Page 32 of All This Time

I should feel bad for how blatantly my employees are harassing Fletcher, but I’m sure he’s used to this reaction from people. In fact, I’d bet money that he uses it as an opportunity to sleep with many of his female fans to feed his ever-growing ego.

Fletcher casts his gaze toward me, looking for help, before landing back on Glenn and perfecting that polite smile I’ve seen him use with sportscasters and the public—not that I’ve been watching him. “Uh, thanks, man. Always grateful for the support.”

I roll my eyes, growing more irritated with my employees—who are supposed to be my friends—by the minute. “Okay then. Yvonne, Claudia, Glenn,” I say while pointing to each of them and then over to our guest ofdishonor, “this is Lucif—I mean, Fletcher Adams. There, now everyone’s met. Claudia, is he with you first or Yvonne?”

Yvonne rubs her palms together. “I get him first.” It’s her turn to eye-fuck him, but Fletcher looks to me for guidance.

I shrug and fold my arms over my chest. “Looks like it’s your massage and then manicure, Fletch. Are you sure you thought this through?

The corner of his mouth rises ever so slightly as he reaches behind him and removes his shirt, knocking his hat to the floor in the process and shocking all of us.

“Good lord,” Glenn pants before fanning his face.

“Lucifer has muscles,” Claudia whispers as she tilts her head and stares at Fletcher’s torso.

“Oh, I can’t wait to rub you down,” Yvonne adds as her smile grows.

I can’t look away.

My eyes linger on every divot in his chest and abs, every line in his arms, the sprinkle of hair on his chest and just below his belly button, and that V of his hips, dipping just below the waistband of his shorts, leading to the motherland—a place I’ve visited a thousand times in my imagination.

As Uncle Jesse fromFull Housewould say,have mercy.

Fletcher has filled out in the most delicious way—such a contrast to the boy who used to lie next to me and talk for hours. His muscles have muscles.

I didn’t think men like this existed outside of Marvel movies.

“Laney,” Fletcher says, pulling me back to the present as I realize I have no idea how long I’ve been staring.

I blink myself back to reality. “What?”

I hear giggling behind me, but my eyes stay locked on Fletcher’s. “I said… I knowexactlywhat I’m doing here.” And with a wink, he follows Yvonne back to the massage room, leaving me standing there in a pile of my own drool.

Claudia clears her throat. “You might as well wave your white flag now, lie down, and spread your legs open because there is no way you’re going to make it three weeks without sleeping with him.”

Glenn hums. “Yup. I totally agree.”

My jaw drops. “I can’t believe you just said that to me.” Pushing my hair from my face, I take a deep breath. “You know what, I think the Lucifer jar needs to extend to any innuendo involving him as well.”

Glenn takes out a wad of dollar bills and hands them to me. “Then I’d like to pay in advance.”

***

My cell phone chimes in my pocket. I pull it out and groan. My glucose monitor’s app is notifying me that my blood sugar is low, so I need to eat something.

Sounds about right since the only thing I’ve had this morning was a protein bar, of which I only ate half because as soon as I realized Fletcher was coming in, I lost my appetite.

“You need to eat.”

Spinning around, I come face-to-face with the man of my nightmaresandfantasies, but at least he has a shirt on this time. “Um, I’m aware. Thank you.”

Fletcher grins. “Wow. That’s three thank-yous now.” I roll my eyes. “But I hope you still take those alerts seriously...”

“I’m alive, aren’t I?”

His brows draw together as he takes a step closer to me, pointing at my phone. “You have an app now, huh?”

His proximity is distracting, but I try to focus on the screen and not how good he smells. “Yeah, technology has come a long way in twelve years.”