Green Eyed Temptation (Halos & Horns

by Lori Leger

  He walked inside and looked around. “This is a nice place.” He followed her into the kitchen.

  “Thanks. Coffee?” Her tone was dry and clipped.

  “I’d be thankful.” He sat himself at her kitchen table, stretching one leg out in front of him in an attempt to get comfortable.

  “Who told you I’d moved?”

  “When the Christmas card came back with no forwarding address I ran a search on you.”

  “I told the important people.” She set his cup on the table, along with the sugar and creamer then sat across from him with her own mug of steaming brew. “I’ve been here for six months. If you’d called, you’d have known that.”

  He held up a hand. “I know, Angel. I wasn’t implying anything. I’m just surprised that you’d move away from your parents, that’s all. I know how you worry about them.”

  She forced herself to relax her shoulders. “I see them twice a week, sometimes more.” She placed her fingertips on her temples. “So, what’s this excuse of yours?”

  Liam watched as the woman who’d turned his life upside down, looked torn between crying and screaming at him. “I love you.”

  Her eyes flew open wide. “What did you say to me?”

  “I said I love you, Angelique Therese Baptiste.” He leaned in closer to her. “Every gorgeous inch of you.”

  Her eyes narrowed angrily. “What gives you the right to come over here and say something like th … ”

  “I was married once.” She froze in shocked silence at his admission. “Seven years ago I was married.” He continued in a rush of breath. “We were very happy together when my wife passed away five years ago. We had a nice home, two dogs, a talking bird, and a baby on the way.” He tunneled one hand through his hair nervously. “I lost everything I loved in one night.”

  Angelique brought her hand up to her mouth. “Why am I just hearing about this now?”

  “I couldn’t talk about it. Hell, I couldn’t even look at a picture of Kimberly. That was my wife. After the funeral, I packed up the few things I had stashed in my locker at the police station and hauled ass—all the way to Lubbock, Texas.”

  She placed her hand on his arm. “What happened to her, Nash? Can you tell me?”

  He dropped his head back and closed his eyes. “It was late November, two nights after Thanksgiving. We’d busted our asses getting the house all decorated for Christmas. I put up the lights on the outside of the house and she decorated the tree and the rest of the place.”

  He gave a bittersweet laugh. “You’ve got to understand that Kim really loved Christmas. Every damn room in the house had to be decorated. The tree … ” he paused as his breath hitched slightly. “The tree was her specialty. That thing was gorgeous. She shopped all year long for antique Christmas ornaments. And the lights—I always told her she would burn down the house one day because there were so many lights on the damn thing.”

  He stopped and gave Angel a crooked grin. “She’d even put a small tree in the nursery because our son, Nicholas, was due a week before Christmas.”

  He paused again to fortify himself. “I had to go to work that night and, man, was I beat. Before I left the house I went to meet her in the nursery. She was sitting in a glider rocker we’d bought, with her feet propped up, because they were all swollen. I gave her a kiss, and the last thing I said before I walked out was not to go to bed without turning off the tree lights.”

  Angelique heard his voice catch, and she suddenly knew the horrible outcome of that fateful night. “She left them on, didn’t she?”

  Liam nodded. “The fire marshal determined the origin of the fire was the tree in the living room. She died of smoke inhalation, but the fire never touched her. We found her body in our bed once they put the fire out. She just went to sleep and never woke up.” He let his head fall back and released a long sigh. “I lost everything that day. Even that damn bird she loved so much.”

  “I’m so sorry, Liam.” She leaned forward. “You must have been devastated.”

  “I wanted to die, Angel. I drank myself stupid for a year, but the morning I woke up in my bed naked, alone, and not knowing how the hell I got there, I knew it had to stop.”

  He gave his hat several twirls before laying it on the table. “I never had anyone call me about how I’d done something stupid, dangerous, or worse. I figured it was Kim watching over my dumb ass until I got smart enough to realize the stupidity had to cease and desist.”

  “I can’t even imagine surviving something like that.” Angel spoke in a tearful whisper.

  “I eventually went back into law enforcement and after two years the loneliness drove me to date again, if that’s what you want to call it. I figured as long as I didn’t commit to anyone, I could stay faithful to Kim.” He looked into her eyes. “And then I met you. I know it doesn’t make any sense, but when I fell in love with you I felt like an adulterer.”

  She shook her head as tears ran down her face. “But we spent four months together. Four months of phone calls and road trips and romantic weekends. Then you just—left.” She placed her hand over her heart. “I was so hurt.”

  He dropped his head, shamefully. “I know that, and I’m sorry, but I was eaten up with guilt. I had to go back and, well … fix some things.”

  “And did you?”

  He nodded. “It took a whole year. I moved back to Austin, re-established contact with my in-laws, and started making daily visits to Kim and the baby’s grave. I’d talk to her, Angel. I told her everything, all about you and my feelings.”

  Liam rose from the table to stare out the window over the kitchen sink. “I swear, sometimes I’d see people watching me out there at that grave site, and I knew they thought I’d lost my mind.” He faced her again, resting his lean hips against the sink, and took a sip from his mug of coffee. “I didn’t give a shit, because the more I did it, the better I felt. A couple of days ago when I made my visit, I somehow knew it would be my last one. I woke up that morning, and for the first time in years, I felt like I could move on. So, I told them goodbye and headed back here.”

  “To walk back into my life and expect us to pick up where we left off a year ago? It doesn’t work that way, Liam.”

  He shrugged. “I didn’t expect it to be that easy; I know how badly I hurt you. But if you can just tell me now that you don’t hate my guts—tell me that you’ll at least let me try to make it up to you, it would mean a lot to me.”

  She sighed, allowing her head to fall forward while organizing her thoughts. “I don’t hate you.” She met his gaze again. “I understand why you left to resolve things. To tell you the honest truth, your leaving made me realize I had my own issues to deal with.” Angelique pushed her cup away and leaned back in her chair. “I started seeing a therapist, and at her suggestion, I’ve been celibate for a year. As difficult as it’s been for me, I’ve learned a lot about myself. I’m trying to like me for who I am, not for the men I attract.”

  “Are you telling me you haven’t done anything for a year?” he asked. “You haven’t dated at all?”

  She got up to pour herself another cup of coffee. “I needed a breather after you, and I found other men distracting when it came to ‘finding myself’ so to speak. I’m going to tell you the same thing I’ve told Mike Harper for the last six months, and Tanner Collins just recently. Right now, all I’m offering is friendship. If that’s not good enough for you … ” She lifted her arm and pointed at her doorway. “See yourself out.”

  Liam gave her a crooked grin before drawing her in close for a hug. “You won’t hear me complain. I’m here to make it up to you, not pressure you. Hell, I’m just thankful you didn’t boot my ass to the curb as soon as you saw my scrawny mug.” He scratched at his four day old chin scruff, then stopped and cocked his head curiously. “As for those other guys you mentioned, I don’t know any Collins, but that Harper sure sounds familiar. Would he happen to be a big old boy? A half-breed American Indian?”

  She grinned. “
That would be Mike, except he’s three quarter Cherokee, not half, and he’s six foot seven, so I think that definitely puts him in the ‘big old boy’ category. He’s a detective with the Lafayette P.D.”

  Nash gave a nod of satisfaction. “We started at the police academy together in San Antonio back when God was a teenager. Damn, but that was way before Kim and I got married. I was twenty-five years old and fresh out of the Navy.” He looked at her and grinned. “Mike was even younger than that. Is he still a bean pole, or has he put some bulk on since then?”

  She cleared her throat. “He’s uh, yeah—he’s got some bulk.”

  Nash snorted. “I’ll have to get my game on. From what I can remember of him, he was a good guy.”

  Angelique nodded. “He still is. If I see him before you do, you want me to keep quiet about your past?”

  Nash gave a shrug of indifference. “If you tell him, that’s one less person I have to explain myself to, but it’s your choice.” He reached out to pull her to him for another hug. “God, it’s good to see you, Angel. If you don’t have lunch plans, I’d like to take you.”

  She passed a hand through her hair. “I think I’m going to have to pass on that, Liam. I need time to absorb all this.”

  “What about tonight? I know how much you like to dance—care to go cut a rug, friend?” he asked, feeling hopeful.

  She smiled graciously at him. “If you want to show up at Red’s club tonight, I’ll be there.”

  “How about if I pick you up?”

  “No, thank you. That’s one of the rules I set for myself. I go alone, I only have one alcoholic beverage, and I go home alone.”

  “And you’ve been doing that for how long now?” he asked, as a slow grin spread across his face.

  She let out a long sigh, knowing exactly what he was after. “Since you left, Liam.”

  “Hmmm. That means I was the last one.”

  She nodded. “Yes, you were.”

  “Well hell, I guess I can live with that. Liam kissed her forehead, put on his hat and marched to the door. With one backward glance and a tip of his hat, he gave her sexy, one-sided grin. “See you tonight.”

  Angelique followed him to the door to watch him walk to his pick-up. “Oh no, you didn’t, God,” she said, emitting a deep sigh. She watched the sexy swing of long arms connected to that buff, broad torso, and legs covered in jeans that fit him snug enough to accentuate his muscular thighs.

  She rolled her eyes upward. “First, it was Mike and now Liam? You really like to stir it up, don’t you?”

  CHAPTER 3

  Mike pushed through the club door just after eight p.m. The pounding rhythm of the house band’s music assaulted his senses as he pulled his wallet from his back pocket to pay the entrance fee. He turned at the feel of a heavy hand on his shoulder.

  “Hey, man, put that away, your money’s no good here,” Red McAllister told him.

  Mike looked down at his old friend. “If that’s the case, I’m shit out of luck. I planned to spend some serious green here tonight.” He reached a hand out to Red for a firm shake. “How’s it going, Red? How are Tiffany and that baby girl doing?”

  Red beamed proudly at the mention of his wife and daughter. “Briana’s great, growing like a weed in a field of manure. Tiffany’s like me; sleep deprived, but seriously wrapped.”

  Mike gave a hearty laugh. “Sounds like every new parent I’ve ever spoken to.”

  “It kills me to leave them at night to come to the club. I think I’ve got good people working for me, but after what happened at the other place with Benji Bradford, you never know.”

  “That was an isolated incident, buddy,” Mike said with a slight shake of his head. “There’s nobody else who’d lift a finger against you or yours. You’re a good man.”

  Red nodded sheepishly. “Thanks, that means a lot coming from you.” He nodded his head toward the VIP

  section. “Angelique is here already, along with somebody who knows you.”

  “Oh yeah? Who’s that?” Mike asked, craning his neck to see.

  Red placed a hand on his shoulder. “Come on, let’s go meet them.”

  It took a couple of minutes to get to the section on the other side of the room. By the time they got to the table, Angelique and her ‘mystery person’ were back on the dance floor.

  Mike gave the waitress his drink order and looked up in time to see the couple waltz by along the perimeter. “Nash!” he said, pointing at her beaming dance partner. “We were in the police academy together.” He swung around to face Red. “How does she know him?”

  “I hired him as a body guard for my sister, Annie, last year. He and Angelique dated for a few months before he hauled ass back to Texas.”

  “He’s the one who left Angel high and dry a year ago?” Mike asked. “What the hell happened to him? The Nash I remember would never have walked away from a lady like that.”

  Red shrugged. “All I know is that he saved my sister’s life.”

  Mike watched them make another round on the dance floor before the song ended. “Damn it all. Looks like competition to me.”

  Red slapped him on the back. “Well, I’ll tell you the same thing I told Nash—I’m staying the hell out of this, but good luck. Just don’t piss her off. She’s got a low tolerance for stupidity and holds a grudge forever,” he said, before walking away.

  Mike swigged from his beer and grinned at their approach. “Liam Nash, you son of a bitch. It’s been forever, man!”

  “Damn Chief, you filled out some since I saw you last!” Nash said, before the two men shook hands and slapped each other’s backs. “Good to see you, man. Small world, huh?”

  Mike grinned as he sent Angel a sly wink. “Seems to be shrinking as we speak.”

  Angelique took that opportunity to visit the ladies room and the two men settled in at the table.

  Mike looked over at his old friend. “You look good, man. So, what have you been doing with your life since we spoke last?”

  Nash picked at the label on his beer bottle. “How much do you know?”

  Mike shook his head. “Not a thing.”

  Nash spent the next few minutes bringing Mike up to date. He twirled his beer on the table. “I hadn’t dealt with anything yet when I started dating Angel, and that’s when it caught up with me. I had to go back and get my shit straight before I could move on to another relationship. But, I did, and that’s why I’m here.”

  “Without going into any details, I can say you’ve made the last six months pure torture for me,” Mike told him, glumly.

  Nash grinned at him. “Yeah, she mentioned the celibacy thing. It’d be a damned lie to say it doesn’t thrill the shit out of me.”

  Mike shook his head. “You know, I hear the Navy’s looking for older men to train the new batch of youngsters joining. Might be a good chance to jump back in there, Flipper,” he said, reverting back to the nickname he’d given the former Navy Seal.

  “Not a chance, Chief, but nice try.”

  Mike gave him a hearty chuckle. “I guess I’d feel the same if I were in your position. But, that’s okay. She knows I’m here for her if she needs me.”

  Nash nodded. “And after today, she knows the same about me. He held up his beer and they clinked bottles. “Let the games begin.”

  Angelique studied her reflection, wondering what those two men waiting for her at the table could possibly see in her. Between the two of them, they could make their own ‘man of the month’ calendar, fully clothed or not. She closed her eyes, remembering the feel of her hands sliding over Liam’s nude body. During the last two months of their relationship, they had been intimate dozens of times. The memory of some particularly nice nights together caused her face to infuse with heat. His abs had been tightly muscled and smooth, but for the fine feathering of golden brown hair on his chest and stomach area. She’d confided in him once that she was completely turned off by men who waxed, shaved, or used creams to remove their body hair. He’d seem pleased
by her statement. Oh, Lord, had he been pleased.

  She’d never known that kind of intimacy with Mike, but they’d been to the beach together last summer and he had a great body. She’d seen evidence of his own needs several times, only through the fit of his jeans or swim trunks, of course. She lay in bed nights, trying not to picture him and what it might be like if she broke down and slept with him. Not that they’d get much sleep.

  Angelique closed her eyes and groaned aloud in the otherwise empty restroom. “I miss sex. And there are two perfectly good candidates out there.” She shook her head. No … She would be strong. She had to be strong.

  Her resolve reaffirmed, she exited the restroom to stand watching the two men who would, no doubt, pull out all the stops to try to get her to break. Both men were prizes in the looks category—tall, male model material in facial features and physiques—and both of them charming as hell. If she had to choose today…what would she do?

  She released a long, slow sigh and began the walk back to the table. Both men stood and reached to pull out a chair for her. She bypassed the chairs and took the one on the end, between the two of them.

  An hour later, she let Mike lead her back to the table. Normally, the intimate press of his hand to her lower back would cause a rush of sexual need, but the ache in her feet was over-riding all pleasure. Hoping to join the band as they took their break, she nearly cried when the house DJ kicked in a slow country belly rubber. As she suspected, Liam appeared, ready to steal her for the next dance.

  He grinned charmingly down at her. “My turn.”

  Angelique looked from Liam, to Mike, and then back to Liam. She took Mike’s left hand, and placed it in Nash’s open palm. “You two can play happy feet with each other the rest of the night. My feet are killing me and I’m going home.” She mumbled a few choice words then walked away from both of them. Once at the door, she looked back at the two men who stood staring after her, both no doubt confused at her departure.