He stood up and feared he’d overplayed his hand. He walked into the kitchen and hoped she wasn’t holding a knife. “I’ll leave whenever you ask, but I want you to be honest with yourself and with me. Are you asking me to leave because you want me gone or because you’re scared?”
She spun around. Lyle was grateful her hands were empty. “I’m not afraid of you. I’m not afraid of anything.”
“Good. Because you don’t have to be afraid of me, Erica. I’ll never do anything you don’t want me to do.”
“I don’t want you to keep stirring me up the way you do. It’s confusing.”
“In what way?” He took a tentative step in her direction.
“In every way. You talk funny. You make me do things I don’t want to do, like having dinner with you and kissing you.”
“Is it so bad? Having dinner with me and kissing me?”
“I don’t know why you want to do those things. Isn’t there anyone else you’d rather have dinner with or kiss?”
“No. Not now and, when I stop and think about it, not really ever as much as this. As much as you.”
Everything that had come to life when he’d ignited her temper drained right off her face. “I don’t believe that.”
“It’s true. I wouldn’t lie to you.”
“What about Jill?”
The question had him jolting back. “What about Jill?”
“I know you liked her.”
“Yes, I did. I still do. We’re friends.”
“That’s it?”
“Jill’s marr—she’s getting married.”
“That doesn’t matter. My father drank himself to death over a dead woman. Being married doesn’t change anything for your heart.”
“Your father chose to mourn your mother forever. I’m not mourning Jill. In a few weeks, we’re going to gather together and celebrate that she’s found someone to love who loves her back. They’re starting a life together, and I’m happy for her. What she has, what she and Tyler have together, that’s what I want.”
“You’re younger than me and you’re thinking about getting married?”
“I don’t want to be married just to be married. I want someone to love, someone to share my life. When I think about the future, I don’t know what’s ahead, but I know I don’t want to be alone.”
“I’m not alone,” she said and folded her hands over her chest. “I have Jack.”
“Yes, you have your brother. You do a good job taking care of him just like you did a good job taking care of your father.”
“That’s different.”
“Maybe. But who takes care of you, Erica? Who has ever taken care of you?”
Erica frowned almost comically. “Jack does. We take care of each other.”
Poor girl, Lyle thought. She never considered the ways a man takes care of a woman. He felt a powerful need to make her want that, to make her feel important enough to want it. “But what if he falls in love and gets married? What will you do then?”
“I can take care of myself.” Erica snorted. “Can you honestly see my brother getting married?”
“I get the feeling he never considered it before he lost his vision. Now? I’m not sure.”
“You think he’s going to fall in love with Olivia? That won’t happen.”
“I don’t really care if it does or not. I don’t want to talk about your brother or Olivia. I want to know why you won’t admit you like me.”
“Your ego’s big enough.”
“So you do like me?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“But you didn’t say otherwise.” He leaned closer. “Come on, Erica. This time, you kiss me.”
“I don’t want to.”
“Then why do you look like that?”
“Like what?” she asked with her head turned and her eyes as soft as a doe.
“Your eyes, they’re…soft. Your eyelids are heavy like you’re having trouble keeping them open.” She comically held them wide, but he continued. “You’ve got these flecks of copper in your eyes, but I can only see them when I’m close.” He stepped into her so their chests brushed. “And your lips. When I look at them, they open for me. Like you’re asking me a question you can’t quite form with words.” When she swallowed and licked her lips, he nearly groaned. “I can feel your heart pounding, Erica. And there’s this vein in your neck…” He brushed his finger from her jaw to collarbone, and she closed her eyes. “It’s throbbing. Your breath is coming faster. Why can’t you tell me with words what your body tells me every time we’re together?”
“I don’t have your way with words.”
“They’re simple words. Say my name,” he asked.
“Lyle.” It came out on a whisper that frayed the ends of his nerves.
“Tell me what you want, Erica. Tell me.”
“I want you to kiss me.”
“Use my name.”
“Kiss me, Lyle. I want you to kiss me.”
He brushed his lips over hers so softly, so briefly, she whimpered for more. “That wasn’t so bad.” He took a calculated risk and inched away when everything in him screamed to lean in and take her, lead her, control her. Her eyes widened, her breath huffed out, and she reached for him. She brought him back and ruled him with her lips, gliding her tongue inside his mouth, answering every one of his questions with a demand of her own. He was all too happy to comply.
There was so much passion in her, so much fire. When she let it go, when she let him in, he felt the flames lick at his skin, igniting his own barely banked embers. Even as he gloried in her warmth, he worried they’d burn one another to the ground if he didn’t keep himself under control. Like a wild horse penned too long, bucking and grunting at the first whiff of freedom, Lyle needed to rein her in before she brought them both down in her haste. It took everything in him to pull back, loosen his grip on her hair, and gentle his kiss while she continued to assault his mouth, Her hands on his back, under his shirt, seared his skin.
Their breath mingled as they stared at one another, unable to focus through the smoke. “I...” She pushed the hair out of her face and swallowed.
Lyle stared at her mouth and wished with everything in him that he could finish what they’d started. She was alone and more than willing. Pulling back was the hardest thing he’d ever done in his life. But he knew taking her then would be a mistake. A few hours of pleasure would destroy the tiny foundation of trust he’d worked hard to establish.
“Erica, are we seeing each other?”
“What?”
It didn’t hurt his ego that she couldn’t focus. “Are you ready to admit we’re seeing each other?”
The line was back between her brows. “Is that what this was about? Proving a point?”
“No. I think we’ve burned the point to the ground. But what I want with you is more than a few hours of fun.”
She pushed at his chest, but he didn’t back up. If she thought he’d let her storm away, she was wrong. “You want an awful lot.”
“I’m willing to wait. We both know I could have you right now. When we make love, it’s not going to be when I have to beg you.”
“What do you want from me, Lyle?”
“I want to take you out to dinner. I want to hold your hand. In public. I want you to trust me enough to let me in.” He tapped his finger to her temple. “Not just your body, but that fascinating mind.” And to her chest where her nipple stood at attention. “And your heart.”
She stared at him, her chin in the air. “Is this about the book? Are you using me to get information about Jack for the book?”
That time he did step back, but instead of walking away, she stood with her shoulders slumped and a contrite expression. He raised his hands in the air. “You got me. I weaseled my way in here, dodged every one of the knives you threw at my throat, kissed you until I’m about to burst from wanting you, and all for a couple of background chapters in a book that may or may not sell. There’re a lot of things I’d do to help my career, but you’re not one of them. Thanks for thinking so highly of me.”
He turned around and grabbed his coat. “I’ll have your brother back tomorrow.”
Erica stepped away from the counter and into his path. “Lyle, wait.”
“We’ve said enough. I can’t make you believe you’re worthy enough or beautiful enough or whatever it is you need to believe. I’m exhausted from trying.” He stepped around her. “Thanks for dinner.”
Chapter 36
Tommy Golden ended his phone call and made a note on the agenda for the upcoming meeting he was leading of the ‘Stop the Slaughter at Bear Stream’ coalition. He’d agreed to head up the resistance to the area’s proposed development and, in the last few months, had devoted more hours to STS than he had his four businesses.
Thankfully, the rafting season had ended and the fishing season was on its last leg. That left the restaurant, the steady yet high maintenance part of his mini-empire, and the soon-to-be booming ski shop. Tommy liked to be busy, but he’d passed so far beyond busy he couldn’t even see it in his rear view.
He stood up for the first time since arriving at his office at six-thirty and stretched his back. He wandered to the credenza with his coffee mug to refill it from the pot he kept on continuous brew, but he made a detour at the window. He lifted the tines on the blind when he spotted Olivia’s car entering the parking lot and worried about what he saw.
It wasn’t that she was early for her lunch shift; miracles happened every once in a while. It wasn’t that she sat in the car without getting out; she could have been on the phone or fixing her makeup. It was the man in the passenger seat, a man he didn’t recognize, leaning over and feasting on his sister as if he were a starving man and she were a juicy steak fresh from the grill.
Tommy strode out of his office and into the restaurant where he could get a better view. When he saw Olivia’s roommate talking to Meredith, he called him over, pointing at Olivia’s car. “Who is that?” Tommy demanded.
“Who?” Lyle asked.
“The guy trying to eat Olivia’s face. Who the hell is that?”
Lyle gave an impish grin. “That’s Jack Forrester. I’m writing his biography.”
“Jack Forrester?” Tommy repeated. “Why does that name sound familiar?”
Lyle shrugged. “Do you follow the hedge fund industry?”
Tommy stared as Jack and Olivia molested one another in the front seat of her car. If either one of them hopped over the console, he would get his gun and make a damn fool out of everybody. He snapped his fingers when recognition hit. “Forrester’s the guy who submitted a permit to the county for a wind study.”
Lyle whipped his head around. “Is there anything that goes on around here you don’t know about?”
“Garrity checks with the county for any suspicious permits before our STS meetings. Damn it, I’ll bet he’s trying to infiltrate the group through Olivia.”
Lyle laughed and slapped Tommy’s shoulder. “That’s one hell of a conspiracy theory, but I’m afraid the only thing Jack’s trying to infiltrate is your sister.”
Jack and Olivia got out of the car, met back up by the bumper, and exchanged a quick parting kiss before Jack strode confidently toward the Tap and Olivia got back in her car. Tommy was out the door in two seconds flat. He purposely knocked Jack in the shoulder as he rushed to reach Olivia.
“Excuse me,” Jack said to Tommy’s back before continuing on inside the restaurant, seemingly oblivious to Tommy’s intent. Tommy wrenched Olivia’s door open as she started the ignition.
“Tommy,” she gasped with her hand to her chest. “You scared me to death. What in the world is wrong with you?”
“Me?” Tommy asked. “What in the world is wrong with you, making out in the parking lot with a known enemy!”
“What?” Her prettily made up face turned pink. “Did you see that?”
“Hell, Olivia, the whole county saw that. The next time you want to make out like a teenager in your car, I suggest you go somewhere people tend not to gather.”
“Great.” She dropped her head. “I’m sorry, but I don’t have time to remind you that I’m a grown woman. I’ve got a meeting in Westmoreland and I can’t be late.”
“What kind of meeting? I thought you were working today.”
“I was. They’ve found someone to conduct the investigation. I’ve got an interview at noon.”
Tommy looked at his watch. Hell. He had a mountain of things to take care of, including finding a waitress to work the lunch shift, but wouldn’t let his baby sister face the interview alone. He stepped around the front of the car and hopped in the passenger seat.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“I’m going with you. I’m mad as hell at you right now, but you’re not going alone.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t call you and let you know I couldn’t work. I’ve been a little preoccupied,” she said as she put the car in reverse.
“Obviously. I worry about you, Olivia. I always have, but now, now you’ve gone and hooked up with someone trying to bring down our coalition.”
“Tommy, I think all that caffeine you drink has finally fried your brain. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Jack Forrester. Did you know he’s doing a wind study on his property in Hailey?”
“No. Why should I care about a wind study? More importantly, why do you?”
Tommy sighed and fished his phone out of his pocket when it signaled a text. “Why do you think he’s doing a wind study?”