Free Crystal's Dilemma by Christelle Mirin Page B

it’s something strong and powerful.”
    “That’s the way I feel. The only difference is that I know it’s love. I hope you come to the same conclusion.”
    It was funny, but she hoped he was right. They finished drying each other, taking their time, and once done, they crawled into Crystal’s huge bed and she fell asleep in his arms, exhausted and fully satisfied.
    When Crystal awoke a few hours later, she was still wrapped in Tommy’s arms. She gazed up at him, the dim light filtering through the curtains highlighting his hair with golden streaks. Her heart felt full of emotion, and she smiled at his slumbering face. He was beautiful and handsome at the same time. Young and virile, Tommy probably turned the head of every woman who saw him. And he had picked her to fall in love with. It was a wondrous feeling.
    But she wasn’t sure she was ready to commit to a solid relationship, especially if it meant being totally exclusive. She needed to talk to Justice.
    Crystal carefully backed away from Tommy, sliding out of his arms without waking him. Then he moaned and sighed, causing her to freeze for a few seconds to make sure he wasn’t going to wake up. She wanted to talk to Justice by herself, sort of use him as a sounding board.
    Once she was sure he wasn’t going to wake up, she slid from under the cover and padded over to her dresser, pulled on some panties and moved to her closet. She grabbed a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, raked her fingers through her hair and snuck out the door as quietly as she could.
    Padding down the hall toward the entryway, she wondered where she could find Justice. Maybe Rachel or Rodgers was in the kitchen. She cut through the dining room and pushed through the kitchen door. “Good morning, Rodgers.”
    Rodgers was washing his hands at the kitchen sink. He looked over his shoulder. “Morning? It’s five in the afternoon. Are you okay?”
    Crystal ran her hand over her face. “I’m fine. Just lost track of time. Do you happen to know where Justice is? I need to talk to him.”
    Rodgers turned, using a towel to dry his hands. “I think he’s in the study. Is everything all right? There’s not a problem, is there? Something I can help with?”
    Crystal loved Rodgers dearly, but this was something she wanted to bounce off Justice. Justice was her partner and more than that, her friend for years. “No, there’s nothing wrong. Just something I want to get Justice’s take on. I’ll go see if he’s in the study. Thanks.” She smiled and pushed back through the kitchen door into the dining room. She crossed the room and exited through the opposite door at the other end.
    She found him in the study, sitting in a huge leather chair with a book in his hands. Reading glasses were perched on his nose and he was chewing his bottom lip. He looked like he was struggling to study what he was reading. It was cute.
    “Well,” she said, placing her hand on the back of his chair. “I see you’re studying away. Something important?”
    He looked up at her and blinked. “Crystal, hello.” He took his glasses off and closed the book. “Nothing important, just trying to read this book Lauren suggested. What’s up?” He looked past her. “Where’s your new assistant?”
    Crystal moved around the chair and sat down in the matching one beside his. She leaned forward, placing her elbows on her knees and cradling her chin in her hands. “Tommy is sleeping. I wanted to talk to you about something, so I snuck away.”
    Justice shifted in his chair, turning toward her. “Sounds serious. Everything okay?”
    Crystal chuckled nervously. “Oh, it’s nothing bad. It’s just that I want your take on something.”
    “Okay, tell me.” He crossed his hands on top of the book in his lap.
    She sighed. “When did you know you were in love with Lauren?”
    A smile flickered over his lips. “That’s a strange question. I’m not sure exactly when it hit me, but there was something about her that