He shook his head in disbelief, watching her walk back to the lobby doors, the trim hips swinging under the elegant overcoat. What had just happened? He wasn’t entirely sure but he had the uneasy feeling he’d just been blindsided and got around.
It was a unique and novel experience.
He didn’t know if he liked it but if anyone was going to manipulate him, he preferred it be someone as sharp and clever as Lindsay.
He straightened up, smiling, and went in search of a razor blade he could borrow.
Tonight was beginning to look promising. Of course it was just business, he reminded himself, but still…
* * * * *
Luke arrived promptly at seven. Lindsay was already wearing her overcoat and was on the phone when he tapped on the door and leaned inside.
“It’s seven, boss.”
She waved at him, all the while still talking.
He stepped back out and leaned against the wall, allowing himself to feel a little of the tiredness that had been nagging him all day.
His weekend sprints back to Manhattan were starting to feel more like a marathon than the mental and physical escapes from Deerfoot Falls they had once been. Besides, New York was starting to feel like a strange city and that was…distressing.
It didn’t help that the news that greeted him each time he went back had been getting steadily grimmer and sadder over the last few months.
Lindsay stepped out of her office and shut the door, tucking an evening purse under her arm. “Ready?”
“Sure.”
In the lift, she delved into the pocket of her overcoat and withdrew a pair of glittering earrings, which she clipped to her ears.
“What are they for?”
“Dinner,” she said, with a surprised expression.
“I thought this was strictly business?”
“We’re scouting out the opposition, Pierse. You expect me to roll up in a business suit with a notebook in my hand?”
“So this is a…disguise, so to speak?”
“Yes, you could call it a disguise.”
“Isn’t that just a little bit subtle for you, Lynds?”
She lifted a smooth arched brow. “Why?”
“I didn’t think you were capable of deception.”
She smiled. “I’ve been watching you, remember? I’m a very fast learner.”
Out in the lobby, she checked her watch. “We’ll take your car. I left mine at home today.”
“’Kay, boss,” he murmured and led her to the underground car park where he usually left his car for the weekend.
The trip to the restaurant was quiet. Lindsay seemed content to let the silence stretch, which was unusual. He wondered what was on her mind.
“It’s busy for a Monday,” he observed as he pulled up in the car park.
It was a mild understatement. The car park was very nearly full and he had to circle a couple of times before they spotted an empty bay. Light poured out of the huge picture windows that spread across the north side of the building. Inside they could see lots of people sitting and eating.
“The bistro off the lobby at the hotel was virtually empty,” Lindsay murmured.
Inside, she gave their names and produced a booking number, which was carefully verified before they were led to their table.
It was a lovely atmosphere. Big potted palms and fichus added an air of summer and tropics and the buzz of conversation gave the big room a cheerful sound. A long bar at the far end of the room had a large number of people sitting and standing, drinking and chatting animatedly.
“I like it,” Luke declared. In an odd way, it reminded him of some of his favorite restaurants and eateries in Manhattan. Perhaps it was the small tables and busy waiters and the even busier bar at the opposite end.
The hostess dimpled at his compliment. “Thank you,” she told him, with a lovely smile. “We try to please.” She put the menus on the table and stepped back. “Can I take your coats?”
Luke shed his and handed it over, while Lindsay unbuttoned hers more slowly. She took the coat off and he felt his jaw descending at lightning speed.
She was dressed in a satiny blue something that had less material in it than the cloth covering their table. It was strapless and worse, there was a split in the top of it, that arrowed down between her breasts, giving him a glimpse of cleavage. It clung. All over. But the hem stopped short a good many inches above her knees. Dark stockings, sheer…god, why hadn’t he noticed her legs before? They were stunning, endless…and he hadn’t even noticed the stilettos until this moment.
He folded into his chair, feeling winded. He wasn’t sure what was the most distracting about her—those long, long, gorgeous legs, or the line of her dress. How in hell was she keeping it up?
He swallowed and watched as she seated herself, the legs swinging under her chair with a dancer’s grace.
“Let me guess…disguise, again?” he said and was appalled to realize his voice was emerging strained and a little hoarse.
“Of course,” she said breezily, picking up the menu.
Luke followed her example and picked up his menu and stared at it but the words didn’t make any sense. He could have been reading Greek for all the good it was doing him.
There was a stray golden curl just brushing the line of her shoulder, sitting where the collarbone lifted the skin a little. That shallow depression there, where it brushed the skin as she moved. His fingers itched to push aside the curl and explore the skin for himself. Perhaps taste it…
He realized where his thoughts were going and swore at himself.
“Pierse, fancy running into you here.”
Luke tore his gaze from Lindsay’s shoulder and looked up. Vince Gormley stood at their table.
Luke stood up, carefully, letting his jacket swing closed over the almost painful swell of excitement he was showing. Right at that moment, Vince’s appearance was the most unwelcome event in a long line of events this day that had been less than thrilling.
“Vince. Hi. Are you scouting too?”
“Actually, no. I’m here as a guest. It’s quite a place, isn’t it?”
“There’s a thing or two here we could learn and use at the hotel.”
Vince looked pleased. “You know, that was exactly what I was thinking. Pierse, you’re a real gem.” He slapped Luke’s arm and Luke pasted on a smile.
Vince glanced at Lindsay, who was sitting with a polite smile on her face, sipping her water. He nodded, then turned back to Luke. Suddenly, he whipped his head back to look at Lindsay and Luke was richly rewarded as he watched Vince’s jaw descend and the look of total consternation cloud his features.
“Lindsay! Good god…I mean…how delightful!” Vince held his hand out to her.
Luke watched with delight as Lindsay uncurled her long legs, stood and grasped Vince’s hand. “Evening, Vince.” She gave a slow smile that revealed perfect, even teeth.
He continued to pump her hand, staring at her and Lindsay let him, her smile never faltering. Finally, he remembered what he was doing and withdrew his hand.
He rubbed at his neck and turned back to Luke. “As you’re both here, I can take advantage of this opportunity. I’ll be back in a minute—don’t go away.”
Vince scurried off to his own table and Luke sank back into his chair with a deep sigh. “That was priceless,” he declared. “Lindsay, darlin’, you’re a gem.”
“Thank you,” she said serenely and went back to reading her menu.
They didn’t have to wait long. Vince hurried back, hooked a chair from a nearby table and settled himself at the side of their table. The wine waiter appeared next to him, carrying an ice bucket with a bottle of champagne in it.
“I was going to tell you tomorrow but as you’re both here, this is the perfect time,” Vince told them as the waiter peeled away the foil. “Luke, I’ve been talking to various board members for the last couple of days, telling them about your spectacular success with the medical association.”
“Well, it wasn’t just me—” Luke began, uneasiness stirring in him.
“Now, no false modesty,” Vince told him. “I’ve had some interesting chats with people here and there. You’re relatively new in town and probably don’t realize just how many people I’m on a first name basis with here. Comes from growing up in the community, doesn’t it, Lindsay?”
“Yes,” she agreed flatly and Luke realized that her serene expression had fled. The green eyes were glittering with intensity and her concentration was fully on Vince. She was leaning forward a little and Luke’s gaze slid to the top of the little dress before he swallowed and dragged his focus back to Vince.
Vince arranged three champagne flutes on the table as the waiter popped the cork and poured the foaming liquid with experienced ease.
“I had a chat with Otto Berenger this morning and that pretty much clinched the deal for you,” Vince continued. He pushed two of the glasses toward them and picked up the third himself. “It’s been okayed and all that’s left is the paperwork. Congratulations, Luke, you’re now the hotel’s new public relations director.”
“Public relations?” Lindsay put her glass down. “But the marketing department…”
Vince patted her hand. “That’s the beauty of it. All the right people noticed at the Christmas party how well you two work together. You complement each other. Now, everyone knows that if you’ve got a weakness at all, Lindsay, it’s working with people. You’re brilliant at conceiving ideas and putting them into effect and keeping them running. Luke here, well, he’s good at the people stuff. So he can focus on the PR side of things and you can carry on doing what you do so well.” He tapped her glass. “Drink up!”
She took a swallow but Luke could see the liquid nearly made her gag, although she swallowed it anyway. His own gut was curling with tension that he didn’t quite understand.
Vince turned to him. “You’re not going to say no, are you? Not after I’ve had this very expensive bottle opened and everything?”
He glanced at Lindsay. Normally, she was incapable of hiding anything. Every emotion showed up on her face, as easily read as newspaper. But now it was a mask.
Luke held out his hand. “Of course I’m delighted to accept,” he told Vince, lying with utter conviction.
Chapter Seven
Lindsay waited until Vince had gone. “Tell him you’ve changed your mind,” she told Luke.
Luke put his glass of champagne back on the table with a little thump. “What? Why should I do that?”
She clenched her fists around the napkin on her lap, twisting it into a thick rope. “You know why. You cheated. You’ve got this promotion through trickery.”
“Excuse me?”
“You’re climbing on my shoulders to get it and you know it.”
“I know no such thing.”
“Now you’re stooping to lying?”
“No!” He looked genuinely affronted and she relented a little.
“You told me you tricked me. You admitted it out loud.”
“I did not.”
“On the night of the Christmas party, when I tried to kiss you. Remember? You said then that you’d tricked me into it.”
“Are you really going to use that night as ammunition, Lynds?” he asked. “I’m disappointed.”
Frustration made her slap her hand on the table. “But you said it!” she insisted.
“I said a lot of things that night.”
She sat back, trying to unravel the strange note in his voice. “Was all of it lies, then?” she asked.
His gaze dropped to the table. “No. Not all of it.”
“Just some of it.” She couldn’t keep the disappointment out of her voice and Luke’s head lifted in reaction.
“Grow up, Lindsay. It’s not a perfect world out there.”
“Except for your beloved New York, of course,” she shot back. “Why don’t you go back there, Lucifer? That black hole and you deserve each other.” She got to her feet and grabbed her bag.
Luke’s hand snatched at her wrist, anchoring her to the spot. “Don’t leave.”
“Let go of me,” she demanded.
“Please, Lindsay. Just sit down. Talk to me.” He looked up at her. “Please.”
“There isn’t anything else to talk about,” she told him. “You’ve just said it all very nicely.” She didn’t bother to hide her bitterness. She lifted her caged wrist. “Are you going to let go, or do I call for the maitre’d?”
“Will you for one minute just be reasonable?” he asked. “If we’re going to be working together as equals, we need—”
Fury woke in her and emerged in full flame. She yanked her wrist out of his hand with strength she didn’t know she possessed. “You and I will never work together, Pierse. This job is mine. All of it. PR and marketing. That’s the only way it can be. That’s the only way I will allow it to be, do you understand? It’s not going to count if it happens any other way.”
She realized she had said too much when puzzlement grew on his face.
“What?” he asked.
“Never mind.” She brushed past the waiter who was just arriving at their table to take their order and hurried to the lobby to find the hostess, get her coat, and get the hell out of there.
Her heart was tripping along hurriedly and unhappily. There was a huge thick mass in the middle of her chest. She didn’t know if it was unexpressed anger, or tears, or just pure fear.
Luke couldn’t take that job. It would be the end of everything if he did.
She had shrugged into her coat and was heading out the door when she felt the hand on her arm, pulling her back.
“I’ll drive you,” Luke told her.
“No.”
“You’re going to stand out there in the cold and try to hail a passing taxi? It’s at least twenty below out there and no taxi is going to come by way out here unless you phone them.”
It was undefeatable logic. “All right,” she said dully.
He pushed her forward again, toward his car and settled her into the passenger seat. The car was still slightly warm from their trip out to the restaurant. They hadn’t been in the restaurant for very long at all.
He sat behind the wheel, started the engine and looked at her. “Where am I taking you?”
She gave him the address and a few critical directions and then turned and stared out the window. She didn’t think she could talk to him right now.
He didn’t seem any more inclined to break the silence and the longer it stretched, the more the tension in her stomach twisted tighter and tighter. She couldn’t see a way out of this if she couldn’t convince Luke to turn the promotion down and right now that seemed extremely unlikely. For a man with less ambition than the janitor, Luke was hanging on to this promotion with all the doggedness of a Saint Bernard. It made no sense.
“Why?” she finally asked.
“Why what?”
“Why is this promotion so near and dear to you? You’ve never shown the slightest interest in the corporate ladder before.”
It was a long moment before he answered. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
“As you’ve already admitted you’re a liar,” she added.
He didn’t answer but she sensed her words had registered, anyway.
He pulled the car up at the house and switched off the engine.
“I’ll be fine from here,” she told him.
“Indulge my New York paranoia,” he said, getting out. He followed her down the path to the private entrance to her side of the house and stood by while she unlocked the door. She switched on the light to her sitting room and swung the door wide so he could see the room was empty and innocent.
He stepped back and pushed his hands into his pockets. “Is there any way to talk this out, Lindsay?”
“According to you, no.”
“An overwhelming force meets an immovable object.” He shook his head almost sadly.
“It might help if you
could tell me this reason of yours I wouldn’t believe.”
He considered for a moment. “Do you want to tell me yours?” he asked.
Alarm prodded her. “No.”
“Then, no, I don’t think I can either.”
Frustration touched her. “You’re so stubborn!”
“Ditto, Lynds.” But he didn’t sound stubborn. He sounded…tired. Sad, even.
“You’re going away, aren’t you?” she asked quietly.
“No.”
“I don’t mean from Deerfoot Falls.”
“Then yes, I think I am. I think…you want it that way. I think I do.”
She couldn’t speak. Desperate sadness touched her. She wanted to reach out, hold him back but knew she had nothing to hold him back with.
He cupped her cheek with his warm, big hand, the way he had at the end of their date. She knew it was his way of saying farewell. She kept motionless her breath caught and quiet.
His hand grew still against her cheek.
“Ah, hell…” he growled, his voice low and stepped close to her. Before she guessed what he intended, his lips came down on hers and the sweet-sour rush of pleasure was coursing through her, stealing her breath, stealing her senses. She was vaguely aware of being borne backward and the door closing behind them but she was too busy delighting in his taste, his hands on her body, discarding her coat, sliding into her hair and holding her head while his lips plundered and explored. He trailed his lips down her throat and brushed her hair out of the way before tasting her skin at the base of her throat. The sensation was delightful and she heard him groan with his own delight.
It brought her back to her senses enough to try to push him away. “Luke, no.”
He straightened. “What is it?”
“Yes, what is this?” she said. “What part does this fall into?” Tears pricked at her eyes and she blinked them away furiously, determined not to turn that particularly feminine tool upon him. “Does this fall into the part that is truth, Luke? Or the part that was all lies?”
He sighed and picked up her hand. Gently he spread her fingers and kissed the palm. “This is truth,” he said, resting her fingertips against his lips. He dropped his coat from his shoulders and pushed aside his jacket and slid her hand against his chest. She could feel his heart thundering against her hand. “This is truth,” he said quietly.
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