"Now don't go getting upset with your mother, kid," Leo said. "I agree with her that this is the best way to handle things for right now. And I'm not interested in marrying you off. It's only that I hate bullies, and I'd like to see if my guys can smoke this one out."
Harry lowered his voice. "I can give you a description."
Leo became more alert. "You saw him?"
"Yeah. Blond, about my height, hefty. Not fat, just solid. Looks like a jock. I'm guessing he played football in high school."
"That helps, knowing what to look for," Leo said. "Anyway, somebody needs to get Lainie out of the way while I put my boys on it, and she seems to be short on friends to help her out."
"Of course she is," Rona said. "The poor thing's been looking over her shoulder ever since she got here." She studied Harry for a moment. "So you've been babysitting?"
Harry shifted in his seat. Pretty soon his mother would discover that he had more than a neighborly interest in Lainie, even though he'd been trying to disguise it. Rona was no dummy, either. "I happened to find out that her regular sitter wasn't available this week, so I said I'd fill in."
"That was nice of you." Rona tapped her manicured finger against her mouth. "I'm trying to remember the last time you offered to babysit for someone's child. Let me think. That would be ... never."
"Don't go making a big deal out of it. I'm sure the offer had something to do with remembering how you had to struggle to find sitters."
"Which doesn't take away from the fact that you did a nice thing. And on top of that, you didn't call the cops when Dexter's father showed up." Rona smiled at him. "I think you like her."
"Which is what you're banking on," Harry said, feeling testy. "But don't get too fond of Dexter, okay? Because Lainie's not my type."
His mother rolled her eyes. "She's exactly your type. You'll never convince me that those mousy girls you've been going out with lately are the kind who will make you happy."
"I just haven't found the right woman, Mom. Simple as that."
"Well, I would think a showgirl would be perfect for you. They're the sort of women you know best. Which reminds me, I need to round up the TITS, but before I do that I want to make Dexter's bed. I'll bet he's pooped. So if you two will excuse me, I have things to do."
"Need me to help with anything?" Leo asked.
"Thanks, but I can handle it." Rona smiled at him. "You're a nice guy, you know that?"
"I keep telling you."
She laughed and headed upstairs.
Leo sipped his coffee while he watched her go. When she was out of earshot, he put his mug down. "I know what your problem is, kid."
"What problem?"
"With women."
"I don't have a problem with women."
"Sure you do. Otherwise you'd be settled down by now. Lord knows you have the disposable income to do that. Which reminds me, why haven't you moved out of that tiny apartment and bought yourself a decent house?"
"Because I—"
"You like your new neighbor?" Leo winked.
"No, that's not the reason." But it was part of the reason, one he hated to admit to himself because it wasn't logical. "I can't see buying a place until I find the right woman."
"You of all people should be after the investment and the tax write-off."
"I have this place as an investment and tax write-off." He'd told his mother that she was doing him a favor by living in the place and paying him a nominal rent. It saved her pride, and he was glad for that.
"Okay, okay. But you're not making progress on the marriage front, and I say it's because the ones who float your boat haven't been smart enough for you, at least so far. Am I right?"
"I suppose there's some truth to that. But I'm sure that eventually—" Harry closed his mouth when he heard Lainie's high heels clicking in the hallway leading from the living room.
"Take it from me, kid," Leo said in a low voice. "You wanna go for the gusto first, and then check out the brains of the operation. I don't care how smart a woman is, if she doesn't flip your pancakes, then forget it."
"Hey, that's my mother you're talking about. Watch it."
"I'm just sayin'."
"I know what you're saying," Harry muttered. "And I wish you'd quit saying it." Then he glanced up as Lainie walked into the kitchen. "So what does Dexter think about staying here?"
"He's crazy about the idea," she said with a trace of sadness in her voice. "I'm the one with separation anxiety. I'm sure Dexter will be fine. He's practically asleep right now, lying on the living room rug with Fred."
And just like that, Harry was sucked in again, wanting to comfort her, wanting to take her in his arms and tell her she was making the right decision, tough as it was for her.
Because he wasn't about to do anything like that, he searched for a role he could fill. "I think my mom is getting his bed ready upstairs. Why don't I carry him up there and we'll tack him in?" He didn't have to look at Leo to know the guy was grinning like the cat who ate the canary. Leo was enjoying the hell out of watching Harry maneuver through this situation. Harry figured Leo had the right to enjoy it—the guy had pulled Harry's sorry butt out of several dicey situations when Harry had been a clueless teenager.
"That's a good idea." Lainie looked about ready to cry.
Harry realized that once they were on their way to Sedona, he could have a blubbering woman on his hands. He'd better throw a box of Kleenex in the car before they left. Under no circumstances should he pull over and let her cry on his shoulder. Comforting a woman built like Lainie could be a slippery slope.
He pushed back his chair. "I'll go get him, then."
"I'll see if Boom-Boom's ready for you," Leo said.
"I don't have his PJs." Lainie sounded upset. "He's not used to sleeping in his clothes."
Harry started down the hall toward the living room. "If I know my mother, it'll just be for tonight. She'll take him shopping tomorrow."
"Shopping? But what if Joey or some private eye he's hired is lurking around and sees them?"
"Yeah, you're right." Harry turned, almost colliding with Lainie. "Okay, so maybe she'll send a member of the TITS out shopping for her. We can even suggest that, if you're worried about it."
"Then I'll pay her back for whatever they buy."
"Don't even suggest it." There in the darkened hall, he had the insane urge to kiss her. They were standing close enough that it would be an easy move. "Mom would be insulted."
"But she shouldn't be spending money."
She smelled so damned good. He loved listening to her breathe, loved watching her lips move when she talked. "Don't worry about the money, either. She wouldn't spend it if she didn't feel she could. She went too many years punching pennies to be wild with money." And Harry would deposit a hefty sum in her account when he got back and tell her it was an unexpected stock dividend.
"So what about you? How can you just leave work?"
"I can. I'll call the office from Sedona in the morning. It'll be fine."
Lainie sighed. "And Tim won't expect me to be coming back, so I guess I should just relax and let things happen."
"Probably." But he didn't dare do that, or they'd be in a lip-lock in no time flat. He needed to move on down the hall, and do it now, before he acted on a stupid impulse and planted one right on that full mouth of hers. "Let's go get Dexter." He started toward the living room again.
"Harry..."
He glanced back, and she looked so vulnerable he had to clench his body against the urge to wrap his arms around her.
"Thank you," she said. "For everything."
"You're welcome."
"I'm sure you're a terrific traveling companion."
He smiled at that. "I guess you'll find out." Then he concentrated on walking straight to the living room without passing Go or collecting two hundred dollars.
When he crouched down to pick up Dexter, the strangest thing happened. Fred growled at him. Fred had never gr
owled at him. Fred wasn't a growler. He was a cute little lapdog who licked whatever bare skin he could reach and wiggled with ecstasy when he got a good tummy rub.
"Omigosh," Lainie said. "He's guarding Dexter. That is so cute."
"That is so weird. He's not a guard dog." He lowered his voice. "It's okay, Fred." He still couldn't get over this little fluff ball acting like a Doberman. He wanted to laugh, but that might wake Dexter, who was sound asleep, his arm around Fred. "I'm not going to hurt your new friend. We need to take him upstairs to bed. You can come, too. I'm sure he'd like that."
Fred whined and thumped the floor with his tail. Harry took that as a sign that Fred wouldn't bite him if he scooped Dexter up off the floor. Fortunately, as he lifted Dexter, he didn't feel the prick of Fred's teeth.
Dexter was a good-sized four-year-old, and Harry grunted a little as he stood up with Dexter in his arms.
"Let me help." Lainie moved in close. "He's too heavy."
"Nah, I have him." Harry wasn't about to let on that he had the least bit of trouble hefting a four-year-old and carrying him up the stairs. But this was the second time tonight he wished that he'd paid more attention to his physical conditioning recently. As a college kid, he'd worked out in an attempt to change his nerd image. Unfortunately, nobody had noticed, so he'd given up his gym membership.
Maybe he'd rejoin after he came back from Sedona, although that wouldn't help him now, when he was faced with jock-type ex-boyfriends and a sleeping kid who needed to be hauled up to bed. This turn of events had caught him off guard.
As he started toward the stairs, the jingle of dog tags told him Fred was right on his heels. "Make sure he doesn't get in front of me and make me trip," he said to Lainie.
"I'll just pick him up and carry him." Then she started laughing. "Oh, man, does he love to lick. I'm getting a real face washing. Hey, that tickles, Fred. Come on, stay away from my ears."
Dogs had all the luck. Harry tried not to listen as Lainie giggled her way up the stairs behind him, but her reaction to Fred's tongue was turning him on. Harry wanted to be that dog, held against Lainie's breasts while he licked every bit of exposed skin.
At the top of the stairs he turned right and headed into his mother's guest room. She and Leo were still in there. Rona cradled her cordless phone against her shoulder while she helped Leo adjust a comforter over the twin daybed. She waved Harry over as she turned back the sheets.
"Not your purple wig," she said into the phone. "We don't want her to attract attention. That short blond one would be great, though. Cherie's bringing over her long red one. Yeah, the one she thinks makes her look like Nicole Kidman."
Harry carefully laid Dexter on the bed and started taking off his shoes.
"This dog's going nuts," Lainie murmured.
"Here." Leo walked over toward her. "Let me take him until we get that little shaver under the covers." He scooped the dog from Lainie's arms. "Hey, you, settle down," he said in his gravelly voice. "Or you'll make me mad. You wouldn't like me when I get mad."
Harry glanced over his shoulder at Leo and the dog. Leo would never raise a hand to Fred, but the dog minded Leo better than anyone else. Come to think of it, most everyone minded Leo. You didn't mess with a guy who had Leo's connections. It wasn't healthy.
Even Fred seemed to understand that. Rona was the only person not intimidated by Leo, but then, she didn't scare easily. Harry had been about eight when three burly high school kids had followed him home, threatening to "depants that little nerd." Rona had boiled out of the house in her short-shorts, cropped top, and thigh-high boots and sent those three scurrying for cover. She would have made a good Amazon warrior.
"No, no clothes," Rona said to whichever member of the TITS she'd called. "She's close enough to my size that I can dress her. Well, okay, if you must, you must. You do have some stunning nightwear, Suz. I'm sure she'd appreciate that, come to think of it."
Harry gulped. Stunning nightwear? Apparently the TITS had decided Harry had procrastinated on this marriage deal long enough, and they were going to reel him in, using Lainie as bait. They might want to check with Lainie on that score. Just because he had a weakness for her didn't mean she had a weakness for him, especially a guy who didn't have washboard abs. More like motherboard abs.
Once relieved of Fred, Lainie moved over beside Harry to help undress Dexter. They worked together and managed to slide off the Pooh shorts Harry had bought him.
"That's good enough," Lainie murmured. "He can sleep in his shirt and underwear." As she pulled the covers over him, she sniffled softly.
Harry turned his head in time to see her brush her cheek with the back of her hand. His arm was around her shoulders before he could stop himself. "He'll be fine. They'll have a great time together," he said softly, giving her a reassuring squeeze.
"I know." She sniffed again. "B-but I've never left him for this long. Only the few hours when I was working. I-I don't know if I can do it."
"You can do it. Think of it this way—you're helping make it very difficult for Joey to find him."
Leo eased Fred down on the bed. "And remember, he has a new friend to keep him company. Easy does it, Fred. That's a good dog."
They all watched as Fred stepped carefully over Dexter until he was in position to curl against Dexter's side. Then, with a little doggy sigh, Fred plopped down and put his head on his paws.
Lainie reached out and scratched behind the dog's ears. "Take good care of him, Fred."
Fred's tail thumped twice.
From the doorway, Rona flipped off the light switch, leaving the room dark except for a little night-light near the baseboard. Leo headed out the door.
Finally Harry realized he was standing there holding on to Lainie in a tantalizingly dark room. He released her and stepped back. "Let's go downstairs."
"Okay." She sounded hoarse. With one last glance at Dexter, she walked through the door.
Lainie couldn't imagine what she'd do without Harry. Right now he was her security blanket, whether he wanted to be or not. His mother was into matchmaking— any idiot could see that—and most guys didn't appreciate having a mother interfere in such things. Rona didn't have hidden agendas. She had agendas that were right out on the table for everyone to see.
Stunning nightwear, indeed. The doorbell rang as Lainie started down the stairs. Amazingly, Fred didn't come barreling past her to check out whoever was at the door. That comforted Lainie, knowing that the little dog had appointed himself Dexter's protector. Fred wasn't big enough to be a real threat to anyone, but he'd sure as heck let someone know if Dexter was in danger.
By the time Lainie reached the first floor, the TITS were marching down the hallway toward her. In the flurry of introductions, she had trouble keeping names and faces straight. There were four of them, all tall, as she would have expected from former members of Vegas chorus lines. They greeted Leo and Harry with enthusiastic hugs and noisy kisses on the cheek. Lainie felt like she was backstage at the Nirvana.
Eventually she figured out Suz, a brunette, was the other member of the group besides Rona who'd kept her figure, and Suz was also the woman who'd brought the nightwear. No sooner had they gathered in the kitchen than Suz pulled a red, floor-length nightgown from the shopping bag she'd brought in with her.
"Here's my contribution to the cause." She held it up against her still-impressive bust line. "Is this gorgeous, or what?"
While all the women exclaimed over the beauty of the nightgown, Lainie stared at its plunging neckline. The nightgown was gorgeous, prettier than anything she'd ever owned. But by wearing it, she'd be hanging a sign around her neck that said "Take me, Harry."
No doubt about it, that outfit pretty much committed her to having sex on this trip. Harry might be able to resist his mother's manipulations, but he wouldn't be able to resist Lainie in that nightgown. She peeked in his direction to see how he was reacting.
He'd turned his broad back to the group and was rapidly
clinking ice into glasses as he helped Leo bartend. But the tips of his ears were pink. And he was throwing ice around so wildly that a couple of cubes skidded across the counter and onto the floor.
Lainie thought his discomfort was very cute. His tush wasn't so bad, either. And come to find out, he had satisfyingly broad shoulders, plus his thick brown hair looked extremely touchable. In spite of knowing it was probably a bad idea, she began imagining what it would be like to seduce Harry. Obviously she had his mother's blessing to do exactly that.
Something else was slowly sinking in—as much as she didn't want to leave Dexter, as tough as it would be to think of spending three days without seeing his adorable little face—Dexter was the reason she hadn't had sex with a man in the past four years. She'd thought, all things considered, that Dexter would be better off if she didn't date. So for a long time, sex had been a solo affair for her.
Now she'd be going away for three days with a living, breathing man, a man she'd had secret fantasies about, a man taller than she was. Nice. They'd be sharing a room at a resort. Suz was loaning her a nightgown that would bring Harry to his knees. If Lainie wanted to end her long period of celibacy, now was her chance.
"So how are they supposed to get reservations for this time-share thing?" asked a woman in snug pants that didn't disguise a single one of her bulges. "Don't you have to call in advance?"
"Nah, you don't," said a blonde wearing long rhine-stone earrings that flashed as she shook her head. "If they think they have a hot prospect, they'll find a place for you. Harry has a way with people. He can call them when the office opens up and say they happen to be in the area and want to take the tour. I'll guarantee he gets a room."
"I'm sure that's true." Suz tucked the red nightgown back in the bag. "Harry always was a smart cookie. Remember, Harry, how you used to help us do the crossword puzzles between numbers backstage when you were a little kid?"
"Sure do." Harry didn't turn around, just kept working on the ice situation.
"You were our mascot, Harry," said the blonde with the rhinestone earrings.
The Nerd Who Loved Me Page 6
