"Better not," I murmur. "This has already gotten out of hand pretty fast."
"Okay. But I do have a question for you."
"Shoot."
"Were you wearing a sleep shirt when you talked to me on the phone, Victoria?"
"The…. Yeah, I…," I stammer, unable to form a coherent thought, much less sentence. Desperately I attempt to whip my thoughts into place, but Christopher makes that impossible by inching closer to me on the couch.
He dips his head slightly, and I inhale sharply, the whiff of his cologne alerting my senses. Oh! Musk. That was the mysterious ingredient I couldn't identify before. His proximity makes my hormones go haywire, and my heart skips a beat. Judging by the look he gives me, he knows this. A man who looks like him will be aware of the effect he has on women.
"Were you wearing a thong under that sleep shirt?"
His words have an atomic effect on me, sending a heated jolt right through my center. Well, this conversation got out of control fast. Christopher seems to be thinking along the same lines because he pulls back, rising from the couch and pacing around the room.
"You should know something about me," he offers. "I have no filter."
"You don't say," I say, my voice tight with shock, still a little off-balance from the exchange. What just happened? I can’t believe he had the balls to talk about my thong, and I definitely can’t believe
the way my body reacted to his words.
Christopher opens his mouth, but before he utters one single word, the door bursts open. Lucas saunters inside with Chloe hot on his heels rubbing at her eyes. Her bedtime is in half an hour, and she's already sleepy.
"It's eight thirty," Lucas announces, and I can't help smiling.
"I promised them I'd be done by this time," I explain to Christopher.
"It's a good thing we're done, then." Checking his watch, he adds, "I even have time to catch the soccer game at nine."
"You're a soccer fan?" Lucas asks.
"Big fan."
Chloe climbs in my lap, resting her head against my upper arm and yawning.
"Did you play soccer in school?" Lucas continues with the interrogation.
"Yeah. I was really good at it. Still am. My family plays often, even now."
Lucas smiles, as if Christopher just told him there will be two Christmases this year. "Could you give me some pointers? Coach me? Tryouts for the team are in a few weeks, and I really want to earn a spot. Dad was supposed to train me, but…."
His voice fades, and I suck in a deep breath. Chloe sighs deeply. I kiss the top of her head and wish I could do the same with Lucas, except I don't think he'd be happy with being kissed in front of Christopher.
My heart squeezes for my brother. I'm no good at soccer, having played volleyball at school and hating every minute of it. My Aunt Christina and Uncle Bill live nearby, and my uncle offered to help him train, but Lucas wasn't keen on it, possibly because Uncle Bill isn’t very good at soccer. But asking Christopher isn't right. He's a stranger to him and my client. I can't let the professional and personal boundaries blur even more. Also, I am one hundred percent sure Christopher has a full schedule.
"Sweetie, Christopher is busy. We'll find someone to coach you, okay? I promise."
Lucas doesn't budge.
To my surprise, Christopher says, "Sure, I can give you some tips. I coached my younger brothers years ago when they wanted to make the team. Victoria and I will figure out when the best time is."
There is so much hope in Lucas's gaze. And light… more light than I've seen in months. I'll have to find a way to thank Christopher for this.
"Here you are," Sienna exclaims, entering the room. "I left you two alone for two minutes with clear instructions to stay in the living room."
Chloe smiles coyly, then hides her face in my arm.
“It was more than two minutes. You talked on the phone for a looooong time.” Lucas grins like the little devil he is. Sienna rolls her eyes at him.