OPERATION BABE-MAGNET / OPERATION BEAUTY

by Kristin Gabriel

  "I've never met another man like him," Lauren said wistfully. "Sam is so…"

  "Dumb," he bit out.

  Lauren blinked at him. "What did you say?"

  "Sam is dumb. Stupid. An idiot."

  Lauren set down her fork. "Philomena, you don't mean that."

  He nodded, shame pooling in the pit of his stomach. "You need to know, Lauren, before this goes too far. Sam can't read. He can barely write. He's illiterate."

  She shook her head. "I don't understand."

  "It's a family secret," he said, not revealing that he'd never told it to anyone before. Only his mother knew, and she certainly hadn't told anyone. It was odd talking about it in the third person, as if he wasn't really speaking about himself. "Sam hides it pretty well."

  "It's not possible. Are you sure about this?"

  He could see the denial in her eyes. "I'm positive. Sam can't read more than a few simple words."

  Lauren pushed her plate away, then carefully wiped her mouth with her napkin. It was hardly a surprise that she'd lost her appetite. His own stomach was twisted into a tight knot.

  "But why can't he read? Sam's not dumb. He's one of the smartest men I've ever met."

  So she still didn't want to believe it. Sam had hoped this could be over quickly. But it looked as if his luck had finally run out. He needed to give her every grisly detail. "No, he's not. He's just become an expert at fooling people. Did you ever notice that he won't read a menu when he's at a restaurant, but places the order ahead of time?"

  "He did that on our first date. I thought that was romantic. He made me feel special."

  "He just didn't want to be found out," Sam said bluntly. "He'll pretend he's busy if someone wants him to read something and ask them to read it aloud."

  "But he helped me with the crossword puzzle last night!"

  "Did he really?"

  She opened her mouth, then closed it again. "Oh my God. I showed him the clue for fifteen across, but he just pushed the paper away. Then he kissed me."

  "Another distraction technique he's perfected over the years."

  She swallowed. "So that's all it was. A distraction."

  Sam wanted to deny it. To tell her that kiss they shared was much more than a distraction. But to what purpose? He had to end it now. Better she thought him a selfish, stupid jerk than pity him.

  Lauren looked up, her face pale. "But how could he keep it a secret from his teachers? Surely he went to school. You have to be able to read and write to pass to the next grade."

  "It really wasn't a problem at Carthage, the fancy private elementary school Sam went to in New York." Philomena shrugged. "Then he moved to Pittsburgh and made it to the eleventh grade before he couldn't carry it off any longer. His English teacher wouldn't let him slide by on his charm. She actually wanted results."

  "Are you telling me he's a high school dropout?"

  Philomena nodded, letting another nail slide into the coffin. Their romance had been doomed from the beginning. Why had he ever let it go on so long?

  "Sam can't read," Lauren whispered, as if saying it aloud would make it more real. "I'm going to be a teacher and I never even suspected."

  "Don't feel bad. He's become an expert at fooling people."

  "But why didn't he ever try to get some help? Tell his parents or one of his teachers?"

  "His parents weren't around much when he was growing up," he confided, not mentioning the fact that his mother would rather ignore that he had a problem than admit it.

  "He told me his parents spend most of their time on a yacht off the coast of France."

  "When they were teenagers, Sam and his brother, Dexter, spent most of their time with their grandfather, Amos Kane." He didn't know why he felt compelled to tell her so much of his life story. Maybe to assuage his own guilt. He'd been deceiving her for so long it felt good to share the truth. "Amos noticed Sam's lousy grades, but thought he was just a lazy student. Or maybe he assumed the teachers would take care of the problem."

  Her lips thinned. "That obviously didn't happen."

  "It's nobody's fault," he explained, her indignation pricking his pride. She was even more disgusted by his failings than he'd imagined she would be. "Sam tried to learn to read, but the letters never looked right to him. Like I said, it's some kind of mental defect." He smiled, trying to tighten the moment. "I'm just glad it doesn't run in the family."

  Lauren stood up, grabbing the edge of the table to steady herself. "I need to get ready for class. I have a big exam today."

  "I'm sorry, Lauren," Philomena said softly. "I thought you should know the truth. Before things went too far."

  She gave a shaky nod, then fled from the room.

  Sam stared at the half-eaten pancakes growing cold on her plate. His stomach lurched and for a moment he thought he might be sick. He'd never told anyone his secret before. Never shared his humiliation with a woman he cared so much about. Except his mother—and she'd rejected him, too.

  Sam closed his eyes, remembering the shocked expression on Lauren's face. Fearing he'd never be able to forget it. Or her.

  But he sure as hell was going to try.

  "I can't find the Seductress." Sam stood in Howard Cooper's office, his stomach still churning from his talk with Lauren this morning. He knew he'd done the right thing by breaking it off with her before he lost control. But he still didn't feel any better. He couldn't go on living as Philomena, not when he'd see the disgust in her eyes every time his name was mentioned.

  Cooper leaned back in his office chair, his hands folded over his potbelly. "You've got less than week left before your gig is up."

  Five more days with Lauren. And nights. His jaw clenched. "I don't think I can do this anymore."

  Cooper sat up. "What's the problem, Sam?"

  "It's personal."

  The older man studied him for a long moment, then picked up the telephone and tapped out a number. "Let's see what your grandfather has to say about all of this. Maybe he'll extend the time."

  Sam stood up. "It doesn't matter what he says. I'm old enough to make my own decisions. And I'm not giving you the Seductress." Then he walked out of the office without another word.

  No doubt Cooper would be anxious to tell Amos Kane about this turn of events. Sam was out of the game. But he didn't care anymore. He'd lost Lauren.

  Lost the one woman who had ever really mattered to him.

  His throat tightened as he walked down the long corridor of Midnight Lace and out the door. The bright sun made him wince. He had an overwhelming urge to hit something.

  Leaving his car parked in front of the building, he turned left and started jogging down the sidewalk. His gym was only six blocks away. Maybe a good bout of kickboxing would release the pent-up emotions inside of him. Or at least numb him with exhaustion so he wouldn't care anymore.

  "Sam!" A deep voice called out behind him. "Sam Kane!"

  He turned to see Chuck McBride striding toward him, dressed in a dark business suit and a bright-blue tie. Great. Just what he needed. His hand curled into a fist.

  "I've been looking for you," Chuck said when he finally caught up with him.

  "Why?"

  "I'd like to talk to you about Lauren." He motioned to the Irish pub behind them. "Can I buy you a brew?"

  Sam figured there was more than one way to get numb. Besides, he'd tike to find a reason to rub that smug smile of McBride's face. Even if he had to use his fist to do it. "Sure. Why not?"

  The pub was cool and dim compared to the bright sunshine outside. The few patrons inside the pub were gathered in a corner to watch a Pittsburgh Pirates baseball game playing on the large-screen television. Sam followed Chuck to the row of bar stools and took a seat as Lauren's ex-husband ordered two frosty mugs.

  Sam wondered how long Lauren's class would last today. He wanted to clear Philomena's things out of the apartment this afternoon and leave a note telling her that Philomena was going back to her husband in Happy Valley.

 
; Another lie, but it would be the last one. Then they could both get on with their lives. She had the whole world in front of her. He had a world of broken dreams.

  "Good brewsky," Chuck said, wiping beer foam off his mouth with the back of his hand.

  Sam picked up his mug and took a deep drink, barely tasting the icy beer washing down his throat. Then he set the mug down and fixed his gaze on McBride. "What exactly did you want to talk about?"

  "My wife."

  "Don't you mean ex-wife?"

  Chuck shrugged. "Let's not argue over semantics. I want to know your intentions toward Lauren."

  "Why?"

  "Because I still care about her and I don't want to see her get hurt."

  "Too bad you didn't worry about hurting her when you were still married to her."

  "I made a few mistakes. I'll admit that." McBride picked up his beer mug. "But so have you."

  Sam tensed. "What the hell does that mean?"

  McBride narrowed his eyes. "I've done a little research on you, Kane. I know you're the heir to Amos Kane. That you dropped out of high school and have been drifting from job to job until your granddaddy found you a cushy spot at his company."

  One punch. That's all he wanted. One solid jab right in the center of McBride's chin.

  "The question is what do you see in Lauren? She's not your usual type."

  "My type?"

  He nodded. "According to my research, you like them blond and beautiful and a little bit dumb. And we both know that doesn't describe Lauren."

  It didn't make Sam feel any better that everything McBride accused him of was the truth. He tipped up his mug and drained it. Then he set it on the counter and rose off the stool. "Thanks for the beer."

  "We're not quite finished here."

  "Yes. We are." He turned and walked toward the door.

  McBride slid hastily off his stool to follow him. "Give it up, Kane. I know your secret."

  Sam froze, then slowly turned around. "My secret?"

  "That's right." McBride puffed out his chest. "And I'll agree to keep it between us if…"

  "I stop seeing Lauren."

  McBride smiled. "You're smarter than I thought."

  Sam took a step closer to him, gratified by the way McBride's eyes widened and by the sheen of sweat that broke out on his forehead. "If you're smart, you'll walk out of here right now."

  McBride swallowed, but stood his ground. "I mean it, Kane. Stop seeing Lauren or I'll tell her you're out of a job."

  Sam's fists uncurled. "What?"

  "She thinks you're some hotshot at the Kane Corporation. But you haven't been there in weeks. I tried to talk to a few employees, but old Amos must have issued a gag order. Although I think the reason is obvious."

  Sam folded his arms across is chest. "Then why don't you enlighten me?"

  "You couldn't handle the job. You're just a spoiled rich boy who would rather spend his time on a beach than in a boardroom."

  His tension ebbed. Chuck McBride was blowing hot air. The man didn't know either one of his secrets. "Have you ever thought of becoming a private eye? I hear Inspector Clouseau is looking for a partner."

  "When Lauren hears what I have to tell her, maybe she won't be so impressed with your so-called credentials. Especially if there's a chance old Amos might cut you off without a cent."

  "In the first place," Sam said, his voice low and even, "if you call my grandfather old Amos one more time, you'll be missing a few teeth when you walk out of here. And in the second place, if you really think Lauren is just looking for a meal ticket, you're an even bigger moron than I thought. And that's saying a lot."

  "Lauren's smart enough to know she can't keep up this pace forever. Going to school full-time and putting in so many hours at Ladybug Lingerie. She's barely making ends meet as it is. I know how much tuition and books cost, and I checked the amount of her rent with the apartment manager. It all adds up to more than the average salary for a Ladybug Lingerie saleswoman."

  "Lauren is far from average."

  "That's why she deserves someone better than you."

  "Like you, for instance?"

  "At least I can afford to help her out. And I'm certainly a safer bet than counting on your cousin Philomena to come through for her."

  Sam scowled. "What does Philomena have to do with this?"

  "Good old Philomena has to successfully complete the Ladybug Lingerie training program before Lauren's new promotion becomes official. I checked it out with an old law school buddy of mine who's in the legal department at Ladybug Lingerie."

  Complete the training program? That wasn't possible—Philomena still had three weeks to go. But if he quit now, Lauren would lose her promotion. Why hadn't she told him about that possibility? Or Philomena? The answer was obvious. Lauren wouldn't have wanted to add any pressure to her new roommate, so she'd kept a secret of her own. A secret that could have a drastic impact on her life if she lost that promotion.

  Sam raked his hand through his hair, wondering what the hell to do now.

  "Maybe if you were out of the picture," Chuck continued, "Lauren wouldn't be so damn stubborn. She refuses to take a dime from me. I think she'd rather starve than admit she needs help."

  Sam knew from looking inside her refrigerator how close that came to the truth. Then it hit him. He finally realized what was sticking in McBride's craw. Chuck couldn't stand the fact that he was indebted to a woman. Lauren had paid his way through college and law school, but wouldn't let Chuck return the favor. For a man with his propensity to feel superior, that must chafe like hell.

  Maybe she had found a little revenge after all.

  "So I want you to stay away from her. Have I made myself clear?" McBride tried to sound threatening. Which was a little hard to do for a man wearing a Looney Tunes necktie.

  "That's up to Lauren." But judging by her reaction this morning, she'd never want to see Sam again. He'd intended to make it easy on himself by walking out of her life for good. But now everything had changed. She needed him. Or rather, she needed Philomena.

  And Sam was determined not to let her down.

  * * *

  13

  « ^ »

  It was early afternoon when Lauren walked through the front door of Callahan's Gym, the scent of stale perspiration and chlorine hitting her as soon as she was inside. She looked around the exercise machines and barbell stations scattered around the gym until she saw the makeshift ring in the far corner.

  Her heart skipped a beat when she saw Sam standing inside the ring. Shirtless, he wore only a pair of trunks and some boxing gloves. She sucked in her breath at the sight of his powerful, lean body poised to strike his opponent.

  A man wearing a black muscle shirt approached her. "Can I help you, lady?"

  She pointed to the ring. "I'm here to see Sam."

  The man turned and shouted, "Hey, Sam! You got a visitor."

  Sam glanced her way, then froze. At the same time, the foot of his kickboxing opponent lashed out and caught him square in the jaw. He went down like a rock.

  Lauren rushed over to the boxing ring, her heart beating wildly in her chest. By the time she got there, Sam was sitting up, gingerly moving his jaw back and forth with his fingers.

  "Are you all right?"

  "Hell, no." Sam replied, not quite meeting her gaze. "I think I just lost."

  "You owe me ten bucks," Carter said with a grin, his boxing gloves at his side. "That's our standard bet for a knockdown, isn't it?"

  "Yep." He rose to his feet, then reached for the towel slung over the corner post. "I'll just deduct it from the eighty dollars you already owe me."

  Lauren backed up a step as he straddled the ropes, then jumped to the floor beside her. "I didn't mean to interrupt your match."

  He wiped a light sheen of perspiration of his forehead and neck, then tossed the towel into a corner. "I'm surprised to see you here."

  And from his tone, not entirely pleased. Sam seemed different from the last time s
he'd seen him. Distant. Wary.

  "I was going to call you," she explained, "then realized that I actually wanted to see you face-to-face. When you weren't at home I took a chance that you might be here."

  He fingered his jaw again. "Why did you want to find me?"

  She looked around the crowded gym. "Can we go somewhere a little more private?"

  His brow furrowed. "Is something wrong?"

  "I just need … to talk to you."

  A tight of understanding dawned in his eyes. "Listen, Lauren, I appreciate the fact that you want to let me down easy. But it's not necessary. Philomena already told me you don't want to see me anymore."

  Lauren arched a brow. "Did she?"

  He nodded, his jaw tight. "And I understand. Really. No hard feelings. But I hope we can still be friends. Okay?"

  "No," she said bluntly. "It's not okay." Then she did something she wouldn't have done a week ago. Not even a day ago. She walked right up to Sam and kissed him. Not a friendly kiss. Not an affectionate peck. A hot, wet, this-is-my-man kiss intended to make everyone in the gym stop and stare.

  And they did.

  She wrapped her arms around Sam's neck, pulling herself closer as she ravaged his mouth. He stood there frozen for a moment, then she felt his body relax against hers and a low moan emanate from deep inside his throat.

  "Somebody get the fire hose!" a deep voice called behind them, to the amusement of their audience.

  Lauren broke the kiss and stepped away from him. "Are you ready to go?"

  He swallowed, then gave her a shaky nod. "Yeah. I'm more than ready."

  She turned and walked out of the gym, waving at the men and women who were still staring at them. One of the women at the rowing machine gave her a thumbs-up sign.

  They stepped out into the bright sunshine. Then Sam stopped. "Wait a minute. I forgot something."

  "What?"

  He looked down. "My shirt. And my shoes."

  "Don't worry," she said softly, taking a step closer to him. "You won't need them."

  Sam unlocked the door to his apartment, all too aware of Lauren standing directly behind him. Her arrival at the gym had thrown him off balance. A condition further exacerbated by that hot kiss and the promise of more to come.