LOVE in a Small Town (Ladies of Legend Boxed Set)

by Janet Eaves

  Her breath caught and stopped in her throat as he unrolled the silk and used it to tease her heated flesh from instep to inner-thigh, from-inner thigh to woman encased panty. The silk barrier was breached and mindless need exploded within her at the slide of finger against heat. Her head fell back in surrender, her body vibrated violently against him in climactic build, and the doorbell chimed.

  ****

  Jim growled loudly in disbelief and frustration. Nobody ever came onto his property without invitation or warning. He quickly bent down to retrieve Lilly’s clothing, disappointed but not surprised when she scampered off the bar and away from him. She looked around frantically, he could only assume for a place to hide, as his frustration turned to all out anger. Whoever was at his door was about to get a major butt whooping! And then some!

  “Here,” he said breathlessly, handing her the suit. “Upstairs, last door, the room right over us is my bedroom. Go on in there and I’ll get rid of whoever this is.”

  Lilly hesitated then took the clothes. Her chest heaved just as his did. She stared at him hard, her eyes large, her breaths agitated, her mouth moving soundlessly. He was afraid she was working up to something he didn’t want to hear. “Go on. I’ll be up in a minute.”

  She hesitated only a second more before she nodded and hurried across the room, up the stairs, and padded around the balcony hallway until she was directly over him entering his room. At the sound of his bedroom door closing Jim pressed his lips together and marched to the door. He swung it open, ready to break-bad, only to have his words freeze in his throat.

  Greetings, cursing, trash-talk, and some serious male teenage fury preceded and followed each of his players and his First Assistant Coach into his living room. He snapped his mouth closed as they all made themselves at home in the viewing lounge, as they often did to go over pre or post game tapes. The trash falling from their lips about Larkstone and how they would pay for “crapping-up” Legend’s football field was music to his ears. He wanted his boys fired up. He wanted them ready to kill, figuratively speaking. And he wanted each and every one of their sorry butts out of his house. He could still taste Lilly on his lips.

  He glanced up towards his room as the players’ talk turned to retribution, destruction, an eye for an eye. He silently groaned.

  “Guys.”

  All talk ceased. All eyes, filled with wonderful fury, turned his way. It was time to be Coach. “Cowboy up. We’re gonna kick some serious Lark butt. But we are gonna do it on the field. Get your gear and get outside. We’re gonna tackle some trees.”

  Grunts and growls of approval carried the team outside. Jim strode to Bobby Filmore, who had made his way to the bar. “Hey. What’s the deal bringing the team here without calling first?”

  Bobby slowly dragged his gaze from the bar and faced Jim. Jim glanced back to see what was so interesting. Beside the magnum of champagne were two crumpled, shiny, silk stockings. He turned back to his assistant. “This might be a good time to state your business.”

  Bobby held up his hands in mock surrender. “Sorry, Coach. Tried to reach you but you didn’t answer your cell phone.”

  Jim patted his back pocket and realized he must have left it in the Jeep. “You should have called the house first then. By the way, how did you get in here?”

  Bobby laughed. “Man, I don’t know who she is but she has got you twisted. You left the gate open.”

  Jim frowned, certain he had closed the gate with his little black box as always, then shook his head and tried to hide the satisfaction thoughts of Lilly gave him. It was true. She had him all twisted up and he wasn’t minding it a bit. “Get out there and keep them busy. I need to take care of something then I’ll be out, too.”

  Chapter Seven

  “Hey,” Jim said as he stepped into his room.

  “Hi.”

  She’d peeked out and knew Jim’s team was out front tearing up each other and his lawn. “I guess you forgot you had plans today?”

  Jim walked across his large room to pull her into his arms. She exhaled, wondering how she could be so relaxed in the arms of a man who consistently sent her pulse racing and her body yearning.

  “This wasn’t in my plans.” He pulled her back a little and nuzzled her forehead. “We were supposed to practice on the field this morning, but Larkstone, the team we play tomorrow night, dumped horse sh…, crap all over the field. Gonna backfire if they think that will demoralize my boys. Just pissed them off and made them stronger. We will kick some serious butt.”

  She grinned against his chest and they swayed together, dancing to silent music. “I think this excites you.”

  Jim’s chuckle vibrated against her cheek. “Yeah. I’d say right now I am pretty excited.”

  Lilly laughed outright. “I think you better go down and take care of your business.”

  Jim pulled her away again, his eyes alive with devilment. “I’d be happy to go down and take care of business.”

  Lilly swatted him away although every agitated cell in her body wanted exactly that. “Very funny. Go. I’ll hang out up here until they’re gone.”

  Jim kissed her long and hard, and then did it again. “An hour. I promise they will be gone in an hour.”

  Lilly watched him sprint out of the room and made her way to the window. As Jim stepped out into the yard, the team, no matter where they were over the large lawn, or what they were doing, stopped to gather around him. It was obvious, even at distance, his players hung on every word. Their faces reflected rapt attention whether nodding vigorously or laughing as a group at whatever Jim was telling them. Several times cheers went up in unison, other times a cadence of grunts followed by a single clap of hands. The talk ended with them forming a rough circle, right hands stretched to the center, and then a loud shout as all hands flew upward.

  Jim turned back then and spotted her in the window. The urge to move, to hide, as the eyes of the entire team turned her way, passed in a moment of bravado she didn’t know she possessed. She wasn’t going to hide. Not this time. Never from life again.

  She smiled and waved, and wanted to laugh when the surprised expressions on the players’ faces turned into the same slow slide of smiles as that of the man they obviously worshiped. Lilly stepped back, turned, and made her way back to the main floor, and the kitchen, where she picked up one of the many cordless phones in the room. After a quick call to Legend’s Landing Bed & Breakfast she went about raiding the refrigerator.

  ****

  Jim approached his front door with an apology on the tip of his tongue. The promised one hour turned into two and then three. He really hadn’t had any choice but to be with his team. Coaching the boys was his job. Leading his team to a victorious season was his passion. But he never broke promises if he could help it, and he didn’t want to start with someone he was coming to care for. A lot.

  It was a bit baffling to find himself infatuated with a woman again. He really hadn’t been this excited by a woman since college. Even marrying Karen had been more about proving he was ready to quit playing around, grow up, and act like a man. Big mistake. But not one that went beyond skin deep when it didn’t work out.

  Women in general were a pleasant diversion during the off season. God’s window-dressing to the world, and to him personally. He appreciated all their attributes, even got a kick out of their bitchy behavior as it had never, with the exception of Suzie, been directed at him.

  Lilly was different.

  For whatever reason that was so, it was so. He’d felt the impact of the attraction from the first stunning second and that jittery, excited, can’t-get-her-off-the-mind desire hadn’t lessened. If anything it increased with each thought of her.

  He opened the front door and the scent hit him full in the face. Something spicy. Something hot. Just like the woman who kept him crazily on edge. He forced himself to head straight up the stairs instead of the kitchen where he heard the low radio sounds of a soft country song. He needed a quick shower before he took
Lilly into his arms, as he had no doubt that was exactly what he would do when he saw her again.

  He wanted more than his hands on her. He wanted to cover her with his body. Seduce her with his mouth. Make her wild with the same desire he’d forced himself to bury while dealing with his obligations to the team.

  He opened his bedroom door and stopped, stunned, then silently moved forward as he drank in the sight of Lilly sleeping in the center of his king sized bed. Stripped down to a lacy hot pink underwire bra, matching panties and garter belt, with those stockings he’d already removed once, she oozed seductress. The long lashes against her lily white skin and the soft, even breaths of slumber, which raised and lowered her delicately encased breasts, stirred more than hunger in him. It made him want to protect her, to cherish her, and to have and hold.

  Jim shook his head, amazed that he was thinking in the direction of forever. They barely knew each other. But that didn’t matter. Not now. Not when everything inside of him said this was right. Meant to be. His destiny. He’d just have to make her see it, too.

  But he didn’t want to scare her. He’d have to take it slow. Give her a chance to see they could have more than just sexual pleasure from each other. Make her understand there was just no other choice.

  ****

  “…and he brought me home.”

  Suzie shook her head. “The man is a moron. A complete moron.”

  Lilly nodded and knocked back her fourth martini. “I know. Or maybe I don’t.” She frowned down into her empty glass, wondering where her drink went. She stuck out her lower lip and turned her focus on Suzie. “I must be doing something wrong. I was nearly naked. I made the secret family recipe spaghetti sauce any Italian restaurant would pay big bucks to get their hands on. It came straight from Italy! The man is stupid. That’s all.”

  Suzie studied her a moment. “You’re Italian, then?”

  Lilly opened her mouth then snapped it closed. Her brain was soaked in alcohol, something she never allowed. A glass of wine every once in a while yes, but not hard liquor. Her safety depended on her wits. She forced herself to focus on what answer she should give. To lie outright would look stupid after what she had already divulged. But the whole truth wouldn’t work either. “Some ancient ancestor thing. You know. What do you call it?”

  Suzie’s brows shot upward. “An ancestor?”

  “Hmmmm.”

  Suzie grinned. “A relative?”

  “Yes. One of those.” Lilly smiled, certain she had handled the issue well.

  “Okay….”

  Suzie sipped her own drink and Lilly debated asking for another. Then decided maybe she shouldn’t. Suzie looked really confused. Or like she wanted to ask questions. And questions were not a good idea. She held out her glass. One more couldn’t hurt. “More, please?”

  Suzie pressed her lips together as she poured another glass. “You might want to sip on this one.”

  Lilly nodded. “Yep…piddy-do-dah.” She giggled, and sloshed a little of her drink onto the decked floor. “Sorry. I’ve never really been drunk before.”

  “No kidding?”

  She completely missed the dry humor in Suzie’s question. “Nope. BD, that’s B as in Big and D, that’s for Daddy…” Lilly clamped her hand over her mouth. “I’m not supposed to tell you this but I am a runaway.” Lilly nodded her head, serious. “Yep. Run, run, run away. Just like in the song.” She put the drink to her lips and knocked it back in three swallows.

  “Lilly, too fast! Oh, no more. What do you mean you’re a runaway? Aren’t you a little too old to be a runaway?”

  She shook her head, her tongue felt too thick, but she was determined to explain. “Nope. Just right. Maybe until I die.”

  Suzie rose from the patio chair and squatted in front of her. “Are you in some kind of trouble?”

  Lilly nodded and was certain her brain slid forward inside her skull. Queasy, she suppressed the tiny voice warning she should hold her tongue. She was tired of hiding every aspect of her life and now that the cat was sort of out of the bag anyway, she was relieved to have someone to talk to. “Big Daddy. He’s really mean.”

  “Your father? You call your father, Big Daddy?”

  Lilly nodded then shook her head. “Wasn’t my daddy. Not really. Never knew him.” Tears started to well up. She breathed deeply several times to keep them from falling. It made her so dizzy she dropped her glass and grabbed the arms of her chair. “Um, what? No. Killed him. Just killed him dead.”

  “What?”

  “Dead. Dead. Dead. Shot in the head. Kinda sounds like a nursery rhyme doesn’t it?” She leaned forward and put her head between her knees.

  Suzie backed away, forcing her to look up through watery eyes. The room shifted as she settled back into her seat, then righted. She shook her head to clear her eyes and halt the dizziness that kept coming in waves, and immediately regretted doing so. She pressed one hand to her mouth and the other to her stomach. After a few deep breaths she burped, then giggled. “Sorry. What were we talking about?”

  Suzie settled back into the seat she had vacated, her stare flat. “You were talking about Big Daddy not being your father. About killing him dead.”

  “Hmmm. What? Oh, no!” Suzie was getting it all wrong. She tried to focus, certain it was important that she explain. “Dig Batty was…, I mean Big Daddy. He was the mean one. Not my father. I don’t think. I’m not sure. No. Probably not. I don’t think. And Momma, no, she wasn’t a mom. I just thought so. But no, she was Madame. She knew. She had to know. The money. She liked to spend the money. She was dripping in rubies and diamonds. Said she liked rubies best. Wore them all the time. Looked like blood to me. Big ones dripping from her ears and throat.” Lilly placed a hand at her throat. “Madame knew how all those jewels were acquired. I know that now. She knew. That made her as bad as him.”

  “Course I liked the money, too. Well not the money. The stuff. The house, oh my you wouldn’t believe this house.” She held her arms wide as she envisioned that monstrosity she once lived in. “Marble everything. Grecian style. Real gold faucets. I thought it was my home. Didn’t know everyone didn’t live that way. Not until later.

  “And the clothes. Not just designer. Straight from the designer’s that made them. All those shoes. Used to love all those shoes. Feet killers but gorgeous. Didn’t really think anything about it at the time. It was all I ever knew.

  “Madame, that’s what she insisted I call her after I learned the truth. Only I didn’t know at first what that meant. Until later. On my birthday. Eighteen. They caught me where I wasn’t supposed to be. Made me do things. Made me watch things. Made me swear.

  “He hurt me so many times. He made me watch him hurt others, too. I had to get away. I would have killed anyone who tried to stop me.”

  As the room darkened to black she desperately sought Suzie’s face. “Anyone.”

  Chapter Eight

  “Oh my gosh, Jim. I think she might have killed a man. I think she might have been a hooker!”

  Jim watched as Suzie whirled through her kitchen in a wild cleaning frenzy. She had a habit of sanitizing when she was agitated, angry, or afraid. At the moment she appeared to be all three. “I’m sure you must be mistaken. Lilly isn’t like that. She’s sweet, sexy.” He couldn’t help but grin. “And wouldn’t harm a fly.”

  Suzie scrubbed at the already pristine stainless steel sink. “I thought so, too. But we had a few drinks and it all came out. She killed some guy named Big Daddy, or if not him, somebody. I think he was her pimp. I don’t know. She didn’t make sense. It was like watching a train wreck happen right before my eyes. One minute I’m thinking I have a new friend then, poof, this crazy woman is spilling her guts all over my floor.”

  “Suz! Stop cleaning!” Jim captured her hand and pulled her to him. “You’re wrong about this. I know you are.” Suzie pulled back and shook her head, spearing him with her gaze. “Is that your brain or your penis talking? And by the way, what the hell is wrong wi
th you? A gorgeous woman throws herself at you and you send her home to get drunk?”

  The swift change of subject threw him… and what the hell was she talking about? “Lilly got drunk because we didn’t have sex?”

  “Awwwwwrr!” Suzie hit him square in the chest. “That is what you are going to focus on? Are you crazy? I think she killed a man! What if she is one of those black widow people? You could be her next target! Of course, I don’t know. It didn’t sound like she picked that life… more like it picked her. But still!”

  Jim threw back his head and laughed. “Black widow people? Do you even hear yourself?” He got another fist to the sternum. “Oww!” He rubbed his chest as Suzie went back to a frenzy of scrubbing.

  “You’re gonna think oww when she poisons you! Or gives you the crabs! Oooh, I need to boil my sheets!” Suzie threw her hands to her cheeks, looking mortified. “Quit smiling you moron. She’s trouble or in trouble and I’m not having it here in this house or with my best friend. Not on my watch. She’s outta here. I’m calling Martin and telling him to get her a house to rent by tomorrow or he can kiss his weekly pie goodbye.” She pointed her finger at Jim. “And you! You stay clear of her and don’t come crawling to me if your private parts start to itch. Now get out of my kitchen and let me clean.”

  ****

  The pain was brutal, and right between the eyes. And throat. And tummy.

  Lilly tried to open her eyes several times before she could keep them that way. Fortunately for her it was nearly dark because she was certain light would have completely done her in. As it was, broken glass shards had taken up residence under her eyelids.

  Her stomach rumbled, flipped and flopped, gurgled, and groaned. She placed a hand there, in the hopes of keeping down whatever she’d ingested earlier in the day but was afraid that was only wishful thinking on her part.