by Mia Dymond
Lucy glanced at the curtain and then back at Allison. “He’s scoping out more than suspects.”
“You noticed something else?”
“He hasn’t taken his eyes off you.”
Allison tilted her head to the side. “You have eyes in the back of your head?”
“No, but every time I look at him, he looks at you.”
“He’s a looker, that’s for sure,” Allison mumbled.
“You like him.”
“I don’t know him.”
“But you’d like to.”
“Lucy, Dr. Smallwood’s funeral is not the place to discuss my interest in Luke Owens.”
Lucy pursed her lips and nodded her head. “So you are interested.”
Allison sighed. “Okay, you caught me. I’ve taught you too much. I am interested.”
“What do you plan to do about it?”
Allison adjusted the cuffs of her gloves. “Lucy, where are your gloves?”
“In my pocketbook. Answer my question.”
“Sshh, it’s about to start.”
“Scaredy cat.”
***
Luke snickered and pushed the gauzy curtain to the side for a better view. The two of them looked like a couple of sweet old ladies, gossiping in church. Arsenic and Old Lace Reunited. Lucy sat with her hands folded in her lap, professional, prim, proper and buttoned down.
Allison, however, made death look appetizing. Her short, black dress brushed the top of her thighs each time she moved and drew his attention to her shapely, sexy, never-ending legs. His undivided attention. Very distracting, those legs.
He assumed the ridiculous oversized hat she wore was meant to disguise her appearance. Instead, it added mystery and suspicion. His fingers itched to remove it and watch her silky reddish-gold hair cascade over her shoulders. He flinched as he felt his zipper bite the skin of his very eager erection. Humor worked its way through his blinding lust. He was hard as a two-by-four. At a funeral. He cursed and reached down to shift himself.
His excitement waned when an ear-piercing squeak echoed off the walls. A tall, willowy man thumped the microphone and then began to speak. Luke slid his phone from his pocket, clicked on his picture folder, then glanced back at the podium. Frank Winslow. He allowed himself a secret smile. Winslow was dressed a little differently from the last time he’d seen him. Out of the corner of his ear, he listened to Winslow’s eulogy, unimpressed until Winslow referred to Smallwood as his business partner.
Business partner? In what capacity? He mulled those questions through his mind while he watched Winslow step from the pulpit and walk out of the chapel without another word. He didn’t bother to speak to the family or stay to view the body. Was he too emotional over Smallwood’s death? Luke chuckled under his breath. Probably not.
Luke shifted his eyes to the front of the room where guests now passed the casket for one last peek at Smallwood. An attractive woman with baby’s-butt-smooth skin led the way and dabbed her eyes with a stiff tissue. He chuckled again. Crocodile tears.
He glanced at his phone again. Francine Smallwood, the doctor’s widow. She paused only a second at the head of the casket before she leaned over to speak to the deceased. He squinted to focus on her plump lips as they moved. His heart jumped. Bastard?
Shaking the excitement from his system, Luke turned to leave just as he noticed Lucy and Allison whispering in animated conversation beside the casket. Lucy gave Allison the evil eye and filed past Smallwood without a word. Allison stopped at his head and ran one black-gloved hand across the mahogany. As she slid her hand down the length, a tiny, silver object fell into the casket. Luke blinked twice, not sure what he’d just seen. He mentally pushed rewind in an effort to convince himself. Now even more baffled, he slipped out the back door and headed to the front entrance.
He parked himself just outside the door where guests would gather and assume he was one of them. As soon as the pallbearers rolled the casket out the door and loaded it into the hearse, the funeral director escorted Mrs. Smallwood and her entourage to the waiting limousine. The crowd inside the chapel made its way outside. He spotted Lucy and Allison bringing up the rear. As soon as they passed him without a second glance, he cleared his throat and spoke.
“Afternoon, Ladies.”
Both women stopped abruptly and hesitated before they turned to acknowledge him. Lucy’s face paled as Allison greeted him.
“Mr. Owens.”
He gave her a cocky smile. “I thought we agreed you’d call me Luke.”
Allison returned his smile and he wanted to strip her naked. “Luke. Friend or family?”
He stepped between both women and laid an arm across each of their shoulders. “Going to the cemetery?”
“No,” Lucy answered meekly.
He steered them gently out of the crowd and to a secluded area of the parking lot before he dropped his arms and braced himself against a light pole.
“Nice service,” he said casually.
Lucy’s hands twisted her gloves almost in half.
Allison shrugged. “I guess.”
“Thoughtful of you to leave him a personal memento.”
Lucy gasped and balled her gloves.
Allison nudged her with one foot. “You must be mistaken.”
“I saw you drop something into the casket, Allison.”
“Of course you did,” Lucy blurted, “you’ve watched her all morning!”
He felt his body tighten at Lucy’s accusation and shifted to one side. “What did you leave behind?”
Allison flashed him a cheeky grin. “Two screws.”
“Screws?”
She nodded and folded her arms under her breasts. He ran his tongue across his bottom lip as the lace of her bra peeked from the confines of her dress, teasing him with the soft, creamy flesh it covered.
Allison’s gentle laugh distracted him from his silent appreciation for all things lacy. “We wanted to get in one last screw you before they put him in the ground.”
Shock had a stranglehold on his throat as he fought to appear calm. “Do me a favor and lay low for awhile. I don’t want to investigate my own clients.” He pushed himself off the pole.
“Find anything helpful?” Allison asked.
“Maybe. Do you two know Frank Winslow well?”
“Nothing more than professionally. Why?”
“He referred to himself as Smallwood’s business partner.”
Lucy snorted. “Anything to make himself look important. The only association they have is at the hospital and ... you know.”
“If that’s the case, why not call himself a colleague?”
Allison’s suspicion became apparent as her eyes faded from blue to green. “You think there’s more to that, don’t you?”
“I do.”
“Are you going to tail him?”
“It’s a start. Does he know about the pictures?”
“No!” Lucy all but shrieked.
“Relax,” he said, laying a comforting hand on her shoulder. “I’m just trying to establish a link between Winslow and the murder.”
“Luke,” Allison scoffed, “why would Winslow murder his own naughty little boy toy?”
He shrugged. “Who knows? Why didn’t he stick around?”
“Surgery. One of ours.”
He nodded, mentally oiling the wheels of his brain. “You girls go home and relax. I’ll call when I have something.”
“Start with Thirsty’s,” Allison suggested as she and Lucy turned to leave.
“Why?”
She lifted an eyebrow. “Just a hunch.”
He shook his head as he watched them cross the parking lot. She had a hunch. Right.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Luke pulled into the nearest parking space to the Emergency Room door of Maplewood Memorial Hospital, killed the engine, eased himself down in the seat and settled in to wait. If he had assumed correctly, Winslow would rely on the cover of darkness before he ventured out. Luke tapped his f
ingers against the steering wheel and scanned the area to assure himself Winslow hadn’t slipped by. That, and to make absolutely sure someone didn’t have him under surveillance. Namely, Allison’s family.
He shifted uneasily at that thought, still puzzled by her decision to hire him. It was a well-known fact Scarletti was six feet under. Had been for at least ten years. But that didn’t dilute the bloodline. Undoubtedly, he made sure someone was looking out for her. Then again, she seemed determined to look out for herself. All five feet, five inches of her scorching hot self.
He couldn’t help but be attracted to her. Her no-nonsense attitude drove him crazy. Not really blunt, but very effectively to the point. She struck him as a woman who knew exactly what she wanted and most likely knew how to assure her wants were met. Her body alone was a powerful enticement. Yeah, he could get lost in her for days.
Then there was that mob connection…
Movement from the exit caught his attention, pulling him from his lust-induced daydream. Winslow left the hospital, glanced over his shoulder and headed for a black BMW. Luke raised his digital camera to his left eyeball and clicked twice.
He watched Winslow lift his cell phone to his ear and weave in and out of traffic. Luke hung back just enough to avoid being spotted. As soon as Winslow’s left turn signal blinked, a smile lifted the corners of Luke’s lips. Thirsty’s. Obviously Winslow’s stomping ground.
Winslow turned to look both ways around the parking lot before he entered the building with his cell phone plastered to his ear. Several seconds later, Luke followed.
Once inside and hidden behind a potted plant, he focused on Winslow seated at the bar. Two minutes later, a shapely brunette took the seat next to him, after being welcomed by his hand on her ass in a tight embrace. Luke aimed the camera and clicked. Mrs. Winslow? He slid his phone from his pocket and chuckled. The fourth Mrs. Winslow.
As the Winslows got cozy at the bar, another gentleman appeared and greeted Dr. Winslow with a slap on the back. After speaking for a few minutes, the three of them left the bar through a side exit that lead into the adjoining hotel.
Luke pocketed both his camera and his phone and stepped from behind the plant. Apparently, Dr. and Mrs. Winslow shared the same extracurricular activities. Did she know about Smallwood? Allison’s story rolled through his head as he followed.
Luke stopped at the registration desk, encouraged by the clerk who stood there. He gave her a playful wink then shot her an irresistibly devastating grin. She rolled her eyes and popped her gum.
“You know better than to think I’ll fall prey to your game, Luke Owens.”
He treated her to another cocky grin and braced a hip against the registration desk. “Come on, Marlene. You used to love to play my games.”
She folded her arms and crossed them over her chest in mock irritation. “That was a long time ago. What do you want?”
“I need info on that threesome that just came through here.”
Her eyes rounded as she glanced over her shoulder and leaned across the counter.
“I knew they were up to something!” she hissed. “One key for three people? Obviously they don’t plan to leave for awhile.”
He smirked. “Did you recognize any of them?”
Her eyes darted around the lobby. “Dr. Winslow did my sister, Darlene’s, surgery,” she whispered.
He grinned in remembrance. Darlene’s chest had blossomed from a 34A into a 34D, establishing a separate, unique identity from her twin sister. And, he witnessed the work up close and personally; Winslow did an amazing job.
“And how’s that working out?”
“She’s adjusting. She’s just not accustomed to them leading her around.”
“Did your guests reserve a suite?”
“Now, Luke,” Marlene chided, “you know I can’t give you that kind of information.” She pushed herself off the counter, grabbed her purse from underneath, and smirked. “Besides, it’s time for my break, and I promised the guests in room 613 I would place their room service order before I left.”
He leaned across the counter and planted a kiss on her cheek. “Thanks, Marlene.”
She dismissed him with a wave of her hand and headed to the kitchen.
The elevator bell jingled at that moment, signaling his need to get back to business. He stepped inside, chose the sixth floor, and propped himself against a mirrored wall to wait out the five-second ride.
Allison snuck a peek from behind her Cosmo as Luke stepped off the elevator and looked left, then right, then left again. With long strides, he ambled past her without a word.
“Hey ya, handsome,” she said softly, lowering the magazine.
Obviously caught off guard, he jumped an inch from the carpet.
“Damn, Allison!”
A giggle escaped her. “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.”
“What are you doing here?”
“Thought you might need some help.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “What kind of help?”
“You tell me,” she countered.
He had the decency to fidget. “I think I’ve got everything under control.”
“You think?”
“You don’t?”
“You haven’t been inside the suite.”
“How long have you been here?”
She shrugged. “Long enough.”
“Thanks for calling me.”
“I knew you’d be here eventually.”
He snickered. “I’m not going inside.”
“Why not?”
He grabbed her elbow gently and pulled her from the bench. “Let’s walk.”
Halfway down the hall, he parked them into a nook carved between two walls. “Why are you really here?”
“I told you, I thought you might need some help.”
“Nuh-huh.”
“Why do you think I’m here?”
“You don’t trust me.”
Her cheeks heated as she raked her eyes down his body. She trusted him whole-heartedly; it was herself she didn’t trust. Especially alone with him in this dark corner. Him and his chiseled pecs, staircased abs and sturdy, lean legs. And the package nestled between them was very impressive. A package she seriously considered unwrapping right then and there until he cleared his throat.
“Allison?”
Very slowly she pried her gaze away from his body to meet his glowing, hungry eyes head on.
“What?” she whispered.
He tipped her chin with his finger and lowered his head.
“Never mind,” he said, his breath warm in the space between them.
She glanced from his lips into his eyes and silently pleaded with him to put her out of her misery. Accepting her plea, he took her mouth with his and slipped his hands up her arms to bring her closer, massaged her lips, and teased her with his surprisingly gentle kiss. Buried in his embrace, she begged herself to be reasonable. Slow and gentle carried a whole different meaning, one she skillfully avoided. Yet, the more her mind demanded she resist, her body retaliated ten-fold. She had no desire to back out of his hold.
Determined to gain control, she buried a hand into the thickness of his hair and urged him further into the kiss. A delicious shudder ran up her spine as his tongue caressed her bottom lip before slipping inside her mouth to wrap hers in ecstasy. Much too soon, he withdrew and placed a small peck against her lips.
“I’m not quite sure what brought that on,” he admitted.
She glanced at his fingertips drawing lazy circles on her shoulder. “Would you like me to break it down for you?”
His infamous cocky smirk covered his face as he folded his arms across his chest and nodded. “This I’ve got to hear.”
She drew her bottom lip between her teeth, second guessing her smart mouth for the first time ever. As quick-minded as she prided herself in being, even she couldn’t come up with an explanation. That kiss had short circuited her entire nervous system and quite frankly, it annoyed her.
“You attempted to distract me from interfering in your investigation.”
A laugh rumbled from low in his throat. “Attempted?”
Allison bit her tongue. Succeeded. Dr. Winslow’s evening antics were the furthest thing from her mind.
She raised an eyebrow. “Attempted.”
She waited for his ego to stand up and roar. Instead, he brushed his thumb across her bottom lip before cupping her chin in his hand.
“You’re exactly right, sweetheart, because if I had succeeded, we wouldn’t be standing in this corner, having this discussion.”
She tilted her head to one side and tried to assess his surrender. “No?”
An unmistakable confident smile overtook him. “No. If I had succeeded, we’d be locked inside one of these rooms, wrinkling the freshly-starched 600 count Egyptian cotton sheets.”
His admission left her speechless. Partly because she didn’t think he knew anything about linens, but mostly because just the thought of his naked body spread over those sheets made her want to tear her clothes off and attack him in the hallway. No, those sheets would not be wrinkled, they would be tangled.
“So, celebrate your small victory,” he continued, “just remember, I’m an expert in distraction.”
He placed a kiss on the end of her nose before he turned and strutted down the hallway and out of sight.
Allison released the breath she didn’t realize she held, and millions of snappy retorts lined up in her head for release. She gave herself a mental shake for allowing him to one-up her. How on Earth had he managed to slip past her defenses and mold her like cookie dough?
She gave a small sigh. As irritated as that thought made her, she couldn’t deny she felt a certain amount of satisfaction. No one had ever even dared to challenge her. Her family made sure of that. Luke hadn’t even wavered. Even knowing who she was, he met her head on, word for word, obviously not intimidated. Yet. She shrugged and headed to the elevator. It was only a matter of time.
Luke exhaled a heavy breath in the privacy of his truck as he watched Allison leave the hotel and hand the valet her claim ticket. Two more minutes alone with her in that corner with her body plastered to his would’ve caused him to embarrass himself. The sexual tension in that tiny, confined space was enough to make him erupt like a volcano, blistering hot and forceful. His cock ached just thinking about it.