Team Lucas (The Saints Team #1) (25 page)

“Ah... yes, I agree, it’s good to have something to fall back on. I’ve got my history degree so I could teach of course.”

I looked at him, surprised.

“Sure, well nice to speak with you Mrs. Carter and you’re welcome to come stay anytime if you are concerned.”

I was giving him the ‘no’ signal. I only moved out last year and still loved my independence.

Lucas narrowed his eyes at me. “Mia has a spare room and bathroom in her wing, and I’m sure she’d be happy to have you.”

I gave him a look that would have felled a weaker man.

“Okay, bye for now.”

He hung up and gave me back the phone. “Your mother is lovely. All makes sense now, I can see why you’re so independent and headstrong,” he said with a roll of his eyes. He rose from the couch.

“You never told me you had a history degree,” I said, placing my hands on my hips.

“You never asked. I had a full sports scholarship at college but I had to major in something. Besides, I like history.”

“Thank you, Lucas.”

“What for?” He turned and looked at me.

“For getting me out of the pub, for looking after me, for being lovely to my mom.”

Lucas shrugged and looked away, embarrassed. “It’s all good,” he said.

“I trust you,” I said.

He whipped to look at me. His eyes narrowed and I could see the panic in his eyes. I could hear him thinking:
‘Is she wanting me to say the same back? What does that mean if she trusts me?’

“It’s all good,” I told him as those guarded, pale blue eyes studied me.

Chapter 37

There were two home games in a row which was great for the team to not have to travel and great for the home town advantage. I invited my brother, Zach, to come to the game and he was super keen. Lucas gave us his allocated two tickets.

“Am I taking tickets that Jase and Sarah, or Cam and Jessica would normally use?” I asked, hesitating as he handed me the two tickets on Friday morning before he went off to training. I looked up at him standing there glorious in his training gear and smelling fresh from the shower.

“Are you smelling me?” He frowned.

“This time, yes,” I admitted it. “You smell nice, better than after a match.”

“Yeah, thanks. And no, you’re not taking anyone’s seats. I can get more if they want to come.” He shrugged. “Most of us just offer them to each other if we’ve got a few seats free.”

“I suspect you can get more of everything if you want to.” I waved the tickets. “But thanks.’

He cleared his throat and swallowed. “Um...”

“Uh oh, what now?” I frowned at him. I knew the signs. He always did that throat clearing and averting his eyes when he had done something stupid to piss me off, like telling the doc he didn’t want me doing physio on the guys even though he doesn’t know I know that. Seems I’m allowed to touch only his skin. I promptly told Doc that I needed the work experience and I would deal with Lucas. He was not keen to go against Lord Lucas... seriously the club will do anything to keep him happy.

He opened the door to leave for training.

“I’ve got something for you, in the garage. I had it delivered when you were out jogging this morning.”

I followed him out and watched as the garage door went up. Next to his Lamborghini was a sporty little five door hatch. Not just any hatchback, a BMW hatch, sleek and sexy and compact.

I looked at Lucas and at the car.

“It’s yours,” he said.

“No way.” I stood fixed to the spot. A brand new car. A brand new BMW!

“I know you like a smaller car and this one has twin power turbo engines because you like a bit of speed,” he said, recalling my turn behind the wheel in his car. “It’s good on fuel consumption and has a converter clutch. I had a drive and the gearshifts are really smooth. It’s quiet too.”

He saw my blank expression and rolled his eyes. “It’s white,” he said.

I grinned and jumped with excitement, clapping my hands together.

“I’ve never had a new car, ever. She’s so beautiful, so white,” I ran my hand down the side of the car, “and... a BMW.”

Lucas grinned, looking pleased with himself.

“But I can’t accept it,” I said, turning to face him.

“Why?” He frowned.

“It’s over-the-top. You’re really generous, Lucas, but it’s too much.” I sighed, mentally saying goodbye to my new white BMW. It was the shortest relationship I had ever had.

“It’s all relative, Mia,” he snapped. “Here’s the keys.”

I didn’t take them even though he dangled them in front of me.

“What does that mean? It’s all relative?” I said, continuing to circle the amazing BMW. I would look so good in this car. I knew I shouldn’t do it but I opened the door and smelled that new car smell. So hard to resist—the car and Lucas.

He shrugged. “It’s relative. If I had hundred bucks to my name and bought you a toy car worth a dollar, you wouldn’t accept it because it was too much. But I’d want to give it. So I have millions and buy you a car that’s a few thousands... it’s a gift, it’s not going to break me. I’ve got to get to training, so take the keys.” He pressed them into my hands and I bit my lip, trying to resist.

“Lucas...”

“Mia, you’re taking the fucking BMW. You’re not going to pick up your brother in an old car. Think of his safety.”

Excellent point. Lucas was good, very good. I grinned and did another little jump.

“Thank you, it’s...” I shook my head.

“Yours,” he finished my sentence, unlocked the Lamborghini and lowered himself in. He drove out, put down his window and called back at me.

“Mia?”

I looked at him. “Yeah?”

“You earned it,” he said. He put up the window and drove away.

****

I sat behind the wheel and moved the rear-view mirror for a moment to see myself in the driver’s seat. Yeah, I looked good, but hey, who wouldn’t?

I loved this car and if I was being honest with myself, I’d have to admit that I was falling in love with the man who gave it to me. I know everyone will say it is easy to fall in love with a gorgeous, international sports star but if anyone had suggested that to me after my first few weeks with him, I would have told them no amount of success or money could buy my love for that full-of-himself jerk.

Now, the very different sides I had been seeing of Lucas as his walls came down, showed me there was a real person in there. And since I’m on the honesty pill, my feelings totally terrified me. A relationship with a guy who was always going to be tempted by other women—beautiful women—and who would always be in my face with his high profile, was terrifying.

I could always go back to a Ben type—someone who didn’t know soccer existed, moved in business circles, didn’t talk sport—and immunize myself. I could move to some tiny island that had no media and only followed badminton.

But hey, I’m getting ahead of myself; one gift of a car doesn’t mean return affection especially when we’re talking Lucas Ainswright.

If he could just stop holding me, touching me, rescuing me, needing me, life would be much simpler.

Chapter 38

I drove the thirty minutes from my beach pad—I know, I had to say it while I could, as this life could all change in a week—to Santa Ana and picked up Zach after school on Friday. I parked right out the front of his school because I could. Normally I’d park a little farther down the street, remembering the horror of my grandmother picking me up outside the school gate in the oldest car known to man. Teenagers are so shallow. How I missed my grandma who had been dead five years now. How I would love to see her in her old car picking me up from anywhere.

I saw Zach come out and he looked around for my car. I had a text ready and hit send. “White BMW. Mx”

He took out his phone, read the text and I saw him walk back to the gate, searching for it. He saw the car and he saw me. Zach increased his speed, opened the door and jumped in.

“Holy-fucking-land-on-your-feet!” he said, his mouth dropping open.

“Zach, when did you start swearing, you’re too young to swear,” I protested, leaning over to kiss him hello on the cheek.

“Get real, sis, you swear like a trooper.”

“No I don’t.”

“Everyone does.” He shrugged. “Is this yours?”

“While I work for Lucas,” I said.

“Oh man, you have seriously got it good.”

“I’ve earned it, trust me,” I said, echoing Lucas’s words and when I think of my first few weeks with him, I earned something, but a BMW might be a little excessive.

“Can I have driver’s lessons in your Beamer?” Zach asked.

“I’ll have to check on the insurance for that,” I said.

Zach rolled his eyes. “Always so sensible,” he said.

“Don’t I know it,” I agreed and sighed. If I wasn’t so sensible I would have leapt on Lucas in his underwear weeks ago.

When we arrived back at the beach pad, Zach couldn’t believe that either and wanted to go for a swim in the ocean straight away. I could hear Lucas was home, moving around upstairs as we got changed and headed off to the beach. Swimming in the surf was so therapeutic, my skin felt alive with salt and sun. We spread our towels and dried off in the late afternoon sun.

“Do you like him?” Zach asked. “Lucas I mean, is he nice? Mom said he was nice on the phone.”

“I didn’t when I first met him,” I told my brother. He was a rude jerk and he didn’t like me testing him.”

“Yeah well, who would?”

“I know. He didn’t like the fact his father hired me, as they don’t get on. But he’s got off my case a bit now.”

“I’ll say. Wouldn’t have bought you a Beamer if he thought you sucked.”

So eloquently put, my brother had a way with words. The trouble was, however, sucking wasn’t a skill that Lucas needed from me.

*****

I came out from my shower after changing into jeans and a loose gray rib knit. It was terribly quiet and I stuck my head into the guest room and bathroom calling Zach’s name. Nothing. I looked in the living area, nope.

“Zach?” I called out and heard him yell from upstairs in Lucas’s area.

“Up here.”

Oh no, just what I need—Lucas giving me a hard time because he’s had to entertain my brother. I bolted up the stairs two at a time and turned the corner to find them both on the couch staring intently at the TV and working hard on the game consoles.

Lucas was wearing boardshorts like Zach and both had T-shirts on. Their concentration was palpable as they battled against each other.

“Hey you two.” I relaxed heading to the couch.

“Mia,” Lucas said. “Drink?”

“Okay, thanks,” I said.

“Good. I’ll have a Coke thanks. Zach?” Lucas said not taking his eyes off the screen.

“Same, thanks.”

“Right then,” I said, and headed across to the open plan kitchen. I grabbed two Cokes and a Diet Coke from Lucas’s fridge.

“Yes!” Zach yelled.

“Crap.” Lucas sighed. “Best of three?”

“You’re on.”

Lucas turned to notice me now before starting the next game.

“Ah, you’re not playing the FIFA soccer game,” I said, secretly delighted Lucas was spending time with my brother. He didn’t have a lot of male role models and Mom was always encouraging him to play team sport or hang with one of our two uncles.

“I’m not an idiot,” Zach said. “Like I’d take on Luke for soccer.”

“Lucas might be good on the field but that doesn’t mean he’s good on the panel,” I said, still using Lucas’s full name to keep it business like.

“Trust me, I’m good,” Lucas said.

“Bighead.” I rolled my eyes while Zach laughed. I put the colas on coasters in front of them.

“Thanks, sis,” Zach mumbled.

“Yeah, thanks, sis,” Lucas added.

“Mm, you’re welcome.”

They reloaded the game
Alien Invasion
.

“What are you doing for dinner?” Lucas asked.

“I hadn’t thought about it,” I said, dropping onto the other end of the couch and sitting cross legged. “There’s a good burger joint down the road, Zach, that we could go to in my new BMW.” I grinned.

Lucas smiled. “I’m cooking pasta. If you want to stay, we could throw a movie on.”

Now he was just freaking me out.

“That’d be good,” Zach piped up, looking from me to Lucas and back to me.

“Not catching up with anyone? No-one dropping in?” I questioned Lucas.

“Not before match day,” he said. “Got to chill and eat carbs.”

Ah yes, don’t get too excited, I reminded myself. I’m not special, he just doesn’t go out before match day.

“Pasta sounds good, thanks.”

He nodded and turned to Zach.

“Fire it up.”

The next battle began.

After Lucas lost the best of three and then the best of five to Zach he gave up and headed to the kitchen. I helped out dicing and Zach put cutlery in the lounge and picked a movie—something with aliens and fast cars. Sigh. I’m guessing a romance was out of the question.

It was amazing; this comfortable setting. Being near Lucas, seeing him interact with my brother, genuinely being nice and interested—it felt like we were home, like this was so normal.

Lucas ate his weight in pasta, Zach ate his fair share and I ate enough to declare it delicious. So was Lucas—I’d never been more in like with him than that night.

Chapter 39

On hearing Lucas pacing around, I headed upstairs early to get an oral swab. Lucas was always up super early on match days. He stood in the kitchen half-naked, dressed in track shorts and showing great form. At least having my brother downstairs helped suppress my sexual desires; I wanted Zach to see this was a very respectable arrangement and report that back to Mom. But what I really wanted was to kneel in front of Lucas and put my physio or sucking skills to work on that impressive package he has.

Lucas sat down on a stool in front of me for the swab. So accessible, sigh.

“Thanks for last night and being good to my brother,” I said.

He shrugged it off.

“Okay, noted, you can’t take a compliment.”

He scoffed. “I get nothing but compliments around the clock, I’m drowning in compliments.”