“What did he do?”
“Only everything I wanted.”
“And then he left you?”
“No, I ended it. And he won’t let me. He says I’m being unfair to him.”
“Are you?”
“Not in my opinion. I told him about my three-date rule at the start.”
Her mother started. “Pardon me? You mean as in three strikes and he’s out.”
“That’s the gist of it,” Helen said, unwilling to explain the exact parameters.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart, but I don’t understand. Why in the world would you have some arbitrary rules about dating?”
“Because of you.”
“Oh, no, you can’t blame this one on me.”
“Not blame, Mom. It’s not your fault.” They’d never had an honest conversation on the subject before, and Helen figured there was no use in making her mother feel as terrible as she did. “No,” she said, jumping off the stool, “I can’t talk about this, after all.”
“Helen Marie Rhodes, you will not leave here until we do talk about it.”
Helen never had been able to defy her mother when she used that tone. “I never wanted to hurt your feelings.”
“You won’t.”
Stubborn expressions ran in the Rhodes family. Helen knew when she was beaten.
“It’s just that I never wanted to end up like you, Mom—unmarried and brokenhearted.”
Her mother choked back a laugh. “Wherever did you get that idea? I’m the one who didn’t want to marry.”
“But you loved my father. Didn’t you?”
“At the time, yes. But I saw what life was like for my mother and older sister who both married too young and had too many kids and no life outside their homes. I didn’t want that for myself. I don’t even remember when I made the decision to stay single.”
“But you got pregnant.”
“Yes, I was blessed with you. Sometimes the unexpected happens. Being a single parent was my choice.”
“I always thought Father left you when you told him you were pregnant with me.”
“Oh, honey, I knew we should have had this talk years ago. I tried to bring it up so many times, but you always changed the subject.”
“I didn’t want you to be sad.”
“I’m not sad. And I didn’t exactly tell your father about the pregnancy, either. At least not right away. I broke up with him instead. He married on the rebound, and when he learned the truth, he was very angry with me. But what was the difference? I never would have married him. And I counted myself blessed to have you to look after. You were all I ever needed as someone permanent in my life. The only thing I’m really sorry about is that he couldn’t make room for you. He said it was too painful, that you were a reminder of all he’d lost.”
Helen was stunned. “So he rejected me and set up a trust fund to soothe his conscience?”
“That’s very harsh, Helen.”
“That part of my life has been harsh, Mom. There were times when I could have used a real dad, even if he didn’t live with us.”
Experience had set her up to distrust men from an early age. And in the case of her father, she’d been right. He’d shut her out of his life to protect himself. What a crappy thing to do to a kid! If he’d known about the pregnancy before he’d married on the rebound, what then? Helen sighed. Her mother wouldn’t have married him and it probably wouldn’t have made any difference to her anyway.
“I’m so sorry you’ve been hurt, sweetheart.”
“Me, too,” Helen said. “All these years, I thought you and I were so much alike—trophy women for guys who only wanted us for the thrill.”
“It seems we are alike,” her mother said, “if in a very different way than you imagined. We’ve both driven away the men we loved and who loved us.”
Helen quickly said, “I didn’t say anything about love,” but her pulse rushed through her and her mouth went dry at the denial.
“You didn’t have to.” Her mother stroked her cheek. “I can see it on your beautiful face. Does Luke feel the same?”
“I—I don’t know.”
“Then maybe you’d better find out.”
Maybe she had. And maybe she’d better figure out exactly what it was she felt for him.
Helen rose and hugged her mother tight. “How come you’re so smart?”
“Duh…I’m your mother.”
15
LEAVING HER MOTHER’S APARTMENT around Hot Zone’s closing time, Helen took a chance that Luke would still be there. She thought to call him first, then changed her mind. Now anxious to see him, she felt as if the taxi ride took forever. Certainly enough time for her to think.
And admit that she didn’t really want to end it with Luke, after all.
If a better man was out there for her, Helen couldn’t fathom who he might be. Luke respected her, understood her, wanted her. He made her heart race and her pulse zing. She looked forward to their every encounter, and when they weren’t together, she found herself thinking about him.
So what was she going to do about it?
Even if she capitulated, Luke’s business kept him on the move. What kind of a relationship could she have with a man who never lived in one place for more than a few months at a time?
She’d told him that he wasn’t right for her because he had no place to call home, no longtime friends. She now remembered that he’d asked her to teach him.
Teach him?
Could she?
Her nerves trilled as she alighted from the taxi in front of Hot Zone. Several people were just leaving the building and Alexis was locking the door behind them. Helen rushed forward and waved to get the young woman’s attention. Alexis started, then stood there glowering for a moment before unlocking the door to let Helen in.
“We are closed.”
“I’m not here for coffee. I need to see Luke.”
“Big surprise.”
Suddenly Helen got an image—Alexis at the cybercafé carrying two cups and handing one to Luke. Now why had she thought of that?
Heart thumping, she suddenly had a flash….
“I need to tell him why I had to close shop early again. A woman almost died.”
“What?”
“Tilda, the poor old homeless woman.” She closely watched Alexis’s face for any telltale sign of guilt. “It seems she drank coffee laced with the active ingredient found in eye drops and nose sprays. By the time the paramedics arrived, she was having a seizure.”
“But she’s okay?”
“She’s still in the hospital,” Helen said, trying to read Alexis without success.
“Well, that’s good at least. Luke’s in there,” the young woman mumbled, heading for the stairs.
Was Alexis the guilty one? Helen wondered, now doubly anxious to see Luke.
He was talking to a couple of his new employees, so she hung back near the foyer and waited until they left, heading for the back door. Luke had started turning off lights before he spotted her. His expression didn’t change as he crossed the floor and met her halfway.
“We need to talk,” they both said at once.
“Me, first,” Helen added. Though she was now focused on the poison attempt rather than anything more personal. “But I don’t want to be overheard.”
“Everyone’s gone.”
She shook her head. “Alexis just ran upstairs.”
“Probably to get her things. You look flushed. Let me get you something cold to drink.”
She said, “Thanks,” before realizing Luke meant to fix them frozen coffees.
As he prepared the blender, she said, “You don’t need to do anything fancy.”
“I know I don’t. But I want to.”
His idea of seduction? Helen wondered, unable to summon a smile. She couldn’t work up any enthusiasm for fancy coffees tonight.
So while he concocted, she paced and watched the stairs. Eventually Alexis descended, bag in hand. Luke’s assistant stopped an
d stared their way for a moment, then, back stiff, she hurried toward the back door herself. She didn’t even call out a good-night.
Helen was trying to decide if her behavior was suspicious or simply normal for a young woman with an unrequited crush when Luke said, “Come sit.”
He placed the drinks on the table in the middle of a cozy seating area and made himself comfortable on the couch. Helen joined him but, as she took a long sip of her drink, she couldn’t relax.
“It’s good,” she admitted, knowing he would expect her to analyze the ingredients. “Caramel…chocolate…” Another sip. “Toasted pecan?”
“You nailed it. It’s something new I’ve been working on. A Frozen Turtle.”
“Not a very hot name.”
“If you have any ideas, don’t be shy.”
The double meaning sent a sizzle through her, but Helen ignored her reaction. “I didn’t stop by to talk about fancy drinks.”
“So what is on your mind?”
“I had to close up the café early again.”
Luke started. “What now?”
“You know the homeless woman Tilda who’s always around? She was poisoned today.”
Helen told him about the trip to the hospital and the useless follow-up inspection of the café.
Luke shook his head. “Who would want to hurt a harmless old woman?”
“No one.” She took a big breath before saying, “I think someone wanted to hurt you.”
“Uh…you just lost me.”
“I poured Tilda’s coffee myself this morning…into a mug. And right before she got sick, she was drinking out of a paper cup.”
“So?”
“You didn’t take your Breve with you. Flash left it on the table, but then it disappeared. Tilda has a habit of collecting things other people leave behind—usually abandoned newspapers or food someone didn’t finish. But this time I think it was your coffee.”
“And you think it was laced with something dangerous. You’re serious.”
“Dead serious. If enough of that stuff had been in the coffee, she might have died. Or if you’d taken it with you, you could have died. At the very least you would have been horribly sick like she was.”
“But there’s no proof, right?”
Helen shook her head. “I’m afraid not. There wasn’t any trace of the stuff at the café. Kate must have cleaned up Tilda’s table and then dumped a bag of garbage before closing up. The cup would have been in it. But I didn’t think about that or your missing cup until later, when I was at my mother’s apartment. Then it hit me…”
Luke sat back and took it all in, and it was obvious he couldn’t quite wrap his mind around this newest twist. Helen could hardly blame him. A loyal employee committing crimes in his name was pretty mind-boggling.
“You mentioned Alexis bringing me the Breve,” he mused. “You’re saying you think she tried to kill me?”
“Kill? I don’t exactly believe that. More like make you sick and make me look bad at the same time. If the media gets hold of this…” Helen took a big breath. “Anyway, if the paramedics hadn’t gotten to Tilda in time, she would be dead now. Think about it, Luke. A bottle of drops is small. Alexis could have done a little sleight of hand right there at the counter when Kate wasn’t looking. And you should have seen Alexis’s reaction to me when I showed up tonight. She hates the fact that we’re together—”
“We’re together? Really?”
Helen pushed past the personal note. “She was probably angry and wanted to get back at you.”
“Whoa. Let’s go back a step to the together part,” Luke insisted.
“You’re not taking me seriously.”
“Of course I am. I always take you seriously.”
“Then what are we going to do?”
“I’ve already done something,” Luke told her. “I was thinking about your woman-behind-the-man theory and decided to call in a private investigator.”
“To check out Alexis?”
“And Flash.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I only made the connection this morning and didn’t have a chance. Suddenly Flash was there in the café telling me I had to go right then.”
And another image niggled at Helen.
“Flash…she was holding your coffee, too.” Helen could picture the public relations woman standing at the table, waving the paper cup at him. “Remember? She was trying to get you to take it.”
From his expression, Helen knew Luke did remember.
“So if your theory is true,” he said, “not only is one of them ruining the competition wherever we go, but she also tried to slip me a mickey. Nice.”
“One of them tried to hurt you because of me.” A conclusion Helen had drawn and couldn’t ignore. “In the past it was just the business. But there was the stair incident the other night…and now this.”
Luke moved in on her and lifted her chin. His touch took away her breath.
“You’re not to blame for anything here, Helen.”
“And neither are you,” she said. “And I’m sorry I ever distrusted you or agreed to that first date just to get information from you.”
“You were playing with my feelings?”
“I’m sorry—I was conditioned to be suspicious of men’s motives,” Helen said before realizing he was putting her on. She narrowed her gaze at him. “Besides, you only wanted to date me to neutralize me, so that I wouldn’t hurt your opening with another picket line.”
“So we both had ulterior motives.”
“At first,” she admitted.
“And then?”
“And then your charm wore me down.”
“Wow, what brought on all this honesty?”
“A talk with my mother,” Helen admitted. “A very wise woman. She straightened me out on some misconceptions I’ve been carrying around since…well, forever. She made me see that I…”
“What?”
Unwilling to commit herself further with Luke probably leaving for The Big Apple in the too-near future, she said, “If you still want, I’ll agree to another date with you.”
Even that simple admission made her throat tighten and her breath catch there. At last Luke smiled, the dimple in his cheek winking at her, making Helen’s stomach tumble and that breath come out in a big whoosh.
“It’s a start,” he said agreeably.
Before she could inform him that she was promising nothing further, his mouth was covering hers and it was too late to say anything at all.
As they always seemed to, Luke’s kisses made her lose her head. She kissed him back and forgot everything else and surrendered to the needs, both physical and emotional, that no other man had ever made her face. She’d always been self-sufficient before, but even in this short week she’d learned to count on Luke.
Her count on a man? That was something she never thought she would do.
Wrapping her arms around his back, she pulled him closer. But no matter how she angled her body, she couldn’t get close enough to suit her. As if he could sense her dissatisfaction, Luke adjusted their positions even as he continued kissing her. He pushed her down on the couch and settled over her. Sparks seemed to ignite everywhere their bodies touched.
Placing a hand in the middle of his chest, Helen pushed until Luke came up for air and pulled back slightly. “Something wrong?” he asked.
“I just want to clarify…this isn’t the date I agreed to.”
His eyebrows shot up. “Then you want to stop?” He started to rise.
Helen held him fast. “I didn’t say that, now did I?” She simply wanted to make sure this wasn’t the last time they would be together.
“In all dating or otherwise related situations, you’re the boss.”
Yeah, sure she was.
“Then kiss me again,” she ordered.
Helen savored the taste of his mouth on hers. A treat she wouldn’t be experiencing at the moment if only Luke hadn’t left the coffee behind. The th
ought made the kiss all the sweeter. More emotional. Gut-wrenching, even.
What if he had been the one to drink it?
But Luke was unharmed. And he was hers, at least for now. And Helen was determined to take advantage of every second, so she put away her dark thoughts for the time being.
Her short skirt had tugged up, revealing lots of leg, and he took advantage, stroking her outer thigh with the tips of his fingers.
Pressing his forehead to hers, he murmured, “Are you wearing underwear tonight?”
Her flesh rippled in response. “Afraid so. You?”
“That’s for you to find out.”
Gladly, she unzipped his trousers and reached inside to find him. “Tease,” she said, stroking him into steel-rod-hardness through his briefs.
A gratifying sound escaped him. “So, what are you going to do about it?”
Choosing to show rather than tell, Helen slid the briefs down in front and hooked them below his balls, which made his cock jut out at her.
In turn, he ran a hand over her thong panties and pushed aside the crotch.
She trailed her fingers up his length and felt the sensitive muscles spasm.
He dipped his fingers into her thick juices, spread the cream ever-so-slowly upward through her delicate lips and over her clit. Her whole body responded, breasts tightening, flesh quivering.
Opening wider, she lifted her hips. “More,” she demanded into his ear before biting it.
“Yes, ma’am.”
He continued to stroke her and the pressure built so fast that she gasped.
“Music to my ears, darlin’,” he murmured.
His tip probing at her entrance gave her double the pleasure. She moaned in approval and lifted her hips higher to receive him.
Luke slid home like he belonged there, which Helen was starting to believe he did. She could think of no greater pleasure than driving him senseless every night with different ways of having sex.
Different ways of saying she loved him.
Her eyes flashed open at the forbidden thought. He was staring at her, drinking her in, as he continued to stroke with both cock and finger.
When she squeezed him tight inside, as though she would never let him go, the pleasure multiplied to new heights and, try as she might, she couldn’t hang on, so she went with the delicious flow. Wave after wave of orgasm spilled one over the other. She clutched at him, hung on for dear life, until he was spent.
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