Absent in the Spring (The Shakespeare Sisters 3)

Lucy ran her hands beneath the tap, feeling the cool water pouring over her flesh. The muted lighting inside the bathroom made her skin look warm, smooth. It was like staring at an airbrushed version of herself in the mirror. As she rubbed the fragrant soap into her palms, the door behind her clicked, and Jenn came out, taking the sink beside her.

‘I swear I’ve got the bladder of an old lady,’ Jenn told her, lathering up her hands. ‘They say it gets much worse in the third trimester, but I can’t see how it can. I already spend the majority of my life in the bathroom.’

Lucy smiled, shaking the water from her palms. ‘My sister had the same problem. She could rate the toilets of every restaurant and shop within a five-mile radius from her home.’

‘You have a sister? Is she older than you?’

‘I have three of them. I’m the eldest.’ She reached for the towel – real, not paper, thank you, Lachlan. Rubbing it across her hands, she dropped it in the basket beneath the bank of sinks.

‘Three? Wow. Your mom must have been a glutton for punishment.’ Jenn rubbed her belly. ‘I can’t imagine going through this another three times.’ She rifled through her purse, pulling out some gloss. She slicked it across her lips. ‘So,’ she said, glancing at Lucy from the corner of her eyes, ‘you and Lachlan, huh?’

‘Me and Lachlan.’ Lucy liked the way they sounded. Just saying it sent a jolt of pleasure down her body.

‘What’s with you two?’

Lucy ran her fingers through her hair, pulling it out of her eyes. She’d spent a lifetime batting off her sisters’ questions, but it felt harder with Jenn. As though she could see right through her. ‘Um… I don’t know.’

‘Seriously?’ Jenn asked. ‘Because I’ve only seen you two together for ten minutes, and even I can tell the chemistry’s off the scale. The way you two look at each other…’ She fanned her face. ‘Smokin’’

Lucy looked at Jenn in the mirror. She was petite, pretty. Her dark, glossy hair fell to her shoulders, the ends waving as they touched her back. She looked like a woman who didn’t take no for an answer. ‘If you say so.’

‘Do you like him?’

‘Yes?’ Like felt too weak a word. ‘I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.’ More importantly, she wouldn’t have put her whole career on the line, not without this desperate need to be with him. The stakes couldn’t be higher, but there was no way she was going to say that to Jenn.

‘Well, he likes you.’ Jenn’s voice had an air of certainty to it.

‘He does?’ Lucy liked this change in direction. She’d be happy to hear more about the way Lachlan felt, and Jenn clearly knew him well.

‘Of course he does. Didn’t you hear him when we went to the bathroom, the man can’t bear to be apart from you for more than a few minutes. His eyes followed you all the way in here. It’s like you’re his magnet.’ Jenn leaned closer. ‘But I guess you’re right to be a little careful.’

‘I am?’ Lucy frowned, watching the lines form between her eyes in the mirror. ‘Why?’

‘It’s not that I don’t love Lachlan, because I do. He’s like a brother to me and Grant. But he’s not the best when it comes to women.’

Lucy swallowed. She really needed that prosecco now. ‘What do you mean?’

Jenn sighed, turning from the mirror to look at her. ‘I really like you, Lucy. And that’s why I’d hate to see you get hurt. He’s just… I don’t know…’ She shook her head. ‘He’s his own worst enemy. I’ve seen it before. He gets close to people – women – but when they want something more he pushes them away. I blame his parents, that man has trust issues.’ She tipped her head to the side. ‘Just be a bit careful, okay? Guard your heart.’

Lucy stared at herself in the mirror, seeing the blonde-haired, creamy-skinned woman looking back at her. Though her expression was neutral, her emotions were anything but. She didn’t know why Jenn’s words had affected her so much. Maybe because Lucy had trust issues, too. But she’d thrown caution to the wind when it came to Lachlan.

‘I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything,’ Jenn said, grimacing. ‘I’d blame it on the pregnancy, but I always put my foot in my mouth. I’m an idiot.’

‘It’s okay.’ Lucy shot her a smile. ‘You don’t need to apologise.’

‘You should just ignore me,’ Jenn said, still looking regretful. ‘I’m a hormonal bitch, just ask Grant. As I said, Lachlan clearly likes you, which is more than I’ve seen with the other girls.’

‘The other girls,’ Lucy repeated. Three words that made her want to barf.

‘Okay, I’m going to shut up now. I need to call the dentist to arrange to have my toes extracted from my throat.’ Jenn looked like she wanted to cry.

‘It’s fine, it really is,’ Lucy said, hoping her tone was reassuring. Hoping even more that Jenn was wrong.

She had to be, didn’t she? Lucy’s future depended on it.

As soon as they’d arrived back at Lachlan’s building, and he’d sent his driver home for the night, the attraction between them had felt like a burning fire. He’d practically ravished her in the elevator to his apartment, and all but dragged her into his room in his haste to get them both naked. By the time he’d finished with her two hours later, she was wrung out and exhausted, falling asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

Lachlan lay next to her, watching her as she slept. Her body was curled up, her face relaxed, her lips slightly open as she inhaled regularly. She looked peaceful in slumber, as though any worries of the day had disappeared along with her consciousness, making her look younger, closer to twenty than thirty.