Lucy was disturbed by the idea that he might change his mind, take her somewhere else, dump her in some hotel or something. In a very short time, shed accustomed herself to the idea that she would be posing as Bryans live-in lover.
I can pull it off, she said. But if we could rehearseI mean, get our stories worked out, so I could, you know, know what to expect
He was watching her mouth. She stopped self-consciously. Have I smeared my lipstick?
No, sweetheart, you look perfect. I was just thinking that we cant have you looking like a startled cat every time I touch you or kiss you. So youre right, of course. We need to rehearse. And with that, he slanted his mouth against hers and kissed her as if he meant it.
Four
Lucy tasted like wild cherries. Maybe it was her lipstick, or maybe it was just how Lucy Miller tasted, but what Bryan had intended as a friendly, you-dont-have-to-be-afraid-of-me kiss had turned into something much more.
Before he knew what was happening, Lucys arms had snaked around his neck, and she was kissing him back in a way that told him fear wasnt in her vocabulary. She kissed as though she was born to it. Clearly she wasnt the inexperienced virginal miss hed pegged her for.
Or maybe hed awakened some innate talent she had. He liked that idea better. He didnt want to think about Lucy kissing other men, sleeping with other men.
Not that he would be sleeping with her. That would be taking their ruse a bit far. But kissingfor the sake of her cover storywas okay.
It was more than okay. He groaned as he buried his hands in her newly shortened locks. Her hair felt like the softest silk, and he found he didnt really miss all that long, heavy hair. He liked the way the short ends tickled his hands and arms.
He stopped just short of pulling her hips against his and letting her know just exactly how okay her kiss was. But he did invade her mouth with his tongue, deepening the kiss, breathing in the heady scent of cosmetics and shampoo and new clothes that clung to her.
Hed never known new clothes could smell so sexy.
She pulled away suddenly, staring at him with wide, startled eyes. What are you doing?
That was a very good question. He casually pulled his hands out of her hair. I thought we were rehearsing. Getting comfortable with each other.
Well okay, I got it. Thats enough practice.
He couldnt help grinning. You sure?
Yes, quite sure.
She ran nervous fingers through her hair, mussing it worse than hed done, and straightened her clothes. She was breathing hard, her breasts rising and falling so dramatically that he was sure she was going to pop out of her teeny tank top.
Where had those plump breasts come from? He hadnt seen them earlier. Since he doubted Scarlet had given Lucy silicone implants, the breasts must have been there all along, hidden under the frumpy outfits.
I really need to go to bed, she muttered, turning away. Im sure everything will make more sense in the morning. Oh, tomorrow remind me to bring you up to date on everything I told Scarlet. She was curious about me, and Im afraid I just blathered the first thing that came into my mind.
Like what?
Well, you and I met in Paris. I returned to my home in Kansas, burned all my clothes and traveled to New York, naked.
What?
Well talk about this tomorrow, okay? I really have to go to bed. Gnight, Bryan, and thank you for everything. She grabbed her pile of clothes and fled, her sandals thunk-thunking against his wood floor as she headed for the guest room.
Traveled to New York, naked? What had possessed Lucy to say something like that? But since shed said it, he couldnt get the picture out of his mindLucy boarding a plane, naked. Walking through the airport without a stitch on. Climbing into a cab
No, hed better not even go there. He was turned on enough already.
The woman was a siren, a witch. His groin ached with wanting her. Pretending to be besotted in front of others would be no problemhe was rapidly becoming obsessed. It was how to behave in private that would prove the problem.
Hed better just hold himself in check. Lucy was a key witness in what could ultimately prove to be a case of terrorism. He had no business kissing her or thinking about sleeping with her.
Shed said she was okay, that she could fake it. That had to be good enough. So, no more rehearsals. Professional, he had to be professional. He couldnt take advantage of a woman whose life had been turned upside down. Shed done the right thing for her country, and for her trouble shed been spied on, lost her job and her home and couldnt contact anyone she knew. He was her anchor in a storm, and it would be easy for her to develop feelings all out of proportion.
Hed seen it happen before. He couldnt take advantage of her vulnerability. She didnt seem the casual-fling type, and that was all he could offer.
Lucy couldnt sleep, despite the fact she was exhausted. Her mind raced, reliving that kiss over and over, recalling every nuance of the pressure of his mouth on hers, the intoxicating warmth, the possessiveness, the feel of his hands in her hair and all over her.
Shed come alive like never beforenot just her body or her hormones, but her whole being. The kiss had been transcendental. She couldnt think of any other word to describe it.
Yet she knew that for him it was just another kiss. Rehearsal. Part of his business, his job. Keep the witness safe, make sure she knows her stuff, keep his family in the dark so theyre safe, too.
She couldnt really blame him just because she reacted so profoundly to a simple kiss.
Her body still vibrated with the aftereffects, which only highlighted a sad fact about her life: for the past two years shed been all but dead. A dull brain inside a dead shell, going through the motions, performing her job, staying out of trouble.
Only trouble had found her.
She might have been better off if none of this had happened. Maybe shed have snapped out of her fugue on her own. Still, she couldnt say she was sorry to leave that life behind.
But she had to manage herself better. Not like when shed gone to work for the band. If shed stuck to her guns back then, being satisfied simply to be on the fringes of that exciting world, shed have been okay. Instead shed deluded herself into thinking a millionaire rock star was going to marry her.
Her current situation wasnt so dissimilar. Shed again found herself on the fringes of an exciting world. This time it wasnt sex, drugs and rock n roll, but spies, embezzlers and terrorists. Neither was a world she belonged in.
She had to remember that and not let herself get deluded into believing she was in any way special to Bryan, no matter what motions he went through.
Lucy eventually drifted off. When she awoke, daylight poured through her bedroom window, and a delicious smell tickled her nose. Whatever it was, it drew her out of bed like a black hole draws antimatter. She jumped in the shower, then stepped into a pair of white silk panties. Scarlet had given her about a dozen pair of the most delicious panties, all still in their packages. Apparently designers and clothing manufacturers sent freebies to the magazine all the time, hoping models or celebrities would wear them for photo shoots.
Lucy only had two of the magical push-up bras, though. When shed seen the price tags on them, shed nearly fainted. Who paid $80 for a bra? She would, she realized, now that shed seen the miracle it performed.
Ordinarily, if she wasnt going to work, shed put on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. But Scarlet told her those clothes were outthey didnt go with Lindsays new look. She would have to get used to wearing clingy knit pants and miniskirts, tiny crop-tops and blouses that revealed lots of skin.
She picked an outfit at randoma fawn-colored miniskirt and a fitted, sleeveless blouse with a subtle gold stripe. She didnt worry about makeup or jewelryshe would put them on only if she was appearing in public. She certainly didnt want Bryan to think she was trying too hard.
When she emerged from her bedroom and entered the kitchen, she found out what smelled so good. Bryan was making Belgian waffles, with fresh strawberries and real whipped cream.
Im going to be big as a house if you keep feeding me this way.
Good morning to you, too. Bryan kept his attention on his cooking, never even glancing her way. Sleep okay?
No. I lay awake thinking about your blasted kiss. Fine, thanks. She tried not to look at him, because if she did, she would think about kissing him. She couldnt help herself. He looked absolutely mouthwatering with his dark hair mussed, his face unshaven. He wore running shorts and a well-worn T-shirt with a Boca Royce Country Club logo on it. She recognized the name as an exclusive Manhattan club patronized by the very, very wealthy.
She was so in over her head.
He didnt look at her. He was busy filling mugs from a coffeemaker that looked like it belonged at NASA. The fragrance blended with the smell of waffles and strawberries, and her stomach growled.
Ive been out for a runI do that most mornings, he said. You can come with me. I also have a home gym.
Lucy had never been much of a jock before. Maybe I should try running.
If you like eating, its a necessity.
Shed never been all that interested in foodmaybe because shed always had plenty. Growing up on a farm, the dinner table was loaded with meat, potatoes and fresh vegetables. But her mother had always urged her to eat more, claiming she was finicky as a cat.
When shed hung out with In Tight, everyone had been more interested in drinking than eating, though there had always been something availablepizza or burgers. Shed eaten just enough to maintain her weight, so she hadnt ever felt the urge to work out.
Now she was ravenous. She dived into her waffle, savoring the pure maple syrup and the crunchy-out-side, tender-inside texture. Yeah, Im going to have to do something, or all those pretty clothes Scarlet gave me wont look too hot.
You can run with me tomorrow.
I dont have any running shoes. Or gym clothes.
You can buy some when we go out for your contact lenses.
She wondered how much money she had in her purse. Sixty dollars maybe, if she was lucky. I cant use my credit cards, right?
No. No transactions involving your real name, for any reason. No telephone calls, eithernot to anyone, even someone you think the bad guys would never be watching. I dont know the extent of their reach, but these guys are connected. Really connected.
That reminder brought Lucy back to earth in a hurry. She shivered as she thought about those bad guys in her apartment, searching through her things, listening to her on the phone.
When Bryan finished the last waffle, he popped it onto a plate and finally spared a glance for Lucy. He did a double take.
You cant expect me to be glamorous twenty-four hours a day, she groused. Scarlet might have changed some of the trappings, but Im still Lucy Miller.
Did I complain?
No. But you were looking at me.
I was looking because the clothes and hair color are still so different. I have to get used to them.
Me, too. I hadnt realized how positively frumpy Id become. But even in my wilder days, I still looked like me.
You still look like you. He came and sat next to her at the bar, then leaned close enough that she could smell the faint scent brought on by his morning exertions. Not expensive cologne, but soap and sweat. A healthy, male scent. Your smile is the same. You have a very pretty smile, only you dont use it enough.
I dont have much to smile about. But that really wasnt true. Yes, shed become the target of some unsavory people, and yes, shed lost her job and her home and her very identity. But she just didnt care that much about those things. She was hanging out with a dangerously sexy spy and she was going to help him solve a crime. She had a wardrobe to die for and a personal-style consultant any woman in the world would give up her acrylic nails for.
Thats better, Bryan said, and Lucy realized shed given him the requested smile.
Four hours later Lucy was in Victorias Secret, feeling a bit like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman. Bryan had taken her first to get the contacts. Shed been fitted on the spot with a pair of bright-green lenses, and shed walked out of the optometrists office feeling unburdened without the heavy glasses. She could see better, too. Shed forgotten how superior vision with contacts could be.
Next, Bryan had taken her shopping for all the things Scarlet hadnt providedmostly athletic clothes. Hed bought her a pair of first-class Nike running shoes and a couple of color-coordinated designer outfits. Shed never worn designer clothing before yesterday, thinking it was silly to pay so much for a label. But shed found out the clothes really were superior in quality. The fit and feel were fantastic.
Shed mentioned that she didnt have any sleepwear, so Bryan led her into the pricey lingerie store.
We dont have to do anything this fancy, she protested. Youve already spent so much
I can afford it. I want you comfortable, and you cant be comfortable in some cheap polyester pajamas.
I cant be comfortable in a peek-a-boo nightie, either, she pointed out. But as she looked around, she realized the sleepwear here was gorgeousnot the least bit sleazy. She saw beautiful silk nightgowns in the most delicious pastels, but she also saw some pretty cotton nightshirts, and she knew that was what she should choose. Something supercomfortable.
Uh-oh, Bryan muttered as she tried to find her size in a peach nightshirt.
Lucys skin prickled with nerves. What? Had the bad guys tracked her down already? She glanced around, wondering if there was anyplace she could duck for cover if bullets started to fly.
Its my stepmother. Of all people. He sounded disgusted. Put down that nightshirt. I wouldnt buy a girlfriend anything like that. Here. He grabbed three skimpy nightgowns from a rack and thrust them at her. Go try these on. Maybe you wont have to meet her. Oh, cripes, shes seen us. Too late.
The woman in question was petite and very thin, with unnaturally platinum hair in an expensive cut. She wore a pair of snug, low-rise jeans and a clingy shirt that looked pretty good on her surgically enhanced figure.
She might have been pretty but for the superior sneer on her face, which Lucy guessed was perpetual.
Bryan, what on earth are you doing in a lingerie store?