It had taken incredible restraint not to step out of the shop doorway he’d ducked into and pound Damian’s smirking million-dollar smile down his slick, little weasel throat. If it hadn’t ended when it did, he’d no doubt be explaining himself to the local police right about now. But if he expected her to trust herself, he had to trust her too.
“Don’t blame your aunt, Lainey.” When she stiffened, he rubbed her knuckles with his thumb and kept them moving at a slow but steady stroll up Main. “And don’t blame yourself.”
“She won’t listen to me.” She let out an empty laugh that made his heart ache. “I can’t blame her. Damian is right. Who am I to judge?”
Tucker stopped abruptly and turned her to face him. “Lainey—”
But instead of the self-pity he’d expected to see, her face was a mask of determination. “She thinks I’m over-sensitive because of what happened with Charlie. But I’m right this time, Tucker. I know it. Damian knows it too. He’s probably laughing himself silly right this minute. What am I going to do?”
With one finger he caressed her cheek, then tilted her tight jaw up. “Did it ever occur to you that there might be nothing you can do?”
“No.” Her tone brooked no argument. “I can’t let her throw away her money. Not when I know—”
“She is an adult. It is her decision. You can make her aware of Damian’s past and that may change her mind. Or it might be too late even if she wanted to. He’s very likely got her signature on something, if not a check. He’s not going to walk away from a sure thing, either. He’ll do whatever he thinks he has to, to persuade her he’s the real deal.”
She moved her chin away from his touch. “I thought you wanted to help me.” Her eyes were accusing; her tone made it clear she felt betrayed.
It angered him that she thought he should be added to the list of people who’d let her down. But what reason had he given her to think otherwise? He’d charmed, bullied, and demanded … and when she’d finally turned to him, his first bit of advice had been for her to walk away from her newly trusted instincts. It wasn’t what he’d meant, it had merely been a starting point to looking at the fall range of possibilities, but that meant little now.
And she thought she was a screwup with relationships. He felt like the prize champ. Chump was more like it.
“I seem to be the one who needs to think things out first. I’m not going about this right. I do want to help, Lainey,” he stated firmly. “And I will.”
Her eyes narrowed. “For Lillian? Or because you think we can make a difference?”
“No,” he said immediately. “Not just for Lillian. Get this straight. I care about you, Lainey. A great deal. I think you are a warm, caring, sweet, impulsive woman who doesn’t wait for life to come to her but goes out after it. If someone you care about is hurting, you hurt. If you see a way to fix something, you jump in and try to fix it.” He held up his hand to stall her retort.
She clamped her mouth shut, but her eyes were still shooting sparks of defiance.
“And sometimes when you care you make hasty decisions or jump in too quickly and it snaps back and bites you.” The defiance was quickly tinged with hurt. He stepped closer but still did not touch her. “You’re not the only one, Lainey. Sure we sometimes wish we’d handled things differently in retrospect. I wish I’d handled things with you differently. It doesn’t make them bad character traits, any more than it makes us bad people for having them. They’re what makes you who you are. And you’re a wonderful person, Lainey Cooper. Don’t be so hard on yourself.”
She crossed her arms. “You don’t fight fair,” she said stubbornly, but the daggers, both of defiance and pain, were gone from her eyes.
“I don’t want to fight at all.”
“You also have a twisted way of making an apology, assuming that if I am not hard on myself, I’d be a hypocrite to be hard on you for making the same mistakes.”
He smiled. “I hadn’t planned it that way, but since you mentioned it …”
“I’m not sure on either score,” she said sincerely. “I’ll let you know.”
“Understood. Thinking things out isn’t a bad way to go when you have that luxury. I do want to help you.”
“How? By making me walk away from the whole thing and stand by while Minerva gambles away a goodly chunk of her life’s savings? I’m sorry, I can’t do that.”
“Slow down a second. I only pointed that out because it needed saying. You need to understand all the possibilities before you can plan the most effective strategy. And one of those possibilities is that nothing we do or say will stop this from happening. In the end, it is her decision. You have to face that, deal with that first.”
Her expression fell; her shoulders slumped. “You’re right.” Her voice was low. “I just want to do the right thing for once.”
He did touch her then, a whisper of a caress over her hair and down her cheek. “Lainey, look at me.”
She did. The glassy sheen of her eyes made his heart ache.
“We’ll figure something out.” He’d never meant anything more in his entire life. First he had to erase those tears. He let a small smile kick up the corners of his mouth. “I can always break Damian’s kneecaps, if that would make you feel better. I know it would make me feel better.”
She laughed and sniffed at the same time. “If I thought it would stop him, I’d take the first whack.”
“You have no idea how hard it was for me to stand there and listen. I—”
Color flooded her face. “You heard it all?” She waved her hand. “Never mind. What’s a little more humiliation?”
“What is there to be humiliated about? You made some decisions that didn’t turn out so well. Madelaine Cooper isn’t perfect. Who is?”
“It’s more than that, Tucker. I jump first, think about the consequences second. Most people learn from their mistakes, but I seem destined to make mine over and over.” Her lip trembled as she looked at him again. “I’ve made a mess out of a lot of things in my life. Even coming to Florida was a way to escape things that were getting too hard to deal with. Since I’ve gotten here I’ve tried to think more responsibly, act after giving a situation a thorough going-over. And then along comes Charlie, and I think I’m being nice to the twins by seeing him, and he turns out to be a nice guy, very low-key. Everything about him screamed safe. So I jump at his very nice and low-key offer to help invest my money. And I almost land in jail. The IRS will be paying close attention to me for years. I’m a business major, for goodness’ sake, and I couldn’t see through tax fraud.”
“Maybe you saw what Charlie wanted you to see, a nice man who was trying to help a newly single woman expand her investment base. Weasels come in all shapes and colors, Lainey. You can’t spot them all.”
“So what was my excuse with you?” She blushed but kept her chin tilted in determination. “I made the appointment, again for the twins, although I had no idea they were matchmaking. And even when I knew I was in trouble—”
“Trouble?”
She glanced down, then back up, a half-smile darting around her mouth despite her embarrassment. “Let’s just say I was already a bit uncomfortable with the whole idea, and my immediate reaction to you didn’t exactly make me feel more secure.”
Tucker grinned, scooped up her hand, and resumed their walk. In silent agreement, at the first corner they turned right, away from Main street and the café. “Continue. I’m liking this conversation.”
“I’ll bet.” She was silent for a few seconds, and he was about to tell her to let it go, but then she continued. “Anyway, I was all set to get the hell out of there, but you looked so damned relieved that I—”
“Slid onto my massage table and almost made me explode. Do you have any idea what you in that towel were doing to me?”
She smiled, her cheeks pink, but her eyes were gleaming. “Thank you. But it still doesn’t change the fact that I acted on impulse. Again.”
“Well, you were hardl
y in danger of being hurt or hurting anyone else. I don’t think getting a massage qualifies as a mistake.”
“It’s symbolic of my personality, Tucker. It’s proof I haven’t changed.”
“I still don’t see why you think you should.”
She sighed. “Well, I do. My reasons for coming to Florida might not have been the most admirable, but I’ve found a home here, a place where I feel I belong, with people I care about and who care about me. And now something is happening that can hurt the people that mean the most to me. I can keep that from happening. I need to. It’s the responsible thing to do, Tucker.”
“Tracking Damian down and confronting him isn’t the responsible way to handle this.”
She pulled him to a stop. “And going undercover as a masseur is?”
“Touché,” he said with a smile. “But that proves my point. We do what we think is right, and sometimes, when our hearts are involved, we don’t think clearly in our rush to help.” He stepped closer to her. “Trust me, I get within ten feet of you, and my brain turns to mush. The harder I try to get you to trust me, the harder you push me away.”
She didn’t say anything at first. He watched her wet her lips. He bit his to keep from kissing her.
“I wanted to do this on my own,” she said finally. “I need to learn to trust myself again first. You’re right, confronting Damian might not have been the smart thing to do. But I’d already talked to Minerva, and she’s not budging. I didn’t see that I had any other avenues.”
So I’m a last-ditch effort?”
She sighed heavily. “I don’t know what you are.”
“Ouch.” He rubbed a hand over his heart. “At least you’re honest.”
“I’m not trying to hurt you, Tucker. See what I mean? I can’t even ask for help without bumbling it.” She blew out an exasperated breath and looked away.
“Lainey.”
“What?” She didn’t look at him.
“You want my help but not me.”
She turned to him. “That’s not entirely true. I like you, Tucker. I’m attracted to you. I won’t even discuss what I want because your head would just swell up.” At his wide grin she blushed hotly. “Don’t even go there,” she warned.
He raised his hand. “Not me. Scout’s honor.”
“You were never a scout.”
“How can you be so sure?” he said, looking wounded. When she merely raised an eyebrow, he relented. “Okay. See, you can, too, judge men.”
She rolled her eyes. “Only you can turn everything into a life lesson for Lainey.”
“Just trying to help.”
She grew serious. “Can you? Just help, I mean?”
“If that’s all you want, yes.”
“It’s all I can handle right now.” There was honest pain shadowing her eyes.
“Then that’s all you’ll get. Right now.”
EIGHT
“I think Lillian will be more than pleased.” Tucker shook Stephan’s beefy hand and handed him one of Lillian’s salon cards. “I’ll tell her to expect your call.” The hulking Swedish masseur nodded, then disappeared into the men’s locker room.
Quite pleased with himself, Tucker strolled across the Fairmont Hotel lobby and made himself comfortable in one of the deeply cushioned loveseats. He kept his eyes on the entrance’s revolving doors. Lainey was due any second. They’d parted that afternoon on the agreement to meet for dinner and a discussion regarding the situation with Damian and hopefully find some solutions. Tucker had put the intervening time to good use. Excellent use, he thought, allowing himself a smug smile. He’d spent a good deal of the time on the phone in his room, tracking down people who might be able to help him get more information on Mr. Damian Winters and the Greensleigh Knolls project. He’d also contacted one of his former clients who happened to be an international investment broker.
Tucker had been so flush with his success rate, he’d decided to go for broke and solve his dilemma on how to end his employment at Lillian’s salon. His smile grew to a grin as he imagined Lillian’s reaction to his replacement. Yes, he’d had quite a day.
A flash of green caught his eye. Lainey. She pushed through the doors and all thoughts of Stephan massaging Lillian’s blue-hairs fled as he watched her stop and scan the crowded lobby. Her hair was sexy, all wavy and wind-tossed. His fingers curled with the need to touch her. She wore a jewel-green tank-top dress that hugged her slight curves and bared enough leg to make him swallow hard and shift in his seat.
All his accomplishments shrank to a minuscule pile of nothing when stacked against the one accomplishment he’d yet to achieve: finding a way to earn Lainey Cooper’s full and complete trust. And if he somehow managed that miracle, he’d go for broke again and shoot for the big prize: capturing her heart. In the time since he’d sold MMSI, his plans had been vague at best, but he’d assumed he’d figure out new career and location first, then start working on friends and, if he was lucky, family.
It wasn’t happening quite the way he’d planned. His new life was planning itself. He had to decide to play or pass.
Tucker Morgan wanted to play.
He allowed himself the additional aching treat of watching Lainey turn in a slow circle as she continued to look for him, then he stood while he could still do so and retain his dignity and waved. “Over here.”
She turned, immediately spied him, and smiled. His heartbeat sped up and his pulse throbbed. As she walked toward him, he thought how wonderful it would be to wake up to that smile every morning and come home to it every night. Yes, he definitely wanted to play. And when he played, he played for keeps.
“Hi, I didn’t see you,” she said.
“I was practicing being a superspy.”
Her skin was a little flushed from the evening humidity, her eyes sparkled, her smile was sincere. Just friends, he reminded himself. He’d keep his hands off her—for now—if it killed him. He gestured to the garden restaurant located in the atrium, which was visible at the top of the floating central staircase. “Shall we?” With a quick nod, she proceeded him up the stairs. Watching the quiet sway of her delectably showcased hips, he gripped the gold-plated handrail to keep from grabbing her and thought he’d be lucky to make it through appetizers.
He’d reserved a private table in the outside patio garden overlooking the gulf. “Is that okay with you? It should cool off soon, and I understand the sunset view is not to be missed.”
Her smile faltered a bit, but he kept his firmly in place. He wanted to play, but that didn’t mean he had to play fair.
“Sounds nice,” she said with just a touch of cool reserve.
“I thought it would give us some privacy.” At her questioning look, he added, “Considering the topic under discussion, I thought keeping a low profile was a good idea.”
“You’re probably right.” Her expression smoothed, but there was a wariness shadowing her eyes now. He wasn’t sure if it was the mention of their reason for being there or because she doubted his sincerity. Probably a little of both, he thought.
They were seated in a small alcove with ferns and tropical flowers providing a subtle screen from neighboring tables. Bougainvillea and clematis trailed along the balcony railing, and beyond that all that was visible was the sparkling sun-tipped waters of the gulf.
“Nice place,” she said as she slid her linen napkin from her plate.
“You’ve never eaten here?”
She laughed. “It’s a little steep for me. You’re staying here?”
He smiled at her skeptical tone. “For the time being.” Now was not the time to mention the real estate agent he’d also spoken to that afternoon.
“You must have guarded some fairly exclusive bodies.” She smiled apologetically. “Sorry. That was tacky of me.”
He shook his head, thinking he’d actually enjoy talking about his former profession with her. “If by exclusive you mean demanding, overbearing, and generally pains in the rear, then yes, that defines my former cli
entele pretty well.”
“Is that why you quit? You didn’t enjoy it?”
“I didn’t say that.”
She smiled. “Which part?”
“Both. I loved my job. In fact, it was my whole life. Which is why I no longer do it. I ran my own company with a friend. He died several months ago from a heart attack. After that, I sold it.”
“I’m so sorry,” she said quietly. “Please don’t feel like you have to—”
“No, I don’t mind. In fact, other than a brief interrogation by Lillian, I haven’t really talked about it to anyone.”
“I’m all ears.”
Not hardly, he thought, fighting to keep his eyes on hers and off the soft curve of her lips, her slender neck, and the sweet slope of her tanned shoulders. He stopped doing inventory and pulled his thoughts back to the topic at hand. Her expression told him that she was serious about wanting to listen. And that was a good thing, because he had an undeniable need to tell her … everything.
“It was at Pete’s funeral—Peter Manning was my partner. Anyway, he was a year younger than me. Thirty-eight.”
“So young. That’s terrible. Did he have a family?”
Tucker shook his head. “The company was our family. It was our everything. I stood there in the cemetery with a roll of antacids in my pocket and a grinding headache and I realized that I wasn’t very far from finding myself right where he was.”
“So you just up and sold it? It must have been difficult.”
“I think quitting a lifelong smoking habit cold turkey would have been easier.” He paused and stared out over the water, watching the gold light begin to blend in at the horizon with shades of rose and purple. “I loved what I did.”
“It shows. Your eyes take on this sort of … I don’t know … gleam when you talk about it. Do you regret your decision?”
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