“I’m considering that, yes.” He allowed his jaw to relax. “Look, Vivian, we both know Ellie doesn’t belong here. She’s hiding away from her life. She had to put her career on hold, her fiancé dumped her, and it hit her hard. Do you honestly believe her future is in this town?”
After a moment of silence, Vivian gave a grudging look and said, “No, I don’t.”
Luke’s chest swelled with hope. “Then let her go. Don’t give her a reason to stay.” He reached across the table and gripped both her hands with his. “Fire her, Viv. You know it’s for the best.”
“I’ll…think about it.” She removed her hands from his grasp and shot him a knowing glance. “But just remember something, Luke. You’re not Ellie’s bodyguard. She doesn’t need protection. She needs a friend.”
Before he could question the cryptic remark, Vivian bounded from the chair and straightened the hem of her knee-length black skirt. With a small nod, she turned away and headed for the bar.
“What was that about?”
Luke jumped as Ellie’s wary voice wafted from behind. A quick spurt of guilt erupted in his gut as he wondered just how much of the conversation she’d heard. Turning his head to explain, he opened his mouth, then closed it. His voice died in his throat.
Ellie looked…hot. So fucking hot it was practically criminal. She wore a short red dress that clung to every curve of her lithe body, from her small round breasts to her shapely thighs to that firm ass he still couldn’t get over. Everything about the dress screamed danger. The treacherously low neckline. The ruby-red silk. The way it stopped just below her thighs and revealed long shapely legs and feet strapped in a pair of flat sandals. Christ, was she trying to kill him?
It took a second for him to snap out of it and move his gaze north, but what he saw there was just as enticing. Her long brown hair was loose, flowing down her shoulders in waves, and the makeup she’d worn during the performance was scrubbed off. Her face looked fresh and clean, save for the shiny pink lip gloss that had his mouth tingling. He wondered how those shimmering lips would feel wrapped around his cock.
“Are you going to answer the question?” she interrupted his inappropriate thoughts, frowning. “What were you and Viv talking about?”
“I was just telling Vivian where I plan on taking you tonight,” he lied.
Her taut features relaxed. Slightly. “That’s all?”
He ignored another burst of guilt, adding, “And then she warned me to take good care of you otherwise she’d kick my ass.”
Ellie’s face relaxed completely. “Oh. Sounds like Viv, all right.” She paused. “So where are you taking me?”
“Dinner at your favorite—” he tried not to cringe, “—seafood restaurant. And then that carnival on the boardwalk. The owner of the motel told me it’s a big thing around here.”
Ellie rolled her eyes. “I wouldn’t call a Ferris wheel and popcorn stand a big thing.”
He stood up and slung his hands in the waistband of his faded jeans. “Do you want to go somewhere else?”
“No. I love carnivals, regardless of how crappy.” She flashed a small grin that warmed his insides. “So, you ready to go?”
She took a step closer and the silky material of her dress swirled around her legs. Forcing himself not to ogle her again he nodded. “Let me just pay for my beer.”
He dug into his back pocket and removed a five-dollar bill, then dropped it on the table and turned to Ellie. He spoke before he could stop himself. “Did I tell you how amazing you look in that dress?”
“You just did.” She grinned again and this time it warmed more than his insides.
With his semi-hard cock straining against the fly of his jeans, he shot her a rueful look. “C’mon, let’s get out of here.”
***
“Luke knows you’re here.” Vivian didn’t give Josh a chance to reply as she flew through the front door and dropped her purse on the black end table near the couch. She’d forgotten her cell phone at home and, although she could’ve lived without it for a night, the conversation with Luke at the club had rattled her. So much that she’d felt the need to come home and talk to Josh about it.
It was almost comical, the amount of guilt currently weighing down her shoulders like a block of concrete. She was forty-four years old yet she felt like a disobedient schoolgirl who needed to be reprimanded by the headmaster. Lying to Ellie made her feel like slime. No, like a wad of chewing gum under someone’s shoe.
How had she let Josh convince her to keep his presence a secret? She should’ve called Ellie the second he showed up on her doorstep. Instead, she’d allowed him to stay in her home and get under her skin. To take her on a date, for God’s sake. And damn it, it had been a really good date.
They’d talked non-stop during dinner about everything from law to philosophy. There hadn’t been a single awkward silence and she was almost ashamed to admit that Josh Dawson was more mature than most of the men she’d dated in the past. Maybe even more mature than her.
The evening had gone so well she’d had to fight the temptation to blow off work and spend more time with him. Of course, after her conversation with Luke Russell, she really wished she’d given in to that temptation and never gone to the club.
“You told him?” Josh said in surprise. He was sitting on her couch, flipping through a thick legal document. On the coffee table sat a stack of files he’d had his secretary FedEx to Vivian’s house.
“He saw us,” she corrected, sinking down next to Josh. “Apparently Luke was driving by as we were leaving for dinner.”
Josh set the document on the table. “Oh.”
“Oh? That’s all you have to say? It doesn’t bother you that Luke knows you’re staying here…that we’re, you know, together?”
“Why should it?” He shrugged then stretched out his arm and rested it over her shoulder. “Like I keep telling you, we’re both adults. Who cares if Luke knows?”
An exasperated breath flew out of her mouth. “I care. Especially if he tells your sister that I lied to her. Which he won’t, of course.” She frowned. “Not if I do what he asked.”
Josh returned the frown. “What the hell does that mean?”
“He wants me to fire Ellie so she won’t have a reason to stay in town.”
“I agree. Fire her, Viv.”
She stared into his serious blue eyes, flabbergasted. How could he sit there so calmly while they discussed messing up Ellie’s life for no good reason? They had no right playing God and telling Ellie she couldn’t dance anymore. Did Josh even know that his sister’s ballet career was over? He had to know, he was too intelligent not to. So how could he look so unfazed by taking away the only connection to dancing Ellie had left?
“She can find another gig,” Josh added. “If she wants to dance in a nightclub, there are plenty of places in San Francisco that would hire her.”
Vivian sighed. “What if she’s not ready to go back?”
“Look,” he said, rubbing her bare shoulder before pulling her closer to him. “We both know the car accident changed her life, but she can’t hide away forever. She needs to rebuild her life.”
Vivian grew quiet. Maybe he was right. If Ellie went home, she could finally begin putting the pieces of her life back together instead of pretending the accident never happened. And she’d have her big brother to lean on while she did that.
Seeing the situation in a new light, she said, “I think…you and Luke might be right. Hiding away in this town isn’t the answer for Ellie.”
“So you’re going to do it? Fire her?”
She nodded. Tried to look past her own guilt and see the good that would come out of it. “I’ll do it tomorrow.”
“Thank you, Vivian.”
“I’m not doing it for you, Josh.”
“I know. But I’m still grateful.” He brushed his hand over her face again, then slowly drew her into his arms and pressed his lips against hers. When he pulled back, he murmured, “Now maybe it’s tim
e we talk about what’s happening between us.”
Her palms grew damp. She knew it was a conversation they needed to have but it still made her apprehensive. They’d had one great date, sure. A few hot kisses, yes. And she couldn’t forget how they’d nearly had sex in her living room the night before. But what did it all mean? She wasn’t sure.
Josh had made it clear he wanted a relationship from her but could she really give that to him? She had no clue.
What she did know, however, was that she couldn’t have this talk until she figured how she felt about it all.
“I need to go back to the club,” she said, disentangling herself from his embrace. She stood up and reached for her purse, then swiped her cell phone from the coffee table. She glanced at Josh in time to see disappointment flashing across his face.
“You can’t keep avoiding it, Viv.”
“I’m not avoiding anything,” she lied. “I really do need to go. I just came back for my cell. I’ll probably be home late since we close at three, but we can talk tomorrow, okay?”
He rubbed the nape of his neck, looking frustrated, but after a moment his features relaxed. “Fine. We’ll talk tomorrow.”
Making it through dinner alive was the hardest thing Luke had ever done in his life. He hadn’t been able to eat a bite, not when Ellie sat across from him in that traffic-stopping dress of hers. And concentration? Well, all that had flown right out the window once they left the restaurant and strolled toward the boardwalk, while his eyes stayed glued to her swaying hips and that enticing way her breasts bounced as she walked. When he’d realized she wasn’t wearing a bra under that damn dress he’d almost made a run for it.
How on earth was he supposed to show her he was in control when he was far from it?
“I haven’t been to a carnival in so long.” There was a little spring to Ellie’s stride as they approached the end of the boardwalk.
The carnival was set up on the outskirts of the little market Luke had yet to visit and as he and Ellie walked up to the entrance, she shot him a smile, looking elated by the noise and flashing lights. She’d been right; aside from a few children’s rides, the enormous Ferris wheel seemed to be the only attraction, its lit-up cars sparkling under the dark sky.
But the game area made up for the lack of rides, offering everything from ring toss to target shooting to a We’ll-guess-your-birthday stand. Luke had always enjoyed carnival games as a child, and immediately led Ellie in the direction of the loud mechanical rings and frustrated shouts.
“Look, the strength-o-meter,” she said.
He followed her gaze and chuckled when he saw a heavy-set man cursing as he slammed a metal mallet against the platform. The meter shot up to Borderline Wimp, making high-pitched ringing sounds, as the man’s date laughed in delight.
“I’d suggest you try it but we both know what a big, strong guy you are, don’t we?” The suggestive tone of her voice caused a rush of warmth to pool in his groin.
So apparently the game was on. All throughout dinner he’d been wondering when Ellie would turn up the heat.
Hiding a smile, he took her hand and stroked it softly. Then enjoyed the way her eyes widened. “Why don’t you pick the game then?”
Mischief danced across her face. “Okay, how about that one? Will you win me a goldfish?”
He followed her gaze to a nearby game stand, which required tossing a ring over a small fish bowl. “Not unless you plan on carrying that bowl around for the rest of the evening.”
“Hmmm. You’re right. Forget it. What should we do then?”
He gestured to the shooting range. “How about you win me a stuffed animal?”
“Shouldn’t it be the other way around?”
He shot her a grin. “I just figured that a feminist like you would like to do the winning.”
“A feminist?” She huffed. “All right, I’ll show you how it’s done.”
They walked up to the counter, where Ellie paid the man and then reached for one of the shotguns. She looked at the owner warily. “These things aren’t real, are they?”
“No, ma’am. They shoot BBs.”
Awkwardly holding the gun, she turned her head. “The feminist confesses she’s out of her element.”
Well, well, it wasn’t like Ellie to admit defeat. He took a step toward her. “Here, I’ll show you how to hold it.”
Unfortunately, in his line of work, carrying a firearm came with the job, and he’d taken dozens of weaponry courses over the years. He didn’t like it, though. He’d never been comfortable with the power holding a gun wielded.
He approached Ellie from behind, and put his arms around her, clasping his fingers over hers. As his chest grazed her back, he heard her breath hitch, and the soft sound nearly caused him to keel over. It pleased him to no bounds how he got that reaction from her.
“Okay,” he murmured. “Put your hands here.” He moved her small hands over the gun. “Lower your head so that you can look through the scope. That’s how you aim.”
She lowered her head, the movement causing a stray strand of her hair to tickle his chin. “It’s heavier than I thought.” She twisted her head to shoot him a look hot enough to melt a glacier. “Harder, too.”
“Is that a good or bad thing?” he returned roughly.
She ran her tongue over her bottom lip. “A good thing, of course. I like it hard.”
Instant erection. Luckily his body was pressed against Ellie’s back, shielding his enormous hard-on from carnival-goers. Then he had to rethink the word lucky as Ellie wiggled her ass against his crotch in obvious enjoyment to his predicament.
“What now?” she asked, turning to face the targets.
Now I take you to bed.
“How do I shoot?”
She’s talking about the gun, you sex-crazed idiot.
“Now pick your target, check your aim, and gently squeeze the trigger.”
“Do I have to be gentle?”
Luke thanked the lord above that she couldn’t see the expression on his face. “Yes.”
“Fine then.” The gun made a quick popping sound as Ellie squeezed the trigger. She connected with one of the targets—a small milk bottle—and it toppled over with a crash.
“I hit it!”
The owner of the booth handed her a monstrous pink stuffed bunny and she held up her prize in triumph. Then she gave a slight frown. “I didn’t think this through,” she admitted with a glance at the enormous prize. “I’m not sure I want to carry this thing for the rest of the night.”
He extended a hand. “I’ll do it.”
“No, I have a better idea.” She took a few quick steps and intercepted a passing couple. With a smile, she bent in front of the little red-haired girl standing beside her parents and said, “Hey there, sweetie, how would you like to take this bunny off my hands?”
The girl, who couldn’t have been older than five or six, looked up at her mother with big blue eyes. “Can I, Mama?”
The couple seemed less than thrilled at the prospect of carting that stuffed animal around but obviously neither one could say no to their daughter’s angelic face. Ellie handed the bunny to the girl and the small family strolled off. With another smile, she turned to Luke. “Those parents probably hate me.”
“They didn’t look excited about the three-foot-tall bunny,” he agreed.
Ellie just shrugged and let her gaze roam the lit-up grounds. “Okay, what should we do next?”
“How about the Ferris wheel?”
She blanched. “I’ll pass.”
“Don’t tell me you don’t like Ferris wheels.”
“No, Ferris wheels are fine. It’s heights that bother me.”
He couldn’t keep the challenge out of his voice. “Ellie Dawson, scared of heights? Scared of anything, for that matter? Shocking.”
“Everyone has their weakness.”
He had to give her that. His weakness, ironically, was standing right in front of him.
“Come on,” h
e coaxed. “Let’s go for a ride.”
Ha! Looked like she wasn’t the only one who’d mastered the art of double entendres. He silently applauded himself for the situation he’d just placed her in. If she said no, it would be as if she was saying no to the other ride, the one that had the two of them naked, in bed, burning up the sheets.
He almost rubbed his hands together in glee, knowing from the nervous expression on her face that she was about to back down.
Or maybe not.
“Okay. One ride.” She licked her lips again then lifted her hand to his face and ran it along the curve of his jaw. “You’ll protect me, won’t you, Luke?”
His entire mouth went dry but he still managed to give her the cool, confident look he’d perfected over the years.
“Of course I’ll protect you.”
Chapter Nine
“Why aren’t we moving?”
Ellie clung to Luke’s arm in terror as their Ferris wheel car hovered fifteen feet off the ground, swaying dangerously from side to side. Though they weren’t too high up yet, her nerves skittered like a timid hare in the presence of a mountain lion. Just seeing the tops of people’s heads made her uneasy, confirming her belief that human beings had legs and feet for a reason, and that’s so they could stand on solid land.
“They’re still letting people on. The ride hasn’t started yet.”
Luke’s patient tone didn’t soothe her. She glanced up at the inky-black sky, trying to focus on the white stars sparkling overhead. Looking up, however, only strengthened the realization that she was up too. Not down, on land, where she belonged.
“Let’s get off,” she burst out, her head growing light as the car swayed in the breeze.
Really smooth, Ellie. Way to keep up the sexy vixen act. It just figured, didn’t it? She’d been doing so well, throwing out provocative little remarks, eliciting a hard-on from Luke, and he’d had to turn the tables by bringing her on this damn Ferris wheel.
Luke shot her a sideways look, not bothering to hide his half-smile. “Relax, Elenore. Nothing’s going to happen. You’re safe.”
She wrung her hands together, cursing herself for her fear. Heights had always bothered her, though she didn’t have an insightful story that revealed why. No past experience, no little anecdotes, no deep-rooted trauma. All she knew was each time she was more than two feet off the ground, her body went numb with panic.