by Janice Sims
Siobhan reached over and grasped Lana’s hand, “Look, Lana, I’ll be the brave one here and get this out in the open, we’ve all heard about your troubles. You know us down here. We stick together. We never believed anything they said about you. We know you have a good heart. And we’re here for you.”
Touched, Lana looked into the individual faces of the four women around the table. “I really appreciate that. I was a little leery about coming home. You know how it is...not wanting to look like a failure.”
“Honey, you’re not the first woman, or man for that matter, who trusted someone you shouldn’t have,” Bobbi Lee told her.
Gayle held up her hand as if she were in class and was eager to answer a question posed by the teacher. “Let me jump in by saying I came home from work one night and found my apartment nearly stripped of every piece of furniture I’d bought with my hard-earned money. Had I been robbed? Well, yeah, but by the man I was living with at the time!”
Everyone laughed. No one expressed sympathy because they knew Gayle wasn’t looking for sympathy. She was just sharing her experiences in order to let Lana know she wasn’t alone.
Siobhan took a long sip of her champagne before chiming in. “I went through a lot of frogs before I found my Prince Charming. One guy tried to manipulate me into thinking I was nothing without him. Verbal abuse was a daily occurrence in my life. Fortunately I got out before he started hitting me. Yeah, girlfriend, I think we can all come up with examples of what it’s like to be mistreated by a man.”
“But we can also come up with examples of good men,” Bobbi Lee said. She glanced at her husband across the room. “Does it bother me that on our anniversary my man is watching sports with the guys? No, not at all because I know his heart’s in the right place. He loves me, works hard and he’s a good father. No, we’re not living the glamorous life, we’re both happy.”
Lana leaned over and hugged her. “I don’t know why it took me so long to come back home.”
“Stubborn,” Bobbi Lee said. “You’ve always been stubborn, Lana Jo.”
“I’m working on it,” Lana told her, not denying she had a problem. She suddenly had an urgent need to go to the bathroom. She’d drunk too much water tonight. Every time someone offered her an alcoholic drink, and there had been several offers because drinkers didn’t like to drink alone, she had held up her bottle of spring water and said, “I’m covered.” Twenty-four ounces of water later, she had to find the bathroom and quickly.
“Excuse me,” she said, “bathroom break.”
“I’ll go with you,” Bobbi Lee offered.
“No, stay,” Lana insisted. “I’ll be right back.”
In her absence, Gayle said, “Has anyone heard anything lately about her husband’s case? I didn’t want to ask but I’m curious. Is he really dead, or in hiding?”
“Nobody knows,” Siobhan told them. “But they never found a body.”
“Poor kid,” Bobbi Lee added. “She must not know which way is up.”
Anastasia’s gaze went to Ten. Her friends followed her line of sight. “I think she’s heading in the right direction.”
The ladies clinked champagne glasses together in agreement.
Across the room Ten had noticed Lana leave the dining room. He figured she was going to the restroom. But he couldn’t let her out of his eyesight any length of time with Jeremy out there somewhere. So he excused himself and followed her.
Ahead of him, he saw her go into the ladies’ room. He leaned against the wall in the corridor to wait for her. A couple of waitresses passed by going to and from the kitchen and perused him with interest. He smiled, and they smiled back and kept going.
Lana came out of the ladies’ room and immediately spotted him. She smiled widely. “Hey, boyfriend,” she said saucily, “how about a little fresh air?”
Ten was definitely game. He had been enjoying talking to the guys. Even though he liked watching sports as well as the next man, spectator sports took a backseat when he could be looking at Lana.
He pushed away from the wall, and walked toward her. Lana loved the way he moved, smoothly and powerfully, his body fine-tuned and masculine. She felt the pull of his sexual magnetism every time she was in his presence and it bothered her. He bothered her. She knew Jeremy didn’t deserve her loyalty, yet she still felt like a married woman. Being with Ten made her feel as though she were lusting after another man. Lusting after him and contemplating sinning with him. Not just thinking about doing it, but imagining it in great detail.
Ten’s hand was at the base of her spine as they walked through the exit and stepped outside onto a large wooden deck. Other patrons of the bar and grill were sitting around tables enjoying themselves. A jukebox was playing “Let’s Just Kiss and Say Goodbye” by the Manhattans. Couples danced on the raised platform whose backdrop was the beach.
“I love that song,” Lana said, closing her eyes as if to bring back a memory.
Ten escorted her to the dance floor and pulled her into his arms. He knew this was a mistake. She pressed her body close and they began moving in sync. He forgot she was off-limits, that this was only a ruse to get a rise out of her now ex-husband. When she relaxed and laid her head on his chest, he closed his eyes and willed himself not to physically react to the smell of her hair and the feel of her skin. The dress she was wearing left her arms and part of her back bare. Her skin felt so silky and warm. She smelled of honeysuckle, fresh, not cloying like some fruity colognes can be. He breathed her in.
Lana’s body trembled slightly. Was there any turning back from this? Their first dance on her dad’s deck had been nothing like this. This felt like a prelude to lovemaking and not just lovemaking but hot, uncontrollable, mind-blowing sex.
She tilted her head up and as soon as she met his eyes, she knew that he felt it, too.
He wanted her, wanted her as much as she wanted him. She took a deep breath and let it out. “We’re in trouble, aren’t we?”
“Oh, yeah,” Ten said as his mouth claimed hers, “big trouble.”
Lana wrapped her arms around his neck, went up on her toes to compensate for his greater height, and held on. He tasted like life-giving nectar, so sweet. She couldn’t get enough. Here was her refuge that she had unknowingly been looking for. Her escape from what her reality had become. If she could stay in his arms like this all night, she could face whatever tomorrow would bring.
Ten knew he should stop. And that was his plan. Any minute now. But as they came up for air, she released a breathless sigh and those golden-brown eyes regarded him with such longing, he went in for a second taste. Then the music stopped, thank God, and the rest of the patrons started clapping and cheering outrageously. He and Lana parted to learn they were the center of attention. He grabbed Lana by the hand and they hurried off the raised platform and downstairs to the beach.
She was giggling.
He faced her, let go of her hand, and though it was hard to see the seriousness in the situation at the moment because he hadn’t been this happy in a long time, he knew he had to inject a bit of reality.
“I shouldn’t have done that.”
“You didn’t do it alone,” she said. She got control of the giggles and with hands on her hips regarded him with clear eyes. “Is there some rule against your getting involved with me?”
“As long as the case is ongoing, yes,” Ten told her. “It could compromise how well I do my job.”
“So you can pretend to be my lover but you can’t be my lover,” Lana concluded.
“That’s right,” said Ten.
“You’ve never...” Lana began. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know the answer, but she had to ask the question nonetheless. This couldn’t be the first time he’d had to watch over a woman he’d found attractive.
“No,” was Ten’s immediate response. “I never before had a problem avoidin
g touching, kissing or doing anything else with someone under my protection.”
“Oh,” said Lana, her tone a bit wistful. Inside, she was smiling. Tennison Isles might actually have the capacity for honesty and loyalty, two things she was looking for in the next man she let into her bed. There it was again, her bed. She was certain they would eventually end up in bed together.
“So we won’t make love,” she said, moving in on him again. “We’ll just kiss like horny teenagers in the backseat of a car.”
Ten gave up. He grabbed her, and kissed her until they were both out of breath. They were alone except for the sand, sea and the moon above.
Chapter 8
Lana awakened to a very quiet house. Usually, when her dad was in the house, there was music playing either somewhere downstairs or out on the deck. But lately it was the beeps, whistles and whatever other sounds video games made. Her dad was getting hooked on them. Surprisingly, he’d said Ellen had turned him on to them. She swore by them, saying they kept her hand-eye coordination sharp.
Lana sat up in bed, stretching as she did so. She yawned widely. He must be writing, she thought. She had no idea when her dad’s deadline was for his next book but she was sure he was working on something. He always was. His mysteries sold so well that his agent had recently been able to sell his speculative fiction, too. Because he was known as a mystery writer he had been worried that his readers wouldn’t embrace another side of him, but the scary stories he’d penned were beginning to outpace the sales of his mysteries. She was so proud of him.
After showering and getting dressed, she went downstairs to the kitchen to see if her dad had left her any coffee. The smell lingered, but that didn’t mean there was any left warming in the carafe.
Yes, there appeared to be a couple cups left. She poured herself a cup just as the phone rang. She didn’t bother looking at the caller ID and picked up the call quickly, “Hello!”
“Good morning,” said Ten.
“Good morning,” she replied huskily.
“How are you?”
“Well rested and ready to have some fun on the water today,” she told him. Last night when he’d brought her back home she’d invited him to go out on the Jet Skis with her. Her dad had a new model big enough for three riders. They were ideal not only for sports but for rescuing people who got into trouble on the water. Lifeguards used them for that very purpose.
“Me, too,” said Ten. “But I called to tell you the results of the fingerprint test. The prints on the watch do in fact belong to Jeremy.”
“I knew it!” Lana cried, trying not to gloat. “I wonder if he knows where he lost it. It’s probably getting on his last nerve.”
* * *
Jeremy was fuming. His Rolex was missing. It had been with him through it all. It was his lucky charm. He’d won it off a guy in Vegas along with a hundred grand. With that hundred grand he’d started his business and the rest was history.
He wanted it back, and the only place he could have lost it was at the Braithwaite house. Somewhere between the time he’d stepped onto the beach and the time he’d spent looking for the locket, his watch must’ve slipped from his arm. He’d probably lost it while fending off that crazy dog. He’d noticed it was gone when he was riding the Jet Ski back to the boat. He almost wished it’d been on the beach because if he’d lost it anywhere in the house Lana was going to find it. If she did, suspicions would arise. If she still loved him maybe she wouldn’t notify the FBI that he’d broken into her father’s house. More than likely, though, when she held in her hand proof positive that he was still alive and had left her high and dry she was going to be pissed off.
From now on he had to be proactive. He could no longer hide out in the motel room all day, venturing out only at night. In order to go outside during daylight hours he would need a disguise. It was time to use that hair color he’d purchased on a whim.
Twenty minutes later he looked at himself in the bathroom mirror. His head looked like someone had smeared shoe polish all over his scalp. His curly hair was brown now. The box had promised highlights but he couldn’t see any. Hopefully his new hair color would be enough of a disguise. He had a better chance of not being recognized in a small town in North Carolina than in San Francisco. But with the presence of the internet, news traveled fast and furiously. The world was a smaller place because of it.
After thoroughly washing his hair, he took a good look at himself once more in the mirror. With his new curly brown hair, he actually did look like that Hugh guy. He smiled, revealing beautiful white teeth an orthodontist would be proud of.
He’d celebrate by going out to lunch.
* * *
Lana and Ten took turns operating the Jet Ski. It was now Ten’s turn to pilot the powerful watercraft. Lana had her arms wrapped around his waist. They were wearing lifejackets and stylish safety glasses to guard against sea spray.
On shore Bowser was going crazy running back and forth, trying to follow the path of the Jet Ski. Occasionally he would run into the surf, barking with abandon, but soon the waves would chase him back to shore.
Lana had the side of her face pressed to Ten’s back, enjoying the ride. She tried not to think of Jeremy but he was rarely far from her thoughts. She doubted she would ever stop wondering how she let herself be duped by him. Was love truly blind? She guessed in her case it had been. Or had she been too impressed by his deceptive achievements? By all appearances he was a gorgeous, charismatic businessman who had a penchant for making money. He dealt in securities and his advice had made his rich clients even richer. That’s why they flock to me, baby, he used to say, because I know how to keep them in the lap of luxury. And who doesn’t like luxury?
Lana got used to the big house and expensive cars and designer clothes. Jeremy had plied her with jewelry that had been confiscated along with the house and the cars. Did she miss them? No. She had lived without them before she met Jeremy, and she could live without them now. She could thank her father for that attitude. She had been blessed to grow up knowing that you appreciated things more when you worked hard for them.
Her father was a prime example of that. He’d been a fisherman like his father before him and his father’s father. Yet he’d turned his love of reading into a love of writing and built a career for himself.
Material possessions given to her by Jeremy were not things she had earned. Now that she knew how he’d gotten them, they felt like cursed objects. She was glad to be rid of them. But she didn’t ever think she would rid herself of the guilt she felt about having been married to Jeremy and not realizing he was a con artist. She thought of all those elderly people whose savings accounts were now bare. She wanted desperately to find those missing funds Ten had told her about.
* * *
Lana had gone to pick up a few things at the supermarket. Not a long list of items, just fresh bread, milk, eggs and some fruits and vegetables. She felt perfectly safe doing so since field agents would be watching her every move. Ten wouldn’t be among them because he was in Norfolk checking on the progress of the agency-approved jeweler who was examining the locket for secret compartments.
She strolled down the aisles, perusing the shelves for anything that looked interesting and that might be good for her dad’s health, because half the joy of shopping was discovering new things. Then suddenly she became aware of a man standing beside her. He was dressed casually, wearing jeans and a short-sleeved shirt. On his feet, were well-worn canvas boat shoes. There was something awfully familiar about those comfortable-looking navy blue shoes. Oh, yeah, she’d purchased them herself. They were Jeremy’s favorite kicking-around shoes. He’d been wearing them the day he’d taken the yacht out.
Her heart seemed to lurch in her chest as her gaze traveled up the length of his body and settled on his familiar face. She wasn’t prepared for the shock to her system that seeing
him again dealt her.
He didn’t appear at all affected by their reunion. He smiled coolly. “Get hold of yourself, darling. I’d really prefer it if we could have a quiet conversation without attracting too much attention.”
He put his hand on her upper arm and directed her down the produce aisle. He casually paused, selected a golden delicious apple and put it in her cart.
Lana could barely catch her breath, let alone scream. She stared at him. He didn’t look any worse for the wear. Six-two, with a muscular body, he appeared a little slimmer but not much. But with his hair that shade of brown even she had to do a double take to recognize him. It’d definitely been a good decision on his part.
“Like my new look?” he asked, smiling. “I see you cut your hair. I like it!” He kept his voice low and she suspected he expected her to follow suit.
She had to clear her throat a couple times before she could find her voice. “The new look’s working for you,” she managed to say.
He seemed pleased by the compliment. His eyes were on her chest, and for a moment Lana thought he was actually looking at her breasts but then she realized he was looking for the locket.
“What happened to the locket I gave you?” he asked tightly.
“What happened to your polite tone?” she returned.
“I don’t have time to be polite,” he said, his eyes momentarily darting about as if he knew someone was following him. He took her by the hand and led her to an alcove adjacent to the produce department and away from customer traffic. “As you know, I’m a wanted man. Now, let’s be honest with one another. I’m aware you know I’m the one who broke into your dad’s house. You’re smart. I’m sure you know why. So, where’s the locket?”
“I took it to a jeweler’s to be cleaned,” Lana lied.
Jeremy smiled. “You’re a terrible liar, always have been.”
“You should know,” she said, also smiling. She was more confident now, and was determined she wasn’t going to be intimidated by him. He needed something she had, not vice versa.
