Lip Service

by Susan Mallery

  There was no time to analyze the change. Even as he moved to her other breast, she reached for the belt at his waist and worked it free. Then his hands were unfastening her slacks.

  She stood so she could push them, and her bikini panties, down. She stepped out of her clothes, completely naked. His gaze roamed her body, and desire darkened his eyes. But instead of unzipping his jeans, he slouched down on the sofa and drew her closer.

  “Kneel,” he told her.

  She looked from him to the couch, understanding dawning. The shy part of her hesitated, while the rest of her sent up a quiet cheer. Before she could pick a side, he reached out and slid a single finger between her legs. He moved through her waiting heat, finding that one spot and rubbing it.

  “Now,” he whispered.

  She knelt on the sofa, her knees on either side of his hips. She grabbed the back of the couch for support while he shifted until he could press his mouth against the very center of her. His hands rubbed her bare legs, his thumbs moving closer and closer and then she felt his tongue lightly stroke her most sensitive spot.

  She gasped at the contact, then closed her eyes. He licked her slowly, thoroughly, as if rediscovering everything she liked. Pleasurable sensations poured through her, making her groan.

  There was nothing for her to do but let him have his way with her. She arched her body as he licked her over and over again, moving just fast enough to make it impossible for her to catch her breath.

  She’d never done anything like this before, she thought hazily. Not in this position, not with her body so exposed. He had total control, moving faster, bringing her closer, then slowing down until she was panting with need.

  She got lost in all of the various sensations, the feel of gentle stroking, the scrape of his teeth and the play of his lips on her body. Tension filled her, pushing her toward the end. Her body quivered and clenched, anticipating. She rocked slightly, holding in the need to beg.

  And through it all he kept pushing her toward her release, closer and closer.

  She clutched the sofa back and pressed down, needing more. There was sound and movement beneath her, but she didn’t know what and didn’t care.

  More, she thought desperately as he moved faster. More and more and…

  She came with an unexpected shudder. Her orgasm rushed through her body, filling every cell, making her cry out. It went on and on, thrilling her, satisfying her, muscles shuddering, skin quivering. And when it was nearly over, he shifted on the cushion, straightening, then he lowered her onto him.

  She let him guide her down until she settled on his erection. The unexpected fullness as he pushed inside shocked her back into climax. This time she came from the inside.

  Even as the pleasure staggered her, she opened her eyes and found him watching her.

  It was too intimate, she told herself. He shouldn’t be seeing this. But she couldn’t seem to close her eyes. Then she was moving up and down and he was coming and they were lost in each other.

  She saw him tense, saw the moment his orgasm took over, knew that for those few seconds, he was hers.

  She rode him until he was done, then she was still.

  When their breathing returned to normal, Skye braced herself for what would happen next. Last time she’d felt ashamed and Mitch had become cruel. Now she was more vulnerable than before. She felt naked and raw, but she couldn’t seem to pull up any emotional protection.

  Instead of lashing out at her, he stared into her eyes, then tucked her hair behind her ears.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  A simple question. Nothing fancy or special, but still she found herself fighting tears.

  “I’m good.”

  “Me, too.” He smiled, his expression one of a very satisfied male.

  She moved off of him and stood. Once again she found herself the one who had undressed while he had little to do except straighten his jeans and pull up a zipper.

  But this time he grabbed a crutch and stood, then reached for her panties and passed them to her.

  “I’d offer to help,” he said, his gaze lingering on her breasts. “But that would only slow you down.”

  She pulled on her bikini panties, then picked up her bra.

  “Wait,” he said, and carefully pulled her against him.

  She went willingly into his arms. Although they touched, she didn’t lean against him. That might throw him off balance.

  How was he adjusting? What did he miss the most? Was there still pain? All questions she wasn’t comfortable asking. She wasn’t a part of the healing process. She wasn’t sure what, if any, part she had in Mitch’s life.

  He kissed her, the movement of his mouth making her want him again.

  Long locked-away feelings woke and stretched. They pushed against the walls of her heart, as if seeking light and a chance to grow.

  Care about Mitch again? Risk it all?

  The thought was as exciting as it was terrifying. That road was a dangerous one. There was Erin to consider and everything else going on in her life. She couldn’t be sure where his heart was and they were both very different people now.

  She drew back and fastened her bra, then quickly finished dressing.

  “I’ll see you at the party,” he told her.

  Party? What…oh. The one she’d asked him to attend. Because he was helping her. He was on her side.

  “I’ll be the one making sure it all flows smoothly,” she said with a smile. As if her insides weren’t shaking. As if she wasn’t more scared than she’d been in forever.

  She couldn’t give her heart back to Mitch. It had taken her nearly all this time to get over him. If she fell in love with him again and got hurt, she might never figure out how to be whole.

  MITCH STOOD in the center of the physical therapy center and watched the other patients work on their problems. There was plenty of sweat and cursing, not to mention a few tears. But everyone there was making progress.

  Three weeks ago, he’d been walking around on a prosthesis. Now he was stuck on crutches and he hated every minute of it. Hated it enough to do what he was told.

  The receptionist, a young woman in a bright shirt covered with dancing teddy bears, smiled. “Mitch Cassidy?” she asked. “Joss is expecting you.” She picked up a chart. “If you’ll follow me to exam room one.”

  He limped along behind her on the smooth floor. She held open the door and waited until he was inside before flashing him a smile and retreating.

  Less than two minutes later, Joss entered, flipping through the chart. “You can’t be here without a note from your doctor,” he said, not looking up from the pages.

  Mitch pulled it out of his back pocket and passed it over.

  “How do I know it’s not faked?” Joss asked.

  Mitch laughed. “Because I’m not that stupid. You’ll call and check.”

  “You bet your ass I will. He’d better tell me you’re cleared to be back on your prosthesis, or I’ll break your other leg.”

  Mitch settled on the examining table, drawing his crutches up next to him before unrolling his pant leg.

  “Having much pain?”

  Mitch desperately wanted his prosthesis back, but knew he had to change if he wanted to stay healthy. “Some,” he admitted. “More an ache than a sharp pain.”

  “Uh-huh.” Joss massaged the stump. “You doing the exercises I e-mailed you?”

  “Twice a day.”

  “Ready to come back to therapy as often as I tell you?”

  Mitch knew he didn’t have a choice. “Yes.”

  Joss straightened. “What about group therapy? Want to get all touchy-feely with a bunch of strangers, then go hug a tree?”

  Mitch managed a weak smile. “Do I have to hug a tree?”

  “Is that a yes?”

  He nodded. “It’s a yes.”

  “Smart answer.”

  Joss left the examining room and returned a few minutes later carrying the prosthesis. The new socket looked differen
t.

  “I made some modifications,” Joss told him, handing over the leg. “It should be more comfortable. I want you to go easy, too. No more than a half hour at a time the first couple of days, with at least an hour off. Ease into it. You screw this up, Mitch, and I swear I’ll beat the shit out of you myself.”

  The anger was still there, Mitch thought, as the feeling surged over him. The difference was he no longer felt the need to react to it. Yeah, he was pissed. So what? Being pissed hadn’t gotten him anything but in the hospital and back on crutches. The past few weeks had taught him he wanted to walk more than he wanted to be mad.

  If nothing else, it was a start.

  CHAPTER TEN

  SKYE DRESSED carefully for the cocktail party. She’d hosted a hundred more just like it, but this one was different. At least it was from her perspective…mostly because Mitch was coming.

  Craziness, she told herself. She’d asked for help and he’d agreed. So he wasn’t being a jackass anymore. He was adjusting, that was it. Nothing significant had happened between them.

  Her mind immediately flashed to them making love. While she wanted to get all girly about the event, she knew she shouldn’t read too much into it. If she did, she might be the only one. Mitch likely wasn’t getting all gooey inside when he thought about them doing it.

  She slipped on her shoes and made her way downstairs to her party office. The catering staff had already set up in the kitchen. She reviewed the menus before checking the food they’d brought.

  Next she went over the selection of music. Tonight she’d be using CDs rather than anything live. It was a more informal gathering. Only about a hundred people. Including Garth.

  Her father walked into her office. He might be well into his sixties, but he was still a handsome man. His hand-tailored suit hid any weight he’d put on over the past few years. He wore power as easily as his custom shirts.

  “The food looks good,” he said as he checked out the lists on the boards. “What’s the theme tonight?”

  “A good old-fashioned barbecue. Appetizers based on barbecue favorites. It’s nearly summer. I thought this would be a fun kickoff.”

  Jed looked at her. He was tall, with dark hair that had only begun to go gray.

  “You’re good at this sort of thing, Skye. You need to get married again.”

  “To T. J. Boone. You’ve mentioned that before.”

  “Well, how’s that coming? Any progress? T.J. didn’t strike me as the kind of guy to drag his feet. Was I wrong about him?”

  “We’ve only been out once.”

  “Then call him yourself and set something up.”

  She picked up the wine list. “I don’t think so. I’m a Titan, Daddy. I don’t call men, they call me.” Which was a total lie. Men didn’t call her. Not counting the single dinner with T.J., she hadn’t been on a date since before she’d gotten married. But the comment had the intended effect—Jed laughed.

  “That’s my girl,” he said.

  “Why’d you invite Garth to the party?” she asked. “I didn’t put his name on the guest list.”

  “I thought it would be interesting to have him around.”

  “See how your boy turned out?”

  His expression hardened. “What’s your point, Skye?”

  “He’s dangerous. I know Lexi already tried to talk to you about this and you refused to listen. I don’t know if you’re secretly proud of him or if this is all some twisted game that only the boys can play. But I will tell you this isn’t going to end well for any of us. Garth wants revenge and he wants it bad.”

  Jed didn’t look impressed. “What has your panties all in a bunch?”

  “He’s coming after my foundation again. He’s hacked into the computer system and is making a lot of trouble.”

  “Then you should do a better job of taking care of what’s yours.”

  “We’re yours, Daddy. We’re your daughters and you’re not doing a very good job of taking care of us.”

  “You’re always telling me you three can do it on your own. You can’t have it both ways, Skye. Either you can handle things on your own or you can’t. If the foundation is too much, then get rid of it. I always thought it was a ridiculous waste of your time and money.”

  She stiffened. “We feed hungry children right here in this country. Most of the time we’re the only steady source of food they have.”

  “If their parents can’t provide for them, they shouldn’t be breeding,” Jed said, with a typical callousness. “Besides, I know all this. I’ve read your brochures, Skye. You’re playing at making a difference. If you want to be like everyone else, go out and get a job.” He glanced at the boards on the wall and poked at the wine list she held. “A real one. Say what you want about Garth, he’s made something of himself. I can respect that.”

  As opposed to his daughters, she thought bitterly. By his definition, they’d done nothing.

  Jed left her office. She stood in the center of the room fighting the sense of defeat that had haunted her for days. Doubts crowded in. What if she couldn’t do it? What if she couldn’t protect the foundation? What if Garth won?

  “I won’t let him,” she said aloud. She couldn’t. There was too much at stake.

  Nothing Jed had said was news. He’d never understood why she’d wanted to start a foundation with her mother’s money. He thought it was all a waste of time. He made his own rules, then he expected everyone to live by them. If people didn’t agree, he dismissed them.

  That’s what had happened to her mother, she thought sadly. He’d married her and given her everything she wanted…except his heart. And that had pushed Pru over the edge.

  Skye thought about something Izzy had said a while ago. That Jed could no longer father children. Was that what had gone wrong with his marriage to Pru? That she hadn’t been able to give him more children? Jed wouldn’t have cared it was his fault—he would have found a way to blame her. Or was it that she hadn’t given him a son?

  Thinking about all this was a lot easier than dealing with the truth of what Jed thought about her. Maybe she was stupid to stay here, at Glory’s Gate. While she’d always loved the house and considered it her real home, what price did she pay to be its mistress? How much pride and self-respect could she lose before she started to lose herself?

  The sound of running footsteps brought a smile to her face. She put down the wine list and braced herself.

  Sure enough Erin rounded the corner at top speed and threw herself into her arms.

  “Hi, Mommy,” she said as she hugged Skye tight. “I wanted to see you again before the party started.” Erin looked up at her and grinned. “The food smells really, really good.”

  Skye kissed the top of her daughter’s head. “In about fifteen minutes a tray will be delivered to the media room,” she promised.

  “With enough for Amber, too?”

  “When have I ever let Amber starve?”

  “Never. Not even one time!”

  Amber had been Erin’s kindergarten teacher. She had a fiancé in the military and was desperate to wear Vera Wang at her wedding, so she was open to all the babysitting Skye needed.

  “Okay, then.”

  Erin hugged her again. “I love you, Mommy.”

  “I love you, too, Bunny Face.”

  Erin giggled. “You’ll come see me after the party?”

  “I will.”

  “Okay.” Erin smiled at her, then skipped out of the office.

  Her daughter had lost her father two years ago. Would she now lose her home because of Skye’s pride? Erin loved everything about Glory’s Gate.

  On the other hand, maybe it was time for them to be on their own.

  “Not the moment to make a decision,” Skye told herself. But one would have to be made eventually. She was beginning to realize she couldn’t stay here forever.

  But first she had a party to deal with.

  Skye heard the music start and checked her watch. The first of the guests would
be arriving any minute. She went through the kitchen but as always, the catering staff had everything under control. She headed for the front door, only to meet up with Izzy at the foot of the stairs.

  “You look great,” she said, taking in her baby sister’s halter-style dress in a shimmering silver fabric. Izzy’s dark hair was a curly cloud that tumbled down her bare back. She wore impossibly high sandals and a dozen or so thin bangles on one arm.

  “I’m here to dazzle,” Izzy said as she turned in a slow circle so Skye could take it all in.

  “T.J. isn’t going to be here,” Skye snapped, wondering how far Izzy was going to play the game. Yes, she was beautiful, yes, she could get any man she wanted. Yes, Skye was the most unfortunate looking of the sisters. Let’s all move on.

  “Not him,” Izzy said, dismissing T.J. with a wave of her fingers. “Garth. I thought I’d do my best to make him uncomfortable.”

  “You think the fact that you look amazing will make him uncomfortable?”

  “There he is. Let’s go find out.”

  Izzy grabbed her hand and led her across the foyer. There were already forty or so guests circulating. Skye knew she would have to greet every one of them but first there was Garth to deal with.

  She had no idea what Izzy had planned, but was curious to see how their half brother would stand up to the force of nature that was Izzy. As they approached, Skye tried to figure out if she could see his true evil from across the room. Were there clues?

  Garth saw them and held his ground. Izzy released Skye, walked up to Garth, threw both arms around his neck and kissed his cheek.

  “Finally,” she said, sounding relieved. “I thought we’d never meet. Why is that? You’ve known about us forever. But do you call or write? Nothing. I’m waiting for a desperately clever excuse. You’ve had long enough to think up one.”

  Garth raised his eyebrows as he disentangled himself. “Izzy,” he said, easing her away. “Have you been drinking?”

  “Not yet, but I will. My time off is nearly over.”

  “Time off?” he asked.