by Anne Rainey
A sound outside the office drew his attention away from his thoughts. It was a woman’s voice. And not just any woman. He’d know that belligerent, sarcastic tone anywhere.
Reilly got to his feet and was in the kitchen before he even realized how eager that would appear. He should have played it cool and stayed in the office. Forced her to come to him.
But she was here, and Reilly couldn’t wait to find out why. It had to be damn good for her to have shed her pride and searched him out.
“You need to back off, little man.”
That from Lucy, who in all her splendor was staring daggers at the Blackwater’s chef, Eddie. Eddie was a big, beefy man not about to be intimidated by a woman as fragile as Lucy. Her calling him little, now that was downright hilarious.
“Look, lady, he’s busy. Come back later.”
“If you don’t get out of my way, I’m going to kick you so hard you’ll be singing soprano.”
Reilly chuckled, drawing their attention immediately. Eddie was the first to speak.
“I’ve told her you’re busy, but she insists on seeing you.”
Lucy peeked around Eddie and shouted, “Well? Don’t just stand there like a lump. Tell him to let me through already!”
Reilly crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the doorjamb. “Why? You seem to be handling things just fine.”
“Tell him, or you’ll be looking for a new chef.”
He gave in at that lethal threat. “Eddie, give it up. She’s liable to hurt you.”
Eddie looked at him with a grateful expression and growled, “Good luck!”
Yeah, he’d need all the luck he could get, but he didn’t much care for the way Eddie was acting toward Lucy. “Lucy Rice is a friend of mine. Show some respect.”
Eddie glared at Lucy and muttered, “I’m sorry.”
Lucy rolled her eyes. “Oh yeah, you’re all full of remorse.”
Eddie threw up his hands and started grumbling under his breath as he pushed through the double doors leading out from the kitchen.
Once his frustrated cook was out of sight, Reilly turned to Lucy and said, “Come on.” He motioned for her to follow him as he headed back to his office. When he entered the small room, he rounded the desk and sat, then indicated the chair across from him. Lucy sat with her back ramrod straight and her purse clutched in a tight fist in her lap. God, she looked good. The purple streak in her hair was gone, which was a shame, because he’d liked it. The dressed-up Lucy Rice was downright edible. But this T-shirt-and-jeans version was no less appealing. With her mass of black hair tied back in a ponytail and no makeup on, she looked all of eighteen. Holy shit.
He heard Eddie still shouting obscenities and groaned. “I may be forced to defend your honor pretty soon if he doesn’t shut up. I can just see me challenging that big bull.”
Lucy’s lips curved upward. God, she was so pretty when she smiled. It’d been way too long since he’d seen her. He wanted to see her laugh. Christ, he was hungry for her. And if he didn’t do something about it soon, he’d explode.
“So, what brings you here? Everything okay?”
She shrugged and blurted, “I’m pregnant.”
Reilly just stared at her, trying to comprehend what she’d just said. Obviously he misheard. “Say again?”
She slumped in the seat and stared down at the floor. “I’m pregnant.”
Ah, damn. “That’s what I thought you said.”
Lucy shot from the chair so fast, Reilly didn’t have time to react. She pushed her purse onto her shoulder and planted her hands against the desk so they were nose-to-nose and stated, “Congratulations, Dad.”
She turned and started for the door before Reilly came out of his puzzled stupor and taunted, “You expect me to believe I’m the father? So you lied about being on the pill?”
Lucy stopped dead. Long seconds passed before she slowly turned and ground out, “For the record, I didn’t lie. I was on the pill, but I was also taking antibiotics at the time. Apparently the meds screwed with the potency of my birth control pills. Also, I don’t much give a damn what you believe. But you are the father. Now, you can be a jerk and call me a tramp and a liar, or you can do the right thing and take responsibility.” She slung her purse over her shoulder. “Either way, it doesn’t affect me. I just thought you’d like to know.”
Then she walked through the door, and Reilly was left staring at empty space. A baby? He was going to be a father? Lucy was going to be a mother? What sort of crazy twist of fate was that? He’d even used a condom. A condom that had broken, he reminded himself. As he sat there, wondering about what this would mean, her parting words registered. It doesn’t affect her? Bullshit.
Reilly shot to his feet. The force of his anger pushed the chair backward several feet. He stalked out of the office and went straight through the kitchen, then out the front entrance. He caught up to her just as she was getting into her little black Volkswagen bug.
Grasping her slim arm in his hand, he tugged her around to face him. “You drop a bomb like that, then leave? Hell no.”
Her spine stiffened. “Get your hand off me. Now.”
Reilly quickly noted her pale face and the tremor in her lower lip. Was she about to cry? Christ, he was handling this worse than when he’d accused her of sleeping with him to get the singing gig. No, damn it, he wouldn’t screw this up too. He was determined to make things right.
“Calm yourself, sweetheart,” he murmured. “I’m sorry for what I said in there. You took me by surprise. That’s my only excuse.” Lucy relaxed a fraction and let out a heavy breath. He added, “Please, come back in so we can discuss this in private.”
She seemed to relax a little, but she stared down at the ground as if not able to look at him. Well, that was a shitty thought.
“I don’t see what there is to talk about. It’s not as if we have a relationship. I don’t expect anything from you here.” She shrugged. “I just thought you had a right to know.”
He began stroking his thumb over the erratic pulse in her wrist and whispered, “There are things I need to set straight. Come, please.”
Her head came up, and once more her expressive blue gaze held him captive. She seemed to be debating whether to bolt or follow him. Finally, she nodded. Reilly was so grateful he wanted to howl. His reaction was telling of how badly he wanted to keep her around.
Once they were back in his office, Reilly let her sit while he shut the door. He didn’t want Eddie overhearing this particular conversation.
He went to lean against the desk, directly in front of her, and crossed his feet at the ankles. He took advantage of Lucy’s unusually subdued manner and pondered the situation. In his mind, he presented and discarded several options and every time he came back to the same one. The only one that made any sense.
For two very long months, Reilly had been going slowly nuts wanting a woman who didn’t want him. Now she was here, and she needed him. In one easy swoop, he could fix their problem and have her back in his life. But it was such a risky move. Reilly wasn’t sure if it would be the smartest thing he’d ever done, or the dumbest.
“The way I see it, there’s only one way to handle this.”
She stopped staring at the floor and glared up at him. “And?”
He nodded and forced the words out past the rock in his throat. “We’ll get married.”
At first, Lucy only sat there, staring at him as if he were a strange-looking insect she’d suddenly discovered. “Are you for real?” she asked.
The disbelief in her voice wasn’t encouraging. “Why is that so unbelievable?”
She rolled her eyes. “Not unbelievable—insane.”
“I’m very serious.” His muscles stiffened as Lucy continued to glare at him as if he’d lost his mind. Hell, maybe he had. “I’d be a good husband. You would want for nothing.”
Her mouth dropped open, and for several seconds, Lucy simply sat there. Finally, she said, “Oh my God, you really are ser
ious.” At his nod, she sighed. “Neither one of us is anywhere near ready to settle down. I’m not sure I ever want to get married again, but if I did, it would be to a man I loved. Not a man who was merely doing the right thing for the sake of the baby.”
“You think it’s so impossible that I could love you?”
“You don’t love me any more than I love you, Reilly.”
“Maybe not now, but over time I think we could make it work.”
She shook her head and started to stand, but he was quicker. He knelt in front of her and placed his palms on her thighs. “Fine, no marriage, but at least let me apologize for the way I treated you that night at my house. I was such a fool, Lucy. I don’t know why I jumped to the worst possible conclusion. Please forgive me?”
She bit her lower lip and stared down at the floor. “I would never sleep with someone just to get a job. Never in a million years.”
“I know, and I’m so sorry, sweetheart,” he murmured. “I was an ass, and it cost me big-time.” He paused, then asked, “Give me a chance to make it up to you?”
She narrowed her eyes, and her body stiffened a fraction. “How?”
“Come back tonight and audition.” When she started to speak, Reilly rode over her and said, “I really would love to hear you sing.”
“You haven’t hired anyone yet?”
“I refused to,” he replied, smiling at her surprise. “I wanted you to get the first shot. I owe you that.” He shrugged. “At the very least.”
She was quiet for so long Reilly was afraid she was going to say no. Finally, she said, “As long as you’re honest with me, then I don’t see what it could hurt.”
Reilly grinned. “If you suck, I’ll be sure to tell you.”
“Gee, thanks,” she mumbled as her lips curved upward.
“You won’t regret this, Lucy, I promise.”
She laughed. “Yeah, but you might. I’ve never sung for an audience before. This is new to me.”
“Consider me warned.”
“Also, not that it’s any of my business, but who was the woman who showed up at your house that night?”
“Jeanette,” Reilly quickly answered. “She’s a good friend, nothing more. She’s been carrying a torch for my brother for years now. The night she showed up at my house, she was upset by something River did. She needed a shoulder to cry on, that’s all.”
“Oh,” Lucy said in a softer voice.
He stood and tugged her to her feet. “So, maybe after the audition you’ll let me take you to dinner. We have a lot to talk about, don’t you think?”
She laced her fingers together in front of her. “Yes, I suppose we do.” She licked her lips nervously and looked away. “Dinner sounds nice.”
He wanted to shout in his triumph, but he had other ways of celebrating a victory. Reilly cupped her face in his hand and tugged her around to look at him. When her gaze was once again on his, he murmured, “God, I’ve missed you.” Then he dipped his head and tasted heaven. Oh, hell yeah. The woman was made for loving. Damn, he’d missed her taste. Her scent. Even her sassy mouth. No woman had ever gotten to him the way she did. It was as if she knew just which buttons to push.
Reilly locked his thoughts away and devoured Lucy’s plump lips. He licked, torturing her with ideas of more. Then he teased his tongue back and forth over the seam of her mouth. He was only too glad when her lips parted. It was a small sign of surrender, but Reilly would take whatever he could get. She twined her arms around his neck and melted against him. He ached to be inside her tight heat.
Bending at the knees, Reilly lifted her up and sat her on the edge of the desk. Without really paying attention, he swept everything to one side. Lucy’s spine went stiff, and she attempted to push him backward. Reilly let her, but only so he could taste the delicate skin on her throat. He kissed the ivory skin, and his cock went hard.
“Reilly, wait.”
He lifted his head and looked into her pretty blue eyes, seeing need reflected there. “Did you miss me, Lucy?”
“Yes, very much,” she admitted, “but we’re moving too fast. Again.”
Reilly smoothed his palm down her body until he encountered her tapered waist. He squeezed and felt her shudder. “You’re right. Damn,” he groaned as he tried to get himself in check. As he thought of the reason she’d come to him, Reilly’s gaze zeroed in on her belly. It was still as flat as ever, but his mind imagined it rounded with his child. On a whim, Reilly leaned down and kissed her there, through her T-shirt. He thought he heard her say his name, but it was so faint he couldn’t be certain.
He lifted away from her, then helped her down off the desk. A blush turned her cheeks a cute shade of pink, and Reilly’s heart squeezed tight. For all her bravado and sass, she had a soft inner core that sent a rush of fierce protectiveness through him. That she’d soon be the mother of his child only made him more determined to keep her safe.
“Come back at seven o’clock. It’s Sunday, so the restaurant will be closed by then. You can sing to your heart’s content. Sound good?”
She nodded. “Thanks.” She started for the door, then turned. “And I’m looking forward to dinner.” A smile curved her lips upward.
“Me too,” he replied, unwilling to so much as blink until she walked out the door.
Reilly crossed his arms over his chest and forced himself not to reach for her and stop her. “Slow,” he reminded himself. Then another thought struck him. “I’m going to be a dad.” He wondered if she would have twins. His knees nearly buckled, and he was forced to take the chair Lucy had vacated. What the hell did he know about raising kids? Holy shit.
Chapter Five
Lucy had shown up fifteen minutes early at the restaurant, and Reilly was nowhere in sight. It was just as well, considering how utterly frightened she was about singing for him. Her hands shook, and her stomach hadn’t stopped rumbling all day. For the fourth time, she gave her outfit the once-over, hoping the pale yellow skirt and cream-colored blouse weren’t too dressy. She hadn’t known what to wear for the audition or the dinner afterward. Jeans seemed too casual, but she hadn’t wanted to go the little-black-dress route either. Summer had just begun, and the light, cotton fabric was cool against her skin. Of course, if she sang like a frog, the outfit wouldn’t matter, would it? Oh God, there went the butterflies again.
“Hi, beautiful.”
Lucy had been so deep in thought that she hadn’t even heard anyone coming through the front door. She did recognize the voice, though, but the endearment confused her. She’d heard Reilly call her sweetheart, but never beautiful.
She turned and faced him. Lucy remembered the feel of his ever-messy, shaggy, dark hair beneath her fingers. His pale green eyes, which were trained on her now, would rob any woman of her breath. The fitted black T-shirt he wore allowed Lucy to get a good eyeful of the ridges and planes of Reilly’s muscled chest beneath. Damn he was built. His pectorals were solid rock and his abs didn’t possess an ounce of fat. She knew firsthand.
Lucy quickly forced her gaze back to the relative safety of his face. Her heart tripped with excitement at the delicious sight of him. Well, didn’t that just stink? “I got here a bit early, and Eddie let me in. I hope that’s okay.”
A smile lit Reilly’s eyes, but there was something different about him. Lucy didn’t get that zing of pleasure that Reilly usually gave her. She looked him over, noting the tight fit of the faded blue jeans. He looked good enough to eat.
“Fine by me,” he replied as his gaze journeyed down, then back up again. “Definitely fine.”
Yeah, he was definitely acting strange. “Are you feeling okay?”
“How about we put off the audition and take this somewhere more private?” he asked as he wrapped his fingers around her upper arm.
Immediately, Lucy knew something was off, because his touch inspired…nothing. No spike in temperature, no rapid heartbeat. Nada. Could this be pregnancy hormones messing with her? “What’s going on here?”
<
br /> “River,” another male voice, one awfully similar to Reilly’s, barked.
She turned and very nearly fell on her ass. Reilly stood in the doorway to the restaurant. Lucy looked back at the man standing next to her, and the pieces finally fell into place. “You’re River?”
He winked. “The one and only,” he murmured.
Lucy smothered a laugh as her gaze went from one man to the other. “Wow. I mean, I knew you two were identical twins, but it didn’t occur to me that I could be tricked.”
She’d seen them in high school, knew how much they looked alike, but up close and personal it was quite a shock. They both sported the same shaggy, dark hair, same cocky smile, same confident stance. However, the longer she looked, the more the differences began to show through. Reilly’s gaze was softer, while River’s had a steely edge.
Reilly crossed the room until he stood on the opposite side of her. He glared at River and bit out, “That was very bad-mannered.”
River wasn’t at all repentant when he said, “Sorry, I couldn’t resist.”
“Damn it, River,” Reilly growled, “this isn’t high school. Grow up.”
River laughed and waved his brother’s warning away as if swatting at a fly. “Take it easy, bro, I just like yanking your chain.” He extended his hand and said, “River Jennings, the better-looking twin. You must be Lucy Rice.”
Lucy didn’t quite know what to think. She took River’s hand and shook it. “Uh, it’s nice to meet you, but how do you know my name?”
“My brother filled me in about the audition today.” He looked down at her stomach, and his smile vanished. “And about the baby. I guess congratulations are in order, huh?”
Lucy’s face flamed. “I need to sit down,” she replied as she slowly lowered herself onto a stool.
Reilly cupped her chin and nudged her face upward until their gazes locked. “Are you okay?”
Lucy swatted his hand away. “Of course. It’s just a lot to take in. I wasn’t expecting the both of you here tonight. And man you two sure are identical.” She bit her lower lip. “That sounds dumb, doesn’t it?”