Home Is Where the Heart Is (Welcome To Redemption) (8 page)

“We can get comfy on the bed, sip some champagne. Matt’s not the only one who can give a killer foot rub, you know.” He grinned, those sexy dimples doing funny things to her libido. And damn, if a foot rub didn’t sound like heaven right about now.

Deciding to loosen up and enjoy herself, Lindy rose and pointed to the fridge. “You grab the champagne. I’ll get the glasses.”

“Hell yeah. That’s what I’m talking about.”

They each grabbed their items and raced for the stairs, chuckling like a couple of kids. Dozing on the rug in front of the fireplace, Bo and Bianca gave a brief lift of their heads before returning to their slumberous ecstasy.

Bottle in hand, Drew hopped onto her bed, making himself at home by kicking off his shoes and falling back against her mountain of pillows with a masculine grunt of satisfaction. And what really shocked Lindy was just how...
right
Drew looked lying on her bed.

“Damn, this is comfortable. Makes my own bed seem like a stone slab. Think it’s time I invested in a new mattress.”

“It’s a Tempur-Pedic. They’re a little on the pricier side, but well worth it.”

Drew gazed at her, a disturbing intensity smoldering in his eyes. “Why don’t you grab the remote and hop on up here?” He patted the space beside him. “Plenty of room on your fancy
Tempur-Pedic
.”

Deciding to let his teasing remark slide, Lindy set the glasses on the end table beside him, then popped a movie in the DVD player. “Hope you’re okay with horror.”

“Really? And here I thought I’d have to watch a chick flick.”

She gingerly climbed onto the opposite side of the bed and sat Indian style with her back ramrod straight. “Sorry to disappoint, but I have a weakness for slasher movies.”

“No complaints, Hot Stuff. That was my point.”

She heard the pop of the cork from the champagne and watched as Drew poured them each a glass.

The bubbly, though not Cristal or Dom Perignon quality, went down smooth, and soon she found her anxiety melting away along with her inhibitions. By the time the previews ended and the movie started, Lindy felt comfortable enough to lean back against the pillows and relax. She flexed her feet, sort of testing the waters. Yeah, this was nice. She could do this. He was just a guy...no one special.

Pffft. You want him and you know it.

Drew shifted, and suddenly they were thigh to thigh, the heat of his body warming her as awareness tingled through her veins. “More champagne?” he asked as he topped off his own glass.

“Maybe just a little.”

“Can’t save champagne, darlin’, so drink up.”

He filled her glass to within a hair of the rim. And he’d called her darlin’. Though if she were being honest, she didn’t really mind being called Hot Stuff. Made her feel kind of sexy, which she hadn’t felt in...well, a long time.

She sucked the bubbly down in half the time it took to sip the first glass, and then twirled it beneath his nose for more. She grinned, relaxed and cozy. He grinned back and poured her another.

They watched the movie in silence. Lindy found herself leaning Drew’s way as the heroine on screen ran for her life toward the sanctuary of her car in the nearly empty mall parking lot. She managed to cram the key in the lock a split second before the killer caught her by the back of the hair. Her bloodcurdling scream rent the air as fate became a reality. The killer slapped a hand over her mouth as his bowie knife plunged into her back.

“I still can’t believe you like these kinds of movies.” Drew stretched his legs before casting her a sidelong glance.

“Why’s that?”

He shrugged. “Chicks getting cut to shreds by some psycho nut? Didn’t think in a million years you’d care for it.”

“I love blood and guts movies. Always have. Used to watch them with my Grandma Kate.”

He stared at her for a second. “Hot Stuff, just when I think I have you figured out, you surprise the hell out of me.”

It was Lindy’s turn to shrug, though a small smile played about her lips. She loved the fact he was finally seeing her in a new light; not just as the spoiled rich girl. Though, admittedly, she hadn’t shown him much else to judge her by. “Can I get some more champagne, please?”

He seemed to hesitate for a moment, then shrugged. “Sure.”

After she’d drained her glass for the fourth time, Drew took it from her and declared, “I’m pretty sure you’ve had enough now.”

“Hey, you’re the one who said to drink up, Bucko.”

One brow rose. “Bucko? Really?”

“Bucko...Bucko...yeah, I like it. Bu-cko. Buuu-cko. BuckoBuckoBucko.” She giggled. “I love that word. It’s my new favorite word. Seriously.”

Drew shook his head, but a reluctant smile crooked his mouth. That perfectly perfect mouth. Man, did he have nice lips.

“Okay, I think it’s time for me to leave and for you to get some sleep.”

“Hel-lo.” She gestured toward the champagne bottle. “We’re not finished yet. You’re the one who said we can’t save it.” After a brief attempt to snatch her glass back, Lindy broke out into a serious case of the giggles.

Drew laughed and set her glass on the nightstand. “Not much of a drinker, are you, Hot Stuff? Sure are entertaining, though, I’ll give you that.”

Entertaining? She’d give the big lug entertaining...
Lug. LugLugLug
. Lindy grinned. The champagne had definitely gone to her head—as well as her libido. The naughty thoughts racing through her mind kick-started a slow burn in her core. She wanted him. Now. And she was almost positive he wanted her, too. Just one time.
Work him out of your system so you can focus on the job you came to do and get back home to L.A.

She hiked a leg over his lap, straddling him. Drew settled his hands at her waist, looking quite surprised by her boldness. Heck, she was plenty surprised herself. She gave an experimental wiggle, drawing a groan from him.

“Christ, darlin’, I’m not made of stone.”

She wiggled again, casting him a coquettish look through her lashes. “You do a pretty good imitation.”

“You’re killing me, Hot Stuff.”

Throwing caution to the wind, she leaned down and kissed him—just laid one on him. A low growl rumbled in his chest, and his grip tightened as he pulled her flush against his chest. He deepened the kiss, tilting his head and slanting his mouth beneath hers. Lindy’s head swam; her pulse thrummed hard with need. It had been so long since she’d been with a man. Since she’d even kissed one, until yesterday, though she’d keep that bit of news to herself. Drew’s ego was practically spilling from his ears as it was.

Strong hands caressed and stroked the tender muscles of her back as deft fingers wove a tingling path up her spine, sending currents of sexual energy to every nerve in her body. Nestled against his hard chest, Lindy’s nipples tightened in anticipation, every inch of her aching for the incredibly sexy man she had pinned to her bed.

Without warning, Drew broke the kiss and gently slid her off of him. He sat up with a muttered curse and pulled his cell phone from his front pocket. It must have been on vibrate because she hadn’t heard it ring. He listened to a message, stared at the ceiling for a moment, then stuck it back in his pocket.

“What is it? What’s wrong?”

He sat up with a groan and swiped a hand through his hair. “Nothing, I...Listen, Hot Stuff, thanks for the pizza, but it’s late and I have an early day tomorrow.”

Before she could form a thought, Drew rolled off the bed and shot to his feet. He looked uncomfortable, and Lindy felt like crawling in a hole. He didn’t want her. She’d practically thrown herself at him, and he wasn’t even interested enough to take advantage of what she offered. Tears burned her eyes.

“I’ll call you.” With that, he left.

She heard him call for Bo once he reached the foyer. When he shut the door, it may as well have been a cannon going off, so strong was its impact.

Being rejected by the arrogant man once was one thing. But after yesterday’s aborted kiss, my God, she must be the biggest fool on the planet. He’d probably been waiting since last summer for a chance to knock her off her pedestal. And fine—touché. But Lindy had been foolish enough to let him get to her. Much as she hated to admit it, her heart ached. She’d started to fall for him, and now he knew it. The humiliation of it nearly choked her.

“I’ll call you.”

Flipping onto her back, she pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes, desperate to stem the flow of her tears. The faint crunch of gravel reached her as he pulled out of her driveway. A sob nearly escaped, but she choked it back, along with her vulnerability. She’d die before she’d let that man make her feel like dirt. No one could hear the ache in her chest; feel the burn of her shame. And no one needed to know just how deeply she’d fallen for the jerk.

A feminine howl of complaint penetrated Lindy’s depressing thoughts, and she glanced down to see Bianca gazing soulfully up at her. Binks leapt onto the bed, purring her little heart out as she butted her head against Lindy’s hand. Lindy swiped away her tears, then gave Bianca the petting of a lifetime, needing the comfort only her furry best friend could provide.

“Three more months, Bianca. Then it’s back home to L.A. For good.”

Chapter 8

“So where are you off to?” Matt asked as he set Lindy’s nonfat espresso macchiato to-go on the counter. Lindy pitched a five dollar bill down and snatched up her drink.

“I have to make an appearance at the plant, meet the new manager, and give dad a progress report.”

Knowing better than to argue with her, Matt accepted the money and rang up her coffee. “Someone’s in a mood this morning. What’s up?”

“Nothing.” She hooked her purse over her shoulder, careful to avoid eye contact with her perceptive older brother. Not that anyone could’ve missed her pissy attitude. Lord, she couldn’t wait to get back to real life—which thankfully was on the other side of the country. Mayberry’s small town charm and appeal had definitely started to wear off.

He eyeballed her in that annoying, ‘you never could lie to me’ brotherly way. The look that had never failed to draw the truth from her. “Something happen with Drew last night? You two seemed to be getting along when I left. Which, by the way, is
why
I left.”

“Mind your own business.”

“PMS?”

“Do you
want
to get slapped?”

Matt chuckled. “Okay, okay, I’ll quit. I’m just worried about you, Lin.”

She softened. “I’m fine, really. I woke up with a killer headache, and the ibuprofen hasn’t kicked in yet.”

“Do you want me to drive you to the plant? Jenny’ll be here in half an hour and Carrie can handle this place by herself blindfolded.”

“I appreciate the offer, but no. Again, I’m fine.”

“Do you remember how to get there?” he pressed.

“I do. But if I forget, the new Caddy has built-in navigation.”

“Good. Just remember to watch for that first left after the bridge. It’s a little difficult to spot the first time. And give me a call after you meet with the plant manager. I’m curious to know what you think of him.”

Matt’s smile was oddly self-satisfied.

“I will,” she promised. “See you later.”

The plant was roughly a twenty minute ride north of Redemption, and Lindy used that time to focus on business and exorcise a certain jackass from her mind. She’d cried a few tears, tossed and turned most of the night, and now she was done. Period.

The lot sat nearly empty since they only had a skeleton crew working at the moment. Once the plant reopened, which they estimated to be May 1
^st
, it would take over three hundred employees to run it twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. Matt had hired most of the upper management team, and as soon as Lindy made sure everything was running on course, she’d hire a full personnel team to help her fill the rest of the positions. Already, she had close to five hundred applicants, many who’d sent their resumes via email.

Lindy parked in the small lot next to the offices and glanced around with reluctant admiration as she carefully made her way across the snow-packed blacktop. Clear blue skies blanketed snow-covered pine trees for as far as the eye could see, giving the area an almost storybook enchantment. And that fresh air...she took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and frowned. Damn, she was going to miss fresh air when she headed back to the city of smog.

She unlocked the security door and stepped inside the office foyer, anxious to meet the plant manager Matt was so proud of himself for hiring. She tossed back the last swallow of her espresso macchiato, dropped the cup in the lobby trash can, and stopped to take another deep breath—this one to calm her frazzled nerves. She wondered if the plant manager was even in yet. Funny, Matt forgot to mention the guy’s name, and she’d been too preoccupied to ask.

“Lindy?”

The familiar, high-pitched feminine voice came from her right. Lindy spun around and racked her brain as a gorgeous brunette strode her way, hand outstretched, smiling from ear to ear. Suddenly, it dawned on her. “Bernie?”

“I wasn’t expecting you until next week!” Bernadette Mitchell, Lindy’s new executive assistant, clasped her hand and nearly pumped her arm off. “It’s so great to finally meet you in person.”