Page 27 of Forbidden Games

Roman and Gideon looked at her, identical expressions on their faces. Asking how she wanted to handle this. If Lucy so much as blinked, she had a feeling Gideon would sweep her out of there without hesitation—and Roman would block Jeff from following if he tried.

But that was what she was so very tired of—letting Jeff’s bullshit dictate how she handled any given situation.

Lucy lifted her chin, giving a slight nod. Gideon frowned, but he and Roman parted, taking up positions facing Jeff and only leaving a small sliver of a gap between them—standing sentry between her and her ex.

For all his pleased tone, Jeff’s blue eyes were cold. The redhead on his arm didn’t seem particularly happy, either, and Lucy spent a worthless few seconds wondering what he’d told her about this encounter. It didn’t matter.Jeffdidn’t matter.

Or at least, he shouldn’t.

She put all of her not inconsiderable willpower into appearing surprised. “Jeff. I had no idea you came here anymore.”

“Not often.” The look he shot the men in front of her was downright lethal.

Apparently his friendship with them hadn’t lasted any longer than hers had. Lucy had known that about Gideon, but it comforted her to think of Jeff feeling just as abandoned as she had, even on that small scale.

He didn’t jump in to say anything else, so she went with the first thing that popped into her mind. “You look well.”Meaningless chitchat.

“I am well. Better than ever, really.” His gaze jumped between her and Roman and Gideon. “You three look cozy.” There was no mistaking the undertone of the statement.Which one are you fucking?

Looking too much into this. Get hold of yourself.

Gideon surprised her by taking a step back and pressing his hand to the small of her back. “We were just leaving.”

At that, Jeff’s mask slipped. His brows dropped, the first indication of what had always turned into a huge fight—one she had no chance of winning. Jeff seemed to take in her dress for the first time, his gaze leisurely raking over her body, pausing at her breasts and her bruised-feeling lips. “You and Gideon, huh? You took a pretty high-and-mighty stance with me when you broke off our engagement, and now you’re fucking my best friend. Classy, Lucy, really classy.”

No matter how much she told herself that his opinion didn’t matter, it still felt like he’d sucker punched her. “It’s not like that.”

“It’s exactly like that.” Gideon spoke over her. He slipped his arm around her waist, pulling her against his side. “You fucked up and lost her. That’s not on anyone but you, so don’t start spouting that bullshit.” He looked down at her, his expression hard. “You ready to go?”

“Please.” She didn’t want to stand there any longer than strictly necessary. The fact she hadn’t sprinted for the exit was a win, as far as Lucy was concerned. Asking anything more of herself was out of the question.

Gideon nodded and glanced at Roman. “Next time.”

“For sure.”

He didn’t give her a chance to say anything further before he steered them out of the VIP section and through to the front door. But what else was there to say? Anything she could come up with on that short walk sounded defensive, as if they’d done something wrong.

Well, Iamsleeping with him.

But not dating him. Even if I was—it’s been two years.

Two incredibly long and lonely years.

Lucy couldn’t stop her shoulders from sagging the second they turned the corner away from the club. “That was terrible.”

“I’m sorry, Lucy.” His hand on her hip tensed, as if he wasn’t sure whether he should pull her closer or release her. “I didn’t know he’d show up. If I’d thought for a second it was a possibility, I wouldn’t have taken you there.”

“It’s fine.” It wasn’t, but she should be stronger than this. Being brought to her knees emotionally just from running into her ex was inexcusably weak.

It wasn’t evenJeffthat was the problem. It was the fact that with one look, one carefully worded sentence, he could trigger every insecurity she fought so hard to banish.Hewasn’t the issue.

Shewas.

“It’s not fine.” Gideon stepped to the curb and flagged down a cab. “Your place or mine?”

If she let him, he’d talk through this with her. Gideon might be gloriously rough around the edges with a temper that would do a Viking proud, but he never failed to be careful around her.

Except when she pushed him hard enough that he forgot he was supposed to handle her with kid gloves.

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