Page 40 of Resist

“For who … you or boss lady?”

“For the both of us.”

Josh chuckled then let go of the bar. “You really got a thing for Helena?”

Lucas paused.

“Don’t stop,” Josh barked. “You got at least twenty more.”

“Mother fucker!”

“Be angry with the bar, not me.”

“I’m not angry with anyone,” Lucas groaned through gritted teeth.

The sound of his frustration jolted me straight back to the stairwell when he’d been desperate for release.“Come on. Yeah, that’s it, almost … there.”I closed my eyes and remembered his fisted, pumping hand.

“So, you got a thing for the boss lady, eh? If I weren’t with Cori, I’d definitely give her a crack.”

“Bugs, when it comes to women, you’re a jerk. Remind me never to introduce you to my sisters.”

“You got sisters?”

“No.”

Josh laughed and dropped to the floor to commence sit-ups with a giant, heavy-looking ball. “Doesn’t matter. Cori is the only one for me.”

“But how do you know that? How do you know it’s different with her?”

“You just do. Something inside you stops and holds you still. And it never starts up again, even when you’ve finally moved. It’s as she’s reached inside you and taken a piece that only she could take.”

Lucas didn’t say anything, he just kept lifting, albeit slower.

“And you always think about her,” Josh continued. “Always.Even when you’re pissed at her. Probably more so when you’re pissed at her. And she’ll make you pissed at her,a lot.”

“Helena doesn’t make me pissed at her,” Lucas mumbled.

“What?”

“Nothin’.”

“Come on, you done yet? You should’ve reached fifty by now.” Josh twisted to look back at Lucas and spotted me in the doorway. “Boss lady is here!”

Lucas twisted to look back as well and subsequently released his grip on the bar. “You got my message,” he said with a smile, his dimples casting an aura of innocence across his gorgeous face.

I ignored it. I ignored all the delicious yumminess that was happy Lucas drenched in sweat. I was too angry to let it win me over.

“How did you get my number?” I demanded, letting go of the door and allowing it to slam behind me.

His forehead scrunched. “You dozed off on the bus next to me and your phone nearly slid out of your hand, so I … I texted my phone with it before I put it in your handbag.”

“YOU HAD NO RIGHT TO DO THAT!” I yelled.

“I didn’t mean— hang on a minute, why are you so angry?”

“Because … because it’smyphone.Mynumber. I choose who has it and who doesn’t.”

Lucas raised his hands. “Sorrrry,” he grumbled like a child. “I’ll delete it if that’s what you want.” He turned his back to me and snatched up his towel.