Sultry

by Mary Lynn Baxter

  “Does it matter?”

  “Yes.”

  She sighed and went for that lip again, which was almost his complete undoing. The only thing that saved him was her answer.

  “Tim and another man came in while I was going through his drawers.”

  “And?”

  “I hid in the closet and listened to their conversation.”

  “About their dirty dealings.” His words were a flat statement of fact, a fact that curdled his blood.

  She nodded.

  “Don’t you know how dangerous that could’ve been?”

  “Tim would never have hurt me.”

  “Yeah, but how ’bout the other creep? You had no idea which way he would’ve jumped.”

  “Well, it’s a done deal now, and I’m none the worse for having done it.”

  “I still don’t like it,” Mitch muttered.

  Her head came up, and her eyes sparked defiantly. “You should be proud of me for having the guts to do it.”

  “I am, but still—”

  She slapped the air with her hand, a gesture that effectively killed his sentence. “Just put the information to good use and don’t worry about me.”

  “That’s not possible,” he said thickly. “I never stop worrying about you.”

  He saw her swallow hard as the silent seconds beat around them. “Oh, Mitch,” she whispered, her mouth beginning to quiver.

  Two short strides put him within touching distance. He didn’t touch her, though. Instead, his eyes probed deeply into hers, searching for the answer to the unspoken question that hung breathlessly between them.

  “Lindsay, my Lindsay,” he rasped, reaching out and stroking her cheek with the back of his hand. He watched her swallow again with much the same difficulty as before, even as she leaned and trapped his hand between her face and shoulder.

  Instant heat struck his groin, especially when she began moving her head up and down, creating a friction that nearly took the top of his head off.

  “God, Lindsay,” he rasped again. “Don’t play with me.”

  “I—”

  The phone chose that moment to ring. They both froze. Then Mitch cursed, his features twisting in agony. However, it was his insides that took the brunt of the unexpected and untimely interruption.

  Lindsay stepped back, breaking all contact.

  Mitch turned and glared at the instrument, which kept on ringing.

  “Aren’t you going to answer it?” Lindsay said in a voice that was barely audible.

  “There’s no reason not to—now,” Mitch muttered, more to himself than to her. The moment was gone, never to be recaptured, at least not anytime soon, he told himself. The phone had brought them down to reality with a thud.

  Lindsay had retreated back into herself, making her as untouchable as she’d been when she’d first come in. Damn that son-of-a-bitchin’ phone.

  “Promise me you won’t go anywhere,” Mitch said brusquely.

  “I…promise.”

  He looked at her for a second longer, then made his way into the bedroom, straight to the phone. He lifted the receiver, all the while feeling Lindsay’s eyes piercing his back.

  “Rawlins,” he snapped into the mouthpiece. He listened, and with each word felt his gut tighten. When the conversation ended, he strode back into the living room.

  “What’s wrong?” Lindsay demanded, her face seeming all eyes.

  “Plenty. Looks like your brother’s planning on hauling ass.”

  Thirty-Nine

  Lindsay blinked. “What?”

  “Apparently Timmy boy’s running scared.” Mitch’s tone was harsh.

  “You mean he’s just walking away from everything?”

  “According to my contact, that’s exactly what he’s doing.”

  Lindsay was speechless. What on earth was Tim thinking? He wasn’t thinking; that was the problem. Her daddy? Dear Lord, did he know what his son was up to? If so, would he condone Tim’s actions? Had he condoned them?

  Too many questions and no answers. Lindsay felt dizzy and splayed her hand against the nearest wall to steady herself.

  Mitch’s eyes darkened. “Hey, you’re not gonna crash and burn on me now, are you?”

  His amused but concerned words were the right combination. Lindsay jerked herself upright and took a steadying breath. “No way. I’m going to see this through to the bitter end.”

  “Good girl.”

  “I suppose we’re headed for the airport?”

  Mitch’s lips straightened into a tight line. “As fast as we can get there.”

  “What if we don’t make it?”

  “I’m not worried about that,” Mitch responded in a deadly tone. “Regardless—he won’t be allowed to board the plane.”

  “Only Tim doesn’t know that, right?”

  “Right.”

  Her stomach turned over, and she thought she might have to detour to the bathroom.

  Mitch obviously picked up on that, and gave her another intense look. “I can take care of this if you’d—”

  “Let’s go,” she interrupted in a clear, concise tone.

  “It might not be pretty,” he added, his look intensifying.

  “I know that,” she said tersely, “but I’m prepared.”

  He nodded, opened the door and gestured for her to precede him.

  The trip to the airport seemed to take forever. From the moment she set foot in Mitch’s vehicle, her nerves were on edge. Her mind was also in an uproar, jumping from Mitch to Tim to Cooper. It was as though all three were tied up together in a not-so-neat package, and she couldn’t shake any of them loose.

  Feeling Mitch’s eyes, Lindsay forced herself to remain stoic. She didn’t want to appear weak in front of him, for fear he would insist she let him handle this latest crisis alone. That wasn’t going to happen. She loved her brother, but she couldn’t ignore what he had done. Nor would she protect him any longer, especially when his greed had had lethal consequences.

  Their baby had died because of him.

  She placed a hand against her mouth to keep from crying out loud. But she must have whimpered, for Mitch whipped his head around and muttered, “Dammit, Lindsay, why don’t you let me take care of Tim?”

  “No. I’m okay.”

  “You sure?”

  “I’m sure,” she said fiercely. “It’s just that I can’t believe all this is happening, that Tim is involved in something so hideous, so unlike him.”

  “When it comes to money, you never know about people.”

  “He’s not a bad person, Mitch. You have to know that.”

  “I’m sure you’re right, but that doesn’t excuse him.”

  “That’s not what I’m doing. I think he just got in way over his head.”

  “Probably.”

  “Poor Eve,” Lindsay said. “She’s beside herself, I’m sure.”

  “She might not even know about it.”

  “Either way, I feel sorry for her.”

  “You better save some of that sympathy for your brother.” Mitch’s profile was grim. “When I get through with him, he’s going to need it.”

  Lindsay shivered. When Mitch spoke and looked like that, he frightened her. But then again, she’d always thought him a dangerous man.

  “I just wonder how much Daddy knows.”

  “I wouldn’t be surprised if he bought him the ticket.”

  Lindsay drew a quick breath. “Do you really think that?”

  “No. I was just popping off. That’s not Cooper’s style. He’s a fighter. He’d simply hire a name attorney, sit back and watch the show play itself out without getting one ounce of dirt on him.” Mitch paused. “On the other side of that coin is your brother, who apparently has a yellow streak a mile long down his back.”

  “You don’t have a very good opinion of my family, do you?” Her voice cracked.

  “I have a great opinion of you,” he said huskily.

  “Thank you,” she whispered, suddenly feeling ton
gue-tied. And foolish. What was wrong with her? He was her husband, for heaven’s sake.

  Mitch chuckled, then fell silent.

  Unexpected heat rushed through her as she cut her eyes toward him. But he wasn’t looking at her. He was facing the road, which was good. Now was not the time for them. Later, after this fiasco was over, they would have no choice but to come to terms with their situation.

  “We’re here,” Mitch pointed out, his voice low and controlled.

  Without responding, Lindsay opened her door and got out.

  A few minutes later, they were in the small airport terminal. Lindsay’s eyes darted in several directions at once, as did Mitch’s.

  “You see him?” Mitch asked.

  “No.”

  “I don’t see his tail, either.”

  “Let’s try the bar,” Lindsay suggested.

  “Right.”

  They were almost there when Lindsay paused and touched Mitch on the arm. “If he’s there, I want to talk to him alone.”

  “That’s not going to happen.”

  “Yes, it is.”

  Their eyes collided.

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Mitch said with force.

  She dug her heels in. “It’s nonnegotiable.”

  “I beg to differ.”

  “Under the circumstances, I think I should be the one who tells him the party’s over.”

  A sudden glimmer of admiration appeared in Mitch’s eyes. “You do, huh?”

  “I do,” she added emphatically. “You and your cronies can deal with the suppliers, but Tim is mine.”

  His eyes probed hers for a moment longer, his admiration still intact. “I’ll be around, just in case you need me.”

  Lindsay nodded, then walked around the corner and through the open door of the bar. Sure enough, the first person her gaze landed on was her brother. He was sitting on a stool at the counter, his head tossed back, finishing off the drink in his hand.

  Perhaps that was why he didn’t see her in the big mirror that lined the back wall of the bar. Lindsay eased onto the stool next to him, certain he could hear her heart. It was pounding so hard, it felt as if it would knock a hole in her chest.

  “Hello, Tim.”

  He froze, then twisted his head around, his face pale and his eyes haunted. “Go away.”

  “Is that all you have to say?” Lindsay asked in a shaky voice. God, this was so much harder than she’d expected. He looked so gaunt, so frightened, that she wanted to reach out and comfort him, promise him that everything was going to be all right.

  She couldn’t do that. Everything was not going to be all right. Where her brother was concerned, nothing would ever be right again—a truth that broke her heart.

  “I said go away,” he muttered again broodingly, shoving his empty glass toward the bartender, who silently refilled it.

  “Not without you.”

  He laughed a mirthless laugh. “I’m out of here, sis, in just a matter of minutes.”

  “It’s over, Tim.”

  “Wrong, sis.” He downed his drink. “It’s just getting started.”

  “You’re drunk.” She didn’t bother to keep the disgust out of her voice.

  He laughed again. “I wish I were. Then maybe I wouldn’t feel anything.”

  “You should’ve thought of that before you got involved in black market drugs.”

  “Don’t preach to me!”

  “Keep your voice down,” she ordered through clenched teeth.

  He rolled his glass around on the counter. “Did Daddy send you?”

  “No.”

  Tim smirked. “I bet you’re not alone, though. Mitch is with you, right? Of course he is. Hell, he isn’t going to let you out of touching range.”

  Lindsay’s heart broke in another place. This was a dark side of Tim she’d never seen before. He seemed hell-bent on taking the most destructive path he could find out of this mess. But at this juncture, only he could help himself.

  “You tell that bastard he’d best stay away from me.”

  “Tim, you really don’t think you’re going to just walk out of this airport and disappear, do you?”

  He slid off the stool and faced her. Though his eyes looked like someone had taken a red pen and drawn lines on them, Lindsay suspected he wasn’t drunk to the point that he didn’t know what he was doing or saying.

  “That’s exactly what I’m going to do. Just long enough to let things cool off, that is.”

  “Meanwhile, dear old Dad can handle things. Isn’t that the game plan?”

  “What if it is? Hell, he’s got the resources, and he’s the one with the hard-on about the family reputation remaining intact. I don’t care.”

  “Oh, Tim,” she whispered, tears crowding her eyes. “You do care. That’s why you’re trying to drown your feelings of guilt.”

  “I hardly think you’re qualified to judge my feelings,” he said in a jeering tone.

  Pain, like quicksilver, darted through her. “Because of your greed, I lost my baby.”

  Her words hit their mark, and she watched him cringe. Then his whole body seemed to fold up as if she had just knocked the wind out of him.

  “God, Lindsay,” he sobbed. “I’m so sorry.”

  “I know you are,” she countered softly, tears cascading down her cheeks.

  “Then let me go,” he pleaded. “I won’t ever make this mistake again. I promise.”

  “I wish it were that simple, Tim, but it isn’t. Greed has its consequences, and you have to be held accountable.”

  He sobbed openly now, despite the fact that others in the bar were staring at them. “I’m so sorry, so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt anyone.”

  Lindsay didn’t have a chance to respond, because Mitch walked up and touched her on the arm, his eyebrows raised. Her eyes flicked beyond his shoulders, picking up two men lounging by the doorway. She knew they were detectives.

  “We have to go now, Tim,” she whispered, taking his arm. “Come on.”

  He didn’t fight her. Instead, he moved beside her in a zombie-like state.

  After Tim was led off by the two detectives, Mitch placed his arms around Lindsay and said, “Let’s get out of here.”

  Once they were back in the close confines of his vehicle, she crossed her arms over her body, hoping to stop it from trembling.

  “I’m proud of you,” Mitch said. “It took guts to do what you just did.”

  “It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done,” she whispered.

  He reached over and wiped a smudged tear off her cheek. She peered at him through luminous eyes.

  “I’m about to suggest something that will hopefully be one of the easiest things you’ve ever done.”

  “And what is that?”

  Her throat was so lumped up, it took several heartbeats to get the words out.

  “That you make your home with me.”

  “Are you sure you want me, especially now that all my family’s skeletons are out of the closet?”

  She waited with her heart in her throat for his answer. After all, during those times he’d held her, made love to her, he had never once told her that he loved her—only that he wanted her.

  So had that lust turned into love? Dear Lord, she prayed so, because she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him, no matter what he did or where they lived. Yet she’d been afraid to bare her soul to him, afraid he would reject her.

  “Not only do I want you, my darling, skeletons or not, I love you and will for the rest of my life.”

  “Oh, Mitch!” she cried, diving into his outstretched arms. “I love you, too.”

  He hugged her tightly, and that was when she felt the tears on his face. Her heart stopped beating as she drew back and met his adoring eyes.

  “Do you care where we go?” he asked thickly.

  “Home is wherever you are.”

  He kissed her hard, started the engine and drove off.

  Forty

  One
year later

  “Mmm, you smell so good.”

  Lindsay propped her head on her elbow and stared down at her husband, who was sprawled naked and damp beside her on the bed. He had just returned from the shower. She reveled in his clean, manly scent, drawing it deep into her lungs.

  “What are you thinking?” he asked huskily.

  “How good you smell.”

  Mitch’s eyes filled with sudden passion. “You’d better watch out, woman. That kind of talk will get you in trouble again.”

  “Oh, really?” she responded, grinning. She traced a finger around one of his nipples, then down his belly, to circle his stirring manhood.

  Mitch’s breath sharpened as his eyes dipped to his now-burgeoning erection, then back up to her. “What can I say?”

  “Nothing,” she murmured, smiling sweetly. “I love it that your body has a mind of its own.”

  She leaned down and began nibbling on his lips, while his hand moved over her swollen belly before making its way between her thighs and nestling there.

  This time her breath sharpened as their lips met in a deep, wet kiss, setting in motion another long session of lovemaking during which his hands and mouth were all over her and vice versa.

  Later, when their orgasms peaked at the same time, their muted cries rent the air. Exhausted, they lay close and didn’t speak for a long time.

  Finally Lindsay pulled back and peered at him. “Thanks to me, you’re going to be late for work.”

  He grinned. “I guess my boss’ll be ticked off.”

  Lindsay playfully pinched a nipple. “Well, since you’re that boss, you’ll just have to get unticked.”

  She still couldn’t believe that Mitch had decided to practice law after all, even opening his own office. He was doing well, too, opting to defend poor and abused women, many of whom came through the shelter, then ended up in the new facility, which was operating at full capacity.

  A plus was that Mitch loved what he was doing.

  “Unticked, huh? Guess I will at that, especially since I have such a sexy wife.”

  “Yeah, right,” she said in a down-in-the-mouth tone. “Sexy is the last thing I am.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong, my darling. I love your belly swollen with our children.”