7 Minutes in Heaven (Are You Game?) Read Online Free Page B

didn’t normally cart around the heavy equipment, usually she left the serious lifting for Dan or one of the other guys, so she only had herself to blame for any injury she sustained. Lucas hadn’t actually challenged her competency, but after their earlier conversation her life-long compulsion to prove herself had reared its ugly head and she’d been compelled to show him she was more than capable of doing the job. Unfortunately, that meant a sore back, and unless she treated the area with a heat pack when she got home, she was bound to suffer for the next few days. Cursing her stubborn need to demonstrate she measured up in every way, Cassie straightened and winced as a sharp twinge of pain lanced her lumbar region.
    With a groan, Cassie reached around and pressed her hands against her lower back. Arching slightly, she stretched the muscles and kneaded with her fingers. Two large hands covered hers, warm strong fingers working along her spine with harder pressure than her own. She slipped her hands free and allowed the far more skilled ones to take over. The ache eased with each caress and she couldn’t stop the small moans of relief the soothing massage roused. Cassie didn’t have to turn around to know who was behind her. Lucas. Heat radiated off him, surrounding her with the aroma of soap and man and a tantalising cologne she couldn’t name.
    She’d know his scent anywhere. Funny how so little time spent in his presence could engrave him so deeply on her memory banks. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The heat and smell of him soaked in, curled inside her and drew her nerves taut until Cassie thought she might snap at any moment. She dipped her head forward with a groan as he hit a particularly tight spot. It didn’t take him long to weed the knots out of her stiff muscles. Concentrating on Lucas and his magic hands, she didn’t hear anyone approach until Dan spoke beside her.
    “We’re almost done, Cassie, just the walkthrough and letting everyone go left to do.”
    Her eyes snapped open and a gust of air burst from her lungs. She jumped forward, almost toppling into the rear of the van in her effort to move away from Lucas. Righting herself, she turned to Dan and thanked the darkness surrounding them. She’d hate for him to see her flaming-red face. “I’m sure you can let everyone go now. I’ll do the walkthrough and fix anything we’ve forgotten, but I doubt I’ll find anything. You always do a brilliant job on clear-out.”
    “Are you sure?” Dan asked. “I can do the walkthrough with you.”
    “No, it’s okay, I can manage. If you let everyone know they can leave I’ll get started.” Cassie stepped around both men then stopped abruptly. “Oh, and you can have tomorrow off. I’ve found someone else to help me, and you already pulled those extra shifts this week so you deserve to have a full weekend free.”
    “I didn’t think anyone was available for Saturday this week,” Dan said.
    Cassie glanced at Lucas. “Um, well, no, but Lucas has agreed to give me a hand.”
    “He has?” Dan looked Lucas over from head to toe with a critical eye. “Does he know what type of party it is?”
    Not wanting Dan to let the cat out of the bag, she grabbed his arm and led him towards where her staff waited and away from Lucas. Cassie quickly changed the topic and pointed Dan in a different direction. “Make sure everyone has a ride home when you let them go. A couple of the guys are new to the team and I’m not sure how they got here.”
    He waited until they were out of earshot before pulling from her grasp and turning on her. “What the fuck is going on, Cassie?”
    She didn’t want to get into it with Dan right now, so she gave him the bare minimum of information. “Nothing is going on. Lucas and I got to talking and he volunteered to give me hand sometime, and seeing how you really shouldn’t have to do another shift this week, I thought tomorrow would be perfect.”
    Dan eyed her