Free Lex and Lu by J. Santiago

going to have her. Consequences be damned.

    Ducking into a small, unused viewing room, Lu quietly closed the door behind her. Flinging herself into one of the striped wingback chairs, she leaned back and closed her eyes. She was trembling with a heady combination of desire and fear. Her run with Lex earlier in the day had set the stage for the rest. Their easy camaraderie had reestablished itself as their feet pounded over the packed sand. When he left her at 6:55, he’d dropped a kiss on her forehead, much like he’d done to Willa the previous evening. And while part of her wanted more than that, great appeal could be found in maintaining Lex’s friendship. The betrayal of a friend seemed so much simpler than that of a lover.
    So when he’d leaned in close and whispered in her ear—what he’d whispered in her ear—shock and surprise overwhelmed her. And it had heated her. If she had stayed in the room, everyone would have seen the telltale blush run up her neck, she imagined, and creep over her cheeks. She’d felt everything in her body tighten and hum. So she fled. She expected Willa to find her at any moment as her panicked gaze had found her sister’s on the way out of the room.
    Lu had to hold out. As much as she wanted Lex, she couldn’t allow herself to be with him in any way other than to support him. But damn he was irresistible, she conceded unhappily.
    When she heard the door open, she looked over, thankful for her sister’s concern. But Willa wasn’t the person who walked through the door. It was Lex’s stunningly beautiful agent, Caroline Thorvaldsdottir. Lu didn’t know a lot about her, but she could tell Caroline was shrewd. Mike wouldn’t have entrusted Lex’s career to just anyone. The choosing of his agent had been a long, thorough process that Mike had agonized over for quite some time. In the beginning, he had managed Lex’s career and money. But he was more interested in being a father than an agent, so when Lex turned twenty-one, Mike bowed out. And from what Lu heard, it had been a good move for everyone involved.
    Lu watched warily as Caroline found a chair and pulled it up, in an effort to facilitate some kind of conversation. She had been introduced to Caroline earlier and she seemed nice enough, but now, Lu experienced a sense of foreboding that perhaps this wasn’t a casual conversation.
    Tilting her head, Lu acknowledged Caroline with a smile. “You must be exhausted from your travels,” Lu began.
    Caroline returned her smile, making her seem even more beautiful, softer somehow when she relaxed. “I am. It’s been a long couple of weeks. Throw a transatlantic flight into any week and it’s enough to make one tired.”
    Not having ever left the country, Lu nodded but didn’t contribute anything.
    “Are you OK?” Caroline inquired.
    Taken aback, Lu nodded. “Yes. Thank you. Just a long, sad couple of days.”
    “It must be nice to have Lex back in town,” Caroline ventured.
    Lu smiled before she could stop herself. “Yes, it is. We spent our childhoods together, and it’s nice to see him.”
    Caroline nodded, understanding reflected in her ice-blue eyes. Lu felt at ease. “I can tell he’s looking to you for comfort. He hasn’t been able to take his eyes off of you and he seems to like having you close by,” she observed.
    Caroline didn’t seem to be looking for a response so Lu didn’t offer one.
    Caroline leaned forward, in a manner that made the two of them look like they were conspiring together. “When I took over the management of Lex, there were certain things already in place. And since Mike Pellitteri essentially hired me, I was bound by attorney-client confidentiality.” She paused, smiled briefly, as if contemplating what to say. “Mike was one shrewd bastard.”
    “I think you might be the only person who knew Mr. P. who would think it OK to call him a bastard,” Lu said, her annoyance clear in her voice.
    Caroline merely smiled. “Don’t