When She's Bad

by Leanne Banks

The memory of the pain of childbirth may fade quickly, but the memory of changing a messy cloth diaper sure doesn’t.

  —DELILAH’S DICTUM

  Chapter 9

  Robert checked his watch for the tenth time as the Treasurer for the Ruritan Club droned on and on. He’d invited Lilly to attend this meeting where he was guest speaker, but she’d been busy.

  Robert frowned.

  He’d called her at the last minute, which he supposed was part of the problem. Except it hadn’t been a problem before last week.

  Her voice had been breathless with apology as she’d explained that she’d already agreed to join Greg for a swim at the country club followed by dinner. It was too easy for Robert to imagine Lilly frolicking in the pool with Greg the shark. He’d probably lure her into the hot tub. Maybe they would skip dinner.

  Robert felt his temperature rise. Lilly was cavorting with another man and he was stuck here with a bunch of old farts. His father would immediately correct him. They weren’t old farts. They were potential voters, potential constituents.

  As the president gave him a glowing introduction, Robert stifled a sigh and put on his game face. He was here to discuss social security and he would damn well do it in the shortest speech on record.

  Forty-five minutes later, Robert walked through the front doors of the country club and headed for the swimming pool. He knew the club housed two swimming areas. The first larger pool was filled with competitive swimmers and two water aerobics classes. It was busy and noisy and he looked in vain for Lilly.

  His gut twisted as he walked toward the smaller swimming pool. It was older, smaller, and not as popular as the other well-lit Olympic-sized pool. Heat and humidity steamed the windows to the pool area, hindering his ability to spy— To see the occupants.

  Robert pushed open the door and heard low voices and feminine giggling.

  “No, Greg, I really don’t think that’s a good idea,” Lilly said with an edge of discomfort to her voice.

  “It’ll be fun. No one can see. Let’s get back in the pool. If you’re too shy, I can help you,” Greg offered.

  Alarm shot through Robert. He’d been right. Greg was a shark.

  “No! Greg, stop! I don’t want—”

  Robert had heard enough. He wouldn’t allow that sleazeball to pressure Lilly. Striding into the pool area, he spotted Greg crowding Lilly against the wall as she pushed fruitlessly at him. A primitive urge roared through him and he jerked Greg away from her.

  Greg gaped at him. “Wha—”

  “Robert!” Lilly cried in surprise.

  “She said no. She said stop,” Robert said and pushed Greg into the pool.

  His heart pounding a mile a minute, he turned at the sound of Lilly’s gasp. He gave his jacket a sharp tug. “Are you ready to go?”

  She swallowed audibly and nodded. “Yes, I just need to change into dry clothes.”

  He looked at the black two-piece suit she wore and noticed her nipples puckered against the clinging fabric. Her skin was white and she was slim, her legs long, her thighs inviting. Surprised at the direction of his thoughts, he grabbed a towel and pressed it into her hands. “Be quick about it. I’ll wait outside for you.”

  As soon as she left, he turned toward Greg. “Leave her alone.”

  “Or what?” Greg asked. “It’s obvious you two aren’t exclusive. She was with me tonight, not you.”

  Robert’s blood pressure climbed another notch. “Whether Lilly and I are exclusive or not, I won’t let her be manhandled by slime like you.”

  “Maybe she wants to be manhandled,” Greg said with a sly look.

  “Not if she’s saying no, stop, but I guess you’re not bright enough to figure that out.” Robert stalked out of the swimming area.

  Pacing back and forth outside the women’s locker rooms, he struggled with his reaction to seeing Lilly with another man. It had bothered the hell out of him. He’d thought of Lilly as sweet and attractive, but not overly sexual. In fact, part of her appeal was her innocence.

  Maybe she wants to be manhandled.

  Robert scowled. He seriously doubted that Lilly wanted to be manhandled. If any man was going to handle her, it should be him.

  The thought knocked him sideways. He swore under his breath as Lilly, her hair still wet and her cheeks pink, appeared from the women’s locker room. “Are you ready?” he growled.

  She bit her lip. “I guess.”

  He escorted her to his car in silence. As he drove toward her home, she asked a few questions about his appearance at the Ruritan Club. Still disturbed, he delivered one-word answers.

  “Would you mind stopping here please?” she asked.

  So busy brooding, he almost didn’t notice her request. He glanced at the fast-food sign. “Why?”

  “I’m hungry. I didn’t have dinner.”

  She was hungry because Greg had given her a workout. His gut twisted as he pulled into the fast-food drive-thru lane. “What do you want?”

  “Single with cheese, mustard and pickles, no onion or mayo, fries and a frosty.”

  “That was the most decisive I’ve ever seen you,” he said after he repeated the order to the drive-thru attendant.

  She shrugged and gave a small smile. “I guess starvation will do that to you.”

  He gave a small grin in return then picked up her order. As he drove the rest of the way to her house, he couldn’t help thinking about the many kinds of starvation a person could experience. For example, Robert’s father had told him no sex until the campaign was over. Robert didn’t have much sexual experience, so he was used to taking care of himself every few nights to keep himself from going nuts.

  Part of the reason he’d chosen Lilly as his escort was because she didn’t tempt his carnal nature all that much. He’d felt protective of her, almost the same way he suspected he would feel about a little sister. After seeing her with Greg and getting a good look at her nearly bare body, he suspected he would be thinking carnal thoughts about sliding between her legs and playing with her nipples the rest of the night. He wondered what she looked like when she had sex. Did she make noises? Did she moan?

  Feeling himself harden at the forbidden visuals, he swore under his breath as he parked the car.

  “Thanks for the ride home,” Lilly said and unlocked her door.

  “I’ll walk you to your door,” he said and joined her.

  “Thank you again,” Lilly said when they arrived at her front door.

  “Would you like me to sit with you while you eat?” he asked.

  Not really flickered in her eyes. She sighed. “I don’t see any point in it. You’re obviously angry. You haven’t stopped glaring at me since you arrived at the country club tonight.”

  “I haven’t been glaring at you.”

  She shot him a look of disbelief.

  “Let’s go inside,” he said. “We need to talk.”

  “Okay,” she said as if she weren’t at all thrilled with the prospect.

  He followed her past the formal foyer into the kitchen where she flicked on the light. “You could have asked your housekeeper to make something for you to eat, couldn’t you?”

  “She’s not staying overnight anymore. Felt too much like a baby sitter.” Lilly sat down and lifted a french fry to her lips.

  “Go ahead and eat,” he said, unsettled by the fact that she didn’t want a baby sitter.

  “I’d rather you go ahead and say what’s on your mind.”

  He adjusted his tie and nodded. “Okay. Greg said something after you left that made me wonder.”

  “Wonder what?”

  He shrugged. “Just wonder. He said maybe you wanted to be manhandled.”

  She turned quiet and he studied her carefully. Her cheeks heated with color and she cleared her throat. “I’m not sure I would use that term. Of course, every woman wants to be treated like a woman,” she said, her gaze sliding away from his.

  “What do you mean, treated like a woman?”

  Sh
e lifted her hand to her throat. “Well, I want a man to find me attractive.” She hesitated. “Desirable,” she said in a small voice.

  Robert digested her response. “Is that how Greg treated you?”

  She moved her shoulders in an uncomfortable gesture. “He called me and flirted with me. He asked me out days ahead of time,” she said.

  He would have sworn he heard an edge to her voice with that last comment. He supposed he deserved it, he thought sourly. “Did you really like the way he was treating you?”

  She bit her lip. “I might could,” she said. “With the right man.”

  Robert felt a mini-explosion of heat race through him. Little Miss Lilly White wanted a little action. He felt an odd mix of hormones and guilt because he suddenly wanted to be the one to give it to her. “Did you want him to kiss you?” he asked, reaching for her hand and pulling her against him before she could respond.

  Her eyes were wide with surprise. “I—I—”

  “Did you want him to touch you? Everywhere?”

  If possible, her eyes widened even more.

  “I saw your nipples standing against your bathing suit,” he told her.

  She blinked. “I’d just gotten out of the warm water. I was getting cold.”

  “Do you want someone to keep you warm?” he whispered.

  She met his gaze, but couldn’t seem to find the words. He glimpsed a loneliness that mirrored his own at times and lowered his mouth to hers. She tasted salty then sweet when he slid his tongue inside. He wanted to taste her thoroughly, every centimeter, to feel her and to make sure she felt him. She curled her tongue around his in invitation and he felt himself grow harder. She might be inexperienced, but she was hot. His for the taking.

  He felt another stab of guilt at the thought of taking advantage of her. It would be so easy. And he’d feel like crap afterward. An odd tenderness tightened his chest. He didn’t want Lilly to feel used. She was sweet and so eager to please.

  Maybe marrying her wasn’t a bad idea after all.

  The idea rocked through him like an earthquake and he immediately pulled back. Mentally swearing, he stared at Lilly. He was going to have to think about this.

  “I should go.”

  She swallowed. “Okay.”

  “Don’t see Greg anymore,” he said then grimaced at his arrogant tone. “I’d prefer you not see Greg anymore. Will you join me tomorrow night?”

  “Yes. What are you doing?”

  “I don’t know,” he said, his head suddenly cloudy. “It’s probably some boring dinner or party. Maybe we can do something afterward.”

  She licked her lips and he swallowed a groan. “That would be nice.”

  She had no idea how nice things could be, Robert thought as he walked out the door with an erection harder than the head of a hammer. But he liked the idea of being the one to show her.

  “The first shipment of books has been delivered and put on display,” Sara announced from the doorway.

  Shifting Willy on her lap as she studied a financial report, Delilah glanced up, pleased. Since the spa guests sometimes had to wait between appointments, Delilah had decided to add a couple of racks of books. “Oh, that’s great. What came in?”

  “A smattering of everything. Mystery, romance, literature and some of the Dummy books you mentioned. You know, The Idiot’s Guide to Shakespeare, Opera for Dummies.”

  “We’re putting them at the beverage bar and in the waiting area, right?” Delilah asked, thinking she might take a peek at Opera for Dummies after she finished reviewing the reports and inventory.

  “Just like you said,” Sara told her. “Why don’t you go take a look? I’ll hold Wills for you.”

  Delilah smiled. Sara had begun to refer to Willy as Wills like England’s hot prince. She stood and passed him to her assistant. “If you’re sure you don’t mind. Just remember you offered if he has a big royal poop.”

  “You forget I’ve been dealing with a different kind of crap for years. In comparison, this is a breeze,” Sara said, nuzzling Willy.

  “You should have had children.”

  “Not with the man I married,” Sara said firmly. “Talk about bad seed.”

  “Did I hear a request for a sperm donation?” Paul Woodward asked from the doorway.

  Sara gasped.

  Delilah smiled and shook her head at the bone-melting massage therapist. He was such a flirt and she loved him for it. This was the kind of man she should date. He wouldn’t give her headaches. He would just use his amazing hands and body to provide release. Oh, heaven. If only she could generate some good old-fashioned lust for him.

  “There you go, shocking Sara again with your wicked innuendos. One of these days someone is going to take you up on your offers. What are you going to do then?”

  His eyes glinted with mischief. “I’ll try to come up with something.” He glanced at Willy. “Who’s my competition with Sara?”

  Sara blushed and rolled her eyes. “This is Wills. Delilah is his guardian.”

  Paul’s eyes rounded in surprise. “So you’re going to have to be a responsible type now. How’s it going?”

  “Fighting it every step of the way. Walk with me to look at the new displays in the beverage area. I won’t be long, Sara.”

  Delilah and Paul left the office suite. “What’s with Sara?” he asked in a low voice. “She always looks at me like I’m the big bad wolf even when I say hello to her.”

  “She was in a bad marriage. You probably bowl her over. Like you do the rest of us,” she added, flirting a little. God, it felt good and Paul was safe.

  “I keep trying, but I swear I can’t get the time of day from anyone in the manager’s suite. I’ve offered complimentary massages, drinks—”

  Delilah did a double take. “You didn’t really offer Sara a massage, did you?”

  “Well, yeah. Her neck looked a little stiff one day. I told her I could fix it and—”

  She wagged her finger at him. “You probably gave her a heart attack. You have to be careful with Sara. She’s not like me. She’s a lady.”

  He stopped and looked at her quizzically. “What do you mean? You’re a lady.”

  His insistence warmed her heart. She hooked her arm through his. “You’re so nice. I just wish I wanted to go to bed with you.”

  He cracked a lopsided smile. “Yeah, me too. But it would feel like I was making it with my sister. Damn shame.”

  “Sure is,” she said with a laugh. “Let’s look at these books.”

  He stiffened slightly. “Books. When did we get books?”

  “My brilliant idea,” Delilah said. “Our patrons often have some down time whether they’re waiting for hair color to process or getting a smoothie here at the bar. A book can make the wait a little easier. Nice touch?”

  “I guess,” he said.

  She gently punched his arm. “It’s a great idea.” She nodded her head at the eye-catching display and meandered over to the Dummy books.

  “What are you looking at?” he asked, standing beside her.

  Fighting a slight embarrassment, she pointed at the books. “Dummy books. I’m thinking of reading one.”

  “But you’re not dumb.”

  “Bless you,” she said, surreptitiously picking up three different titles. “But you could fill libraries with what I don’t know.”

  “When are you going to have time to read those?”

  She shrugged. “At night. When I can’t sleep because Willy can’t.”

  He shook his head. “I never thought I’d see the day. No more late night bar-hopping and table dancing for Delilah.”

  Delilah made a moue with her lips. “Stop rubbing it in. This responsibility thing is very hard on me.”

  “Well, if you ever need a safe, but wild night out,” Paul offered.

  “I know I can count on you,” she said. “I always could. I better get back to Sara before Willy drives her crazy. Bye now.”

  Delilah found Sara bouncing Willy on her hi
p as she walked from one side of the office to the other. “I’ll have to check with Ms. Montague to see if she can interview this afternoon.”

  “If it’s Nanny Finders, the answer is yes, yes, yes,” Delilah said.

  “Ah, Ms. Montague has just returned to the office. I’ll let you speak with her.” Sara punched a button. “Line one.”

  Delilah scooted into her office and set an appointment for nanny prospect number 999. Okay, it was actually nanny prospect number 9, but it sure felt like 999. Bracing herself for another mismatch, she felt a spark of hope by the end of the interview. After Maria Leguzma left, Delilah danced around her office with Willy singing a song from Mary Poppins.

  She poked her head out the door. “Sara, we found her! She’s the Spanish version of Mary Poppins without the umbrella. Thank God—” She broke off when she saw that Sara was gone and Guy Crandall was pulling the door to the suite closed behind him.

  He walked toward her. “So this is Howard Bradford’s dirty little secret in the flesh.”

  A man who learns your secrets can be your worst nightmare … or your dream come true.

  —DELILAH’S DICTUM

  Chapter 10

  Delilah hid the baby from him. Guy was such a sleaze-ball she didn’t want Willy breathing the same air.

  “Little Willy. I guess the little knock-out mother got tired of taking care of him, huh?”

  He moved toward her and Delilah scooted behind the desk. She wanted a barrier between them. A steel wall would be right in her comfort zone.

  “You know, I wonder how the Huntingtons would react to Lilly’s newest little brother. You think it would change her chances of getting married to Robert?”

  Delilah really hated him. “Don’t you have anything better to do with your time than stick your nose in other people’s business?”

  “Oh, I make it my business to know. Ever since Howard fired me a few years ago, I’ve been waiting for my opportunity to do business with him again. And Willy here has been my ticket,” he said with an oily smile as he reached out to touch Willy.

  Delilah backed away. “Don’t touch the baby,” she said. Her expression must have revealed the loathing she felt for the man because he paused mid-motion and withdrew.