She couldn’t read his expression in the dark, but her heart pounded as if she was running a race. “No harm done.” She barely managed to keep her voice steady under that fixed gaze.
“Maybe I should try again.”
Her body quivered in ready agreement. “That wouldn’t be wise.” She couldn’t believe she sounded so calm when her heart was racing so fast.
For long seconds he simply stared at her. She nearly told him then. She wanted nothing more than to go inside and learn where this crazy attraction might lead.
The moment shattered. He lowered his gaze. “Sorry. Do you know how to get back to my mom’s from here?”
With a shaking hand she indicated the GPS system on the dashboard. “I can find it. Do you…Will you need any help?”
Say yes.
“No. I can get my shoes off without falling over. Don’t worry.” His tone was cool.
She barely stopped her hand from reaching out to him. “Sorry, Kyra. That was uncalled for. I’ll be fine.”
Her stomach was taut with emotion. “I’m glad.”
He reached for the door handle. “Thanks for coming. And for driving me home.”
“Get some rest, Lucan.”
“’Night.”
She winced as he stepped painfully from the car. A blast of frigid air swept inside. She shivered hard, and only partly from the cold. She watched his gingerly progress to his dark front porch, wondering if she’d just made a huge mistake.
He unlocked the front door and turned to wave before going inside. Kyra waited for a light to go on before she turned on the GPS system and typed in Maureen’s address.
Swallowing hard, she put the car in gear and slowly pulled back onto the street.
BY THE FOLLOWING MORNING, Lucan was regretting his decision not to fill the prescription. There was no part of his body that didn’t ache. He spent the morning fielding telephone calls from family and friends.
His mother insisted he come for dinner. Neil was bringing his family and she wanted to see for herself that he was all right. Whitney called and insisted she and Flynn would drop off her car that afternoon. Even Ronan called from Seattle, where he had a layover before flying home.
The only person he didn’t hear from was Kyra. He shouldn’t have kissed her. And he definitely shouldn’t have compounded the situation by threatening to do it again—no matter how much he’d wanted to. He owed her another apology.
But he still wanted to kiss her again.
Todd’s phone call gave him an unexpected jolt and a reason to talk to Kyra in person. As soon as Whitney and Flynn dropped off the sports car and left after marveling over the colorful side of his face, he pulled on his coat and gloves and headed out.
The clouds overhead were pregnant with the threat of snow, but at least the cold wind had died down. Lucan rehearsed what he wanted to say all the way to his mother’s house only to find it empty. Stew bubbled in a pair of slow cookers and the scent of fresh-baked pies filled the air. He was about to help himself to a slice of apple pie when he heard cars pulling into the driveway.
An evergreen tree covered the top of his mother’s car. His mother and the boisterous children spilled out once it came to a stop. Kyra stepped out next, followed by a tall, athletic-looking man. So this was the boyfriend.
The man immediately set about removing the tree from the top of the car even as Lucan’s brother Neil and his family pulled up with a tree on top of their car as well. Lucan tamped down a left-out feeling as the happy group descended on the house, stirring noisy memories of times past. His mother greeted him first, then went in to check on the food, leaving him to face the rest.
“Hey, Lucan. Nice bruise,” Neil said cheerfully.
“How come you aren’t working?” he replied.
His brother cocked his head. “It’s Friday. I took the day off. What’s eating you?”
“Nothing. Hi, Phyllis.” His sister-in-law carried the baby, but paused to kiss him on the cheek and eye the bruise near his temple.
“Sally didn’t do it justice. Are you really okay?”
He kept his hand from reaching for the spot. “You know me. Hard-headed. Here. I’ll get the door. Hey there, Sean, Duncan, Mary Kay. Did you pick out a good tree for your house?”
“Yep. Simon found us the perfect tree,” Sean, the eldest announced.
Lucan eyed the muscular man heading for the door carrying the large tree from his mother’s car effortlessly. “Glad to hear it.”
Kyra followed in his wake, her long leather duster cinched tightly at her waist, her face ruddy from the cold. She looked windblown and more desirable than ever.
Simon and the tree swept inside past him with a nod of thanks. Kyra paused, gazing up at him with worried eyes. “You look tired.”
“What I am is freezing. Let’s go inside. I need to talk to you.”
But once they were inside her boyfriend strode over, thrusting out his hand. “You must be Lucan. I’m Simon Testier.”
Lucan expected a bone-bruising grip as he took the extended hand, but Simon’s handshake was merely firm. This was a guy who had nothing to prove to anyone. Grudgingly, Lucan decided he could like the man.
“Great family. It was nice of you to take such good care of Kyra.” The for me went unsaid.
He held Simon’s gaze. “Seems to me she can take pretty good care of herself.”
“No question of that, right babe?”
Babe? He glanced at Kyra’s annoyed expression.
“Don’t call me babe.”
Trouble in paradise? He shouldn’t care, but it pleased him anyhow.
“I need to help Maureen get supper ready.” She turned on her heel and walked away.
Simon immediately turned back to Lucan as if oblivious to her annoyance. “Neil tells me you play sports. Ever tried any of the extreme sports?”
“I’m a cop.”
Simon chuckled. “Good point.”
Lucan had been fully prepared to dislike Simon, but as Neil wandered over and joined them, Lucan began to see why Kyra would be taken with the man. Simon was cheerful, friendly, outgoing and knowledgeable in a number of areas besides sports. He knew how to draw people into a conversation. He was well-traveled with a good sense of humor and a ready smile. Lucan really wanted to dislike him, but found himself enjoying their conversation.
There was no opportunity to get Kyra alone in the crowd. They were getting up from dinner when his cell phone rang. Lucan excused himself and took the call on the front porch despite the bitter cold and lightly falling snowflakes. His mother’s flashing white Christmas lights bathed the porch with soft illumination.
“How are you feeling?” Todd asked in his ear.
“Like I was run over by a truck.”
“It was a sedan.”
“Thanks so much. Did you get anything from the groundskeeper?”
“Yeah. His name is Carlos Ruiz. Ruiz left the country club because another job he applied for came through right after he started working for them. The new job pays more and the work is inside. His story checks out. He says he never met Fillmont and I believe him. I think he’s a dead end.”
“Too bad.”
“Yeah, well, here’s something to make you sit up. The first husband is missing as well.”
“Bowman?”
“Yeah. NTS fired Milt Bowman six months ago for cause. He was drunk and got into a public brawl with a client. Bowman moved out of his apartment right after that and fell off the radar. I’m trying to get a lead on him now. This wasn’t his first assault, either. He broke up a bar six months before that. It cost him a pretty penny, but he made restitution. He was on probation at the time of this last assault.”
Lucan’s mind spun with possibilities even as the front door opened and Kip came outside holding Lucan’s coat.
“Aunt Kyra says if you’re going to stand out here like a fool, you should put your coat on.”
Todd laughed in his ear. “You’re outside?”
“
Yeah. Thanks, Kip.” He took the coat gratefully as the boy scurried back inside. “Neil and his family are here. The noise level is a bit much.”
“And you love it. What about Kyra’s boyfriend?”
“He’s here, too.”
“And?”
“He’s a nice guy. You’d like him.”
“Too bad.”
Wasn’t it just? “She’s part of a case, Berringer.”
Todd chuckled. “Yeah, the most interesting part.”
“I’m disconnecting now unless you’ve got something else.”
“I already told you Kyra was right. Jordan Fillmont didn’t exist until a bit under two years ago.”
Lucan sucked in a breath. “So what about his prints?”
“We still have a computer hiccup. I’m told we should have an answer back by morning. I’ll let you know.”
“Call me.”
“Sure thing. Stay warm.”
Kyra stepped outside dressed in her butter-soft duster and matching gloves. Once again she wore those sexy knee-high boots that turned his mind in a direction it had no business going.
“Did Todd learn anything?” she asked.
With a shrug, he related what Todd had told him. From her pocket, Kyra pulled a long blue-green cashmere scarf that was instantly tossed by a gust of cold wind. He took a step closer as she struggled to wrap it around her neck.
“Let me.”
“I can do it.”
“I imagine there isn’t much you can’t do, but why not let me help?”
She stopped trying to brush her sassy brown hair away from her face with one hand and those gorgeous blue eyes widened in awareness. She released her grip on the scarf as he lifted the material away and wound the scarf around her neck.
“Cold?” He was standing too close, but when she didn’t step back, neither did he.
“Yes.” Her gaze softened. A gloved hand reached out to lightly touch his cheek.
“What are you doing, Kyra?”
“That bruise looks awful.”
But her eyes were saying something else entirely. The twinkling Christmas lights revealed her heightened awareness.
“You’re playing with fire. Your boyfriend’s inside,” he reminded her.
Regret flashed in her eyes. Her hand dropped from his face, but her chin lifted and she still didn’t take a step back. He had only to bend the slightest bit to brush those soft lips once more. The reckless urge nearly won out, but he wasn’t about to come between Kyra and Simon.
“I don’t poach.” Lucan stepped back leaving her to fuss with the scarf.
“I’m not a trophy.”
“No, you aren’t. But I hope Simon appreciates you.”
Flustered, she looked away and managed to get the scarf settled to her satisfaction.
“I’m driving Simon back to his hotel,” she told him.
“I’ll do it. There may be slick spots on the side streets.”
“I live in Boston, O’Shay. I know how to drive in winter weather.”
The door opened on a blast of warm air and noise as Simon Testier stepped outside. He was dressed in his expensive coat and gloves. “All set, babe?”
“Yes. And stop calling me babe.”
Simon didn’t look the least bit abashed. “Nice meeting you, Lucan. You’ve got a great family there.”
“Thank you. I appreciate your help on the big tree hunt.”
“No problem. I haven’t shopped for a tree since I was a little kid. It was fun. We’ll catch you later.” And he swept Kyra off the porch and down the steps to his mother’s car.
Lucan didn’t move until the car turned the corner. Too bad the guy wasn’t a jerk. He really would have liked to hate Simon Testier.
Chapter Nine
“What happened to your car?” Simon asked Kyra as they climbed into Maureen’s sedan.
“Nothing. It’s in her garage and this one is parked right here so she told me to use it.” Kyra didn’t feel like explaining about the incident at the mall.
Simon chatted on, unaware Kyra was still shaken by those brief minutes alone with Lucan. Lucan had wanted her and she wanted him. The timing couldn’t have been worse. Life wasn’t fair.
“Hey, you asleep over there?” Simon asked.
Kyra managed a weak smile. “Just thinking.”
“Must be deep thoughts, babe. I don’t think you’ve heard a word I was saying.”
“I’ve asked you not to call me that.”
“It’s a term of endearment. I can’t help myself.”
She glanced at his earnest features. He probably couldn’t. Time to end this relationship once and for all and she’d figured out exactly how to do it. “I’m glad you came.”
Simon settled back smugly.
“My sister is probably dead.”
“Ah, babe, don’t say that. There’s always hope. Your detective seems to have a lot on the ball. I like him.”
She gritted her teeth but managed a smile. “So do I. But I have to plan for the worst. My apartment is too small for all of us. I was thinking we should probably find a house.”
Simon stilled. “You love that apartment. I love that apartment.”
“There isn’t enough room in it for all of us,” she reiterated, sensing his rising consternation. “But I’m sure we’ll find something that will work.”
“Wait. Us?”
“Yes. You, me and the children. I think we should have a quick wedding.” She didn’t dare look over at him for fear she’d laugh.
“You’re planning to keep them?” Simon shifted in his seat.
“Of course I’m going to keep them. I’m their aunt, their only close relative.” She felt his gaze boring into her and kept her eyes on the road. “There won’t be time for a trip to Vegas, I’m afraid so it will have to be a justice of the peace.”
“Uh, slow down there, Kyra.”
“Don’t worry,” she assured him placidly. “I’ll handle the details. We can go ring-shopping as soon as I get back to Boston.”
“Kyra,” he shifted some more. “You know how I feel about marriage.”
“Of course, but we have the children to think about now. We have to do what’s best for them.”
“I don’t think,” he cleared his throat. “I don’t think I’m the best role model for children.”
“You’ll be great,” she assured him happily. “You’ll have to give up some of your extreme sports, of course. That isn’t an example I want to set for impressionable young minds, but we can work out the details later. Did I tell you how glad I am that you flew all the way here just to help me?”
“Kyra, I’m happy to help you, but I’ve never seen myself as father material. And a wedding…You’re great, you know that. Smart, sexy and a lot of fun. But marriage and a family…Babe, I don’t think I can go that route.”
It was hard to conceal her elation as she sensed victory so close at hand. “I know this isn’t what you wanted, but don’t worry. You’ll make a terrific father. You did great today.”
“That was just…you know, temporary. Kyra, look, I like you. I really like you. But I told you up front I don’t want the whole marriage-and-commitment thing.”
“I know,” she told him seriously. “But now I have the children to consider.”
A tiny part of her felt guilty for using her sister’s situation and the kids like this, but surely Casey would forgive her. The thought sobered her. Casey might not be around to forgive anything.
“I really am going to have to be their mother now, Simon.”
Simon excelled at sports and his job. He knew exactly how to woo a woman and make her feel special. But at heart, Simon was a self-centered person with an inflated opinion of himself. If she could get him to break things off with her now, he wouldn’t keep trying to get back together and they’d be able to work together without friction. And she was going to need a job with three children to raise.
“I get what you’re saying, Kyra. But I need to sleep on this.”
“Of course, but the sooner we make preparations, the easier it will be for the kids.” And the grim part of her knew that was true. “I need to get the boys back in school and see about a nursery school for Maggie. She adores you already.”
“She nearly threw up on me.”
“You tossed her in the air right after she ate.”
“See? That’s what I mean. I don’t know anything about little kids. I’m not cut out for fatherhood. Uh, the hotel’s right there up ahead. You can drop me off in front.”
“Don’t you want me to come up so we can discuss this?”
“Not tonight, babe. I’m bushed. All that fresh air today really tired me out. I’ll sleep on it and call you in the morning.”
He leaned over and gave her a quick, light peck.
“Okay, Simon. I have a lot of planning to do anyhow. Sleep well.”
“Yeah, you, too.”
He was out of the car and moving away. Moving out of her life for good unless Kyra missed her guess. She steered the car back into traffic as a light snow began to fall. There was a sense of relief, but also a trace of sadness. Simon was a good guy. He just wasn’t her guy. They’d had a lot of fun together, but something had always been missing.
Like the excited quiver of anticipation that thoughts of Lucan stirred in her.
She had to stop thinking about Lucan. This was a physical attraction that was doomed before it went anywhere at all. She was drawn to him. What heterosexual woman wouldn’t be? But Lucan could be every bit as irritating as Simon when he turned his cop on.
Still, even his cop half had a softer side that was highly compelling. He’d held her and offered comfort as a friend. He’d been there for her when she’d needed him. And there was no getting around their growing attraction. It wasn’t one-sided by any means. But was it merely sexual interest on his part?
Lucan was one of those rare alpha males without the inflated ego. That alone held her attention. But he lived and worked here in Maryland. Her life was in Boston.
Wasn’t it?
On impulse, she detoured to drive slowly past his cozy little house. Dark and silent, it looked so sad and neglected amid its neighbors’ brightly shining Christmas lights. The house reminded her of the one her parents had owned when she was young.
Police Protector Page 10
