Sultry in Stilettos

by Nana Malone

  Beckett heard Ricca’s soft gasp and cringed. She’d only known about the one woman. Braedon had told him about all the others.

  “You knew?”

  “Ricca, I—”

  Before he could get a word in, pain exploded above his right eye as flesh and knuckles connected with his face. He staggered, but recovered his footing, ready to go after his brother. But Braedon was already heading out the lobby door.

  Gingerly touching his cheek, he went after Ricca. "Ricca, wait up."

  She whirled on him. “I’m not in the mood to talk to you right now.”

  He frowned. “Look, I’m sorry. That whole situation just got out of hand so quickly. I’m sorry. I didn’t know they were going to be here.”

  “You think I’m pissed about that? I’m pissed because you lied to me.”

  Fuck. “He’s my brother, Ricca. I couldn’t tell you that I knew. “

  “That whole time I was going out with him, you knew.”

  “No. I made him tell you about that waitress the moment I caught him. I didn’t know about the others until after you guys broke up.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me? You know how hard that breakup was for me. You know I almost took him back.”

  “If I thought there was any chance of that, I would have told you. But there was no point in hurting you more. Ricca—”

  The elevator doors opened, and she stepped inside. “I mean it, Beckett. I don’t want to see you. You better take the stairs.”

  The elevator doors closed, obscuring her from view. Well, fuck.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Ricca checked and re-checked everything for the Master Fantasy. From the tent, she went over the transport. The camels were watered and prepped. The animal trainers were on hand, as were the handlers. The oasis scene was beautiful.

  Given the craziness for the last mission, the team had opted to keep this one as local as possible, in case anything went wrong, so they'd gone for the desert hot springs. For the fantasy, they’d also brought in water and fresh green grass, as well as coconut trees to create a genuine oasis. At the oasis watering hole, the desert animals that thrived in Death Valley had actually come out to water, giving it an authentic feel. So far, no rattlesnake sightings, but everyone was on the lookout, including a doctor with anti-venom dosages for anyone unlucky enough to be bitten.

  The food was exquisite. She and the team had planned dishes indigenous to the Middle East like dates, couscous, stews, and mint tea. They had also included favorites of the couple. Ricca had even gone so far as to locate an antique storage container for ice and had worked with the team to keep everything as authentic as possible, even though they weren’t actually in the Middle East. Since the Master Fantasy was so long, they’d broken things out. Ricca tested the ice maker herself and sighed as the spray of shaved ice hit her arm. Refreshing.

  Serena moved the prep tent’s curtain aside and strode in, wearing four-inch Jimmy Choos. So not the shoes Ricca would have selected for this adventure, but hey, whatever worked for Serena.

  "How is everything, Ricca?"

  Ricca watched the monitors. "So far, so good. The couple has been picked up by the camels and will ride the two miles to the Oasis. We've got all the food prepped and already laid out. We’re holding the ice until we get confirmation that they are about half a mile out, and then we'll deliver it. No need to have it start melting. Food is prepared. The chef made the minced lamb and mint just as specified, and each course is ready."

  Serena looked over everything on the table. "You remembered her strawberry allergy, right? This isn’t just a case of she doesn’t like strawberries. It'll be full anaphylaxis if she’s even around a strawberry."

  "Yes, understood. I have the same allergy, so we’ve taken care."

  Serna nodded. “And you have her juice mix that Roberto had us prepare? It’s been several hours since they’ve eaten. With her diabetes, she'll need it as soon as she arrives."

  "We have it all set up. It’s in the fridge. Per Roberto, we made it pomegranate. We at least wanted to stay in character of the region. We also mixed in some blueberries and raspberries, as Lila herself said she was on a raspberry binge lately."

  "Wow, it looks like you have everything all settled."

  "I think so. I think it’ll be beautiful. We've worked really hard on this.”

  "I don’t have to tell you how important it is to get this fantasy right, do I, Ricca?"

  "Of course not. We’ve planned it beautifully. It'll be fine." Ricca's warlike talkie went off. "Clients have reached the half-mile marker. The animals are doing well. Couple is happy. Over."

  Ricca smiled. She loved it when a plan came together. Even more, she loved seeing the grin on Lila’s face as she rode on her camel. The team had set up several inconspicuous cameras in what brush there was, to capture the look and feel for photos later. There was a professional photographer waiting at the tent, but they sometimes used candids for couples.

  "Where is the adventure team?" Serena asked.

  "Beckett and Carter are at the tent with the animal handlers. The rest of the team is back at the office. We only really need the romance team." She turned back to Lisa, the intern. "Can you please take out the ice and the juice so Lila can drink it as soon as she arrives? Also make sure that the doctor takes note of her insulin immediately. There’s some rich food out there, and I don’t want her having a diabetic emergency. Nothing is going to ruin this fantasy."

  Serena raised her eyebrows. "It had better not. Those are my friends. I don’t want something like what happened the last time happening."

  Ricca whirled on her boss. "Serena, I know. If you leave me to do my job, I can get it done. If you continue to look over my shoulder, that's when mistakes get made."

  Lisa grabbed the juice from the fridge. "I'll just take this out to the tent."

  “Wait.” Serna's voice was harsh. "Who added the whipped cream? Roberto wants this to be authentic as possible. Remove the whipped cream."

  Ricca frowned. Who the hell had added whipped cream? Maybe the assistant hadn’t been paying attention when she picked up the juice. "Okay, Erica, give this one to me. There are additional flutes in the spare box. And there's more juice in the pitcher. Hurry."

  Ricca watched the monitor anxiously. Fantasy, Inc. was paid well for their seamless, fluid planning. Nothing out of place. No wayward observers or people that shouldn’t be present.

  "Oh gosh, Ricca, I’m so sorry," Erica apologized. She grabbed a flute and poured quickly, grabbing the ice on her way back.

  "It's fine, but get a move on."

  Serena stepped between them and tried to remove the flute from Ricca’s hands. “Wait, don’t get a new one, just take off the whipped cream. No need to be wasteful.”

  “Serena, it’s fine. We have more. It’s no big deal. I’d rather have a cleaner presentation”. Ricca shrugged. “Besides, I love whipped cream.” She took a sip and sighed as the pomegranate cooled her dry throat. She’d just realized she'd been going since five in the morning without eating anything.

  "What the hell are you doing?" Serena scolded.

  "Taking a drink. Lila's not going to have it, you said it yourself. We have extra juice for her, if she wants more."

  Her boss’s brows drew down sharply.

  "Why are you so upset? I don’t understand."

  Serena shifted from foot to foot. "We have to give an air of professionalism. You just can’t be back here, hanging out, having a party. Eating and drinking the food brought for the guests. It's unprofessional."

  Ricca raised an eyebrow. Unprofessional? Serena was usually the first one behind the scenes at a fashion show fantasy, trying to snatch up free swag. Besides, it was standard that everyone who worked the fantasy got fed and watered.

  Ricca ignored Serena and watched the monitor intently. Dressed in Moroccan robes, the assistants helped the couple off the camels. Lila was thrilled and grinning ear to ear. Roberto looked like he was puffing out his chest. He
'd made her happy. Nothing beat that look. Ricca lived for that look. This was why she loved the romance fantasies. To see couples trying to make each other happy. It made her believe in happily ever after, despite her train wreck of a love life.

  Her brain automatically went to the Fantasies lobby and Beckett's admission of knowing about Braedon's cheating. Pain stabbed her heart. He hadn’t told her. He’d said he didn't know. She shook her head to get rid of the memory. She'd deal with Beckett later.

  Ricca spoke into the walkie talkie. "Couple has arrived. Please lay out the first course. Make sure to present Lila with her juice as soon as she steps into the tent."

  The assistant at the tent replied. "Understood, over."

  Ricca cleared her throat and took another sip of the juice. She was so thirsty. She really should have had something to eat before she'd left home, but she'd almost overslept after finally getting to sleep after a sleepless night. She’d been thinking about Beckett of course.

  Her boss examined her. "Are you feeling okay?"

  "Yeah, just a little tired. And thirsty, the dry air is messing with me, I guess."

  Serena was shifting her weight again. What the hell is up with her today? Maybe she was nervous about the fantasy. Things had gone so wrong on the first one. It was understandable that Serena would be nervous. Hell, Ricca was nervous. But today was going to go off without a hitch. Ricca scratched her hair and took another drink.

  "Hey, Serena, can you hand me one of those water bottles over there? This juice isn't hitting the spot.”

  Serena eyed her. "Mmm, okay," she said as she handed Ricca a bottle of water. "I'm going to send Beckett in to observe with you, and I’ll watch from the trailers."

  Ricca was preoccupied watching the monitors. She wanted to make sure that Lila got her juice and had her blood tested. When that went fine, she watched as the dates were passed around and started to breathe a sigh of relief.

  "What’s up? Serena said you needed me in here?"

  Beckett's voice startled Ricca, and she whirled around. "Oh, um, not really. She just said she wanted to watch from the trailer. I’d rather she not be looking over my shoulder."

  "I feel you."

  Ricca scratched her arm again before wiping the sweat off her brow with the back of her hand. It was like someone had turned the heat on or something. "Shit, when did it get so hot? We've got the standing A/C units on, but I’m suffering in here."

  Beckett frowned at her. "It’s barely seventy in here. You okay?"

  "Yeah. Why is everyone asking me that?"

  She scratched again absently, before taking a good look at her arm. Under her brown skin, she noticed the angry red welts. Her throat tingled, and she coughed. Oh shit.

  "Ricca, you don't look so good. You’re turning red. What’s going on?"

  Anxiously, Ricca looked around, desperately looking for her purse. Fuck, she'd left it in the trailer. "Beck—" She tried to speak, but her throat wouldn't cooperate. She tried to suck in a breath, but the air wouldn't come.

  Beckett's eyes, wide and frantically searching her gaze, settled on her lips. "Ricca, your lips, they're swollen. I love the full lip look honey, but why do you look like you injected a round of collagen?"

  Fear coursing through her veins, she eyed the glass of juice. Shit. Had there been strawberries in that? With the only gasp of air she could muster, she grabbed Beckett’s arm. "Epi Pen. T-t-trailer." It was the only thought she had, before darkness edged her vision, and she collapsed.

  ****

  Beckett had never run so fast in his entire life. After checking Ricca’s breathing and pulse, he immediately left her where she was and sprinted to the trailer. He shouted directions as he went for someone to call an ambulance.

  To one of the veterinarians, he shouted, “Allergy, anaphylaxis, secondary tent.”

  The guy was a vet, but maybe he knew something that would make Ricca feel better while they waited for the ambulance. Beckett’s legs pumped, and his heart thudded, nearly exploding behind his ribs. He'd never been out for track and field in high school or college. Swimming had always been his thing, but man did he fly.

  As soon as he reached the trailer, Serena tossed Ricca's purse at him, looking distraught. "One of the interns called me. Beckett, hurry." He snapped up the purse, turned on a dime, then sprinted back to Ricca. From the corner of his eye, he got a glance at the fantasy tent. Despite all the commotion, Lila and Roberto could still continue their fantasy. His job depended on this one fantasy going right. First he’d make sure Ricca was okay, then he’d run the rest of this thing and leave the client none the wiser.

  When he reached the secondary tent, he pushed the vet aside. He dumped the contents of her purse and snatched up her EPI Pen. Not even thinking twice, he rolled her on her side and yanked her linen pants down from her hip, exposing bare cinnamon colored skin. He then yanked the cap off the EPI Pen, grabbed the alcohol swab the vet handed him, and drove the pen home, pushing the meds into Ricca's system.

  In front of his eyes, he watched as almost immediately, the quality of her skin changed. The angry red stains were soon vanishing. The swelling of her lips reduced from pillowy and resembling a busted lip, to looking like she'd been thoroughly kissed.

  Her eyes fluttered, and he lowered his head to hers. “C’mon, please be okay. Please be okay. I need you to be okay.” He said silent prayers, but no one answered.

  When he didn’t immediately feel her breath, he rolled her back on her back, tilted her head back, and prepared to begin CPR. It was when he lowered his lips to hers that he felt her warm breath come out in a whoosh.

  He was so relieved he didn't even care that his eyes stung with impeding tears. Holy shit. He’d almost lost her. Shit. What would have happened if he hadn’t been here to witness the allergy attack? What would have happened if he hadn’t found her medication?

  Icicles formed in his belly. His stomach muscles convulsed as he tried to avoid vomiting.

  The EMTs they had on standby came over and checked her out, commending him on his quick thinking.

  He watched them work as they checked her vitals.

  It wasn't until several hours later that Beckett finally breathed a sigh of relief. The med team had looked Ricca over and said she was okay to head home. Most of the fantasy was over, and he'd left Carter and Emily in charge of getting the happy couple back on the camels and into civilization.

  After they returned to San Diego, Beckett watched Ricca as she slept. She'd been in and out for several hours, and he didn't trust the EMTs when they said she didn't need to go to the hospital. Her breathing was fine, the ugly red patches of skin were gone, and her lips had returned to normal. But he refused to leave.

  How the hell had this happened? The EMT had said she had a nasty allergic reaction but it could have been worse. How the hell could that have been worse? Ricca was so anal about ingesting anything with strawberries in it. Even when she made someone a strawberry shortcake cake for their birthday, she wore gloves. Her fingers would swell up if she didn't. She wouldn't take that kind of risk by eating one.

  He'd also checked with the planning team. No matter how romantic it would be to have them, there were no strawberries, chocolate-covered or otherwise, anywhere on location. Mainly to protect Lila. But this never should have happened.

  Emily had said the only thing Ricca had to eat or drink was the juice previously meant for Lila and some water. Had their vendor they used for all the food screwed up? If so, that was a pretty big fuck up.

  He scrubbed his face as he watched Ricca from the chair in her bedroom. He’d deal with the vendor later. The first incident had been an accident. This was a coincidence...maybe. He’d do a full debrief with the team in the morning. If Lila had ingested this, not only would they fail on a mission of this magnitude, but sure as hell they’d be sued. He and Rica fired for sure.

  An errant thought planted in his brain and took hold. Who would stand to gain from him and Ricca getting fired? Angel. He didn't have
any proof, but he sure as hell was going to put Caleb on the case. If these weren’t just accidents, they had to know. And if Angel was behind them, then she needed to picture herself in prison orange.

  Ricca stirred on the bed, and Beckett moved in to kneel beside her. When her wide brown eyes blinked at him, he smiled. "Hey, beautiful. Nice to see those eyes again. Have to tell you the swollen look is not a good look for you. Good thing, I love you just as you are." His brain stuttered. Fuck, had he just used the L-word? Damn it. No, this was Ricca, she would know what he meant.

  Ricca blinked again, then muttered something that sounded an awful lot like jackass. He grinned. She was going to be fine.

  When she tried to push herself up into a sitting position, he immediately rose to his feet and helped her upright. "Whoa, maybe you should lie down. You had a rough day."

  "Beckett, I'm fine. Just a little thirsty. "

  “Do me a favor and just lie back down, would you?"

  "You know, you don’t have to hover."

  "Well, I was worried about you. So yes, I do have to hover." She looked fine, but he couldn’t be sure. Seeing her collapse like that—his heart would probably never recover. "You have to promise not to pull some shit like that ever again. Unless, of course, I concede that neither LeBron nor Kobe can ever match Jordan’s success."

  She scoffed. "As if you would ever say that. You’re stubborn, even when you’re wrong. Not a good trait to have." She swiped her hair out of her eyes. Looking down at her tank top and pajama bottoms, she frowned. "I'm famished. Can you help me out of bed? I've got some stuff in the fridge. Are you hungry, I could make you—"

  “No. Stay there. The doctor said you needed to take it easy. I'll get you what you need."

  "I'm pretty sure the doctor also intended for me to eat actual food, not the cardboard you normally whip up."

  "Frankly, Ricca, I’m concerned that you think I would even go near your carefully organized kitchen. I already called for takeout from that Pho place on fifth. It'll be here soon."

  Her face lit up, “Oh, did you get the one with—"

  “Pork and spring rolls? Yes. You think I don’t know your order by now? It's only been how many years?"