Body Work (4 page)

She sighed into his mouth in a way that said she was glad he was with her and he
’d very nearly come right then and there. They ignited each other.

Hungry, horny kids in a pickup, he had her blouse off in record time. At first sight of her pearly breasts and shell pink nipples he
’d nearly devoured her. After all, he’d waited four long years.

If he thought he
’d been frustrated before, it was nothing compared to how he felt when Lisa pulled away. He spouted foolish, wild promises, but she didn’t give in.

She covered her breasts and buttoned her blouse in spite of trembling fingers.
“I can’t,” was all she said.

She looked vulnerable and confused and he considered pressing her but decided to back off. They had lots of time. He thought once he proved he could take care of her she
’d relent.

He started the truck, put it into gear and dropped her off in front of her place. Then he went home and made plans.

God, he wanted her, for longer than one night, for a lifetime. That was too important to ruin with a quick fuck. Why else had he waited all this time to touch her? When she was ready, he’d make love to her slow and sweet and she’d see what it was all about. He’d teach her everything. As soon as she was ready.

Within hours he saw her again, lugging a battered suitcase out of the park entrance, waving down a passing bus.

Tyce crumpled his empty beer can and stood, told himself Lisa had got out the only way she could. Still, he’d never forget the cold contempt he’d seen in her gaze when he’d caught up to her at the bus stop. He asked her to stay, to trust that he could get them both out.

“
Sorry,” she said. “You can’t give me what I want.” Her lip curled when she saw the grease mark he’d left on her upper arm. She was still scrubbing at it when the bus pulled away.

Four

Priming the Pump

Lisa climbed into Lawrence
’s limo, legs shaking, her heart thrumming to the tune Tyce started. She didn’t think she could make it through the evening. Didn’t think she could wait to get back to Tyce. She’d pushed
him
to the brink and herself over it.

“
Where’s Felice?” she asked as soon as she saw Lawrence Griffin alone.

Lawrence pursed his lips. “
A headache, she says.”

“
Oh. I’m sorry.”

He patted her knee and the contrast between the heat of Tyce
’s hand and the dry cool of Lawrence’s made her jump. It wasn’t like Felice to allow Lawrence out on his own. Predatory and possessive, Felice was permanently on guard against what she called poaching. “And what do you say? About the headache?” she asked.

“
I say she’ll show up as soon as she gets my message that I’m escorting you in her absence.” His hand crossed the fine leather that separated them, landed on her knee again, and squeezed. She removed it.

The limo pulled out of the courtyard and she squelch
ed a desire to yell, “Stop the car!” and climb out.

“
How are things going with the estate?” he asked, although he knew very well it had been settled weeks ago. “All sorted out?”

“
Almost.”

“
I hear the company’s suffering under Franklin’s leadership. That boy never was able to think for himself. Too volatile, as well. Business needs a cool head.”

“
I wouldn’t know.” Lawrence would love to move in and take over Harris’s company. Ruthless to the core, he’d think nothing of beggaring Franklin and his brother in order to expand his interests.

“
Anything I can do to ease your way through this widowhood, my dear?”

She gave him a cool smile aware of the emphasis on
this
, as if her marriage to Harris was only the first of a string. “Thank you, no. I’m finding my own diversions quite fulfilling.”

At least she would if Tyce would allow her to break his control. She lapsed into silence and considered how much she enjoyed the game with Tyce. The thrust and parry, the advance and retreat and especially the touch and go they
’d enjoyed in the garage. As much as she wanted Tyce to break, she loved every moment of the game.

She got wet just thinking of it.

When Lawrence’s hand skimmed across the top of her thigh, she shifted away gave him a steady look. “There’s no way in hell, Lawrence.”

“
Can’t blame a man for trying.”

The evening went downhill from there.

Her body hummed all night for want of Tyce, making her more aware than ever of the men who looked her way. Her anticipation of sex with Tyce exploded into the air around her. She felt charged, hungry, alert to every sexual nuance in the crowd. Suddenly she could see things she hadn’t noticed before.

In a setting that normally bored her, flirtations and lust skipped and danced around the room, connecting strangers, distancing couples. If Tyce were here they
’d dance around each other, maybe let their fingers touch over a waiter’s tray of drinks, perhaps he’d brush against her arm as he went past, maybe she’d slide her hand across his ass when no one was looking.

Her arousal built, her thoughts focused on everything she
’d be doing with Tyce when she got home. Her mouth watered, not at the succulent desserts and wonderful wine being offered, but at the idea of sliding her tongue along Tyce’s rigid chest. His cock would rise toward her seeking mouth, he’d moan and grab her head, push into–

“
You look as if you’ve got a secret, Lisa.” It was, just as Lawrence predicted, Felice peering at her with a blend of curiosity and wariness. “You came in our car with Lawrence.”

“
Hardly. Coming with Lawrence is your specialty, Felice, not mine, nor will it ever be.”

Felice’s
eyes went wide with shock.

“
Oh, please.” Lisa waved away the phony expression.

Felice
’s gaze turned cool, her smile cooler. “If not him, then who are you thinking of? You’ve got hot sex written all over you.” She scanned the crowd to look for a likely prospect. “He’s not here, is he?”

“
No.”

“
At home, then. Waiting for you.” Her grin turned sultry. “Delicious, isn’t it? Anticipation.”

Lisa bit her lip.

Felice leaned in close, linked their arms. “Not that I care, really, but you’ve got me wondering now. Who could it be?” She put one long finger to her lips in thought. She tapped her lips, careful not to smudge her vermilion lipstick.

Lisa disengaged her arm.

“I know.” Felice’s gaze sharpened. “I know who it is.” She grabbed Lisa’s arm again, began to steer her toward the balcony doors. Lisa went, intrigued by Felice’s agitation.

Safely outside alone, Felice dropped
all pretense of friendliness. “It’s Tyce Branton, isn’t it?”

Lisa shook her head lightly.

“Of course it is. He’s working on Harris’s cars and you at the same time.”

“
What do you mean, working on me?”

“
Tyce has a rep. Well-deserved, too. Great hands, that man.”

Lisa felt the floor of her belly drop away.
“I hadn’t noticed.”

“
Right, of course you haven’t. I didn’t notice either until he used them on me.”

The world tilted.

“Oh, pooh,” Felice said gently. “Don’t worry; I won’t say anything to anyone. None of his conquests would. We’ve all just . . . enjoyed him when the opportunity arose. Never serious, our Tyce. But a lot of fun.”

Lisa had nothing to say, nowhere to take the conversation. She was so much
adrift in the wind she couldn’t form a coherent thought.

Felice moved to the door, turned the handle and looked back at her.
“But, Lisa, when you’re finished with Tyce, keep your distance from Lawrence. I mean it.”

“
No worries there, Felice. I’m moving to Europe as soon as I can.”

Felice raise
d one finely sculpted eyebrow. “Good idea. I’ll keep it in mind for later.” With that, she slid through the narrow opening in the door and closed it, leaving Lisa out on the balcony alone.

She caught her breath, controlled it, smoothed her shaking hands down her thighs and tried to focus. Tyce had been through this circle of women like the alpha wolf he was. She shouldn
’t be surprised. She shouldn’t even care.

She kept her body still while inside she raged. Damn that man
. And every one of the women he’d slept with here. She couldn’t go back into the fund-raiser and wonder how many women knew more about Tyce than she did. How many knew his unique scent, the feel of his hands and the taste of his mouth.

The irony was that Tyce
’s love of cars had driven her away from him twelve years ago and now that same love had brought them back together.

She
’d had no way to know he’d been right all those years ago. His backyard tinkering had turned him into the “go to” mechanic for wealthy car collectors. At eighteen, all she’d known for certain was that no one would get her out of the La La Land Trailer Park but her. To depend on Tyce Branton would have been foolhardy. Lisa had never been a fool.

In deep lust, yes. Foolish, no.

She’d wanted Tyce desperately, with all the passion of a girl in love, but girls in love ended up with babies and Mcjobs and no way out.

She
’d had to leave. She’d had no choice.

And now, all she could think of was leaving again. She stepped across the length of the balcony to peer out into the darkened gardens and think.

The other wives had been despicable in their rudeness all evening, but she expected nothing better so let it slide. When Harris was alive, the animosity had been better hidden, but now all bets were off. Harris had explained she would be seen as a threat to the other marriages and he’d been right.

More stupid assumptions, she thought bitterly. Women assumed she
’d be looking for husband number two. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Lawrences of the world were safe. Felice and the others had nothing to fear from her.

“
Well, well, if it isn’t my own sweet stepmother.”

Franklin. She turned, leaned against the balustrade and waited while he closed the door behind him. When he got nearer she smelled alcohol wafting about his face and stepped sideways away from him, keeping her eyes firmly on the French doors.

“I thought you were still in New York,” she said evenly, pleased at how easy and careless her voice sounded.

He leaned on the balustrade, in no apparent hurry
to leave. “I got in this afternoon.”

“
I hope your trip went well.” She moved to cross to the door. “Please excuse me.”

“
Wait. We have to discuss my father’s cars.”

“
What about them?” She reached for the door handle and waited, ready to turn it to escape into the crowded ballroom. She didn’t know if Harris had told his sons about his plan for the cars, so she waited.

“
I heard you hired a service to work on them. Which one?”

“
Body Work by Branton.”

“
I know Tyce. He does fine work. Bit expensive don’t you think?”

“
He’s worth every dollar he charges.”

“
Ah, but what does everyone get for their dollar, eh? There’s the question. If you talk to the ladies, you’ll get a different answer than you’ll get from the men.”

She couldn
’t resist. She had to turn around to see his face. Franklin was too arrogant to control his expressions and allowed all his worst emotions to show. He was as easy to read as a billboard and right now ugly lust and jealousy got top billing. “What do you mean?”

He leaned closer, looked down the front of her gown. His eyes darkened.
“I hear the ladies get their money’s worth. You know exactly what I mean.”

“
I’m sorry. I don’t.” She opened the door a crack, preparing to sweep into the ballroom away from him. At this point, she didn’t care what the brothers thought or knew about their father’s plan for the collection. It was clear she’d get no support from either of them and decided it was more important than ever to keep the plan secret. “Branton’s working on my cars, not yours. So you don’t have a thing to say about it.”

It was supposed to be a parting shot, but his hand slammed the door shut before she could do anything to stop him. She was wedged between him and the door.

The smell of sour alcohol nearly overwhelmed her, but it did nothing to hide the leer in his voice. “They’re not your cars, Lisa. They’re mine and my brother’s and we’re going to put a stop to whatever you’re planning to do with them.”

She wanted to cringe away from him but she dared not. To a bully like Franklin, fear was an aphrodisiac. She knew from experience that to run meant to be chased and she would not give him the rush he
’d get from chasing her. “They’re going to auction,” she said clearly.

“
No, they’re not.”

“
Your father left them to me.” He knew it well enough. He’d raged like a trapped wolverine in the law firm offices. Shuster, Townshend and Martin had never seen the like.

“
We’ll see about that. If I’m happy with the way they look when Branton’s finished with them, I’ll talk to my brother about allowing this auction. If I can convince him to part with the cars, life will be easier for all of us.”

“
Part with the cars? They mean nothing to you.” She weighed her options. Giving Harris’s sons final approval on the collection’s condition was asking for trouble. Before she had a chance to form her reply, Franklin ran his fingertip down her arm from her shoulder to her elbow. Her skin crawled.

“
If you were to ask me nicely, I’d speak to my brother without bothering to check on Branton. I don’t care what service he gives you, Lisa, as long as I get mine. Your pouty little lips need to be put to use. Why not use them on–”

Her elbow found its mark in his ribs and when he bent over, winded, she opened the door and strode into the center of the dance floor.

When she moved to Europe no one would know her background or where her money came from and she’d be treated with respect.

She called a cab and left well before the end of the evening. Well before eleven when she
’d asked Tyce to meet her.

The sweep of the cab
’s headlights showed empty space in front of the garage. Tyce had left.

So he was playing dirty.

She paid the cab driver and considered calling her lawyer to find out where Tyce was staying but pride stopped her. Obviously, he was far more in control of himself than she was and was engaged in some kind of waiting game. Tyce had his pride. But so did she and she would not beg.