Team Lucas (The Saints Team #1) Page 18

  “Stop,” he growled and grabbed my wrists again. He spun me around, trapping my arms against my chest, pressing me against him. He stood behind me, so I could feel his body tight against mine.

  Lucas put his mouth close to my ear.

  “Mia, stop, shh, stop.” He held me so tight that I couldn’t move an inch.

  “Let go,” I hissed.

  “Stop fighting me,” he said again in a very controlled manner.

  “You scared me half to death. Why didn’t you show yourself or call out?” I struggled again. “For fuck’s sake Lucas, let me go.” He was infuriating, I couldn’t move an inch.

  “Are you going to stop hitting me?” he asked.

  “Fine, yes.”

  “Breathe with me,” he said.

  “Let me go, Lucas,” I demanded. His arms continued to hold me fixed against him.

  “Shh, settle down.” He kissed the top of my head, I’m sure of it. I don’t know whether he forgot he was with me or if he meant to do it. I felt my heart rate dropping and my breathing going back to normal, and then from the adrenaline and fear, tears began to roll down my face. The fight left me and I slumped, trapped in his arms.

  Lucas released me and I began to move away from him.

  “Hey, hey, hold up.” He reached for my arm and spun me around. I quickly wiped the tears from my face.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize.”

  “You wouldn’t,” I said. “You never have to think of shit like that when you’re running.”

  He put his hand up to my face and touched it, just for a moment. Then he withdrew it just as quickly.

  “I would have run with you if you told me you were heading out,” he said.

  I shrugged. “Cam was there,” I mumbled as an excuse. I wouldn’t turn down a run with Lucas by my side or even better, in front, but I thought he’d be pushing me away this morning.

  “Hmm,” he said. “Come on.” He started walking. I kept stride with him. “Are you all right?”

  I took a deep breath and nodded. “I’m just a bit on edge after the home invasion,” I said.

  “I get it—the media, the fans, the lack of privacy, the made-up stories—takes some getting used to. But I promise, next time I sneak up on you, I’ll cough or do a bird noise or...”

  “Call my name!” I suggested.

  “Yeah, not as creative, but I could do that,” he said, with a smile. “By the way, I caught you looking back and checking out that other jogger’s form,” Lucas said, suspiciously.

  I rolled my eyes. “I’m not checking out his form, I’m checking he’s still running past me. I’m checking that he hasn’t doubled up and is near me or following me.”

  “Oh, right,” Lucas said. “It’s tough being a chick.”

  “You have no idea.” I sighed. “Run?”

  “Sure,” he said and we took off together again.

  A better turn up for the morning than I expected. Lucas Ainswright was becoming human.

  That night, a story appeared online with the headline: Tender moment. The story went on to say how Lucas had won back his personal physio and the photo was of Lucas holding me and a second photo of Lucas touching my face. Lord knows which shrubbery the photographer was in. I guessed they’d keep the shots of me hitting him for a later break-up story.

  Chapter 33

  Game day. I loved game day when I got to watch Lucas work his magic and out of all the thousands of people at the game, I was the one who was with the star, even if I wasn’t with the star—the thought made me weak.

  Lucas secured me three tickets this time so that Alice’s dad could come with us. The doc agreed to let me work down in the physio area during the match. Fantastic! So if I didn’t get back to the seats, at least Alice had company. How many physios get that kind of experience at student level? Taking Lucas’s swabs was the best thing that ever happened to me.

  Speaking of which, he was up again at some ungodly hour, blending high protein shakes, eating bananas and carrying on. I opened the joint door.

  “Can I come up?” I called.

  “Yeah,” he yelled back.

  I checked my jeans, light sweater and hair all looked reasonably presentable before I headed upstairs to swab the model-slash-sports star living above me. I grabbed the oral swab kit this time. It was his third game of the season so he should be able to handle the pressure of a game day swab by now.

  “Hey,” I said spotting him in the kitchen. Lucas spun around and I had to stop to truly appreciate the view: Lucas stood in white fitted boxer-briefs and a white singlet. Very little was left to the imagination.

  “Morning,” he said, sounding distracted.

  I waved the oral swab kit at him. “I need to quickly do this. Did you want to put on something...?

  Lucas turned to face me full-on. “Something that covers my huge bounty?”

  I smirked at him. “Yes, it hardly seems fair to all who will follow.”

  His lips curled but he tried not to let on he found me amusing.

  “Nuh, let’s just get it over with,” he said. He came around the counter and pulled up a stool. He sat his gorgeous manhood down and I did my best not to look at the firm package in front of me. “Come on, get in my mouth,” he said.

  I frowned. “Really Lucas, did you say that to the other minders?”

  He thought about it. “I might have said that to Mrs. Compton.”

  “Sure you did,” I agreed. I took the swab out and stood in front of him. We were on the same level when he was sitting down and my lips were equal with his.

  “Open wide,” I said.

  He opened slightly.

  “Wider,” I ordered.

  He shook his head and refused.

  “Lucas don’t be a child, open up.” He gave me another half inch. “Whatever,” I mumbled and squatting slightly, I began to swab inside his mouth and tongue. Again he watched me with those pale blue eyes. It was like insane foreplay.

  I finished and stood full height as I left the swab in his mouth for just thirty seconds more. I returned his stare. We had seen a lot of each other in the last few days... not just physically but emotionally. I’d like to see more of the physical.

  Yet, he pretended I hadn’t seen inside him and I pretended I hadn’t cried in front of him. I refused to look away from him and he insisted on staring me out. I glanced at the clock and pulled the swab from his mouth.

  “Done, thanks.”

  “I won,” he said.

  “What?” I asked.

  “The staring contest. You broke it when you went to look at the clock.”

  I put my head on the side and stared at Lucas. “How old are you?”

  “Twenty-six,” he said. “And you?”

  “Twenty-one, and yet I’m so much more mature.”

  He groaned. I moved away from him and he rose and returned to his blending in the kitchen.

  “Want a juice?” he asked. Wow, things were looking up.

  “No, I’m good thanks. I’ve got to go and run this test. Are you sorted for today’s game?”

  He nodded. “Are you coming with me?”

  “No. You go too early. Doc said to be in the physio rooms by ten.”

  “You’re going to be in the seats when it starts though?”

  “I will. With Alice and her dad. Thanks for getting an extra seat for him.”

  “Easy,” Lucas said. “But you’ll be there.”

  “I will, assuming Doc’s finished with me in physio.”

  “No,” Lucas snapped. “You need to be sitting there when we run out.” His blue eyes blazed intensely at me.

  “I know you guys like your routines but...”

  “Mia. Please, can you just be there then? I’ll talk with Doc, let him know you’ll be helping me before and after the match. Okay?”

  “I’ll be there.” I was super pumped that I was part of his routine, me, not some glamour-puss. But I wanted t
o be part of all of his routines. Not sitting in a seat so he could see me then hearing him screw some model upstairs. There’s a breaking point where every heart has to decide it can’t sustain any more hits.

  “Take my car, I’ll get Nik to pick me up on his way through,” Lucas said.

  I stopped and gasped. “That’s it, you’re an alien, I’m convinced. Where the fuck is Lucas and what have you done to him?”

  He turned back around flashing his front package at me. The white boxers were more fitted and revealing than the black. I much preferred them.

  He crossed his arms. “You complain I’m a bighead and a dick, then I try and be nice and you think I’m E.T. Take my car so I know you’re going to get there in one piece and...”

  “My VW is fabulous. It’s not that old.”

  “It’s nearly ten years old, we need to get you a new one,” Lucas explained as if the concept of driving a car that old was outrageous.

  “We don’t need to get me a new one.” I sighed. “It’s perfectly fine, thanks.”

  “I need to be sure you can get where I need you to be. A new car can come with the job, like a company car,” he suggested.

  “And what do I do with my car while I’m driving the new car? I can’t afford to run two cars but if you get rid of me, I have to give the new car back and then I won’t have a car.”

  Lucas sighed, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He opened his eyes and his blue eyes sized me up.

  “I’ll put it in your name like I said from the start, so it’s yours whether you work for me or not. Why do you have to be so... independent?”

  “Because I learned at a very young age that men come and go, girlfriends and cars don’t.” I smirked.

  He shook his head. Mr.-don’t-trust-anyone was seriously telling me to trust him.

  “Fine then, but today you drive my car, then we can come home together in the one car.” He got the keys and gave them to me. “I’ll call Nik.”

  “Okay, thanks,” I said, hardly able to hide my smile. I walked downstairs with the swab and the keys to a Lamborghini and a guaranteed ride home after the match with the captain of the team.

  If only I could hire a social media team to capture all this with such short notice!

  Chapter 34

  Did I mention I loved game days? Okay this was only my second game, but I loved them. The atmosphere was electric and it was as though every Saint supporter was there to see Lucas. He had breathed new life into the club, taking them up the ladder, raising their profile with his skills, looks and endorsements and the club was keen to look after him—hence providing a minder for starters.

  When I arrived, I parked the divine Lamborghini in the player area; all the guys’ heads turned to check it out—the car, not me, but I felt like a million dollars getting out of it. It was early so only players, staff and ground staff were present and some keen fans trying for photos and autographs with the players as they arrived.

  I made my way to the physio rooms and found Doc and Andy already at work.

  “Great, glad you’re here Mia,” Doc returned my greeting. “Can you check the physio bags?”

  “Of course,” I said and dumped my gear. Pre-match, the atmosphere in the physio room was already tense and even worse in the warm-up areas. The anticipation and pressure built and Doc, Andy and the other freelance physios on hand for the day were supposed to be miracle workers and fix all injuries immediately—well that was the players’ perspective most of the time. The coach wanted them to call it accurately so he knew whether to return the player to the field or bench him to recover.

  All the benches were covered in white towels, the weigh in machines were in action with different players recording their numbers, ice bins were everywhere and protein shakes bandied around. I couldn’t see Lucas but I could hear his voice. He must be in one of the other rooms—the warm-up room or change room.

  I checked the physio bags—four in a row—which Doc and his crew would take with them onto the bench in case they needed quick supplies during the game. Each bag had towels, bandages, petroleum jelly, magic sponge (the sponge that could do everything), vapor rub, gloves, tape for strapping, water, cotton plugs—don’t ask, and I topped them up where needed.

  I spotted Lucas then going down the hallway. He was in the team’s track gear and pepping up players as he passed them. He stuck his head in, saw me, and left again. Was that good or bad? He had such power on match day. I was happy to be in his orbit.

  Nik came in looking for a quick rub before the match and Doc directed him to a table. I finished and reported in to Doc and he told me to get started on Nik. It was a tough job having to rub the gorgeous muscled leg of an elite athlete, but I was just the girl for it. Andy finished up icing the defender, Jackson’s, ankle and released him. He came over and supervised my work. Nik didn’t talk much—pre-match, that was pretty normal.

  Doc called out for one of the physios to ask Lucas to drop in. As always, all I heard was his name and my heart rate increased knowing he was going to come in. I was pathetic; really, this man was going to be the undoing of me.

  Moments later Lucas strode in and the atmosphere of the room changed around him. I know I stiffened in anticipation and the rest of the room stiffened for different reasons—Lucas had a presence and if people weren’t in awe of him and his record, the club was working hard at keeping him happy; there was no shortage of clubs keen to nab him. I tried not to look at him and just to focus on my work—Nik’s muscle. I know the guys have routines and Lucas wouldn’t want to make small talk.

  I saw him have a quick word to Doc and nod. Doc indicated one of the benches, Lucas sat and the doc checked out Lucas’s ankle. I felt Lucas’s eyes on me but I didn’t look.

  “Haven’t you got to get somewhere, Mia?” Lucas called out from across the physio room. He was kind of scowling at me, as if he didn’t approve of me working on Nik.

  I felt my face redden, as though I was a kid being sent from the room of adults. I glanced to the clock on the wall. It was nearing eleven but fifteen minutes before I’d agreed to meet Alice and her dad.

  “I’ll take over,” Andy said, moving in front of me to finish working on Nik.

  “Thanks, Mia,” Nik said.

  “Pleasure,” I answered. I went to the sinks and washed my hands.

  “Hey do you do take on casual massage work?” Nik asked.

  “No she doesn’t,” Lucas snapped.

  Nik looked over at me and grinned, he gave me a wink and looked away. Doc blocked my view of Lucas and I grabbed my bag and left without making eye contact with him again.

  As I neared the door I heard him call after me but I kept walking. I was not his beck-and-call girl and if he wanted to treat me that way in front of everyone, well, two could play at that game. I was surprised he didn’t send one of his minions running after me to bring me back. Sometimes he was such an ass. I really was capable of working in the physio and being where he could see me when the match started. Besides… focus Lucas, focus. You should be thinking about the game not me.

  But I was secretly pleased too. If he really believed in that lucky charm crap, which clearly had nothing to do with wanting my warm form since I’d had no action since we met, I wish he’d discover screwing me would be really, really lucky for him.

  As I walked to the grandstand my phone beeped with a text. I grabbed it from my bag and it was from Lucas. Sigh. It consisted of two words: “There yet?” He even managed a smiley face. I guess this was his way of apologizing.

  I softened on him, because he really was trying. I texted back: “Lowering butt into seat now Hope you penetrate the midfield.” That should reassure him.

  My phone beeped a few seconds later and I grinned when I read his text: “Miss Prude can say ‘penetrate’?”

  I text him back: “That’s Ms Prude to you.”

  *****

  Alice and her dad, Frank, were already there when I arrived and I
gave them each a kiss on the cheek. Alice was in a woolen dress with tights; they were going out for her grandfather’s dinner after the game so she couldn’t hang with me. I had a chat with Frank who knew more about soccer than Alice and I combined, times by two thousand. He’d be handy to have nearby. I could pick up a few sayings and drop them in conversation on the way home in the car together. On the way home in the car together, yep, just wanted to repeat that.

  I leaned over the seat and said a quick hello to a couple of the Saints’ WAGs behind me including Josh the midfielder’s wife Jane, Buzz’s fiancée Laura and The Russian’s partner, Leesa. I had met them only fleetingly each time and I wasn’t sure if Leesa was officially hitched to The Russian or not. I saw the coach’s wife Elizabeth farther along the row, this time with a friend her own age. We exchanged a wave.

  I took a deep breath and Alice patted my knee.

  “So nervous,” I said, “especially since his last game was... challenging.”

  “He’s got his good luck charm today,” she assured me.

  “What if he has another crap game?” I frowned. “Then he won’t want me to come because I’m unlucky.”

  Alice sighed. “Then we’ll start going to the basketball.”

  I brightened. “I do like tall men.”

  Within no time the siren sounded and the crowds stood and went crazy with cheering and waving huge colored streamers. The grounds were full... our Saints were playing the Colorado Kings and their fans had come by the busloads—yes overnight busloads driving nearly twenty hours to make a weekend of it. Their orange colors were as prevalent as our navy but not as nice aesthetically speaking—that’s just a girl’s perspective. See I do have some Y-chromosome.

  The visitors came out first, doing their lap and getting the cheers and boos from the crowds. Then the Saints came out and the home crowd roared. Lucas led the team past us in their warm up and his eyes flicked to the WAG area. He searched for me, saw me and looked away just as quickly.