super, super doctor.”
“Very good,” he murmured, putting her into bed. She was already in her pajamas.
“Yes. Anna is super smart. She’s fixed a lot of people. And she taught me how to tell if my appendix is bad.”
He chuckled, knelt beside her, and covered her. “You’ll have to show me that tomorrow.”
“Okay.” Her eyes fluttered closed again, but apparently, she couldn’t stop talking. She and Anna were similar in that area. “Did you know we have a bone in our ears that’s super small and called an iron?”
She meant the stirrup, but he couldn’t bring himself to correct her. “That’s amazing.”
