This Love's Not for Sale (5 page)

“I will, but thanks for the warning,” she told Ariel, wishing she had been forewarned earlier.

Lilliana started to walk away and wondered something. She didn’t want to be stepping on anyone’s toes with regards to Tucker.

She turned around to face Ariel. “Are you two…?” she hinted.

“Oh, God,
no
, but not because he didn’t try. Like the real Ariel, I’m married to my prince charming.” Suddenly Ariel looked worried. “I’ve already said too much. My apologies. But your being new in town and all, I just thought you should know that Mr. McGrath is, well…” she trailed off.

“You’re fine.
I’ve heard the rumors. Anyway, I suspect Tucker is only interested in buying my land.”

“Yeah, sure he is,” Ariel quipped.
“And they’re not rumors; they’re fact.”

Tucker again stepped into the doorway of his office. “What
are you two discussing out here - the state of world affairs? I don’t like waiting,” he glowered.

“Three words,
Lilliana: Big Bag Wolf,” Ariel winked playfully as Lilliana walked away.

When Lilliana
entered Tucker’s large office, he eyed her critically, his hands resting on his hips.

“I meant it when I said I don’
t like waiting. My time is important to me.”

“Yeah, yeah, I get it
, Mr. Real Estate Mogul. Now where’s that file?” she answered back, annoyed with his manner.

Tucker looked aghast that a female would
have the nerve to speak to him in such a way and Lilliana couldn’t help but wonder what kind of power he had over woman that they would put up with his temperamental bossiness. She sure as hell wasn’t impressed with it. His looks, yes, but his attitude? Hell no. 

“I have to pull it up,”
he responded tetchily, seating himself at his desk and tapping away at the keyboard.

“You’
re barking orders and you’re not even prepared? Hurry up and wait. Oh, brother,” she rolled her eyes, moving to the other side of the room.

“Are you done?” Tucker growled.

The deeply fierce sound of his voice resounded through the room and dazed Lilliana. She had been peering out the large wall of windows, but spun around to look at him. His eyes were narrowed at her and the way he was sitting on the edge of his over-sized, dark brown leather chair, he appeared as if he was ready to spring on her like a large insatiable animal.

Without a sound t
hey stared at each other for what seemed like minutes, neither of them giving an inch. When Lilliana opened her mouth to say something in rebuttal, Tucker quickly interjected.

“Don’t test me, Lilliana, and don’t mistake tolerance for weakness.
That mouth of yours is going to get you in trouble every time. I won’t ever disrespect you and I expect the same courtesy in return.”

Her mouth snapped closed.
First a threat of a spanking and now this? No man had ever spoken so strictly to her and she didn’t quite know how to react.

“Am I clear?”
Tucker asked through a clenched jaw.

“Crystal,” she whispered and with that, a smile touched the corners of his lips.

Tucker stood and moved stealthily towards her, his lithe, lean body moving like a wild cat stalking its prey, his eyes never leaving hers.  Lilliana's fight or flight instinct kicked in and she had the very distinct feeling to run like hell, but like that deer she had thought of earlier, she was caught in Tucker’s snare and her legs wouldn’t cooperate or move. Her brain was buzzing, her belly fluttering, and her heart pounding uncontrollably in her chest.

Tucker
closed in on her, his body so close she could feel his breath on her cheek. His scent invaded her senses, making her thoughts fuzzy and clouded with desire. Tucker reached down and swept an index finger over her forehead, down her cheek and glided it over her lips, the roughness of his skin speaking volumes to his masculinity. Twice now he had touched her, and she craved more. Lilliana closed her eyes and swallowed hard, wondering how a man who sat behind a desk all day could have hands like a laborer. Her mouth parted as she panted anxiously pondering what secrets his past held.

“So you want to know my secrets, do you?” he breathed into her ear.

God, yes, she wanted to know. If for any other reason, than to know what made him so damned irresistibly devastating.

Like putty in my hands,
Tucker scoffed. Despite Lilliana’s sarcasm and cheekiness, she was proving to be just as easy as all the rest of the female persuasion he had devoured.  All he had to do was blow them off and make them think he wasn’t interested, then show them a little bit of attention and voila, he could slip right into her panties at will. He leaned in to tease Lilliana with a kiss when she abruptly pulled out of his reach. When her eyes opened, they were on fire. Tucker momentarily thought she had read his mind or maybe he had spoken his thought out loud at the heated look on her face.

“That file, Mr. McGrath; I’d like to see it now
.”

Tucker stood momentarily stunned. His dick was now semi-rigid and he felt
discomfited in the fact that he hadn’t gotten to taste her lips after all. He waved towards the computer and she promptly moved to his desk and seated herself front and center.

He gazed o
ut the windows at the Bridgeport landscape and the dark clouds that were beginning to form over the horizon while he tried to talk his dick down. Perhaps she wasn’t as easy a mark as he had thought she would be. When he looked over his shoulder, Lilliana was engrossed in what she was reading and he became even more ill at ease.

He moved behind her and peered over her shoulder to see what exactly
she was concentrating on. She was browsing an article about his multiple sexcapades and girlfriends and his stomach roiled, but she flipped through the pages seemingly not interested in that sort of gossip. Lilliana kept scanning the pages quickly, and nothing seemed to keep her attention until she came to his childhood information.

He leaned down behind her and c
overtly ghosted his nose through her short hair as she read. He wondered what the hell was so absorbing about his boring upbringing. He would’ve thought his numerous flings were far for entertaining than his dull and uneventful youth growing up as a farmhand to his father.

He inhaled deeply and was struck
with her fragrance. It was obviously a cheaper brand of perfume, but it was charming and hypnotic nonetheless. Oddly, though, the scent vaguely reminded him of home. 

“In
teresting,” Lilliana whispered.

What
the fuck was so interesting? Tucker didn’t like her tone. It was reminiscent of the marriage counselor that he and his second wife had spoken to just before their divorce.

He straightened up,
and grumbled, “Are you finished yet?”

“No, n
ot even close,” she responded back.

“We
ll dinner reservations are in twenty minutes so make it quick.”

Lilliana s
pun the chair around to face Tucker, her face only inches away from his crotch. Her eyes widened when she realized her closeness to his cock and she readjusted her chair sideways to avert her eyes away from his groin. Tucker’s mouth twitched with amusement.

“You
made reservations?”

“O
f course, I did.”

“How did you know I would accept your invitation?” she asked,
petulantly.

“I just knew,” he remarked confidently.

Lilliana stood and pushed past him toward the door. “This is a bad idea. I’m not sure who you think you’re dealing with, but I’m really not interested in being another one of your groupies, despite how pleasant you are to look at.”

Tucker chuckled with a dry and cynical sound.
Lilliana glared at Tucker crossly when his laughter lingered on a little too long.

“I’m not a rock
star, Ms. Norris. I don’t have groupies, but I’m glad to hear you find me attractive.”

“
As if you don’t know you’re attractive? Whatever. I’ll see myself out,” she stated determinedly and making her way speedily out the door.

“Ms. Norris…” Tucker said loudly, making Lilliana
slow her gait. “If you must know, I had
hoped
you would accept my offer of dinner. I made reservations regardless because if you hadn’t taken me up on my invitation, I still need to feed myself.”

He left out what he was really thinking, which w
as that he would’ve just called one his
groupies
whom he was positive would’ve taken him up on his invite if she had rejected him.

Lilliana had a look of bewilderment on her face, like she wanted to go to dinner with Tucker, but was fighting her own inner demons about it. Tucker
thought he knew exactly what to do. He turned off his computer without further ado and moved past her without a look.

“I’ll be at
The Cantina if you’d like to join me.”

***

Tucker moved past Lilliana swiftly, brushing up against her as he passed her. His cologne was delectable and she briefly hemmed and hawed.
Should she or shouldn’t she?
She knew by going to dinner with him it would be opening up a can of worms, and there would be no turning back. She watched Tucker until he disappeared on the elevator.

Lilliana blinked rapidly
, feeling out of sorts. She looked for Ariel, hoping the red-head could shed some light and help her with the tough decision, but she was long gone and the only other person in the large office space was someone cleaning the cubicles.

She decided to take
the twelve flights of stairs down to the main level and get her cardio work out of the way. When she reached her car, she started it, revved the engine loudly and made her decision. The last thing she needed in her life was a man telling her what to do, especially a man whose wealth and fooling-around rang all too familiar, and most definitely not a man who enjoyed paddling bottoms.

B
ack at home, Lilliana showered and made herself something to eat. After putting in her Koop Island CD, she reluctantly settled in to finish sorting through the last of Margo’s things that would be given to charity.

***

Tucker was growing more irate by the minute as he sat alone in the expensive restaurant waiting for Lilliana. He couldn’t believe that she had really stood him up. With all his years of dating, no woman had ever done such a thing to him -
ever
. He shifted uncomfortably in his chair thinking about the numerous women he had stood up.  The sudden realization of how they must’ve felt hit him and he didn’t like it. It stung. 

He began to mumble obscenities under his breath when a business rival approached his table.

“Dinner alone? That’s a first,” he snorted sarcastically.

“I figured you do it so often,
I might as well give it a try,” Tucker shot back.

The man completely ignored Tucker and continued. “So I hear
d you got your ass handed to you. I guess maybe you shouldn’t have messed around with Jensen’s wife.”

“That prick got lucky and he
didn’t hand me anything except an expensive dental bill. Did you see his face? I’d like the see the medical bill he got for his cracked jaw. Trust me, he’s worse for the wear than I am. Anyway, I didn’t know that was Jensen’s wife, you fuck. If Jensen had been giving her what she needed at home, she wouldn’t have been so eager to suck my dick and you can tell that piece of shit I said that,” Tucker hissed back.

The man looked completely
offended at Tucker’s language. He shouldn’t have been, Tucker was known for being brutally honest in all things and he very rarely held back.  The man looked around fretfully like he was plotting his escape before Tucker ripped into him anymore for bringing up the subject.

“So how’s that land deal on the edge of town going,” the man asked, trying to change the subject.

“Why? What have you heard?” Tucker asked defensively.

“Just that the new owner was asking
around for appraisals.”

“
I haven’t heard that.”

The man rolled his eyes.
“Just because you haven’t heard it, doesn’t mean it’s not true.”

Tucker waved his hand
in dismissal. “What the fuck ever, Edwards.”

Coming to the conclusion
that Lilliana was a no-show, Tucker left The Cantina. He stopped off for a little house warming gift to try and schmooze Lilliana with.
That ought to get her guard down,
he mused. He’d be damned if he was allowing Lilliana to get away without keeping her word about dinner, though.

***

Just as Lilliana was taping up the final box, a knock on the door startled her. She went to the large window to peer out and was surprised to see Tucker’s black Maserati parked out front. Lilliana had been so engrossed in what she was doing she hadn’t heard his vehicle pull in. She looked at the wall clock which read just after 10:00 p.m. Was Tucker insane showing up so late? She had to work in the morning.

She took a quick glance at herself and realized she was only wearing
a sheer white tank top and short shorts. She started to run towards her bedroom to change, but there was another bang on the door, this time louder and more emphatic.

She hesitated
, wondering whether or not to let Tucker in when she remembered the austere look on his face when she made him wait before and she didn’t want to upset him like that again. What the hell was she thinking and why on God’s green earth should she care if he was upset? She shook her head violently.
To hell with him.

Sh
e threw the door open irritably, ready to read Tucker the riot act, but when both their heated eyes locked, they froze. It was as if they had both been ready for a fight only to be stopped in their tracks by their craving for one another.  Tucker’s jaw gaped open as his eyes moved over Lilliana’s body. She hoped he liked what he saw, because she sure as hell liked what was standing in her doorway. Tucker drew in a slow, steady smile as his irises darted back up to hers.

“Booty shorts?
That’s an interesting look for you,” he commented, quirking an eyebrow at her.

“I was planning on changing but I didn’t want you to throw another tantrum
about waiting,” she countered.

“You haven’t seen a real tantrum, yet, my dear,” Tucker replied
unperturbed by her sarcasm, and pressing past Lilliana.

“Excuse me. Did I invite you in?”
Tucker’s pushiness reminded her of her ex-husband and how forceful he was on their last visit, and she was less than amused.

Tucker ignored her remark and made his way around the living room, looking casually at the p
ictures on the mantle and wall.

Tucker offered her a sudden arresting smile,
“I love this CD. It’s one of my favorites. Care for a dance?” he shimmied his hips teasingly.

A dance with Tucker
was the last thing Lilliana wanted and she sure as hell didn’t need him bumping those fantastic hips of his all over her.

To Lilliana’s dismay, Tucker continued to sway to the music, his toned body rhythmically moving
to the upbeat jazz tune.  Tucker gave her a crooked smile and motioned with his index finger to come hither as he mouthed the words to the song
Come to Me.
Lilliana squeezed her thighs together for some kind of relief from the throbbing that Tucker was causing between her legs. She took it back; she wouldn’t mind Tucker’s hips grinding into her after all, along with that nicely sized package she had eyed earlier. Hot damn that man could move. Lilliana wondered if he had the same musicality in bed that he had on the dance floor.

“Hellooo. I’m talking to you,” Lilliana stated, trying to ignore Tucker’s taunting.

“I heard you, I just choose not to respond. Anyway, I’m not a vampire, I don’t need an invitation into your home to take what I want,” he hummed out in a sing-song voice.

Like hell he wasn’t a blood sucker, she thought.
“Listen here, you smug…”

Tucker spun around
rapidly at the tone of Lilliana’s voice. His playfulness was gone and his eyebrows pinched together. Tucker was glaring at Lilliana much like he had been in his office. The sharp reprimand he gave her earlier, along with the threat of a red ass, was still ringing in her ears and she shut her mouth.

“It’
s late and I have to work in the morning,” she said more politely, but still very aggravated.

Tucker’s smile
and good humor returned, and he continued dancing around the room. “Regardless.”

“
Regardless of
what
?” Lilliana asked, not knowing what Tucker was getting at.

He glided
to the kitchen table, pulled out a chair, and seated himself facing her.

“
Regardless of whether or not you and I have to work early, you owe me dinner and I expect you to follow through with it. Seeing as I already ate, I’ll settle for dessert.”

Now Lilliana was the one who stood with her mouth
wide open. Was he kidding? And what the hell did Tucker mean by
dessert?

“Look,
I’m not sure what you think is going to happen here, but you really need to leave,” Lilliana declared.