by Zoë Archer
“I have a life. I have a job.”
“My dear, working as an occasional waitress for a banquet caterer is not an upwardly mobile profession.”
“You want me to leave, Ella?”
“No, Phoebe. This is your home as long as you want to stay. I promised your mother that. But you need to build something else for yourself.”
The phone in the vestibule rang and Phoebe answered it. Her sometimes boss, Rick Romano, wanted her to work a party he was catering Friday night. She agreed, and when she hung up, Ella had gone.
She understood what Ella was saying. She’d thought it herself. Ella made sure she was cared for after her mother was killed. Ella made sure she received an education, even if it was only a two-year degree. The shelter was home. They needed her. For Phoebe, that was all there was—until she met Tucker Ferrell.
~~~
“Did a little checking on your bail-out girl,” Jimmy said as he entered Tucker’s office at nine thirty the next morning.
“Did I ask you to do that?” Tucker glared at him.
Jimmy grinned and opened the folder he held in his hand. “Phoebe Marshall. Father was career military, taught martial arts, killed in an accident when she was thirteen. He trained her—” Jimmy flipped a page—“and she won regional and state youth championships for aikido and karate.” He frowned. “Oh, boy. Mom had a real brute of a second husband. Married him two years after her first husband died. She ran to the shelter with Phoebe. Husband managed to get to Mom anyway. Shot and killed her. Phoebe stayed at the shelter from then on.” Jimmy closed the folder. “Your Amazon is a woman with a grudge. I hate to sound like Dad, but I’m getting a bad feeling about this.” He dropped the folder on Tucker’s desk. “Better watch your step, big brother.”
Tucker didn’t bother to pick up the folder. Now what? He closed his eyes and Phoebe’s face appeared. Those dark eyes and half-smile that turned up the corner of her mouth. She’d given him no signal, no sign that she considered him more than her attorney, but he’d given her no sign of interest either. He picked up the phone and called her.
Phoebe answered with a cautious hello.
“I’d like to take you to lunch today,” he said. “Talk more about the case.” This time he managed to keep the stammer out of his voice. He told her he’d pick her up at the shelter. She agreed, but he thought he heard reluctance. He didn’t blame her. They were past the point of talking about a relatively simple case. No, he shouldn’t have called, but the longing to see her again suddenly overwhelmed everything.
Tucker’s next call went to his cousin Charlie who’d freed Phoebe from jail.
“I’ll take cash or plastic,” Charlie greeted him.
“Next week, cousin. How’s Lilly?”
Charlie grunted. “Still a hottie.”
Charlie and Lilly had met in high school, and something stuck. Twelve years and three kids later the pair remained lovers.
“By the way,” Charlie said. “You still gonna marry that rich liposuction doll with the fake tits? My wedding invitation must have got lost in the mail. I don’t care, but Lilly…”
Tucker gritted his teeth. The people he’d asked Clarissa to invite kept inexplicably dropping off the list. “Tell Lilly I’ll hand deliver the invitation before the wedding.”
~~~
Phoebe watched Tucker drive the elegant BMW—cool and confident, like he was born to live in luxury. She leaned back, relaxed, and stared out the window at the passing city. She’d dressed in her least worn jeans and an almost new shirt from the donation rack, and had prayed he wouldn’t take her to a nice restaurant. She needn’t have worried. He’d traded his fine suit for jeans and a polo shirt. Still preppie, but less formal.
To her surprise, he turned into a lovely park that overlooked the bay. It sat on a hill with a green apron of grass stretching as close to the saltwater as it dared. Trees sheltered picnic tables and a few paths where the occasional jogger ran, huffing and puffing his or her way to physical fitness. The sun warmed the day to just below sweltering, but the thick canopy of leaves above and breeze off the water mitigated the intense rays.
Tucker carried a wicker basket and led Phoebe to one of the tables. He sat beside her, not intimate, but close enough to touch. She smiled as he drew a bottle of wine out of the basket, and laughed when the basket also produced real glasses, china plates, cloth napkins, and far too much food for two people.
“You packed this?” Phoebe’s spirits soared when he winked and grinned at her.
“When I take a lady to dinner, albeit an informal one, I get the best.” He handed her a card from the basket. Armand Gastronome, one of Rick Romano’s catering service competitors. He set out a bowl of leafy green salad covered with thin slices of chicken. “If I packed a picnic lunch, it would be a cooler of beer and hot dogs served on paper plates. Probably toss in a bag of chips, too.”
Phoebe shook her head.
“What?” he asked with raised eyebrows.
“Not many people consider me a lady.” She hated to say it, but she knew it was true. Phoebe Marshall, the women’s shelter watchdog, had a fearsome reputation.
“Why?” Tucker forced the wine opener spiral into the bottle’s cork. He sounded genuinely surprised.
“My height, mostly. Muscles, too. I work out a lot.” She rubbed her hands over her worn jeans. “My clothes come from the shelter’s donation rack. And I occasionally beat men up. You know that.”
“No.” The cork slid easily from the bottle. Tucker grinned. His eyes met hers. “You’re beautiful and sexy as hell, Phoebe. If people don’t consider you a lady, it’s because you’re always on guard.”
Phoebe shrugged. “I have to be.”
He poured and she accepted the glass he offered.
They ate without speaking and when they finished, Tucker refilled her wine glass. To her surprise, he reached over and grasped her hand. She let her fingers curl around his and he leaned forward and kissed her. A warm, firm kiss that made her quiver with desire, a kiss that made her forget everything and isolated them from the world. She broke away and stared into his eyes, more confused than ever. “What do you want from me?”
Tucker shook his head. “Nothing. I’m sorry. I can’t…” He stared into the distance.
“No, you can’t.” A cold voice spoke from behind them.
Phoebe turned to see a slim young man with boyish good looks watching them. He walked to the opposite side of the table, sat, glared at Tucker, then plundered in the picnic basket.
“This is my brother, Jimmy,” Tucker said. He sounded aggravated, but not truly angry.
“Ah, ha!” Jimmy proclaimed as he drew two containers of chocolate cake from the basket. He handed one to Phoebe and opened the other for himself.
“Jimmy has a habit of popping up at inconvenient times,” Tucker explained.
“I’m his little brother,” Jimmy said, his mouth full of cake. “I idolize him.”
“And how did you find me, little brother?” Tucker asked.
“Are you kidding? You think a sixty thousand dollar Beemer doesn’t have a GPS locator. Daddy sent me. Perkins had a wreck this morning. He’s in the hospital and Hodges is going to court this afternoon.” He glanced at his watch. “You need to be at the courthouse in twenty five minutes. Your suit is in the back seat.”
Tucker snatched the bottle of wine away as Jimmy reached for it. “And I’m busy.”
“Then unbusy. I’ll take the pretty lady home. You know how important Hodges is.”
Tucker sighed. “I’m sorry,” he said to Phoebe.
“That’s okay,” Phoebe said, and she meant it. She wanted him and he wanted her. Or did he? Could she make that judgment on a single kiss? Then he reached over, grabbed her hand again and gave it a gentle squeeze. That smile, that beautiful smile, what she wouldn’t give to wake up to that in the morning.
Tucker stood and left her with his brother who’d finished the cake and was working on the remains of the chicken salad a
nd bread.
“You always eat dessert first?” Phoebe asked.
Jimmy laughed. “It’s the only way.”
“Sounds good to me.” She opened her cake package.
Jimmy talked while they finished eating, mostly about Tucker. According to Jimmy, Tucker had graduated from college then decided to see the country. Phoebe realized he was leaving many things untold about that decision. Tucker had worked as a truck driver in Texas, on a fishing boat in California, and as a cowboy in Montana. Five years after graduation, he’d gone to law school and then come home to work in Daddy’s practice.
A warm feeling passed through her. Jimmy really did idolize his big brother.
“So,” Jimmy said, “you beat the shit out of some jerk and tried to drown him. I’m sure he deserved it, but did you ever consider mace? Maybe a stunner?”
“No.”
“Why?” His eyes grew bright with curiosity.
“Job satisfaction. I’m a hands-on person. What’s your point?”
Jimmy laughed and winked at her. “My brother’s an idiot.”
Which made no sense to Phoebe, but she let it go. In spite of the kiss, she still needed to be careful. She didn’t live in Tucker and Jimmy’s world and nothing would change that.
When they packed up the lunch remains, Jimmy led her to an Escalade the size of a bus. Phoebe stared at him, then at the giant vehicle. She stood five-ten and a half, and he barely came to her chin.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Jimmy said. He patted the Escalade on the hood. “I’m over-compensating for my personal deficiencies.”
“I don’t think any such thing,” Phoebe protested. She opened the door and climbed into the passenger seat. As he slid behind the wheel, she asked, “You need a booster chair?”
“Certainly not.” He pushed a button on the side and the seat rose a couple of inches. “This baby has a thousand different positions, including up and down.”
“You sit in it or make love in it?”
Jimmy threw his head back and laughed. “I do both. It’s a motorized version of the Kama Sutra. And let me tell you…”
And he did tell her. She hadn’t laughed so much in years.
~~~
The next morning, Tucker dropped the large cream-colored envelope containing a wedding invitation on Charlie’s desk.
“Did that cost you?” Charlie asked.
Tucker shrugged and sat in one of the incredibly uncomfortable chairs Charlie used to discourage visitors from lingering. “No. I used one of Daddy’s intimidation routines and terrified my future mother-in-law’s social secretary into submission. It seems they dropped six of my guests to make room for the governor and his entourage.”
“How’s your shelter girl?” Charlie grinned at him.
“She’s not my girl.”
“So why are you…? You know the judge will toss that charge against her. Damaging a water fountain while defending a woman from an abusive husband? They’d have let her go in a few hours anyway. She didn’t need bail.”
Tucker frowned. “Then why’d you charge me eight hundred dollars.”
“So I could say forget it and call in a big lawyer favor later on.” Charlie lifted the invitation. “Anybody told you you’re making a mistake marrying Clarissa.”
“Just Jimmy. Mom and Dad don’t talk about it.”
Charlie chuckled. “Just as well. Phoebe Marshall may not be a superwoman, but she can hold her own. Clarissa might get mad at you, but she’ll cry and run to Mommy and Daddy. You piss off that Amazon and she’ll kick your ass all the way to Sunday and back.”
Tucker knew he’d screwed up. Why had he kissed Phoebe yesterday? If Jimmy hadn’t shown up he might have gone deeper, and drowned in his longing for her. It wasn’t fair. Not to her or Clarissa. He had to see Phoebe, explain things.
When he left Charlie’s office, he called her. Yes, she would see him this afternoon. But what would he say? I want you so much, but I’m going to marry another woman next week. No, he’d be honest, apologize, and then let her go.
~~~
Phoebe hung up the phone when Tucker said goodbye. She’d done it. She’d committed herself to…what? Sex? Certainly neither of them was a virgin. But could there be more? She had little else to offer him besides her body. He’d kissed her and everything felt so right, as if order had suddenly arrived in a chaotic universe. It seemed unfair to lay the sins of men who drove women to despair—and the hospital—on Tucker. She wanted him, wanted to make love to him, wanted to have him at her side.
“Phoebe,” Ella spoke from behind her.
Phoebe turned.
“I didn’t mean to spy on you, but you know how much I love you. Please stop anticipating the worst.”
Phoebe hugged Ella. “You’re right. But I’m scared. This feels so different.”
“And that’s a good sign. Listen to your heart, love, you can’t go wrong. ”
~~~
Tucker squeezed his hands into fists to suppress the urge to grab Phoebe as she let him in the front door. She led him down the silent hall toward the back of the building.
“Where is everyone?” he asked.
“Upstairs. Another set of doors and locks adds an extra layer of protection in case some bastard gets by me. Buys time for the police to get here, too.” Phoebe opened a door on the left and stepped in. “Welcome to my place.” She gave an expansive sweep of her hand, and Tucker followed her in.
Her place was nothing more than a small corner of a large storage room. Neat and clean, shelves stacked with non-perishable food, clothing and bed linens consumed ninety percent of the floor area, leaving only room for a double bed, chest of drawers and a small bookcase. Light from the high, barred windows on one wall did nothing to soften the fact that his beautiful Phoebe slept in a warehouse. He wanted her to have silk sheets and pure luxury.
She closed the door behind him. What did he do now? The battle raged in his mind. Clarissa, his father’s need for money, at war with the desire that drove him toward this powerful woman who’d entered his life.
Phoebe turned to him, a look of confusion on her face. “I’ll ask you again. What do you want from me, Tucker?”
What did he want? What could he offer her? Only himself. He let everything go. He could not, would not, marry Clarissa. “I want you to love me.”
~~~
Phoebe bit her lip as a sudden sense of urgency filled her. Tucker radiated the sexual energy of a man in the prime of his life, a powerful desire that might consume her if she let it. She went to him and laid her hands flat on his chest. “I do love you, Tucker. Pro bono you said when you gave me your card. But nothing is free. In just a few seconds, you stole my heart.”
He wrapped his arms around her and drew her close. His body was hard and lean against her. He obviously didn’t spend all his time at a desk.
“I want you so much,” he murmured in her ear.
Phoebe’s heart soared with joy. She didn’t hesitate. She surrendered. “Then I’m yours.”
She wanted to touch him, wanted him to touch her. The world spun and the room disappeared in a haze around her. The single room air conditioner perched in one of the high windows kicked on, as if it responded to the heat of their meeting.
Phoebe let him undress her, and he did so slowly, as if wanting to prolong the act, to take the time to know her, to let her become used to his gaze. Everywhere he touched, her skin tingled with almost unbearable sensitivity. She loved the gentleness of his hands and the longing in his eyes.
She watched him shed his suit. Did he know how desirable he was? He had a powerful body and moved with a grace rare in a man. On the bed, he used what seemed like magic hands and a passionate mouth to discover all the things that brought her to the brink of paradise. Her body responded with shameless intensity.
He suddenly drew back. “Phoebe, do you take the pill?”
Oops. She’d forgotten about that. Talk about reckless desire. “No. No pills. I don’t have sex much.
” She hadn’t had sex since her last year in Community College. She rose, walked to the storage shelves and came back with a box of a hundred condoms.
A wonderful smile came to Tucker’s face. He laughed. “I think you’re a bit over optimistic there.”
Phoebe shrugged. “The Health Department supplies them.” She lay down beside him. “We tried to explain it would be a long time before most of the women here would trust a man that much again, but they insisted. I suppose it’s for the best.”
“Thank you,” he said as she lay beside him.
“What?” She brushed her fingers across his chest. “For sex?”
“No. For letting your guard down. For trusting me.”
Phoebe wrapped her arms around him and stretched her body, her skin hot against his. “I’ve never been in love before, but I’m told it makes people take dangerous chances.”
“It does,” he agreed, “but when you win…”
“Don’t let me lose, Tucker.” She needed that reassurance. She’d lost so much in her life.
“No.” He stroked her hair and held her close. “I swear I won’t.”
She accepted his promise with a kiss and let go of all doubts. He loved her, and that was enough.
~~~
Later that evening, Tucker sat in his room, remembering the smooth silk of Phoebe’s skin. She’d given him her strong, sensual body freely, without hesitation. He could still hear her voice, husky and sated with love, as she said goodbye.
Of course, lost in love and desire, he hadn’t done the one thing he’d gone there to do. Tell her about Clarissa. In the heat of love, he’d blithely ignored the reason he’d gone there in the first place. Was he afraid she’d think him faithless? Dumping his fiancée to be with another woman. He’d told Phoebe how much he needed her. He’s shown her, too, and she’d accepted his love. Little else seemed to matter then, but now he had to do the right thing.
The bedroom door crashed open and Jimmy marched in. Little brother’s fists were clenched and his face red with rage. “You lying bastard,” he snarled. “You insufferable shit! You did it, didn’t you? GPS. The Beamer. I saw it. You stayed at that shelter all afternoon. You crawled in Phoebe’s bed days before you’re going to marry someone else—”