Dangerous Curves

by Larkin Rose

“You called me stud.” Sellars closed her own eyes to the sky. “I knew it. You like me.”

  “Pfft. Keep dreaming, shitface.”

  Chapter Seven

  Sellars paced the floor in the great room. It had been three hours since a courier had delivered a large white box with Aggie Style in gold letters dominating the lid, and two hours since Lacy had disappeared down those stairs to get dressed for the event tonight.

  What in the hell was taking her so long? She only had one head of hair, ten fingers and ten toes for nail polish, and only had one face to apply that makeup. Even Darlene, who had made it home from her business trip in time to help Lacy tonight, had been curious enough to go down into the man cave over an hour ago, and still, neither of them had emerged.

  Not that she was in a hurry to attend tonight’s ridiculous bigwig meeting. Her grandfather would be walking among the people, nose high, ego fat, voice loud, as always. He liked to be noticed. Liked to feel important. Liked being the loudest. The people he walked among would have deep pockets. They always did.

  Her grandfather was a great businessman. Had made himself a household name in business and in NASCAR. She should be proud of him. But she couldn’t be. He was dirty. He hit below the belt and cared about himself and himself alone. No one would ever taint the family name. Not even his own granddaughter. And no amount of money would stop him from cleaning up a family mess.

  When the door creaked open, Sellars let out a sigh of relief, although why, she wasn’t sure. The last person she wanted to spend the night with was Lacy. Her tongue was sharp as blades. But damn if she wasn’t beautiful while she was cutting Sellars down to size and constantly reminding her what a fuckup she was.

  All those mental smacks on the wrist had made her wet today, reminding her she needed Lacy to hurry so they could get this little shindig over with. There was a nightclub calling her name. Hopefully, the very place she would find a woman to scream it later.

  Darlene stepped through the door. She smiled at Billy and Sellars. “I would do a drum roll and act out some fabulous introdu—”

  Lacy pushed through the doorway, and Sellars felt the breath catch in her throat. “Like hell you will introduce me like some fucking debutante. Don’t make me shift your hair extensions just a little bit.”

  Darlene chuckled, and Billy gave a low, admiring whistle.

  Sellars stood dumbfounded. Unable to move. Unable to breathe.

  She’d never seen anything more amazing. More stunning. More beautiful.

  Draped in a long red chiffon dress that was cut down to her navel, Lacy was the epitome of stunning class. No. She was absolute perfection. From those spiked pumps to the diamond earrings dangling from each lobe, hair caressing her shoulders in tight curls, she was edible. Downright edible.

  Darlene cleared her throat, and Sellars remembered to breathe.

  “Oh dear Lord,” Lacy scoffed. “Don’t you dare go all man on me. It’s just skin and tits, for fuck’s sake. You’ve seen more skin in alleys.” Lacy stepped around Sellars. “Now roll your tongue back in your mouth and let’s get this shit night over with. Maybe I’ll get lucky and find some hot butch to rip this ridiculous crap off of me later.”

  Sellars was held frozen in place as Lacy strode across the floor. She admired the way that dress cut all the way down to the curve of Lacy’s ass. She mentally felt her hands cupping that sashaying swing, heard Lacy’s sigh as she pulled her legs up and around Sellars’s hips, that sharp cry as she drove inside her.

  “Well, that sweet moment lasted.” Billy chuckled and headed toward the kitchen.

  Darlene patted Sellars on the back. “Beware. She bites. Hard. That’s why we love her so much.” She giggled, then turned and followed her husband.

  The thirty-minute drive to the hotel was torturous. Lacy smelled so good. Flowery and sweet. Sellars was thankful that the close proximity had come to an end as she pulled up to the valet. Luckily, he escorted Lacy from the car first. Lacy would have surely hurt her feelings if she’d pulled that ridiculous stunt of trying to be a gentleman by opening her door.

  And suddenly, they were both standing on the sidewalk, staring at the people walking into the lobby.

  Women dressed to the nines, each of them. Diamonds twinkled under the pole lights added for extra brightness. Men stood tall in their starched white tuxedos.

  The tension snaked through her gut faster than she thought possible. She didn’t want to be here. Not even with a luscious date on her arm, one she knew would put each of these people in their places if they said the wrong thing.

  She didn’t belong here. Not among them, not with them.

  “You’re not gonna flake out on me, are you?” Lacy stepped in front of Sellars, forcing her gaze down into those eyes. “Sorry, that sounded like a question. It wasn’t. It’s an order. You will not flake out.”

  Sellars swallowed, forcing back the urge to lean down and kiss her. What would Lacy do? Kiss her back? Slap the shit out of her? Remind Sellars that she wasn’t for sale? Oh, but she was. She wouldn’t be standing on this sidewalk with her dress cut out for the world to imagine what divineness lay beneath, if Lacy didn’t have a price tag.

  She’d sold out to her grandfather. That was a fact.

  “What good will all those walking bank accounts do me?” Sellars gave a stiff nod toward the building. “Not a single one of them even knows my name.”

  “Pfft. That’s your wishful thinking, dumbass.” Lacy tucked a curl behind her ear. “Trust me. For as many publicity stunts as you’ve put on for the world to see, they all know your name.”

  Sellars stared down over her. “Way to make me feel better.”

  “Oh, did you think I was here to make you feel better?” Lacy took her arm and gave an assuring squeeze then turned them toward the lobby doors. “I’m so sorry you got your wires crossed.”

  Sellars watched the crowd beyond the glass. Wine glasses. Champagne flutes. Stiff and proper. She hated this. Being forced to walk among them for the sake of her grandfather. For the sake of her own reputation.

  Lacy followed her gaze. “Look, don’t see them as people. They’re cattle. Being herded by the need to feel important. To look important. But they’re not, Sellars. They’re just people beneath their pricy attire. People. People who can be an important role in your comeback.”

  Sellars glanced down at the sidewalk, catching a glimpse of Lacy’s stiletto. Lacy looked that part tonight. Important. But not Sellars. She was in dark blue jeans, white T-shirt, and gray blazer. Same as she always was. She refused to change. Not for a paycheck. Not for ratings. And sure as hell not for fans who couldn’t care less if she lived or died.

  “Don’t you dare hang your head,” Lacy snapped, forcing Sellars to look up. “You did this shit to yourself. Now walk your ass in their like a fucking boss, head high, ego large, and fix it.”

  Sellars snickered. “You just described my grandfather.”

  “Oh for fuck’s sake.” Lacy grabbed Sellars’s hand. “Let me show you a little secret before you break down and cry or some stupid shit like show a feeling.”

  Sellars expected to be led toward the building, hopeful that Lacy wasn’t going to persuade her that stepping through those doors was in her best interest. Instead, Lacy hiked up her dress, kicked off her shoes, pulled Sellars off the curb, and together they jogged across the street.

  As soon as they got safely to the other side, Lacy let go of her hand. Her palm suddenly felt cold, and she resisted grabbing those slender fingers again.

  Lacy stepped onto the thick grass. “Take off your shoes and follow me.” She started across the grounds.

  There wasn’t another living soul she wanted to follow at this moment in time. Lacy looked amazing with her tanned legs bare, the loose strands of her hair caught in the breeze, her back naked and beckoning.

  Sellars kicked off her shoes and followed, pulled by the need to get to know Lacy more. To understand what made her tick. What made her so special to Billy and his
family. What made Sellars want to fuck her so bad.

  “I come here every vacation,” Lacy said as Sellars caught up with her. “It’s my miracle spot. Eases tension like nothing else.”

  The plush grass felt like velvet beneath her feet, and she had the urge to lie down in it, to stare up at the stars, and just be. Like she had been on the football field. Serene.

  But Lacy had something else in mind as she continued to lead them toward the tunnel that opened to the grounds of the Point. A soft blue glow surrounded the bridge as they got closer.

  It was a place Sellars couldn’t help but notice on her nightly drives through the city, especially coming out of the Fort Pitt Tunnel. There was no other view in the world that could compare to that entrance of welcome. The fountain was always lit up in seasonal colors and brought a sense of calm to the city.

  Lacy started over the bridge that crossed a large, shallow wishing pond but stopped at the top of the arch. She looked down into the water lit by several underwater light fixtures.

  “This is where you can release your demons.” Lacy turned a mocking smile on Sellars. “Well, you actually take pride in owning yours, obviously. But I come here to let mine go free.”

  Sellars stopped beside Lacy and looked down into the blue lit waters. “I was under the impression that you kind of owned your demons, too.” She turned to look at Lacy, whose smile slowly faded. “Nine oh two one oh, right?”

  “Scream, assface.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Scream, Sellars.”

  “What the hell for?”

  Lacy turned back toward the water, grabbed hold of the bridge railing, bent forward, and screamed.

  The sound echoed against the rock walls, blending in with the roar of tires crossing the freeway above them.

  She took in another deep breath and repeated the scream, this time bending farther over the railing and forcing the shrill of that scream down toward the water.

  When she was done, she turned toward Sellars. “Your turn.”

  “What good is screamin—”

  “Do it!” Lacy barked.

  Sellars eyed her for several seconds, looked around her to see if anyone was nearby, then behind her, where they’d come from. No one was there. Not a single living creature.

  “This is silly.” Sellars turned back to Lacy.

  “As silly as walking around like a tightly wound ball of fury?” Lacy nodded toward the water. “Do it, chickenshit.”

  Sellars could only stare at her, physically fighting the need to kiss her. To hike that dress up her thighs, drop to her knees, and feast on her. She needed to taste Lacy so bad the need curled painfully in her gut.

  What was it about Lacy? A woman who blatantly disliked her, who was only standing before her because someone was paying her to be here. A woman who would be gone in less than four weeks. Back to her hiding spot in the world. Who wore her demons like a prized medallion as well.

  Lacy gave a firm nod. “Do it.”

  Sellars turned toward the water. Pennies, dimes, nickels glimmered beneath the glowing waters. Light ripples danced across the top.

  She inhaled and screamed.

  The sound was more like a bellow, but it felt so good she inhaled and did it again. The sound echoed around her as she took in another deep breath and roared out another scream.

  Tension unwound, and she felt lighter. Less mad. Yes. She was less mad. She was always mad. At who, she never quite knew. Herself for making a poor choice so many years ago. A decision that cost a life. A life that meant the world to her. Mad for continuing to make those bad choices all these years later.

  “Felt great, didn’t it?” Lacy said.

  Sellars turned to her. Those eyes. So rich with life. A smile teetered on her lips.

  She did feel better. As hard as that was to believe. Hell, she wasn’t sure the last time she felt so released. So unburdened.

  Without thinking, Sellars tugged Lacy against her chest and kissed her.

  Lacy felt a moment of shock as Sellars’s mouth crushed against her own. Her tongue begged for entrance as her hands drove down the skin of her back, down to the curve of her ass.

  Lacy parted her lips, and Sellars expelled a moan of relief.

  Their tongues entangled.

  Lacy hummed as heat coiled tight in her gut. Her insides clamped down.

  Sellars pushed in front of her, trapping Lacy against the railing. Her hands were hot against her skin as they caressed her naked back.

  Lacy responded by pressing harder against her, deepening the kiss, weaving her hands into Sellars’s hair.

  Once again, her insides clamped down, and she groaned against those lips.

  Sellars was kissing her. Her hands were exploring.

  Lacy sucked in a startled breath and shoved Sellars away.

  Sellars had been kissing her. She’d let her.

  Her hands had been exploring. Lacy had let her.

  Fuck. She’d wanted her to. And so, so much more.

  What in God’s name had gotten into her? She couldn’t stand Sellars. Hated everything she stood for.

  Yet she’d wanted that kiss. Wanted those hands wandering over her bare-naked flesh. Wanted Sellars inside her.

  Lacy swiped the back of her hand across her lips as she stared at Sellars. “I’ll tell you the same thing I told your grandfather. I’m not for sale.”

  Sellars didn’t have a chance to respond as Lacy shoved around her and started back across the grass. She watched the sexy sway of her ass and smiled.

  Had she really said that to her grandfather?

  Did he believe her?

  Did Sellars?

  Everything was for sale. Everyone had a price tag. Her grandfather had taught her that hard lesson.

  What had been Lacy’s price?

  Chapter Eight

  Sellars wasn’t surprised to see Lacy up, dressed, mug in hand, when she stepped through the front door. She’d spent the last hour trying to sweat the thoughts of Lacy’s lips from her conscious by working on a car that never needed to be worked on. The work had been a useless attempt. She’d only managed to think more, taking that kiss far beyond where it ended in her alone time. She was always more dangerous when alone, with her thoughts, with her memories and all the pain they dragged to the surface. It wasn’t surprising that the fantasy of Lacy could bring on just as much pain, just in a different body region.

  They’d driven home last night in complete silence. For some sick reason, it gave her pleasure to know that she’d rendered Lacy speechless. She was positive not too many people had achieved that goal.

  But today was a new day, and if Lacy wanted to pretend that kiss never happened, then she would have to play along. There was no need to twist things any tighter than they needed to be.

  Not to mention, they had a busy day ahead of them at the local soup kitchen feeding the homeless. It wasn’t her idea of a great day, but she had a feeling Lacy would be pleased. Had a feeling this was Lacy’s doing, not her grandfather’s.

  Without making eye contact, Sellars headed directly for the stairs. “Be back in fifteen.”

  Lacy didn’t respond. She kept her sight trained on the pool beyond the sliding doors as Sellars disappeared up to the second floor.

  She didn’t really know how to respond. She’d kissed Sellars. She’d liked it. Thought about doing it again all night. Worse, the house had been empty except for the two of them. Billy, Darlene, and Gabby had left last night, earlier than planned, for their mini vacation with Grandma. She would be alone with Sellars for the rest of the week, maybe longer, and that made her nervous as hell.

  Not because she didn’t want to be alone with her, but because she didn’t trust herself to be alone with her. She’d already made a mistake by not slapping the shit out of her. For responding to that kiss. For wanting more. For fucking needing more than just that kiss.

  She was still sipping coffee and staring blankly through the window when Sellars cleared her throat from bes
ide her chair.

  “You ready to get this over with?”

  Lacy turned a skeptical eye on her, not missing that her hair had been towel dried, that she was wearing stonewashed jeans that matched her blazer. Or that the cream colored T-shirt was slick against her body, leaving little to Lacy’s imagination.

  Lord help her. It was going to be a long day outrunning her dirty thoughts.

  “You got something against feeding people who would gladly kiss your Converse tennis shoes for a fucking tiny bite of food? Who are lucky just to have a goddamn pair of grungy shoes on their feet, let alone own something with a name brand attached to it?”

  “Whoa. Whoa.” Sellars held her hands up defensively. “I wasn’t referring to the homeless.”

  Lacy took the last sip of coffee, set it down with a bang, then stood to face her. “What exactly were you referring to?”

  Sellars swallowed.

  Lacy looked so daring. So sexy in her tight jeans and v-neck T-shirt that made Sellars struggle not to look down into her cleavage. Normally, she’d have done just that. Women seemed to like when she admired them, openly, even if it was a jackass move that was nothing more than belittling. But it never stopped her from showing the disrespect. Nor did it ever stop them from letting Sellars take them home.

  But somehow, she knew Lacy would only add it to her ever growing pile of dimwit things she’d done.

  “You, having to suffer through your day, shadowing me.”

  “How sweet.” Lacy slapped several bills on the counter next to the swear jar. “Then by all means, let’s get this over with.”

  Lacy moved around her just to put the distance between them. Sellars smelled so damn good. Delicious. She smelled delicious. And it was definitely time to visit some local nightclubs. Her insides couldn’t take much more of this clamping.

  In the driveway, Sellars stalled at the car and pulled the keys from her pocket. “Should I offer to drive? I know how much that ruffles your feathers.”

  Lacy walked to her, plucked the keys from her grasp, and continued to the driver’s door. “Offer away. But I’m driving.” She dropped into the seat, inserted the key, and cranked the car.