by Hope Ramsay
Connor had taken the dare, grabbing Laurie for a kiss, his hand lingering for a moment on the back of her head. Andrew looked away, his gut tightening. He should stop this. But he didn’t. Instead, he watched like a voyeur as Connor ordered Laurie one sweet drink after another.
No question about it, Connor was looking for action tonight, and Laurie was like a hot babe in the woods. But when Laurie abruptly stood up with a wide-eyed panicked look, Andrew sprang into action.
He arrived in the nick of time, grabbing Connor’s shoulder and spinning him around. “Leave her alone,” he said in a voice that carried above the music floating down from the dance floor upstairs.
“Hey, man, what the hell are you doing here?” Connor asked.
Andrew got right up into Connor’s face. “Look, dude, we both know that you can have any woman you want. So don’t pick on the ones who are so brokenhearted they don’t know what they want.”
Connor held his ground, and Andrew feared he might take a swing so he took a deep breath and centered himself. If Connor followed through, Andrew would be ready to evade him. But as Andrew stared down his old friend, he realized that he’d broken one of the main tenets of aikido. He, not Connor, had picked this fight.
Well, so be it. He needed to keep Laurie safe, and he was ready to do what was necessary. They stood toe to toe for a long moment until Connor gave Andrew a small, nonthreatening man-punch to the shoulder. “I’m glad to see you rejoining the human race,” he said.
“What?” Andrew was momentarily confused.
Connor leaned in. “She’s much better looking than Val,” he said with a smile. Then he turned away and was soon lost in the crowd.
Laurie finally found her voice. “What are you doing here?” she asked.
“I’m your wingman,” Andrew said as he looked down at her.
The crowd pressed them close as Laurie blinked up at him with a hot, sexy, vulnerable, and buzzed look in her hazel eyes. “I don’t understand,” she said.
“You insisted on a real date with a real guy. So I made it happen. But I wasn’t about to let you do that alone.”
She bit her lower lip, and a rush of lust almost leveled Andrew where he stood. No, wait, that was just wrong. Wasn’t it?
“Thank you,” she said. “And I guess I’m also glad you didn’t tell me that you had my back. I probably would have stupidly told you to mind your own business.” She stumbled a little, and Andrew reached out to steady her. But when he grabbed her shoulders, she leaned into his chest, and his arms just naturally wrapped around her while she tucked her head under his chin.
His worry, which had coiled inside like a spring over the last two hours, morphed into tension of a different kind. He wanted to pull her more tightly against him, but he didn’t make a move. He stood there, holding her up and wondering what he should do next. Take her home to his place? Her place?
And then what? No, he couldn’t do that for so many reasons.
“Do you want to dance?” he asked instead. Dancing her into sobriety seemed like a good, safe middle ground.
She pushed back a little and looked up at him with a classic wide-eyed drunken stare. “I hate dancing.”
Great. He was out of ideas.
“I have two left feet,” she continued. “And I really prefer classical music. Although I can’t waltz either.”
“No one will notice.”
“Doesn’t matter.” She shook her head with exaggerated care. “I’ll know. And self-knowledge is a terrible burden to bear, don’t you think?”
He couldn’t help but smile. Even drunk, Laurie was smart and witty. “I suppose it is, but didn’t you come here to break the chains of your dull life? I distinctly remember that you wanted to have a date at a dance club.”
She swayed for a moment. “You know,” she said, pointing her finger at his chest, “you are wiser than you look.”
“Thanks, I think. Come on, let’s dance. It’s a great way to sober up.” He took her by the hand, uncomfortably conscious of the heat that seemed to flow up his arm and into his core.
They took the elevator to the third floor, bypassing the loud scene on the second floor where the R&B, Top 40, and hip-hop were just beginning to rock the place. The club’s third floor was a whole different story. Andrew and Val had come here often in the past. It was more intimate, and on Saturdays it featured a DJ that played multicultural music, including a lot of Latin music perfect for salsa dancing.
Laurie stalled the moment they exited the elevator. The room wasn’t nearly as crowded, but there was a small knot of beautiful people on the dance floor gyrating their hips and doing some pretty fancy footwork. “You’re out of your mind,” she said.
He leaned down and spoke above the music right into her ear. “Salsa dancing looks way harder than it is. You just walk back and forth. I’ll show you.” Her slightly floral scent filled his senses and fogged his brain.
It was getting harder by the minute to ignore his attraction. She was so beautiful. And vulnerable. And the touch of her hand in his made him feel alive in ways he hadn’t felt in so very long.
But he restrained himself and ignored the obvious as he guided her to a table. He ordered a couple of Cokes, dragged her off to the dance floor, took her in his arms, and proceeded to teach her a few salsa moves.
She was buzzed and inexperienced, and his feet paid a price. But it was a small price for the feel of her in his arms. Within a few minutes, either the beat of the music or the booze in the margaritas kicked in. Laurie Wilson, brilliant but slightly uptight PhD, let go of a whoop and threw herself body and soul into the dancing.
Holy crap! Who knew Laurie Wilson could be so much fun?
When had boring Andrew become so utterly fascinating? Laurie settled into his touch, which was both commanding and gentle, as he led her around the dance floor, coaching her through the steps until they seemed easy and simple.
As the night wore on and her margarita fog lifted, something else happened between them. Their dance posture, which started out distant and formal, began to contract. They inched closer, hips gyrating to the beat of the music. His right hand slipped from its position high on her back downward along her spine until it rested right above her butt, leaving her anticipating and almost aching for the moment when it would dip even lower.
No question about it, the margaritas had loosened her up, but the yearning for Andrew grew as she burned off the alcohol. How was that possible? This kind of carnal longing was new to her.
Unfortunately, as she sobered, she also started to think again, and thinking was a huge buzz kill. She should go. She was definitely sober enough to drive herself home and arrive in one piece. Andrew had rescued her quite thoroughly. Dad’s man on the scene had come through again.
Right then, he twirled her around in one of those moves that had her walking backward while he walked forward. Her heart took flight in her chest. This was the stuff of little-girl fantasies. Her inner princess reveled in the idea of dancing with a guy who had rescued her.
But she wanted so much more than just princely behavior and a rescue. Down deep in the place where life frightened her, she wanted something real. Something not so safe.
She looked up at him and momentarily lost her bearings. His dark hair had fallen over his forehead, and his espresso eyes seemed anything but safe. His mask had shattered, and Laurie saw the desire flickering in his eyes, hot, mysterious, and intriguing.
Her breath hitched and her insides clutched. It had never been clearer that she had a choice to make. She could stand there debating all the pros and cons or she could throw caution to the wind and kiss him. Maybe the time for contemplation was over. Maybe it was time to act.
She drew in a breath, closed her eyes, and leaned into him. She had no sense of rhythm so her move was not only a surprise but out of time. Andrew stumbled back a step before his body firmed, allowing her to come up against his chest hard as she cupped the back of his head and pulled him down.
He re
sisted for an instant, and she almost let go. But something told her that this moment would never come again. It was now, or never.
Their lips met. His firm, warm, slightly open, perhaps in astonishment. Hers surprisingly hungry as she breached the open seam of his mouth with her tongue.
He tasted sweet and bitter and complicated. Like a piece of dark, dark chocolate. His tongue danced away, and she chased it. His body stiffened.
No. No.
She twisted her fingers in his hair and pressed her body into his, breast to chest, thigh to thigh. A giddy and powerful warmth filled her with a sense of being alive and in the moment. And then his tongue changed direction, meeting hers in a dance as skillful as the one they’d been doing all night.
She wrapped her arms around his neck. His hands slipped down to her butt and he clutched her skirt right where the slit exposed her thigh, his fingers brushing against her leg as a torrent of lust took her breath away. It was as if her body suddenly woke up and realized this sort of thing could be fun.
One of the dancing couples bumped into them. “Hey, dudes, get a room,” the guy shouted.
Just like that, Andrew’s reserve snapped back into place. He retreated, and Laurie tried to follow, but he held her at arm’s length. “I think it’s time for us to get some coffee before I take you home.”
“Home to your place?” she asked hopefully.
His eyebrow arched. She’d seen that expression on the face of almost every single male member of the Lyndon family. When a Lyndon arched an eyebrow like that, it was never a hopeful sign.
Chapter Nine
What had just happened? One minute he’d been in complete control and the next…He stared down at Laurie, surprised and somewhat alarmed. For the first time in years, someone other than Val had made him burn.
“No. We’re going to get some coffee and then I’m going to drive you back to Shenandoah Falls.”
She shook her head and bit her lip, the picture of a not-quite-sober woman. “I’m completely sober.”
“No, you’re not. And besides, I’m already in enough hot water with your father.”
The light in her beautiful eyes dimmed a little. Had he hurt her feelings? Well, too bad. He was not bringing the boss’s daughter home for more kisses or whatever. Not even sober.
He escorted her out of the club and up the block to the nearest Starbucks, where he bought her a coffee and learned that she liked it heavy on the milk and light on the sugar.
“So what now?” she asked. “Do I have to endure a lecture from you because I kissed you? It’s okay. I can take it. God only knows my life is screwed up right at the moment. My job sucks. My mother thinks I’m suicidal. And I spent too much on this dress considering the fact that I don’t have the money for the next mortgage payment. I should never have let Brandon talk me into that money pit.” Her eyes filled, and her voice definitely wobbled.
“Laurie, it’s going to be okay,” he said.
She nodded and grabbed a napkin to blot her tears. “I’m sorry. I guess I’m not sober,” she said, looking down.
Andrew hated seeing her so upset, especially since he’d caused her tears. Cutting off that incredible kiss had probably shattered her self-esteem. But what was he supposed to do?
Tell her she’d turned him on? Take her home and make love to her?
He couldn’t do that. There were rules that governed socially acceptable behavior, and Andrew wasn’t about to shatter them. Laurie was beyond his reach. He couldn’t kiss her again, but he could help her solve some of her problems. “What’s this about the house payment?” he asked.
“Brandon and I had an agreement that I would use my graduation money for the down payment on the house, and he’d make the payments,” she said in a surprisingly firm voice. Her tears had dried up, leaving only a little smudge of mascara beneath her eyes.
“Is his name on the note?”
She nodded. “Yes.” She took a deep breath, clearly trying to hold back more tears. “Please don’t tell Dad about this. He’ll swoop in and pay for everything. I don’t want Dad’s money. I’m not like my mother. I just want Brandon to live up to his obligations and promises. This is so screwed up. I never thought I’d need a divorce before I even got married.”
“Have you got a dollar?”
“What?”
“If you have a dollar, get it out of your purse and hand it over.”
“Why?”
“Don’t ask, just do it.”
She dug in her purse and handed him a dollar.
“As of this moment, I’m on retainer as your attorney, and everything you say to me is privileged. That means I can’t say a word to your father about anything we discuss. First thing tomorrow I’m going to call Brandon and shake him down for at least half of the house payment. I’m sure it’s just an oversight. I don’t think Brandon would purposefully leave you high and dry.”
“Jeeze, Andrew, I’m kinda glad you think that way. I used to think I knew Brandon, you know, but now…” She couldn’t finish the sentence, and tears still pooled in her eyes but stubbornly refused to run down her face.
They sat in silence for a moment before she said, “I guess I’ve thoroughly humiliated myself tonight, huh?”
“No. Not at all.”
She barked a laugh. “You’re such a gentleman, Andrew. Really. The sad fact is that I’ve just become my mother.”
“How so?”
She tried to look at anything but Andrew. “Falling for the first strong guy who shows up after a breakup. And Mom used to break up with guys on a regular basis. When things fell apart, she always got drunk and then cried on someone’s shoulder. The truth is, I should be strong enough to call Brandon myself.”
“First of all, you are entitled to a few tears. Second of all, you shouldn’t have to call Brandon. He’s the one who walked away. He should have called you and made arrangements. Tomorrow I want you to e-mail me with a list of the bills associated with the house and anything else that Brandon owes you. For instance, the part of the Bermuda trip that you paid for.”
“I paid for all of it. I put it on my credit card, and that payment is overdue too.”
Andrew exhaled sharply. “Okay, include that, and anything else you think is important.”
“Thanks.” She looked down at her coffee, the picture of misery. He empathized with her, but he didn’t dare offer her more than his professional help with the bills.
“I’m sorry you’ve gotten dragged right into the middle of my dispute with Brandon. And I’m sorry I—”
“Laurie, you’re not the one who put me in the middle.”
“Yeah, I guess Dad did that, huh?”
“No, actually, Brandon set this in motion the day he walked away from you.”
Laurie drove herself home, although she and Andrew almost came to blows before he let her go by herself. If she cried over Andrew on the way home, that was no one’s business but her own. If she woke up on Sunday with a headache and bloodshot eyes, well, ditto.
She was so ashamed of herself. What had gotten into her? She should have known that Andrew wasn’t interested in her kisses.
Still, her self-esteem had taken a hell of a blow last night. It was downright humiliating. All the more so when she checked her e-mail and found one from Andrew, sent at 7:30 a.m., reminding her to send him the details of her financial situation. Did the guy ever sleep?
Yeah, well, that could wait until she had her first cup of coffee. Alas, the milk in her fridge was sour. So she headed off to Bean There Done That for a latte. Once she was sufficiently caffeinated, she planned to hit the Food Lion and The Home Depot. Maybe after that she’d feel like pulling together the financial bad news and sending it off to Andrew.
Or not.
The line at Bean There Done That was ridiculously long, but she endured. She’d been standing there like a hungover zombie for an eternity when someone tapped her on the shoulder.
She turned to find Roxy Kopp and Pam Lyndon standing behin
d her.
Mrs. Lyndon wore a blue plaid hacking jacket in muted heathers that complemented her gray riding slacks and black boots. Roxy was outfitted all in black, but both of them looked like fashion plates from Town and Country magazine.
“Laurie, darlin’, how are you?” Pam stepped forward and gave her a little kiss on the cheek, as if they were long-lost friends. It was a tiny bit creepy. Even though she’d had dinner at Charlotte’s Grove many times, she didn’t know Pam Lyndon well.
Roxy, whom she knew much better, hung back and tried not to make eye contact.
“I’m fine,” Laurie said in her best formal-tea-party voice.
“I heard you had dinner at the Union Jack with my nephew a week ago. And surprise, surprise, I heard you were out and about in town with Andrew last night,” Pam said in a big voice. “I’m so glad you decided to take my advice.”
Uh-oh. How the hell did Pam know about last night? Had Andrew lied to her about her date with Connor? Had it all been a fake date after all? And worse yet, Pam Lyndon seemed to think Laurie was taking her advice.
Which, actually, was sort of true, since she’d kissed Andrew last night. “Uh, well, I’ve been staying busy,” she said, hoping her red face went unnoticed.
“Good for you. You know your mother and father were both so worried that you would retreat from the world after what happened. Darlin’, we’re all so proud of you for getting out there and meeting people. Tell me, what do you think of Andrew?”
Damn, damn, damn. Her face was burning up. “He’s a good dancer. And he’s kind. And—”
Laurie reached the head of the line, which saved her from saying another word. She ordered her latte and wondered if it might be possible to escape. But before she’d even paid her bill, Pam said, “Join us for a moment, darlin’. Let’s catch up.”
One didn’t say no to Pam Lyndon so, a few moments later, she found herself jammed around a tiny table with Roxy on her right and Pam on her left.
