Going All Out (16 page)

She gave him a smile, one that should have reassured him, but Lucas could feel this woman straight to his gut. He couldn’t explain it, but when he peered into her face, he could see past the cool beauty, feel the raw edge to her mood—a mood that was fueling his own unease.

“Sit,” he said, pulling a chair. “I’ll grab something to drink. Wine?”

“Water, please. Wine will put me into a coma.”

He filled two glasses from the cooler. After setting them on the table, he found himself standing behind her and couldn’t resist touching her. Sweeping aside her hair, he ran his fingers over her shoulders, massaged the tense muscles that proved her mood wasn’t nearly as easygoing as she’d have him believe.

With a heavy sigh Bree let her head droop forward,
giving him free rein, and Lucas found that touching her helped to soothe his raw emotions, too.

The silence fell around them natural and complete, minutes strung together marked by the sounds of their breathing and the darkness falling outside.

“You’re pampering me tonight,” Bree finally said, her voice a content whisper.

Here was his chance to play things straight. He could fess up that he knew about her bum ex. He should fess up. Under any other circumstances, he probably would have. He’d never been much for games, had never been in a situation where he’d felt the need to play them with a woman.

Bree was different. Lucas sensed he’d only get her defensive by admitting he’d looked into her past. She’d made it loud and clear she had her life under control. He didn’t think she’d appreciate hearing that he didn’t believe her.

As much as it went against his grain, he would let Bree lead right now. Until he figured how to get her to open up. He wasn’t willing to risk alienating her, not when he only wanted to make sure she stayed safe.

Not when he wanted her.

“You’re tired. We haven’t done much sleeping since we met, and you’re working on top of it.”

“So are you.”

“I haven’t been keeping your hours.”

“Fair enough.” Another deep sigh. “Don’t worry. I’ll be fine once I get some food and caffeine in me.”

“Any chance you can get someone to cover for you tonight?”

She shook her head, sending glossy waves across his hands, an innocent touch that drove home just how much
he wanted this woman. “Not if I want to take the night off for the ball.”

“So I have to choose which night I want you?”

“You already did.”

True, but that was before he knew how quickly things would change. A date to a ball seemed like such a small prize when he wanted so much more from her.

Honesty. And time to explore what was happening between them, to indulge his need for this woman that made everything else feel unimportant.

“What if I’d rather touch you than let you eat?”

“I like when you touch me, Lucas.”

So did he, and that need drove him to sweep aside that hair to reveal the graceful curve of her neck, to lean over and press his mouth to the wispy hairs at her nape.

She shivered in reply, and he could taste her restlessness. It was in her tense muscles, radiated off her in waves that he could feel as if a tangible force.

Her restlessness fueled his own, or maybe that was just his frustration. He’d never felt so powerless, so uncertain what to do to get what he wanted.

Bree.

He wanted her to square with him about what had happened in the den this morning. He wanted to know why her bum ex was back in town and why she hadn’t turned him over to the police. He wanted to know that she didn’t still have feelings for the guy that might interfere with Lucas’s feelings for her.

They were so new together. Even though they were fast and intense together, they didn’t have years of history. He wasn’t sure what to say or what to do to help. He only knew that he wasn’t going to sit by and do nothing.

Smoothing his hands along her shoulders and down her
bare arms, he willed her to understand everything he didn’t have the words for, feared she wasn’t ready to hear. Reaching out to her with the only tool he had now, he slipped his hands down to cup her breasts.

“I want to see you naked.”

She trembled again, gave a rueful laugh. “Just so happens I have to get undressed anyway so I can dress for work.”

“Convenient.”

His voice sounded thick and needy, a stranger’s voice. Catching his fingers beneath her shirt and the underwires of her bra, he dragged the whole deal up until her breasts sprang free. She leaned back in the chair, arching her beautiful body and resting her head against his stomach. Her breasts lifted upward, full and tempting with arousal, her nipples gathering into taut peaks beneath his appreciative gaze.

He caught those nipples and tugged, so aroused by the sight of that sleek golden skin yielding to his touch. She gave a throaty moan, and, covering his hands with hers, she encouraged him to explore, joined him as he rolled her nipples and tugged again, hard enough to earn another moan. Such simple touches and she was coming unglued.

What was it about them together?

Lucas didn’t know. He couldn’t drag his gaze away. With her eyes shut, her lashes created lush semicircles on her cheeks. Her full mouth parted around a shallow breath.

He only knew that his crotch had never ached like this, his own need so powerful at the sight of their clasped hands pleasuring her with a steady, erotic motion, at the sight of her melting in pleasure.

He played with her breasts until she couldn’t sit still, until her hips rocked back and forth. Then he slithered a
hand toward her waist, popped open the button of her jeans and slid down the zipper.

She threaded her hands up his arms and hung on, angling her bottom until he could slide his hand inside. His fingers grazed over the curve of her sex, her jeans loose enough so he could slip between the seam and her warm thighs.

He sank a finger deep inside her moist heat, couldn’t help but smile when she came up off the chair.

“Lucas,” she gave him the word on a low groan.

“Shh.” He leaned over her, pressed his mouth against her ear, speared his tongue inside.

Another sigh and a shiver, and he caught her earlobe between his teeth and nipped hard enough to bring her off the chair again.

He idly worked her breasts with one hand, first one nipple then the other, as he slid his finger inside and out of her wet heat. Using his palm, he kneaded that sensitive bundle of nerve endings at the apex of her thighs, pinned her to the chair when she went wild trying to break away.

He wasn’t letting go. Not until she came. Not until she understood they were magic together. Right now was about convincing Bree that what they had found together was unique, worth putting aside rationality, worth trusting. And if he couldn’t tell her with words…

He coaxed her orgasm into breaking, and her sex clenched him in hot spasms. He breathed kisses against her ear, against her cheek, everywhere he could reach, and when she tipped her face to his, dragging his mouth into an eager half kiss, Lucas thought he’d come unglued right there.

But he held on tight as she rocked to the fading echoes of her orgasm, savored the way their tongues tangled together and he tasted the sweet intensity of her climax.

She was unrestrained in her pleasure, and he loved her bold joy in her body, her generosity in sharing. Resting his cheek against the top of her head, he inhaled deeply of her familiar fragrance and waited for her to come back to herself.

She finally tipped her head back. “What do you do for an encore?”

Lucas didn’t know what shook him more—the throaty, wasted sound of her voice or the sight of her looking so dreamy and content. Whichever it was, he found himself vibrating, unable to control his need a second longer. Dragging the chair around, he lifted her toward him, feeling raw and out of control.

In a few impatient moves he tugged the jeans over her hips and brought her thong down, too, until she stood before him exposed.

He swept aside the dishes and the cartons of cooling takeout and hoisted her onto the table. She gave a laugh that jolted through him like a live current, braced back on her hands and gazed up at him boldly.

The breath caught in Lucas’s chest at the sight of Bree in her excitement. Her blouse and bra were a tangle beneath her arms, her breasts thrust outward, nipples tight and rosy, her legs spread wide for his pleasure.

He lost it right there. Without even willing himself to move, he had his jeans down. Then he sank his fingers into her thighs, spread her wider.

They came together as if their bodies had waited forever.

Perhaps they had. All Lucas knew was that he would never get enough of this woman. The more they made love, the more desperately he wanted her.

Wrapping her legs tightly around his waist, she opened
herself completely to him, and he plunged inside hard, lacking control. She brought one arm to dangle loosely around his neck, hanging on as she abandoned herself to the full-bodied motion of his lovemaking, her breasts bouncing in an erotic rhythm, her body tilting seductively as she lifted to meet his every thrust.

Lucas wanted to tell her to trust him, to trust
them.
They could work out whatever was happening in her life as long as they were together. As long as they believed in each other.

They were meant to be together.

If Lucas knew nothing else, he knew that without any doubts. When he plunged deep inside this woman, he knew the details didn’t matter. Not the past. Not the present. Only the future from this moment on. His body knew her. His soul knew her. His heart knew her.

And when he felt her breaths bursting out in tiny gasps, felt her quickening her pace as her climax built again, he willed Bree to recognize him, to recognize the magic.

Their mouths came together hard, their breaths clashing and their moans colliding. They became one then, reaching pleasure at the same moment, their hearts racing in a breakneck pace.

Together.

I
F THE DAY’S EVENTS
weren’t enough to pitch Bree over the edge, she’d had to contend with Lana all night, who was covering another hostess’s shift for a chance to suck up to the big bosses by proving what a team player she was.

Under normal circumstances, Bree might have cared, but at the moment she only had enough brain cells firing to contend with the mystery of her day planner. Or try to. She still searched for some way to rationalize that message in her head.

She desperately wanted to believe that Jude was yanking her chain, but no matter how she came at it, she couldn’t figure out how. Or even why.

Lucas knew something was up. He’d moved from twenty questions to a full-fledged interrogation this afternoon. Worse still was that she’d wanted to share what had happened with him.

But Bree didn’t need to get any more tied up in this man. Not when she wanted to spill her guts to him. Not with Jude stalking her and an alleged ghost showing up in her locked bedroom. She felt as if she was being sucked into a whirlpool of events and was going down fast.

She shouldn’t be falling for Lucas. Things were happening too quickly, too intensely. She didn’t trust what was before her eyes, let alone what was in her heart.

“I’m seeing double.”

A male voice drew Bree from her thoughts, and she turned to find Giles heading toward her with Tally in tow.

“What are you doing here?” Bree asked her sister.

“Wanted to see if I could catch you for your break.”

“Excuse me, ladies,” Giles said with a dramatic bow. “I’m back to my post. I’m liable to have a heart attack if I stand here any longer surrounded by such beauty.”

Tally laughed. “Don’t work too hard, Giles. Now, Bree, what about that break?”

She’d left tonight’s guest happily spending his money inside the Cane River Poker Room after she’d seen his girlfriend off on an Art District tour of night gallery showings. “Now’s a good time. Hostess lounge okay?”

“How about outside?”

Bree frowned at that. “What’s up? Mark okay?”

“Mark’s fine.”

Leading Tally off the floor, Bree flagged the hostess as she headed toward the VIP lounge. “I’m taking my break.”

The hostess made a notation in her book and waved to Tally. Bree didn’t give them time to chat. She wanted outside to find out what had brought her sister by. Her patience threshold had reached its limit before the sun had set today, and while Tally was known to swing by Toujacques, visits were never without a reason. If that reason was simple, Tally would have just called Bree on her cell.

“Hey, boys,” Bree greeted the bouncers as they swept the patio doors wide, grinning toothily as they darted their gazes from her to Tally and back again.

“I’m seeing double,” one said.

“That’s an old joke around here, guys,” she said. “Can’t you come up with something original?”

Bree had no doubt that by the time she headed back
inside, she and Tally would be treated to every lame joke these clowns could come up with.

The patio was quiet with only a group of middle-aged couples who looked as if they might be visiting on a tour. Tally motioned to a table in a far corner beneath a flaming lantern.

“What’s up?” Bree sat down heavily, feeling the physical wave of relaxation as soon as she was off her feet. “You’re starting to freak me out.”

“I talked to Madame Alain today.”

Sinking back in her chair, Bree closed her eyes. She was
so
not up for this. “What’s up with her?”

“She asked me if anything was wrong with you.”

“Oh, please.”

“Is there?”

“What?”

When Tally didn’t answer, Bree cracked an eyelid to find her sister frowning.

“Is there anything wrong, Bree? You’re acting awfully strange. Not to mention you’ve been avoiding me lately. You always hide when something’s wrong.”

“I don’t hide and I haven’t been avoiding you. I’m busy.”

Tally frowned harder, not buying it.

“When have you had time to notice what I’m doing?” Bree asked. “With getting the club up and running and Christien, you’ve got your plate full right now. You don’t have time to worry about me, too.”

“Just because I’ve got a lot going on doesn’t mean I’m giving up my family. You of all people should know that.”

“I didn’t say you were giving up the family.”

“Then tell me what’s going on. Madame Alain said you were running through the court barefoot and you looked upset.”

“Since when do you listen to Madame Alain? Come on, Tally. Cut me a break here. I’ve only got thirty minutes to pin my costume or I won’t be going to the ball.”

“You waited until the last minute to decide to go.”

“I only just met Lucas.”

Tally sighed. “What are you working on? Maybe I can help.”

Bree opened her day planner, withdrew a sketch and waited while Tally checked it out. Her sister was quiet so long that Bree began to wonder if she saw something wrong with the design. That wouldn’t have come as a shock. She’d been tired enough when she’d sketched it.

“This is the most amazing gown you’ve ever designed,” Tally finally said.

“Thanks.” Wow, her very first bright spot tonight. Well, except for sex with Lucas. That had been pretty amazing.

But she and Tally had learned to sew together and, until just recently, had shared a communal wardrobe with gorgeous outfits that had made appearances between Toujacques and the Blue Note.

“Got time to give me a hand?”

Tally returned the sketch, folded her arms over her chest and shot Bree a stubborn look. “I’ll be happy to help—if you start talking. I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what’s going on.”

“Nothing except I need a dress for the ball.”

“Let’s start there. What’s happening with you and Lucas? And don’t tell me nothing.”

Bree thought about arguing, but she was already on sensory overload, and quite simply, she knew her sister. Tally wouldn’t back off until Bree gave her something to chew on.

“We’re having sex. Yummy, sweaty sex. Lots of it.”

“Good for you. I like him.”

“Well, don’t like him too much, because he’s leaving after the ball.”

“But he hasn’t gone yet.”

“Which is why I need to get my dress pinned. I don’t want to waste perfectly good time sewing when I could be having sex.”

Their gazes clashed across the torch-lit distance. Tally’s determined, Bree’s surely weary.

“Why were you running through the court barefoot today?”

“Needed something from my car. I told Madame Alain that.”

More silence.

Oh, Bree could see where this was going.
Nowhere.
“Damn stubborn is what you are.”

“Family trait. Oh, and by the way, Madame Alain also showed me the flowers you gave her. Want to tell me who sent that three-hundred-dollar arrangement? Neither she nor I is buying that the floral shop told you to keep them, and I’m guessing it wasn’t Lucas or you wouldn’t have given them away.”

Bree stared hard and refused to bite. And here she’d thought this day couldn’t get any worse.

“I want to know what’s going on,” Tally insisted. “I’m not leaving until you tell me.”

“Don’t you have to work?”

“I own the Blue Note, remember? I don’t even have to call in if I don’t want.”

“Nothing’s going on except I’m finally getting a piece of the action so I don’t have to watch you have all the fun.”

“Bree, you do remember I’m a joint owner on your checking account, don’t you?”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“You know how much I’ve always wanted to play the Hawaii Five-Oh,” she said referring to Toujacques’ highest jackpot slot machine. “The minimum bid on that baby is five hundred bucks. You know I won’t waste my money, but it just so happens that I have your account number memorized. I wonder how many times I’ll get to play with your balance?”

Bree blinked. She stared. Finally she said, “You wouldn’t.”

“Try me.”

“I’ll end up losing my town house and being forced to move back in with you. Your love life will go straight to hell.”

“Why should it? I don’t care if you’re in the next room drooling.”

“Christien might.”

Tally laughed. “Honey, trust me. When Christien’s in my arms, he isn’t thinking about anything but me.”

The laughter did it. Or maybe just plain old envy that Tally’s love life was going along so smoothly when her time with Lucas was almost up.

“Jude’s back.” Bree blasted those words like a clean shot from a double-barrel rifle and got to enjoy the satisfaction of watching Tally sink back in her chair looking stunned.

“You are kidding me,” she finally said.

“Teach you to ask.”

“Omigosh. When?
Why?
Oh, Bree, why didn’t you tell me?”

“And rain on your parade when you’re floating around on cloud nine?”

Tally scowled. “You know I’m here for you no matter what. Even if I am all wrapped up in my own little world.”

“Don’t defend yourself. You have every right to be happy and wrapped up in your life. You’ve worked hard to accomplish what you have. You don’t need to apologize to me or anyone.”

“Yes, I do. If Jude’s back in town and you didn’t tell me, then I haven’t been there.” She shook her head as if to clear it. “What does he want?”

“Me.”

Her eyes widened.

“That’s all he’s said so far, anyway.”

“You believe him, Bree? Are you sure he isn’t angry because of what happened with the police?”

“I’m not sure of anything except that he’s screwing up my whole life just as I’m about to get two steps ahead.” Bree gave a laugh that sounded tired and desperate. “Other than that, my best guess is he wants to use me to get close to your treasure. I’m sure he’s come up with some way to exploit your good fortune and thinks I’m still an easy mark.”

Tally’s expression dissolved. “I am so sorry. I never realized how any of this would affect you or Mark. I thought the reward money would be a good thing. If one of us got on solid financial footing, all of us would benefit.”

“It’s not your fault Jude came back. I was the one stupid enough to get involved with him in the first place. This is just my past mistake coming back to haunt me. Period. The end.”

“Have you called the police? You can get a restraining order. That’s if Jude isn’t still wanted—”

“He is.”

“You’ve talked to the police already?”

“No, no. Not yet. Not until after they announce the promotion and Lucas leaves. We don’t have much time left together. I’ll tough it out until then.”

“You know, Bree, not reporting Jude might be like aiding and abetting.”

With the way her luck had been running lately, she’d wind up in jail. “Then I’ll play stupid and pretend I didn’t know there was still a warrant. I refuse to waste the little time I have with Lucas dealing with Jude.”

Tally looked shocked for a second, then her expression collapsed. “Oh, my poor sister.”

The heartache on Tally’s face was enough to pitch Bree over the edge. It was always that way between them. A twin thing. An emotional connection. They always knew, no matter what.

Tears prickled at the back of her lids. “I don’t want Lucas to know about Jude.”

Tally reached across the table and grabbed Bree’s hand, gave a reassuring squeeze. “When did it happen?”

“What?”

“When did you fall in love with him?”

A stupid tear squeezed its way out despite her best attempts to hold it back.

Love?
How could Tally be so sure when Bree wasn’t?

“I just don’t want him to know, Tally. He’s my Mardi Gras date. There’s no point.”

“Of course there isn’t.”

That soft-around-the-edges tone made Bree bristle. “Really, Tally, I only met the man a week ago.”

“If he’s
the one,
then it doesn’t matter how long you’ve known each other. He’ll still be the one.”

“
The one.
Oh, please. I honestly can’t handle any more tonight. I can’t.”

“Honey, that costume is the least of your problems. Don’t think another thing about it. I’ll pin it between sets and we’ll work on it together until we get it done.”

“Really?”

“Of course. What are big sisters for?”

Tally was “big” by five minutes. Bree laughed and swiped at her eyes.

“I’m worried about Jude,” Tally said quietly. “He sent you the flowers. When did you talk to him?”

Bree debated how much she should say, but just sharing her worries made her feel better. It had always been Bree and Tally against the world. At least that much hadn’t changed.

“He showed up at the den this morning when I swung by to pick up some trim for my costume.”

“How’d he know you were—” She broke off and narrowed her gaze. “He isn’t following you, is he?”

Bree took a deep breath that didn’t make it any easier to spill her guts. “By GPS.”

Tally gasped, a look of such genuine worry on her face that Bree felt so ashamed for ever bringing this man into their lives. “Are you sure?”

Bree couldn’t bring herself to explain about the mystery message. Not even to Tally, who didn’t suffer from the same reluctance to have perfectly normal people think she was crazy with talk about ghosts.

So she whipped open her day planner.

Tally’s eyes widened as she scanned the message scrawled across the pages. Then she began to laugh so loudly that she drew the attention of the nearby couples.

“Bree, do you realize what’s happening here? The captain needs you to break the curse.”

Bree couldn’t reply. She had absolutely no clue what to say, and Tally knew it.

“I know you think I’ve lost it,” Tally said. “But I love you, so I’m not taking it personally. I know it sounds
crazy. If I hadn’t seen the captain for myself, I’m sure it would be hard to buy even though I’m not nearly as pragmatic as you are. But I swear on every hair on Mark’s head I’m not crazy. Everything I told you about the curse is exactly what the captain told me.

“He fell in love with the beautiful Madeleine, then disgraced her by getting her pregnant. When she gave birth to twins, her grandmother cursed the babies and every descendent thereafter to know the joys of ambition and never the heartache of love. Only, from what the captain said, she thought she was blessing us. I’m a little sketchy on the details there, but I do know he needed me to fall in love to satisfy some condition of the curse.” She clasped her hands over her breast dramatically. “He’s been trapped in the ever after, Bree. He’s trying to break the curse so he can find peace. Doesn’t that break your heart?”