Second Chance Temptation

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Second Chance Temptation Page 4

by Joss Wood


  Tanna heard the incoming message on her phone and pulled it out of her pocket. She swiped the screen and read the text from Carrick.

  Security just warned me about a suspicious-looking woman casing the joint. Get your ass in here before you get arrested.

  Tanna grinned. She knew Murphy’s security firm employed facial recognition software and she’d been identified within a few seconds of arriving at the entrance. Carrick was just yanking her chain.

  Tanna greeted the doorman and walked inside the iconic building, her boots echoing on the polished concrete floor. In front of her was the concierge, and to the left and right were the main viewing rooms.

  Tanna was a frequent visitor to Murphy’s website and knew there was an upcoming auction of Henry Moore sculptures and a collection of vintage clothing and accessories. She wanted to lose herself in both exhibitions but she knew she couldn’t afford to step inside either room—there were too many memories here that she wasn’t quite ready to deal with.

  Tanna watched as a young woman wearing a black pencil skirt and sky-high red heels half ran up the marble steps leading to the private offices on the floors above. She pushed down a wave of envy. How lucky that woman was to be working here, to be interacting with art lovers, with collectors, with the beautiful objects. How fortunate she was to be immersed in art, surrounded by beauty.

  She could be you. You worked here, before you left. You chose to leave, Tanna Murphy, nobody chased you away.

  Tanna had left because she didn’t have a right to live her dream life, the life she’d been born to. Addy’d never had that chance and it was Tanna’s fault. For Addy she had to do more, be better, be useful.

  Art was lovely but it wasn’t important...

  She shouldn’t have come back here. She should’ve just called Carrick...

  Feeling sad and emotional and teary-eyed, Tanna ran up one flight of stairs, through a security door and up another flight of stairs. Her feet took her down the hallway to Carrick’s large, third-floor office and after greeting Marsha, Carrick’s PA, she knocked on his partially open door.

  Carrick looked up at the knock and his smile broadened as he waved her in. Standing up, he kissed her cheek and shook his head, bemused.

  “Why are you looking at me like that?” Tanna asked him, dropping her bag onto one of the chairs on the opposite side of his desk.

  “Just happy that I’ve finally gotten you to come into Murphy’s. I’m also thinking about how much you look like Mom,” Carrick replied, his voice gruff. Tanna appreciated the observation but she knew she couldn’t hold a candle to her obscenely beautiful mother.

  “I know I don’t talk about her often, Tan, but I still miss her. I miss them both.”

  Tanna’s eyes misted over. “I do too. But I don’t remember them as well as you do.”

  Carrick gestured to his messy desk. “I could do with Dad’s help today,” he admitted, slapping his hands on his hips.

  Tanna dropped into the other chair and crossed her long legs. “Problems?” She couldn’t help asking the question. She might be completely devoted to her career but Murphy’s was, and would always be, a huge part of her.

  Carrick walked around his enormous desk and rested his butt against the edge. “When are there ever not?”

  “Tell me.”

  Because, just for a minute or two, she wanted to pretend she was still part of this business, still a Murphy. Tanna never got the chance to talk art with her colleagues. For the most part, art didn’t interest them and they were also too damn busy saving lives.

  But she wasn’t at work now and she could spend time talking about Murphy clients and collections with her elder brother.

  It didn’t mean anything...

  “For someone who professes to have no interest in the family company, you still ask pertinent questions and make sensible suggestions,” Carrick said later, sending her a sly grin.

  “I could still use you here at Murphy’s, in public or client relations. You enjoy people, love art and you’re naturally warm and charming, just like Mom. Do you still enjoy being an EMT?” Carrick asked her before she could think of a suitable response.

  Tanna crossed her legs and stared at the tip of her leather boot. “It’s an important job, Carrick. I make a difference.”

  “You didn’t answer my question,” Carrick persisted. “Do you enjoy it?”

  She didn’t hate it.

  She looked at the painting sitting on the easel in the corner of his office and lifted her chin. She wasn’t going to spoil her trip to Murphy’s by fighting with her brother over her return, something she couldn’t consider. So she changed the subject. “Is that a Homer?”

  Carrick, thank God, didn’t push.

  “We’re not sure,” Carrick said, looking at the painting of two children and their African American mother.

  “It’s an intensely powerful painting and if it isn’t a Homer, then it’s a superb fake.”

  “I have an appointment shortly with an art detective we are hiring to chase down provenance and run tests.”

  “I thought you employed art detectives. Isn’t that what Finn does?”

  “Finn is checking and double-checking the provenance of all the paintings we are putting up for sale at the Mounton-Matthews auction. It’ll be the biggest sale of the decade and we’ve been working on it for months. Finn is slammed. We also need to use an art detective Tamlyn trusts because she’ll be the one who will eventually decide whether it’s a genuine Homer or not,” Carrick continued.

  Tanna’s eyes cooled at the mention of his ex. She and Tamlyn had never jelled and neither made any bones about the fact. “You’re dealing with that witch?”

  It was Carrick’s turn to change the subject and he did it by tapping the face of his watch with his index finger. Tanna couldn’t complain; what was good for the goose and all that.

  “I have an appointment in five and I need to leave for the airport in an hour so was there a reason for this visit or did you just drop in to say hi?”

  Tanna scratched her forehead and wrinkled her nose. “Talking of revisiting the past...”

  “Yeah?”

  “So, as I said, I’m in Boston for about six weeks...” Tanna nibbled at the corner of her mouth. Get it out, Murphy. Her words rolled out in a rush of syllables. “I went to see Levi this morning. I wanted to apologize to him, see if I could make things right.”

  Carrick winced and Tanna didn’t blame him. They both knew a couple of words wouldn’t make it right. “How did he respond?”

  “It didn’t go well,” Tanna admitted. “I apologized. He was dismissive.”

  Tanna looked past her brother’s shoulder to his incredible view of the Downtown Crossing neighborhood and Boston Common.

  Carrick folded his arms, tipped his head and waited for more. Because, somehow, he knew there were at least ten thousand things she wasn’t saying. “He’s still angry at me.”

  “Uh-huh?”

  “He says I owe him and there’s something I can do to repay him.”

  When Tanna didn’t speak again Carrick frowned.

  “You going to tell me what Brogan wants, Tan?” Carrick demanded, not bothering to hide his curiosity.

  “He wants me to move in with him. He needs someone to run errands for him, cook and clean.” Tanna pulled a face. “He says he can be rude to me and not care.”

  “Uh-huh,” Carrick said and Tanna didn’t appreciate his lack of effort to hide his amusement. “And you believed him?”

  “He was pretty damn rude,” Tanna muttered.

  She couldn’t see anything funny in what she’d said. What was wrong with her oldest brother?

  “So, are you going to agree to his demands, clear your debt?” Carrick asked.

  “You think I should?”

  “I think you should help him out, Tan.”<
br />
  Tanna narrowed her eyes. “You’re just saying that in the hopes something will spark between us again, so there might be a chance of me moving back to Boston.”

  “I’ve never made a secret of the fact that I want you back in Boston and that I want you to be part of the family business again, part of this family. We’ve missed you intensely and you’ve barely spent any time with Ronan’s kids. London is a hella long way away. Levi sat by your bedside for months. The least you can do is help him out when he’s in a jam.”

  Yep, Carrick wasn’t above playing the guilt card. Tanna muttered a curse. “Ugh.”

  “Is that a yes?” Carrick asked.

  “Actually, I’d pretty much made up my mind to help Levi before I got here.” Tanna glared at him. “But I’m not happy about it.”

  Carrick started to speak but was interrupted by another knock on his door. Marsha opened it and behind his middle-aged, short and ruthlessly efficient PA stood a tall blonde.

  “Carrick, your three o’clock appointment is here. This is Dr. Sadie Slade.” Marsha stepped aside to allow a tall, modern Cinderella look-alike to walk into his office. Tumbling honey curls framed a triangular face dominated by big, round blue eyes holding more than a trace of violet. Tanna looked from the Sports Illustrated model to her eldest brother and her eyes widened at the look of profound—Was that shock on his face?

  It was either that or Carrick was having a heart attack. Since she knew her brother was a workout junkie, she figured she didn’t need to call for an ambulance. Thank God, because the thought of giving him mouth-to-mouth made her want to gag.

  Then again, the blonde—judging by her flushed face and her inability to pull her eyes off Carrick’s face—wouldn’t hesitate.

  Chemical reaction.

  Tanna looked past Carrick to where Marsha stood in the doorway and she caught Marsha’s eye, fighting not to return her grin. So, she wasn’t the only one who’d caught the zings between these two.

  Ha ha, karma is a bitch, Carrick.

  He’d laughed at her for her Levi predicament. She couldn’t wait to watch him dealing with Dr. Sadie Slade, acting like the cool, reserved CEO of one of the premier auction houses in the world while fighting his fierce attraction.

  Tanna had no idea how he was going to act cool with his tongue on the floor.

  Four

  Tanna, leather tote over her shoulder, rapped briefly on Levi’s front door and stepped inside. Pulling her suitcase into the hall, she dropped her duffel bag to the floor and looked up to see Levi shuffling down the hallway.

  He stopped, stood on his good foot and relaxed his arms, regarding her with eyes that instantly made her want to spill her secrets.

  Even dinged and dented, you are so hot.

  I’ve missed you.

  It’s weird and wrong and right to be here.

  “Hi.” Scintillating opening line, Murphy.

  “I didn’t think you were coming back,” Levi said, his voice extra growly. And, strangely, extra sexy.

  “Miss me?” Tanna asked, aiming for jokey but hitting breathless. Honestly, what was wrong with her? She just had to look at Levi and her brains, and ovaries, exploded.

  Not good.

  “I survived. Just I like I survived the past decade,” Levi replied, but his words didn’t hold the bite she expected. He just sounded tired.

  Tanna glanced at the antique, freestanding clock in the corner, wincing when she saw it was later than she’d realized. “Yeah, I’m sorry I’m a bit late. I meant to be here earlier, but I had to go see Carrick, tell him I was moving out of his house into yours—”

  Alarm skittered across Levi’s face. “Ah, I meant to call him, to explain the situation, but I fell asleep. How did he take the news?”

  Tanna thought about her brother’s reaction. She couldn’t forget his amusement.

  “Strangely, he said that I should help you. He, kind of, agreed that I owed you. But he didn’t say very much on the subject at all.”

  She really hoped her big brother wasn’t trying to play matchmaker. That ship had sailed.

  And sunk.

  Levi frowned and instantly looked suspicious. “That doesn’t sound like Carrick.”

  “I thought so too.”

  Levi ran his hand over the scruff on his jaw. “Huh. Should I call him and ask?”

  Tanna shook her head. Why borrow trouble? “No...hell no. Let sleeping dogs, or noncommunicative brothers, lie.” She glanced down at her bags. “Where can I dump these?”

  “There’s a guest bedroom up the stairs on the right. I have a cleaning service. They come in once a week and they keep it in a state of readiness.”

  “And I supposed your overnight guests stay in your bed and don’t use the guest room.”

  Tanna winced when the words left her mouth and she wished she could haul them back. Dammit. His sex life had nothing to do with her, nothing at all. But if he did have a live-in or a steady girlfriend, why wasn’t she here, tending to her man?

  And if he did have a girlfriend, how would she react to Tanna’s presence in his house?

  But if he was seeing someone, Tanna would have the perfect excuse to leave. She could just pick up her bags and walk out the front door. There was only one way to find out and Tanna bit the conversational bullet. “So, should I be worried about some girlfriend showing up here, ready to scratch me stupid?”

  A smile touched Levi’s mouth. “Jealous?”

  She was not going to dignify that with an answer. Mostly because, yes, she was. But she was allowed to be. This man had once considered spending the rest of his life with her. But she’d left him, bailed out in a spectacular fashion. She’d forfeited her right to feel jealous.

  Or any other emotion.

  Tanna, because she knew she was digging a hole for herself, just lifted her chin and waited for him to answer her question, and Levi finally put her out of her misery...

  Correction...to satisfy her curiosity.

  “No, no girlfriend, steady or otherwise.”

  Her inner twelve-year-old did a happy dance. Ridiculous. Not wanting him to see a hint of her relief, she bent down to pick up her duffel bag.

  “And you?”

  Tanna straightened, blinked and frowned. “Me what?”

  “Are you seeing someone?”

  Not for a long, long time. When last had she even been on a date? How sad was it that she didn’t have the foggiest idea?

  “Not that it has anything to do with you but...no. Not currently.”

  Levi’s eyes burned with dark blue intensity. “Good.”

  “It’s not good! Why is it good?” Tanna demanded.

  Levi half smiled again and gripped his crutches. “You and I, Tanna Murphy, have unfinished business, and that business would be complicated if other people were involved.”

  Unfinished business? What was he talking about? Was he talking about sex?

  Please, please let him be talking about sex.

  Levi turned his back to her and Tanna couldn’t help her eyes dropping to his butt, perfectly outlined by a pair of straight-legged track pants. Utterly distracted, Tanna appreciated the way his long-sleeved T-shirt hugged his broad back and showed off his wide shoulders and skimmed over his big biceps. Man, he was as delicious going as he was coming...

  As for the other type of coming, she’d like to see that too.

  Levi stopped, half turned and looked back at her. Their eyes clashed and held, and Tanna watched his eyes deepen and darken. His hot gaze bounced from her eyes to her mouth and back up again.

  It had been far too long since she’d kissed him. She’d forgotten what his mouth felt like, how he tasted. She needed to know...

  She couldn’t wait for a second longer. Tanna didn’t hesitate, moving closer to him so she could place her hands on his wide chest. Keepin
g her eyes on his, she stood up on her tiptoes to allow her lips to touch his.

  His lips felt cool under hers, firm and so damn masculine. Tanna moved her hands from his chest to hold his strong upper arms, the muscles unyielding. She wanted to pull his shirt up his chest, find hot, warm skin, but she just dug her fingertips into his flesh, disappointed he’d yet to respond to her kiss.

  She was out of practice, so maybe she hadn’t seen lust in his eyes, maybe she’d read him wrong. Sinking back to her toes, she dropped her hands and felt her face blaze with humiliation.

  “Okay, so I misread you, this... Sorry.” Tanna rocked on her heels. Embarrassed beyond belief, Tanna turned, but Levi grabbed the hem of her jacket, stopping her flight.

  Tanna tossed her hair back and lifted her head, forcing herself to meet his eyes. Before she could, he hauled her into him, his flat hand on her lower back pulling her close. His hand was strong, his erection felt like a shaft of pure, hard delight and his mouth—finally—was on hers and doing what his mouth did best.

  And that was kissing her...

  She remembered his banked and restrained kisses from long ago, but this was a different Levi kissing her. This Levi wasn’t polite or thoughtful. His mouth demanded she respond, that she step into the fire with him and burn.

  Tanna was all too happy to feel the flames. His tongue pushed past her teeth to swirl around hers and Tanna whimpered, feeling hot and scratchy and wonderful and uncomfortable, all at the same time.

  This was a grown-up kiss, sexy, raunchy, demanding. It was a kiss shared by a man and a woman, different but equal. It was an I-want-you kiss, a this-will-only-get-better kiss. It was bourbon and ice, deep midnight, the shock of a dip in icy water, the thrill of free diving.

  It was Levi let off his leash.

  Tanna felt his fingers on her neck, skimming the shell of her ear and traveling over her cheekbone. Then his hand dropped, and he returned his grip to the crutch he’d tucked under his arm. Tanna stepped back, pushed her fingers into her hair before dropping her hand to hold his crutch, needing a little support of her own.

  Only Levi Brogan could make her feel unsteady.

 

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