didn’t want to take any chances
of her changing her mind. Which was also why he kept his hands to himself.
He ran a quick gaze over the park, the sumptuous landscaping, the winding paths, the
large white gazebo positioned in the center, where he imagined evening concerts were
held as the sun set over the dazzling expanse of the gulf laid out before them. He
zeroed in on the first empty bench he saw and headed in that direction.
As soon as they were seated, he turned, facing her, locking his gaze with hers. He
might as well start at the beginning. “I’m not really a masseur,” he said without
preamble.
Her face paled, leaving bright spots of color blotching her cheeks. “Wha—what?”
She started to rise and he reached out to stop her. “Lainey, wait, let me ex—”
She yanked her arm out of his reach and stood, eyes blazing as she looked down at
him. “Why in the hell didn’t you tell me this back in front of the café? You could
have saved us both some time.” She stepped back and raised her palm when he began
to rise. “I was wrong. You are another lousy decision.” She rolled her eyes and let
out a short, humorless laugh. “Boy, can I pick ’em or what?” She looked back at him.
“You know, I could have you arrested for impersonating a … a …”
“Service professional?”
Her eyes narrowed dangerously. “Don’t you dare condescend to me. I could sue your
nice tight butt all the way to kingdom come and back. How dare you massage me like
that!”
“It wasn’t very difficult at all, actually.” He caught her hand as she swung it at
him. “Lainey, let me finish.” He had to work harder to hold on to her than he’d expected.
She was going to hurt him or herself, so he settled it the only way he knew how. He
tugged hard, yanking her off balance. She fell hard against him, landing in a sprawl
in his lap. She tried to scramble off him, but he wrapped his arms around her tightly.
Tucker knew he shouldn’t be enjoying this. In fact, he could kick his own “tight butt”
to kingdom come for handling the situation so badly. But he’d be lying to himself
if he said he was upset about where his poor judgment had landed him. Or, more to
the point, where it had landed Lainey.
“Let me go,” she said, struggling against him. “I’ll scream and bring park security
down on you so fast—”
“There’s no need for that. Stop. If you’ll just let me—Ow!”She landed a toe to his shin. “Now cut that out before one of us gets hurt.” He held
her more tightly. She squirmed harder.
Don’t think about those soft curves pressed against you
. It was a lost cause. His throbbing shin took a distant second place to the throbbing
he was beginning to feel elsewhere.
She all but bared her teeth at him, but she eventually stilled. “Let me go,” she said,
speaking each word slowly and distinctly. “And I’ll forget the whole sordid affair.”
He smiled. Bad idea, he realized immediately, and clamped her closer to him. “I’m
sorry,” he said quietly. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
“Too late for that.” She twisted around so that she could look straight at him. Her
eyes were vivid green—and deadly serious. “Now let me go and I’ll promise not to hurt
you, either.” She nudged her knee, which had somehow made its way up tight between
his legs.
“Threat understood,” he said. “And believed,” he added quickly when she exerted a
little pressure. He talked fast. “But if I let you go now, you’ll leave without hearing
me out. I handled this badly and I owe you an apology, but there is more to the story
and it has to do with your aunt Minerva and several of Lillian’s clients. You can
sue me or punch me or do whatever you think you have to, but first hear me out.” She
didn’t say anything. “Please?”
He wasn’t sure whose heart was pounding harder. He deserved the knee in his crotch,
and part of
of her changing her mind. Which was also why he kept his hands to himself.
He ran a quick gaze over the park, the sumptuous landscaping, the winding paths, the
large white gazebo positioned in the center, where he imagined evening concerts were
held as the sun set over the dazzling expanse of the gulf laid out before them. He
zeroed in on the first empty bench he saw and headed in that direction.
As soon as they were seated, he turned, facing her, locking his gaze with hers. He
might as well start at the beginning. “I’m not really a masseur,” he said without
preamble.
Her face paled, leaving bright spots of color blotching her cheeks. “Wha—what?”
She started to rise and he reached out to stop her. “Lainey, wait, let me ex—”
She yanked her arm out of his reach and stood, eyes blazing as she looked down at
him. “Why in the hell didn’t you tell me this back in front of the café? You could
have saved us both some time.” She stepped back and raised her palm when he began
to rise. “I was wrong. You are another lousy decision.” She rolled her eyes and let
out a short, humorless laugh. “Boy, can I pick ’em or what?” She looked back at him.
“You know, I could have you arrested for impersonating a … a …”
“Service professional?”
Her eyes narrowed dangerously. “Don’t you dare condescend to me. I could sue your
nice tight butt all the way to kingdom come and back. How dare you massage me like
that!”
“It wasn’t very difficult at all, actually.” He caught her hand as she swung it at
him. “Lainey, let me finish.” He had to work harder to hold on to her than he’d expected.
She was going to hurt him or herself, so he settled it the only way he knew how. He
tugged hard, yanking her off balance. She fell hard against him, landing in a sprawl
in his lap. She tried to scramble off him, but he wrapped his arms around her tightly.
Tucker knew he shouldn’t be enjoying this. In fact, he could kick his own “tight butt”
to kingdom come for handling the situation so badly. But he’d be lying to himself
if he said he was upset about where his poor judgment had landed him. Or, more to
the point, where it had landed Lainey.
“Let me go,” she said, struggling against him. “I’ll scream and bring park security
down on you so fast—”
“There’s no need for that. Stop. If you’ll just let me—Ow!”She landed a toe to his shin. “Now cut that out before one of us gets hurt.” He held
her more tightly. She squirmed harder.
Don’t think about those soft curves pressed against you
. It was a lost cause. His throbbing shin took a distant second place to the throbbing
he was beginning to feel elsewhere.
She all but bared her teeth at him, but she eventually stilled. “Let me go,” she said,
speaking each word slowly and distinctly. “And I’ll forget the whole sordid affair.”
He smiled. Bad idea, he realized immediately, and clamped her closer to him. “I’m
sorry,” he said quietly. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
“Too late for that.” She twisted around so that she could look straight at him. Her
eyes were vivid green—and deadly serious. “Now let me go and I’ll promise not to hurt
you, either.” She nudged her knee, which had somehow made its way up tight between
his legs.
“Threat understood,” he said. “And believed,” he added quickly when she exerted a
little pressure. He talked fast. “But if I let you go now, you’ll leave without hearing
me out. I handled this badly and I owe you an apology, but there is more to the story
and it has to do with your aunt Minerva and several of Lillian’s clients. You can
sue me or punch me or do whatever you think you have to, but first hear me out.” She
didn’t say anything. “Please?”
He wasn’t sure whose heart was pounding harder. He deserved the knee in his crotch,
and part of
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