But Autumn ignored her, talking quickly to Jayden.
River looked over at her and smiled. “It’s okay to have help every once in a while, Miss Do-it-All.”
Lucy scoffed. “Hush, you.”
He wrapped his arm around her, squeezing her into his chest. “Damn headstrong, just like my daughter.”
“That’s why I like her,” Lucy said with a wink.
And that was a good thing because it looked like she’d be staying with her sister-in-law until her apartment was fixed. Leave it to her mom to solve everything in seconds. Plus, Jayden didn’t mind. He urged her to come, even when Lucy said she’d get a hotel. She really didn’t want to and she’d rather stay at Jayden’s, but she didn’t want to impose on anyone.
“You can’t impose on family, Lucy. Get your ass in the car and come on. We have plenty of room,” Jayden demanded.
And so they did. Of course, after her mom and River fussed over them, demanding to know updates as soon as she had them. She felt a little better, but not much. It was all such a clusterfuck. Once in the car on her way to Jayden and Baylor’s, Angie was in the backseat, singing, oblivious to her mother’s troubles while Lucy was having a mild panic attack. When her phone rang, she closed her eyes, praying it wasn’t Rick or anyone else who was going to make this day an even more complete hell. Reaching for it, she saw it was Rayne.
“Hey, you never texted me yesterday about the Paxton job. Are you doing it?”
Lucy swallowed hard, feeling a flutter deep in her gut. “Not sure. Still in the works.”
She had no clue what was going on with that. Couldn’t exactly tell her assistant that she slept with him and things were up in the air. Didn’t seem very professional. After telling her about the shop and to postpone the interviews with the designers who were coming in that week, she said she’d get back to her about Benji’s account.
“Okay, do you have specs? Pictures, so I can get started on that?” Rayne asked and Lucy nodded.
“I’m driving to my brother’s right now. We are staying with him until things are figured out. Let me get settled and get my laptop to upload the pictures from the downstairs—”
But she paused.
Her laptop and camera were in her bag.
In Benji’s house.
Fuck.
Leaning against the counter, Benji crossed his arms over his chest. Before him sat one black pump, one naughty lace thong, and a bag full of designing stuff, all spread out on the island in his kitchen.
All belonging to his magician, also known as Lucy.
That girl and her disappearing act were impressive. Problem was she left a lot behind. Now he had to figure out how to get it back to her. He tried her business line, but they were closed on Sundays. He searched her bag for her cell phone number, nothing. He could drive to the shop since he knew she lived above it, but he didn’t want to just show up. That was rude. So there was only one thing he could do, but he was stalling.
Because calling your linemate for his sister’s number so that you could get her stuff back to her after a night of endless pleasure seemed a little tacky. Then again, maybe it didn’t, but he still felt a little strange about it. He knew Jayden would ask questions and he wouldn’t lie, but he also couldn’t disrespect Lucy like that. So he was kind of stuck.
And looking at her things wasn’t making it any better.
Man, why did she have to leave?
He’d had so many plans. He had wanted to wake up in the middle of the night and take her to oblivion at least ten more times. He wanted to make her breakfast; he wanted to plan to get together today. Maybe a movie or something, hockey with Angie, anything. He just wanted to see her before he left later that night. It pained him to know he wouldn’t see her for the next five days, especially since he didn’t get to do anything with her he’d wanted to.
Because she ran.
He should have known she would. That girl didn’t ever do anything for herself, and of course, she would freak out about it. After last night, the way it felt… Man, it was like bombs going off all around them. He knew it would be—she was the sexiest thing he had seen in a long time, but he hadn’t expected for it to feel so damn perfect.
As if he was only made to make love to her. That was a scary and fucking guilty-ass feeling. What about Ava? She was his soul mate, right? But then he slept with Lucy and it was just different. He couldn’t explain it, but it was easy to say he felt like shit for it. He felt like he was betraying Ava. But was he? It had been twelve years. He had to move on. Didn’t he?
Closing his eyes, he shook his head. He needed to return Lucy’s things and then take a step back. No one feels shit like that after only one time, and he sure as hell didn’t deserve to feel these emotions. But the thought of not having Lucy made him physically hurt inside. He was so tired of moving through life and not being happy. For so long, he had mourned Ava and Leary—and he would always love them, he would—but wouldn’t they want him to be happy?