by Carrie Elks
There was a smile on Grant’s face that looked as though it was never going away. ‘Oh no, you don’t get away that easily. Six years, that’s how long you’ve been calling me pussy-whipped and domesticated. That’s how long you’ve smirked every time I tell you Jenn and I are going shopping, or that I’m meeting her folks. You don’t get to swat me away when we’ve been talking for less than six minutes.’
‘I called you pussy-whipped?’ Lachlan asked, appalled.
‘Among other things.’
‘Well, that was a dickish move. Sorry, man.’ Lachlan wrinkled his nose.
‘You’re forgiven. As always.’ Grant was still grinning. ‘So tell me, when’s she going home?’
‘Lucy? On Sunday.’
‘So she’ll be here for the gala?’
Lachlan’s already tense stomach tightened. ‘Gala?’
‘You know it’s on Saturday, right? It’s in your calendar.’
‘Shit. I’d completely forgotten about it.’ Lachlan rubbed his face, blinking. ‘It’s this Saturday?’ It was the last thing he wanted to do – attend a gala for his dead father’s favourite charity. The one time a year he had to see all his father’s family in one place, Duncan included.
How many years had he sat there feeling excluded? Ignored by everybody as though he wasn’t a true MacLeish. The thought of having Lucy there with him made his chest feel warm. He’d be somebody. He could face anything with her by his side.
‘Yep, that’s right. And lucky for you I already assumed you’d have a plus one, so there’s room on the MacLeish Holdings table.’ Grant grinned. ‘I have to admit I hadn’t been looking forward to going, but now I know Lucy will be there, maybe it won’t be so bad after all.’
‘Maybe it won’t be,’ Lachlan agreed, and it was strange how much truth was in those words. Even stranger how having her by his side made everything else seem so much less important, including this damn dispute with his brother. He glanced down at his now-empty glass, a smile curling at his lips.
When he looked up, Grant’s own smile had doubled in size. ‘You’re in big, big trouble, my friend.’
Lucy ran her hands beneath the tap, feeling the cool water pouring over her flesh. The muted lighting inside the bathroom made her skin look warm, smooth. It was like staring at an airbrushed version of herself in the mirror. As she rubbed the fragrant soap into her palms, the door behind her clicked, and Jenn came out, taking the sink beside her.
‘I swear I’ve got the bladder of an old lady,’ Jenn told her, lathering up her hands. ‘They say it gets much worse in the third trimester, but I can’t see how it can. I already spend the majority of my life in the bathroom.’
Lucy smiled, shaking the water from her palms. ‘My sister had the same problem. She could rate the toilets of every restaurant and shop within a five-mile radius from her home.’
‘You have a sister? Is she older than you?’
‘I have three of them. I’m the eldest.’ She reached for the towel – real, not paper, thank you, Lachlan. Rubbing it across her hands, she dropped it in the basket beneath the bank of sinks.
‘Three? Wow. Your mom must have been a glutton for punishment.’ Jenn rubbed her belly. ‘I can’t imagine going through this another three times.’ She rifled through her purse, pulling out some gloss. She slicked it across her lips. ‘So,’ she said, glancing at Lucy from the corner of her eyes, ‘you and Lachlan, huh?’
‘Me and Lachlan.’ Lucy liked the way they sounded. Just saying it sent a jolt of pleasure down her body.
‘What’s with you two?’
Lucy ran her fingers through her hair, pulling it out of her eyes. She’d spent a lifetime batting off her sisters’ questions, but it felt harder with Jenn. As though she could see right through her. ‘Um… I don’t know.’
‘Seriously?’ Jenn asked. ‘Because I’ve only seen you two together for ten minutes, and even I can tell the chemistry’s off the scale. The way you two look at each other…’ She fanned her face. ‘Smokin’’
Lucy looked at Jenn in the mirror. She was petite, pretty. Her dark, glossy hair fell to her shoulders, the ends waving as they touched her back. She looked like a woman who didn’t take no for an answer. ‘If you say so.’
‘Do you like him?’
‘Yes?’ Like felt too weak a word. ‘I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.’ More importantly, she wouldn’t have put her whole career on the line, not without this desperate need to be with him. The stakes couldn’t be higher, but there was no way she was going to say that to Jenn.
‘Well, he likes you.’ Jenn’s voice had an air of certainty to it.
‘He does?’ Lucy liked this change in direction. She’d be happy to hear more about the way Lachlan felt, and Jenn clearly knew him well.
‘Of course he does. Didn’t you hear him when we went to the bathroom, the man can’t bear to be apart from you for more than a few minutes. His eyes followed you all the way in here. It’s like you’re his magnet.’ Jenn leaned closer. ‘But I guess you’re right to be a little careful.’
‘I am?’ Lucy frowned, watching the lines form between her eyes in the mirror. ‘Why?’
‘It’s not that I don’t love Lachlan, because I do. He’s like a brother to me and Grant. But he’s not the best when it comes to women.’
Lucy swallowed. She really needed that prosecco now. ‘What do you mean?’
Jenn sighed, turning from the mirror to look at her. ‘I really like you, Lucy. And that’s why I’d hate to see you get hurt. He’s just… I don’t know…’ She shook her head. ‘He’s his own worst enemy. I’ve seen it before. He gets close to people – women – but when they want something more he pushes them away. I blame his parents, that man has trust issues.’ She tipped her head to the side. ‘Just be a bit careful, okay? Guard your heart.’
Lucy stared at herself in the mirror, seeing the blonde-haired, creamy-skinned woman looking back at her. Though her expression was neutral, her emotions were anything but. She didn’t know why Jenn’s words had affected her so much. Maybe because Lucy had trust issues, too. But she’d thrown caution to the wind when it came to Lachlan.
‘I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything,’ Jenn said, grimacing. ‘I’d blame it on the pregnancy, but I always put my foot in my mouth. I’m an idiot.’
‘It’s okay.’ Lucy shot her a smile. ‘You don’t need to apologise.’
‘You should just ignore me,’ Jenn said, still looking regretful. ‘I’m a hormonal bitch, just ask Grant. As I said, Lachlan clearly likes you, which is more than I’ve seen with the other girls.’
‘The other girls,’ Lucy repeated. Three words that made her want to barf.
‘Okay, I’m going to shut up now. I need to call the dentist to arrange to have my toes extracted from my throat.’ Jenn looked like she wanted to cry.
‘It’s fine, it really is,’ Lucy said, hoping her tone was reassuring. Hoping even more that Jenn was wrong.
She had to be, didn’t she? Lucy’s future depended on it.
As soon as they’d arrived back at Lachlan’s building, and he’d sent his driver home for the night, the attraction between them had felt like a burning fire. He’d practically ravished her in the elevator to his apartment, and all but dragged her into his room in his haste to get them both naked. By the time he’d finished with her two hours later, she was wrung out and exhausted, falling asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.
Lachlan lay next to her, watching her as she slept. Her body was curled up, her face relaxed, her lips slightly open as she inhaled regularly. She looked peaceful in slumber, as though any worries of the day had disappeared along with her consciousness, making her look younger, closer to twenty than thirty.
Curled up in his bed, her body soft and warm, she reminded him of a cat. Difficult to win her affection, but once you did, she’d be fiercely loyal. He smiled, remembering the first time they met. Back then she’d shown him her tough side, she’d seemed hard, immovable. But
only he knew that inside she was like candy – melting and delicious. He never wanted to stop tasting her.
Was this how it felt to finally win? He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt like this – maybe he never had. Having her in his bed made him feel afraid and exhilarated at the same time, like a free faller approaching the exit of an airplane. He was ready to step out, ready to fall, not knowing if he was going to survive the journey. Not even caring if he did, because the sensation was too good to miss.
She moaned softly in her sleep, turning over, nestling against him. Instinctively he found himself gathering her into his arms. She rested her head against his bare chest, her breath warm against his skin.
He closed his eyes, breathing her in, trying to commit this feeling to memory.
He was becoming addicted to her, and he wasn’t sure he could ever go cold turkey again.
26
A heaven on earth I have won by wooing thee
– All’s Well That Ends Well
‘You doing okay?’ Lachlan asked. Lucy was lying back in the bed, her blonde hair fanned out across the white pillow, her eyes open and staring at the ceiling. ‘Can’t you sleep?’
She moved her gaze to him. ‘Not really. I’ve been wide awake for hours.’ She wiggled down the mattress, resting her cheek on her hand. ‘Sorry if I woke you up.’
Behind him, the red numbers on the clock told her it was just past four in the morning. ‘You didn’t wake me,’ he said, though his voice still felt thick with sleep. ‘I just turned over and saw you laying there.’ He reached his hand out, stroking her face with the tips of his fingers. ‘You think you can go back to sleep?’
‘Even if I can’t, you should. We don’t both need to be awake at stupid o’clock in the morning.’
He grinned. ‘I know a good way to make you tired.’
‘Does it involve pills?’ she asked him.
‘No, but it does involve swallowing.’
She burst out laughing. Lachlan twisted in the bed, reaching out to stroke her cheek.
‘Where did this come from?’ she murmured, running her finger across the back of his hand, tracing a small, jagged line beneath his thumb.
He pulled his hand back, frowning. Lucy couldn’t help but remember Jenn’s warning. Lachlan didn’t like it when you got too close. ‘You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,’ she whispered.
‘It’s not a big deal.’ He slid his hand back to hers. ‘Remember I told you about breaking my mom’s vase? I got it then.’
She traced it again, leaning closer to see it in the half-light. The sun had risen, her early-morning rays pushing through the gauzy curtains. ‘Did it hurt?’
‘I don’t remember. I was only six or seven.’
‘But you said your mom was out. Did you have a babysitter?’
She felt him shake his head, the movement moving his chest where her head was resting. ‘No, I was alone.’
‘She left you on your own that young?’ Lucy frowned, her fingers curling around his. Another reminder of how abandoned he’d been as a child. She ached to travel back to that time, to scoop that younger Lachlan up in her arms. Strange how such a strong, virile man could bring out her maternal instinct. ‘Wasn’t that illegal?’
He shrugged. ‘She had a job to do. She could barely keep a roof over our heads, paying for a nanny was totally out of the question.’
‘Couldn’t she work when you were at school?’
His voice was soft. ‘Nightclubs don’t tend to keep school hours.’
Lucy’s eyes widened. ‘You were on your own all night? Jesus, what if something happened?’ Her stomach dropped at the thought. ‘I can’t imagine how scary that must have been for a kid that age.’
He gave her a half-smile. ‘I broke the vase when I was sleepwalking. The crash woke me up. I was so scared I tried to gather all the pieces together in my hand, that’s when one of the edges cut me.’ He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing. ‘I hid those pieces for days, hoping she wouldn’t notice. Until Grant’s grandmother told me about Kintsugi.’
‘I was surprised when you told me you lived next door to Grant as a child,’ she said. ‘I didn’t realise that was how you met. I assumed you met at work.’
‘I’ve known him ever since I can remember. We pretty much grew up together. Brought each other up, in a strange way. His parents worked all the time – in a restaurant in downtown Miami – so he knew how things were. He had his grandma, though. She lived with them too. But she pretty much left us both to our own devices.’
She closed her eyes, breathing in the scent of his skin. ‘You had to grow up quickly.’
‘We all did in that neighbourhood. It was dog eat dog, we learned how to defend ourselves. And that the best form of defence is to attack.’ He flexed his hand beneath her touch, curling it into a fist.
‘But what about your dad?’ she asked. ‘Didn’t he help? Couldn’t your mum sue him for alimony or something?’
‘He sent money sometimes,’ he told her. ‘But Mom was never very good with it. I can remember coming home on the days he’d sent it – all the cupboards would be full of food, I’d have new clothes, she’d have a brand-new wardrobe. And then the following week it would be back to crumbs and working.’ He smiled. ‘New clothes don’t do much for an empty stomach.’
‘It must have been hard, though, knowing he had all this money and that you guys were going without.’ She ran her finger up and down his inner arm, watching his tendons flex beneath her touch. She felt him press his lips against her head, breathing her in.
‘I didn’t like going to visit him,’ Lachlan said, his voice muffled by her hair. ‘Not because of the contrast – I think when you’re a kid you don’t question things like that. But because they were mean. His wife never liked me, and I can’t really blame her for that. But when you’re ten years old and they’re flaunting wealth in front of you, it hurts like hell.’ He ran his finger down her spine, following the curve where she was lying against him. ‘And Duncan took things to a whole new level. Anything I did, he had to be better. If I mentioned I enjoyed football, the next day he’d get a season ticket and a new Dolphins top. On the rare occasion I was ever given something myself, it would end up disappearing or being ruined.’
Lucy blinked. ‘Didn’t your dad stop it?’
She could feel him shake his head, his lips moving against her hair. ‘He wasn’t there most of the time. He was a workaholic, in case you’re wondering where I got it from. I think he liked the idea of having one big, happy family, but when it didn’t work out, he just left us to it.’
Her tongue felt like sandpaper. ‘They sound like a bunch of assholes.’
He laughed, his chest lifting beneath her cheek. ‘That’s as good a description as any.’
She lifted her head, looking straight into his deep blue eyes. ‘But you showed them, right? You made something of yourself, you have your own business. You’re a success.’ He looked every inch of it, lying next to her. It was almost impossible to keep her hands off him.
The edge of his mouth lifted up. ‘I guess.’
‘What else is there to prove?’
‘Nothing. And I think it’s beyond proving anything to them. It’s about me. About my success, about my drive. I want to be seen as someone other than my father’s illegitimate son.’ Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her up until her body was resting on his. In his arms, everything felt right.
‘You know, I’m really good with my hands. I could tickle them all to death if you want me to.’ She grinned at him mischievously, running her fingers down his sides. He released his hold on her waist, reaching down to circle each of her wrists with his fingers like human handcuffs.
‘I don’t want you tickling anybody else,’ he said.
‘You don’t even want me tickling you.’
‘True story.’ His grin widened. ‘Anyway, you’ll get to meet them in the flesh on Saturday.’
‘Saturday?’ she asked. ‘What ar
e we doing on Saturday?’ She thought about the weekend – the fact she was flying home on the Sunday. Back to a country and a life that seemed more than half a world away.
‘Going to a gala.’ He rubbed his thumbs in small circles around her wrists. ‘You, me, Duncan and half of New York.’
‘Doesn’t your brother live in Miami?’
Lachlan shrugged. ‘They live all over the place. Like me, my brother has business dealings here, the same way our father always did. Plus the gala is for my father’s favourite charity.’
‘And you want us to go?’ She felt uneasy at the thought. ‘Why?’