Get Lucky by Lorie O'Clare Page B

attention shifted to the box, which was now open, although she couldn’t see its contents. Although he held it in his hands, his attention was on her.
    He wasn’t in any hurry to see what was inside. Maybe it was something from his work and it had been sent to him. Possibly he received packages all the time and therefore wouldn’t be excited to find out what would show up in the mail. London willed her heart to quit beating. There wasn’t anything she could do about it if he didn’t want her to know what he did for a living. Marc was smart. She should be, too. They could get involved yet keep their distance. Nothing about their personal lives.
    Marc put the box on the desk and took her hands, bringing them to his mouth. “I told you I was dreaming about you, and I was. I really want to see you again and I was out so late last night because I drove by your house at least five times before forcing myself to come back here to my room. Then I couldn’t fall asleep because the hard-on I had wouldn’t go away. Masturbation loses its appeal when there is one hot, sexy lady nearby.”
    London laughed, enjoying the hell out of his honesty. It really sucked if he would go away and she wouldn’t ever see him again. Marc was nothing more than one huge teddy bear. Although he was far from soft and cuddly. He was hard as steel, with muscles bulging everywhere, and taller than most men. But it was what was inside, a heart of gold and pure as driven snow.
    “Sounds like a personal problem,” she said, still laughing. London bet anyone who knew this man saw him as nothing more than a really big sweetheart. His size and all that muscle might frighten some, but not anyone who took time to know him. “Why didn’t you stop by?” If he had, he would have caught her going through all of those pictures. Or maybe she would have put them away sooner and done something better with her evening than get all soft inside over her parents when she didn’t even know where they were.
    “You don’t mind if I stop by unannounced?”
    “I don’t mind.”
    Marc stood and pulled her into his arms, kissing her until she was sure she would melt right there. He would make returning to work pure torture. And that was exactly where she needed to go.
    “Aren’t you going to see what’s in the box?” she asked, curious if he wasn’t opening it because he didn’t want her to see what might be inside. “Could it be something from your work?” she pressed.
    “I seriously doubt that,” he said, letting her go and picking up the box.
    Marc opened the flaps and pulled out crinkled paper. A figurine slipped into his hand with the paper. “What’s this?” he asked, studying it.
    “It’s a figurine or doll of some sort.” London grabbed a wad of crinkled paper before it fell to the floor.
    Marc held up what was actually two figurines, attached to each other—a bride and groom. Except the bride was missing her head.
    “What the fuck?” Marc hissed, digging deeper into the small box and pulling out the rest of the packing. He put the box on the desk, stared at the damaged bride-and-groom as his scowl deepened. “Where did this come from?”
    Something unpleasant twisted inside London’s gut. It rose to her throat in a nasty bile. She stared at the wedding couple that were attached at the foot and hand. It was the type of figurine someone would put on top of a wedding cake, except the bride’s head was gone.
    “Are you sure you didn’t order something to be sent here? Do you know this company?” She reached for the box, trying to get her brain to work. There was a logical explanation here. Marc wouldn’t start getting bizarre things in the mail simply because she was.
    “I didn’t order anything,” he said, taking the box before she could see the return address. “Who delivered this?”
    “It came with all the mail today. Sometimes guests get mail and we sort through it and contact them, as I did with you.”
    “So the mailman