by Croft, Nina
“So how did your day go with Maggie?” he asked.
“Fine, I liked her. We found a really beautiful gown and a whole load to talk about.”
Luc raised an eyebrow.
“She said you were precocious,” Lia said to his unspoken question. He smiled a slow, reminiscent smile, and her eyes narrowed. “Just how precocious were you, Luc?”
He took off his suit jacket, flung it on the back of the chair, and sank down opposite her, his long legs stretched out, his head against the back of the seat. He was lost in thought for a moment then he looked at her. “I lost my virginity to Maggie on my fifteenth birthday.”
Lia gasped. “She must have been old enough to be your mother.”
“I think she was around thirty at the time. She was beautiful, experienced, and generous. What more could a boy ask for?” He smiled. “She taught me a lot.”
“Do you and she still…”
“Sleep together? No.”
He got up and poured himself a drink. “You want one?”
Lia shook her head.
“I’ll see you at dinner then.” He took his drink and disappeared into his office, leaving Lia alone to brood. But not for long. Thirty minutes after Luc arrived, the doorbell rang. When Luc didn’t emerge from his office, she went to answer it herself. Her mouth fell open when she saw who was standing on the other side.
“I went to see Kelly,” Pete said. “She gave me this address. She said you were staying with a friend.” He peered around the opulent hallway, his eyes widening.
“She’s staying with me,” Luc said from behind her. Lia swung around; she hadn’t realized Luc had emerged from his den. He came up close behind her and slipped a hand around her waist, pulling her against him in a gesture that was blatantly possessive. Lia felt the heat of him through the thin silk of his shirt.
“The security guard phoned up from the lobby, otherwise your employer wouldn’t have gotten this far,” Luc whispered in her ear. The rush of his breath against her skin gave her goose bumps.
The two of them eyed each other up and down like two stallions sniffing over the same mare.
Pete appeared shocked at the arm around her waist. “I just wanted to check that you were okay. And we need to talk about that business we discussed. I’ve cleared it with the bank.”
“Come in,” Lia said. She pulled out of Luc’s embrace and took a step toward Pete. Luc’s eyes bored into her, but she ignored him as best she could and led Pete into the sitting room. Luc followed and stood lounging against the wall inside the door, arms folded across his broad chest, watching them.
“Well,” Lia said after a couple of minutes of uncomfortable silence. She was doing her best not to squirm under the intense scrutiny of two sets of eyes. “It’s lovely to see you, Pete.”
“Er, yes.” Pete looked around him in obvious amazement.
Luc pushed himself off from the wall. He smiled, a smooth sophisticated smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “I’m being remiss as a host. Let me get you both a drink. Scotch okay?”
Not waiting for an answer, he strode across the room and poured three drinks. He took two across, handed one to Pete, then put the other in Lia’s hand, closing her fingers around the glass. He went back for his own, and took a sip as he continued to watch them.
When nobody else said a word, he turned to Pete. “I’m having a party next Saturday night,” he said. “We’ll be announcing our engagement. Perhaps you’d like to come. I’m sure Lia would like to have an old friend present.”
“Announcing your what?” Pete whirled around to face Lia. “You’re engaged? Since when?”
She opened her mouth to deny it, and Luc shot her a sharp, warning glance.
“It was sudden,” Lia said weakly. She hated Luc for mentioning it like that; Pete was clearly shocked, and she glared at Luc. “Luc, I’d like a word with Pete. Alone.”
“No.”
“I wasn’t asking,” she said.
Luc looked at her in amazement. She got the distinct impression that he wasn’t used to people standing up to him and wasn’t sure how to react. “I’ll be in my office.”
“Who is he, Lia?” Pete asked when the door shut behind Luc.
“He was an acquaintance of my father’s. I thought he might be able to help me find him, and we just…”
Pete seemed perplexed, unsure as to what to say, as if he was thinking his words out very carefully, which was totally unlike Pete, because he was the most straightforward person she knew. “Lia,” he said, “you know what your father was like, don’t you?”
“Of course I know, I lived with him, and he wasn’t a nice man,” she said stiffly, “but that doesn’t mean Luc is the same.”
Pete raised an eyebrow. “My point is, considering what your father was like is it sensible to trust an old friend of his?”
“Luc wasn’t a friend, just an acquaintance.”
“And that makes it better? What do you know about him?” He waved a hand, encompassing the apartment. “Or is it just his money you’re interested in?”
“Pete!”
“Oh, I know you’re not interested in money for yourself, but you’d do anything to keep that house.” He took a sip of his drink. “You know I said I’d help.”
She sighed. “It’s not that simple, Pete.”
“So tell me.”
But how could she? She certainly wasn’t going to bring up those pictures. Pete would probably go bananas, and she didn’t want him getting into a fight with Luc. Despite the men being around similar size, Pete was a gentleman, while she’d bet Luc could fight dirty. She also knew now that she was never going to return Pete’s feelings; her reactions to Luc had shown how impossible that would be, and she couldn’t let Pete go on thinking there was a future for them. She had to be ruthless.
“Luc’s the first man I ever wanted.”
Pete winced. He turned away from her and stood gazing out the window for long moments. When he turned back, he seemed composed, but the hurt lingered in his eyes. “I was waiting for you to grow up. I guess I waited too long.”
“I’m sorry, Pete.” What else could she say?
Pete shoved his hands in his pockets; she saw the tension in the stiff line of his spine. “I guess that’s it then.” He placed his glass on the table.
Lia led him back to the door.
“Just remember,” he said, “I’m here if you need me, and the offer of the land is still open.”
He stood for a moment then took her in his arms and gave her a hug.
“Let her go.”
Luc’s voice came from behind. Lia stepped away from Pete, her fist clenching at her side. Going up on tiptoes, she kissed Pete’s cheek. “Thanks for coming.”
She watched as he walked away, then stalked back and plunked herself down on the sofa, turning to glare at Luc. He smiled and crossed the room to pour himself another drink before sitting opposite her.
“What’s this business he was talking about?” he asked.
“That’s none of your business.”
“Anything you do at the moment is my business, cara.”
“I told you last night—he’s buying some land from me.”
“So you can pay off the mortgage on your mother’s house?”
“Of course, you know everything about me.”
“I don’t want you accepting money from that man.”
She stared at him in amazement and was about to give a scathing answer when he continued. “In fact, I don’t want you having anything to do with him.”
Lia stared at him in disbelief. “That might be a little difficult, seeing as how he’s my boss and my trainer.”
“Then maybe you should start looking for another job. He wants to be more than your boss.”
“He knows we’ll never have that kind of future together. Clearly you were eavesdropping so you’d know what I told him. I need my job when this is over, Luc. I want my job. I love my job.”
“Why the hell would anyone
want to slave away every day at that place?”
“It’s all I ever wanted to do,” she said. “I was your typical pony-mad teenager. After my mom sold my pony when I was fourteen and the money ran out, I haunted the local stables. I probably made Pete’s life a misery, but he put up with me, gave me a job when I left school.”
“You don’t need him. I’ll buy you a stable full of horses. I’ll hire you a new trainer.”
Standing up, she shook her head. He had no clue about real life. “I don’t want you to buy me anything,” she said sadly. “Forget about dinner. I don’t want any dinner. I’ll make myself a sandwich and eat in my room.” But as she slammed the door behind her and threw herself onto the bed, a strange, almost unbelievable, thought occurred to her. She stared at the ceiling as she turned the idea over in her mind.
Luc was jealous.
Chapter Ten
He was jealous.
It had taken him a while to recognize the problem; jealousy was not an emotion that had played any part in his life up to now. Even two days later, he still couldn’t believe it. But when he’d seen Lia in Pete’s arms, he’d been filled with a primitive urge to rip the man away from her, toss him down the stairs, and lock Lia in her room where he could keep her to himself.
Of course, he hadn’t, but the fact that it had even occurred to him was very strange. In fact, his whole life seemed to have taken on a surreal quality since he’d met Lia.
He sliced through the water in the pool trying to dull the ache of frustration that was his constant companion these days. It didn’t work, and he finally gave up, hauled himself out of the water, blotted himself dry, and pulled on a pair of drawstring pants and a shirt.
He knew she found him attractive—he could feel her eyes on him whenever they were in the same room—but he’d decided to go slow. He wanted her to come to him of her own free will. No way was she going to accuse him of seducing her a second time. He was beginning to believe she was telling the truth about her father. Or maybe it was more that he wanted her to be telling the truth. He wished she were someone else, and he could forget Jimmy Brent ever existed.
Of course, that was impossible. Luc had to let this play out. He owed it to his own father and to all the other men and women whose lives Jimmy had destroyed over the years. And who knew what the man was up to even now—he was hardly the type to reform.
He found himself hoping that Jimmy Brent would remain absent. Lia had claimed she loved her father, and while he didn’t actually believe that, he doubted that she would forgive him for sending her father to prison. The outcome and its potential aftermath were killing him. Losing Lia was a very real possibility.
Luc paused at the top of the spiral staircase. Below, Lia sat cross-legged on the sofa talking to her brother on the phone. She talked to him every day.
“I’ll ask him,” she said.
Glancing up as he padded barefoot down the stairs, her eyes fixed on his bare chest where the shirt hung open. She licked her lips and heat coiled in his belly.
She looked away. “I know he promised, Mike, but he’s a busy man.”
Luc sank down onto the sofa opposite her, resting his bare feet on the coffee table, his head against the back. Murphy had followed him down, and now the cat jumped up beside him. Luc stroked the silky fur while he waited for Lia to finish the call, letting the soft lilt of her voice wash over him.
He’d only been in love once in his life, at eighteen. He’d never been naïve, even back then, but he had still at least believed in love. Serena had been blond, blue-eyed and beautiful, and when his life had fallen apart, when he needed her the most, she’d dumped him.
He’d been locked up like an animal, and each day, he’d waited for her to visit, sure that she would arrive; after all, she’d told him she loved him. How could she even think he was capable of the crimes he’d been accused of? How many days and lonely nights had it taken before he’d finally accepted that she wasn’t coming? He remembered clearly the overwhelming bleakness when he’d realized she’d abandoned him—that she believed the lies about him. Or at least that she had doubted him enough that she hadn’t wanted to risk the censure of her friends and family by sticking by him. So much for love.
He ran a hand through his hair. He couldn’t believe he was thinking of Serena after all this time, or about love. What the hell had gotten in to him?
“You shouldn’t make promises you don’t intend to keep.”
Lia spoke, breaking into his memories. She’d finished her phone call and was regarding him as though he were something unpleasant. What had he done now?
“Me?”
“You promised you would take Mike for a ride in your Ferrari.”
“And what makes you think I don’t intend to keep my promise?”
“Do you?”
Why did it piss him off that she should sound so incredulous? Did she think he was incapable of nice gestures? Hell, he had a cat. Of course he was nice. “I have some things I need to do this morning, but we can go over there this afternoon.”
“We?”
He smiled. “Don’t you want to come for a ride in my Ferrari, Lia?”
…
Lia knew he was teasing her, but she couldn’t deny the warmth that flushed her skin at his husky words. They promised all sorts of delights.
It had been a strange couple of days. Luc was back to being Mr. Nice Guy. Charming even. And she really wished he wouldn’t. How was she supposed to keep her distance?
Now sprawled on the sofa, long legs stretched out, he just about took her breath away. His white linen shirt was open, framing the golden skin of his chest. The black pants lay low on his hips so she could clearly see the ridged muscles of his flat stomach, and her fingers itched with the need to reach out and stroke him. She sat on her hands.
“Does that line normally work for you?” she asked.
He grinned. “Oh, yeah. You have no idea.”
Lia could well believe it. It would probably have worked if he drove a Mini, never mind a Ferrari. She studied him, her head tilted to one side. “Hmm. Well, I suppose it would depend on where you were taking me.” He opened his mouth to answer, and she interrupted before he could speak. “I have to warn you, if you say ‘heaven and back’ I might just heave.”
He laughed. “You think I couldn’t take you to heaven?”
Oh, she knew he could. He already had. And she had no immediate plans to make a return journey with him.
“I’ll call Mike,” she said. “Tell him we’ll be over this afternoon.”
“Spoilsport.”
…
It was a perfect summer day, and Lia felt her spirits lift as the car sped out of London. Luc was an excellent driver, keeping within the speed limits, and soon they’d left the city behind and were driving through open country.
Lia studied his sure grip on the steering wheel—he had beautiful hands, with long elegant fingers. Clever fingers, and a wave of heat washed through her at the memory of how those fingers had felt, on her, in her.
She squirmed in her seat, and he cast her a quick sideways glance. Time to get her mind onto other things. “So, this party next week—is it something special? Your birthday, maybe?”
“No, not my birthday.”
“How old are you anyway?”
“Twenty-nine.”
“I thought you were older.” If she’d had to guess, she would have said somewhere in his mid-thirties, apart from those rare smiles when he looked younger. “So if it’s not your birthday, what are we celebrating?”
“It’s a charity event.”
“That’s it? You know, getting information out of you is like pulling teeth.”
He flashed her a smile. “Okay. It’s to raise money for a charity I set up. It helps street kids.”
“Street kids?”
“Young people who, for whatever reasons, have slipped through the system. They end up living rough on the streets. Some of them will do anything for food, shelter, maybe just to
belong somewhere, and most end up on the wrong side of the law. We’re trying to offer them alternatives, but they don’t trust the authorities. That’s where people like Harley come in—the kids know him, respect him.”
“And he’s willing to help.”
“Yeah, Harley’s been there. He knows what it’s like.”
She fell silent as she considered the information. Luc was such a complex mixture. How was she supposed to reconcile this—the charity stuff, taking Mike for a drive—with the monster he was supposed to be?
As they drew up in front of the house, Lia rested a hand on his arm. “Don’t mention my father to Mike.”
A startled expression crossed his face. “I hadn’t intended to. What does he know about Jimmy?”
“Not a lot. Just that he left a long time ago.” She thought for a moment. “Maybe more. I don’t know how much the village children have said, but it’s common knowledge what our father was and Mike never asks questions about him.”
“Maybe you should talk to him then. If he’s hearing stuff anyway.”
Lia opened her mouth to answer, but clamped her lips shut as the front door opened and Mike hurled himself down the stone steps.
“I’ll sit in the back,” Lia said and scrambled over the seat.
Luc leaned across and opened the passenger door. “Hi, Mike.” He helped him fasten the seat belt. “So, this is your trip—where do you want to go?”
“The park,” Mike said promptly.
Lia smiled; she could have predicted that one—it was Mike’s favorite place. “It’s a couple of miles away,” she said. “I’ll give you directions.”
She sat back in her seat and listened to Mike’s constant chatter interspersed with Luc’s occasional answer. It was wonderful to see Mike so animated. He needed a man in his life—poor boy had grown up surrounded by women, but Luc was hardly a father figure. Maybe, when this was all over, she should find herself a nice steady man and settle down. Somehow, she couldn’t see it happening.