Finally Home (Home Series) (34 page)

"Yes, yes, yes!" Pedro praised them.

"I didn't think the dress needed a necklace," Gina said, "but I have this beautiful bracelet that matches the earrings."

It was a cuff bracelet and again, it was a perfect compliment to the dress.

"These are beautiful, Gina, thank you for letting me wear them."

"They look like they were made just for you. Look at how they make your eyes stand out," Kacee said.

"All right," Pedro said, clapping his hands.  "Your ensemble is complete.  Now, change clothes and let Carletta color your hair in Gina's salon, then hit the tanning bed," he ordered.

After changing, Lainey followed Kacee to the Adtkissons' private salon room where Carletta and several of her associates began work on Lainey and Kacee and their mothers' hair and nails.  This was one of the perks of being friends with the uber-wealthy.  Kacee and her mother never had to go to a salon or spa if they didn't want to; they simply paid their favorite stylists to come to them. 

Lainey was sent to tan first so that it didn't mess with her hair after it had been done.  As she stripped down and lay in the tanning bed, she couldn't keep her thoughts from drifting over the last few days.  After Mike came back and apologized, he'd been very attentive to her...when he saw her.
  He made very certain, however, that he stayed busy from dawn until well into the night.  He was back to sleeping whenever and wherever he happened to be when he fell asleep, many times, in the chair at his desk.  She hated it; hated that his dreams were so haunted he couldn't relax. 

Her mind drifted over what were now precious memories to her; watching him juggle, seeing him smile when she'd done those flips in the loft, holding him and singing Love Me Tender to help him relax.  Even their arguments were precious to her because she knew no one else was close enough to him
to argue the way they did...and likely never had been.  She didn't know of girlfriends he may have had before Carolina, but apparently if there were any, they weren't anyone of any significance. 

"Lainey?" Kacee said, poking her head into the room.

"Yeah?"

"Mike is looking for you."

"OK, I'll be out in just a minute," she said, opening the bed and reaching for her robe.

"I'll send him in here," Kacee said, "that way you can have some privacy."

"Yeah, good thinking, thanks," she said, securing the belt on her robe.  A few seconds later, the door opened and those chilling eyes settled on her, making her smile.  "Hey, what's -" she began but he stepped to her and cut her words off by sealing his lips over hers, kissing her so deep she could barely breathe.

"This isn't what I came in here for, but damn," he said, his hands molding over her full breasts through the robe, "damn," he growled again, sliding a hand inside to cup and squeeze her.

"Mike," she sighed.

"I can't resist," he said, tugging one side of the robe open to expose the breast he held to his view.  With an arm around her waist, much as he'd done in that bathroom at Melissa's house, he lifted her up then began a blazing trail of kisses along her breast, before drawing h
er into his mouth, his tongue stroking over her.

Somewhere in her mind, was the thought that her mother was just on the other side of that door, but she really didn't care at this point.  She hadn't had this sor
t of attention from him in days; she wasn't about to turn him away now.  Her fingers dug into his hair, holding him to her.  Too soon, he was pulling away and pulling her robe closed.  She smoothed her hands over his hair as he let her slide down his body to her feet, smiling up at him.

"I like surprise visits," she said, making him smile.

"I was just coming to tell you I have to leave for a bit.  Some problems have popped up with a band we're handling security for."

"A band?"

"Devil's Lair."

Lainey's eyes widened.  "You handle security for Devil's Lair?"

"Well, I don't personally, but one of my guys does... a friend of Colt and Tessa's.  Anyway, Colt is tied up with the security cameras so I need to run up to the offices to get Oscar the information he needs."

"OK.  I'm about to get my hair done so I will be tied up for the next two hours anyway...but, wow, Devil's Lair?  I love their songs
Committed
and
High Life.
"

"Maybe we'll catch a show, after all this mess is over."

"Yeah?" she asked, smiling.

"Sure.  I'll see where they're playing and we'll head there."

"Cool!" she said, kissing him.

He pulled her robe tighter together, covering her, then after one last kiss, stepped back from her.

"I'll let you know when I get back."

"OK."

He started to leave, then turned and pulled her back into his arms, kissing her until she was clinging to him. When he stepped back this time, he winked at her then left the room.  Lainey leaned back against the wall, fingers to her lips trying to calm her racing heart.  Would she ever get used to him?

A quick knock sounded
and then Kacee stepped inside.  She met Kacee's bright-eyed gaze from across the room.

"What?"

"Girl!  What did he do when he came in here?"

Lainey smiled.  "What do you think?"

"He came out with hair that had recently had fingers run through it and looking like one pretty satisfied man."

"He has to go handle a problem for a band they are handling the security for.  Devil's Lair."

"Jack Lair's band?" Kacee asked, surprised.

"Yes.  Pretty cool, huh?"

"Just don't tell Connor," she laughed.  The lead singer of Devil's Lair had caught Kacee's eye right before she met Connor.

"Lainey?" Carletta called, "I'm ready for you, sweetie."

"Be right there," she told her.

"Well, I'm happy for you both," Kacee said, "I hope things continue to run smooth for you.  I want both of you to be happy."

"Thanks.  If we can ever get this situation with Charles under control, maybe we can actually go on a normal date."

"Hopefully that won't be much longer.  We'd better get out there before Pedro storms in."

Mike got the information Oscar needed from the offices, and then spent a little extra time going over billing than he would have liked.  Melissa had sent him everything that needed his or Riley's signatures
. After he sorted through that, and then spent a little time chasing the paper trail of Charles Conroy, double checking everything to make sure there wasn't something that they'd missed that would give him a clue as to where he could possibly be hiding.  Plus, he had to admit, it was nice to have a few moments to be totally by himself to try to figure out how to get this situation under control so that Lainey could go back to living her normal life again.

Lainey.  He closed his eyes a moment, picturing the way she'd looked when he walked into the tanning bed room, her hair mussed, face damp from sweat...and that pale pink robe just daring him to slide it open.  Her breasts were quite the surprise as well.  She kept them concealed under her clothes pretty effectively.  He had no idea prior to being in that bathroom with her at Melissa's that they were quite as full as they were. Damn, but he couldn't wait to get his hands on her again, to feel them without restraint, without being rushed.

Pushing thoughts of her from his mind, he shut his computer down and closed up the offices.  He needed to get back to the Adtkisson Estate and help the guys finish everything up.  Tomorrow was going to be a busy day and he needed to have all his wits about him to be able to handle it all.

Charles spotted the Casiano guy's SUV as it pulled out of the parking garage of the Orion Securities office building.  He didn't have to follow him to know he was heading back to the Adtkisson Estates.  That's where the big society event was tomorrow; and most likely where Miss Lainey was right now.  He'd tried following that SUV a few times that he'd seen it around, trying to see where it was that it disappeared to every time but so far he'd been unsuccessful.  The trackers he'd planted on it had all been neutralized within minutes of activation.  They had some sort of jammer on board or something.  He'd love to know how they did it.

No matter, though.  He was a patient guy, to a point.  He could wait them out until their guard started to slip.  She would eventually have to go back to work.  And then he'd get to see her every day again.  For now, that was enough.  Just to be able to see her in person every day like before.  She was so beautiful; so sweet.  He knew he could make her love him if she'd just give him the chance.  That's all he wanted; a chance to show her how good it could be between them.  She had such a big, kind heart.  He knew she would see that he only wanted what was best for her, that he only wanted to give her everything she deserved.  He would put her up on a p
edestal and worship her like a queen if she would let him.  Not like Phoebe.  That bitch of an ex-wife of his, who couldn't even love him enough to stand by him when he needed her.  But Miss Lainey had been there for him.  She'd taken care of him when he needed it and listened to him and showed him that she really did care for him.  Everything that his stupid bitch ex-wife was supposed to have done but didn't.  Miss Lainey was everything...and one day soon, he'd show her that he could be everything for her, too.

Chapter Twenty-Four

The flurry of activity leading up to Saturday and the Founders Day Ball had been hectic and out-of-control, so it was a surprise Saturday morning and early afternoon, that it all passed with relative peace and quiet.  When Lainey woke Saturday morning, it was to the smell of breakfast cooking.  She came downstairs, expecting a full house, only to see that no one was there except Mike, who was dressed in sweats and his usual Navy T-Shirt, making an omelet.

"Good morning," he said when she approached, handing her a glass of orange juice.

She took the glass but stood on her toes to kiss his cheek before walking off.

"Good morning," she murmured, going over to the window to look outside.

She heard him moving a couple of things around in the kitchen, and then the next thing she knew, he was right there behind her, arms wrapping around her waist, leaning down to kiss her neck.  She slid her free hand over his forearm, closing her eyes while his lips skimmed to her ear.

"What's wrong?" he asked softly, lifting one hand to push her hair away from her ear.

"Nothing," she replied.

"Lainey," he cautioned her, "something's on your mind.  Talk to me."

She sighed, still staring sightlessly out the window but enjoying the feel of his arms around her.

"I feel...I don't know.  Out-of-sorts, I guess.  Like everything in my life is spinning out-of-control.  My heart hurts for Charles Conroy, even after all that he's done to make my life miserable.  He's...what he's doing now, this isn't him."

"No, but at the same time, you can't afford to feel sorry for him.  He's unstable."

"I know...but, like I said before, he was a Marine who was hurt in the war.  He could be any of my cousins," her hand squeezed his forearm, "or you."

"Yes, he could.  But still, what he's doing is wrong and he needs to be stopped.  He needs to be found so that he can get the help he needs."

"I'm just afraid he won't let it come to that.  He's terrified of going back to jail.  He'll kill himself or force one of you to kill him before he goes down."

"If that happens, we can handle it.  We've all killed before,
cara mia."

"Yes, but enemies.  Not one of our own.  And beyond him...I just feel like, I don't know, like something precious is just within my grasp and yet I can't quite get to it."  She took a deep breath and then turned in his arms to face him.  "I know I've been toeing the line and telling everyone that I'm fine with you not being my escort tonight,
and I am...but also in a way, I want you with me.  I want to be by your side all night, and yes, I want to dance with you.  I still believe that the safest place for me to be is right by your side, and I don't understand why you won't..." she stopped, a lump in her throat preventing her from going any further.  She shook her head and swallowed hard to regain her composure.

"Look at me," he said, cupping her face in his hands and tilting her head up to force her to look up at him.  "Under normal circumstances, there is no where else I would rather be...but these aren't normal circumstances.  I will not take any chances with your safety.
"  She started to pull away but he wouldn't let her.  "If anything were to happen to you...I couldn't take it."

"Wouldn't it make sense to keep me right by your side, then?"

"If you are this close to me, I can't think about anything else but you."

She closed her eyes, knowing she wasn't going to change his mind.  The feeling that something significant would happen today just wouldn't go away.  He kissed her forehead and released her, going back to the kitchen to finish their breakfast.  Something needed to give...and soon.  Either they find Conroy and put that to rest...or they do something with this...whatever it was between them.  Whichever the case, they needed to do something soon
because she didn't know how much longer she could stand living in limbo like this.