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“Hey, what’s up?” I can see him staring at me, and I wonder what he’s thinking.

“Girl, we were texting you, and you stopped responding. I was worried about you.”

“You know I’m at Brett’s.”

“I know, but I wasn’t sure if you did something stupid.” Her voice drops.

“What do you mean by that?”

“I don’t know, like rip your clothes off and try and seduce him.”

“Lucia,” I say, laughing loudly. I can see Brett giving me a look. “Do you mind if I take this in your bedroom?” I ask quickly, and he shakes his head. “One second, Lucia.” I head toward Brett’s bedroom and close the door. I go and sit on the bed and lie back. “Girl, I’m not crazy. I’m not going to try and seduce him. He’s not interested in me like that.”

“It’s not personal to you,” Lucia says. “He’s not interested in women like that, I don’t think.”

“Why not though? He’s so cute. I don’t understand.”

“I know when he was in the military, something happened to his best friend, and I’m not exactly sure what. He seems to be one of those guys who has issues. You know the type, carrying all sorts of inner demons.”

“What do you mean? What issues does he have?”

“I don’t know, but Dalton told me that his family was rich, and when he grew up, he had everything handed to him, but something happened with him and his family that made him enlist at eighteen. And he advanced to become a SEAL, but then something happened to his best friend, and he left the military. I don’t know the full story, but what I do know is that he’s always cold and moody, and he does not do relationships.”

“Do you think he’s a virgin?” I ask, and she bursts out laughing.

“Girl, trust me when I say, Brett Selleck is not a virgin. That man has sex.” She lowers her voice. “I’ve heard that he has moooves that will make your toes curl.”

“Oh?” I ask her in surprise. “How do you know that?”

“There was a crazy girl called Simone who was practically stalking him, and I asked Dalton about it, and he said that she and Brett had a one-night stand, and basically, she was hooked after one night.”

I ignore the stirrings of jealousy in my stomach. “Oh, so he does hook up with randoms?”

“Yeah, he is a typical man with needs, but he’s not looking for anything other than that.”

“I’m not looking for anything more than that from him anyway.”

“If you say so, girl.” Lucia sighs. “Are you going to try and hook up with him?”

“Not at all,” I lie and banish the indecent thoughts from my mind. “Anyway, I’m going to go now. He’s making me breakfast.”

“Brett Selleck is making you breakfast?” She sounds shocked. “I guess pigs do fly.”

“Is that a big deal?”

“The fact that you’re even at his place right now is a huge deal … just don’t let it go to your head.”

“I won’t.” I hang up the phone and sit there on the bed thoughtfully.

I wonder what he’d do if I did step it up and tried for one night with him.

I head out of the bedroom and toward the kitchen. “Need any help?” I ask as he looks up.

“No, I’m good. Thank you though.” He’s back to being perfunctory.

“Lucia was checking to make sure I was okay and not in bed with you. She was hoping we weren’t fucking each other’s brains out.”

“I’m glad she’s a good friend to you,” he says smoothly, like I didn’t say anything untoward. Like my words weren’t making his head spin.