He laughed, rough and low, and pressed his lips to hers again. “No doubt.”
She winked. “And then, after I finish talking about what Elvis means to me, I’m going to get naked.”
He ran his hands over the smooth skin of her arms. “Not right there in the RCA room, though, right?”
Her look of horror had him laughing hard and louder than was absolutely proper for the shadowy lobby.
She leaned back. “You knew what I meant.”
“I did.”
She shook her head and then turned to go. “Not sure what to think about a Tony who teases.” Before she made it two steps, she turned back. “Do you forgive me, Tony?”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “Why does it matter? As you said, you were doing what you had to do.”
Randa shrugged one shoulder. “It matters. There’s something about you. You’re just so… steady. It’s like no matter what I confess to you, you can take it and we’re okay. The world doesn’t fall apart if we disagree. That’s true, isn’t it? You forgive me, right?”
He watched her face as she waited for his answer. His opinion mattered to her. The pang in his chest surprised him. The idea that what he thought was important to her made him feel strong and protective and more than anything he wanted her to know, lies or not, he was pretty sure the real Randa was awesome. Every glimpse she’d shown him was better than the last.
“No more secrets between us, right?” Tony rubbed his forehead. “I’m going to just be Tony, and you’re going to be Randa. The real you.”
“Right. All real, all the time.” She fidgeted with the bottom edge of her shirt and he could see the doubt on her face.
Finally he cleared his throat. “Of course I forgive you. Randa, no matter what happened yesterday or what’s coming tomorrow, I like you. The real you is… great.” Beautiful. Amazing. Smart. Funny. Sweet. He didn’t think he could say any of those things, but great must have been good enough. She sniffed and blinked and then nodded her head.
He watched her try to wiggle across the lobby. Eventually she stepped out of the flip-flops and padded with a nice slink to the hallway out to the pool. She looked over her shoulder at him and smiled. After she disappeared, he glanced at the clock on the computer and did a quick countdown to see how long he had to hold on to his sanity.
A Tony who teases? It had been so long since he’d stood across from a girl and did his best to get a reaction out of her, something other than routine politeness, that he hadn’t been sure he remembered how. Randa reminded him. And he was damn ready to tease her in other ways too.
The fact that he’d almost turned into a Tony who blurts out his feelings like a lovesick teenager scared him. It was a good thing she left when she did. He might have been writing poetry next.
Maybe he had one night. It was going to be the best damn night of his life. Hers too, he hoped. Now that everything was out in the open, it was even more difficult to let her walk away, even for a few hours. He had a bad feeling it would really hurt when she left. A small voice whispered that together they might find a way for her to stay. He wanted more than a day with her.
He counted to a hundred to cool the blood that had heated to a nice simmer when he’d gotten a look at her long, naked legs. Then he started a new game of solitaire. For the first time in a long time, the night shift seemed to last forever.
RANDA HADN’T REALLY been sure what to expect when she stepped behind the podium in the RCA room of the Rock’n’Rolla Hotel. When the president of the Elvis Belles fan club had asked her to speak about her first visit to Graceland on the hotel shuttle back after their tour, she’d been flattered. They’d been so much fun to tour with and she’d learned more about Elvis than she knew what to do with while they walked Graceland together. If she’d met them a week earlier, Tony would never have doubted her Elvis education. Now that she was in a crowded room listening to the excited chatter of some devoted fans, she didn’t feel anything but nervous.
She’d had a sleepless night filled with worry over the revised report she finished about midnight. She’d chewed her fingernail for approximately two seconds and hit Send. Unable to put it off a second longer, she’d gone out to tell Tony everything. She was sorry not to have the comfort of Misty there too.
No matter what happened next, she was going to get a dog. Her job might be a big question mark. Her parents might show her the curb as soon as she made it home. But she was getting a dog. She needed someone to talk to in the middle of the night.
When she’d found a Misty-less lobby, she’d been forced to figure out just what she was going to say to Tony. That had nearly been a train wreck, but he’d accepted her apology. That meant a lot to her. In her world it was rare to find a man who apologized. It was even rarer to find a man who accepted an apology and let stupid mistakes go. When she’d reluctantly left Tony behind the front desk in the shadowy lobby, she’d had no doubt that he had forgiven her and that he’d been honest when he said he liked her no matter what.
Chivalry was alive and well in Memphis, Tennessee.
When she’d made it back to the apartment, she’d faced the ugly fact that she had absolutely no idea what to say to an Elvis fan club. She didn’t have a favorite song or a story about meeting Elvis (though it would have been the proof the world needed that he was alive and well somewhere since he’d died before she was born) and before she’d gotten off the shuttle and been swept up in a sea of teased hair and chattering conversation at Graceland, she’d have been hard pressed to name five Elvis songs.
Yeah, she should definitely not admit that aloud.
Right after she’d scrambled back to her apartment after her clearing-the-air conversation with Tony, she’d downloaded Elvis’s greatest hits. If she’d had time to prepare for this trip, she’d have done that before stepping foot in the Rock’n’Rolla Hotel. Even before she’d gotten here, she’d broken one of the most important Whitmore rules. She hadn’t known her opponent at all. It was no wonder her cover story had frayed with the very first question.
She’d tried to tour the crowded room before the meeting started, hoping she’d pick up a little more Memphis flavor in the historic pictures on the walls. She might not have made it to Sun Studio but she had a feeling Willodean only went with the best. Or the most interesting anyway. She’d have to see Memphis through pictures.
This time.
Why she was even considering a next time, she had no idea. Whether it was two weeks or two months, her father would have some other property he wanted inspected, purchased at a steal, gutted, and relaunched.
And this time she had a feeling the food would be a big disappointment.
After the Southern-fried goodness at Viva Las Vegas, anything would be.
Lost in her own thoughts, she hadn’t heard a single word of her introduction, but now, here she was, looking out at a crowd of women who loved Elvis and expected her to love him too. She smiled and glanced around the room. If Tony was here, he’d stand out like a thick juicy steak in the middle of a salad bar. Mouths would start watering. She shuffled her notes. Since she had two pieces of paper it didn’t take long, but she took a deep breath.
“Morning, everybody. My name’s Randa Whitmore and I want to thank you all for having me here.”
She glanced down at her papers and then back up at the room. Her gaze snagged on Tony standing in the doorway. He was leaning against the doorjamb with his arms crossed over his chest. He wasn’t smiling but somehow that made it better.
“I didn’t prepare a lot this morning, but I did want to talk a little bit about what my trip to Graceland meant to me. As most of you know, it was my first visit.” Randa paused to let the pitying murmurs sweep the crowd, and then she went on to describe her first impressions: how small Elvis’s house was, especially compared to the mansions superstars have today, how delighted she’d been to be in a house decorated with real style, even if it wasn’t what she’d pick, and how impressive his story was. One man, his talent, and his
showmanship had changed his own life, his family’s life, and the world.
Randa had to pause to let the sighs die down.
“And I’ve learned that family can mean a lot of things. We’re all born into them. Some are good. Some are filled with enough love that it doesn’t matter if you’re the poorest family in town or rich enough to do everything you always wanted because you’re happy together. Some aren’t. But what I’ve learned on this trip is how important the other kind of family is, the one you make out of friends you meet along the way. Maybe you share a love of a kind of music or a place or maybe you just decide to love each other. I’ve seen that in action on this trip and would have to say that’s the most important thing I’ve learned. Family is important. I wandered into a Graceland tour with the Elvis Belles and you immediately adopted me. I appreciate that.”
She glanced around the room and the ladies were nodding. Tony had straightened up from the doorway and his face was warmer somehow. Maybe she’d done a good job.
“And now, I’ll shut up and let y’all get down to business. Again, thank you for inviting me to be a part of today. I’ll remember this opportunity, ladies.”
There was a polite round of applause and Randa shook hands and hugged necks as she made it across the room to the door. Just before she reached the safety and free air of the hallway, she heard someone calling the meeting to order.
Tony pulled her out into the quiet hallway and yanked the door closed behind her. Randa collapsed against the wall next to album artwork for Blue Hawaii.
They were quiet and the silence stretched out uncomfortably.
“How’d I do?” As soon as she asked the question, she wished she hadn’t. There was no good answer. If Tony said good things, she’d think he was lying to keep their plans on track. And if he said bad things, she’d have to kick him in the shin wearing only her formal flip-flops and go cry on her pillow.
Tony shrugged. “You sort of sounded like a Willodean convert, you know? I mean, you said nice things about Graceland, which is critical.” Tony’s lips twitched. She’d decided that was his version of an everyday smile. “And that part about family? That was nice.” He shrugged. “And I knew exactly what you meant.”
Maybe she was wrong. There was a right answer. That one. She’d spent most of her time at the Rock’n’Rolla thinking there was absolutely no way that she and Tony would have anything in common. She’d just spoken in front of a room that looked like a Mary Kay convention and the local Silver Sneakers group had had a love child. The Elvis Belles kept the teased hair and spangles, but went for velour track suits and bright pink lipstick for their meetings instead of Elvis shirts and fanny packs. And she’d fit in. Because she understood exactly what drew them all together. They shared something and that built a bond.
She looked up at Tony and realized that no matter how different their backgrounds were, they had a few things in common too, maybe enough to build a bond of their own.
“Did you notice I’m wearing your favorite skinny jeans?” She smiled up at him and felt a little breathless when he swept a glance from head to toe. “I had to think a bit on what to wear to an Elvis party but my choices were pretty limited.”
Tony slid one hand under the heavy fall of her hair, and Randa shivered at the touch of his hot skin on her sensitive nape. He stepped closer, near enough that she could feel the heat of his chest against her breasts, but too far still. Randa wrapped her arms over his shoulders and pulled him closer. She needed him pressed against her, needed the connection to him.
Tony’s breath against her lips was a tease. And when he finally pressed his mouth to hers, the momentary relief was gone in an instant. She wanted more. Randa touched her tongue to his and was rewarded as he pulled her even closer, one arm a hard band around the small of her back while the other hand tangled in her hair. His leg slipped between hers so she rubbed the ache there against the hard muscle of his thigh.
Tony pulled his head back with a curse. “We’re in the hallway.”
Since they were doing pretty well even in a hallway, Randa wasn’t exactly sure what his problem was. Then the Elvis Belles laughed at something and she heard a faint melody coming from Viva Las Vegas and she understood what he meant.
“Right.” She loosened her grip on his shoulders and then flexed her fingers. She should probably apologize for the bruises he was going to have later. She didn’t want to let go. She didn’t want to lose the connection. Tony ran a hot hand over her rear and gave it a squeeze while he slowly untangled his fingers from her hair. When she looked up into his face, the apology idea flew out of her head. He wasn’t thinking one single thing about bruises. The look on Tony’s face was hot, hard, greedy. And every thought she had flew out of her head. She felt hot and greedy herself, although she was melting from the inside out.
He took two steps back and Randa shivered at the cold air. She was a little afraid that once she’d been pressed skin to skin with him, she might always feel just a little bit chilly when he was gone.
“Are you hungry?” Tony asked. He had a grimly determined look on his face, like if she said yes, she’d eat and she’d like it. Or else.
Randa shook her head slowly. She hoped he didn’t need words. She’d forgotten how to use them.
One corner of Tony’s mouth quirked up. “Must be my lucky day.” He wrapped a hand around her wrist, pulled her away from the wall and down the hall out into the blazing heat. The trip around the crowded pool was so fast that she had to catch her breath when he closed the door of his apartment behind her.
For half a second the air conditioning was a relief. Then she was cold. Or maybe it was the intent stare that followed her every shifting movement that raised goose bumps. Randa cleared her throat and turned in a circle in the tiny living room. The layout was similar to hers, but she’d expected Tony to have more. He lived here. She was just passing through. If it was even possible, he had less furniture. He was short a chair, but his couch might have been twice as long. It was hard to say since the only other thing in the room was a desk on the back wall. And two bookshelves stacked with books.
She walked over to inspect the paperbacks crammed in. A few hardcovers dotted the shelves, but most of his collection was well worn. She tugged one off the shelf. It was a romance, historical maybe, and the cover model had long blonde locks trailing down her back. She ruffled the pages and turned to see that Tony had taken two steps closer and his arms hung loose at his sides, like maybe he was contemplating grabbing her.
Boy, did she want to be grabbed.
But maybe she could tease him a bit too.
“You know, you might have saved yourself a trip to the bookstore with an unwanted rider if you’d just offered to let me borrow one or two of your collection here.” She put the book back on the shelf in the precise spot she’d picked it up. “It looks like you have plenty to work with.”
Tony shook his head. “No. I don’t loan out these. People who borrow don’t always return. And these I like. These I keep.”
Randa laughed. “Wow. Possessive much? They’re just paperbacks, easy enough to replace.”
Tony stepped closer and wrapped his arms around her from behind. Randa relaxed against him and tried to ignore the inaudible click of everything falling into place. The heat of his hands on hers and the pleasure of being surrounded by him nearly scrambled her brain. He smelled like fresh laundry and soap and the way his breath stirred the hair at the nape of her neck sent little pulses of awareness down her body.
She vaguely recalled they were talking about books when he murmured, “Growing up, I could never get enough books. No money. No one to take me to the library. Nobody who read to me or around me. And all I wanted was more books.” He reached over to slide out one of the hardcovers. “Some of these have been with me for a while. When I find things, special things that mean something to me, I hold on to them. I don’t want to lose them.”
Randa felt a sting of tears and quickly batted them away as she huffed out
a little laugh. She knew what he meant. The possessiveness and sweet tenderness she heard in his voice was just nearly impossible to resist.
“I think I’m jealous of your collection, Tony.” And she meant that in more than one way. She could buy more books, but being that special to Tony? That would be priceless. She had a feeling that once he made up his mind, no matter what stupid mistake she made or contrary decision she followed, he’d stick. He wouldn’t fall apart in hard times. And he wouldn’t let her fall apart either. She ran her hands over his arms, looking down to trace the scrolling ink on his arm. “Always faithful.”
Tony smoothed the fall of her hair over her shoulder and kissed the sensitive skin of her neck. She shivered at the wet heat and the promise of that kiss. “And hardheaded. Possibly too serious.” He sighed and Randa had to bite her lip to keep from moaning at the sweep of warm air over her collarbone. “And I’ve never worn a tux in my life.”
Randa frowned. She was afraid she’d lost track of the conversation. “Tuxes are overrated, but you’d look really good in one anyway. I can’t imagine anything you wouldn’t look good in.” She turned in his arms and wrapped her arms over his shoulders. “Or out of.”
That had been pretty damn smooth if she did say so herself. His eyes snapped to hers and he rumbled out a laugh. “That was good.”
Randa nodded. “I know.” She leaned forward to kiss the V at the base of his neck. She loved it here, wrapped in his arms. But she’d waited long enough. She needed more. “What’s my reward?”
Chapter Eleven
* * *
WHEN SHE LOOKED up at him like that, her smile caught between a dare and desire, Randa was impossible to resist. Tony slid his hands over her hips and down her thighs to pick her up. Randa locked her legs around his waist and squealed. “A piggy back ride? That’s my reward?”
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