Page 19 of Just a Little White Lie

I can’t help laughing as I watch Lauren screech away from the house. She’s no doubt running late, but at least she’s speeding off to work. I have to assume that’s where she’s going, anyway.

I grin, relieved that my little overstep has been taken so well. I got home really late last night, so I couldn’t thank her for the note she left under my door.

It made me smile, and I will admit this to no one, ever, but I tucked it into the top drawer of my nightstand and have zero intention of throwing it away.

Swiping a hand across my forehead, I catch the sweat before it drips into my eyes and throw my stinky shirt over my shoulder. It was a good run this morning. Man, I needed it.

Ever since carrying Lauren to bed, I’ve had this energy coursing through me. It’s hard to know what to do with it. I thought a day in Hamilton playing golf and then a night barhopping with my buddies would help. I flirted with a few pretty ladies and struck up several conversations that didn’t really capture me before making sure I got my intoxicated friends home in one piece. The late-night drive back to Cambridge was calming, and I stood in the driveway staring at the stars for a moment before stepping into the house.

But the second I walked past Lauren’s door, the buzz came back. A vibe I really shouldn’t play with. The note shredded me a little more, and now I’ve just watched her sassy little butt, wrapped in that hot little dress, strut right past me. She has no idea of her power, and I should be cloaking myself in protective armor right now.

She’s Luke’s little sister!

Striding into the house with a huff, I find my mate sitting at the table, his eyebrows dipped in concentration.

“Working from home today?” I ask the obvious, then bury my head in the fridge, looking for ice-cold water.

“Yeah. Wanted Lauren to have my car so she could get to work.”

“Cool.” I swallow down the cold liquid, trying not to picture the way that dress curved around her hips or the shape of her calf muscles. Those heels sure make her legs look good.

“She got a gig at Haven Academy today.”

“Good for her.” I dip my head to hide the grin spreading across my face. That was the first school I emailed on Saturday night.

“Yeah, maybe there is hope for that wayward girl.”

“Woman,” I correct. I don’t even know why, but the word just popped right out of me.

“Huh?” Luke’s chin lifts, his gaze sharp.

“Woman.” I say it again because I’m obviously an idiot. And then I just keep on talking. “She’s a woman now, man. You can’t treat her like a little kid.”

“I won’t. As soon as she stops acting like a little kid.”

My eyebrows dip into a frown, but I’m not about to start up an argument with the guy. He’ll see right through me if I go on about how much she’s grown up and the fact that she’s not the teenager I used to know.

She was only twelve the first time I met her and—

I shake my head, cutting off the thought.

“You working today?” Luke asks.

“Yeah.” I wipe my face again and look at the time. “Just got a short midday shift to fill in for Rachael. She’s got some appointment in Hamilton for her kid.”

“Cool.” Luke nods, focusing back on his computer. “Well, I’ll be here most of the day, and I hate to say this, but I kind of have to take over the dining room. And if you are planning on watching any TV, I won’t be able to concentrate, so…” He glances up, and I nod.

“No worries. I’ll stay out of your hair.”

“Thanks, man.” He smiles, obviously relieved that I’m always so accommodating.

But I kind of have to be.

This is Luke’s house, and he did me a huge favor by taking me in last year. I hadn’t planned on coming back from Australia the way I did. I needed a decent place to lie low and hide out. Auckland was too crowded. I know too many people up there. In Cambridge, hardly anyone recognizes me, and that’s freaking perfect.

The fewer people who don’t know my face the better.

Humiliation burns as I slip out of the kitchen and take off to have a shower.

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