His Wicked Ways

by Lorraine Beaumont

  “Peggy told me Dan left with Tracy the next morning, but when I talked to him, he said she had already left.”

  Lucian visibly tensed. “Yeah, so.”

  “But she was apparently in the shower when I pushed Dan in there.”

  “What are you getting at?”

  “Well, I was wondering how she got in there?”

  “I guess Dan let her in.”

  “No.” Molly shook her head. “She was already in the shower. But how could she be? I mean, didn’t you tell me you were asleep in there until right before I pushed Dan inside?”

  “I did and I was.”

  Molly’s frown deepened. “So how…”

  “Who cares why she was there,” he said quickly. “Don’t we have more important things to discuss then what Dan and Tracy did or didn’t do?”

  Molly chewed on her lip, her mind going a mile a minute. “I guess.”

  “You can’t change the past,” he said.

  “Yeah,” she said, her frown deepening.

  “But we can certainly work on the future, together, right?” He gave her one of his sexy smiles.

  “Yes, we can,” she said, even though her inner voice was telling her something different.

  Lucian dropped his towel and climbed in the tub. “What are you waiting for?”

  Molly hesitated. She had a million questions zinging through her mind about what may or may not have happened between Lucian and Tracy. But another part of her wondered if it even mattered? The good Molly said yes, but the newfound, naughty Molly said, “To hell with it. If you can’t change it, why dwell on it.”

  For once, Molly agreed wholeheartedly with her naughty side. “Nothing,” she said, smiling. “Not a damn thing.” She dropped her robe and followed Lucian into the tub.

  CHAPTER FORTY

  Water sloshed over the rim of the tub as Lucian pulled Molly onto his lap. He smoothed her hair away from her face, holding each side. “I’ve been waiting to do this all day.”

  Before Molly could say anything, his lips were on hers. This was different from the other times they were together, more frantic, ravenous, like starving animals they went at each other. Tongues lashing, sucking, gasping for breath…

  “Oh yeah,” he gritted as Molly lifted her leg and sank down on top of him, impaling herself on his throbbing, rigid erection.

  “Fuck,” he gasped, holding her hips. “You feel amazing.”

  Molly would have said the same to him but words eluded her as his mouth covered her nipple. She arched backward, a whimper escaping her lips as intense ripples of pleasure spasmed deep inside.

  Lucian couldn’t stop touching her. His hands slid to the underside of her buttocks, delving deep, squeezing the sensitive flesh.

  “Ohm,” Molly gasped from the spears of pleasure his fingers were eliciting.

  “Damn!” he hissed. “I can’t wait.” His mouth closed over the hardened bud of her nipple, sucking the tender flesh harder as she clamped down against his length. He pivoted upward again, burying himself as deep as he could get and still it wasn’t enough.

  Molly couldn’t catch her breath, she was high, riding on wave after wave of the most exquisite pleasure she had ever felt. “Lucian,” she cried out arching back as her orgasm tore through her body.

  “Fuck yeah, baby!” That was all it took to finally push Lucian over the brink. Holding her down, he buried himself to full capacity, shuddering all over as his seed jetted deep inside. This time it was Molly’s name Lucian yelled—not Rebecca’s.

  CHAPTER FORTY ONE

  Days turned to weeks and Lucian and Molly had become inseparable. Like two peas in a pod, they both rushed to work at the same time and stayed late to clean up afterwards. Lucian turned out to be a terrible carpenter but surprisingly, a rather good bartender. The staff at the lodge loved him and even though Tracy still worked there, she and Dan too had become inseparable. The difference being, Molly was in heaven with Lucian and Dan seemed to be in hell with Tracy.

  Molly couldn’t be happier about both.

  Peggy and Marshall had come back from their honeymoon and brought everyone a little piece of Ireland back with them in the form of dirt and little glass bottles, four leaf clovers.

  Lucian said it reminded him of their night at the mine when he said he fell head over heels in love with Molly.

  After hearing that, Molly had a completely different perspective on the mine now, in a good way.

  “I’ve got a surprise for you,” Lucian said later that night, when they were closing up for the evening.

  “What is it?” Molly shoved the cash drawer into the lock box. It had been a really busy night at the restaurant. Sergei and Esmerelda were in a fight and Molly had to talk them both into doing the final dance sequence together for the last show before the end of the season.

  “It won’t be a surprise if I tell you,” Lucian said, smiling.

  “Okay,” Molly said. “Just let me finish this and then I am all yours.”

  “Sounds good,” he said. “I’ll get us some leftover food to take home.”

  “Get some hush puppies and chowder.”

  “Yeah. Hush puppies and chowder, got it.” With one last breath-stealing smile, Lucian walked out of the office.

  Molly sat back down in the chair and finished adding up the receipts.

  ♣

  Later that night while they sat on the floor in front of the fire with takeout boxes from the restaurant scattered on the blanket, Lucian poured them both another glass of wine.

  “Here you go,” he said, handing a glass to Molly.

  Molly took the glass from his outstretched hand and leaned back against a cushion, kicking her legs out.

  “So,” Lucian hedged. “Do you still think I am crazy?”

  “I never said you were crazy.”

  “Yeah, I know. But you thought it, didn’t you?”

  Yes! “No. Not really.”

  He lifted his brow. “Come on, you can tell me the truth.”

  “It does or did, sound crazy but what do I know. If you asked me a month ago that I would have seen a ghost, a skeleton, or a bag of emeralds in a cave…” or that I would have met you, she thought. “I would have said you were crazy, but I did see them, so…”

  “Hmm,” he mused and then set his wine glass down on the floor.

  “Do you really think that was your father? In the picture, I mean?”

  “I don’t have a clue. But it is strange, the uncanny resemblance, right?”

  “Well, yeah. Of course, it’s strange. The ghost of Rebecca thinking you were someone else is pretty strange too.”

  “But do you believe me? About my father, I mean?”

  Molly chose her words carefully. “I believe that you believe the man in the picture could be your long-lost father.”

  His brows creased.

  Molly felt bad that her answer wasn’t what he wanted to hear. But what was she going to say to that? That she really believed his father had traveled to the past? She didn’t, not really. Even though there was a small part of her that wondered…

  He raked his hand through his hair and then dropped it back to his side. “I guess we won’t ever know.” He looked sad.

  “Who knows,” she said, trying to cheer him up. “Stranger things have happened.”

  His eyes lit up. “Do you really think so?”

  “Sure. Why not.” Why not, indeed.

  “Well, in that case,” he said, pulling something from his pocket. “I have something I want to show you.”

  Her brows creased. “What?”

  “Close your eyes.”

  Molly closed her eyes. “Okay.”

  Before you open them, I want you to know something.

  A feeling of dread crept over her but she squashed it down.

  “I don’t know how it happened, exactly,” he began.

  Now she felt sick. “How what happened?” Oh, God, he was going to tell her he slept with Tracy again…she knew she should have fir
ed the bitch when she had the chance. But Dan begged her to let Tracy stay and she caved. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

  “I know we haven’t know each other that long, but I guess old habits die hard.”

  “Old habits?” Oh no.

  “Yeah. When I feel something in my gut, I have to act on it.”

  Now she felt really sick. He’s going to dump you, her sick mind taunted her. Oh God—WHY?

  “Hold out your hand.”

  “What?”

  “Hold out your hand.”

  She slowly lifted her hand and held it out.

  He placed something small on her palm.

  “Now,” he said. “Open your eyes.”

  Molly opened her eyes and promptly screamed.

  CHAPTER FORTY TWO

  Molly pulled the keys out of the ignition. Her palms were sweating and she wiped them of the fronts of her jeans as she got out of the car and then slung her bag over her shoulder, letting out a nervous breath.

  “Maybe we should wait,” Lucian said from across the car after he climbed out.

  “It’ll be fine,” she assured him. “My father is just a big old Teddy Bear.”

  “Maybe he is to you but I doubt I will have the same effect…” Lucian mumbled.

  “Don’t worry. He will love you as much as I do.”

  Lucian gave her a look that said otherwise. “Yeah, I won’t be holding my breath on that one.”

  Molly laughed. “Come on. He’s not that bad.”

  “I think your opinion may be a bit biased.” He tugged on his leather jacket and raked his hand through his hair.

  Molly watched him, it was hard not to. He was so damned sexy. Lucian looked like the quintessential bad boy, the one every woman dreams of—and he was all hers—and she still couldn’t believe it. She would have pinched herself to make sure this was real and not some fiction conjured from her overactive mind but was afraid she would wake up from the best damn dream she could have ever had. She walked over to the other side of the car, grabbed hold of Lucian’s hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

  He looked down at her with heavy lidded gaze, as his lips tugged upward into a slow sexy grin, squeezing her hand back. “I think I’m ready.”

  “Good.” She tugged on his hand and pulled him around to the back entrance to the lodge.

  “Did you tell your father about the mine?”

  “Not yet.”

  “Oh.” Lucian stopped abruptly.

  Molly looked up at him. “What’s wrong?”

  “Whose car is that?” Lucian asked when he saw the Cobra sitting in a parking space near the door.

  “I guess it’s my father’s. Why?”

  His brows creased. “My brother has a car like that, too.”

  “Really,” she choked, finally remembering something.

  Lucian reached out and patted her back. “You okay?”

  “Yep. I’m good.”

  He gave her strange look. “You don’t look too good.”

  “Gee, thanks.”

  “You know what I mean,” he said, opening the door for her.

  “I’m fine,” she assured him stepping inside, even though she was freaking out. Molly usually kept out of her father’s affairs but she remembered quite clearly when he got that car and where he got it from. And more importantly, now she knew why the name Ravenhurst seemed so familiar when Lucian had brought it up…

  Before she could make up a viable excuse to leave, the door to her father’s office opened up and out stepped Cuthbert, her father’s right-hand man.

  “Hey boss man,” Cuthbert called over his shoulder into the office. “Come and see who the cat dragged in.” Turning back around, he held out his arms for Molly. “You are a sight for sore eyes, baby girl,” he said. “Come give your uncle a hug.”

  Cuthbert wasn’t really her uncle but she had called him that since her mother left. Hoping to delay the inevitable, she walked forward into his outstretched arms, giving him an obligatory hug. “It’s good to see you.”

  He released her and held her at arm’s length. “Let me look at you,” he said, smiling, revealing a few new teeth that hadn’t been there before. “I think you have gotten taller.”

  He always said that.

  “No, I haven’t,” she assured him.

  Lucian was frozen in place. He couldn’t breathe. How? It was the only word his mind could register he was so in shock.

  Bishop’s imposing frame filled the doorway. His eyes settled on his daughter, noting immediately that she seemed in good spirits. He had his doubts since he knew that dipshit Dan had dumped her, again. When that happened, she was usually a basket case until Dan wormed his way back into her life again regardless of his warnings.

  “Daddy.” Molly broke away from Cuthbert and ran to her father, wrapping her arms around his waist.

  Bishop hugged her back, stroking his hand down her hair, like he had since she was a little girl. “You seem happy,” he warily said, testing the waters.

  “I am,” she assured him as she pressed her head against his chest, inhaling his comforting scent.

  Lucian finally got his feet to move. Acting quickly, he stepped back into the shadows hoping to be unobserved until this little reunion was over and he could get the hell out of here before he was noticed.

  It was too late though. Bishop’s dark gaze settled on him. “Long time no see,” he said, disentangling his daughter’s arms from around his waist.

  “Oh, Daddy,” she said. “I want you to meet my fiancée, Lucian, the love of my life,” Molly said thinking fast, hoping to head off any kind of confrontation between Lucian and her father.

  Bishop did a double take. “What did you say?” He looked pointedly at his daughter.

  “That’s my Lucian, Daddy,” she said. “I finally took your advice.” She smiled.

  “What advice might that be?” His eyes landed back on Lucian.

  Lucian tensed. If looks could kill he would already be dead, he thought.

  “That I should stay away from Dan and find someone else—I found him.” She walked over to Lucian and put her arm around his rigid body.

  Bishop blinked a few times and then rubbed his brow.

  Cuthbert was the first to react. He got into a defensive stance, and cracked his knuckles. “What the bloody hell are you doing here?”

  Lucian opened his mouth and closed it again.

  “I already told you,” Molly interjected. “This is my fiancée’,” she said, laying her left hand on Lucian’s chest reassuringly, showing off her emerald engagement ring.

  “Sir,” Lucian began…

  “No.” Bishop lifted his hand. “Not yet.”

  Lucian swallowed hard and nodded.

  “Molly would you be a dear and get me a drink?”

  Molly looked between her father and Lucian. “Daddy, you better be nice,” she warned.

  “Of course, sweetheart,” he assured her. “Cuthbert go with Molly and get yourself a drink.”

  Cuthbert was about to object but one look from Bishop made him hold his tongue. He walked towards the bar in the adjoining room.

  “Do you want me to stay?” she asked Lucian.

  “No.” He shook his head. “Go get your father his drink.”

  Molly narrowed her eyes at her father. “You better be nice,” she warned again as walked across the room.

  “I already told you I would.”

  Once Molly and Cuthbert were out of earshot, Bishop smoothed a hand over his inky black hair. “How do you know my daughter?”

  “I didn’t know she was your daughter.”

  “Obviously,” Bishop said. “But how did you meet her?”

  “She ran out in front of me on the road.”

  “She what?”

  “She was trying to flag me down—her car broke down.”

  Bishop shook his head. “I’ve been telling her to get rid of that death trap for years…”

  “And she asked me to be her date for her friend’s wedding.”


  Bishops brow lifted. “She did?”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  “Did she have a good time?”

  “Yes, I believe so.”

  Bishop frowned. “I see.”

  “About the money…” Lucian began.

  “It’s already been taken care of.”

  It was Lucian’s turn to frown. “How?”

  “Your brother paid your debt some time ago. Didn’t he tell you?”

  A wave of relief washed over Lucian. “I haven’t spoken to him.” He couldn’t believe it. Was that why his brother was trying to get in touch with him?

  “I was wondering where you ran off to,” Bishop said. “And now I know.”

  “I wasn’t trying to avoid you…”

  “Let’s cut the bullshit. I know you ran. Luckily for you, your brother had the means to fulfill your debt or we would be having a very different conversation right now.”

  “I’m sure we would,” Lucian agreed.

  “Do you care about my daughter?”

  “Yes.” He nodded.

  “What do you plan to do?”

  “I’m sorry. What do you mean?”

  “Do you plan on sticking around?”

  “Of course, I wouldn’t have asked her to marry me…”

  Bishop cut him off with a look. “You still need money, I assume?”

  “Yes, I do, but I am willing to work for it.”

  “That’s new. Have you turned over a new leaf, then?” His brow hitched up. “Given up gambling, have you?” he poked.

  “Yes, Sir, that’s the plan.”

  “And what if I offered you money to leave? Would you take it?”

  Lucian was about to answer…knowing the shortfalls of himself better than anyone. He had always taken the easy way out—to hell with the consequences—which he had learned the hard way on more than one occasion that there really was no easy way out—you would have to pay your dues at some point but he could take the money and put off the inevitable for a bit longer…couldn’t he?

  “It’s a substantial amount that I am offering.” Bishop added, “For you, it could mean beginning again somewhere else, or going back home a very wealthy man.” Bishop pulled out a checkbook from the breast pocket of his impeccably tailored suit jacket. “Name your price.”