Page 77 of Angel In Armani

“You know, if you really don’t want to play, that’s okay. We do other things, too. Like next weekend. There’s a big fund-raising ball for our youth program.”

“A ball? Tuxedos and gowns and dancing?” She knew that expensive charity events were a thing but somehow she didn’t associate them with baseball.

“Yes.” Maggie took another cookie. “It’s going to be great. I have a kick-ass dress. Maybe so kick-ass that I shouldn’t eat this.” She bit into the cookie, chewed, and swallowed. “Then again, life’s too short not to eat cookies. And I fully intend to ply Alex with alcohol after the official part and get him to relax for a night.” She grinned happily while she contemplated that prospect.

Sara felt a twinge of envy. That part sounded nice—the relaxing-with-a-hot guy part. She wasn’t sold on frocks and tuxedos and lots of attention. But she couldn’t help asking about Maggie and Alex. “So how did you and Alex get together anyway? I would’ve thought that you’d hate the guy who bought your team.”

Maggie laughed. “It wasn’t exactly love at first sight. But somehow chemistry has a way of sneaking up on you. Alex is…” She paused, looking suddenly lost in thought. Then she shook herself and smiled again. “He’s Alex and apparently that’s it for me. He’s a great guy. All three of them are. You know, if you want some more lessons in this—” She waved at the batting cage. “—I’ll get the guys to teach you. You can learn from the best.”

“Wouldn’t the best be the actual players?”

“Yeah, but they’re not here. Ollie might, if you asked him nicely next time you get to Vero Beach.”

“Not sure my kind of asking nicely is Ollie’s kind,” Sara said. She’d bantered with Ollie a few more times since their first meeting and was starting to figure out that there was a good guy beneath the swagger. Not her kind of guy, but not the big-man-on-campus superstar sex-god baseball player he played, either.

“Well, that leaves you with Alex, Mal, and Lucas,” Maggie said.

At her feet, Dougal suddenly clambered up and starting barking, the fur on his back bristling. Crap. Sara grabbed for his leash, looking around to see what had set him off. And saw Alex walking toward them with Lucas. Dougal must have spotted Lucas as well, because his barks eased back a little.

“Speak of the devil. Or two of them at least,” Maggie said.

“I thought we’d agreed I wasn’t the devil,” Alex said as the guys reached them.

His voice set off Dougal into a storm of barking and Sara jumped half a foot, making an embarrassing little squeaky noise before she regained her composure. Her pulse went into overdrive, pounding in her ears, and she had to suck in a deep breath or too to calm down.

Ever since she’d gotten home, she’d been a little too quick to leap at noises and startle at things that were perfectly innocuous. Combat stress, her therapist said, and taught her some techniques of managing the adrenaline spikes. She mostly had the reaction under control now but apparently not today.

She tightened her grip on Dougal’s leash. “Dougal. Quiet,” she said firmly, looking apologetically at Alex. Only an inch or two shorter than Lucas, who stood beside him, he wore his usual jeans and a white business shirt with the collar unbuttoned. He looked tan, even at this time of year, and the sunshine made his hair glint golden. Very green eyes were regarding her, looking unconcerned at Dougal’s lack of welcome. Unconcerned and kind of ridiculously handsome. She looked from him to Lucas—who stood a few feet behind him—and back again. “Sorry,” she said. “Dougal’s a little nervous around men.” At her feet, Dougal was growling softly, the rumbles interspersed with whines as he watched Alex and Lucas.

Sara kept her eyes on Alex.

She still hadn’t gotten quite used to the level of hotness of her bosses. Together, Alex and Lucas could have stepped out of a magazine spread. All-American god versus Italian suave god or something. All that was missing was Mal’s slightly more rugged, slightly scarier but no less hot war god.

Alex didn’t come any closer. “He’s doing his job. Hey, Dougal,” he said.

Dougal barked wildly.

Sara tightened her grip. “Friend,” she said firmly. Then to Alex, she said, “He’s harmless, truly. Definitely a case of his bark is worse than his bite.”

Behind Alex, Lucas was watching the exchange with his face carefully neutral. “Nice dog,” he said.

At the sound of his voice, Dougal sprang forward, hard enough to yank the leash free. He dodged around Alex and came to halt next to Lucas, pushing his head into Lucas’s hand and wriggling happily. It was perfectly obvious that he liked Lucas. That he knew Lucas.

Sara froze. Oh crap. Where was the black hole to swallow you up when you needed one?

“I thought you said he doesn’t like men,” Maggie said slowly.

“He doesn’t,” Sara said, trying to sound surprised.

“Animals like me,” Lucas said. He looked at Sara then away. Was he waiting for her to say something? She couldn’t think, feeling certain her face must be flaming and giving her away. He bent down and grabbed Dougal’s leash then steered him around Alex back to Sara’s side. He passed her the leash.

“Thank you,” she managed. Then, inspiration struck. “What are you two doing here? Did I get the time wrong for the helo?” There, a perfectly innocent way to change the conversation. Because she really didn’t want to have to explain to Maggie and Alex why her dog loved Lucas.

“I got done with my thing earlier than I thought. Then Lucas called and said he was done, too, so we came back together,” Alex said with an easy shrug. He walked over to Maggie, looped his arm around her shoulder. Which put him farther away from Dougal. “Did you miss me?” The grin he directed at Maggie was wicked.

“Maybe,” Maggie said, her answering grin so blatantly delighted in him that Sara once again felt a twinge of envy. “Depends whether you came to try and raid my cookie stash.”

“We had pizza for lunch,” Alex said. “No cookies required. Yet.” He nodded at Sara. “And what brings you and your dog to Deacon this fine day, Sara?” he said with a glint in his eyes that told Sara he was enjoying himself.

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