Читать книгу All She Wants... - Leslie Kelly - Страница 12
ОглавлениеLULU WOKE UP the day after Halloween to a dull headache, but she didn’t attribute it to the devilish red drinks she’d consumed at the bar. Oh, no. The ache behind her eyes and the throbbing in her temple had been caused by the long hours she’d lain awake, kicking herself for two things: first, leaving with Chaz and indulging in that wickedly erotic encounter at the bank; and second, running out on him right before they went into his house to have the kind of wild sex she knew would have lived in her memories forever.
Her brain was more regretful about the first, her body the second.
“You are so stupid,” she reminded herself as she rolled out of bed and eyed her wild, red-tinted hair in the mirror over her dresser. “Not to mention a damn coward.”
She’d been all set to risk it, to take a chance and hope Chaz wouldn’t recognize her after they had the kind of sex that was probably illegal in some states.
Then his spoiled kid sister had shown up—to complain about Lulu’s sweetheart of a kid brother. It had taken a lot of willpower to stay quiet when Sarah had made the comment about Lawrence living with a girlfriend, which was news to Lulu. She’d gasped so loud she’d had to turn the sound into a cough to cover the reaction.
Plus, not only had Sarah brought reality crashing down on Lulu like a ton of cement, but she’d also upped the risk factor. If Lulu hadn’t gotten out of there, it was very possible Chaz would have invited her over to meet his sister. And while Chaz hadn’t seen or heard her in years, Sarah definitely had. They had spoken last summer when they’d both been visiting their respective parents. If Sarah didn’t figure out who owned the face behind the mask just on sight—by the shape of her mouth or the darkness of her eyes—she would almost certainly recognize Lulu’s voice.
Overhearing part of their conversation had added fuel to the fire beneath her feet for another reason, as well. There was just too much baggage between her and Chaz. It hadn’t been easy hearing Sarah remind her brother of how much he disliked Lulu, and ask why he’d ever agreed to help her with anything.
Did Chaz really hate her? His sister had made it sound as if he had reason to. Oh, yes, she’d been a little shit to him on occasion, but she’d never been vicious or deliberately cruel. God, she hated to think he might be carrying scars even deeper than the ones she’d taken for granted.
The very idea had made the whole escapade seem tawdry and unkind. She had no business tricking a night of sensuality out of a guy who hated her guts. Going home with him like that was akin to stealing. He had every right to know who she was and shoot her down, and she’d taken away his chance.
So she’d played the coward and darted away while Chaz and Sarah had been talking. She’d slipped around the side of the townhouse row, heading for her own building down the block and entering the back door. Watching through her window as he’d gone looking for her, she had bitten her lip and let tears fall from her eyes as she recognized his frustration.
“Frustration is better than fury.”
Right. And Chaz would be furious if he found out who she really was. Meaning she had to be more careful than ever not to give him any clue that she was the woman who’d been on her knees giving him the blow job to end all blow jobs last night.
Although she loved her cute apartment, and her neighbors, and the area, she suddenly found herself wishing she’d found a place in another part of the city. Now that he was home, chances were good she would run into Chaz sometime soon. She only hoped she was ready to come face to face with him again, without revealing everything she was thinking.
Trying to put the memories of the night before out of her mind, she went to take a long, hot shower. The spray-in hair color was temporary, but she still had to wash her hair three times before she felt confident the glittery stuff was completely gone. And after she got out of the shower, brushed her hair, and spotted a few incriminating auburn streaks, she went right back in and washed it again.
Finally, when she’d made sure to remove every wisp of color and had thrust her witch costume into the darkest corner of her closet, she pulled on jeans and a sweater, wanting to get out of her apartment. It was a beautiful fall day—sunny, breezy, the sky clear and Robin’s egg–blue—and she was determined to stop hiding inside and go out to enjoy the weather. Winter wouldn’t be far away now, and while it would never be as bad as the winters in the mountains of western Maryland, where she’d grown up, she knew she’d soon be missing these sunny, cool days.
Heading out her door and down the stairs, she bumped into the couple who lived in the apartment directly above hers. She hadn’t known them long, but she already liked them a lot, appreciating the way the women had immediately been neighborly without being intrusive.
“Hey, Lulu,” said Marcia, who was carrying a bag of groceries in one hand and was shoving her glasses up her nose with the other.
“Morning,” she replied, holding the front door of the building open so Marcia and Peggy could come inside with their groceries.
“Did you have a good Halloween?” asked Peggy.
“It was...interesting,” she admitted.
That was an understatement.
“It must have been if you slept so heavily this morning that you didn’t notice all the commotion around here,” Marcia said, her voice filled with amusement.
“Why? What happened?”
“Peggy played hero for some kid whose kitty got stuck in the tree out front. She climbed up to rescue it.”
Lulu’s eyes widened in surprise. The tree was a monster; she’d seen last spring’s kites still tangled in its branches. “You didn’t go too high, did you?”
Peggy groaned, embarrassed.
“Yes, she did,” said Marcia, dropping an arm across the other woman’s shoulders. “She made the mistake of looking down.”
“I never knew I was afraid of heights,” Peggy said, gazing at her feet and scuffing her toe on the tiled floor.
“I had to call 911 and a fire crew came and helped her down.”
“Damn, I missed hot firefighters?”
“Well, there was one hot one,” said Peggy, “but I don’t think she was your type.”
“She wasn’t yours, either,” said Marcia with a smirk as she held up her left hand, on which glittered a gold wedding band. The two had gotten married this past summer, happy to be in a city that celebrated freedom and let them live their lives exactly as they wanted to.
“And I wouldn’t have it any other way,” said Peggy, lightly kissing her wife’s cheek. Turning to Lulu, she asked, “Where you off to?”
“Just out for a walk. It’s too nice to stay inside.”
“Definitely. Tomorrow’s supposed to be even nicer. Why don’t you join us out back for dinner then? We’re going to have one final grill-out of the fall. The couple from the first floor is coming. It’ll be a BYOM party.”
“BYOM?”
“Bring your own meat.”
Promising she would join them the next day, Lulu said goodbye to the couple and headed outside. She turned right at the sidewalk, as usual. Then she hesitated. Chaz’s house was so close, she’d have to walk right past it. He might be sleeping off his travel jet lag. Or he might be sleeping because he’d been up all night wondering about the woman who’d run out on him. Or he might be wide awake, plotting his revenge.
Hell. It was worth taking a different route today.
She spun around, ready to do exactly that, when a male voice called out, “Hey, you! Wait a minute—stop!”
There was no denying that voice, or the demanding tone.
It was Chaz.
Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she turned around to face the music. There was no point delaying the inevitable. She’d have to see him sometime and part of her just wanted to get it over with and stop worrying about it.
Another part was wondering how, exactly, she would react if he recognized her not as his childhood nemesis, but as his almost-lover of the previous night. He’d seen her from behind, but had called out with something that sounded like desperation. So she suspected he’d been searching for his mystery woman, and believed he’d spotted her.
Now the question remained: was this morning’s encounter going to end in anger, ambivalence or attempted seduction?
Chaz was jogging up the sidewalk, looking determined, but he slowed to a walk when he got a good look at her. A confused frown tugged at his brow as he studied her, his gaze resting on her long brown hair, then traveling over her face. She knew the exact moment he recognized her, because his mouth opened in a quick, surprised inhalation, and his eyes widened in shock.
“Lulu? Is that you?”
She pasted a smile on her lips. “It sure is. Hi, Chaz!” She cursed herself for sounding giddy—and guilty. “Er, how are you doing? I guess you’re home from your trip?” She made sure to keep her voice pitched up a bit, wanting to sound as far from the throaty-voiced temptress of the night as possible.
His long-legged strides brought him to within a few feet of her, and he stopped, staring into her face as if searching for something. Or someone?
Don’t find her. Please don’t find her in me.
“It’s really you?” he asked.
“Yup.” She forced the brightest, most unconcerned smile she could manage. “I guess I turned up just like the proverbial bad penny.”
“This is a surprise.”
More like a shock, judging by his expression.
“A nice one, I hope,” she said, just to needle him a little.
“Sure. Definitely.”
Deciding to remind him it had been partially his fault that they’d ended up neighbors, she said, “Oh, thanks bunches for putting me in touch with your Realtor. She was such a big help. She told me this was the best street in the city to live on.”
She waved toward the building she’d just left, and Chaz glanced at it, then back at her.
“You live here?”
“Yes.”
“Right here,” he clarified, tensing. “Three doors down from me?”
“’Fraid so.”
He continued to stare, and she shifted uncomfortably on her sneakered feet. She hadn’t expected Chaz to bring out the welcome wagon, but yeesh, he acted as if she’d contaminated his street.
Finally she asked, “Do I have dirt on my face or something?”
“I’m sorry,” he mumbled. “When I first saw you, from behind, I thought you were somebody else. But of course, I was wrong.”
“They say everybody has a double.”
He slowly shook his head, and she’d swear disappointment had darkened his eyes. “No, it was just a mistake. She didn’t really look like you at all.”
Huh. What was that supposed to mean? She felt as if she’d been judged and found lacking. What, exactly, did the green-faced witch have that she didn’t, aside from red hair and a mask?
Oh. Right. An untainted history and a name other than Lulu Vandenberg. Even if she were a real redhead, and still had on the dumb mask, she suspected that Chaz would have worn that same expression of disappointment the moment he realized who she truly was.
Shoving aside the sharp feeling of regret, she tried to appear chipper. “So, how’s your family?”
“They seem fine. I talked to my dad this morning.” He chuckled. “Did you hear? We’re all being abandoned for Thanksgiving.”
Her jaw dropped. “What?”
“Yeah. My family usually meets up at my grandparents’ house down in Virginia for the holiday weekend.”
“I remember.” That was one reason she hadn’t seen Chaz in so many years. He never came home for Thanksgiving, as his family was always traveling elsewhere. And it seemed the two of them had alternated Christmases for the past several years, never making a holiday trip home at the same time.
“Well, apparently our parents—yours and mine—have decided to go on a couples cruise to the Caribbean over Thanksgiving weekend. They’re leaving the Tuesday before and will be gone for ten days.”
“Nice of them to tell a person,” she said, indignant. Then mischief tickled her lips and she grinned. “You’d think they had a life other than us, or something.”
“I know, right?” he replied, sounding just as indignant-yet-amused.
Just to rile him up, she smirked. “I bet yours have already turned your room into a sex den like out of that Fifty Shades book.”
He grimaced. “I know you opened your mouth and said something, but all I heard was mwah mwah mwah mwah mwah.”
She couldn’t hold back a rumble of laughter. When they were kids, they’d all mimicked their parents—well, all adults—in just that way. Words might be coming out of a grown-up’s mouth, but all they’d heard was monotonous noise—like all kids, she supposed.
Funny how the adult world existed so far apart from the kid one, neither believing the other was ever really aware of what was going on. Also funny that she was standing here with a man who’d shared so many years of that world with her.
Yet gazing up at him, she saw nothing of the kid and every inch of the man.
What a delicious-looking man. He was sexy by moonlight, but devastatingly attractive in the light of day. The sun gleamed in his blond hair, and brought out the matching glimmer of gold in his green eyes. Now, clad in sneakers instead of those deadly high-heels, she was reminded just how tall he was, towering over her by several inches. And the long-sleeved T-shirt emphasized those broad shoulders and his powerful chest.
She’d have liked to say that quip about the naughty book hadn’t caused some seriously hawt images to invade her brain, but she’d have been lying. Frankly, she’d had those images in her head since she’d seen him pulling off that sheet last night at the bar, and just about every minute since.
“So,” he said, “I guess that means I’m going to have to learn how to cook a turkey.”
“I hear Stauffer’s does a pretty good job of that, and you get the stuffing and gravy right on top of it.”
He sneered. “Frozen dinners for Thanksgiving? Forget it. How tough can it be?”
“Just remember to take the insides out of the bird before you cook it.”
He paled. “They come with insides?”
“Pretty gross, huh?” Lulu had never been much of a cook, but she was pretty sure they did. “But yeah, I think so. And don’t worry, I’ll play dumb when my mom calls. I won’t let her know you spilled the beans.”
“Admit it, you just want to torment her and make her feel guilty.”
“Ha. I think I’ll call her and tell her I’m bringing home my new boyfriend for the holiday.”
His smile remained, though she would swear it was a tiny bit tighter than before. She quickly thrust the impression away. Ridiculous to think Chaz would give a damn if she was dating anyone.
“You’re seeing someone?”
Okay. So he gave a damn. Interesting.
She thought about implying she was but honestly didn’t want to play those kinds of games with Chaz. Last night was as much gaming as she cared to do with the man. Besides, intentionally making somebody jealous was more his sister’s style. “No. But I can’t come up with a better way to make her sweat.”
“You’re an evil woman, Lulu Vandenberg,” he said, the tone admiring.
“Diabolical, that’s me. How could you have forgotten?”
“I haven’t. But evil looks a little better on you than it did when you were seven and you tied me up to a telephone pole during a game of cops and robbers, and left me there.”
Yeah. She’d kind of done that. “If it’s any consolation, my mom spanked me after your parents called the police to report you missing and I had to tell the officers where you were.”
“You deserved it.”
“I guess I did. I’m really surprised you didn’t just clobber me.”
“I thought about it every day of our childhood.” Amusement danced in his green eyes. “But maybe I just always wanted to believe my mom was right.”
“About?”
“She used to say you tormented me so much because you secretly had a crush on me.”
Lulu’s mouth opened and then snapped closed. He sounded so amused, so damned confident, as if he’d decided his mom was right.
“In your dreams, Chaz Browning.”
“You were. Often.”
Her brow shot up. So did her heart rate.
“Well, in my nightmares, anyway.”
She couldn’t help it. She balled her fist and punched his upper arm.
He rubbed at it, giving an exaggerated groan, then broke into a smile. “You still hit like a girl.”
“Do you?”
“Uh-uh.”
No, she didn’t imagine he did, not with those muscle-bearing-muscles.
“I thought you were a lover, not a fighter.”
He certainly had seemed that way last night, when he’d been so close, so very close, to becoming her lover. Damn it, why had Sarah shown up and scared her into running away from what she suspected would have been one of the best nights of her life?
“I am. But I sometimes go to some pretty dangerous places. I took up martial arts, just to be on the safe side.”
Lulu didn’t like to think of him needing to defend himself, though she knew he’d probably had to at one time or another. But it was a reminder of all the reasons why they could never work.
“Did anything like that happen on your most recent trip?” she asked.
“Nah. Totally uneventful. It was pretty boring.”
Right. Except for his quick little excursions into freaking Afghanistan. Not that she could tell him she knew about that.
It had been easier when they’d been strangers.
“When did you get back?” she asked, since it seemed to be the sort of question she should ask.
“Yesterday. Just in time to go out and celebrate the holiday.” He shook his head, as if clearing it of confusing memories, then managed a friendly, if noncommittal, smile. “It was a pretty long trip.”
“You go away a lot?”
“Yes. My job is everything to me, but it has its downsides.”
“Like?”
“Like...well, I can’t have a dog. I’m away too much.”
“I imagine that would be next to impossible.”
“Ah, well, I guess I’m a one-dog man, anyway.”
She understood, remembering how much Chaz had always adored his beagle.
“I do keep him close, though,” he said.
Raising a curious brow, she watched as he pulled his shirt collar down a little, and tugged it away from his skin, just enough for her to make out the ink on his back. Finally, she was able to see what she hadn’t been able to make out last night: his tattoo. The image of a cute little dog was etched on his shoulder, a constant reminder and a tribute to a beloved pet.
How very Chaz-like.
Part of her melted, wanting to hug him to commiserate, and wanting to ask him how somebody so utterly gorgeous and so incredibly nice could possibly still be single.
Another part reminded her she needed to keep up as many barriers as she could, if only to prevent him from ever finding out how she’d tricked him the night before. Chaz had always been very forgiving, but she remembered he’d had a real problem with liars—something he’d said had only intensified with the high stakes of his job. While she didn’t think she’d actually said anything that was a lie, she was certainly guilty of it by omission.
One thing she knew, however. It was going to be very difficult to keep her secret about how attracted she was to him if he kept doing things like pulling his shirt down to reveal his powerful, muscular shoulders and back.
Damn you, Sarah, for making me realize I was making a mistake about twenty minutes too soon!
“Anyway, enough about me. How are you enjoying the city so far?”
“I love it,” she admitted. “The apartment’s great, my job’s going well, I’m making friends.”
“Where is it you’re working?”
Uh-oh. He wasn’t going to trip her up again. Her job was much too unique to give him the same answer she’d provided last night. So she went for the most literal reply possible. “Up on Mass Ave. I’ve become a total city girl, I love taking the Metro train everywhere.” She glanced at her watch, pretending she had somewhere to be. “Speaking of which, I’d better run.”
“Oh, okay. Well, it was good seeing you.”
He actually sounded a little disappointed. Considering he’d just admitted she gave him nightmares, that came as a surprise.
“You, too, Chaz. See ya later.”
Hoping she’d come off utterly casual and not the least bit like the mysterious woman he’d met the night before, Lulu walked away as if she actually had somewhere to go.
She felt his eyes on her as she strode toward the end of the block, but managed to avoid looking back. By the time she turned the corner and risked a peek, the street behind her was empty. Maybe she’d just been fooling herself that he had any interest in her at all.
