what?” Probing was probably not a smart thing to do, but, hell,
he hadn’t handled anything else real intelligently with her. And besides, he was curious.
“Realized what?” He waited, but she didn’t look at him. He was at least smart enough
to know that touching her could likely cost him the use of a body part or two. “You
realized that you were attracted to me and that I was going to be rubbing your body?”
he ventured. “There’s nothing wrong with that. Hell, I was wondering how in the hell
I was going to get through the session without embarrassing myself like a teenager.
Why do you think I was so relieved when you decided to call the thing off?”
She looked at him then. “Really? I didn’t know. In fact, it was your obvious relief
that you didn’t have to deal with me that made me decide to stay.” She looked down
and muttered something under her breath that sounded like “stupid impulses.”
Tucker had to curl his fingers into his palms to keep from reaching out and touching
her. His resolve lasted about two seconds, but before he could reach for her, she
lifted her head and met his gaze.
“Why did you do it? Does Lillian know you’re not a licensed masseur?”
“Of course she does. She’s the one who asked me to do it.”
Obviously confused, Lainey straightened. “Lillian is far too smart a businesswoman
to risk a lawsuit or anything else. Why on earth would she ask you to pretend to be
a masseur?”
“Because she’s worried that your aunt Minerva and two clients of hers, Betty Louise
Strickmeyer and a woman named Bernice, are in trouble. Lillian’s worried about you,
too, Lainey,” he said, studying her closely. He was disappointed when she quickly
masked her surprise. Her expression grew more shuttered by the second. “She saw Minerva,
Bernice, and Betty Louise talking to a strange man in the alley behind the café. She
also saw you talking to the same man.”
“Tucker, listen—”
“Who is he, Lainey? What’s going on?”
SIX
Lainey hadn’t expected the tables to be turned on her, much less so swiftly. She needed
time to think. Tucker was obviously not happy. Actually, a peek at his face showed
he was downright upset.
Information and revelations were swirling inside her head, and she struggled to put
them into some semblance of rational order. First and foremost was the fact that Lillian
had seen her talking to Damian. Lillian knew that Damian was involved with Minerva,
Betty Louise, and Bernice. And Lillian had hired an old friend to play masseur at
her salon.
In the face of Tucker’s glare, her own eyes narrowed. “Lillian hired you as a spy,
didn’t she.” It wasn’t a question. She didn’t wait for an answer. She stood, took
two steps, then rounded on him. “How dare she! I can’t believe she’d stoop so low
as to—”
Tucker shot to his feet. “Now hold on there. Lillian does as she damn well pleases,
but she didn’t stoop to anything other than trying to protect her friends.”
As he stormed at her, it occurred to her that Tuckerwas even more magnificent when he was being fiercely protective. She spent a second
being tempted to tell him that but decided she was too angry at the moment to get
any real satisfaction from his reaction. “She has an odd way of showing it,” Lainey
shot back instead. “Minerva is her closest friend. If she was so worried about what
she found out while snooping around the alley, then why didn’t she come out and ask
her?”
“She was
not
snooping.” Tucker stopped and took a visible breath. When he spoke again, his voice
was quieter, but there was no mistaking the banked temper behind his suddenly remote
eyes. “Lillian would hate being defended this way, and she’d be hurt to think she
had to be defended to you at all, but since you’re being so hard-headed about this,
I’ll explain.”
Lainey folded her arms and ignored the sting of his
he hadn’t handled anything else real intelligently with her. And besides, he was curious.
“Realized what?” He waited, but she didn’t look at him. He was at least smart enough
to know that touching her could likely cost him the use of a body part or two. “You
realized that you were attracted to me and that I was going to be rubbing your body?”
he ventured. “There’s nothing wrong with that. Hell, I was wondering how in the hell
I was going to get through the session without embarrassing myself like a teenager.
Why do you think I was so relieved when you decided to call the thing off?”
She looked at him then. “Really? I didn’t know. In fact, it was your obvious relief
that you didn’t have to deal with me that made me decide to stay.” She looked down
and muttered something under her breath that sounded like “stupid impulses.”
Tucker had to curl his fingers into his palms to keep from reaching out and touching
her. His resolve lasted about two seconds, but before he could reach for her, she
lifted her head and met his gaze.
“Why did you do it? Does Lillian know you’re not a licensed masseur?”
“Of course she does. She’s the one who asked me to do it.”
Obviously confused, Lainey straightened. “Lillian is far too smart a businesswoman
to risk a lawsuit or anything else. Why on earth would she ask you to pretend to be
a masseur?”
“Because she’s worried that your aunt Minerva and two clients of hers, Betty Louise
Strickmeyer and a woman named Bernice, are in trouble. Lillian’s worried about you,
too, Lainey,” he said, studying her closely. He was disappointed when she quickly
masked her surprise. Her expression grew more shuttered by the second. “She saw Minerva,
Bernice, and Betty Louise talking to a strange man in the alley behind the café. She
also saw you talking to the same man.”
“Tucker, listen—”
“Who is he, Lainey? What’s going on?”
SIX
Lainey hadn’t expected the tables to be turned on her, much less so swiftly. She needed
time to think. Tucker was obviously not happy. Actually, a peek at his face showed
he was downright upset.
Information and revelations were swirling inside her head, and she struggled to put
them into some semblance of rational order. First and foremost was the fact that Lillian
had seen her talking to Damian. Lillian knew that Damian was involved with Minerva,
Betty Louise, and Bernice. And Lillian had hired an old friend to play masseur at
her salon.
In the face of Tucker’s glare, her own eyes narrowed. “Lillian hired you as a spy,
didn’t she.” It wasn’t a question. She didn’t wait for an answer. She stood, took
two steps, then rounded on him. “How dare she! I can’t believe she’d stoop so low
as to—”
Tucker shot to his feet. “Now hold on there. Lillian does as she damn well pleases,
but she didn’t stoop to anything other than trying to protect her friends.”
As he stormed at her, it occurred to her that Tuckerwas even more magnificent when he was being fiercely protective. She spent a second
being tempted to tell him that but decided she was too angry at the moment to get
any real satisfaction from his reaction. “She has an odd way of showing it,” Lainey
shot back instead. “Minerva is her closest friend. If she was so worried about what
she found out while snooping around the alley, then why didn’t she come out and ask
her?”
“She was
not
snooping.” Tucker stopped and took a visible breath. When he spoke again, his voice
was quieter, but there was no mistaking the banked temper behind his suddenly remote
eyes. “Lillian would hate being defended this way, and she’d be hurt to think she
had to be defended to you at all, but since you’re being so hard-headed about this,
I’ll explain.”
Lainey folded her arms and ignored the sting of his
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