His tongue stroked along the seam of her mouth, and she opened without hesitation, taking him every bit as much as he took her. Stroking and tasting. There was a certain safety in the moment, out here in the open, since there was no way things could go further. Distant guest houses, the echoes of the reception carrying on the wind and of course the baby with them kept her from being totally swept away.
Her hands glided down his sides to tuck into his back pockets, to cup the taut muscles that she’d admired on more than one occasion. Hell, the whole female population had admired that butt thanks to a modeling gig he’d taken early in his career to help fund his racing. She’d ribbed him about those underwear ads, even knowing he was blindingly hot. She’d deluded herself into believing she was objective, immune to his sensuality, which went beyond mere good looks.
The man had a rugged charisma that oozed machismo.
Heaven help her, she wanted to dive right in and swim around, luxuriating in the sensations. The tingling in her breasts sparked through her, gathering lower with a familiar intensity she recognized too well after their night together.
This had to stop. Now. Because mistakes she’d made this time wouldn’t just hurt her—or Elliot. They had a child to consider. A precious innocent life only a hand’s reach away.
With more than a little regret, she ended the kiss, nipping his sensuous bottom lip one last time. His growl of frustration rumbled his chest against hers, but he didn’t stop her. Her head fell to rest on his shoulder as she inhaled the scent of sea air tinged with the musk of his sweat. As Elliot cupped the back of her head in a broad palm, his ragged breaths reassured her he was every bit as affected by the kiss. An exciting and yet dangerous reality that confused her after the way they’d parted a year ago.
She needed space to think through this. Maybe watching the wedding and seeing all those happy couples had affected her more than she realized. Even just standing here in his arms with the feel of his arousal pressing against her stomach, she was in serious danger of making a bad choice if she stayed with him a moment longer.
Flattening her palms to his chest, Lucy Ann pushed, praying her legs would hold when he backed away.
She swayed for an instant before steeling her spine. “Elliot, this—” she gestured between them, then touched her kissed tender lips softly “—this wasn’t part of our bargain when we left South Carolina. Or was it?”
The night breeze felt cooler now, the sea air chilly.
His eyes stayed inscrutable as he stuffed his hands in his tuxedo pockets, the harsh planes of his face shadowed by moonlight. “Are you accusing me of plotting a seduction?”
“Plotting is a harsh word,” she conceded, her eyes flitting to the baby in his stroller as she scrambled to regain control of her thoughts, “but I think you’re not above planning to do whatever it takes to get your way. That’s who you are. Can you deny it?”
His eyes glinted with determination—and anger? “I won’t deny wanting to sleep with you. The way you kissed me back gives me the impression you’re on board with that notion.”
Her heartbeat quickened with visions of how easy it would be to fall into bed with him. To pick up where they’d left off a year ago. If only she had any sense he wanted her for more than a connection to his son.
“That’s the point, Elliot. It doesn’t matter what we want. This month together is supposed to be about building a future for Eli. More of―” she gestured between them, her heart tripping over itself at just the mention of their kiss, their attraction “―playing with fire only risks an unstable future for our son. We need to recapture our friendship. Nothing more.”
Her limbs felt weak at even the mention of more.
He arched an arrogant eyebrow. “I disagree that they’re mutually exclusive.”
“If you push me on this, I’ll have to leave the tour and return to South Carolina.” She’d seen too often how easily he seduced women. He was a charmer, without question, and she refused to be like her mother, swept away into reckless relationships again and again. She had a level head and she needed to keep it. “Elliot, do you hear me? I need to know we’re on the same page about these next four weeks.”
He studied her through narrowed eyes for the crash of four rolling waves before he shrugged. “I will respect your wishes, and I will keep my hands to myself.” He smiled, pulling his hands from his pockets and holding them up. “Unless you change your mind, of course.”
“I won’t,” she said quickly, almost too forcefully for her own peace of mind. That old Shakespeare quote came back to her, taunting her, Methinks the lady doth protest too much.
“Whoa, whoa, hold on now.” Elliot patted the air. “I’m not trying to make you dig in your stubborn heels, so let’s end this conversation and call it a day. We can talk more tomorrow, in the light of day.”
“Less ambiance would be wise.” Except she knew he looked hunky in any light, any situation.
Regardless of how much she wanted to go back, she realized that wasn’t possible. They’d crossed a line the night they went too far celebrating his win and her completing her final exams.
It had never happened before she had a plan for her own future. The catalyst had been completing her degree, feeling that for the first time since they were kids, she met him on an even footing. She’d allowed her walls to come down. She’d allowed herself to acknowledge what she’d been hiding all her adult life. She was every bit as attracted to Elliot Starc as his fawning groupies.
What if she was no different from her mother?
The thought alone had her staggering for steady ground. She grabbed the stroller just to be on the safe side. “I’m going back to the room now. It’s time to settle Eli for the night. I need to catch up on some work before I go to sleep. And I do mean sleep.”
“Understood,” he said simply from beside her. “I’ll walk back with you.”
The heat of him reached her even though their bodies didn’t touch. Just occupying the same space as him offered a hefty temptation right now.
She shook her head, the glide of her hair along her bared shoulders teasing her oversensitized skin. “I’d rather go alone. The palace is in sight and the area’s safe.”
“As you wish.” He stepped back with a nod and a half bow. “We’ll talk tomorrow on the way to Spain.” He said it as a promise, not a request.
“Okay then,” she conceded softly over her shoulder as she pushed the stroller, wheeling it toward the palace where they were staying in one of the many guest suites. Her body still hummed from the kiss, but her mind filled with questions and reservations.
She and Elliot had been platonic friends for years, comfortable with each other. As kids, they’d gone skinny-dipping, built forts in the woods, comforted each other during countless crises and disappointments. He’d been her best friend...right up to the moment he wasn’t. Where had this crazy attraction between them come from?
The wheels of the stroller whirred along the walkway as fast as the memories spinning through her. That night eleven months ago when they’d been together had been spontaneous but amazing. She’d wondered if maybe there could be more between them. The whole friends-with-benefits had sounded appealing, taking it a day at a time until they sorted out the bombshell that had been dropped into their relationship: a sexual chemistry that still boggled her mind.
And yet Elliot’s reaction the next day had made her realize there could be no future for them. Her euphoria had evaporated with the morning light.
She’d woken before him and gone to the kitchen to make coffee and pile some pastries on a plate. The front door to his suite had opened and she’d assumed it must be the maid. Anyone who entered the room had to have a key and a security code.
However, the woman who’d walked in hadn’t been wearing a uniform. She—Gianna—had worn a trench coat and nothing else. If only it ha
d been a crazed fan. But Lucy Ann had quickly deduced Gianna was the new female in Elliot’s life. He hadn’t even denied it. There was no misunderstanding.
God, it had been so damn cliché her stomach had roiled. Elliot came out of the bedroom and Gianna had turned paler than the towel around Elliot’s waist.
He’d kept his calm. Apologized to Gianna for the awkward situation, but she’d burst into tears and run. He’d told Lucy Ann there was nothing between him and his girlfriend anymore, not after what happened the night before with Lucy Ann.
But she’d told him he should have let Gianna know that first, and she was a hundred percent right. He’d agreed and apologized.
That hadn’t been enough for her. The fact that he could be seeing one woman, even superficially, and go to bed with another? No, no and hell, no. That was something she couldn’t forgive. Not after how all those men had cheated on her mom with little regard for vows or promises. And her mother kept forgiving the first unfaithful jerk, and then the next.
If Elliot could behave this way now, how could she trust him later? What if he got “swept away” by someone else and figured he would clue her in later? She’d called him dishonorable.
And in an instant, with that one word, a lifetime friendship crumbled.
She’d thrown on her clothes and left. Elliot’s engagement to Gianna a month later had only sealed Lucy Ann’s resolve to stay away. They hadn’t spoken again until the day he’d shown up in Carla’s yard.
Now, after more impulsive kisses, she found herself wanting to crawl right back into bed with him. Lucy Ann powered the stroller closer to the party and their quarters, drawing in one deep breath of salty air after another, willing her pulse to steady. Wishing the urge to be with Elliot was as easily controlled.
With each step, she continued the chant in her brain, the vow not to repeat her mother’s mistakes.
* * *
Wind tearing at his tuxedo jacket, Elliot watched Lucy Ann push the stroller down the planked walkway, then past the party. He didn’t take his eyes off her or his son until he saw they’d safely reached the palace, even though he now had bodyguards watching his family 24/7. His family?
Hell, yes, his family.
Eli was his son. And Lucy Ann had been his only real family for most of his life. No matter how angry he got at her for holding back on telling him about Eli, Elliot also couldn’t forgive himself for staying away from her. He’d let her down in a major way more than once, from his teenage years up to now. She had reason not to trust him.
He needed to earn back her trust. He owed her that and so much more.
His shoulders heaving with a sigh, he started toward the wedding reception. The bride and groom had left, but the partying would go long into the night. It wasn’t every day a princess got married. People would expect a celebration to end all celebrations.
A sole person peeled away from the festivities and ambled toward him. From the signature streamlined fedora, he recognized his old school pal Troy Donavan. Troy was one of the originals from their high school band, the Alpha Brotherhood, a group of misfits who found kindred spirits in one another and their need to push boundaries, to expose hypocrisy—the greatest of crimes in their eyes.
Troy pulled up alongside him, passing him a drink. “Reconciliation not going too well?”
“What makes you say that?” He took the thick cut glass filled with a locally brewed beer.
“She’s returning to her room alone after a wedding.” Troy tipped his glass as if in a toast toward the guests. “More people get lucky after weddings than any other event known to mankind. That’s why you brought Lucy Ann here, isn’t it? To get her in the romantic mood.”
Had he? He’d told himself he wanted her to see his friends settling down. For her to understand he could do the same. But he wasn’t sure how much he felt like sharing, especially when his thoughts were still jumbled.
“I brought Lucy Ann to the wedding because I couldn’t miss the event. The timing has more to do with how you all colluded to pull off that kidnapping stunt.”
“You’re still pissed off? Sorry, dude, truly,” he said, wincing. “I thought you and Malcolm talked that all out.”
“Blah, blah, blah, my good pals wanted to get an unguarded reaction. I heard.” And it still didn’t sit well. He’d trusted these guys since high school, over fifteen years, and hell, yeah, he felt like they’d let him down. “But I also heard that Lucy Ann contacted the Brotherhood over a week ago. That’s a week I lost with my son. A week she was alone caring for him. Would you be okay with that?”
“Fair enough. You have reason to be angry with us.” Troy nudged his fedora back on his head. “But don’t forget to take some of the blame yourself. She was your friend all your life, and you just let her go. You’re going to have a tough as hell time convincing her you’ve magically changed your mind now and you would have wanted her back even without the kid.”
The truth pinched. “Tell me something I don’t know.”
“Okay then. Here’s a bit of advice.”
“Everyone seems full of it,” Elliot responded, tongue in cheek.
Troy laughed softly, leaning back against a wrought-iron railing. “Fine. I’m full of it. Always have been. Now, on to my two cents.”
“By all means.” Elliot knocked back another swallow of the local beer.
“You’re a father now.” Troy rolled his glass between his palms. “Be that boy’s father and let everything else fall into place.”
A sigh rattled through Elliot. “You make it sound so simple.”
Troy’s smile faded, no joking in sight. “Think how different our lives would have been with different parents. Things came together when Salvatore gave us direction. Be there for your son.”
“Relationships aren’t saved by having a child together.” His parents had gotten married because he was on the way. His mother had eventually walked out and left him behind.
“True enough. But they sure as hell are broken up by fighting over the child. Be smart in how you work together when it comes to Eli and it might go a long way toward smoothing things out with Lucy Ann.” Troy ran a finger along the collar of his tuxedo shirt, edging a little more air for himself around his tie. “If not, you’ve got a solid relationship with your kid, and that’s the most important thing.”
Was his focus all wrong by trying to make things right with Lucy Ann? Elliot had to admit Troy’s plan made some sense. The stakes were too important to risk screwing up with his son. “When did you get to be such a relationship sage?”
“Hillary’s a smart woman, and I’m smart enough to listen to her.” His sober expression held only for a second longer before he returned to the more lighthearted Troy they were all accustomed to. “Now more than ever I need to listen to Hillary’s needs since she’s pregnant.”
“Congratulations to you both.” Elliot clapped Troy on the back, glad for his friend even as he wondered what it might have been like to be by Lucy Ann’s side while she was expecting Eli. “Who’d have predicted all this home and hearth for us a few years ago?”
“Colonel Salvatore’s going to have to find some new recruits.”
“You’re not pulling Interpol missions?” That surprised him. Elliot understood Hillary’s stepping out of fieldwork while pregnant. But he wouldn’t have thought Troy would ever back off the edge.
“There are other ways I can help with my tech work. Who knows, maybe I’ll even take on the mentorship role like Salvatore someday. But I’m off the clock now and missing my wife.” Troy walked backward, waving once before he sprinted toward the party.
Elliot knew his friend was right. The advice made sense. Focus on the baby. But that didn’t stop him from wanting Lucy Ann in his bed again. The notion of just letting everything fall into place was completely alien to his nature. He’d never been the
laid-back sort like Troy. Elliot needed to move, act, win.
He needed Lucy Ann back in his life.
For months he’d told himself the power of Lucy Ann’s kiss, of the sex they’d shared nearly a year ago, had been a hazy memory distorted by alcohol. But now, with his body still throbbing from the kiss they’d just shared, his hair still mussed, the memory of their hands running frenetically—hungrily—over each other, he knew. Booze had nothing to do with the explosive chemistry between them. Although Gianna’s arrival had sure as hell provided a splash of ice water on the morning-after moment.
He’d screwed up by not breaking things off with Gianna before he let anything happen between him and Lucy Ann. He still wasn’t sure why he and Gianna had reconciled afterward. He hadn’t been fair to either woman. The dishonor in that weighed on him every damn day.
At least he’d finally done right by Gianna when they’d broken up. Now, he had to make things right with Lucy Ann.
Their kiss ten minutes ago couldn’t lead to anything more, not tonight. He accepted that. It was still too early in his campaign to win her over. But a kiss? He could have that much for now at least. A taste of her, a hint of what more they could have together.
A hint of Lucy Ann was so much more than everything with any other woman.
She was so much a part of his life. Why the hell had he let her go?
This didn’t have to be complicated. Friendship. Sex. Travel the world and live an exciting life together. He had a fortune at his disposal. They could stay anywhere, hire teachers to travel with them. Eli would have the best of everything and an education gleaned from seeing the world rather than just reading about it. Surely Lucy Ann would see that positively.
How could she say no to a future so much more secure than what they’d grown up with? He’d been an idiot not to press his case with her last time. But when she’d left before, he’d thought to give her space. This time, he would be more persistent.
Besides, last time he’d been a jerk and tried to goad her into returning by making the news with moving on—a total jackass decision he never would have made if he’d thought for a second that Lucy Ann might be pregnant.
For the Sake of Their Son Page 6
