by Morris, T M
“As I recall, you weren’t very ‘aware’ at your last job.” Devon accused.
“There’s no need to throw the past in my face. That was different. Jordan presented himself as a father figure and a mentor. Then out of the blue, he flat out told me he expected me to become his mistress.” Lucy railed as she moved to block his path. She touched his arm but jerked her hand away when he flinched. “I’m sorry. Did I shock you?” She asked and she began to rub his arm.
Devon stilled her hand with his, as he mumbled, “No, you didn’t shock me. Why would you look to your boss for a father figure? Where’s your dad?”
“My parents are both dead,” Lucy choked, “They were killed in a car wreck on their way to Knoxville six years ago.” Her lip trembled and she began to cry. Devon took her into his arms and rocked her back and forth while stroking her hair.
She had never allowed herself to feel the full weight of her grief. She had kept it locked down tight. She couldn’t explain it. With Devon she felt safe enough to let it go, to feel the pain. After several she looked up into his face. Devon’s blue eyes were smoky and full of emotion.
As Lucy blinked back another onslaught, Devon wiped the tears from her cheeks with his callused thumbs as he murmured, “Aw, Luce, losing both your parents on the same day would have been more than anyone could handle.”
She sniffed. “I’m sorry. I can’t believe I’m standing here blubbering like this. I haven’t cried this much for them since it happened. I’m exhausted I guess. I am so embarrassed.”
Devon released her and handed her a tissue. “There is no need to feel embarrassed, darlin’. Why don’t you go on home? We will talk more tomorrow. Okay?”
“I can’t. I need to work on this report so I can prove you taught me well.” Lucy dabbed her swollen eyes. She covered her reddened nose with a tissue and tried to be dainty as she blew her nose.
“No, just go on home. You need a break.” Devon said as he walked toward the door and paused. He again turned to face Lucy. He walked over to her and pulled her into his arms as he said, “Go home, make some tea, and have a hot bath. You women take long, hot soaks when you are all stressed out, right?"
“Thanks, Devon.” Lucy managed a weak smile. She hugged him in return. She was physically shaken and drained. It seemed almost magical how she felt like she was being reenergized while enveloped in Devon’s strong arms.
The door to Lucy’s office flew open after a brief knock. Carmella’s eyes widened as she watched Devon and Lucy jump apart. They tried to appear nonplussed. Carmella acted as if she had seen nothing out of the ordinary. She said, “Devon. I’m sorry to interrupt your—conference, but I didn’t find you in your office. There’s someone here to see you and he won’t give a reason. He doesn’t have an appointment either.”
Devon was annoyed. “You said ‘he’? Then it’s not Sydney again?”
Carmella, shaking her head replied, “No. It’s a man.”
“Does he have a name?”
Carmella shifted from one foot to the other, not meeting his eye, as she answered, “Jordan Lancaster.”
“He’s not supposed to be here. I have a restraining order against him.” Lucy whispered wringing her hands, as she circled the room like a caged tiger.
“Okay. Here’s what we’re going to do. Tell him I will be out to meet him in a minute. I need to change my shirt.” He glanced down at his tear-soaked shirt with mascara stains smeared across the front. “Lucy-you stay here until I get Lancaster in my office. Then, Carmella, come back and get her out of here as fast as possible.”
Carmella nodded and left the room.
Devon turned to Lucy. She was as white as a sheet of copy paper and her eyes were as large as dessert plates. He took her cold trembling hands in his and stared into her eyes. He said, “don’t worry, darlin’. I’ll see what he has to say. But believe me; whatever he says will be lies. I can promise you, I’ll not hear anything with a grain of truth in it. I believed you when you told me he was a creep and I know you.” He hugged her and dropped a quick kiss on her cold tear-stained cheek. As he released her he said, “Stay here until Carmella comes to get you. Then go home and take a hot bubble bath or something. You look as if you need a good soak.”
She managed to nod and whisper, “What are you going to do to him?”
Devon lifted an eyebrow as he moved toward the connecting door between their offices. “I’m going to hear what he has to say and then I will probably have to throw him out.”
Before Lucy could say another word, he was out of the room. Lucy was numb. What was Jordan doing here? Was he going to tell Devon a bunch of lies about her? He couldn’t be here to initiate a buyout—the company was young and financially stable. Not to mention, it was still small enough to not garner Jordan’s interest. Not realizing what she was doing she rubbed Devon’s kiss into her cheek.
Carmella slipped through the door. “Come on, honey. Let’s get you out of here.”
Lucy nodded and grabbed her purse. Before she could blink twice, Carmella was helping her into her car. “Don’t you worry none, sweetie. That horrible man isn’t going to say or do anything to change Devon’s opinion of you. And goodness knows he won’t be able to even mention the possibility of a buyout. I’ll call you as soon as the old snake leaves.”
“Thank you, but there’s no need to call. You can tell me all about it in the morning.” Lucy made a miserable attempt to smile. She was feeling overwhelmed and was anxious for the hot bath Devon had sent her home to take. She remembered what Sydney had said. She managed a weak smile. What was a little name calling compared to this?
Chapter Four
Lucy unlocked her front door and after she kicked the mail out of her way she closed the door with a thud. She slumped against it for support, and let a heavy sigh escape her lips. She was as scared as a mouse cornered by her Slinky-cat. Why was Lancaster invading her life again? Why did he want to speak to Devon? Heaven help her. Lucy didn’t know what she was going to do.
It took effort but she managed to push away from the door and turn the deadbolt. Slinky wound her way around Lucy’s ankles soothing her jangled nerves. As Lucy kicked off her shoes she crooned, “Hello Slinky cat. Did you have a good day? Mine was pretty good—until the end. Then it fell apart when my old boss, you remember Jordan, he appeared at my new job." She lifted the purring cat and carried it into the kitchen where she continued to pet the cat and murmur to it while she filled the kettle and set it on the stove to boil. Lucy wandered about the kitchen gathering a cup, an herbal tea bag, some crackers and cheese. When the kettle whistled she poured the hot water into the waiting cup.
Lucy looked around the kitchen as she set the steaming cup on the tray. “Slinky, I had better feed you and give you some fresh water, huh? You wouldn’t like it very much if I didn’t, would you?”
The feline sat down in front of her dish to wait. Lucy was quick to fill the cat’s water and food dishes as she explained her plans. Then she picked up the tray and walked out of the kitchen through the living room to the stairs. She paused for a moment to gather the mail lying on the floor and pick up the cordless telephone from the charger. She hoped to get a call from Carmella telling her what had happened even though she had told her not to bother.
Once upstairs she set the tray on the side of the tub. She turned the faucets on full blast and closed the drain. While she undressed, she foraged in the cabinet beneath the sink for the lavender scented bath salts. She found them and poured the better portion of the box into the water. She lit the candles which were sitting on the counter top waiting for such an occasion. The combination of bath salts and candles saturated the room with the calming scent of lavender.
Lucy turned out the overhead light and stepped into the tub. Sinking into the hot fragrant water, she let out a deep groan as the tension from her body was released. She could already feel the tension leaving her mind as well. She reached up to turn off the water. The silence was soothing to her nerves.
Lucy sipped her tea and soaked, letting the heat seep into her tension ridden body. Scooting farther down into the water, she closed heavy lids over her tired emerald eyes. She had no idea how long she had been sitting and soaking, but the water was cold when the telephone rang, startling her. With a deep sigh she reached for the phone and turned it on, “Hello?”
“Lucy? This is Devon. I’m not interrupting anything am I?”
“Um.” She sprang up, splashing water everywhere. “Um. Not really. I was doing what you told me to do.”
“You’re in the tub?” Devon sounded amused.
“Y-yes—so close your eyes.” Lucy squeaked in a high-pitched voice. Self-conscious, she slid back under the water.
“For you, honey, I would if I weren’t driving down the road.” Devon laughed, but his voice grew serious when he continued, “Actually, I’m on my way to your house. I need to talk to you about Lancaster.”
“Fine. Tell me when you expect to arrive and I will be ready.” Lucy said. What could Lancaster have said that was so important to bring Devon to her home after hours?
“I should be there in about five minutes, ten at the most.”
“I’m glad you didn’t call from my front door.”
He chuckled. “I will see you then, okay?”
She said as she pulled the drain plug and stood up. “Don’t get mad if I am not waiting at the door, okay?”
“I won’t.” He smiled to himself. As he ended he had to give himself a mental shake. The image of Lucy naked in the bath made him wish he hadn't called. He gave himself another mental scolding. She was beautiful and desirable, but off-limits and she was adamant about it. Hiring her had turned out to be one of the best and worst decisions he had ever made.
Lucy cast the phone down and dried off. Then, running into her bedroom she hurried into her underwear, sweat pants and an oversized T-shirt. She studied her reflection in the mirror with a critical eye. Her hair was piled on top of her head but numerous damp tendrils had slipped out and were now curling around her face and nape. . Who was she trying to impress anyway? Devon? Why bother—he was her boss—his opinion shouldn’t matter.
She pulled her shirt over her head as she heard Devon knocking at the door. She grabbed the cordless telephone and raced down the stairs. She set the phone on top of the stack of mail on the desk and turned to answer the door as Devon began to knock a second time. Lucy smiled, “Hi. Come on in.”
“This was sitting on your doorstep.” Devon handed her a floral box similar to the one she had received the day he had hired her.
She stepped back through the door, closed it and locked it. Turning she took the box from him. “Thank you.”
“I’m glad to see you are vigilant in keeping your door locked. A beautiful single girl like you can never be too careful. Aren’t you going to open the box?”
Lucy blushed and ducked her head as she said, “Thank you. I guess I should open it. Have a seat. Can I get you something to drink or eat while I’m in the kitchen?”
“Do you have a beer on hand?” He asked and seeing Lucy shake her head no replied, “Coffee will be fine then.”
“I’ll be back in a minute. Let me get some brewing.” Lucy turned on her heel and raced into the tiny galley-style kitchen with the box under her arm. Why was she so nervous? She had other male guests in her home before without having this reaction. She fumbled with the coffeepot and almost broke the decanter against the side of the sink. Her hands were trembling. It was the day’s events which had her in such a state, not Devon. At least that’s what she told herself.
“Can I give you a hand?” Devon asked startling her. She almost spilled the water all over the counter top.
“No. It’s almost ready to brew. Can I get you something else while we wait?” She turned to him, hoping he could not see how much her hands were trembling.
“I think I can wait. Besides I don’t want you to break anything on my account.” Devon leaned against the sink, crossing his arms. “Go ahead, open your flowers. I thought you said you weren’t seeing any one?”
She pulled a dishtowel from a drawer and began to wipe up the spill. “I’ll open the box in a minute. I believe I’ll need to dig out my pitcher first. I don’t have a vase, you see. And, no, I didn’t mislead you. I am not seeing anyone. Are you sure about the coffee? I promise I won’t break anything of value.”
Still smiling he drawled, “Sweetheart, you are in here banging around like a bull behind the gate ready for his eight seconds in the ring. And to top it off, when I asked you if you needed help, you practically poured a pot of water out on the counter. I know you can’t be this clumsy when I’m not here. So it’s because of me.”
Lucy leveled a cool stare in his direction before turning back to finish making the coffee. “How can you be so certain? Maybe I’m just overwhelmed with anxiety because of Lancaster’s sudden reappearance. I know he can be quite mean and devious when he chooses. Is he trying to take over your company?”
Devon lost his smile. “Well…as a matter of fact, no. Come sit down with me in the living room. We need to talk.” The flowers were forgotten—left unopened on the counter.
He took her by the hand and led her into the other room. He waited for her to sit down before he took a seat opposite hers. He took a deep breath and let it out. He studied Lucy's neon pink painted toes for several moments. After a few breaths he said, “Jordan Lancaster is quite a bastard. He told me to watch out for you—he said you embezzled a large sum of money from his company. He also said you would do anything to get ahead. He said you would lie, forge signatures, and even trade certain favors if necessary to achieve your goals.”
Lucy interrupted in a rage, “How could he say such awful things about me? You didn’t believe him, did you? They’re all lies. If they were true he would have me arrested in half a nanosecond. He watches over his money better than Ebenezer Scrooge.”
“No. I didn’t believe him, but let me finish. This is where it gets a bit crazy. Jordan insinuated he and you were lovers and if I needed any pointers on how to satisfy you he would be happy to oblige.”
Lucy shrieked. She couldn’t sit still any longer. She jumped up and began to pace the floor. “If I had a murderous inclination—ugh! I'm telling you he would be at the top of the list. It’s not true, you know. No one could give you that kind of information.”
Devon grabbed her hands and pulled her back into her seat. “Calm down. You might want to save some of your anger for later.” He paused tilting his head to one side. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”
“Maybe.”
“At your age?” He sounded incredulous.
“Yes, but I don’t see what it has to do with what we’re talking about. And don’t you breathe a word of it to Jack. He’ll make it his personal mission to rescue me from my burden—not that it is a burden.” She was quick to add.
“I’m just curious, why?”
“Why am I still a virgin?” She shrugged. “I guess because I never went out with anyone I cared enough about to make love with.” She shrugged again. “And that wasn’t the way I was raised.”
Devon was awed by her complexity. How anyone in this day and age could manage to keep pure into their mid-twenties amazed him. It also made him want her more; more than he was willing to admit even to himself. After a long uncomfortable pause, he cleared his throat. “Well, if you were expecting me to laugh at you, I’m not going to. I think it’s commendable that you are so selective.” He cleared his throat again.
Dumbfounded and embarrassed by her admission of virginity, Lucy nodded and ran her hands through her hair and found her large clip. With a great deal of irritation she pulled at it, but her fingers were shaking too much to be of any use. Devon brushed her hands aside and said, “Here let me help you.”
Once free of the clip Lucy’s voluminous waves tumbled down around her face. Devon sucked in a sharp breath. He shook his head and moved away from her before he continued. “What were we
talking about, again? Oh yes, when Lancaster told me he could give me some pointers I slammed him against the wall and pinned him there. I told him, ‘Lancaster you are a liar.’ Then I told him I will make sure you sue him for defamation of character. It’s obvious to me I know you better than he ever did because I know you can be trusted. I know you’re honest to a fault and as far as having had an affair with him—I told him you had told me about him and if he’s not careful I will make sure you own his company.”
Lucy’s mouth dropped open. “You told him that?”
“I did.” He nodded as he continued to pace around the small room. “Then he told me I had made a huge mistake, the biggest mistake of my life. He said he is very powerful and knows many people and he is going to make it his personal business to run me into bankruptcy court. All he has to do is spread the word our work is shoddy and our business practices are barely legal if not illegal. If he follows through on his threats we will have an impossible time getting clients. He could bankrupt us.”
Lucy paled. “Can he really bankrupt you? Can he run you out of business?”
Devon shrugged his broad shoulders. “I don’t know. He said he would if I didn’t fire you. Don’t worry,” Devon rushed to her side and placed his hands on her shoulders in an attempt to comfort her, “I wouldn’t dream of firing you just because Jordan Lancaster told me to get rid of you.”
“But what are you going to do, Devon? Are you going to let him to destroy the company you have worked so hard to build because of me?” Lucy’s eyes filled with unshed tears.
“Please don’t cry Luce, I can’t stand tears. Don’t let him get to you. After I leave here I am going to go talk to my dad. He’s a pretty big lawyer here in town and very successful. I believe he can help. No, I know he can. We can file some sort of lawsuit against Lancaster on your behalf. And if my business slows, I have witnesses to the conversation he and I had today.”