Ready for King's Seduction

by Maureen Child

  Five

  “So we’re agreed,” Lucas said, glancing from Rafe to Sean. “We fire Warren.”

  “Hell yes,” Sean muttered.

  “Agreed,” Rafe chimed in. “The man’s used up his last chance with me. The mess he made out of the Johnson job is going to put us back at least two weeks. Not to mention we’ll have to eat the cost of repairs to the water pipe and putting the yard back to rights.”

  “And there was water damage to the patio—redwood deck,” Lucas reminded them.

  “Perfect.” Rafe sighed. “You know, we should fire him and send him over to work for Clancy’s outfit. Serve ’em right.”

  Sean looked to Lucas, who shook his head firmly. He knew his youngest brother was about to tell Rafe all about Lucas’s plan with Rose and, frankly, Lucas didn’t want to hear it.

  Naturally, that didn’t stop Sean.

  “Speaking of the Clancys,” he said, shifting his gaze from Lucas to Rafe, “have you heard the latest? Big brother Lucas is taking cooking lessons from Rose Clancy, sainted sister of Devious Dave.”

  “Cooking lessons?” Rafe asked, confused. “Why the hell are you doing that? Hire somebody to cook for you if you can’t figure it out yourself.”

  Lucas opened his mouth to speak, but Sean beat him to it. Really, now that he thought about it, he should have dropped Sean in the lake when they were kids.

  “Oh, it’s not just cooking Lucas is up to,” Sean said quietly. “He’s setting something up. Looking to use Rose as payback for what Dave did to us.”

  Rafe stared at him. “You’re doing what?”

  Lucas sighed and took a sip of his beer as Rafe went on a long-winded rant. He knew trying to interrupt would be pointless. Lucas didn’t know how Katie, sweet woman that she was, could stand being married to the know-it-all. As the oldest of the three of them, Lucas was also the most patient of the three. He simply kept quiet and let Rafe go, knowing he’d eventually wind down and they could talk about this.

  Once a week, the three King brothers who owned King Construction held a meeting to keep each other up-to-date on what was going on in the company. They rotated the meetings between each other’s houses and this week, they were at Sean’s place.

  Great views, Lucas acknowledged, but then why wouldn’t there be? Sean lived in a former water tower, which had been completely rehabbed and remodeled, of course. The water-tower home stood on a giant steel skeleton and the only way to the front door was a private elevator at street level. There was a wide, wraparound balcony surrounding the place, offering 360-degree views, and the living room where they sat boasted a wall of tinted windows that overlooked the ocean.

  Out on the slate-gray waves beyond the glass, sailboats skimmed the surface and a few hardy surfers, outfitted in wetsuits, rode their boards into shore. From Lucas’s perspective, the ocean scene looked peaceful and serene.

  The direct opposite of the atmosphere here in Sean’s coolly casual home. Everything had been going fine a few minutes ago. They’d wrapped up their business talk and after hearing yet another blissful take on the newlywed life from Rafe, Sean had mentioned what Lucas was up to with Rose.

  That alone had been enough to throw a wrench into the conversation. Now, Rafe stared at Lucas from across the room and demanded again, “You’re doing what with who?”

  “Isn’t that whom?” Sean said with a grin.

  Rafe glared him into silence then turned his gaze back to Lucas. “Are you crazy?”

  “Not the last time I checked, no.” Lucas stood up, walked to the wet bar and poured a splash of single malt scotch into a crystal glass. He took a sip and turned to face his younger brother. “Dave Clancy cheated us. Used a spy in the company to steal contracts right out from under us. Why wouldn’t I want to pay him back for that?”

  “For God’s sake, that was two years ago. Let it go already,” Rafe said.

  “Not a chance.” Lucas bit the words out and felt the swell of indignation filling him.

  Rafe was feeling magnanimous now, due to his happily married lifestyle. Two years ago, it had been a different story. Back then, all three of them had been furious and frustrated by the fact that they couldn’t go after Dave legally because there was no evidence against him. Time passed and Rafe and Sean had both moved on, putting it behind them.

  But for Lucas, the sting was still there. Maybe it was because he had been the one to introduce Dave to his brothers. He had been Dave’s introduction to King Construction. Small wonder then that Lucas was taking this more personally than his brothers were.

  “I tried to talk him out of it,” Sean said. “But his head’s as hard as Dad’s.”

  “Nobody’s head is that hard,” Rafe said automatically, but kept his gaze fixed on Lucas. “If you’re pissed at Dave, go after Dave. Using his sister is just sleazy.”

  “Exactly,” Sean agreed.

  A quick flicker of irritation spiked inside him because truthfully, it felt like that to Lucas sometimes, too. But the feeling wasn’t strong enough to get him to back off.

  “Rose is the way to make Dave pay. She’s his baby sister. You remember how he was always bragging about her.”

  “Again,” Rafe pointed out, “years ago.”

  “Family doesn’t change.”

  “Amen to that,” Sean muttered, then shrugged when Lucas stared at him. “Fine. Happy trails. Good luck on seducing then losing the lucky woman.”

  “Damn it, Sean…”

  “Why be mad at him?” Rafe countered. “It’s exactly what you’re doing.”

  “Yeah?” Lucas met Rafe’s stare and didn’t give an inch. “And I seem to remember a guy whose plan was to topple the cookie queen into bed and then explain to her how all King men weren’t jerks. Where were all your high standards then, Rafe?”

  A flash of anger crossed Rafe’s face at being reminded of how he’d tried to trick Katie when he first met her. But a second or two later, he said simply, “Yeah, you’re right, and I almost lost her because of that stupid plan. You might want to think about that.”

  “Difference there is, I don’t want to keep Rose,” Lucas said. Not forever, anyway. But he wasn’t in any hurry to send her on her way, either.

  He scowled to himself at that thought. For a week now, Rose had been in his home every evening. They worked together in the kitchen. They talked, laughed and never once had either one of them brought up that staggering kiss they’d shared.

  But it was there. Unsaid. Simmering in the air between them.

  “Well, that makes it okay then,” Rafe muttered.

  “Yeah, were you planning on marrying Katie when you guys met? I don’t think so.” Lucas set his glass down and walked across the room to stand in front of Rafe. “I’m going to make sure Dave understands what stealing from a King means. And you’re not going to talk me out of it.”

  “See?” Sean asked. “This is why I gave up trying to reason with either of you.”

  “Stay out of it, Sean,” Lucas warned.

  “Why the hell should I?” He stood up, too, and gave Lucas a hard stare. “You’re not the only one Dave Clancy screwed. All three of us own the company. All three of us took a hit when he worked us over. But you are the only one acting like an ass about it.”

  Lucas bit down on his temper. Arguing with Rafe and Sean was pointless. They’d never understand why this was important to him. How could they? The three of them hadn’t grown up together—none of Ben King’s sons had—except for the summers all of them spent with Ben every year. And when those idyllic summers were over, Lucas went home to a woman who was constantly trusting the wrong men, only to have them break her heart.

  Lucas had grown up with betrayal. He’d watched it happen to his mother over and over again and had finally realized that the only thing that really mattered in life was trust. Being able to trust those closest to you was priceless.

  And no matter how angry he might be with his brothers, or them with him, he knew that they would be there for him, no matter
what. For a man like Lucas, that was a gift beyond anything he could imagine.

  The Kings stood together. No matter what.

  It wasn’t until two nights later that Rose appeared at Lucas’s house. He saw her pull into the driveway and fought down a rush of expectation that he didn’t want to either feel or acknowledge.

  But it was damned hard to deny that he’d missed her. He hadn’t seen her until now because she’d had standing cooking lessons to honor. She hadn’t said with whom. It hadn’t been with Kathy Robertson next door, though, and knowing that, Lucas had tortured himself, wondering if she was alone with some other guy. Cooking. Laughing. Talking.

  Which was ridiculous, he knew. Why the hell should he care if she was at another man’s house, spending time alone with him? She didn’t belong to Lucas. They weren’t a damn couple. She was, simply, a handy weapon he was preparing to wield.

  And yet, he looked out the window and watched her lean into that silly van of hers with the skillet on the roof. His gaze locked on the curve of her behind and his groin tightened painfully. The ache of wanting her was stronger than ever.

  Which should only help with the seduction plans, right?

  When she straightened up and headed for the house, Lucas walked to the front door. He opened it and stood on the porch, waiting for her as she neared. “Hi.”

  “Hi, yourself,” he said, coming down the steps to take the heavy, cast-iron frying pan from her. “Why are you bringing your own pans? I’ve got plenty here.”

  “Ah, but you don’t have a cast-iron skillet, and tonight, we need one.”

  They were stopped beneath the front porch light. Out on Pacific Coast Highway, cars streamed by, and on the sidewalk, a solitary woman walked a poodle so small it hardly qualified as a real dog.

  But the rest of the world might as well have dropped away for all Lucas cared. His gaze was fixed only on Rose. Her eyes were bright, her lips curved into a smile and her long blond hair was loose around her shoulders. It was the first time he’d seen that thick mass free of the ponytail she usually wore and his hands itched to touch it. He wanted to wrap her hair around his hand and pull her in tight for a long, slow, deep kiss that would make the first one they’d shared look like a peck on the cheek.

  He took a deep breath of the cold night air to try to dispel some of the heat charging through him. She got to him so fast and so completely, it kept catching him off guard, filling his mind with images that were designed to tempt and taunt him. Her scent drifted to him, and Lucas’s body hardened to the point of pain. In another minute, he’d be lucky to be able to walk to the kitchen.

  If he wasn’t careful, he might end up caught in his own trap. So to prove he was still in charge here, he pushed aside the urges rising within and forced himself to ask, “What are you planning for tonight, anyway?”

  She looked a little startled at his gruff tone and he warned himself to dial it back. A second later, she edged past him into the house and headed for the kitchen without answering his question.

  He knew what his plans would entail, but he didn’t think she’d agree. At least, not yet. But soon, he promised himself as he turned and followed her into the house. His gaze locked on her retreating form, he repeated that vow silently.

  Very soon.

  “It’s a surprise,” she called back over her shoulder.

  Lucas winced as he walked after her. He’d had enough surprises already, up to and including just how deeply he was being drawn into this little payback scheme. Many more surprises—without a little relief—and he’d be permanently in pain.

  “Did you get my voice mail earlier?” Rose asked as he followed her down the long hallway, which was lined with framed family photos.

  “If you mean did I take the steaks out of the freezer, yes,” he answered. His gaze was locked on the fall of her hair, sliding down her back, swaying with her every step. On the curve of her hips, the lean length of her legs. He shook his head and swallowed a groan.

  The flat heels of her shoes tapped against the wood floor and he liked the sound. Her steps were brisk, no-nonsense, and he had always liked a confident woman.

  Funny, that wasn’t how he remembered Rose, though. When he’d first met her, she had seemed shy and a little standoffish. She’d hardly spoken to him the few times he’d seen her. But, he thought in retrospect, that had probably been due to Dave standing guard over her like a rabid pit bull.

  He remembered being intrigued by her. He also remembered Dave shutting him down, fast. Back then, Rose’s older brother had made it clear that she was off-limits. Now, Lucas had to wonder if she’d been off-limits only to him, since Dave was already planning on using Lucas to worm his way into a position of trust. Already planning on using the Kings and stealing from them.

  And wondering that, Lucas had to also ask himself if Rose hadn’t been in on it from the jump. Maybe, instead of being the carefully protected sister, she had been the bait in the trap. Beautiful. Seductive. Always kept out of reach, but dangled in front of a man until he stopped paying attention to whatever else was going on around him.

  He watched her now through narrowed eyes, suspicion clawing at him. She moved around his kitchen, humming under her breath and even shuffling her feet into a little dance move to accompany whatever song was playing in her mind. She looked lovely. Innocent.

  But how innocent could she really be? he wondered now. She was, after all, a Clancy.

  Damn it, why had he never considered this before? Dave hadn’t let Lucas get close to Rose, but he’d made damn sure that Lucas had had a good look at her. Can’t catch anything if the victim never sees the bait. Victim.

  A rush of fury pushed through his veins. No. He wouldn’t accept that. He wasn’t a damn victim. He had been the target of an unscrupulous family. That didn’t make him a victim. It made him…what, exactly? A fool for trusting? Well, he already knew that and accepted it.

  The tide was about to turn, though. He’d get even with Dave for what he’d done to Lucas and the Kings. The upside was, now that he’d considered Rose might have been a part of the whole setup, he felt less…not guilt, precisely, but regret, about using her.

  Lucas set her iron pan onto the stove with a clatter that got her attention. She whirled around and grinned at him. “You’re going to love dinner tonight. And it’s easy enough that you’ll be able to make it again on your own anytime.”

  “Good to know.” He tucked his hands into his jeans’ pockets, leaned one hip against the edge of the black granite counter and watched her.

  Frowning a little, she slipped out of the bright yellow windbreaker she wore over a cream-colored shirt and a pair of black jeans. “Is there something wrong?”

  “No,” he said with a shrug he hoped was convincing. “What could be wrong?”

  “I don’t know. You seem…” She paused, then shook her head. “Never mind.”

  Lucas told himself to lighten up. He didn’t want to make her uneasy. Couldn’t afford to scare her off before he had a chance to make her brother pay. So he smiled and offered, “Sorry. Bad day at work.”

  “What happened?”

  “Why do you want to know?” he asked and wondered if she was reporting in to her brother on everything Lucas had to say. Then he scowled at himself and let that one go. There was such a thing as going overboard. Dave had already taken the Kings for all he was going to get. No doubt he’d forgotten all about them and had moved on to steal from someone else.

  “Just curious, jeez,” she said. “Thought you might want to talk about it, that’s all. But no big deal if you don’t.”

  “Sorry again,” he said, shoving one hand through his hair. “I’m in a crappy mood and taking it out on you.”

  “It’s okay, everybody needs to unload once in a while.”

  “Understanding of you,” he muttered.

  “Well, growing up in our house, believe me, I heard my father and Dave complaining all the time. I’m sort of used to it.”

  He didn’t stif
fen this time when she mentioned her brother, though damned if he didn’t want to question her. Find out exactly what Dave had had to say about him two years ago. But he wouldn’t. Not yet, anyway.

  Instead, he gave her a brief description of the minor crises at King Construction. “One of the crews had to shut down. A retaining wall crumpled and a man was hurt.”

  Worry sparked in her eyes. “Is he going to be okay?”

  “Yeah.” Lucas shoved away from the counter, walked to the opposite side of the cooking island and looked at her. “Broke his leg in two places, though, so he’ll be out for a while. Meanwhile, the crew was pulled out so a different one can go in tomorrow to reinforce the retaining wall. And there’s a customer complaining about her new block wall fence. Seems when she told us to build it five-and-a-half-feet tall, what she really meant was six feet and we should have known.”

  She grimaced, then smiled in sympathy. “According to Dave, women customers are the worst.”

  “I don’t know. I usually like working directly with the woman of the house. Most times, she knows what she wants and she can make a decision quicker than her husband.” He slapped both hands onto the cool granite. “Men tend to look at a situation from every possible angle. A woman will look, see what something needs and just do it.”

  She tipped her head to one side and studied him. “You were right before.”

  “About what?”

  “When you said you were nothing like my brother,” she told him.

  In the overhead lights, her eyes blazed a clear, summer-sky blue. Her cheeks were still a little pink from the cold wind outside and when she licked her lips, a knot of something hot and needy settled inside Lucas.

  It seemed, he thought, that every minute with Rose Clancy, he was fighting to maintain control. Something about this woman sneaked past every defense he had ever had in place, and despite suspecting that she might have had a hand in what Dave had done to the Kings two years ago—or maybe because of it—he wanted her. Bad.

  When she reached behind her head to gather her hair into a ponytail, he stopped her.