Page 50 of A Break in Communications

Which was now all I could think of when I saw that tree in my living room. Because that wasn’t mortifying or anything. Going about getting ready, making breakfast in the morning, and getting turned on seeing a Christmas tree dressed up with lights and a ribbon, tinsel on the walls. Who the hell got turned on by tinsel?

Wasn’t really about the tinsel, was more about how Lucy had come back with me last night tohelp set up the tree,make sure you get your decorations up,and—well, she did. Brought more snickerdoodles and made warm drinks and talked about gossip in my family and in the office while we put up the tree, hung up the decorations. And then just like I’d committed to not letting her, I let her sit with me on the couch, close to my side, and just like I’d committed to not feeling, I felt heat blossomingthrough me as she laid a hand gently on my thigh—not moving, just settling there, softly claiming me.

And just like I’d committed to not doing, I took off my clothes and let her fuck me.

Or, worse—I didn’t let her fuck me, I let her make love to me. We took our time, relaxed into it, slow movements exploring each other’s bodies, not the breathless heat of the night before but soft, gentle play. Lucy figuring out every little thing of what I liked. Pillow talk in between… not rushing anything. Not a wild tumble of a dozen orgasms one after the other like in the books, but kind of… better? Like doing it solo, just with the added dimension of another person there, both of us dedicated to making the other one feel good.

I’d at least managed to pull my senses together enough to make sure she went home after and didn’t sleep at my place. And I only fell asleep regretting it a little bit, lying there in bed feeling how empty it was there and resolutelynot caringthat it was empty.

So of course I woke up in the morning and saw the damn tree and it set me back at zero. As luck would have it.

The way we’d gone at it last night… the very fact that we’d kept going at it at all. I was getting in too deep, too fast. I’d been right when I’d said I couldn’t keep having sex with her, and not just because it wouldn’t be fair to her, but because I was—well—susceptible.

I didn’twantto date Lucy Masters. I didn’t want to develop real feelings for her. And if I kept having sex like we had last night, then I’d fall for her on the basis of nothing other than that she was amazing in bed, and that would end up ugly for us both.

Still, when I made eggs in the morning, all I could think was that they weren’t as good as when Lucy made them. Guess it made sense… you’d learn how to make something precisely right for someone you were in love with as much as Lucy Masters wasobviouslyin love with me and I’d somehow missed it for a year and a half.

That poor woman. And there weren’t a lot of things that could make me thinkpoor Lucy Masters.

The drive to the office was miserable today, the roads all icy slush and the rest of the cars on the road crawling as slow as I was through the wintry muck, so I only made it a few minutes early, but I wasn’t the only one held up more than usual—no sign of Lucy when I got into the office. I asked Gloria, stopping at reception seeing Lucy’s desk empty, and she beamed, looking up at me through sleep-heavy eyes.

“Aw. You’re such a cute couple, worrying about each other so much.”

“Uh… uh-huh.” Why was I worrying, anyway? Worried she was breaking into my apartment while I was at the office, maybe. “Just wondering if she came in already and left or something.”

Sean’s voice spoke from behind me, coming in from the elevators and past me. “Good morning, Anna. Lucy just texted a bit ago to let me know she’ll be coming in late. Apparently she slept in late. Didn’t know she was capable of it.”

Oh—uh. That was my fault. I sent her home at one in the morning. Maybe I should have let her stay at my place.

No I should not have. It was only a bonus if it was keeping Lucy out of the office and sabotaging her. What the hell had gotten into me?

“I can let you know when she gets in,” Gloria said, and I shot her a look.

“Gloria, I can see the doors from my desk. I’ll be okay missing the one second you see her first.”

But there was somebody else who made it in before Lucy, and of course, that someone made a beeline for my desk, where I was immediately at work sorting through the communications backlog from the weekend. Kelcey stood on the other side of mydesk, hands clasped at her waist, beaming, for ages waiting for me to acknowledge her, and I was perfectly content to pretend she wasn’t there, at least until she started tapping on the desk for my attention. Rhythmic, steady, slowly increasing in volume. It was about a solid minute of her tapping before I finally snapped, swatting her hand away from the desk and looking up at her.

“Christ, Kelcey, use your words like a civilized adult if you want something.”

She glowed. “Good morning, Anna.”

I scowled. “What do you want?”

“Did you and Lucy have a good weekend?”

She’dhad a good weekend, judging by the… pep in her step. Lucy had broken the bad news that Veronica had gotten her hands on Kelcey’s number and was going gold-digger on the woman, and I almost felt sorry for Kelcey.Almostbeing the keyword.

“Tell me what you want or I’m going back to work now,” I said, and she scratched the back of her head.

“The invoice is in for the lights for the holiday party and it says six hundred instead of the adjusted number. What should I do?”

Ah, dammit. I looked away. “I’ll, uh… I’ll handle it. Please forget about the lights and go to do your regular work.”

“Bleh.” She swayed, clearly still wanting to say something. I didn’t want to hear it. She’d dressed up a little more than usual, with a swishy little short skirt that was probably not one hundred percent business casual, and a bow clipped into her hair that was definitely outside regular office attire but not exactly something we could pull her up on.

Finally, I gave up, pushing my chair away from the desk, turning and shooting her a look. “Kelcey, I’m going to tell you right now that my sister doesn’t date women.”

The point sailed over her head, because she beamed and covered up a giggle that, if it weren’t Kelcey, would make me think she was drunk. “Actually, we kind of went on a date last night…”

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