The Bad Boy's Redemption. Joss Wood

needed air. ‘I still can’t and won’t get involved with him, Mak.’

      ‘And why not?’

      ‘Because he is leaving in two months’ time. Because he’s not interested in anything but a casual friendship, having someone to hang out with.’

      ‘So have a casual hook-up with him,’ Mak suggested. ‘It’s not against the law, Lu.’

      Lu closed her eyes. ‘I can’t, Mak.’

      ‘Why? He’s smart, good-looking and successful. Seems like a decent guy. I’m not seeing the problem.’

      Lu shoved her fingers into her hair. ‘He is strictly a one-night stand kind of guy and I’m not a just-have-sex type of girl. And I work with him. And I have so much fun with him.’

      Lu sipped and shrugged. ‘After work I work on my photos, or I read, or I exercise. I think, plan. Try not to miss the twins. I need to—am trying to—get used to this new life without them, to being on my own. Then, when I feel the walls closing in on me, I call Will and we go out and have an absolute blast. We laugh, Mak—hard. Often. We talk or don’t talk...there’s no pressure and I like that.’ Lu stared at the huge African mask dominating the opposite wall. ‘Sure, I’d like sex, but not if it means sacrificing the fun we’re having.’

      Mak leaned forward and touched her hand. ‘Just be careful, Lu. I don’t want to mop up your tears, hon.’

      ‘You won’t have to, Mak.’

      * * *

      Casual linen three-quarter pants, a funky brown and gold T-shirt, beaded sandals and new jewellery. Will took in Lu’s outfit as she moved across the staff dining room towards the table where he sat with the older members of the team. OK, different...he thought.

      His gaze travelled up her throat. He remembered that the spot between her ear and her jaw was very tender, and that she’d vibrated in his arms when he’d nibbled her just there. Kissing her had been a mistake, he thought, not for the first time. His pants grew substantially smaller. Mostly because all he thought about was doing it again.

      Her mouth had been hot and demanding—and, talking about her mouth...good God. What on earth had she stained her lips with? Mulberries? Will leaned back and looked at her properly: too much blusher, smoky eyes, a bottle of mascara. She looked glossy, but she also looked like every other girl he’d ever dated.

      Slick, superficial, sophisticated...hard.

      He heard the low wolf whistles and the compliments of his two lunch companions: Jabu, the Rays’ captain, and Matt Johnson, whom he knew had the hots for Lu. Would he have to have a chat with Matt about keeping his distance from Lu? Maybe.

      Matt needed to know that Lu was way off-limits.

      Will looked at Lu and wished he could pull her off to the showers and wash that make-up off her. He wanted his Lu back: clean skin—her freckles were all but hidden now—clear eyes...normal. He wanted her make-up-free, naturally...normal.

      Crap.

      When a guy started thinking that natural was gorgeously normal he was neck deep in the brown stuff...or about to fall into the brown stuff. Neither scenario was vaguely attractive.

      Lu slid down into the empty chair opposite him and reached for the salt to shake over her chicken salad.

      ‘New look, Lu?’ Matt asked.

      ‘Experimenting.’

      Lu batted her eyelashes at him and Will felt his stomach contract.

      ‘What do you think?’

      ‘Hot,’ Matt answered.

      He ran his finger over the tattoo of a naughty angel on her shoulder. Will considered breaking his fingers.

      ‘Cool tat.’

      What the hell...? She’d got a tattoo? Not that it had anything to do with him...except he didn’t like the idea of ink on that amazing, smooth, clear expanse of skin. Skin he’d all too briefly explored, discovered, wanted to taste again.

      Matt tipped his head back to look at her shoulder again. ‘Ah, it’s just a henna tat—it’ll be gone in six weeks.’

      ‘Thank the Lord,’ Will muttered under his breath. He ignored Lu’s quizzical look, took a healthy sip from his glass of water and pushed his empty plate away. He stretched out his leg and the inside of his calf brushed her bare foot. He felt the bolt of lust shoot up to his groin.

      He raised reluctant eyes and saw his desire reflected in hers—along with a solid dose of irritation. She wanted him but didn’t want to want him. She wanted him to compliment her on her new look but didn’t want him to know that she cared. Will ran his hand along his jaw. This was getting a bit too complicated, a little more intense than he’d bargained for.

      And he still wanted to take the make-up off her face. Take her back to natural Lu.

      ‘Would you mind signing these for me? I’d be so grateful.’ Lu was handing out letter-size photos and dishing out black felt-tipped markers.

      ‘What’s going on?’ he asked as he took his own photograph and a pen.

      Lu rested her forearms on the table. ‘You remember that I mentioned Mak has a highly functioning, Down Syndrome son? He’s rugby-obsessed and thinks that I am the luckiest girl in the world to know you guys. You’re his favourite player, Jabu.’

      Jabu’s face split into a huge smile. ‘Cool.’

      Lu wiped her mouth with a paper serviette and Will was grateful to see a lot of the mulberry stain disappear. Three more layers and that gorgeous mouth would be back. ‘I’ve looked after Deon a lot over the years. He’s a nice kid. But he’s physically small for his age and he’s terrified about starting a new school. He was badly bullied at his last school. He’s about to start at St Clare’s—’

      ‘But that’s a mainstream school, not a special needs school,’ Matt interrupted. ‘I went there; they don’t have special needs kids.’

      ‘They introduced a new programme about five years back to integrate kids with special needs into the mainstream school. It’s a huge success. I also know the school well. My brothers attended it. Mak is a bundle of nerves for Deon. He’s trying to be brave but is scared witless...anyway, I said I’d go with them on his first day.’

      ‘Which is...?’ Will asked.

      ‘Tomorrow.’ Lu forked up some chicken and waved her fork at the pack of photos. ‘I thought that if Deon ran into any bullying he could offer up some signed photos from his Rays heroes to talk his way out of it.’

      Will dashed his signature across a photograph and smiled. ‘No problem.’

      * * *

      Lu pulled to a stop outside St Clare’s and turned in her seat to look backwards. Deon was looking a little grey, his hands were trembling, and his knee bounced up and down. Mak was looking equally nauseous. He might be tough and forthright, but he was a marshmallow when it came to his son.

      Lu touched his shoulder before leaning back to pat Deon on the thigh. ‘I told you that my brothers went here and that it’s a really nice school? Remember that Mr Klimt, the principal, doesn’t tolerate bullying.’

      ‘Mr Klimt doesn’t go into the boys’ bathrooms,’ Deon said in his slow, measured voice.

      Lu sighed. The child might be challenged but he was not a fool. How was she going to get either of them out of the car and up the steps that led into the school? They were both anxiously watching the streams of laughing, smiling chatty kids mingling on the grass, within the school quad, leaning against walls and doors.

      They looked confident and happy...no wonder Deon and Mak were terrified. Even she was feeling a bit intimidated.

      ‘I want to go home,’ Deon said, and dropped his chin to his neck.