her arms, and threw it at him.
Theo caught the ball and stared at her. She was glistening and her hair was a mess and her breasts heaved from exertion and her lips were red and her eyes wild-and he suddenly needed to kiss her mouth hard, rip off her pink sweatpants, and throw her down on the dewy grass before the
WakeUp Miami camera
crew got there.
Theo felt himself go numb.
Lucy blew the hair out of her face. “What is
wrong
with you?” she spit out. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
Theo threw the ball down. “I happen to be flipping out a bit myself today.”
Lucy let out a loud snort of a laugh. “Oh, really? And what could possibly be bothering
you
! Did they discontinue your favorite brand of hair gel or something?”
Theo stared at her, letting her comment sink in. “You don’t think very much of me, do you?”
She sighed. “You didn’t deserve that.”
“Damn right, Cunningham.”
“Do you want to talk about it?” She bit her lip. “Is everything OK with your brother? Your cat?”
Theo shook his head slowly, wondering once again if a hundred grand was worth the loss of his sanity. She insulted him. He lusted after her. There was something very wrong with that picture. “My brother and cat are excellent. My hair is excellent, too.”
“Yeah. OK.” Lucy moved a little closer to him, trying to gauge his expression. “I’m sorry, Theo. I can get real ugly with self-pity sometimes. But I’m a good listener. Let me make it up to you.”
She reached for his hand, and the soft touch of her fingers sent a bolt of awareness through him. This was nuts. It was almost like Lucy’s outburst had opened something in him that he was now unable to close. Theo suddenly ached with desire for that fiery, passionate, angry woman he’d just seen revealed in all her glory.
He looked down at their joined hands. “You said no touching.”
Her gray eyes searched his face. “I take it back.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah. Now tell me-why are you having a bad day?”
Theo opened his fingers and entwined them with Lucy’s. “My ex stopped by to tell me she’s engaged,” Theo said. “She’s marrying the middle-aged dude she dumped me for seven months ago. It took me off guard, I guess.”
Lucy took a step back.
Someone actually dumped Theo Redmond
? “What a complete idiot!”
Theo shrugged. “He’s a jerk, but an extremely smart one, as it turns out.”
“No, I meant your ex-girlfriend! She’s obviously not the brightest crayon in the box if she left you for someone else.”
Theo shot her a smile so full of mischief that it stunned Lucy. She was suddenly burning up, and she knew it wasn’t because she’d just run a mile for the first time in a decade. It was because Theo’s smile acted like gasoline thrown on that secret little flame inside her, the one he’d ignited the day she met him.
He grabbed her other hand in his.
She had to be imagining this. Theo was holding both her hands in his, and it had nothing to do with adjusting her grip on a fitness machine. All she could think was,
Don’t blow it, Cunningham
!
“I thought Gia Altamonte was your girlfriend at first. Did I ever tell you that?”
Oh great
-
bring up the most gorgeous woman on the planet while he’s holding your hands
.
“Gia?” Theo’s eyebrows shot high on his forehead. “She’s not exactly my type.”
“Of course. Homely creature that she is.”
Theo laughed a little and noticed how the exercise ball had come to a stop near Lucy’s feet. He gave it a tap with his toe until it was directly behind her.
“Gia is a live wire, Lucy. She has the attention span of a gerbil. She’s great, but I prefer my women a little more predictable. Besides, I don’t date clients.”
“Why not?” He gave her a gentle nudge and Lucy found herself lowering her bottom onto the huge ball, Theo still holding her hands.
“Palm Club policy.”
“Of course.” Lucy bounced a few times, getting the feel of the weight of
Theo caught the ball and stared at her. She was glistening and her hair was a mess and her breasts heaved from exertion and her lips were red and her eyes wild-and he suddenly needed to kiss her mouth hard, rip off her pink sweatpants, and throw her down on the dewy grass before the
WakeUp Miami camera
crew got there.
Theo felt himself go numb.
Lucy blew the hair out of her face. “What is
wrong
with you?” she spit out. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
Theo threw the ball down. “I happen to be flipping out a bit myself today.”
Lucy let out a loud snort of a laugh. “Oh, really? And what could possibly be bothering
you
! Did they discontinue your favorite brand of hair gel or something?”
Theo stared at her, letting her comment sink in. “You don’t think very much of me, do you?”
She sighed. “You didn’t deserve that.”
“Damn right, Cunningham.”
“Do you want to talk about it?” She bit her lip. “Is everything OK with your brother? Your cat?”
Theo shook his head slowly, wondering once again if a hundred grand was worth the loss of his sanity. She insulted him. He lusted after her. There was something very wrong with that picture. “My brother and cat are excellent. My hair is excellent, too.”
“Yeah. OK.” Lucy moved a little closer to him, trying to gauge his expression. “I’m sorry, Theo. I can get real ugly with self-pity sometimes. But I’m a good listener. Let me make it up to you.”
She reached for his hand, and the soft touch of her fingers sent a bolt of awareness through him. This was nuts. It was almost like Lucy’s outburst had opened something in him that he was now unable to close. Theo suddenly ached with desire for that fiery, passionate, angry woman he’d just seen revealed in all her glory.
He looked down at their joined hands. “You said no touching.”
Her gray eyes searched his face. “I take it back.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah. Now tell me-why are you having a bad day?”
Theo opened his fingers and entwined them with Lucy’s. “My ex stopped by to tell me she’s engaged,” Theo said. “She’s marrying the middle-aged dude she dumped me for seven months ago. It took me off guard, I guess.”
Lucy took a step back.
Someone actually dumped Theo Redmond
? “What a complete idiot!”
Theo shrugged. “He’s a jerk, but an extremely smart one, as it turns out.”
“No, I meant your ex-girlfriend! She’s obviously not the brightest crayon in the box if she left you for someone else.”
Theo shot her a smile so full of mischief that it stunned Lucy. She was suddenly burning up, and she knew it wasn’t because she’d just run a mile for the first time in a decade. It was because Theo’s smile acted like gasoline thrown on that secret little flame inside her, the one he’d ignited the day she met him.
He grabbed her other hand in his.
She had to be imagining this. Theo was holding both her hands in his, and it had nothing to do with adjusting her grip on a fitness machine. All she could think was,
Don’t blow it, Cunningham
!
“I thought Gia Altamonte was your girlfriend at first. Did I ever tell you that?”
Oh great
-
bring up the most gorgeous woman on the planet while he’s holding your hands
.
“Gia?” Theo’s eyebrows shot high on his forehead. “She’s not exactly my type.”
“Of course. Homely creature that she is.”
Theo laughed a little and noticed how the exercise ball had come to a stop near Lucy’s feet. He gave it a tap with his toe until it was directly behind her.
“Gia is a live wire, Lucy. She has the attention span of a gerbil. She’s great, but I prefer my women a little more predictable. Besides, I don’t date clients.”
“Why not?” He gave her a gentle nudge and Lucy found herself lowering her bottom onto the huge ball, Theo still holding her hands.
“Palm Club policy.”
“Of course.” Lucy bounced a few times, getting the feel of the weight of
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