Justin looked between Lucien and Leah again, his eyes traveling down to Lucien’s middle. Lucien slid his arm around Leah, cupping his fingers on her shoulder. Justin’s eyes shifted, he watched this and his mouth grew tight.
Then he spoke. “At the last minute, they changed their minds and instead of transferring me to Seattle, they transferred me here.”
“You live here?” Leah asked and Lucien felt her body tensing.
Not good news, at least not for Leah.
“Yes, I do,” Justin replied. “Now… you.”
“I live here too,” Leah told him and Lucien watched as Justin’s eyes grew wide with disbelief.
“You live here?” he whispered.
“Well, not here, in the city,” Leah explained. “I live in Dragon Lake.”
Justin’s eyes, already wide, went huge.
“Dragon Lake?” His voice had dropped even lower then he whistled before stating, “That explains it.”
“Explains what?” Leah asked sharply.
“What would drag you away from that family and all those friends of yours. Obviously, if you can afford to live in Dragon Lake, you must have got a helluva job. That’s a pricey neighborhood.”
“We don’t actually live in Dragon Lake.” Lucien decided it was time to enter the conversation. “We live outside town, on the lake.”
Lucien didn’t put any emphasis on the “we” but then again, he didn’t have to. Justin caught his meaning, his eyes narrowed on Lucien and his jaw clenched. He again looked between Lucien and Leah and Lucien heard his heart start beating faster.
Angry.
Lucien bit back a smile.
Finally Justin’s eyes settled on Lucien and he asked, “Do you?”
“Justin –” Leah started, her tense body going solid but Justin’s eyes didn’t move from Lucien.
“Do you know who I am?” he asked.
“Justin –” Leah began again but Lucien talked over her.
“Yes,” Lucien replied.
“Then you know she broke up with me just five months ago.”
“Justin!” Leah snapped but Lucien again spoke over her.
“Yes,” Lucien repeated.
Justin’s eyes shot to Leah. “You’re a fast mover. Or were you with him before you finished with me?”
“Justin –” she started yet again, his name a shard of ice but this time Justin talked over her.
“Nice necklace, Ley-lo.” His voice was snide and it was Lucien’s turn to go tense.
“Do we have to do this?” Leah asked, her tone hard saying it was not a question at all and that they were not going to do “this”.
Justin disagreed. “Oh, I don’t know,” he drawled sarcastically. “Six months ago I was told I was being transferred, with a f**king great raise and a huge bonus. Not anything that would put me near Dragon Lake but it wasn’t anything to f**king sneeze at either. You said you wouldn’t move, no way, no how. Guess you were waiting for someone who could put gold around your neck and your ass in a two million dollar house on Dragon Lake.”
“I think you’re done,” Lucien told him and his voice made it clear Justin was, indeed, done.