“Those are the best kind.” Tripp tugged again on the lock of her hair. Lexi’s body swayed and brushed his, but she kept her hands behind her. He resisted the physical urge to haul her into his arms. “Shall we then?”
“Let me shut down my computers and lock up the office.” She disappeared into the back.
Tripp sat on one of the red leather couches in the lobby prepared to wait the who-knew-how-long for a woman to get ready.
The outer door opened, sending a chime through the space. The man who stood within the frame leaned down toward Tripp before he walked straight toward the back room. As Tripp started to get up, Lexi returned, her attention on her bag.
“Lexi,” the man said.
Her head whipped up. “Ken. What are you doing here?”
“I needed to see you. I know it’s been a little while—”
“A little while? It’s been—”
“I swear I’ve come to my senses. I should’ve a long time ago.”
Tripp waited for the tender moment—or the slug given the full-on scowl on Lexi’s face.
Her eyes narrowed even more. One hand flew to her hip. “Get out.” She extended a finger toward the door as if Ken needed direction. Even her tone suggested he should pack himself up with expedient efficiency. “Get the hell out, and don’t ever contact me again. You didn’t leave because of you, you son of a bitch. I kicked you out, and I did it for a damn good reason. You cheated on me, and you lied about it. That was a year ago. A year … not ‘a little while’.”
Ken remained in place. As his mouth formed another word, Lexi cut him off.
“What the hell are you thinking? Did you think something changed all of a sudden? Did you really think I didn’t know what you did? That I threw you out on your ass because I was bored?” She tapped her temple. “You slept with the biggest mouth in the state. Twice. Get out of my office and don’t ever,
ever
step foot in here again.”
“But—”
Her finger pointed at the door while her body vibrated with what Tripp took as absolute fury.
When the chime signaled again, Tripp stood and stepped toward Lexi.
“Don’t.”
“I didn’t do anything.”
She growled a breathy, feral sound. “That’s what all guys say.” She spun to face him, her eyes burning with hurt anger and confusion. “I’d never catch you in that same act, now, would I?”
That’s true.
“I’d never cheat—”
She cut him off with a hand through the air. “I knew this was a bad idea.”
He closed the gap between them in two strides. “I don’t cheat, Lexi. You can’t compare what you think might happen with me to what did happen with some asshole.”
Back and forth, her head bobbed. “I can’t deal with the idea that you could and
I
wouldn’t even know, Tripp.” Her hands crossed over her chest. “I’ll never know if you’ve been faithful because you can get away with it. It’s like the ultimate win for you. Think about it. You were with Jill, found me and moved on, and she probably has no idea why, knows nothing about me.”
Tripp grabbed her wrist with his free arm and tugged her closer to him. “You ask Ian about this … Miss Shepherd, and he’ll tell you … if there is one thing I abhor, it’s cheaters. In relationships, I don’t cheat. Not in emotional game play shit or where my dick finds itself.” His own breath came in jags as anger built at the unprecedented accusation which rivaled all others thrown at him.
“Does Jill think you’re still getting married?”
Tripp hesitated and knew she’d catch on. “I hope not. Who was that guy, anyway?”
Lexi pulled her arm free. “A man I thought I’d marry—at one point in time.” She waved in the air as if to disperse bad air.
“And you dumped him when you found out he cheated on you.”
“Of course.” She spit the words at him, curling her arms around herself. “I haven’t spoken to him … since the night I found out.”
“I’m not him, Lexi. I’m someone else. I want you to trust me and, yeah, so far, what you’ve seen probably hasn’t done a great deal of showing why you should, but I promise—”
“Never promise, Tripp. Those are the single most difficult statements to keep.”
He swallowed a string of expletives. Ian’s suggestion to make her want him fell flat like a popped tire. Still, promises should never be broken, and he didn’t make them unless he intended to keep them.
“Fuck.” He let that one go for the sake of stress relief. “If Ian were here, he’d tell you the truth. I may toe a gray line, but not there. I don’t cheat on women.”
Lexi crossed her arms over her chest, but stayed quiet.
Tripp wrapped his arm around her and bumped her back against him. “I don’t cheat.”
“What … about … Jill?”
“Will you please just trust me on that?”
The soft, subtle movement of her head sent figurative stabs to his heart. “I don’t think I can,” she said.
“That’s all been taken care of.” He laid his lips against her forehead. “Happy now?”
The creases smoothed out. “Did you have Ian do it? Or were you too chicken to do your own dirty work?” A soft laugh accompanied her sarcasm.
“Whatever you need to believe, baby.”
10
Rather than spend another moment surrounded by what Lexi called ‘bad air’, she pulled Tripp out of her office and down the sidewalk toward Dulces.
“Candy?” Tripp’s mirth bled through as he angled his gaze up to the sign above the shop.
“You’d be surprised at what they concoct in here, but yeah, essentially, anything sweet. They have a dinner menu that’s awesome, too.” Lexi proceeded into the foyer, breathing in the scents of sugary treats. The key to Dulces had always been the entry and the exit. If she’d had a bad day, she’d walked through just to bring a smile to her face.
The walls, lined with bins of homemade candy, held some of the very best desserts ever made, or so said every food critic who sampled Dulces’ offerings.
“Lexi!” Sweet southern charm rang from the voice.
“Janine.” Lexi accepted a hug from her high school friend. “What are you doing out front today?”
“Kevin’s home with the baby and Casey, so I’m kinda manning both the front and the back, though Marco’s got the kitchen. He’s happy as a sugar cube in one of my candy canes.” Her smile warmed as much as it welcomed. “You brought company, Lex?” She turned to Tripp, slapped her hands against a clean apron before she extended one. “Janine Parker.”
“Nice to meet you. Tripp Fox.”
“Want a table, or is this to go?” She bumped her hip against Lexi’s.
“A table, please. I wanted to show off your culinary successes. And he’s paying, so you can bill me your real rate.” Lexi hid the smirk behind a hand as she eyed Tripp.
“C’mon then. I’ve got the perfect spot.” Janine led them to a two-person table the size of a large pizza.
“This okay?” Lexi looked to Tripp.
“It’s great.”
To one side, a wide pane of glass opened to the confectionary. Silver bowls, giant mixers and long spoons accented the stark white walls.
“Nothing going on today, Jani?”
“Nope. Got a massive shipment out yesterday. Today’s my break.”
“And yet you’re working.”
“Yup.” She handed them menus. “What can I get you to drink?”
“I want a Chardonnay. Tripp?”
“You keep any beer on tap, or is it all wine?”
Janine’s smile grew. “Kevin keeps some Heineken in the back. Our personal fridge, I should add.” She wiped the back of a hand across her brow. “I can sneak one out if you promise not to tell.” One finger moved to her lips.
“Mum’s the word.”
“Good. If anyone asks, you brought it in with you.”
Tripp saluted as she disappeared. “You have an interesting friend.”
Lexi’s shoulders fell as her muscles relaxed. “Yeah. She’s great. This place is one of my favorites, not just because she owns it.”
“So what does a restaurant called ‘Candy’ serve as far as actual sustenance? I’m thinking, if I load up on sugar, I might need to burn it off later.”
Ignoring the innuendo, Lexi pointed out a few of the dishes she loved as well as the specials. One never knew what Janine would come up with. She changed her menu any time she wanted to try out a new recipe or even when someone suggested a new idea.
“It’s eclectic,” Tripp said.
“Yeah. The chicken in honey sauce is to die for.”
“That what you’re having?”
“Sure am.” Lexi’s smile broke through. “I order it just about every time I come. If you want to try something a bit different, the steak in the crème sauce is another specialty. She infuses it with a little sweet something-or-other. I have no idea what’s in it, but it’s awesome.”
“Sounds good to me.”
Janine returned with their drinks, left with their orders.
Tripp reached across the table and took Lexi’s hand. The proximity to the kitchen area left their spot cooler than in other parts of the small space. She started to pull away, but his touch infused heat into cold hands, so she remained connected. His thumb rubbed against hers, sending a line of pleasure up her arm.
“We need to take this slow.” Lexi tried for confident but unassuming.
Emma said make it so he’ll do anything.
“We need to take this however it takes us.”
“You really believe there’s a way to get around it?” She slanted her head toward him.
“I do, yes. It’s obvious if you look at Marge and George, but even then, I’m a firm believer in the all-things-have-a-way-around-them theory.”
Combined forces. That’s it!
“Okay, let’s leave that topic … for a moment.” She reciprocated the caress. “Maybe I have a proposition for you.”
“Already?” He hid the smile behind a sip of his beer.
Lexi’s laugh breached their personal space. “Not that, no. Geez.” She shook her head as she dialed back the volume. “You said something at my office.”
“What?”
“Here you go,” Janine set their dinners in front of Lexi and Tripp.
“You’re running fast tonight,” Lexi said.
“We aim to please, and of course I slid your orders up first.” She winked at Tripp, offered the same and a thumbs up to Lexi.
“This looks fantastic.” Tripp dove into his meal as Lexi did the same. “So, back to your proposal.” He waved with his knife. “And by the way, I’m not opposed to a different type.” He added a quick nod.
She bit into the chicken to hide the smile. The savory honey with whatever spices Janine used and Tripp’s second silly comment did what a shot of whiskey accomplished on a cold winter’s day.
Back to business, Lex. Raging hormones in check. Ideas bubbling.
“So,” she started again. “Remember the guy at the beach? Who wanted my pendant?”
Tripp murmured a ‘yes’.
“Emma and I were trying our hand at a little different line of work. Real estate is lucrative enough for us, but, well—”
“It’s boring.”
“You could say so. I love it, but it’s gotten too easy. So, I put out some feelers, said we were ‘for hire’ for retrieval of certain types of items. Loads of people hide their crap in the sand, under piers thinking they’ll go back to get it and never do. A few jobs we took, we were just set up to
meet
at the beach because of the timing—”
“I take it the necklace was one of the latter?”
Lexi nodded as she sliced another piece of chicken. “We got several deals, and most worked out, and well … they were kinda fun.”
Not fun. That was stupid.
“I just think I got a little over my head with the one.”
“I wouldn’t worry too much about him … if you are.”
She moved her knife back and forth in the air. “His ex-wife had explained everything to me before I went down. She even verified some paperwork and the authenticity, showed me everything I needed to know. The neat part was that once she did that … she gave me the pendant.”
“That surprises you?” Tripp’s smirk didn’t hide behind the steak bite. “You know what a sapphire is supposed to do, right?”
“Sparkle?”
Tripp chuckled. “It protects against witches.”
“Well, good, ’cause who knows when the next one will land on my doorstep and try to do me in.” She added a wink.
“You have an odd sense of humor.”
“Emma says the same thing, but I also have a mean streak and a temper unless I’m in my tolerant mood—which is mostly.”
“I see that.” He pointed at her with his knife. “So what’s the proposal?”
Am I really ready for this? Nope. Channel Emma. You can do this.
“If I can find it and you can get it, there’s no telling what we could do together.”
“I thought you were ‘adamantly opposed’ to all things illegal.”
“Oh, I am. And nothing related to finding people either.” Lexi kept her tone serious to ensure he would understand her position. “I want to work
on
the gray line at the edges of the white, not the black.” She shrugged. “So, maybe we could do some … projects … together?”
You sound like an idiot.
“Playing in the white’s not nearly as much fun. Ask Ian.” Tripp’s lips curved. “I wouldn’t know that of course.”
“Right.” Lexi leaned toward him. Her confidence ratcheted up a notch. “So, what do you think about combining forces, so to speak?”
“I’m willing … in more ways than one.”
• • •
Tripp speared his last piece of steak. Whatever the sauce, the sweet flavor made for a wonderful explosion of taste married with the beef. “Has Ian talked with you?”
Lexi’s curls bounced. “No, why?”
“He had the same idea the very first time I told him about you. Of course, the man is a business genius, but I’m intrigued we’ve found a common point of interest. Makes me wonder just how connected we really are.”
She closed her eyes as if in thought. Dark browns sparkled back at him when she opened. “I’m guessing those on the outside can see the benefits far more clearly than we can.”
“Probably.”
“Can I get you guys anything else?” Janine returned, refilled their waters and made some trash disappear. “Another beer, Tripp?”
He shook his head. “Thank you, but no. I do think I owe Lexi some dessert though.”
Lexi quirked an eyebrow. “Can I have my favorite to go?”
“Oh, yeah, be right back.” Janine zipped back into the kitchen. She popped into the confectionary before she disappeared again.
“Favorite?” Tripp asked.
“It’s something she makes just for me.”
He hooked her finger with his. “Going to share?”
Lexi leaned toward him. “Yogurt or chocolate covered pretzels are good, right?”
Tripp agreed with a quick nod.
“Well, she takes raspberries, coats them in melted milk chocolate, crunches up pretzels and rolls the ball in it, then sets them on a mint leaf. I leave it in the fridge for an hour and the mint soaks in.”
“And why doesn’t she make them for anyone else?”
“Because I gave her the idea for that one little treat. Then, when she needed financial backing—”
“You helped her. So she keeps this one little gift in reserve.”
“Exactly.” Lexi sipped on her wine, smiling behind the glass. “I’ve told her to sell it to the public, but she won’t. She calls it her good luck charm, and like all luck, it should be used very, very wisely.”
Janine returned with a small square box. “I put four inside. Had a couple already chilled just in case you came tonight. Emma—”
Lexi’s expression changed to one of curious irritation.
“—said you might be dropping by.” Janine set the package on the table.
Lexi tapped the top of the box. “Thanks, Jani, I appreciate this.”
“What’s that look for?” Once alone again, Tripp circled a pointed finger in the air.
“Emma’s pushing my limits.”
“How’d she know we’d come here?”
“She just does that sometimes.” Lexi stood. “Ready to go?” She held the box in one hand.
“What about the bill?”
“She never lets me pay. Ever. Doesn’t owe me a cent for what she borrowed, and refuses to let me fork over any bit of cash.” The chair squeaked a little as she moved it back in place. “But don’t let her fool you … she’s a maniac with business. If Emma and I didn’t work out, I’d steal Janine in a heartbeat.”
Tripp tucked a twenty under his plate before they ventured into the dark of the evening. The sun left an orangey-pink tint to the horizon while the end of summer air held on to the humidity. Lexi guided them away from Wise Women, past the end of town and onto a side street.
“You like living close to town?” Tripp asked.
“Yes. And no. Like I told you before, I always wanted to live in what will soon be your farmhouse. The place has history, a feel, a magical touch that comes only with age and grace.”
Tripp chuckled. “Add broken pipes and rotting plywood. You know it needs work and a lot of it, right?” They’d managed to get only a few blocks away from town, to the outskirts of a residential area with short, squat single-story houses dated to the nineteen twenties, if not before.
She hid her laugh behind the dessert box. “I figured as much. I’m surprised you didn’t want the whole nine yards as far as inspection, all that stuff. I mean, I would—”
He turned her so she fit against him, one arm slipped behind her back. “Would you now? So, do I need to report you to the real estate board for unethical behavior?”
Lexi held the box between them until he nudged it, and she tucked it behind her.
“You’re quite beautiful in the moonlight.”
She smiled.
He couldn’t help the grin. “The little drips and drabs of light make you sparkle. A tie-in with the stars perhaps? If I didn’t know for sure, I’d think you come alive at night.”
“My sister calls me a night owl. I do my best work then. Though it’s hard in real estate. People want to see everything during the day.”
“Thus our first meeting.” He dipped his head, laid his lips against hers.
“I know this is a small town and all, but we’re standing in the middle of the road—”
“That’s okay. It’s deserted.” He pushed her to the edge. “Or are you afraid of getting caught like a couple of teenagers?”
He teased her lips open, groaned as her arm snaked around his neck. He lost himself in her, making silent promises she wouldn’t take if he spoke them. Their lips traveled from one side to the other as their hands roamed each others’ backs.
“Hang on.” Tripp slipped the sling off.
Her cringe brought out his own.
He raised his arm an inch at a time until he draped it over her shoulder, pulling her in tight.
“Are you okay? I’m not hurting, but if you are—”
“I’m alright.”
She pushed the kiss further, merging and blending herself with him. “This is a really weird situation we’ve gotten ourselves in, Tripp.” She laid a line of soft touches along his jaw. “There are a whopping four people who think we’re sane.”
He chuckled. “At least five since I’m included.”
“Car.” Lexi turned as headlights beamed toward them.
• • •
The vehicle headed straight in their direction, teetering back and forth as if the driver attempted to miss potholes. It picked up speed along the short stretch, careening straight toward them.
Tripp pushed Lexi back. She stumbled into the fence.
The car kept moving right at them.
He leaped toward her. Panic sent Lexi grabbing the fence with a thought to jump it.
The car stopped at the edge of the grass—a foot from them.