Million-Dollar Makeover

by Cheryl St. John

  “So,” she said to break the silence that had stretched. “Only your family knows about this place.”

  “And Phil.”

  “And your friend, Phil. Does your family drop by? Use the cabin?”

  He finished the bite he’d taken. “No, none of them drop by. Or use the cabin.”

  “How big is your family?” She didn’t recall him having any brothers or sisters.

  “My mom’s from a large family, so I have a lot of aunts and uncles. When they visit my mom, they stay at the big house at the ranch. I have an adopted sister, Katie.”

  “Are you close to her?”

  “Always was. She married at the first of the year.”

  Lisa heard something peculiar in Riley’s tone when he spoke of his adopted sister’s marriage. “Do I sense some tension there?”

  “You didn’t read about Katie and Justin Caldwell? Or see them on the news?”

  “You mean Katie Fenton, the librarian? I know her from the library, and yes, I read about her playing the mail-order bride in this year’s Heritage Day celebration. Someone stepped in to play the groom because Ben Saunders was sick. Some big-business type from out of town. They got snowed in together at the museum.”

  “That was Justin.”

  “Oh.”

  “Come to find out Justin was in town to get back at my father for using and discarding his mother—and then turning his back on Justin.”

  Lisa didn’t understand his meaning, so she waited for Riley to explain, if he was going to. Her brain was probably still a little dulled from the wine.

  “Seems my mother had a difficult time when I was born. She found out she couldn’t have more children and she got depressed. She was too disturbed to properly care for me. And she turned my father away. He in turn took his interest elsewhere and got Justin’s mother pregnant.”

  “Oh.” She was sure that wasn’t an insightful response, but his disclosure caught her by surprise. “So… Justin Caldwell is your brother.”

  “Half,” he clarified. “He undermined us with the investors we had secured for the ski resort and took control away from my father. Then he told him who he was and why he’d done it.”

  “That was deceitful.”

  “He thought he had his reasons.”

  “You’re defending him?”

  “No. He did that as retribution for things he felt were done wrong against himself and his mother. It was a terrible time for my father—and for my mother when she learned the truth. Our family suffered because of it.”

  “I’m sure there wouldn’t have been a good way for you and your mother to find out.”

  “You’re right about that.”

  “Adele is a lovely woman and she’s always been very kind to me. That’s more than I can say for a lot of people in this town.”

  “My father locked himself in his study and wouldn’t talk to me or my mother. It was only Katie he allowed in, and she’s the one he told the whole sordid story to.”

  The hurt in that disclosure was obvious.

  “He had given Justin’s mother half a million dollars so that he could keep the baby. But she took Justin and the money and disappeared. Caleb wanted Justin to know he wanted him and asked Katie to get him to listen.”

  “The whole thing must have been awful for you,” she said.

  He shrugged as though it was of little consequence. “I give Justin credit for doing right in the end. When he learned that my father did care, he ended up turning control of the ski resort back over.”

  “So the two of you are on good terms?”

  “We’re okay.”

  “What about Justin and your father?”

  “Hell, they’re golf buddies.”

  “And your mother?”

  “She’s accepted Justin. His birth wasn’t his fault.”

  “Neither was yours.”

  He looked aside at that remark. “I’ve never talked about this before.”

  She could understand why. “You managed to keep most of this out of the news, obviously. I don’t remember reading anything about it.”

  “No one really knew what went on, and my father certainly didn’t want the truth made public. He gave enough information to satisfy them and not enough to paint himself in a bad light.”

  “But he’s recognized Justin as his son?”

  “Yes. ‘From a previous marriage’ was the slant the papers got when the story finally broke.”

  “But he’s not older than you.”

  “He wasn’t born here, and since no one doubted the truth, the facts weren’t checked. Suits the Douglas family.”

  Lisa sipped the dark brew. “This is incredible coffee.”

  “It’s a blend Marge orders for me.” He stood and removed his jacket. “Want to take another cup and sit outdoors? The porch is pretty high above the foliage, so it’s usually free of mosquitoes.”

  The porch extended along two sides of the cabin and was furnished with comfortably padded chairs and chaise lounges. The half moon offered a silvered view of treetops and dark distant mountains. Fireflies dotted the landscape and frogs chirped. Lisa stood at the railing and gazed out into the darkness. The seclusion and cocooning silence lent a sense of peace to what had been unusually crazy days.

  “It’s a fantastic view in the daylight,” he said.

  “I’ll bet the boys would love it here. They’d chase squirrels and rabbits to their hearts’ content.”

  “You’re welcome to use the place anytime. Bring them and hide out if you like.”

  “I’d never be able to find it.”

  “I’d show you.” His voice came from right behind her. “Think about it.”

  “You’re always giving me things to think about.”

  “I have good ideas.”

  She turned to find him studying her. The light from the front windows illuminated his features. Her heart fluttered unexpectedly. Just nerves, she thought to herself.

  Lisa could count on one hand the number of dates she’d had in her life. Each one had been awkward and the conversation had been stilted, and she felt exactly the same way now as she had on those occasions: out of place. Was this a date? What did couples say to each other?

  Her heart sped up. What did more-than-dating couples say to each other? She couldn’t imagine. She’d watched a hundred movies in which the man and woman flirted and talked and ended up in bed together, but movies were fantasy, and though she loved those cinematic escapes, she was grounded firmly in reality.

  What would Meg Ryan say to Tom Hanks right now? What would Kathleen Turner say to Michael Douglas?

  “What’s your favorite movie?”

  He glanced toward the mountains, then back at her. “I don’t watch a whole lot of movies.”

  “You don’t?”

  “No.”

  “Why not?”

  “I don’t know. Just don’t take time.”

  “But you’ve seen movies.”

  “Of course.”

  “Then what’s your favorite from those you’ve seen?”

  He shrugged, seeming almost uncomfortable at being asked.

  “What came to mind when I asked?”

  “Platoon.”

  Lisa resisted wrinkling her nose. She hated war movies.

  “What’s your favorite movie?” he asked.

  “I have a lot of favorites. A whole case of them, as a matter of fact.”

  “You made me pick one.”

  “Okay,” she conceded. “Roman Holiday.”

  “Audrey Hepburn?”

  She nodded. “And Gregory Peck.”

  “What’s so appealing about it?”

  She thought it over. “The heroine escapes her real life and has an adventure with no one knowing her true identity.”

  “I see the appeal.”

  “You do? Have you ever thought you’d like to be someone else for a while?”

  “Not really.”

  “Too practical to have fantasies like that, huh?”


  He touched her bare arm and a shiver darted up her spine. “Nothing wrong with fantasies,” he said.

  Lisa closed her eyes and heard the thump of her heart. Felt the chug of her blood in her veins and the heat of his hand on her arm. What would Lily say now?

  He ran his palm up her arm, found her collarbone with one finger and stroked it.

  Lily probably wouldn’t waste time talking. Or even thinking.

  Lisa opened her eyes and deliberately stepped into Riley’s arms.

  Chapter Seven

  Lisa had never known there were kisses like this outside the movies. His lips on hers awakened a need that had been dormant inside her for a long, long time. It was easy to press uncertainty aside and lose herself in the sensations. He was warm. And strong. But she didn’t delude herself that he felt anything for her. She wouldn’t even let herself wonder if he felt the same flooding warmth and physical hunger she did at this moment, because she didn’t want to spoil her fantasy come true.

  Riley parted her lips and curled his tongue against hers in a deep, mind-drugging foray. Lisa slid her hands up along the hard, warm plane of his shirt front, wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body against his.

  This evening, this moment, in Riley’s arms she felt desirable for the first time. She wanted to sink all the way into this experience, to finally know passion and feel good about herself.

  With one palm she framed his jaw. The unfamiliar texture of his cheek sent a jolt of excitement through her nerve endings. He turned into her touch and kissed her palm, his mouth hot and wet and more erotic than anything she’d ever known.

  With both hands she bracketed his face and pulled his mouth back to hers for another staggering kiss.

  Riley flattened one hand on her spine. With the other he rubbed her shoulder blade, stroked her bare arm and then cupped her breast. Her nipples were taut and her body thrummed with tense awareness. She wished she wasn’t wearing this bra. Lisa felt exhilarated and sluggish at the same time and she didn’t know how long she could stand on her own.

  Maybe she gave him some sign of her lack of stamina, because he moved them both so that her back was against a wooden pillar. By insinuating one knee between her thighs, he prevented her from slipping to the floor but at the same time created a new and more disturbing sensation.

  With both hands free he explored the contours of her body through her dress and caressed her breasts as best he could above her body shaper, soothing one ache while he created another. “You’re incredible, Lisa,” he whispered. “So beautiful.”

  His words were potent, giving her confidence, empowering her. She had planned this, she thought with smug satisfaction. Orchestrated events to her liking. And it wasn’t over yet. Plain Lisa Jane Martin had Riley Douglas right where she wanted him.

  Well…almost.

  With renewed strength she left his lips and straightened to the task of loosening his tie. When he reached to assist, she pushed his hand away and tugged it off herself, then unbuttoned his shirt. Underneath he wore a stark white T-shirt that almost glowed in the moonlight. She ran her hands over his chest through the soft fabric, and he eased back only enough to tug it off over his head.

  She let her fingers hover over his skin for a moment, anticipating the warmth of his flesh. She heard his intake of breath and looked up to read expectancy and arousal on his shadowed face. Lisa’s heart pounded with anticipation.

  She touched his chest then, soft hair, warm skin, lean muscle beneath. With his hands at her hips he simply experienced her exploratory caress.

  Senses filled to brimming with his textures and heat, she ran a finger over his lips, then leaned upward for more kisses.

  As he obliged her, Riley found the zipper on the back of her dress and pulled it down, lowering the front.

  The salesgirl had told her the black strapless corset was all the rage. Putting it on, Lisa had compared it to a sausage casing, but the end result had made the dress fit perfectly. Riley was looking at her as if she were a mouthwatering breakfast, and she didn’t mind.

  He took the support of his knee away, so that she had to stand on her own, and he leaned down to kiss the tops of her breasts where they spilled over the corset. The tingling sensation his lips created sent Lisa’s blood pulsing.

  He straightened and kissed her again.

  What was expected now? What was she supposed to say? Or do? She refused to show her awkwardness about any of this. Would he ask her if she wanted to get comfortable? Would he invite her into his bedroom? That might ruin the spontaneity, but she couldn’t quite see baring it all out here on the porch with a thirty-foot drop below.

  The thought gave her a twinge of panic. “Can we go inside?”

  “Sure.” He took her hand and she held up the front of her dress as he led her easily into the house. He paused and looked into her eyes. “Upstairs?”

  One word, but it was his way of asking if they were going to move forward with what they’d started, as well as her chance to call a halt if she chose.

  The same word gave him her answer. “Upstairs.”

  He let her walk ahead of him up a winding black wrought-iron staircase. From behind he finished unzipping her dress and cupped her bottom as though he couldn’t keep his hands off her.

  At the top he pointed to an open doorway, and she preceded him into the bedroom. After turning on a bathroom light, he left the door open a sliver, permitting only a slim measure of light to escape.

  His broad form was in silhouette as he came toward her. Lisa’s heart thudded with swift and unexpected delight and she kicked off her shoes. She’d imagined moments like this a hundred times in her girlish fantasies, and now her dreams had come to life. Riley leaned over the bed and, with a swoosh of silken fabric, pulled back a dark coverlet.

  She let her dress fall to the floor and stepped out of it. There wasn’t a second left for awkwardness, because he reached for her and snagged her around the waist, pulling her down with him on the bed. The sheets were cool against her bare back. Satin.

  “This is sexy, but let’s get rid of it,” he said, reaching to find the hooks on her corset. Good luck, she thought, but he found the fasteners and released her breasts from their confinement.

  He definitely knew what he was doing when he found her hard, sensitive nipple with his tongue. Freedom was one thing, but indulgence, oh, indulgence was even better, she discovered with a shudder. This was what she’d been missing. This was what scriptwriters tried to convey on screen and novel writers attempted to put on paper. No one had ever described it well enough.

  She had a lot to learn.

  Riley lavished attention on each breast and then on her mouth again. She wasn’t sure which one of them reached for her underwear, but they both gave a tug from a different angle and the cotton garment was tossed aside. Gwen had tried to talk Lisa into a thong, but French-cut briefs had been as far as she’d been comfortable going. At this point she didn’t think Riley would have noticed or cared if she’d been wearing boxers.

  And surprisingly the complete lack of clothing didn’t matter to her. She’d shrugged off her inhibitions the moment she’d put on the red dress.

  This woman made Riley so hot, he didn’t know how he was going to last long enough to perform the act. She’d been turning the tables on him for days. Tonight she had turned him inside out. Showing up in that dress and with that look in her eyes—that look that dared him to try not to fall victim to her seductiveness.

  He dipped his hand lower and found her slick and swollen.

  She made a sound halfway between a laugh and a cry.

  He kissed her again because nothing was enough. Her mouth was sweet and her reactions so artlessly real, he’d lost himself in their first kiss and didn’t want to be found.

  She set his senses ablaze. “Your skin is so smooth,” he praised her.

  She bracketed his face with both hands, as though intent on his words.

  “Your breasts…”

 
“What about them?”

  They were gorgeous. Full and sensitive. “Let me just say…Lily Divine passed on some incredible genes.”

  Her lazy smile tipped his equilibrium.

  When had he lost control of this game?

  When had Lisa Martin become someone he desired?

  He didn’t want to think about it. He shucked out of the rest of his clothing and took great care in kissing and stroking her, tasting the skin behind her ears and at her throat. He used his fingers to coax a series of surprised little gasps and had her raising her hips off the bed.

  She grasped his shoulders so hard, her nails bit into his skin. “Riley,” she said breathlessly.

  “Yes?” He looked into her eyes in the darkness.

  “Nothing. I just wanted to say your name.”

  “Say it, then.”

  “Riley Douglas.”

  He reached for the night table, found the box of condoms he’d placed in the drawer earlier and sheathed himself.

  She touched his shoulder almost hesitantly.

  Riley leaned over her and kissed her. She drew him down to her, eagerly accommodating his weight.

  “Keep kissing me,” she urged.

  He did and guided himself, hoping he wasn’t shaking as much on the outside as he was on the inside.

  Lisa sought his tongue and took it into her mouth in an erotic imitation of what their bodies were straining to do.

  “Relax, Lisa.”

  “Riley.”

  Was she just saying his name again? Entering her took a moment of intense concentration while he kissed her and purposefully eased his way.

  Her body accepted him all at once, and she grasped his upper arms at the same moment, as though he’d just pushed past a resistance.

  Dull recognition nagged at the back of his mind while extreme pleasure flooded his senses. “Lisa, what…?”

  “Don’t say anything.” She wrapped herself around him and made him forget reason and thought.

  All that existed in the moments that followed was the two of them floating on a sensual ocean of enjoyment.