Green Eyed Temptation (Halos & Horns

by Lori Leger

  “Did she leave a bed?” he asked, hopefully.

  She shook her head. “The only thing I asked her to leave were the china hutch and buffet, and a couple of armoires.”

  Mike looked around and carried her over to the peninsula style kitchen cabinet. He placed her gently on the counter top then pulled her to him. She wrapped her legs around his hips and pulled him closer. His mouth settled on hers as their hands frantically found each other, teasing, tickling, and taunting until they were both on the brink.

  Suddenly he stepped away from her. “I’ve got a king sized bed in my place and it’s just down the block.”

  The question seemed to pull Angelique out of the fog of sexual need and back to the present. She covered her face with both hands and groaned loudly. “I shouldn’t. I’m sorry, Mike. I can’t,” she said, regretfully.

  He pulled her legs apart and stepped in between them. “Are you sure, Angel?” He pressed himself firmly against her.

  “Oh…My…” she said, dry mouthed with need, and wishing like hell she’d never met her friggin’ therapist. She hung her head, shamefully. “I’m sorry, but yes, I’m sure.” She closed her eyes, waiting for him to protest. To cuss. To try to persuade her again. He remained silent and still. When she finally got the nerve to look up at him, his gaze was so intense, for a moment she thought he was angry with her. “I shouldn’t have let it go that far, I’m sorry.” To her amazement, he took a step back from her, and smiled.

  “It’s not your fault, Angel. I knew the rules of the game before I started. But you just looked so damned good up there on that ladder.” He shook his head and flashed her a broad smile before helping her down from the counter top. “And damn, I’m glad to have you back in my town.”

  She smiled up at him sheepishly. “Thank you, Mike.”

  He reached out and traced her swollen lips with his large, smooth thumb. “Anytime, Angel.”

  She took his large hand between her own. “You’re such a good man—one of a kind.”

  He laughed. “There are plenty of good men out there, but I guarantee that I’m the only one who loves you this much.”

  Taken completely off guard by his spur of the moment confession, Angelique stared up into his dark mocha eyes and believed him. The thought had her tearing up immediately. If that realization hadn’t done it for her, his next admission would have.

  “You’re it for me, Angel. I love every blessed thing about you. From your need to curl up on the couch with a quart of rocky road ice cream and a bag of special dark chocolates once a month, to your penchant for destroying your cell phone.” He looked down at the floor. “I’ve never loved before, and I’ll never love like this again, whether you choose me, Nash, or some other yahoo. I won’t go hang myself if you don’t love me back, but I sure would be a miserable son of a bitch if you didn’t.”

  “Aw, Mike.”

  He met her gaze. “I love you, Angelique.”

  His four simple words nearly imploded her wall of defenses, making her weak kneed with wanting him. When her legs buckled, he reached out to pull her up against his hard body.

  “Hey, are you alright?” he asked, the look of adoration temporarily replaced by one of concern.

  “I’m okay,” she murmured. “Mike …”

  His heart plummeted at the sadness in her voice and he braced himself for her reply. He’d said he wouldn’t hang himself, but faced with the possibility that she didn’t love him, he wasn’t so sure he wouldn’t go out and do just that. Unwilling to hear the words come from her lips he said them for her.

  “You don’t love me. It’s okay, Angel; I only wish the best for you and Nash.” He released her and turned quickly so that she wouldn’t have to witness a grown man cry.

  She grabbed his arm with a strength he didn’t know she possessed and pulled him around.

  “Look at me, Michael Harper,” she said forcefully.

  He did and held his breath, waiting to hear the handful of words that would either break his heart or send his soul soaring.

  “I love you, too, Mike.”

  He stared at her for several seconds before the message sank in. “You love me,” he repeated, hoping he hadn’t heard incorrectly. “You love me?”

  She nodded.

  “Angel, I was afraid that when Nash came back. You and him, well, you have a history together,” he stammered. “And now that you know he had a reason for leaving the way he did … ”

  “But I love Liam, too,” she said, sounding desperate.

  “What?” He stared into her eyes and saw her dilemma. Suddenly it was clear as a bell. She did love them both, and was terrified to choose and hurt one of them.

  “Try to understand. I’d just fallen hard for Liam when he left. It hurt, but didn’t alter my feelings for him. Then you came into my life.” She closed the distance between them and met his gaze. “How could I not fall in love with you?” She reached up to brush her hand gently along his face.

  He closed his eyes and leaned his face into her hand. “Angel,” he murmured, reaching out to pull her close. “God I love you so much.”

  “I know you do,” she groaned, burying her face in his shirt. “That’s not the issue, here. You and Liam want me to choose, and I can’t right now.”

  Wanting to lighten the mood, he lifted her chin to look into her eyes. “You know, any smart buyer would insist on doing some comparison shopping.” His mouth twisted in a teasing grin. “But how can you compare something you’ve never experienced?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, if you’re going to list the pros and cons of both Nash and me, don’t you think we should be playing on an even field?”

  “You’re talking about sex,” she said, flatly.

  He nodded then leaned forward to nuzzle her neck, spoke in a low murmur. “I don’t want you making a choice until you and I have had a chance to see how compatible we are together.”

  “I see.” Her eyelids fluttered closed. “Take you for a test drive, so to speak.”

  He grinned—glad to see she was getting into the spirit of things. “Exactly.” He nipped at her earlobe and found the sensitive spot at the back of her neck. Her head dropped forward as he used his mouth to drive her closer to the edge, eventually achieving the reaction he wanted from her.

  “Oh God,” she moaned.

  “Let me?” he whispered seductively into her ear.

  “Oh, yes …”

  He scooped her up into his arms, grabbed her house key and carried her to the door before she had a chance to change her mind. He locked the door quickly. “Is your car locked?” he asked, his voice husky with need, as she buried her face in his neck.

  “Mm hmmm.” She opened her mouth and sampled the lobe of his ear.

  He groaned and opened his truck door. Mike seated himself and somehow arranged her across his lap while he drove the block and a half to his own home. Determined not to relinquish his hold on her, he broke several laws during the short drive home. Within a couple of minutes, he’d made it to his front door and unlocked it without loosening his grip on her. He kicked the door shut behind them and strode down the hallway.

  Angelique gasped as they both dropped to his massive, king sized mattress. He stretched out alongside her, his booted feet hanging off the foot of the bed. She turned towards him, curling her left leg up around his thighs, groaned in what he could only hope was appreciation as she felt his hardness.

  He rolled over on his back to unzip his jeans, partly to get some relief, and partly to give her a glimpse of what she had to look forward to. He rolled back toward her, determined not to hide a damn thing.

  “Oh my God,” she croaked, staring down at him. “I keep thinking of that movie line, release the Kraken…”

  He laughed nervously. “Is that fear or anticipation I hear in your voice?”

  She raised an eyebrow. “A little of both, if you want to know the truth. I’ve never seen-I’ve never been with-um-s-someone so … You’re very well e
ndowed,” she finally finished.

  He lifted himself on one elbow and shrugged. “I’m six foot seven, Angel. I think it’s just in proportion to the rest of me.”

  “That so?” Her voice revealed a slight tremble.

  He growled at her reply, anxious to prove that he had the skills as well as the equipment to make this the most memorable encounter of her lifetime.

  Her eyes travelled the length of him, eventually ending at his boots hanging off the end of the bed. “You ready to shed those size fourteens, or are we going to do it with your boots on?”

  “I’m ready to shed a lot more than that.” He pulled her close to nip at her lower lip with his teeth. He slipped his hands under her blouse and splayed his fingers across the flat of her belly, eliciting a gasp from her as his warm hand touched her cool skin. She moaned when he placed a gentle kiss on her flesh and slowly began to unbutton her shirt. Suddenly, he froze.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I’m trying to remember if I have any condoms.”

  Her eyes widened and she sat up quickly. “Where do you keep them?”

  He rolled over and began to rummage through his night stand. When that didn’t produce anything, he checked the other one, then the bathroom cabinet. He walked out, muttering under his breath. “I’ll have to go get some.”

  She fell back on the mattress and groaned. “Mike, maybe we shouldn’t—”

  “No! Don’t say it!” He pointed at her. “I’ll be right back. Please don’t leave.” He grabbed his truck keys, went to the bed and gave her a long, lingering kiss. “Remember, there’s more where that came from. Be back in a minute.”

  Angelique curled up on her side and buried her face in Mike’s pillow, breathing in the scent of him. She smiled to herself, and wondered what her therapist would think if she knew what her patient was considering.

  Suddenly determined not to make another costly mistake, she sat up and reached for the phone on the nightstand. She’d never called the clinic before a scheduled session before, but it was understood that she could if she ever felt the need, and mama did she feel the need. In under a minute, she had been patched through to Dr. Carter’s private number, and had explained the situation to her.

  “Hmmm. You say you love both of these men, Angelique.”

  “I do,” she admitted.

  “That’s understandable, but have you made a choice?”

  “Well, no, but, this will help me make that decision, won’t it?”

  “Will it?” Dr. Carter asked quietly. “Why do you feel the need to do this today?”

  “Well, I know what kind of lover Liam is, but Mike and I have never been together. They should be on an even playing field, don’t you think?”

  “Playing field? Did you come up with that concept?”

  “Well, no. Mike suggested it, but I have to tell you, I totally agree with him.”

  “Were you both already sexually stimulated when he made this suggestion?”

  “Y-yes.”

  “So, the whole basis for your celibacy is to learn not to make relationship decisions based purely on sexual attraction.”

  “Yes, but this is different. Isn’t it?” Angelique sounded unconvinced, even to her own ears.

  “Not unless you’ve already made your choice,” Dr. Carter insisted. “I’ll ask you again. Have you chosen which one of these men you want to spend the rest of your life with?”

  Angelique hung her head, feeling so ashamed of what she’d nearly done. Again. “No, I haven’t.” She released a deep sigh. “You’re right, of course. This is a mistake. Thanks, Dr. Carter. I knew I could count on you to keep me focused.”

  Mike pulled his truck into the driveway and barely had time to throw it in park before he had the key out of the ignition. By the time he made it to the bedroom, he had the box of condoms open and his boots off. He came to a screeching halt in the doorway and stared at the empty bed, along with the slip of paper placed dead center of it.

  He walked over and picked up the note, knowing exactly what it would say. He unfolded it slowly.

  Mike,

  I’m sorry about this, but the time isn’t right. Please forgive me and believe me when I say that I’m doing this for us! I love you,

  Angelique

  He groaned loudly before he planted himself face first onto his big, empty mattress.

  CHAPTER 18

  Angelique had just enough time to run back to her new rent home, grab her things and get to her car. By the time she slipped her key into the ignition, Dustin Lynch was belting Cowboys and Angels from her cell phone, both Mike’s and Liam’s ringtone. She didn’t need to check the name flashing across the screen to know which one of her cowboys was calling. She swiped the screen to answer.

  “I can explain.” She waited for his response. Pictured him leaned up against the door jamb, running his hand through that thick, board straight, coal black hair.

  “You don’t have to, Angel. I know I pushed you into it.”

  Relief rushed over her at the soothing sound of his voice. “You’re not angry?” She slipped on her sunglasses and slowly backed out of her drive.

  “Of course not. A little sexually frustrated, maybe, but I’ll get over it,” he assured her.

  “While you were gone, I called my therapist, Dr. Carter. She made me understand that going through with it would have been falling back into my old pattern. I don’t want that for us, Mike.” She bit her lower lip then mumbled, “No matter how fantastic it would have been.” She heard the unmistakable rumble of his laughter on the phone.

  “It would have been, too. I’d have turned it into twenty-four hours you’d have remembered for the rest of your life.”

  She closed her eyes, groaning at another image of him—shirtless, tanned, buff, and ready for her. “I know, babe. There’s not a doubt in my mind.”

  “Maybe one day?”

  “One day. When my head’s on straight.”

  “You got anything else to do at the house today?”

  “You mean Sonny? Oh, hell, that reminds me. I forgot to tell him goodbye when I left.”

  “Is that important?”

  Angelique stopped at a red light to wait it out. “Nan said it was. I guess if my key won’t seem to fit the front door tomorrow morning, I’ll know why.”

  “When do you want to move in?”

  “Next weekend, but I may have to hire some help. My girlfriends and I can’t handle some of those pieces of furniture.”

  “Don’t you dare waste money on movers. I’ll get some guys together and we’ll knock it out in no time.”

  His generous offer had her beaming at herself in her rearview mirror. “Thanks, Mike. I didn’t want to ask, under the circumstances. I’m so sorry about that.”

  “There’s nothing to apologize for, Angel. Your therapist is probably right.”

  “Probably right?” She heard the distinct sound of a beer bottle being cracked open. She waited for Mike to take his first drink.

  “There’s always a slim chance she’s a sadistic, man-hater who enjoys having you leave me worked up and wanting more.”

  Angelique burst into laughter as the light turned. “Certainly not, and I assure you, you couldn’t have been any more ‘worked up’ than I was. If you’d had condoms in the house the deed would have been done already.” She smiled again at his low, pain-filled groan.

  “Don’t remind me.”

  “Hmmm …” Angelique grunted, chewing at her lip thoughtfully.

  “What are you thinking?”

  “I’m wondering why you didn’t have any condoms. A single man like you usually has at least a few on hand.” She paused at his silence. “Am I allowed to ask?”

  “Sure. I did come across a few in that night stand last week, but I threw them out.”

  “Why?” She flipped her visor down as she hit I-10 westbound towards Lake Coburn.

  “They, uh … The uh … Expiration dates had passed.”

  She snickered. “That
could mean one of two things. You either don’t use protection—”

  “I always use protection.”

  “Or you’re as hard up as I am.” His silence confirmed her suspicions. “That’s priceless.”

  Angelique stepped inside her apartment and dropped her keys next to the phone. She picked it up to retrieve her voice mail, shrinking a little on the inside from guilt at the sound of Liam’s voice.

  “Hey, beautiful. How about we go dancing? Red’s has Country Rhodes tonight and I feel like kicking it up a little. How about you? I’ll call you later.”

  She shook her head. “No dancing tonight, Nash. I need to get an early start tomorrow morning.” She hit the button to hear the next message.

  “Angel, Tanner here. Just wanted to find out how your week went. How’s that new employee. Is she working out for you? Does it look like she’ll be sticking around for a while? What’s the news on her ex? Did they catch him yet? How about that body guard? Is he keeping a close watch on her?” He paused here and seemed to rein himself in. “I-uh-I’ll call you later.”

  Angelique stared at the phone in amazement. “I’ll be damned! I think Tanner’s genuinely concerned about another human being. There’s hope for my boy, yet.”

  She dialed Liam’s cell number first.

  “Hello beautiful, did you get my message?”

  “I did, but I’m going to have to pass. I want to get to my new place early tomorrow morning and I have to start packing some things tonight.”

  “Need some help?”

  Images of Liam came to mind as she’d known him a year ago—bare-chested, at the beach, in bed. She thought of the effort he’d, no doubt, be making to sway her opinion before she moved back to Lafayette. She closed her eyes and sighed, thinking she was feeling far too vulnerable to face it tonight. “No thanks, Liam. I want to relax tonight—take my time packing and do some online shopping, now that I have a better idea of what I need.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “I’m positive, but maybe tomorrow night.”

  “I’ll count on it, beautiful. Good night, Angel. I love you.”

  She hesitated for a moment. “I do love you, too, Liam. Honestly, I do.”