“How small town are you?” John tilted his head. “Do you never venture out? I mean, it’s not even an hour from here.”
“Some of us have work we depend on, Hollywood,” she said.
He dropped his head. He would only take so much.
“It will force us to commit. To listen to one another.”
“Whatever.” She appeared to relent. “I’ll go.”
“Perfect—and Lucy, we have a lot to talk about.”
He winked and she blushed. He loved that about her. She was easy to fluster. Hated that she was easy to anger, but passion was passion and the good came with the bad.
“Yes, fine, we’ll talk.” Her words didn’t sound convincing.
He lingered, gazing at her, wanting to kiss her. He was certain he would kiss her eventually, but he didn’t want their first kiss to be in a jail cell.
Chapter Six
Lucy
A thousand things went through Lucy’s head as she wrapped up things in her office and drove home. Why had she been so obstinate with this man and made things so ridiculous? How did it happen that she was, more or less, going to go away with him? Why couldn’t she have talked to him about the sale of the town before she went off the deep end and ended up in a cell?
When she got home, she was exhausted, and wired at the same time. She packed an overnight bag. Even though she wasn’t sure how she felt about him, she made sure everything she chose was something flattering. The fact that she wanted to look her best still ran through her head no matter what.
It was late August, and the mountain evenings were cool. She wasn’t sure how long they would stay; he’d said a day or two. She wanted to be prepared for anything. So she packed one change of day clothes, her best pair of skinny jeans other than the ones she planned on wearing, a delicate spaghetti strapped camisole and a light short-sleeved cotton sweater that had pretty pearl buttons, lined with rhinestones.
She threw in a black slip dress she could wear in case they went to dinner somewhere that called for something fancier. Then she got to pajamas. She usually wore girl boxers and a camisole but her eyes fixed on the lingerie folded neatly in her underwear drawer.
The thought crossed her mind that it was somewhere in the realm of possibility that she and John could get romantic. They had this love/hate thing going on, but she couldn’t deny that the chemistry they shared was raw and carnal.
* * *
When she woke the next morning, she picked up where she’d left off, getting ready for her trip with John, Caleb, and Deena. She did her yoga so she was set for whatever the day brought. She had missed a few days and felt it in her body.
After a quick shower, she wrapped her hair in a towel and piled it on her head as she put on makeup. She wore her favorite body powder and matching perfume. It was a light floral scent she adored, and she hoped that if he smelled it, he’d like it too.
That made her think about her love life or lack thereof. She had many friends in town, but she hadn’t shared her life intimately with anyone for some time. While she dressed, she wished there was someone in her life who would appreciate such things as perfumed body powder or the fact that she rose to do Yin Yoga regularly to keep in shape.
She touched up her toenail polish and, once it dried, she slipped on her light-colored heels. A look in the full-length mirror told her she was about ready. Her hair tumbled from the towel and fell around her shoulders. It would have to air dry because blow drying and styling would take at least another hour. She’d never finish before he arrived.
Her heart leaped when the sound of his roadster’s mighty engine growled from the front of the house. He’d pulled into the driveway behind her car. He was alone. Deena and Caleb must have ridden together. This felt like a date, but obviously not a double date. At least not on the ride to Idaho Springs.
They were supposed to be discussing business. She knew the Blackwoods were trying to snow her. She knew the score and tried to tell herself a future with John could never happen. But everything about him was slowly sucking her in. She felt like she was in high school and he was her first crush.
She laughed because that was exactly how she’d been acting. Like a moody teen. Her entire perspective of how she’d been behaving, right or wrong, changed and she was embarrassed. She tried to put the drama behind her when she stepped out onto the porch.
John had gotten out of his sports car and was moving up her walk. While she was anxious, he looked eager. She saw the enthusiasm on his handsome face. It was a date, and she was suddenly terrified. Afraid he was going to kiss her. Afraid he wouldn’t.
“Good morning.” He bent over and took her bag.
He flashed her a swoon-worthy smile that made her yearn, but he didn’t go any further than that. He looked at her shoes in a way that made her look down.
“What?”
“Those are pretty shoes,” he said. “We might do some walking today. Are they comfy?”
“Should I change? I only brought these because they go with everything,” she said anxiously.
“Let’s go. We’ll get you something when we’re there if the need arises.”
Those were words no one had ever uttered to her before. She had always had to be so careful making sure she had enough. Here was a person who, who probably never needed anything. John led her to the passenger side and held the car door open.
She had to pass him to sit down, and it forced her to face him. She looked him straight in the eye and got her fill of his sexy, sensual gaze. She sucked in her breath, overwhelmed by the power of his magnetism. Things were getting hot between them. Escalating exponentially fast.
She sank into her seat and lifted her feet into the car. He closed the door and popped her bag into the trunk before taking his place behind the wheel. Being a big man, he didn’t look like he’d be able to fit inside the car. His head practically scraped the ceiling. His body looked huge in the bucket seat. Sitting next to him, she got the sense of his size—he was so much bigger than her.
“I thought we would wait until we got to Idaho Springs to grab food, if you haven’t eaten, but we can always go to the diner if you want.”
Her face heated remembering how she’d thrown the yogurt. She was intensely ashamed.
“What’s the matter?”
“I’m sorry I threw the yogurt.” She looked out her window.
“You have a hell of an arm,” he remarked like he meant it.
“Don’t.” She realized she shouldn’t argue with him on that point. She was a superb shortstop. “I mean I do,” she conceded. “I’m athletic.”
“I think Blackwood Corporation needs a softball team. You can be the pitcher.”
She giggled and cried at the same time. The brilliant daylight of a Colorado summer morning pierced her eyes.
“Look at me,” he ordered softly.
She liked it when he acted the gentle alpha male. It was great not being in charge of the universe for five seconds even though she went to great lengths to project appearances to the contrary.
“I don’t think I can.” Her voice broke.
“Yes, you can,” he encouraged her gently. “Look at me.”
“I think I’m going to cry.” She reached for the handle but couldn’t find it. “I want to get out of the car, but I can’t figure out how to open the damn door.”
She had the strongest urge to run. There was no doubt she’d corrupted their chances of something with all the ridiculous drama. She looked up at him and melted under the gaze of his gorgeous, smoky eyes.
“Please don’t,” he said sincerely. “Let’s go and start fresh. You can take all the time you want. I rented out a B&B. We have the whole house. We can stay or not stay. The choice is yours. Like I said, you can have your own space.”
She turned to him, holding back tears, trying to calm down from recalling the wreckage of being so impulsive.
“Okay, let’s go.” She swiped at the errant tear running down her cheek.
“I want
to work out this thing so we’re all happy.”
She saw the honesty in his eyes. There wasn’t any posturing for power. It was simply John, and she truly believed he wanted her to be happy despite her early misgivings. The funny thing was … she felt happy.
“Does that mean you might change your mind?” she asked with as straight a face as she could so he’d think she was serious even though she was teasing. She had to come to terms with the fact that everything she’d worked for would be gone. Life was full of changes, and she had to get on board with the ones affecting her.
She watched his mouth open and close. Seeing him flustered was delightful to watch.
“No,” he said. “I can’t—”
“I was kidding,” she said with a smile.
“You’re terrible.” He shook his head the way her father used to when she’d pushed him too far. “We better get going, or I’m liable to kiss you if only to shut you up.”
She felt a surge of boldness. “I might keep talking to see if you will.”
John cupped the back of her head and drew her toward him. He pressed his lips to hers and swept his tongue inside her mouth, opening floodgates that released a powerful flow between them.
She nearly climbed into his lap and would have if the car were bigger. The seats were at a weird slant and there were a lot of buttons on the console. Despite the close quarters, he managed to rake his big bear hands through her hair, fisting and stroking it. She heard herself moan against his lips. Finally, he broke the kiss, swallowed, and attempted to recover.
“We better stop, or we’ll never leave.”
“Your right.” She fought the urge to bag the trip and drag him inside the house.
John made like he was going to start the car, and then he cut to her with a crazed look. “One more.” He kissed her again. Finally, he started the car and pulled onto the road. He raised his eyebrows and made a face like he couldn’t believe what had happened.
“Holy hell, huh?” Her voice was distant and dreamy.
“Indeed.”
“Beautiful morning,” she remarked. “At least it started with promise.”
“Undeniably.” He looked at her and winked.
The engine of his car purred like a big cat. This was a good time to ask about it. She was more than curious. “What kind of car is this, anyway?”
“It’s a Lamborghini”—he flashed a sexy smile her way—“Roadster.”
“You barely fit in it.” Her laugh filled the air.
“You fit in it fine.” His smooth whiskey voice sent a shiver down her spine.
Driving the glorious winding roads in the roadster was a new experience. The car was so low to the ground it made the great mountains around them seem all the higher.
She looked at the strange car and knew John had grown up living a life of privilege. Now, here he was smack dab in the middle of her life, and she was riding in a Lamborghini.
“Do you drive yourself ordinarily?”
He couldn’t take his eyes off the road, but she could see him smile at what she’d asked.
“Are you worried I’m out of practice?”
“No, I mean do you have a driver?”
“I know what you meant.” He shifted and the car surged forward. “Sometimes, but I generally don’t have a driver.”
“You buy a car like this instead.” It was her intent to try and learn more about him.
“I do have practical cars.”
“Is that your defense?” She twisted in her seat to see him more clearly. “Hey,”—she lowered her voice to mimic his—“all my cars aren’t Italian race cars.”
“Are you asking if I’m frivolous?” The car rounded the bend like it was on rails. “You live in my parents’ house. When we weren’t in boarding school, we stayed in that home. It was given to my parents as a wedding present. While it’s a beautiful place, it’s not lofty. Mom and Dad attempted to raise us with practical values.”
She liked that he could push back and did. He had a line, and he let her know when she was close or when she crossed it. That made him interesting to her.
“Technically, the whole town is your family home.”
He laughed and shrugged.
“You mean because we own everything in Blackwood?”
“Yes.” She couldn’t imagine what that felt like. All she wanted was to have one house. That didn’t seem so selfish when his family owned the entire town. All her life she’d tried to shove a hundred-pound dream into a ten-pound bag and it never worked.
“We don’t though,” he replied. “We own Main Street and a lot of the surrounding homes, but there are lots of private owners.”
“So you said.” It got her thinking. She was not the only person affected. “How are the others taking the news?”
“We’re here to work with everybody.”
That meant John wasn’t leaving town soon. She wondered where he was staying. Where he lived. Maybe he and Caleb were sleeping at the Blackwood Hotel. It was a stretch because the place was so far below him. She wondered if he had a place in town. If it was one of the two homes built on the outskirts. Someplace where he bunked in for the occasional visit. If so, what would John Blackwood’s house look like? She mentally pictured all the homes but couldn’t place him in any.
Lucy saw the signs for Idaho Springs. Big billboards advertised casinos, fancy hotels, and nearby spas. They were getting close. Her heart rate went from slow and steady to that of a hummingbird racing toward nectar.
“You know, in all the time I’ve lived here, I’ve never been to a casino.”
“That’s surprising. With the way you shoot pool, you’d be someone I’d bet on.”
He was obviously still feeling the sting of his loss to her.
“I don’t think they have pool tables in the casinos.”
“Don’t fool yourself. The tables may not be next to the craps tables or the slot machines, but they hold tournaments.”
“I’ve been in a few of those, but they can be held anywhere, usually bars.”
“You win any?” His eyes sparkled with interest.
“A few.” Her pride was obvious.
“Where did you pick it up?” he asked. “I only saw you play for five minutes, but from those five minutes, you might be one of the best players I’ve ever met.”
She grinned. “You meet a lot of pool players, do you?”
“Yes, I actually do play, but I think your technique is to not let anyone get a shot.”
“Well, to answer your question about where I picked it up, my dad taught me. While others were playing soccer at the park, I was playing pool. It was the prize piece of furniture in the house.”
“Your mother must have loved that.” There was an awkward ripple in the air.
Chapter Seven
John
John wanted so badly to hold Lucy’s hand while he drove to the B&B, but he kept his grip on the wheel. It took all his concentration to drive safely. He didn’t want to give up kissing her for the world, but it would make it difficult to arrive alive.
“So, Caleb and Deena? What is the story with them?”
“I don’t want to regress to high school and spread unfounded gossip.”
“No … schoolyard behavior is safely in my lane.”
He caught her frown out of the corner of his eye. “Don’t be so hard on yourself.”
“Everything is changing so quickly. Yesterday, I was sitting in a jail cell. Today, I’m in a Lamborghini. I can hardly keep up.”
“I promise you’re going to be fine.” All he could do was his best to help her. He hoped his best was good enough.
“I know,” said Lucy. “Still …”
“Let’s have breakfast.” He changed the subject.
“Okay, but what about Deena and Caleb?” Her arms crossed her chest, clearly unhappy he wouldn’t say more.
“We’ll see them soon.”
“I hope they’re okay. They seem to be getting along.”
John no
dded. For all her mightiness, Lucy had a naïveté he could come to love. He wanted to call her something like baby or sweetheart. Even though they had kissed, it wasn’t the right time to do that. They had so much to work out first.
“Um, they spent the night together. They arrived ahead of us.”
He tried hard not to laugh as the expression of surprise overtook her face. Her beautiful mouth formed an O, but no sound came out. John slowed so he could reach over and gently push her chin up.
“Deena said they hadn’t slept together as of yesterday.”
“That was yesterday.” He took the next mile or so in silence, letting her have time to process the information before he said anything else. “Does that bother you?”
Her arms moved to her lap. “No, but it seems convenient that you two are flirting with us.” She wrung her hands together. “Come on, you and I met, we kissed, and now we’re on our way to a B&B. One of those Bs stands for bed. It’s a bit suspect, don’t you think?”
“Whoa,” he said. “We kissed, but that happened organically. It may seem all twisted and tangled, but it’s not. My kissing you has nothing to do with the deal. I won’t kiss you again if you think this is a set-up.” They stopped at a light, and he turned to look at her. “Just remember, I can unload my interests in Blackwood whether I kiss you or not.” A car behind him honked and he faced forward and drove. “As for Caleb,” he continued, “he doesn’t need anything from Deena. He likes her.” He pointed ahead to the approaching town. “This trip is for you. Not because I want to get you into bed.” He licked his lips. “While that sounds pretty damn amazing, it wasn’t the plan.”
“I’m sorry.”
He wanted to reach over and pluck her pouty lip.
“I can take that kiss back if you want.”
“No.” She continued to look out the window. “You don’t have to. I rather liked the kiss. Maybe the best thing that’s happened since you arrived in town.”
“I think so too, and I promise I’m not trying to take advantage of you. I apologize that things are so mixed up.”
What If: A Small Town Big Love Novel Page 5
