Читать онлайн книгу «Intent to Seduce» автора Cara Summers
Intent to Seduce
Cara Summers
If youre not waiting for someone
Lucass eyes shot open. That voice belonged to Mac, but the blonde standing a few feet away from his table looked like a stranger.
The woman wore a bright red skirt, barely the length of a dinner napkin. It fit her like a second skin and seemed to stop where her legs began. Lucass mouth went dry. Was she wearing anything beneath it?
You like? She whirled in front of him, causing the skirt to inch up even higher.
Lucas dragged his eyes from the miraculous legs up her body. Beneath the stretchy fabric of her tank top, he could see the outline of her perfect breasts, beaded with excitement. Her blond hair was mussed, as if some man had just run his hands through it several times. And her eyesthey were huge, heavy-liddedbut there was no mistaking that golden-brown color.
Mac, what in hell are you doing?
In a flash, she slid in beside him in the back of the booth. Shh. She gave him a slow wink. Youre mistaken. Im not Mac. Im Sally. And youreJohn. Were complete strangers. She slipped a finger beneath his shirt, popping the first button free of its hole, then moving on to the next. Feel like getting lucky, John?
Dear Reader,
Is seduction a science or an art?
The brilliant Dr. MacKenzie Lloyd firmly believes its a science and that all she has to do to keep her future husband from straying is to become skilled in pleasing a man in bed. Her plan for acquiring that expertise is the same three-step process that has brought her so much success in the lab.
Step 1: gather data on male sexual fantasies
Step 2: formulate some theories
Step 3: put those theories into practice, practice, practice!
But when Mac starts to practice her techniques on sexy CEO Lucas Wainwright, her plan hits a few unforeseen snags.
I love writing books about women who have the courage to take risks. And writing my first Blaze novel has allowed me to do just that. Its also been about the most fun a girl can haveunless, of course, she decides to try some of Macs research out for herself.
Id love to know what you think about my first Blaze book. You can write to me at P.O. Box 718, Fayetteville, NY 13066, or visit my Web site at www.carasummers.com.
Enjoy,
Cara Summers
Intent to Seduce
Cara Summers
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
To my sister-in-law and friend, Julie Oliver Fulgenzithe risk-taker who married my brother. Thanks for always being there and for being the voice of reason. I love you.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Epilogue
1
LET ME GET THIS STRAIGHT, Sophie said. Youre planning to ask some man to offer himself up as a sex object so that you can practice on him?
Sex object isnt exactly the word I would have chosen. MacKenzie Lloyd kept her gaze locked on her best friend. Just as long as she didnt look down at the ground, the bubbles of panic rolling around in her stomach were going to subside. Ive conducted all these surveys on techniques and collected all this narrative data on male sexual fantasies. The next step is to test its validity in the field. What I need now is a research companion.
Sophie rolled her eyes. Okay, nix sex object. Well go with research companion. But I got the practice part right. Youre not quibbling over semantics there.
Sophie was clearly upset. Mac could tell by the way she slapped her wineglass down and began to tap her fingers on the wide-planked floor of the tree house. They were seated just outside the doorway on a narrow platform. Only a small, flimsy railing separated them from a drop to the ground thirty feet below. If she let herself think about that
Biting down on her lip, she fought against the sudden spin of dizziness that whipped through her. She would have been just fine if she hadnt glanced down on her climb-up-the-rope ladder. It had been the laughter from the tennis courts that had distracted her. The sound floated up again, bright, rich and infectious, but this time she resisted the temptation to look to her left beyond the hedge of forsythia bushes where four Wainrights were playing.
Tomorrow was Sophie Wainrights birthday, and the entire clan had gathered to celebrate it. Family was important to the Wainrights. It was something Mac had always admired about themand envied.
What she intended to do was the best chance she had of creating and preserving that kind of family for herself.
I know what Im doing, Sophie.
Do you?
Ive been very thorough in my research, and Ive learned so much.
Sophie rolled her eyes. Some research. Youve interviewed hookers and madams.
Madame Gervais does not refer to herself as a madam. She runs a very exclusive finishing school for female companions. Its really more like a matchmaking service. Most of the girls shes trained have married the men shes introduced them to. Theyre really very bright women. The only difference between them and me is that they were very beautiful and very skilled at pleasuring a man in bed.
And they shared all their secrets with you?
Mac studied her friend. In addition to the worry in Sophies eyes, she saw curiosity. Leaning a little closer, she said, Pretty much. Did you know that if you wrap a string of pearls around a mans erection during fellatio, you can get amazing results?
Pearls?
You can use a silk tieor better still, a wispy silk scarfbut pearls are the best. You wrap them around several times, then draw them slowly up the entire length, and then down again. Men love it.
I dont doubt it. Its just that II dont like the idea of you wrapping your pearls around a stranger. Pausing, Sophie shook her head with a rueful sigh. I should have known the minute you suggested coming up in this tree house that you were going to spring something on me. You dragged me up to the roof of my shop the night before you tried that last experiment in your labthe one that gave you a breakthrough.
Mac tightened her grip on her knees and kept her eyes fixed on Sophie. I figure if I can face my fear of heights, I can succeed at all the other things that scare me.
Sophie pointed a finger at her. There. You are nervous about inviting some strange man to be your boy toy. And you should be. Then swearing softly, Sophie picked up Macs wineglass and handed it to her. Here. Take a drink of this. Youre white as a sheet.
Mac took a careful sip.
Why dont we get you out of here? Ill call Lucas. Between us, we can get you down the rope ladder.
Im fine.
Sophie studied her over the rim of her glass. I wish I could be sure of that. This field-testing thing youre planningits not you.
Youre wrong. It is me. Thats the beauty of it. Im not good at dating or relationships, but Im excellent at doing research and then devising a way to put the results to work. If I approach keeping a husband that way, I know I can do it.
But you dont even have a husband yet. Shouldnt that be your first step?
Thats the plan that most people follow and over fifty percent of all marriages fail. Research shows that the number one cause of divorce is infidelity. Usually its the man who straysjust as soon as routine sets in. I saw that happen to my parents, and my plan is designed to prevent it.
Sophie gazed helplessly at Mac. Youre making it sound so logical, and its not! Sex and relationships arent something that you can map out and predict like something in your lab. Shit happens. Take it from someone whos been out there in the trenches.
Leaning forward, Mac took Sophies hands in hers. Im sorry Im laying all of this on you right now when youve just broken up with Bradley.
Sophie shrugged impatiently. Bradley Davis is history. But hes a good example of what Im talking about. When it comes to a relationship, there are no guarantees. And the only man Ive ever been able to predict is my brother. He never gets involved emotionally in his relationships. He runs them the same way he runs Wainright Enterprises. And he thinks he has the right to run mine that way too.
Mac didnt say anything for a moment. Although more than a month had gone by, she knew Sophie still resented that Lucas had uncovered information on Bradley Davis that had caused her to break off her engagement. The one thing that you can always depend on is that Lucas loves you, and he cares about what happens to you.
Hes smothering me. Ever since he took over Wainright Enterprises, hes decided that he can run all of our lives. Hes even having me followed. But Sophie stopped, shook her head and then narrowed her eyes at Mac. Oh no you dont. Youre not going to change the subject. I want to know what I can say to convince you to drop this whole idea.
Nothing.
Sophie slumped back against the wall of the tree house. Theres got to be something I can do.
You dont have to worry. Ive taken every possible safety precaution.
Id feel a lot happier about this if you were going to try out your research on someone you knew. What about that representative from the biotech company thats been wining and dining you lately?
Mac made a face. Vince Smith is panting over my research not me. All he talks about is how brilliant I am, what wonderful lab facilities they could provide for me if I would just sign over exclusive rights to anything I might discover.
Taking a sip of her wine, Mac pushed the thought of the man out of her mind. The truth was she wasnt good at dating. It probably had something to do with the fact that shed started college at fourteen. The men shed met had treated her like a kid sister. If theyd called her, it was to get help on some assignment they were having trouble with. And then, later, in graduate school, her two forays into the realm of romance had been disasters. Men just dont seem to think of me in a sexual way.
And they wont until you start to think of yourself that way.
Now you sound just like Madame Gervais. In fact, she thinks field testing my research will increase my self-confidence.
Tilting her head to the side, Sophie studied Mac for a moment. Maybe Ill have to revise my opinion of her. Is she the one who talked you into lightening your hair?
Mac tucked a loose strand back into the bun she wore at the back of her neck. Yes, and she took me shopping for a new wardrobe.
Sophies eyes widened. Why arent you wearing it?
I bought most of the clothes for the field testing Im going to do. I dont feel quite myself in them. When I put them on, I feel like I can do things Dr. MacKenzie Lloyd would never do.
Sophie paused with her wineglass halfway to her lips. Oh? More stuff like the pearl trick?
Yes, and other kinds of things too. When Madame Gervais and I shopped for the clothes, we chose pieces that would facilitate some popular male fantasies.
Sophie studied her friend over the rim of her glass. Okay, Im hooked. How about filling me in a little more on the specifics of this research of yours?
I started out by reading a number of anthropological and sociological texts.
Lets just fast-forward to the good stuff.
Mac grinned at her. Its always good to have a sound theoretical background.
Mac
Theres so much. You have no idea how many books have been written on sex. Or whats available online. Theres this one woman who makes her living giving all-day seminars on how topleasure the penis.
Sophie choked on her wine. All-day seminars?
Mac nodded. I went to one. We worked on plastic models.
And youre actually going to field-test that on a complete stranger?
Im trying to think of a fantasy I can fit it into.
Setting down her glass, Sophie said, And these fantasieswhat exactly are they like?
Well, there was one I found very interesting. It involved male bondage.
Handcuffs, silk necktiesthat kind of stuff?
Mac shook her head. Plastic wrap.
Let me guess. You meet him at the door wearing nothing but?
Nope. Its the one where I wrap him up in it like a mummy. Of course, I would leave his nose free. And his toes. She smiled at Sophie. And one other part.
Something you could wrap your pearls around.
Exactly. A blindfold is optional, but Ive heard it doubles the pleasure.
Ill bet. In these fantasiesis turnabout fair play?
Mac blinked, then smiled slowly. I think that depends on how well round one goes.
They were both laughing when the ringing of Sophies cell phone interrupted them. Mac could tell by the expression on Sophies face it was someone she was happy to hear from. When she moved inside the door of the tree house for privacy, Mac decided it was a new beau calling. Sophie just naturally attracted men.
Pressing her back against the wooden frame of the doorway, she reminded herself not to look down. Sophies laugh drifted out to her, low and intimate. She was definitely talking to a new beau.
Very carefully, Mac shifted her gaze in the direction of the tennis courts. This time there was no onslaught of panic. Though her view was partially blocked by trees, she recognized Sophies two stepbrothers, the step-twins as she called them. Nicholas and Nathaniel were both in college now. They lived with their Aunt Jan. The estate was their home, but it was owned by Sophies older brother Lucas Wainright, the final member of the foursome.
Tall and lean, with a swimmers athletic build, Lucas looked very much at ease as he rushed forward to the net and killed his stepbrothers serve. According to Sophie, Lucas was good at everything he put his hand tosports, as well as the family business. Four years ago when his father had died, hed taken over and ruthlessly dragged Wainright Enterprises back from the edge of bankruptcy.
The first and only time Mac had met him, hed reminded her of a fallen angel, incredibly good-looking on the surface with danger lurking just beneath. But that first impression of danger had been softened somewhat by the fact that hed spent most of the day hidden behind a camera snapping pictures of the grand opening of Sophies antique shop.
According to Sophie, Lucas regarded his duties as the head of the Wainright family every bit as seriously as he took his financial obligations. As a result, hed turned into a total dictator and an interfering ogre.
The man on the tennis court did not resemble an ogre. She let her gaze linger on the dark hair and the tanned skin stretched taut over what she was sure were hard muscles. His hand had certainly been hard when hed shaken hers that day. Shed felt something tooa little jolt. Whatever it was, it had made her very aware of him for the rest of the party.
Whos winning? Sophie asked as she joined her on the edge of the platform.
Looks like Lucas and your aunt.
Who would have thought? she muttered. Not that I begrudge Aunt Jan the victory, but I would give a lot to see Lucas taken down a peg or two.
Mac turned to study Sophie. You never told me what he did to make you break things off with Bradley.
He had him followed. Turns out the man I thought was the love of my life was cheating on me. There were some very compromising photos, thanks to the Shadow.
Shadow?
Thats what I call the super spy who heads up Wainright Enterprises security. I managed to get a pretty good look at him once. But he doesnt like to be seen. Hes there, and then hes not. Anyway, he checked into Bradleys finances. Lucas made me read the report so that I would have no doubt that old Brad was obviously only interested in me for my money.
Mac covered Sophies hand with hers. Lucas loves you, Soph.
I love him, too, but he sees everyone I date, especially anyone I get serious about, as a threat to the company. The worst of it is hes probably right. Ive decided that the next man I decide to go out with is not going to know that Im a Wainright. And Im going to make very sure that no onenot even the Shadowknows who Im seeing.
Mac put her arms around her friend and just held her. For a moment, neither of them said a word.
Okay, Sophie said as she drew back. Enough of my problems. I think we ought to come up with a solution for yours.
Youre not going to talk me out of it.
I know better than to waste my breath. Besides, the more I think about it, the more I can see that this field-testing plan of yours might have some merit. In fact, it could even be fun if you did it with someone you could trust. Theres got to be someone I know
Hey, you two!
The sudden shout had Mac glancing down through the branches before she could stop to think. Lucas was striding toward them across the lawn. Cmon down out of that tree. Aunt Jan and I have defeated the step-twins and were ready for our next challengers.
For just a moment, Macs gaze locked with Lucass, and she experienced that same instant jolt of awareness shed felt before. Then a wave of dizziness slammed into her and she squeezed her eyes shut.
Thats it! Sophie whispered in Macs ear. I dont know why I didnt think of it sooner. Lucas is the answer! You can practice your research on him!
Lucas? No. Mac shook her head, and a second, more potent, wave of dizziness hit her. Her hand shot out to the railing. It gripped nothing but air.
As she pitched forward, fear fisted in her throat, leaves scraped her face, and one image formed in her mindthe earth below racing toward her. Then arms clamped around her like a steel vise, pressing her against something hard and solid and warm before she hit the ground and lost her breath in a whoosh.
Mac!
Sophies voice was almost drowned out by the beating of her heart. As she struggled for breath, Mac became aware of the very male body beneath her.
You can open your eyes now. Youre safe.
The moment she did, she saw that Lucass eyes were just as dark as she rememberedthe deep blue of the sea.
Are you all right?
Mac said nothing. She couldnt. He was holding her so tightly, molding her body to his from breast to thigh. An icy flame was searing her nerve endings and sensitizing her body to every plane and angle of his. For the first time in her life, words, thoughts, logic, deserted her, washed away by a flood of sensations. The warmth of his breath on her lips. The pressure of each one of his fingers on her back. The swell of her hips. His body growing rock hard beneath her. She watched awareness fill his eyes as her body melted in reaction.
Just what Ive been waiting to see all my lifemy brother knocked off his feet by a woman! I think its an omen of things to come.
Omen of things to come. Sophies words and the memory of what shed suggestedpracticing her research on Lucaspenetrated the haze filling Macs mind. She broke free of the paralysis that had gripped her, and shifting off Lucas, she scrambled to her feet.
Sophie grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the tennis courts as she tossed over her shoulder, Cmon, bro. Prepare to meet your match
2
LUCAS LEANED BACK in his chair and listened to the steady ticking of his grandfathers clock. It was the only sound that marred the tense silence in the room as he studied the two men seated on the other side of his desk.
Both of them were self-contained. Both were very intelligent. And he wouldnt relish going up against either one of them in a dark alley.
It was ironic that in spite of their many similarities, the two men were the complete antithesis of each other.
The younger was his best friend, the man hed recently hired to head up security at Wainright Enterprises. Hed known T. J. McGuire since theyd served together in the Gulf War. Tracker was the name the flight crew had given T.J. because hed been a hell of a lot better at finding their targets than both the high-tech radar systems and so-called smart missiles.
It had taken Lucas four years to convince his friend to come and work for Wainright Enterprises. Hed needed someone he could trust, and Tracker was that kind of man. Beneath the black-Irish good looks and the accompanying charm lay the strength and the loyalty of a Celtic warrior. Lucas ranked loyalty right up there next to competence when it came to his employeesand his friends.
The older man with the mane of white wavy hair and the impeccably tailored suit was not a friend. Nor could he be trusted. Doing business with Vincent Falcone had been one of the biggest mistakes his father had made. It had taken Lucas four years to find the money and the right opportunity to buy Vincent Falcone out of Wainright Enterprises.
Still, he didnt want the man as an enemy.
A rustle of paper broke the silence as Vincent turned over the final page of the contract. Glancing up, he met Lucass eyes squarely. If I sign this, I will own Lansing Biotech outright. Wainright Enterprises gives up any right it may have had in the past to patents or future research results. Youre being very generous.
I want the break between us to be fair but clean. This deal severs all connections between your various other businesses and mine.
Ah yes, there is that. And the fact that I will no longer sit on the board of Wainright Enterprises.
Thats correct.
The older man smiled slowly. Youve done a thorough job of systematically cutting me out for the past four years. I admire your technique. And today, inviting me here to your home to end our business relationship over a drink Pausing, he glanced around the room. Its a nice touch. Very classy. Your grandfather would be proud of you.
Lucas was careful to keep his expression impassive. He hadnt wanted to invite Falcone to the Wainright estate. Hed never lived here himself. It was the place his father had lived with his last three wives. If it hadnt been for Sophies birthday celebration, he would have worked as he usually did on the weekends and the contract would have been signed at his D.C. office.
I would have enjoyed meeting your sister. I hear she is very beautiful.
Lucas didnt let his gaze waver, and for a moment neither man spoke.
With a slow smile, the older man raised a hand. Another time perhaps. If I could borrow your pen?
Lucas picked up a pen and handed it to him without a word.
Seconds later, Falcone rose and placed the signed contract on Lucass desk. Its a shame that you felt it necessary to terminate our business connections.
You have certain interests that I do not want Wainright Enterprises involved in.
Your father was not so particular.
Saying nothing, Lucas rose from his chair and, after a moment, Vincent Falcone continued, The connection between our families is still close. Like this. Raising his hands, he clasped them together tightly. For that reason, our paths will cross again.
Its very unlikely, Lucas said as the man turned away and allowed Tracker to escort him from the room. The moment the door closed, he sat down in his chair. It had gone smoothly. Too smoothly, perhaps? Closing his eyes, he began to run the entire event over in his mind, turning over every word, every nuance in his mind. He stopped only when he heard Tracker reenter the room.
Nice job, boss.
It was too easy.
Trackers eyebrows shot up. The four years of work and sacrifices that went into accomplishing this werent easy. And you chose the right time to make your move. Vincent Falcone has troubles of his own right now. There are factions in his other, less legitimate business interests who require his attention.
I dont like that he mentioned Sophies name. Hes quite capable of exacting some kind of revenge for this on my family. Rising, Lucas moved to the window, but he didnt focus on the sweep of lawn that ended at the tennis courts. I have a feeling that Falcone is plotting something.
When Tracker didnt reply, Lucas turned to face him. You think Im overreacting, dont you?
Tracker grinned. Youre not going to get me to say that, boss. Youre worried about your little sister. It could be because youve been going through a rough time with her. But in my experience, a man had better pay attention to his hunches or theyll come back to bite him.
I dont like that you saw her with Falcones son.
Sophie only met Sonny once for a casual drink in a Georgetown watering hole. She hasnt seen him since.
Lucas shook his head. She knows nothing about the Falcone family and certainly nothing about the fact that my father was doing business with them. But if I try to warn Sophie off, she might take it in her head to get really serious about him. Shes in rebellion mode right now.
And you even end up with a black eye this time, Tracker said.
Lucas rubbed his jaw, where his sister had landed him a pretty decent right cross. You may be right about that. Sophie got past you last time.
Shes got some good moves. And she was pretty upset about that information you dug up on Bradley Davis. Trackers grin widened as he moved to the small built-in refrigerator near the windows. Opening it, he took out two beers, twisted off the caps and handed one to Lucas. Shes smart too. I think she may suspect shes being followed. She tried some evasive tactics the other day when she left her shop.
Did she lose the tail? Lucas asked with a frown.
Tracker nodded. For about a half hour. My man picked her up coming out of a restaurant. I have two men on her now. Another two are keeping tabs on Sonny Falcone.
Good. Ill feel a lot better when shes down in the Keys with me. Ill send the plane for Sophie on Wednesday. She claims she cant get away before then. And I didnt want to push. He rubbed his jaw again. Once youre sure shes on my plane, you can devote all your attention to both Falcones.
You want me to continue to keep tabs on your aunt and stepbrothers?
For the time being. Lucas frowned as he turned and led the way through the open French doors to the balcony. Beyond a row of flowering shrubs, an Olympic-size pool gleamed in the late-afternoon sun. His younger siblings were engaged in an intense water-polo match with their aunt, and at the far end of the pool he spotted Sophie seated on the edge of a chaise lounge talking to MacKenzie Lloyd.
I think you ought to put someone on Dr. Lloyd. Shes been Sophies best friend for years. They live about three blocks apart in Georgetown. Falcone may try to use her to get to Sophie.
Ill get right on it, boss. You want me to run a background check on Dr. Lloyd?
Lucas considered for a moment. Hed been thinking of MacKenzie Lloyd off and on quite a bit in the last few hours. When shed fallen out of that tree into his arms, shed called up the memory he had of the little waif in jeans and a T-shirt whom hed met at the opening of Sophies shop two years ago.
Thered been something about her that day that had caught his attention. At first, hed thought hed imagined the tug of desire that hed felt. But each time hed found her framed in the viewfinder of his camera, the pull had grown stronger. Later, hed studied the photos hed taken, trying to put his finger on just what it was that had drawn him.
She wasnt anything like the women he usually dated. His taste ran to tall, leggy brunettes and blondes. She was small, and she wore her red hair pulled back into a bun. But her eyes Even in the representation on film, they were the incredible color of golden amber.
Today her hair had seemed lighter and loosera reddish-gold explosion of color as hed stared up at her in the tree. His body had reacted to her the moment hed seen her, hardening, tightening. And when shed been lying on top of himfor a moment hed forgotten everythingwhere they were, who was watching. If Sophie hadnt spoken, he might have rolled her beneath him and taken her right there beneath the branches of the elm tree. Frowning, he pushed away the image.
It had been years since hed been tempted to be that reckless with a woman. Hed put it out of his mind during the tennis game, chalked it up to putting in too much overtime on the Falcone deal.
Then shed beaten him.
Oh, Sophie had made some good plays, but Lucas was fully aware that it was Dr. Lloyds careful, methodical style that had been his downfall. It was almost as though she could predict exactly what he would do next. And that washe searched for a wordintriguing.
Boss? Tracker cleared his throat loudly.
What? Lucas asked, turning to him.
Do you want me to run a background check on the doc?
Once again, Lucas hesitated. On some gut level, he knew that he should steer clear of his sisters best friend. It wasnt merely the strength of the physical attraction he felt that had the warning bells going off in his mind. She was Sophies friend. He kept his dating life separate from his family. To pursue a relationship with MacKenzie Lloyd would foster expectations that he would never fulfill.
Relationship? He frowned at the direction his thoughts had taken. Who was she that she could affect him this way?
Experience had taught him that ignorance was seldom bliss, and knowledge was always power. Yeah. I want to know everything about her.
MACKENZIE, youve got to listen to reason.
Mac opened a bag of carrots and for a moment allowed herself to picture dumping the whole bag over Gil Staffords head. Then stifling the image, she selected one carrot and began to shred it on a grater. She hoped feeding Wilbur, her pet lab rat, would soothe her temper. Gil was her department chair and he had ten years seniority on her. That and the fact that she worked in a lab that adjoined his had made him think he could give her advice.
If youd just listened to me earlier and signed a contract to turn the results of your research over to that biotech company, you would have prevented this break-in.
Mac shoved down the little skip of fear that shed been experiencing ever since shed arrived at the university and learned that her lab had been broken into sometime on Sunday. The intruder had gotten away, but not before hed broken into her office safe.
They would have made sure that there were better security measures taken around here. And I still dont understand why you turned down the money. Even if you dont want it for yourself, think of all the equipment it would have provided.
As Gil continued to pontificate, he strode toward the window. Mac privately thought the man should have gone into politics instead of science. Not only could he talk nonstop, but he had the tall, rangy build of an athlete and a very photogenic face. With the sunlight turning his blond hair into a halo, he looked like one of the good archangels.
The antithesis of what Lucas looked like with his dark hair and those midnight-blue eyes.
Lucas again. She hadnt been able to block him out of her mind since Sophie had first suggested she use him for her research. The idea had been enough to put her off her serve in the first two sets of the tennis match. After that shed focused all her concentration on the game. Beating Lucas had been a challenging and exhilarating experience. And the moment theyd won, Sophie had started making her case.
It was a good one. Everything that Sophie had said made perfect sense on a logical and theoretical level.
It was just that every time she thought of actually trying out her research on Lucas, she felt the same funny quaking in her stomach that she got whenever something was about to go wrong in her lab. No matter how hard she tried, she couldnt seem to forget what it had felt like to be pressed against him, to feel his body react to hers, especially a certain unmistakable part of his body. A vivid image slipped into her mind of looping a long strand of pearls around and around
Are you listening to anything I say?
Mac dropped the grater as she struggled to gather her thoughts. Gil, I know you mean well. She was almost sure of it. But he was giving her a headache. Glancing down at the carrots, she considered dumping them on his head, after all.
Am I interrupting?
Mac looked up in surprise to see Sophie hurrying toward her. Who told you?
Who told me what?
Someone broke in here last night.
They did? Are you all right? Sophie enveloped Mac in a hug.
Im fine.
What about Wilbur? Sophie flicked a glance at the small white rat running circles in his cage.
Mac couldnt prevent a smile. I thought you couldnt stand Wilbur.
Gil cleared his throat, and the moment Sophie turned, shot her his best smile. Im Gil Stafford. Im the chair of the biology department and I work in the lab next to MacKenzies.
My friend, Sophie Wainright. Mac completed the introductions as the two shook hands.
Perhaps you can talk some sense into her, Ms. Wainright, Gil said. The research shes doing has been getting a lot of attention. It was only a matter of time until this happened.
Sophie turned to Mac with a frown. Were they after your research?
The police certainly suspect it, Gil said as he glanced around the room And it clearly wasnt vandals. Nothings been touched except the safe.
No harms been done, Mac said as she watched Wilbur attack the grated carrots shed shoved into his tray. Wilburs appetite hasnt been affected. And I dont keep any of my records here in the office anyway.
I still dont like it. Turning, Sophie paced down the length of the lab and then whirled around. Lucas could send the Shadow over. On a personal level, I cant stand him, but hes good at what he does.
Not necessary, Mac said. The university is going to install a high-tech security system. Theyve even given me a few days off while they work on it.
Thats wonderful. That means you can get started right away on your Sophies voice trailed off as she glanced at Gil.
He was frowning at her. The university doesnt have the funds to install a proper security system. And the research shes doing is much too valuable. I was just trying to explain that to MacKenzie.
Beaming a smile at him, Sophie moved toward him and placed a hand on his arm. Would you mind terribly if Mac and I have some time alone? A little girl talk does wonders for the nerves.
No. Of course not. A little uncertain, Gil glanced from one woman to the other. Ill be right next door if you need me, MacKenzie.
Sophie waited until the door closed behind Gil Stafford. MacKenzie? No one calls you that.
He means well. Mac glanced at the bag of carrots again.
You werent thinking of asking him to be your researchguinea pig, were you?
Mac stared at Sophie. Gil?
Good. Because Ive come here on a missionto convince you that Lucas is your man.
Mac held up both hands. Sophie, I just dont
I know you, Mac. Youve been considering it, weighing the pros and cons. And the pros are winning. Hes the perfect man for the job. Why not admit it?
Picking up another carrot, Mac began to grate. Its just that Id planned on doing everything with a stranger.
Sophie moved closer and took the grater away, then shoved it out of reach. Im going to be brutally honest with you. Thats what best friends are for, right? Youre not going to hate me for saying this?
Mac couldnt prevent her lips from curving. Theyd always been able to be honest with each other. It was what had made their friendship last for so long. Im not going to hate you.
Okay. Sophie reached for Macs hand and gave it a squeeze. I dont think youre going to be able to go through with your plan if you choose a stranger.
You think Im a coward.
No! Sophies reply was quick and vehement. You are one of the bravest people I know. But Ive known you for a long time, and youre veryhesitant when it comes to relationships with the opposite sex.
Resistant might be a more accurate word, Mac said.
Sophie grinned. You know, one of the most endearing things about you is your ability to be brutally honest about yourself. Most of us sail through life telling ourselves whopping-big lies.
Mac frowned in puzzlement. Whats the point of doing that?
We think it helps. But to get back to you, this resistance you have to pursuing relationships with the opposite sex is the reason I think you might be much more successful with your plan if you choose someone you already know. I dont think youre going to be able tolets say, implement these fantasies with a complete stranger. Plus, your ultimate goal is to use them on your husband. And he wont be a stranger. Isnt it best in a scientific experiment to try and reproduce all the circumstances to the best of your ability?
You really do listen when I rattle on about my work.
Sophie grinned at her. Of course I do. And Im right, arent Ion both counts?
Mac was very much afraid that she was. One of her own biggest fears was the idea of using her newfound knowledge on a stranger. Still Lucas wouldntI mean, he doesnt think of me that way.
Sophies eyebrows shot up. Well, there you go. Lucas represents the kind of challenge I think you should be looking for. Someone who would put your research to a true test. These men that yourcontacts in the sex industry will put you in touch with are bound to be easy marks, dont you think? After all, theyre eager enough to be paying for sex. Some of them might even be married and have started to wander, so to speak. And if your plan is all geared toward keeping a husband from straying in spite of his genetic mapping, then surely you ought to be able to seduce my brother.
Sophie had a point. Lucas Wainright would certainly offer her a challenge. And if she wasnt up to it, then she might as well forget her whole plan.
Mac Sophie took her hands do this for me. I dont know if I can stand to think of you putting this research project into action with someone else. I know that Lucas, in spite of his many flaws, will be kind to you.
One glance at the concern in her friends eyes, and Mac knew she was going to agree. She was about to, when Sophie continued, And the truth is, you could do me a big favor at the same time.
What? Mac asked.
On Wednesday, Lucas has made arrangements for me to join him at his hideaway cabin on one of the Keys. You know what they say about timing being everything! I want you to go in my place. Ive never been there, but it seems to me that an isolated island in the Keys would be the perfect setting for you to put your plan into action. It will be just you and Lucashot, sunny days, palm trees, the ocean pounding on a sandy beach, warm, tropical nights. Just imagine it, Mac.
It sounded just a little bit too good to be true. She studied Sophie. Why dont you want to go with him?
Because Sophie began to pace again every time I look at Lucas right now, I think of Bradley. My feelings are very raw, and having Lucas lecture me for a week on my abominable taste in men is the last thing I need. But hes adamant that I join him. I think he feels guilty and he wants to bond with me.
What will you be doing while Im down in the Keys seducing Lucas? There. Shed actually said it aloud. Putting your fear into words was supposed to be half the battle.
Pacing back from the window, Sophie leaned against the counter. I need to be by myself for a while. And Ive found this great spa in North Carolina where I can hike in the mountains and ride and meditate. Its run entirely by women for women. When I read the brochure, it sounded like heaven to me. Its exactly what I need. Lucas is right about one thing. I do seem to attract men who are only interested in using me. An all-women retreat ought to at least protect me for a while.
Lucas wont be happy about the switch, Mac pointed out.
Sophie patted Macs hand. If your research is as good as you say it is, hell adjust. And Ill call him from the spa so that hell know that Im perfectly safe. Believe me, Lucas and I could both use a break from each other.
Mac drew in a deep breath. Shed never been able to refuse Sophie anything.
Do this for me. Please.
Okay.
Great! Sophie beamed a smile at her. Cmon, the first thing I want to see is the wardrobe that Madame Gervais helped you select. Then were going to shop for some additional pieces that will be appropriate for a holiday in the Keys. Have you ever worn a wig?
No. Why would I?
The better to create fantasies with, my dear. Ill explain everything while we shop.
3
IS THERE ANYTHING I can get you before we take off, Ms. Wainright?
Mac smiled at the young brunette, Captain Jill Roberts, who would fly her to Key West. No thanks, Im fine.
She hated that she had to lie to the woman, but Sophies instructions were very explicit. Lucass pilot had never met Sophie Wainright, and Mac was to keep up her impersonation until they had landed in the Keys. The blond wig was helping, and so were the clothes that Sophie had lent her.
No one could know that she was taking Sophies place until she stepped off the plane in Key West. Sophie had been adamant about that because she was sure that Lucas was having her followed.
The flight will take about two hours, and the galley is fully stocked.
And Lucas is going to meet the plane? Mac asked.
Captain Roberts smiled. Thats what he said. I spoke with him just as you were crossing the tarmac to come aboard, and I gave him the time I thought we would be touching down. That means Id better get us airborne. If you want anything, the intercom button is right there on the armrest.
It was only as the captain disappeared into the cockpit that Mac allowed herself to relax a little. She felt as if shed been caught up in a whirlwind ever since Sophie had breezed into her lab on Monday, but she had to admit that the plan was really working. It had been at Sophies insistence that theyd switched identities.
The initial step had gone like clockwork thanks to a sudden summer storm that still held D.C. in its grip. Sophie had worn her red rain poncho, hood up, when shed opened the antique shop at nine, and Mac had worn a bright yellow one, hood down, when shed arrived fifteen minutes later. Once inside, theyd gone into the back room and changed clothes. As a final touch to their disguises, Sophie had donned a reddish-blond wig tied back into a bun, and Mac had put on a blond one.
Theyd gotten the wigs and had them cut and styled on Monday when theyd gone shopping. The fact that they were almost identical in size and shape had helped. Friends in college had always remarked that they could have passed for sisters. Still, Mac had been amazed at just how much she resembled Sophie once she was wearing the blond wig. When theyd emerged from the shop, their hoods up and umbrellas open to hail separate cabs, she was sure that anyone watching Sophie would have been bound to follow Mac, and vice versa.
Mac prayed that the rest of their plan would go as smoothly. Just the thought of facing Lucas Wainright and admitting that shed purposely switched places with his sister had the butterflies dive-bombing around in her stomach. But it was much easier to concentrate on that first hurdle than the one that would come after, when she told him why shed really taken Sophies place.
Weve been cleared for takeoff, Ms. Wainright.
Mac jumped at the sound of Jill Robertss voice pouring out of a nearby speaker.
Ill let you know when you can move around the cabin, but if you have any concerns or questions, dont hesitate to use the intercom button.
Mac found her gaze riveted to the button for several moments after the planes engine roared to life. All she had to do was press it and she could call the whole thing off.
The plane vibrated, then moved forward.
Mac gripped her hands together. Whatever second thoughts she was having, she couldnt let Sophie down. Things had gone too far.
Leaning back in her seat, she took a deep breath and held it for the length of time that it took the plane to make its mad rush down the runway.
There was no need to panic. Years of experience in the lab had taught her that any project became simpler and much less inhibiting if she could just break it down into steps and take them one at a time. All she had to do was view her coming fieldwork in that light. Flying down to Key West to meet Lucas was just the first step. Telling Lucas about her plan would be the nextand a big one it would be.
The moment she felt the plane leave the ground, she let out the breath she was holding and took in another one. In her mind, she tried to picture herself taking the third stepmaking love to Lucas Wainright.
Every time she let herself think about that, a very vivid image of Lucas, totally naked, filled her mind. She could almost feel what it would be like to run her hands over the smooth tanned skin on his shoulders, down his chest to his waist and below. Of course, shed fantasized about touching a man before. And that all-day seminar had certainly given her fantasies a lot of fuel. But never before had her hands tingled with anticipation. As she glanced down at them, grasped tightly in her lap, the realization streamed through her. She wanted to touch Lucas. Not just any man. She wanted to press her fingers against his hardness, to test his strength.
She could still recall how lean, how hard those muscles had felt through the thin cotton of his polo shirt. His whole body had been so hard. Even his hands. When she concentrated, she could still feel the pressure of each fingeron her back and, lower, on her hip. And there was that incredible stab of heat, the melting of muscle and bone.
She was still searching for a word to describe what shed felt. Hunger was too mild a word for that needy, restless ache that had threatened to consume her. More than anything, shed wanted him to
Ms. Wainright?
Mac started as the voice flowed out of the speaker. Then, unclenching her hands, she pressed the button on the armrest. Yes?
Weve reached our cruising altitude. You can wander around the cabin or use your cell phone. Make yourself at home.
Thanks.
Reaching into her bag, Mac took out her phone. She was about to press a button to speed-dial Sophie when she realized that it wasnt her phone. It was the color of white mother-of-pearl. Hers was black. A quick search of her bag confirmed her suspicion. When theyd switched outfits in the back of Sophies shop, theyd switched the identical purses theyd bought too. After punching in her own number, she listened to it ring.
Mac? Sophie asked. Where are you?
Im in the air.
Lucky you. Im still on the ground, but we should be moving away from the gate soon. I take it everything went smoothly.
Everything except that I have your purse.
Yeah. I figured that out when I grabbed the phone. But it shouldnt be a problem. You have my permission to use my credit cards. I doubt that Ill need yours at the spa.
Go ahead and use them if you have to.
Were lucky thats the only thing thats gone wrong. I cant believe weve pulled this off.
I hate to rain on your parade, but theres still the possibility that Lucas will send me packing and show up at your spa.
They dont allow men on the premises. Besides, hes going to be much too busy engaging in those sexual fantasies youre going to create for him.
What if he doesnt? What if he refuses to
Youre having second thoughts, arent you?
Nowell, maybe a few. Mac sighed.
Stick to your first answer. And dont let my brother intimidate you. Hes a man. And in spite of his numerous and infuriating faults, hes fair. The moment he realizes weve made a switch, hell get me on my cell phone and lecture me. Ill make sure he knows this was all my ideaand then Ill suggest he have one of his hotshot security people check out the spa. Uh-oh. Were starting to pull away from the gate. Just remember that when Lucas finds out Im perfectly safe, hell calm right down. The rest is up to you.
For a few minutes after Sophie broke the connection, Mac stared straight in front of her. It was up to her. She was used to that kind of pressure in her lab. She could handle it there.
And she would handle it once she got to Key West. In the meantime, she was going to find something else to think about. An idea bloomed in her mind and she pushed the button on her armrest.
What can I do for you, Ms. Wainright?
First, you can call me Sophie.
Only if you agree to call me Jill.
Do you ever fly with a copilot?
Jills laugh flowed into the cabin. Frequently. In fact, when I fly with Mr. Wainright, I usually sit in the copilots seat. He prefers to be in charge.
A top gun?
You got it.
Could I come up there with you? Id love to learn about flying.
Sure thing. Id love the company.
WHERES SOPHIE? Lucas bit out the words as he glanced from MacKenzie Lloyd to the pilot of his private jet. Somehow hed managed to keep his voice low and controlleda sharp contrast to the feelings coursing through him. The first thing hed felt when Mac had walked down the short flight of steps from the plane was pleasure. It had sprung to life so quickly that hed barely had time to recognize it before hed discovered that his sister was not with her. Then the fear had struck.
Sophies perfectly safe, Mac said. Shes at a spa in North Carolina. Iwe switched places.
Lucas shifted his gaze to Jill Roberts who had descended the short flight of steps directly behind Mac. Are you involved in this deception?
Mac stepped in front of his pilot. No. I told her the truth just as we landed. Before that, I was wearing a blond wig, and she believed I was Sophie. Please dont blame Captain Roberts. Sophie said youd be fair.
Ruthlessly shoving his hands into the pockets of his shorts, Lucas narrowed his eyes. It was a look hed honed to perfection when dealing with employees whod displeased him. He kept Mac pinned with it while he considered what shed said.
It would have been easy enough to fool his pilot. She hadnt worked for Wainright Enterprises that long, and he seldom used his private jet to transport family. Hed done it this time to ensure that Sophie arrived safely. And he was also blaming Mac for something he was almost certain his sister was behind. I want to talk to Sophie.
Of course. Instead of withering under his glance, Mac efficiently punched numbers into her cell phone, then handed it to him.
He listened to two rings.
Lucas?
His sisters voice had some of his fear fading. Where in hell are you?
Didnt Mac tell you? Im on my way to the Serenity Spa in Serenity, North Carolina.
Hold on. Lucas cut her off, then directed his gaze at Mac and his pilot. You two wait right here. Were not finished. Turning, he strode to the privacy and shade offered by a nearby hangar.
Where exactly is this spa?
I told you, Serenity, North Carolinaabout an hours drive from Charlotte. Ill be quite safe. The place is run by women for women. No chance of any fortune hunters herealthough you might argue the prices they charge puts them in that category. Ill give you their phone number and their Web site address. You can have one of your security men check it out.
I intend to. They can do it in person when they pick you up and bring you here.
Not a good idea, bro. I told you before, I wont have you running my life. You promised youd back off for a while.
And in return you agreed to spend some time with me down here in the Keys.
You had me followed. That isnt backing off. And its something I wont put up with.
Lucas sighed. Soph, theres something I havent told you. Its why I wanted you to come down here for a while. We need to talk.
Talk is the last thing I need right now. Im sorry. I know I agreed to come there, but Ijust couldnt.
The quick change in her tone from anger to contrition pulled at him.
I love you, Lucas. And I know that you did what you thought was best for the family. But being with you right now is only going to make me think of how lousy I am at choosing men. I really need to be alone.
It was the catch in her voice that had the pain shooting through him. He couldnt help recalling the scene in his office when hed forced her to look at the evidence Tracker had gathered on Bradley Davis. It would be a long time before he could forget the words shed hurled at him. Theyd hurt much more than the right cross shed managed to land on his chin. Shed accused him of having ice water in his veins, of being a ruthless dictator, of caring only about Wainright Enterprises.
What else could he expect her to say? He was prepared to go to almost any length to protect the company his grandfather had built and his father had almost destroyed. He stared past the low-slung buildings that formed the small private airport. The air was stifling, not even a hint of a breeze stirred the palms. If Sophie had a built-in homing device that seemed to attract fortune hunters, shed inherited that gene directly from their father. His last and fifth divorce had come close to destroying Wainright Enterprises.
Hed tried to tell himself that Sophie would have been hurt even more if shed gone ahead and married Bradley Davis. But that certainty hadnt helped a bit when shed broken down and sobbed in his office.
Please let me do this, Lucas. The spa has excellent security, and you can call the desk each day to check on me. You can even send one of your security people up hereas long as hes willing to camp in the woods. No males are allowed on the grounds.
For a moment Lucas said nothing as he ran the risks through his mind. A spa that was off-limits to men sounded secure, especially if he had Tracker assign one of his people to keep an eye on the place. While she was there, Sophie should be safe from any plot that Vincent Falcone might be hatching. Lucas drew in a deep breath. As long as what youre telling me about this Serenity Spa is the truth.
Check it out. Im at the Charlotte airport now. Their van will be picking me up any minute. And whatever you do, dont blame Mac for this. I talked her into it. I can be very persuasive when I set my mind to it.
Lucass lips curved in a smile. Tell me about it. Dont worry, Ill have your friend back in D.C. by midafternoon.
Oh, I dont think you should do that. She has a little problem shes depending on you to help her with, and I assured her that you were the perfect man for the job.
What does she want me to do? Lucas asked, glancing toward his plane. Mac had moved to the shade cast by one of the wings and was motioning his pilot to join her. Shaking her head, Captain Roberts stayed where she was. Evidently his order to stay put hadnt intimidated the doc. Courage had always appealed to him.
Im going to let Mac tell you that. But she may need a little encouragement. And I dont suppose you were very welcoming when you saw she wasnt me.
No, he hadnt been welcoming, Lucas thought as he studied Dr. MacKenzie Lloyd. Part of that had been due to the fact that for the past four days he hadnt been able to get her out of his mind.
In the linen slacks and blouse, she looked prim, innocent and untouchable. It had never been those qualities that had drawn him to a woman before. Perhaps it was that detached way she had of summing up her opponent in a tennis match and then calmly going in for the kill. It was a skill shed probably picked up in her lab work. But wherever shed come by that single-minded determination, he couldnt help but admire it. Nor could he help but view it as a challenge.
Im depending on you to be fair, Lucas. Dont blame her for something thats not her fault.
Wasnt that exactly what hed been doingblaming her for that quick skip of delight hed felt when shed gotten off the plane?
Mac doesnt have anyone else to turn to for advice. Her parents always lecture rather than listen.
Ouch. Lucas winced. It was an accusation Sophie had hurled at him more than once.
Please, Lucas. Im asking a favor here. At least take her out to the island and hear her out.
Take her out to the island? Whatever second thoughts he might have had about the wisdom of doing that had to be dismissed. Sophie so rarely asked for favors. All right. But at least give me a clue. What kind of problem?
Its personal. And she needs help from a man. Thats all I can tell you.
Personal? Did it have to do with a boyfriend? An ex-lover? The possibility had him frowning. Ill do what I can. In the meantime, Im going to be checking in on you at that spa.
I cant always promise to be available on my cell phone. They make you check them at the desk. But you can always have one of your security people pitch a tent on one of the hillsides and keep tabs on me that way.
Lucas sighed at the trace of bitterness he heard in her voice. I love you, Soph.
Ditto, bro. Enjoy.
As soon as Sophie ended the call, Lucas took out his own cell phone and pressed the number that would get him through to Tracker.
Whats up, boss?
Sophie tricked you.
I followed her myself until she got on your private plane. There was a slight pause, and then he continued. The raincoats. When she and Dr. Lloyd came out of her shop, they both had their hoods up and their umbrellas openand I followed the blonde, just as she wanted me to. Damn! Let me check with the man I had tailing Dr. Lloyd.
I can tell you where Sophie says she isthe Serenity Spa in Serenity, North Carolina. They dont allow men on the premises. She claimed she was calling me from the Charlotte airport. She says she wants some time alone, but I want you to make sure shes there.
Ill check the flight manifests right after I check with Dr. Lloyds tail. Am I right in assuming that the good doctor is with you?
Yeah. Sophie says she has a problem, so I may have another job for you.
Ill be in touch.
SOPHIE ENDED her conversation with her brother, then crossed her fingers in the hope that Lucas had bought her story. Of course, hed check out every detail. She knew from experience just how thorough he was.
However, shed been thorough too. She glanced at her watch. The first thing Lucas would do would be to check out the flight manifests and see if an S. Wainright had indeed flown from National Airport to Charleston that day. He would find that she had. Hopefully, he wouldnt find it too suspicious that an M. Lloyd had also made the same flight. She was banking on the fact that he would relax once he found that Sophie Wainright had checked into the Serenity Spa. Hannah Parker, the out-of-work actress shed hired to do just that should be arriving at the spa any minute, and once that final crucial step had been taken and Lucas had verified it, she should be free.
For the next week, she wasnt going to be Sophie Wainright. Instead, she would be MacKenzie Lloyd, a burned-out research biologist who was taking a little break from her lab.
Shed begun to formulate the plan when she and Mac had talked in the tree house on Sunday, but the details hadnt all fallen into place until Mac had finally agreed to trade places with her. Of course, she hadnt told Mac everything.
She knew her best friend too well to believe that she could lie to Lucas for an entire week. So she hadnt admitted to her that shed switched purses on purpose. Nor had she confided to Mac that she never intended to go to the Serenity Spa.
Stifling the impulse to get up and pace, Sophie leaned back in her chair and scanned the occupants of the airport lounge. At nearly two in the afternoon, the lunch crowd had thinned to a few businessmen at the bar who were nursing beers as they talked nonstop into their cell phones. Theyd been there when shed entered, so she didnt think they were following her. And she doubted that the couple with four kids at a nearby table were being paid to keep tabs on her.
For a second, her gaze locked with one of the men at the bar. She was quick to glance away, then let out the breath she was holding when she saw him slide off his stool and leave in the direction of the departing flights.
Paranoiathats what it was, pure and simple. If she wasnt careful, shed turn into Lucas, forever afraid that everyone he met was trying to threaten Wainright Enterprises.
She couldnt, she wouldnt live her life that way.
Forcing herself to relax, Sophie took a sip of bottled water. Not that she hadnt borrowed a page from her brothers paranoia handbook. In making her plans for switching identities with Mac, shed followed Lucass number-one rule: Never underestimate the enemy.
Even after theyd each hailed their separate taxis in front of her shop, shed made herself assume that she still had a tail. Though she couldnt think of a single reason why Lucas would be having Mac followed, she wasnt ever going to underestimate him again. That was why shed waited to switch identities with Hannah Parker until theyd both entered the first available ladies room at the airport in Charlotte.
It had been almost too simple to walk into adjoining stalls and then pass her poncho and a bag containing her identification, sunglasses and a duplicate of the red wig she was wearing to Hannah. Just in case Lucas had assigned someone to follow Mac, Hannah couldnt turn into the blond Sophie Wainright until she was safely in the van to the Serenity Spa.
For the space of about fifteen minutes, there had been two fake MacKenzie Lloyds in the Charlotte airport.
Sophie took another quick look around the lounge. No one was paying her the least bit of attention. She drummed her fingers on the table, then jumped when her cell phone rang. Grabbing it, she put it to her ear. Yes?
Its Hannah. I just wanted to let you know. Im all checked into the spa. You should see the room.
Did everything go all right?
Like clockwork. The woman behind the desk told me that my brother had called. She was going to call him back and let him know Id arrived safely.
Have a great week, Sophie said as she ended the call. Then she lifted her bottled water in a toast to herself. Im free at last.
MAC GRIPPED the windshield of the boat tightly as Lucas let out the throttle and the Adventurer raced over the choppy water. Shed felt a certain kinship with the boat the moment shed spotted the name. Together, they were racing off into the unknown.
With the wind whipping against her face, she concentrated on enjoying the feel of bright afternoon sun and the occasional salty spray against her cheeks. It wasnt hard. She would have enjoyed it even more though, if it hadnt been for the man standing only a few feet away at the helm of the boat.
Even when he wasnt looking at her or speaking to her, Lucas was a hard man to ignore. He projectedsomething that went beyond simple good looks. And it was mesmerizing. Shed barely taken her eyes off him as hed gone about the task of casting off the boat, then steering it quickly and surely away from the marina toward the open sea.
She risked a sideways glance at him. Perhaps it was the mixture of competence and control that had her gawking like a teenager. No, she thought, it was more than that. There was also that hint of danger about Lucas that lurked just below the very civilized surface. Shed seen it in his eyes when hed first realized that Sophie wasnt on board the planesomething hot, dangerous and lethal. It fascinated her.
And she was gawking again. Tearing her eyes away, she looked back at the marina that was fast becoming a spec on the shoreline behind them. A small plane lifted and soared out over the water as it climbed steadily into the sky. Jill Roberts was heading back to D.C. Only when it disappeared did she allow herself to look at Lucas again. He stood there, totally impassive, as if he were alone on the boat.
Clearly, he was still annoyed. Hed spoken only two words to her since hed gotten off the phone with Sophie. Once Jill had disappeared into the plane, Lucas had turned to her, his expression neutral, and said, This way.
His tone had been so cool shed nearly shivered in spite of the hot southern Florida heat. Theyd walked down to the small marina where hed tied his boat. The moment she saw it, anxiety mixed with anticipation. It was her day for firsts, it seemedher first time sitting in the cockpit of a plane and now her first time on a boatto be topped off by her first time propositioning a man.
She glanced at him again. He stood completely at ease, his hands on the wheel, his feet planted apart, totally in control of the engine that roared beneath them. There was no sign now of the predator shed glimpsed earlier. But it was still there, lurking. And it was touching off something in her. She pressed a hand against her stomach. The warm melting sensation that seemed to be centered there had nothing to do with the fact that the boat was beginning to bump more frequently into waves.
Nervous? Lucas had to shout the question.
A little, she shouted back. This is my first time on a boat.
Youre kidding.
She shook her head.
How old are you?
Twenty-six.
I cant imagine it. What did your family do on vacations?
They didnt take me with them.
What about later? Lucas asked. You live in D.C. and you never went out on the water?
Too busy, I guess. She moved toward him then, carefully maintaining her grip on the side of the boat as she did. Is it easy to steer?
For me it is. Ive been doing it most of my life.
Suddenly, the boat struck a wave that lifted her feet right off the deck. The moment they smacked down, she felt them lift again, her stomach with them. The laugh escaped the moment she felt the boat solidly under her again.
The sound of Lucass laughter mingling with hers had her turning toward him.
You have the makings of a good sailor, Doc. Would you like to take a turn behind the wheel?
At her nod, he stepped back and she slipped in front of him. Once her hands were on the wheel, he covered them with his. Feet apart. Hands steady.
Lucas continued to talk, words of encouragement, but Macs mind couldnt take it in. Just the sound of his voice in her ear was having the strangest effect on her breathing. And there were other sensations pouring through her. Instead of the salty air, it was Lucass scent she inhaled. He smelled like sun and sweat and something else that she couldnt quite place. She could feel him too. His chest when it brushed against her back was like iron, and the hands trapping hers on the wheel were sure and firm, the palms surprisingly rough. For a moment, she closed her eyes and imagined what it might be like to have those hard hands pressed against other parts of her body.
Another wave had him shifting closer. His hands tightened on hers, pulling the wheel to the right. An arrow of heat shot through her, and her heart began to beat hard and fast, just as it had when shed been lying on top of him.
Id better take over.
Yes, she thought. Oh, yes.
Doc, are you all right?
Her eyes shot open as he turned her around to face him. Imfine, she managed to say.
You look a little weak in the knees. Why dont you sit down? You can see the island off there to your right.
Very carefully, Mac made it to the cushioned seat that ran along the side of the boat. Just as soon as Lucas wasnt actually touching her, some of her strength returned. It also helped that she wasnt looking at him.
Fascinating, she thought as she focused her attention on a tiny speck some distance away in the water. Her reaction the first time hed held her hadnt been an aberration. Lucas Wainright could definitely turn her mind and body to mush.
And she liked it.
However, it would add complications to her research. How was she supposed to keep her mind on creating male sexual fantasies if Lucas could scatter her thoughts and melt her into a puddle whenever he touched her?
Narrowing her eyes, she watched the speck become larger. It was a problem shed have to solve.
4
WHEN SHE STEPPED OUT onto the dock, Macs eyes were first drawn to the white sand beach that stretched in both directions until it curved out of sight. Waves broke against it, then drew back to attack again in a steady rhythm. Fifty yards ahead, palm trees shaded a squat box of a cabin with a covered porch. Almost covered, she amended when she saw the ladder tipped against it, a pile of shingles stacked on its sloping roof.
Lucas grabbed her suitcase and climbed out of the boat. I hope youre not expecting anything fancy. Every time I come down here I try to make a few improvements, but its pretty rustic.
Its lovely. Pausing as she stepped off the dock, she looked at the sweep of shore again. Ive never seen a beach that wasnt thronged with people. You must love it here.
He looked at her for a moment. I do. None of the rest of my family does. They call this place Lucass Folly.
It was impossible to imagine the confident man striding in front of her up the path to the cabin as being capable of folly. She found her gaze riveted on his broad shoulders. Beneath the thin polo shirt he was wearing, she could see the easy, sure movement of muscles as he swung her suitcase in rhythm with his stride. Shed learned in her research that from a psychological standpoint, a woman who was attracted to a mans muscular shoulders was probably looking for a strong emotional bond.
That was the last thing she wanted with Lucas Wainright, she reminded herself. If her plan was going to work at all, he was just someone she would practice on. A guinea pig.
She forced her gaze down the length of his back to his waist and below. Suddenly, her mouth went dry as dust. He had what Madame Gervais would definitely call in her Parisian French a
As she watched him climb the porch steps, the foreign words escaped her. Great buns was the only description she could think of in English. His cutoff jeans fit over his backside like a second skin, leaving very little to the imaginationjust enough to make her wonder what his skin would feel like beneath that denim. Soft and smoothfirm and hard? Would it feel as hot as her own skin was beginning to feel?
The urge to find out was so sudden, so strong that Mac stopped dead in her tracks. If she hadnt, she was sure she would have reached out and actually placed the palm of her hand on Lucass butt.
She made herself take a deep breath and let it out. In spite of the heat, the air felt cool compared to the fire that had started to burn in her body. What in the world was the matter with her? Shed never before found herself mesmerized by a mans derrierethat was the French word. According to Madame Gervais, women who were attracted to that particular body part were lusty adventurers who were looking for similar qualities in a man.
The thought of herself as a lusty adventurer nearly made her laugh. Still, it might be evidence that she did have a sensual side to her nature, after all.
It was only as Lucas opened the door of the cabin and glanced back over his shoulder that she realized she was staring at that part of his anatomy.
Are you all right? Lucas asked.
Fine. She moved quickly up the steps and into the cabin. The air was stuffy and even warmer than outside. Or perhaps it was her own inner temperature rising because she was standing close to Lucas again. Close enough to touch.
Pushing the thought out of her mind, she focused her full attention on the small, tidy interior of the room. Though the darkness contrasted sharply with the glaring brightness outside, she noted that the room was minimally furnished with a couch, a coffee table, a desk and a chair. At one end, a wooden counter with two stools tucked beneath its wide ledge framed a space for a tiny kitchen. There was no clutter, nothing to suggest that the place was occupied except for the laptop computer and thick, sturdy briefcase that sat on the desk.
It was then that she noticed the framed photographs that nearly covered the wall above. Curious, she moved closer to get a better look. Most of the pictures were snapshots of Sophie and her younger brothers, the step-twins. Nicholas and Nathaniels high-school graduation, Sophies graduation from college. Shed met Sophie five years ago when shed been doing postdoctoral work and Sophie had been finishing her undergraduate degree. Theyd been fast friends ever since.
Her gaze shifted to a shot of the opening of Sophies antique shop in Georgetown. And there were others that captured less formal occasionsSophie and the step-twins beneath a Christmas tree, a teenage Sophie standing by a red convertible dangling the keys from her fingers. There were twenty pictures in all, a sort of family album/mural, except that there were no parents in any of them. And no sign of Lucas.
Her attention was caught and held by the last photo in the bottom row. She was in it, standing next to Sophie. Lucas had snapped a victory picture after she and Sophie had beaten him at tennis.
Something moved through her then. Envy? Longing? Lifting her hand, she ran her fingers over the frame. The pictures were concrete evidence of something she already knew. Lucas Wainright valued his family.
You played a great game. Id be glad to make you a copy of the photo, if youd like.
Thanks. As she turned, she nearly bumped into him.
He handed her a bottle of water. Youd better drink it all. In this kind of heat, its easy to become dehydrated.
She took a long swallow, then watched as Lucas drained his bottle. She was close enough to see a drip of water run from the corner of his mouth to his chin, and then down the long column of his throat. In her mind, she imagined what it might be like to trace its path with her finger, to feel the coolness of the water, the heat of his skin underneath.
Penny for your thoughts.
Mac reined them in. This was the second time in almost as many minutes that shed fantasized about touching Lucas Wainright.
Sophie says you have a problem youd like my help with.
Her nerves slithered into a knot in her stomach, and she felt the bottle slip from her fingers.
Lucas caught it before it hit the floor and handed it back to her. That bad, huh?
Before she could reply, he took her arm and led her out to the porch. Why dont you sit down. You can finish that water while I fix some sandwiches. Well talk about it over lunch.
In the doorway, he turned back to her. You can stay here as long as you want. If it helps any, Sophie was pretty sure I could help. And Im certainly willing to do anything I can.
WAS HE GOING CRAZY? Lucas spread slices of bread out on the counter. Standing on that boat with her body so close to his had turned his brain to mush and another part of his anatomy into something hard, erect and ready to go.
Except it wasnt going anywhere. Taking a calming breath, he slapped slices of ham, then cheese on the bread. MacKenzie Lloyd was his sisters best friend, and he could not, would not, get involved with her. Hed vowed a long time ago to keep his relationships with women entirely separate from his family. He never dated anyone in his familys social circle, and he never brought any of his women friends home. It was just one of the methods he used to ensure that the women in his life never nurtured the false expectation that he would marry them. His other method was to be totally honest with them up front.
What was he thinking when hed invited MacKenzie Lloyd to stay as long as she wanted?
Dumb question. He reached into the small refrigerator for mustard and spread it liberally on the ham. He hadnt been thinking at all. His mind had been too busy remembering the way her scent had wrapped itself around him, the way her hair, whipped back by the wind, had felt against his chin. And once hed led her into the cabin, his mind had taken the leap from memory to fantasy, and had totally immersed itself in imagining what it would be like to make love with Dr. MacKenzie Lloyd.
Even as shed settled herself on the steps, the image had slipped into his mind of sitting right down beside her and slipping her out of that neat little blouse, then the slacks. Hed been wondering just what it was that she wore beneath that cool-looking linen. Thin, white, practical cottonthe kind that schoolgirls worewas what hed pictured. Once hed discarded that, he could spend the entire afternoon pleasuring her until she was spent and limp beneath him. And then he could begin again.
Bending down, he grabbed two beers from the cooler. He couldnt recall another woman whod aroused such erotic fantasies in him. And shed yet to give him any indication that the attraction he felt was mutual.
Was that what fascinated him? That cool, seemingly unflappable image that she projected? Certainly, he was curious about what lay beneath the surface. Hed already discovered that she wasnt as serious as she seemed. It had been pure, innocent enjoyment hed seen in her eyes when that wave had lifted her right up off the deck of the boat.
And her laugh. Just recalling the sound of it had him wanting to surprise another one out of her.
Maybe she wasnt as indifferent to him as she appeared to be. He could think of several interesting ways to test that theory.
And hed be a fool to put any of them to the test. Slapping the sandwiches onto a plate, he snagged the beers with his free hand and walked back out onto the porch.
She wasnt there.
Mac!
He was off the steps and scanning the beach when she said, Im up here.
Fear shot through him when he saw her perched on the sloping roof of the porch. What the hell are you doing? Youre afraid of heights.
Im also a coward. This is my way of summoning up some Dutch courage so that I can tell you why Im here. But you may have to eat without me. Im not sure I can get down.
Whatever else she was, MacKenzie Lloyd wasnt a coward. And what in the world had her so frightened that shed climb onto a roof to screw up her courage? Tucking the bottles under his arm, he started up the ladder. Well eat up there then. I dont relish the thought of being flattened again if you decide to jump.
He had the pleasure of seeing her lips curve in a ghost of a smile as he settled himself beside her and distributed the sandwiches and beer. Is it helping? To sit up here, I mean?
My stomach is still in a knot. But watching the water helps.
Take a drink of the beer.
She glanced at it dubiously. Itll make me want to take a nap.
Thats allowed. In fact, with the sun at its hottest, its a very smart plan.
Damn tempting too. Lucas pushed away the image of lying down next to her on the narrow cot in his bedroom. He was trying not to think about the fact that hed have to carry her down the ladder, but his body was already reacting to the possibility.
Plan. Yes, thats what I wanted to talk to you about. She took a quick sip from the bottle, and when some beer dripped onto her wrist, she touched her tongue to it.
Lucas felt the hot lick of desire and took a long swallow of his own beer. Sophie said you had a problem.
Thats because she didnt approve of my plan.
She wants me to handle it.
Exactly. Holding the bottle tightly in two hands, she kept her eyes on the sea. I should begin by giving you some background. I want a family someday. For me that means kids and marriage. Not in that order, of course. She shot him a sideways glance. Im not one of those women who wants to raise children in a single-parent household. I know from experience that it can make for an unhappy childhood, so I want to avoid it at all costs. Thats why I want to be prepared. A good plan is everything in the lab. She glanced at him briefly. It must be the same way in a business deal.
Yes, Lucas said. But Im not sure Im following you.
Mac took another swallow of beer. What are your feelings about divorce?
Lucass eyes narrowed. I want to avoid it at all costs. Thats why Ill never marry.
She nodded, then drank more beer. Lucas watched her lick the moisture from her lips as she lowered the bottle and turned to face him. I want to avoid it too. We just differ in out approaches to the problem. I want to get married and my research is designed to make sure my marriage lasts forever.
Bells began to ring in Lucass headthe ones that always warned him about women who were thinking about weddings. I dont intend to get married. Ever.
Of course you dont. You already have a family. I only had one until I was five. Thats when my fathers eye started to wander. She took another long swallow of beer, then glanced at the bottle. You know, you were right about this. It is relaxing me.
Maybe too much, Lucas muttered. Have you had anything to eat today, Doc?
No. I never eat before I fly. She tipped the bottle up again and drank thirstily. Its been ages since Ive had beer. I didnt think I liked it, but I do.
You were talking about wandering eyes. His own sure werent wandering. They were glued to MacKenzie Lloyds mouth as she licked the last trace of beer from her lips.
First its the eyes, and then its the whole body. Did you know that infidelity is the number-one cause of divorce? And the number-one reason for one of the partners to stray is that monogamy usually leads to monotony? Hopefully, my plan will prevent that.
How?
By making sure that my husband never gets bored in bed. Pausing, she rubbed the bottle against her cheek. Its getting really warm up here.
Tell me about it.
Im trying. Ive done all this research on how to please a man in bed. Most of the data Ive compiled is on male sexual fantasies. Did you know that the number-one fantasy of men is to make love with two women at once?
I think I read that somewhere.
When she turned to study him, he had the fleeting sensation of being put on a slide.
Is that your favorite? she finally asked.
Not at the present moment.
I havent figured out exactly how to create that one, but I have a lot of other ones Id like to try out. Are you going to finish your beer?
Before he could reply, she plucked his bottle from his hand and replaced it with her empty one. Then she took a long swallow.
Maybe youd better spell out exactly how it is that I can help you.
As she turned to face him, she slid a little toward the end of the roof.
He gripped her arm. Careful.
Theres a time in every research project when you have to put your theories to the test in the lab. Im at that point right now. I feel like Im bursting with research, and if I dont put some of it to use, I just might explode. Do you ever get that feeling?
Yeah.
I feel that way in the lab tooand its so exciting. Thats why I need a man right now. I have to have someone to practice on. And Sophie suggested you.
Lucass mouth went dry as dust. You He cleared his throat. You cant be serious.
But I am. I tried to explain to Sophie. This is the exact procedure I follow in the lab. Theories always have to be tested. But you shouldnt feel pressured. I can certainly find someone else to test my research on. I have a friend in Paris who has several volunteers lined up. But Sophie insisted that I ask you first.
Lucas stared at her. It had to be the beer. He removed his bottle from her hand. Let me make sure I have this straight. Youre asking me to become your lover so that you can field-test your research on me?
Exactly. And it wont go any further than that. I promise that Im not out to trap you into marriage. Sophie said you would be worried about that. This is strictly a no-strings arrangement. Ive been on the Pill for three months, and Ive always practiced safe sex, not that Ive had to worry about it lately. What about you?
Lucas stared at her, incredulous.
Is there anything in your sexual history I should be concerned about, she asked.
No, Im a very careful man.
Mac nodded. Of course, you could still use a condom as an extra precaution
Of course. And if I agree to the arrangement?
There are some particular male sexual fantasies that I want to try out. If youre willing. She took his bottle back and emptied it.
As her proposition swam around in his mind, Lucas watched a thin trickle of beer run down her throat. He imagined the bitter taste it would have, along with the sweeter, warmer flavor of her skin. But if he gave in to the temptation of leaning forward and following the path of the beer with his tongue, he wouldnt stop there. He would have to kiss her. And if he did, he wouldnt stop there either.
He felt as if he was fighting against a riptide that was carrying him farther and farther from shore, from his sanity. Even as the battle went on in his mind, he was leaning forward. Then the shingles moved beneath him.
Youre slipping. Mac grabbed his arm, and then she was sliding too.
In the instant it took him to realize that they were both going over the edge, he wrapped his arms around her and held her close. If hed been alone, he would have simply tucked his arms in and rolled. As it was, the moment his feet hit the ground, he twisted and fell backward to take the brunt of the impact. It took his breath away.
As soon as he could, he loosened his grip on her. Are you all right?
She raised her head and looked down at him. Fine. What about you?
For a moment he didnt respond. All he could focus on was the way sunlight brought out the fiery glints in her hair and the way the amber flecks had brightened in her eyes. The way her body had softened until it fit perfectly against his.
He couldnt recall ever wanting a woman this much. About your plan
Oh, she said, her eyes suddenly narrowing. Do you want to? That would be great. If youd like to get started She pushed against him. Ill get the questionnaire.
Questionnaire?
So I can tell which fantasies are your favorites.
He was thinking of carrying her down the beach to the small inlet where the palms touched overhead. There, he could make love to her until she couldnt think of anything, of anyone but him.
And the doc was thinking of paperwork!
It wont take long. Once I know exactly what you like to fantasize about, I can run them through this program I created on my laptop.
Wait a minute. When she tried to rise, he grabbed her wrist and sat up with her. The frantic skipping of her pulse against his thumb told him she wasnt anywhere near as cool as her voice had sounded.
Oh, she was excited all right. But was it about making love with him, or was it because she was thinking of her questionnaires and programs? I stopped indulging in fantasies when I was twelve. I much prefer reality.
Ohare you saying you dont want to? I told Sophie that you dont think of me that way.
I think of you that way. He couldnt stop himself from thinking of her that way.
Then She moistened her lips. Youll do it?
The strength of his desire to agree had him releasing her wrist carefully. He had to think, to weigh the possible outcomes. And he couldnt think at all when she was sitting on his lap, her mouth only a breath away. I never make snap decisions in business. Im sure you never do in the lab.
No, of course not.
Then I suggest we take twenty-four hours to think it over before either of us jumps into anything. Agreed?
Agreed.
He saw something flicker in her eyes, but he wasnt sure whether it was relief or disappointment. Then to his complete astonishment, she settled her head on his shoulder and yawned.
I feel so much better now that Ive told you why I came here.
Better wasnt exactly the way he would choose to describe the mix of emotions moving through him. Desire, he could handle. But there was something unsettling about the warmth that was also spreading through him, solid and sure. And it shouldnt feel so damn right to have her sitting on his lap. He should be setting her away from him, but he hadnt been able to prevent his arms from moving around her.
And then he didnt move at all. For a few moments he allowed himself to simply sit and hold her. The silence was broken only by the sound of waves rushing onto the shore and the cry of a gull overhead.
Who in the hell was Dr. MacKenzie Lloyd? Was she the cool, unflappable scientist? Or was she the sensual woman whod just offered to practice her sex research on him? And which one was having this effect on him?
Glancing down, he saw that her eyes were shut, her breathing even. She was asleep. Lucas frowned. Was she so indifferent to him that, one minute, she could tell him that she wanted to create sexual fantasies for him and then, the next, calmly doze off?
There was a part of him that wanted to wake her with a kiss. To catapult her from slumber to wakefulness by arousing in her at least some of the feelings that were tormenting him. He wondered if this was what that prince had felt when hed fought his way into the castle and come upon Sleeping Beauty.
Hed always privately thought the poor guy had gotten more trouble than hed bargained for when hed kissed that beauty awake.
And Lucas Wainright hadnt gotten to where he was without looking before he leaped.
Twenty-four hours. He repeated the number to himself several times as he rose to his feet and carried Mac into the cabin. By the time he settled her on the bed and retreated from the cabin down to the beach, he wasnt sure whether it was a caution or a promise.
5
WHEN SHE WOKE the next morning, the first thing Mac was aware of was the heat. Her entire body seemed to be on fire. Pushing herself into a sitting position, she felt a trickle of sweat run down her neck.
One quick glance around the room reminded her of where she was. Lucass cabin. Then her eyes widened as the memory of just what shed been dreaming about flooded into her mind. Shed been making love to Lucas, or more precisely, hed been making love to hertouching her with those clever, callused hands. There hadnt been one part of her body that theyd left unexplored. Shed barely been able to breathe, let alone move. Even now, as she thought of the way those long, hard fingers had stroked herdown the length of her arms, her legs and then slowly, torturously up the inner side of her thighshe could feel tiny little flames licking along her skin.
Mac sat up and scooted to the edge of the bed. Shed just had a fantasy! The one thing shed discovered in her research was that she had a very dull fantasy life. Obviously, that was changing. Madame Gervais had insisted that she had a sensual side to her nature. Lucas Wainright seemed to be helping her discover it.
Pushing herself off the bed, Mac moved to the window, but even the breeze making its way into the room felt warm on her skin. No wonder. The sun was already quite high in the sky. A quick glance at her watch told her it was eleven oclock. Another four hours to wait until Lucas would announce his decision.
What would it be?
Nothing in the way hed acted the day before had given her the slightest clue. From the moment that shed awakened from her nap, hed been polite and attentive, encouraging her to walk along the beach while he fished in a lagoon for their dinner.
After theyd eaten, hed taken her on a tour of the island. Hed even slept on the boat so that she could have the one narrow bed in the cabin.
In short, hed been the perfect host. Other than that one terse statementI think about you that wayhe hadnt done one thing to indicate that he might be interested in becoming herboy toy.
Moving toward the dresser, Mac gazed at her reflection. Better to face the facts. MacKenzie Lloyd was not a woman that most men had lustful thoughts about. Even with a new hair color and a head full of research, what did she really have to appeal to a man like Lucas Wainright?
The muffled ring of a cell phone had her moving quickly to the main room where she located her bag and fished it out. Hello?
Its Sophie. If Lucas is there, pretend Im someone from the university.
Hes not here. And she wasnt sure where he was. Mac went to the door of the cabin and spotted him on the deck of the boat polishing brass with a white cloth.
Good. Whatever you do, dont tell him I called. As far as he knows, I had to check my cell phone in at the desk of the spa. The one thing that would spoil my week in paradise would be to have him calling me every day to check up on me.
Youre enjoying the spa?
Its heaven. For the first time in months I feel absolutely free. I wish you could see the view I have from my balcony. There are at least three air balloons suspended in the sky. They look like giant lollipops. I have to go up in one while Im here. WaitMac, can you hold on a minute? I ordered something from room service. Theyre at the door.
In the background, Mac could hear voices, the sound of Sophies laugh, then a deeper one. On the boat, Lucas continued to polish brass with sure, steady strokes. Odd that shed never before pictured him as a man who would like to do any kind of work with his hands. It explained why theyd felt so hard when theyd settled over hers on the wheel of the boat. The memory had a sliver of heat shooting through her.
You still there? Sophie asked.
Yes, Mac replied.
Tell me how your plans progressing.
I asked him.
Asked him what? Sophie prompted. Give me the details.
As she told Sophie what had happened, Mac once again replayed everything in her mind. Her stomach plummeted farther. I dont think it was my most persuasive presentation.
Surely he didnt turn you down?
Mac smiled at the disbelief in her friends voice. Not exactly. He wants us both to think about it for twenty-four hours.
There was a great deal of exasperation in Sophies sigh. That is so typically Lucas. Hes probably having one of his security people do a thorough background check on you to see if youre any threat to Wainright Enterprises. My advice is dont wait.
What do you mean?
Seduce him into agreeing. That research of yours is worthless if you dont have the guts to use it.
I dont know
He who hesitates is lost. Picture yourself five years after you walk down the aisle with your future bridegroom. Youre in your kitchen feeding two screaming kids and youre afraid your husbands eye is about to wander. Are you going to wait for him to make the first move?
No, Mac said softly.
But? I hear a but in that sentence.
I just imagined he might be a little more enthusiastic.
Sophie laughed. Enthusiasm is contagious. Starting out by asking him to fill out a questionnaire was not your best move. As foreplay, it wouldnt rate very high on my list.
OhI didnt think of that.
I warned you that this plan of yours was not going to be like your usual experiments. You cant approach it like a job. Besides, it should be fun! And people are not like your docile little lab animals, Mac. Sometimes they need a little extra push.
The moment Lucas turned and glanced in her direction, Mac felt the impact of his gaze ripple through her. So what if his hormones werent as stimulated as hers were. So what if he was just being kind to his kid sisters best friend. Didnt she have the kind of knowledge to change all that?
Sometimes they need a big push, Sophie added.
Mac couldnt think of a man shed rather push than Lucas. Slowly, she smiled as one of the fantasies from her research unfolded itself in her mind. Thanks, Soph. Im going to take your advice.
You go, girl! And have some fun!
SOPHIE HUNG UP her phone with a satisfied smile and glanced out at the view from her balcony. Covered in lush grapevines, the hillside rolled down to the valley below. There, the neat rows in the vineyards were crisscrossed by narrow roads until hills rose sharply again.
Napa Valley, California, was as far away from D.C., the Florida Keys and North Carolina as she could get without actually leaving the country. And since shed never been here before, she doubted that Lucas would think of it. Her lips curved in a smile. Not that she expected him to be thinking about her at all for the next week. Mac should be able to handle that.
And she was going to handle the rest. For the next week, no one would know she was Sophie Wainright, least of all the man shed agreed to meet today for lunch. When shed first met him in that small caf on Capitol Hill three weeks ago, shed told him she was Susan Walker. The initials matched her own, but that was all that linked her to Sophie Wainright.
It was on the way home from that first meeting that shed discovered she was being followed. Now she pushed herself away from the railing and began to pace back and forth along the length of her balcony. Just the thought of it made her furious.
Well, shed made sure that no one had followed her here. Not once since shed gotten off the plane in San Francisco had she had that prickling sensation at the back of her neck that had warned her before. Not even Mac knew where she was coming to spend time with the man who only knew her as Susan Walker. A man who wasnt just interested in her because she was Sophie Wainright.
.
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, (https://www.litres.ru/cara-summers/intent-to-seduce/) .
Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, , , , PayPal, WebMoney, ., QIWI , .
Cara Summers
If youre not waiting for someone
Lucass eyes shot open. That voice belonged to Mac, but the blonde standing a few feet away from his table looked like a stranger.
The woman wore a bright red skirt, barely the length of a dinner napkin. It fit her like a second skin and seemed to stop where her legs began. Lucass mouth went dry. Was she wearing anything beneath it?
You like? She whirled in front of him, causing the skirt to inch up even higher.
Lucas dragged his eyes from the miraculous legs up her body. Beneath the stretchy fabric of her tank top, he could see the outline of her perfect breasts, beaded with excitement. Her blond hair was mussed, as if some man had just run his hands through it several times. And her eyesthey were huge, heavy-liddedbut there was no mistaking that golden-brown color.
Mac, what in hell are you doing?
In a flash, she slid in beside him in the back of the booth. Shh. She gave him a slow wink. Youre mistaken. Im not Mac. Im Sally. And youreJohn. Were complete strangers. She slipped a finger beneath his shirt, popping the first button free of its hole, then moving on to the next. Feel like getting lucky, John?
Dear Reader,
Is seduction a science or an art?
The brilliant Dr. MacKenzie Lloyd firmly believes its a science and that all she has to do to keep her future husband from straying is to become skilled in pleasing a man in bed. Her plan for acquiring that expertise is the same three-step process that has brought her so much success in the lab.
Step 1: gather data on male sexual fantasies
Step 2: formulate some theories
Step 3: put those theories into practice, practice, practice!
But when Mac starts to practice her techniques on sexy CEO Lucas Wainwright, her plan hits a few unforeseen snags.
I love writing books about women who have the courage to take risks. And writing my first Blaze novel has allowed me to do just that. Its also been about the most fun a girl can haveunless, of course, she decides to try some of Macs research out for herself.
Id love to know what you think about my first Blaze book. You can write to me at P.O. Box 718, Fayetteville, NY 13066, or visit my Web site at www.carasummers.com.
Enjoy,
Cara Summers
Intent to Seduce
Cara Summers
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
To my sister-in-law and friend, Julie Oliver Fulgenzithe risk-taker who married my brother. Thanks for always being there and for being the voice of reason. I love you.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Epilogue
1
LET ME GET THIS STRAIGHT, Sophie said. Youre planning to ask some man to offer himself up as a sex object so that you can practice on him?
Sex object isnt exactly the word I would have chosen. MacKenzie Lloyd kept her gaze locked on her best friend. Just as long as she didnt look down at the ground, the bubbles of panic rolling around in her stomach were going to subside. Ive conducted all these surveys on techniques and collected all this narrative data on male sexual fantasies. The next step is to test its validity in the field. What I need now is a research companion.
Sophie rolled her eyes. Okay, nix sex object. Well go with research companion. But I got the practice part right. Youre not quibbling over semantics there.
Sophie was clearly upset. Mac could tell by the way she slapped her wineglass down and began to tap her fingers on the wide-planked floor of the tree house. They were seated just outside the doorway on a narrow platform. Only a small, flimsy railing separated them from a drop to the ground thirty feet below. If she let herself think about that
Biting down on her lip, she fought against the sudden spin of dizziness that whipped through her. She would have been just fine if she hadnt glanced down on her climb-up-the-rope ladder. It had been the laughter from the tennis courts that had distracted her. The sound floated up again, bright, rich and infectious, but this time she resisted the temptation to look to her left beyond the hedge of forsythia bushes where four Wainrights were playing.
Tomorrow was Sophie Wainrights birthday, and the entire clan had gathered to celebrate it. Family was important to the Wainrights. It was something Mac had always admired about themand envied.
What she intended to do was the best chance she had of creating and preserving that kind of family for herself.
I know what Im doing, Sophie.
Do you?
Ive been very thorough in my research, and Ive learned so much.
Sophie rolled her eyes. Some research. Youve interviewed hookers and madams.
Madame Gervais does not refer to herself as a madam. She runs a very exclusive finishing school for female companions. Its really more like a matchmaking service. Most of the girls shes trained have married the men shes introduced them to. Theyre really very bright women. The only difference between them and me is that they were very beautiful and very skilled at pleasuring a man in bed.
And they shared all their secrets with you?
Mac studied her friend. In addition to the worry in Sophies eyes, she saw curiosity. Leaning a little closer, she said, Pretty much. Did you know that if you wrap a string of pearls around a mans erection during fellatio, you can get amazing results?
Pearls?
You can use a silk tieor better still, a wispy silk scarfbut pearls are the best. You wrap them around several times, then draw them slowly up the entire length, and then down again. Men love it.
I dont doubt it. Its just that II dont like the idea of you wrapping your pearls around a stranger. Pausing, Sophie shook her head with a rueful sigh. I should have known the minute you suggested coming up in this tree house that you were going to spring something on me. You dragged me up to the roof of my shop the night before you tried that last experiment in your labthe one that gave you a breakthrough.
Mac tightened her grip on her knees and kept her eyes fixed on Sophie. I figure if I can face my fear of heights, I can succeed at all the other things that scare me.
Sophie pointed a finger at her. There. You are nervous about inviting some strange man to be your boy toy. And you should be. Then swearing softly, Sophie picked up Macs wineglass and handed it to her. Here. Take a drink of this. Youre white as a sheet.
Mac took a careful sip.
Why dont we get you out of here? Ill call Lucas. Between us, we can get you down the rope ladder.
Im fine.
Sophie studied her over the rim of her glass. I wish I could be sure of that. This field-testing thing youre planningits not you.
Youre wrong. It is me. Thats the beauty of it. Im not good at dating or relationships, but Im excellent at doing research and then devising a way to put the results to work. If I approach keeping a husband that way, I know I can do it.
But you dont even have a husband yet. Shouldnt that be your first step?
Thats the plan that most people follow and over fifty percent of all marriages fail. Research shows that the number one cause of divorce is infidelity. Usually its the man who straysjust as soon as routine sets in. I saw that happen to my parents, and my plan is designed to prevent it.
Sophie gazed helplessly at Mac. Youre making it sound so logical, and its not! Sex and relationships arent something that you can map out and predict like something in your lab. Shit happens. Take it from someone whos been out there in the trenches.
Leaning forward, Mac took Sophies hands in hers. Im sorry Im laying all of this on you right now when youve just broken up with Bradley.
Sophie shrugged impatiently. Bradley Davis is history. But hes a good example of what Im talking about. When it comes to a relationship, there are no guarantees. And the only man Ive ever been able to predict is my brother. He never gets involved emotionally in his relationships. He runs them the same way he runs Wainright Enterprises. And he thinks he has the right to run mine that way too.
Mac didnt say anything for a moment. Although more than a month had gone by, she knew Sophie still resented that Lucas had uncovered information on Bradley Davis that had caused her to break off her engagement. The one thing that you can always depend on is that Lucas loves you, and he cares about what happens to you.
Hes smothering me. Ever since he took over Wainright Enterprises, hes decided that he can run all of our lives. Hes even having me followed. But Sophie stopped, shook her head and then narrowed her eyes at Mac. Oh no you dont. Youre not going to change the subject. I want to know what I can say to convince you to drop this whole idea.
Nothing.
Sophie slumped back against the wall of the tree house. Theres got to be something I can do.
You dont have to worry. Ive taken every possible safety precaution.
Id feel a lot happier about this if you were going to try out your research on someone you knew. What about that representative from the biotech company thats been wining and dining you lately?
Mac made a face. Vince Smith is panting over my research not me. All he talks about is how brilliant I am, what wonderful lab facilities they could provide for me if I would just sign over exclusive rights to anything I might discover.
Taking a sip of her wine, Mac pushed the thought of the man out of her mind. The truth was she wasnt good at dating. It probably had something to do with the fact that shed started college at fourteen. The men shed met had treated her like a kid sister. If theyd called her, it was to get help on some assignment they were having trouble with. And then, later, in graduate school, her two forays into the realm of romance had been disasters. Men just dont seem to think of me in a sexual way.
And they wont until you start to think of yourself that way.
Now you sound just like Madame Gervais. In fact, she thinks field testing my research will increase my self-confidence.
Tilting her head to the side, Sophie studied Mac for a moment. Maybe Ill have to revise my opinion of her. Is she the one who talked you into lightening your hair?
Mac tucked a loose strand back into the bun she wore at the back of her neck. Yes, and she took me shopping for a new wardrobe.
Sophies eyes widened. Why arent you wearing it?
I bought most of the clothes for the field testing Im going to do. I dont feel quite myself in them. When I put them on, I feel like I can do things Dr. MacKenzie Lloyd would never do.
Sophie paused with her wineglass halfway to her lips. Oh? More stuff like the pearl trick?
Yes, and other kinds of things too. When Madame Gervais and I shopped for the clothes, we chose pieces that would facilitate some popular male fantasies.
Sophie studied her friend over the rim of her glass. Okay, Im hooked. How about filling me in a little more on the specifics of this research of yours?
I started out by reading a number of anthropological and sociological texts.
Lets just fast-forward to the good stuff.
Mac grinned at her. Its always good to have a sound theoretical background.
Mac
Theres so much. You have no idea how many books have been written on sex. Or whats available online. Theres this one woman who makes her living giving all-day seminars on how topleasure the penis.
Sophie choked on her wine. All-day seminars?
Mac nodded. I went to one. We worked on plastic models.
And youre actually going to field-test that on a complete stranger?
Im trying to think of a fantasy I can fit it into.
Setting down her glass, Sophie said, And these fantasieswhat exactly are they like?
Well, there was one I found very interesting. It involved male bondage.
Handcuffs, silk necktiesthat kind of stuff?
Mac shook her head. Plastic wrap.
Let me guess. You meet him at the door wearing nothing but?
Nope. Its the one where I wrap him up in it like a mummy. Of course, I would leave his nose free. And his toes. She smiled at Sophie. And one other part.
Something you could wrap your pearls around.
Exactly. A blindfold is optional, but Ive heard it doubles the pleasure.
Ill bet. In these fantasiesis turnabout fair play?
Mac blinked, then smiled slowly. I think that depends on how well round one goes.
They were both laughing when the ringing of Sophies cell phone interrupted them. Mac could tell by the expression on Sophies face it was someone she was happy to hear from. When she moved inside the door of the tree house for privacy, Mac decided it was a new beau calling. Sophie just naturally attracted men.
Pressing her back against the wooden frame of the doorway, she reminded herself not to look down. Sophies laugh drifted out to her, low and intimate. She was definitely talking to a new beau.
Very carefully, Mac shifted her gaze in the direction of the tennis courts. This time there was no onslaught of panic. Though her view was partially blocked by trees, she recognized Sophies two stepbrothers, the step-twins as she called them. Nicholas and Nathaniel were both in college now. They lived with their Aunt Jan. The estate was their home, but it was owned by Sophies older brother Lucas Wainright, the final member of the foursome.
Tall and lean, with a swimmers athletic build, Lucas looked very much at ease as he rushed forward to the net and killed his stepbrothers serve. According to Sophie, Lucas was good at everything he put his hand tosports, as well as the family business. Four years ago when his father had died, hed taken over and ruthlessly dragged Wainright Enterprises back from the edge of bankruptcy.
The first and only time Mac had met him, hed reminded her of a fallen angel, incredibly good-looking on the surface with danger lurking just beneath. But that first impression of danger had been softened somewhat by the fact that hed spent most of the day hidden behind a camera snapping pictures of the grand opening of Sophies antique shop.
According to Sophie, Lucas regarded his duties as the head of the Wainright family every bit as seriously as he took his financial obligations. As a result, hed turned into a total dictator and an interfering ogre.
The man on the tennis court did not resemble an ogre. She let her gaze linger on the dark hair and the tanned skin stretched taut over what she was sure were hard muscles. His hand had certainly been hard when hed shaken hers that day. Shed felt something tooa little jolt. Whatever it was, it had made her very aware of him for the rest of the party.
Whos winning? Sophie asked as she joined her on the edge of the platform.
Looks like Lucas and your aunt.
Who would have thought? she muttered. Not that I begrudge Aunt Jan the victory, but I would give a lot to see Lucas taken down a peg or two.
Mac turned to study Sophie. You never told me what he did to make you break things off with Bradley.
He had him followed. Turns out the man I thought was the love of my life was cheating on me. There were some very compromising photos, thanks to the Shadow.
Shadow?
Thats what I call the super spy who heads up Wainright Enterprises security. I managed to get a pretty good look at him once. But he doesnt like to be seen. Hes there, and then hes not. Anyway, he checked into Bradleys finances. Lucas made me read the report so that I would have no doubt that old Brad was obviously only interested in me for my money.
Mac covered Sophies hand with hers. Lucas loves you, Soph.
I love him, too, but he sees everyone I date, especially anyone I get serious about, as a threat to the company. The worst of it is hes probably right. Ive decided that the next man I decide to go out with is not going to know that Im a Wainright. And Im going to make very sure that no onenot even the Shadowknows who Im seeing.
Mac put her arms around her friend and just held her. For a moment, neither of them said a word.
Okay, Sophie said as she drew back. Enough of my problems. I think we ought to come up with a solution for yours.
Youre not going to talk me out of it.
I know better than to waste my breath. Besides, the more I think about it, the more I can see that this field-testing plan of yours might have some merit. In fact, it could even be fun if you did it with someone you could trust. Theres got to be someone I know
Hey, you two!
The sudden shout had Mac glancing down through the branches before she could stop to think. Lucas was striding toward them across the lawn. Cmon down out of that tree. Aunt Jan and I have defeated the step-twins and were ready for our next challengers.
For just a moment, Macs gaze locked with Lucass, and she experienced that same instant jolt of awareness shed felt before. Then a wave of dizziness slammed into her and she squeezed her eyes shut.
Thats it! Sophie whispered in Macs ear. I dont know why I didnt think of it sooner. Lucas is the answer! You can practice your research on him!
Lucas? No. Mac shook her head, and a second, more potent, wave of dizziness hit her. Her hand shot out to the railing. It gripped nothing but air.
As she pitched forward, fear fisted in her throat, leaves scraped her face, and one image formed in her mindthe earth below racing toward her. Then arms clamped around her like a steel vise, pressing her against something hard and solid and warm before she hit the ground and lost her breath in a whoosh.
Mac!
Sophies voice was almost drowned out by the beating of her heart. As she struggled for breath, Mac became aware of the very male body beneath her.
You can open your eyes now. Youre safe.
The moment she did, she saw that Lucass eyes were just as dark as she rememberedthe deep blue of the sea.
Are you all right?
Mac said nothing. She couldnt. He was holding her so tightly, molding her body to his from breast to thigh. An icy flame was searing her nerve endings and sensitizing her body to every plane and angle of his. For the first time in her life, words, thoughts, logic, deserted her, washed away by a flood of sensations. The warmth of his breath on her lips. The pressure of each one of his fingers on her back. The swell of her hips. His body growing rock hard beneath her. She watched awareness fill his eyes as her body melted in reaction.
Just what Ive been waiting to see all my lifemy brother knocked off his feet by a woman! I think its an omen of things to come.
Omen of things to come. Sophies words and the memory of what shed suggestedpracticing her research on Lucaspenetrated the haze filling Macs mind. She broke free of the paralysis that had gripped her, and shifting off Lucas, she scrambled to her feet.
Sophie grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the tennis courts as she tossed over her shoulder, Cmon, bro. Prepare to meet your match
2
LUCAS LEANED BACK in his chair and listened to the steady ticking of his grandfathers clock. It was the only sound that marred the tense silence in the room as he studied the two men seated on the other side of his desk.
Both of them were self-contained. Both were very intelligent. And he wouldnt relish going up against either one of them in a dark alley.
It was ironic that in spite of their many similarities, the two men were the complete antithesis of each other.
The younger was his best friend, the man hed recently hired to head up security at Wainright Enterprises. Hed known T. J. McGuire since theyd served together in the Gulf War. Tracker was the name the flight crew had given T.J. because hed been a hell of a lot better at finding their targets than both the high-tech radar systems and so-called smart missiles.
It had taken Lucas four years to convince his friend to come and work for Wainright Enterprises. Hed needed someone he could trust, and Tracker was that kind of man. Beneath the black-Irish good looks and the accompanying charm lay the strength and the loyalty of a Celtic warrior. Lucas ranked loyalty right up there next to competence when it came to his employeesand his friends.
The older man with the mane of white wavy hair and the impeccably tailored suit was not a friend. Nor could he be trusted. Doing business with Vincent Falcone had been one of the biggest mistakes his father had made. It had taken Lucas four years to find the money and the right opportunity to buy Vincent Falcone out of Wainright Enterprises.
Still, he didnt want the man as an enemy.
A rustle of paper broke the silence as Vincent turned over the final page of the contract. Glancing up, he met Lucass eyes squarely. If I sign this, I will own Lansing Biotech outright. Wainright Enterprises gives up any right it may have had in the past to patents or future research results. Youre being very generous.
I want the break between us to be fair but clean. This deal severs all connections between your various other businesses and mine.
Ah yes, there is that. And the fact that I will no longer sit on the board of Wainright Enterprises.
Thats correct.
The older man smiled slowly. Youve done a thorough job of systematically cutting me out for the past four years. I admire your technique. And today, inviting me here to your home to end our business relationship over a drink Pausing, he glanced around the room. Its a nice touch. Very classy. Your grandfather would be proud of you.
Lucas was careful to keep his expression impassive. He hadnt wanted to invite Falcone to the Wainright estate. Hed never lived here himself. It was the place his father had lived with his last three wives. If it hadnt been for Sophies birthday celebration, he would have worked as he usually did on the weekends and the contract would have been signed at his D.C. office.
I would have enjoyed meeting your sister. I hear she is very beautiful.
Lucas didnt let his gaze waver, and for a moment neither man spoke.
With a slow smile, the older man raised a hand. Another time perhaps. If I could borrow your pen?
Lucas picked up a pen and handed it to him without a word.
Seconds later, Falcone rose and placed the signed contract on Lucass desk. Its a shame that you felt it necessary to terminate our business connections.
You have certain interests that I do not want Wainright Enterprises involved in.
Your father was not so particular.
Saying nothing, Lucas rose from his chair and, after a moment, Vincent Falcone continued, The connection between our families is still close. Like this. Raising his hands, he clasped them together tightly. For that reason, our paths will cross again.
Its very unlikely, Lucas said as the man turned away and allowed Tracker to escort him from the room. The moment the door closed, he sat down in his chair. It had gone smoothly. Too smoothly, perhaps? Closing his eyes, he began to run the entire event over in his mind, turning over every word, every nuance in his mind. He stopped only when he heard Tracker reenter the room.
Nice job, boss.
It was too easy.
Trackers eyebrows shot up. The four years of work and sacrifices that went into accomplishing this werent easy. And you chose the right time to make your move. Vincent Falcone has troubles of his own right now. There are factions in his other, less legitimate business interests who require his attention.
I dont like that he mentioned Sophies name. Hes quite capable of exacting some kind of revenge for this on my family. Rising, Lucas moved to the window, but he didnt focus on the sweep of lawn that ended at the tennis courts. I have a feeling that Falcone is plotting something.
When Tracker didnt reply, Lucas turned to face him. You think Im overreacting, dont you?
Tracker grinned. Youre not going to get me to say that, boss. Youre worried about your little sister. It could be because youve been going through a rough time with her. But in my experience, a man had better pay attention to his hunches or theyll come back to bite him.
I dont like that you saw her with Falcones son.
Sophie only met Sonny once for a casual drink in a Georgetown watering hole. She hasnt seen him since.
Lucas shook his head. She knows nothing about the Falcone family and certainly nothing about the fact that my father was doing business with them. But if I try to warn Sophie off, she might take it in her head to get really serious about him. Shes in rebellion mode right now.
And you even end up with a black eye this time, Tracker said.
Lucas rubbed his jaw, where his sister had landed him a pretty decent right cross. You may be right about that. Sophie got past you last time.
Shes got some good moves. And she was pretty upset about that information you dug up on Bradley Davis. Trackers grin widened as he moved to the small built-in refrigerator near the windows. Opening it, he took out two beers, twisted off the caps and handed one to Lucas. Shes smart too. I think she may suspect shes being followed. She tried some evasive tactics the other day when she left her shop.
Did she lose the tail? Lucas asked with a frown.
Tracker nodded. For about a half hour. My man picked her up coming out of a restaurant. I have two men on her now. Another two are keeping tabs on Sonny Falcone.
Good. Ill feel a lot better when shes down in the Keys with me. Ill send the plane for Sophie on Wednesday. She claims she cant get away before then. And I didnt want to push. He rubbed his jaw again. Once youre sure shes on my plane, you can devote all your attention to both Falcones.
You want me to continue to keep tabs on your aunt and stepbrothers?
For the time being. Lucas frowned as he turned and led the way through the open French doors to the balcony. Beyond a row of flowering shrubs, an Olympic-size pool gleamed in the late-afternoon sun. His younger siblings were engaged in an intense water-polo match with their aunt, and at the far end of the pool he spotted Sophie seated on the edge of a chaise lounge talking to MacKenzie Lloyd.
I think you ought to put someone on Dr. Lloyd. Shes been Sophies best friend for years. They live about three blocks apart in Georgetown. Falcone may try to use her to get to Sophie.
Ill get right on it, boss. You want me to run a background check on Dr. Lloyd?
Lucas considered for a moment. Hed been thinking of MacKenzie Lloyd off and on quite a bit in the last few hours. When shed fallen out of that tree into his arms, shed called up the memory he had of the little waif in jeans and a T-shirt whom hed met at the opening of Sophies shop two years ago.
Thered been something about her that day that had caught his attention. At first, hed thought hed imagined the tug of desire that hed felt. But each time hed found her framed in the viewfinder of his camera, the pull had grown stronger. Later, hed studied the photos hed taken, trying to put his finger on just what it was that had drawn him.
She wasnt anything like the women he usually dated. His taste ran to tall, leggy brunettes and blondes. She was small, and she wore her red hair pulled back into a bun. But her eyes Even in the representation on film, they were the incredible color of golden amber.
Today her hair had seemed lighter and loosera reddish-gold explosion of color as hed stared up at her in the tree. His body had reacted to her the moment hed seen her, hardening, tightening. And when shed been lying on top of himfor a moment hed forgotten everythingwhere they were, who was watching. If Sophie hadnt spoken, he might have rolled her beneath him and taken her right there beneath the branches of the elm tree. Frowning, he pushed away the image.
It had been years since hed been tempted to be that reckless with a woman. Hed put it out of his mind during the tennis game, chalked it up to putting in too much overtime on the Falcone deal.
Then shed beaten him.
Oh, Sophie had made some good plays, but Lucas was fully aware that it was Dr. Lloyds careful, methodical style that had been his downfall. It was almost as though she could predict exactly what he would do next. And that washe searched for a wordintriguing.
Boss? Tracker cleared his throat loudly.
What? Lucas asked, turning to him.
Do you want me to run a background check on the doc?
Once again, Lucas hesitated. On some gut level, he knew that he should steer clear of his sisters best friend. It wasnt merely the strength of the physical attraction he felt that had the warning bells going off in his mind. She was Sophies friend. He kept his dating life separate from his family. To pursue a relationship with MacKenzie Lloyd would foster expectations that he would never fulfill.
Relationship? He frowned at the direction his thoughts had taken. Who was she that she could affect him this way?
Experience had taught him that ignorance was seldom bliss, and knowledge was always power. Yeah. I want to know everything about her.
MACKENZIE, youve got to listen to reason.
Mac opened a bag of carrots and for a moment allowed herself to picture dumping the whole bag over Gil Staffords head. Then stifling the image, she selected one carrot and began to shred it on a grater. She hoped feeding Wilbur, her pet lab rat, would soothe her temper. Gil was her department chair and he had ten years seniority on her. That and the fact that she worked in a lab that adjoined his had made him think he could give her advice.
If youd just listened to me earlier and signed a contract to turn the results of your research over to that biotech company, you would have prevented this break-in.
Mac shoved down the little skip of fear that shed been experiencing ever since shed arrived at the university and learned that her lab had been broken into sometime on Sunday. The intruder had gotten away, but not before hed broken into her office safe.
They would have made sure that there were better security measures taken around here. And I still dont understand why you turned down the money. Even if you dont want it for yourself, think of all the equipment it would have provided.
As Gil continued to pontificate, he strode toward the window. Mac privately thought the man should have gone into politics instead of science. Not only could he talk nonstop, but he had the tall, rangy build of an athlete and a very photogenic face. With the sunlight turning his blond hair into a halo, he looked like one of the good archangels.
The antithesis of what Lucas looked like with his dark hair and those midnight-blue eyes.
Lucas again. She hadnt been able to block him out of her mind since Sophie had first suggested she use him for her research. The idea had been enough to put her off her serve in the first two sets of the tennis match. After that shed focused all her concentration on the game. Beating Lucas had been a challenging and exhilarating experience. And the moment theyd won, Sophie had started making her case.
It was a good one. Everything that Sophie had said made perfect sense on a logical and theoretical level.
It was just that every time she thought of actually trying out her research on Lucas, she felt the same funny quaking in her stomach that she got whenever something was about to go wrong in her lab. No matter how hard she tried, she couldnt seem to forget what it had felt like to be pressed against him, to feel his body react to hers, especially a certain unmistakable part of his body. A vivid image slipped into her mind of looping a long strand of pearls around and around
Are you listening to anything I say?
Mac dropped the grater as she struggled to gather her thoughts. Gil, I know you mean well. She was almost sure of it. But he was giving her a headache. Glancing down at the carrots, she considered dumping them on his head, after all.
Am I interrupting?
Mac looked up in surprise to see Sophie hurrying toward her. Who told you?
Who told me what?
Someone broke in here last night.
They did? Are you all right? Sophie enveloped Mac in a hug.
Im fine.
What about Wilbur? Sophie flicked a glance at the small white rat running circles in his cage.
Mac couldnt prevent a smile. I thought you couldnt stand Wilbur.
Gil cleared his throat, and the moment Sophie turned, shot her his best smile. Im Gil Stafford. Im the chair of the biology department and I work in the lab next to MacKenzies.
My friend, Sophie Wainright. Mac completed the introductions as the two shook hands.
Perhaps you can talk some sense into her, Ms. Wainright, Gil said. The research shes doing has been getting a lot of attention. It was only a matter of time until this happened.
Sophie turned to Mac with a frown. Were they after your research?
The police certainly suspect it, Gil said as he glanced around the room And it clearly wasnt vandals. Nothings been touched except the safe.
No harms been done, Mac said as she watched Wilbur attack the grated carrots shed shoved into his tray. Wilburs appetite hasnt been affected. And I dont keep any of my records here in the office anyway.
I still dont like it. Turning, Sophie paced down the length of the lab and then whirled around. Lucas could send the Shadow over. On a personal level, I cant stand him, but hes good at what he does.
Not necessary, Mac said. The university is going to install a high-tech security system. Theyve even given me a few days off while they work on it.
Thats wonderful. That means you can get started right away on your Sophies voice trailed off as she glanced at Gil.
He was frowning at her. The university doesnt have the funds to install a proper security system. And the research shes doing is much too valuable. I was just trying to explain that to MacKenzie.
Beaming a smile at him, Sophie moved toward him and placed a hand on his arm. Would you mind terribly if Mac and I have some time alone? A little girl talk does wonders for the nerves.
No. Of course not. A little uncertain, Gil glanced from one woman to the other. Ill be right next door if you need me, MacKenzie.
Sophie waited until the door closed behind Gil Stafford. MacKenzie? No one calls you that.
He means well. Mac glanced at the bag of carrots again.
You werent thinking of asking him to be your researchguinea pig, were you?
Mac stared at Sophie. Gil?
Good. Because Ive come here on a missionto convince you that Lucas is your man.
Mac held up both hands. Sophie, I just dont
I know you, Mac. Youve been considering it, weighing the pros and cons. And the pros are winning. Hes the perfect man for the job. Why not admit it?
Picking up another carrot, Mac began to grate. Its just that Id planned on doing everything with a stranger.
Sophie moved closer and took the grater away, then shoved it out of reach. Im going to be brutally honest with you. Thats what best friends are for, right? Youre not going to hate me for saying this?
Mac couldnt prevent her lips from curving. Theyd always been able to be honest with each other. It was what had made their friendship last for so long. Im not going to hate you.
Okay. Sophie reached for Macs hand and gave it a squeeze. I dont think youre going to be able to go through with your plan if you choose a stranger.
You think Im a coward.
No! Sophies reply was quick and vehement. You are one of the bravest people I know. But Ive known you for a long time, and youre veryhesitant when it comes to relationships with the opposite sex.
Resistant might be a more accurate word, Mac said.
Sophie grinned. You know, one of the most endearing things about you is your ability to be brutally honest about yourself. Most of us sail through life telling ourselves whopping-big lies.
Mac frowned in puzzlement. Whats the point of doing that?
We think it helps. But to get back to you, this resistance you have to pursuing relationships with the opposite sex is the reason I think you might be much more successful with your plan if you choose someone you already know. I dont think youre going to be able tolets say, implement these fantasies with a complete stranger. Plus, your ultimate goal is to use them on your husband. And he wont be a stranger. Isnt it best in a scientific experiment to try and reproduce all the circumstances to the best of your ability?
You really do listen when I rattle on about my work.
Sophie grinned at her. Of course I do. And Im right, arent Ion both counts?
Mac was very much afraid that she was. One of her own biggest fears was the idea of using her newfound knowledge on a stranger. Still Lucas wouldntI mean, he doesnt think of me that way.
Sophies eyebrows shot up. Well, there you go. Lucas represents the kind of challenge I think you should be looking for. Someone who would put your research to a true test. These men that yourcontacts in the sex industry will put you in touch with are bound to be easy marks, dont you think? After all, theyre eager enough to be paying for sex. Some of them might even be married and have started to wander, so to speak. And if your plan is all geared toward keeping a husband from straying in spite of his genetic mapping, then surely you ought to be able to seduce my brother.
Sophie had a point. Lucas Wainright would certainly offer her a challenge. And if she wasnt up to it, then she might as well forget her whole plan.
Mac Sophie took her hands do this for me. I dont know if I can stand to think of you putting this research project into action with someone else. I know that Lucas, in spite of his many flaws, will be kind to you.
One glance at the concern in her friends eyes, and Mac knew she was going to agree. She was about to, when Sophie continued, And the truth is, you could do me a big favor at the same time.
What? Mac asked.
On Wednesday, Lucas has made arrangements for me to join him at his hideaway cabin on one of the Keys. You know what they say about timing being everything! I want you to go in my place. Ive never been there, but it seems to me that an isolated island in the Keys would be the perfect setting for you to put your plan into action. It will be just you and Lucashot, sunny days, palm trees, the ocean pounding on a sandy beach, warm, tropical nights. Just imagine it, Mac.
It sounded just a little bit too good to be true. She studied Sophie. Why dont you want to go with him?
Because Sophie began to pace again every time I look at Lucas right now, I think of Bradley. My feelings are very raw, and having Lucas lecture me for a week on my abominable taste in men is the last thing I need. But hes adamant that I join him. I think he feels guilty and he wants to bond with me.
What will you be doing while Im down in the Keys seducing Lucas? There. Shed actually said it aloud. Putting your fear into words was supposed to be half the battle.
Pacing back from the window, Sophie leaned against the counter. I need to be by myself for a while. And Ive found this great spa in North Carolina where I can hike in the mountains and ride and meditate. Its run entirely by women for women. When I read the brochure, it sounded like heaven to me. Its exactly what I need. Lucas is right about one thing. I do seem to attract men who are only interested in using me. An all-women retreat ought to at least protect me for a while.
Lucas wont be happy about the switch, Mac pointed out.
Sophie patted Macs hand. If your research is as good as you say it is, hell adjust. And Ill call him from the spa so that hell know that Im perfectly safe. Believe me, Lucas and I could both use a break from each other.
Mac drew in a deep breath. Shed never been able to refuse Sophie anything.
Do this for me. Please.
Okay.
Great! Sophie beamed a smile at her. Cmon, the first thing I want to see is the wardrobe that Madame Gervais helped you select. Then were going to shop for some additional pieces that will be appropriate for a holiday in the Keys. Have you ever worn a wig?
No. Why would I?
The better to create fantasies with, my dear. Ill explain everything while we shop.
3
IS THERE ANYTHING I can get you before we take off, Ms. Wainright?
Mac smiled at the young brunette, Captain Jill Roberts, who would fly her to Key West. No thanks, Im fine.
She hated that she had to lie to the woman, but Sophies instructions were very explicit. Lucass pilot had never met Sophie Wainright, and Mac was to keep up her impersonation until they had landed in the Keys. The blond wig was helping, and so were the clothes that Sophie had lent her.
No one could know that she was taking Sophies place until she stepped off the plane in Key West. Sophie had been adamant about that because she was sure that Lucas was having her followed.
The flight will take about two hours, and the galley is fully stocked.
And Lucas is going to meet the plane? Mac asked.
Captain Roberts smiled. Thats what he said. I spoke with him just as you were crossing the tarmac to come aboard, and I gave him the time I thought we would be touching down. That means Id better get us airborne. If you want anything, the intercom button is right there on the armrest.
It was only as the captain disappeared into the cockpit that Mac allowed herself to relax a little. She felt as if shed been caught up in a whirlwind ever since Sophie had breezed into her lab on Monday, but she had to admit that the plan was really working. It had been at Sophies insistence that theyd switched identities.
The initial step had gone like clockwork thanks to a sudden summer storm that still held D.C. in its grip. Sophie had worn her red rain poncho, hood up, when shed opened the antique shop at nine, and Mac had worn a bright yellow one, hood down, when shed arrived fifteen minutes later. Once inside, theyd gone into the back room and changed clothes. As a final touch to their disguises, Sophie had donned a reddish-blond wig tied back into a bun, and Mac had put on a blond one.
Theyd gotten the wigs and had them cut and styled on Monday when theyd gone shopping. The fact that they were almost identical in size and shape had helped. Friends in college had always remarked that they could have passed for sisters. Still, Mac had been amazed at just how much she resembled Sophie once she was wearing the blond wig. When theyd emerged from the shop, their hoods up and umbrellas open to hail separate cabs, she was sure that anyone watching Sophie would have been bound to follow Mac, and vice versa.
Mac prayed that the rest of their plan would go as smoothly. Just the thought of facing Lucas Wainright and admitting that shed purposely switched places with his sister had the butterflies dive-bombing around in her stomach. But it was much easier to concentrate on that first hurdle than the one that would come after, when she told him why shed really taken Sophies place.
Weve been cleared for takeoff, Ms. Wainright.
Mac jumped at the sound of Jill Robertss voice pouring out of a nearby speaker.
Ill let you know when you can move around the cabin, but if you have any concerns or questions, dont hesitate to use the intercom button.
Mac found her gaze riveted to the button for several moments after the planes engine roared to life. All she had to do was press it and she could call the whole thing off.
The plane vibrated, then moved forward.
Mac gripped her hands together. Whatever second thoughts she was having, she couldnt let Sophie down. Things had gone too far.
Leaning back in her seat, she took a deep breath and held it for the length of time that it took the plane to make its mad rush down the runway.
There was no need to panic. Years of experience in the lab had taught her that any project became simpler and much less inhibiting if she could just break it down into steps and take them one at a time. All she had to do was view her coming fieldwork in that light. Flying down to Key West to meet Lucas was just the first step. Telling Lucas about her plan would be the nextand a big one it would be.
The moment she felt the plane leave the ground, she let out the breath she was holding and took in another one. In her mind, she tried to picture herself taking the third stepmaking love to Lucas Wainright.
Every time she let herself think about that, a very vivid image of Lucas, totally naked, filled her mind. She could almost feel what it would be like to run her hands over the smooth tanned skin on his shoulders, down his chest to his waist and below. Of course, shed fantasized about touching a man before. And that all-day seminar had certainly given her fantasies a lot of fuel. But never before had her hands tingled with anticipation. As she glanced down at them, grasped tightly in her lap, the realization streamed through her. She wanted to touch Lucas. Not just any man. She wanted to press her fingers against his hardness, to test his strength.
She could still recall how lean, how hard those muscles had felt through the thin cotton of his polo shirt. His whole body had been so hard. Even his hands. When she concentrated, she could still feel the pressure of each fingeron her back and, lower, on her hip. And there was that incredible stab of heat, the melting of muscle and bone.
She was still searching for a word to describe what shed felt. Hunger was too mild a word for that needy, restless ache that had threatened to consume her. More than anything, shed wanted him to
Ms. Wainright?
Mac started as the voice flowed out of the speaker. Then, unclenching her hands, she pressed the button on the armrest. Yes?
Weve reached our cruising altitude. You can wander around the cabin or use your cell phone. Make yourself at home.
Thanks.
Reaching into her bag, Mac took out her phone. She was about to press a button to speed-dial Sophie when she realized that it wasnt her phone. It was the color of white mother-of-pearl. Hers was black. A quick search of her bag confirmed her suspicion. When theyd switched outfits in the back of Sophies shop, theyd switched the identical purses theyd bought too. After punching in her own number, she listened to it ring.
Mac? Sophie asked. Where are you?
Im in the air.
Lucky you. Im still on the ground, but we should be moving away from the gate soon. I take it everything went smoothly.
Everything except that I have your purse.
Yeah. I figured that out when I grabbed the phone. But it shouldnt be a problem. You have my permission to use my credit cards. I doubt that Ill need yours at the spa.
Go ahead and use them if you have to.
Were lucky thats the only thing thats gone wrong. I cant believe weve pulled this off.
I hate to rain on your parade, but theres still the possibility that Lucas will send me packing and show up at your spa.
They dont allow men on the premises. Besides, hes going to be much too busy engaging in those sexual fantasies youre going to create for him.
What if he doesnt? What if he refuses to
Youre having second thoughts, arent you?
Nowell, maybe a few. Mac sighed.
Stick to your first answer. And dont let my brother intimidate you. Hes a man. And in spite of his numerous and infuriating faults, hes fair. The moment he realizes weve made a switch, hell get me on my cell phone and lecture me. Ill make sure he knows this was all my ideaand then Ill suggest he have one of his hotshot security people check out the spa. Uh-oh. Were starting to pull away from the gate. Just remember that when Lucas finds out Im perfectly safe, hell calm right down. The rest is up to you.
For a few minutes after Sophie broke the connection, Mac stared straight in front of her. It was up to her. She was used to that kind of pressure in her lab. She could handle it there.
And she would handle it once she got to Key West. In the meantime, she was going to find something else to think about. An idea bloomed in her mind and she pushed the button on her armrest.
What can I do for you, Ms. Wainright?
First, you can call me Sophie.
Only if you agree to call me Jill.
Do you ever fly with a copilot?
Jills laugh flowed into the cabin. Frequently. In fact, when I fly with Mr. Wainright, I usually sit in the copilots seat. He prefers to be in charge.
A top gun?
You got it.
Could I come up there with you? Id love to learn about flying.
Sure thing. Id love the company.
WHERES SOPHIE? Lucas bit out the words as he glanced from MacKenzie Lloyd to the pilot of his private jet. Somehow hed managed to keep his voice low and controlleda sharp contrast to the feelings coursing through him. The first thing hed felt when Mac had walked down the short flight of steps from the plane was pleasure. It had sprung to life so quickly that hed barely had time to recognize it before hed discovered that his sister was not with her. Then the fear had struck.
Sophies perfectly safe, Mac said. Shes at a spa in North Carolina. Iwe switched places.
Lucas shifted his gaze to Jill Roberts who had descended the short flight of steps directly behind Mac. Are you involved in this deception?
Mac stepped in front of his pilot. No. I told her the truth just as we landed. Before that, I was wearing a blond wig, and she believed I was Sophie. Please dont blame Captain Roberts. Sophie said youd be fair.
Ruthlessly shoving his hands into the pockets of his shorts, Lucas narrowed his eyes. It was a look hed honed to perfection when dealing with employees whod displeased him. He kept Mac pinned with it while he considered what shed said.
It would have been easy enough to fool his pilot. She hadnt worked for Wainright Enterprises that long, and he seldom used his private jet to transport family. Hed done it this time to ensure that Sophie arrived safely. And he was also blaming Mac for something he was almost certain his sister was behind. I want to talk to Sophie.
Of course. Instead of withering under his glance, Mac efficiently punched numbers into her cell phone, then handed it to him.
He listened to two rings.
Lucas?
His sisters voice had some of his fear fading. Where in hell are you?
Didnt Mac tell you? Im on my way to the Serenity Spa in Serenity, North Carolina.
Hold on. Lucas cut her off, then directed his gaze at Mac and his pilot. You two wait right here. Were not finished. Turning, he strode to the privacy and shade offered by a nearby hangar.
Where exactly is this spa?
I told you, Serenity, North Carolinaabout an hours drive from Charlotte. Ill be quite safe. The place is run by women for women. No chance of any fortune hunters herealthough you might argue the prices they charge puts them in that category. Ill give you their phone number and their Web site address. You can have one of your security men check it out.
I intend to. They can do it in person when they pick you up and bring you here.
Not a good idea, bro. I told you before, I wont have you running my life. You promised youd back off for a while.
And in return you agreed to spend some time with me down here in the Keys.
You had me followed. That isnt backing off. And its something I wont put up with.
Lucas sighed. Soph, theres something I havent told you. Its why I wanted you to come down here for a while. We need to talk.
Talk is the last thing I need right now. Im sorry. I know I agreed to come there, but Ijust couldnt.
The quick change in her tone from anger to contrition pulled at him.
I love you, Lucas. And I know that you did what you thought was best for the family. But being with you right now is only going to make me think of how lousy I am at choosing men. I really need to be alone.
It was the catch in her voice that had the pain shooting through him. He couldnt help recalling the scene in his office when hed forced her to look at the evidence Tracker had gathered on Bradley Davis. It would be a long time before he could forget the words shed hurled at him. Theyd hurt much more than the right cross shed managed to land on his chin. Shed accused him of having ice water in his veins, of being a ruthless dictator, of caring only about Wainright Enterprises.
What else could he expect her to say? He was prepared to go to almost any length to protect the company his grandfather had built and his father had almost destroyed. He stared past the low-slung buildings that formed the small private airport. The air was stifling, not even a hint of a breeze stirred the palms. If Sophie had a built-in homing device that seemed to attract fortune hunters, shed inherited that gene directly from their father. His last and fifth divorce had come close to destroying Wainright Enterprises.
Hed tried to tell himself that Sophie would have been hurt even more if shed gone ahead and married Bradley Davis. But that certainty hadnt helped a bit when shed broken down and sobbed in his office.
Please let me do this, Lucas. The spa has excellent security, and you can call the desk each day to check on me. You can even send one of your security people up hereas long as hes willing to camp in the woods. No males are allowed on the grounds.
For a moment Lucas said nothing as he ran the risks through his mind. A spa that was off-limits to men sounded secure, especially if he had Tracker assign one of his people to keep an eye on the place. While she was there, Sophie should be safe from any plot that Vincent Falcone might be hatching. Lucas drew in a deep breath. As long as what youre telling me about this Serenity Spa is the truth.
Check it out. Im at the Charlotte airport now. Their van will be picking me up any minute. And whatever you do, dont blame Mac for this. I talked her into it. I can be very persuasive when I set my mind to it.
Lucass lips curved in a smile. Tell me about it. Dont worry, Ill have your friend back in D.C. by midafternoon.
Oh, I dont think you should do that. She has a little problem shes depending on you to help her with, and I assured her that you were the perfect man for the job.
What does she want me to do? Lucas asked, glancing toward his plane. Mac had moved to the shade cast by one of the wings and was motioning his pilot to join her. Shaking her head, Captain Roberts stayed where she was. Evidently his order to stay put hadnt intimidated the doc. Courage had always appealed to him.
Im going to let Mac tell you that. But she may need a little encouragement. And I dont suppose you were very welcoming when you saw she wasnt me.
No, he hadnt been welcoming, Lucas thought as he studied Dr. MacKenzie Lloyd. Part of that had been due to the fact that for the past four days he hadnt been able to get her out of his mind.
In the linen slacks and blouse, she looked prim, innocent and untouchable. It had never been those qualities that had drawn him to a woman before. Perhaps it was that detached way she had of summing up her opponent in a tennis match and then calmly going in for the kill. It was a skill shed probably picked up in her lab work. But wherever shed come by that single-minded determination, he couldnt help but admire it. Nor could he help but view it as a challenge.
Im depending on you to be fair, Lucas. Dont blame her for something thats not her fault.
Wasnt that exactly what hed been doingblaming her for that quick skip of delight hed felt when shed gotten off the plane?
Mac doesnt have anyone else to turn to for advice. Her parents always lecture rather than listen.
Ouch. Lucas winced. It was an accusation Sophie had hurled at him more than once.
Please, Lucas. Im asking a favor here. At least take her out to the island and hear her out.
Take her out to the island? Whatever second thoughts he might have had about the wisdom of doing that had to be dismissed. Sophie so rarely asked for favors. All right. But at least give me a clue. What kind of problem?
Its personal. And she needs help from a man. Thats all I can tell you.
Personal? Did it have to do with a boyfriend? An ex-lover? The possibility had him frowning. Ill do what I can. In the meantime, Im going to be checking in on you at that spa.
I cant always promise to be available on my cell phone. They make you check them at the desk. But you can always have one of your security people pitch a tent on one of the hillsides and keep tabs on me that way.
Lucas sighed at the trace of bitterness he heard in her voice. I love you, Soph.
Ditto, bro. Enjoy.
As soon as Sophie ended the call, Lucas took out his own cell phone and pressed the number that would get him through to Tracker.
Whats up, boss?
Sophie tricked you.
I followed her myself until she got on your private plane. There was a slight pause, and then he continued. The raincoats. When she and Dr. Lloyd came out of her shop, they both had their hoods up and their umbrellas openand I followed the blonde, just as she wanted me to. Damn! Let me check with the man I had tailing Dr. Lloyd.
I can tell you where Sophie says she isthe Serenity Spa in Serenity, North Carolina. They dont allow men on the premises. She claimed she was calling me from the Charlotte airport. She says she wants some time alone, but I want you to make sure shes there.
Ill check the flight manifests right after I check with Dr. Lloyds tail. Am I right in assuming that the good doctor is with you?
Yeah. Sophie says she has a problem, so I may have another job for you.
Ill be in touch.
SOPHIE ENDED her conversation with her brother, then crossed her fingers in the hope that Lucas had bought her story. Of course, hed check out every detail. She knew from experience just how thorough he was.
However, shed been thorough too. She glanced at her watch. The first thing Lucas would do would be to check out the flight manifests and see if an S. Wainright had indeed flown from National Airport to Charleston that day. He would find that she had. Hopefully, he wouldnt find it too suspicious that an M. Lloyd had also made the same flight. She was banking on the fact that he would relax once he found that Sophie Wainright had checked into the Serenity Spa. Hannah Parker, the out-of-work actress shed hired to do just that should be arriving at the spa any minute, and once that final crucial step had been taken and Lucas had verified it, she should be free.
For the next week, she wasnt going to be Sophie Wainright. Instead, she would be MacKenzie Lloyd, a burned-out research biologist who was taking a little break from her lab.
Shed begun to formulate the plan when she and Mac had talked in the tree house on Sunday, but the details hadnt all fallen into place until Mac had finally agreed to trade places with her. Of course, she hadnt told Mac everything.
She knew her best friend too well to believe that she could lie to Lucas for an entire week. So she hadnt admitted to her that shed switched purses on purpose. Nor had she confided to Mac that she never intended to go to the Serenity Spa.
Stifling the impulse to get up and pace, Sophie leaned back in her chair and scanned the occupants of the airport lounge. At nearly two in the afternoon, the lunch crowd had thinned to a few businessmen at the bar who were nursing beers as they talked nonstop into their cell phones. Theyd been there when shed entered, so she didnt think they were following her. And she doubted that the couple with four kids at a nearby table were being paid to keep tabs on her.
For a second, her gaze locked with one of the men at the bar. She was quick to glance away, then let out the breath she was holding when she saw him slide off his stool and leave in the direction of the departing flights.
Paranoiathats what it was, pure and simple. If she wasnt careful, shed turn into Lucas, forever afraid that everyone he met was trying to threaten Wainright Enterprises.
She couldnt, she wouldnt live her life that way.
Forcing herself to relax, Sophie took a sip of bottled water. Not that she hadnt borrowed a page from her brothers paranoia handbook. In making her plans for switching identities with Mac, shed followed Lucass number-one rule: Never underestimate the enemy.
Even after theyd each hailed their separate taxis in front of her shop, shed made herself assume that she still had a tail. Though she couldnt think of a single reason why Lucas would be having Mac followed, she wasnt ever going to underestimate him again. That was why shed waited to switch identities with Hannah Parker until theyd both entered the first available ladies room at the airport in Charlotte.
It had been almost too simple to walk into adjoining stalls and then pass her poncho and a bag containing her identification, sunglasses and a duplicate of the red wig she was wearing to Hannah. Just in case Lucas had assigned someone to follow Mac, Hannah couldnt turn into the blond Sophie Wainright until she was safely in the van to the Serenity Spa.
For the space of about fifteen minutes, there had been two fake MacKenzie Lloyds in the Charlotte airport.
Sophie took another quick look around the lounge. No one was paying her the least bit of attention. She drummed her fingers on the table, then jumped when her cell phone rang. Grabbing it, she put it to her ear. Yes?
Its Hannah. I just wanted to let you know. Im all checked into the spa. You should see the room.
Did everything go all right?
Like clockwork. The woman behind the desk told me that my brother had called. She was going to call him back and let him know Id arrived safely.
Have a great week, Sophie said as she ended the call. Then she lifted her bottled water in a toast to herself. Im free at last.
MAC GRIPPED the windshield of the boat tightly as Lucas let out the throttle and the Adventurer raced over the choppy water. Shed felt a certain kinship with the boat the moment shed spotted the name. Together, they were racing off into the unknown.
With the wind whipping against her face, she concentrated on enjoying the feel of bright afternoon sun and the occasional salty spray against her cheeks. It wasnt hard. She would have enjoyed it even more though, if it hadnt been for the man standing only a few feet away at the helm of the boat.
Even when he wasnt looking at her or speaking to her, Lucas was a hard man to ignore. He projectedsomething that went beyond simple good looks. And it was mesmerizing. Shed barely taken her eyes off him as hed gone about the task of casting off the boat, then steering it quickly and surely away from the marina toward the open sea.
She risked a sideways glance at him. Perhaps it was the mixture of competence and control that had her gawking like a teenager. No, she thought, it was more than that. There was also that hint of danger about Lucas that lurked just below the very civilized surface. Shed seen it in his eyes when hed first realized that Sophie wasnt on board the planesomething hot, dangerous and lethal. It fascinated her.
And she was gawking again. Tearing her eyes away, she looked back at the marina that was fast becoming a spec on the shoreline behind them. A small plane lifted and soared out over the water as it climbed steadily into the sky. Jill Roberts was heading back to D.C. Only when it disappeared did she allow herself to look at Lucas again. He stood there, totally impassive, as if he were alone on the boat.
Clearly, he was still annoyed. Hed spoken only two words to her since hed gotten off the phone with Sophie. Once Jill had disappeared into the plane, Lucas had turned to her, his expression neutral, and said, This way.
His tone had been so cool shed nearly shivered in spite of the hot southern Florida heat. Theyd walked down to the small marina where hed tied his boat. The moment she saw it, anxiety mixed with anticipation. It was her day for firsts, it seemedher first time sitting in the cockpit of a plane and now her first time on a boatto be topped off by her first time propositioning a man.
She glanced at him again. He stood completely at ease, his hands on the wheel, his feet planted apart, totally in control of the engine that roared beneath them. There was no sign now of the predator shed glimpsed earlier. But it was still there, lurking. And it was touching off something in her. She pressed a hand against her stomach. The warm melting sensation that seemed to be centered there had nothing to do with the fact that the boat was beginning to bump more frequently into waves.
Nervous? Lucas had to shout the question.
A little, she shouted back. This is my first time on a boat.
Youre kidding.
She shook her head.
How old are you?
Twenty-six.
I cant imagine it. What did your family do on vacations?
They didnt take me with them.
What about later? Lucas asked. You live in D.C. and you never went out on the water?
Too busy, I guess. She moved toward him then, carefully maintaining her grip on the side of the boat as she did. Is it easy to steer?
For me it is. Ive been doing it most of my life.
Suddenly, the boat struck a wave that lifted her feet right off the deck. The moment they smacked down, she felt them lift again, her stomach with them. The laugh escaped the moment she felt the boat solidly under her again.
The sound of Lucass laughter mingling with hers had her turning toward him.
You have the makings of a good sailor, Doc. Would you like to take a turn behind the wheel?
At her nod, he stepped back and she slipped in front of him. Once her hands were on the wheel, he covered them with his. Feet apart. Hands steady.
Lucas continued to talk, words of encouragement, but Macs mind couldnt take it in. Just the sound of his voice in her ear was having the strangest effect on her breathing. And there were other sensations pouring through her. Instead of the salty air, it was Lucass scent she inhaled. He smelled like sun and sweat and something else that she couldnt quite place. She could feel him too. His chest when it brushed against her back was like iron, and the hands trapping hers on the wheel were sure and firm, the palms surprisingly rough. For a moment, she closed her eyes and imagined what it might be like to have those hard hands pressed against other parts of her body.
Another wave had him shifting closer. His hands tightened on hers, pulling the wheel to the right. An arrow of heat shot through her, and her heart began to beat hard and fast, just as it had when shed been lying on top of him.
Id better take over.
Yes, she thought. Oh, yes.
Doc, are you all right?
Her eyes shot open as he turned her around to face him. Imfine, she managed to say.
You look a little weak in the knees. Why dont you sit down? You can see the island off there to your right.
Very carefully, Mac made it to the cushioned seat that ran along the side of the boat. Just as soon as Lucas wasnt actually touching her, some of her strength returned. It also helped that she wasnt looking at him.
Fascinating, she thought as she focused her attention on a tiny speck some distance away in the water. Her reaction the first time hed held her hadnt been an aberration. Lucas Wainright could definitely turn her mind and body to mush.
And she liked it.
However, it would add complications to her research. How was she supposed to keep her mind on creating male sexual fantasies if Lucas could scatter her thoughts and melt her into a puddle whenever he touched her?
Narrowing her eyes, she watched the speck become larger. It was a problem shed have to solve.
4
WHEN SHE STEPPED OUT onto the dock, Macs eyes were first drawn to the white sand beach that stretched in both directions until it curved out of sight. Waves broke against it, then drew back to attack again in a steady rhythm. Fifty yards ahead, palm trees shaded a squat box of a cabin with a covered porch. Almost covered, she amended when she saw the ladder tipped against it, a pile of shingles stacked on its sloping roof.
Lucas grabbed her suitcase and climbed out of the boat. I hope youre not expecting anything fancy. Every time I come down here I try to make a few improvements, but its pretty rustic.
Its lovely. Pausing as she stepped off the dock, she looked at the sweep of shore again. Ive never seen a beach that wasnt thronged with people. You must love it here.
He looked at her for a moment. I do. None of the rest of my family does. They call this place Lucass Folly.
It was impossible to imagine the confident man striding in front of her up the path to the cabin as being capable of folly. She found her gaze riveted on his broad shoulders. Beneath the thin polo shirt he was wearing, she could see the easy, sure movement of muscles as he swung her suitcase in rhythm with his stride. Shed learned in her research that from a psychological standpoint, a woman who was attracted to a mans muscular shoulders was probably looking for a strong emotional bond.
That was the last thing she wanted with Lucas Wainright, she reminded herself. If her plan was going to work at all, he was just someone she would practice on. A guinea pig.
She forced her gaze down the length of his back to his waist and below. Suddenly, her mouth went dry as dust. He had what Madame Gervais would definitely call in her Parisian French a
As she watched him climb the porch steps, the foreign words escaped her. Great buns was the only description she could think of in English. His cutoff jeans fit over his backside like a second skin, leaving very little to the imaginationjust enough to make her wonder what his skin would feel like beneath that denim. Soft and smoothfirm and hard? Would it feel as hot as her own skin was beginning to feel?
The urge to find out was so sudden, so strong that Mac stopped dead in her tracks. If she hadnt, she was sure she would have reached out and actually placed the palm of her hand on Lucass butt.
She made herself take a deep breath and let it out. In spite of the heat, the air felt cool compared to the fire that had started to burn in her body. What in the world was the matter with her? Shed never before found herself mesmerized by a mans derrierethat was the French word. According to Madame Gervais, women who were attracted to that particular body part were lusty adventurers who were looking for similar qualities in a man.
The thought of herself as a lusty adventurer nearly made her laugh. Still, it might be evidence that she did have a sensual side to her nature, after all.
It was only as Lucas opened the door of the cabin and glanced back over his shoulder that she realized she was staring at that part of his anatomy.
Are you all right? Lucas asked.
Fine. She moved quickly up the steps and into the cabin. The air was stuffy and even warmer than outside. Or perhaps it was her own inner temperature rising because she was standing close to Lucas again. Close enough to touch.
Pushing the thought out of her mind, she focused her full attention on the small, tidy interior of the room. Though the darkness contrasted sharply with the glaring brightness outside, she noted that the room was minimally furnished with a couch, a coffee table, a desk and a chair. At one end, a wooden counter with two stools tucked beneath its wide ledge framed a space for a tiny kitchen. There was no clutter, nothing to suggest that the place was occupied except for the laptop computer and thick, sturdy briefcase that sat on the desk.
It was then that she noticed the framed photographs that nearly covered the wall above. Curious, she moved closer to get a better look. Most of the pictures were snapshots of Sophie and her younger brothers, the step-twins. Nicholas and Nathaniels high-school graduation, Sophies graduation from college. Shed met Sophie five years ago when shed been doing postdoctoral work and Sophie had been finishing her undergraduate degree. Theyd been fast friends ever since.
Her gaze shifted to a shot of the opening of Sophies antique shop in Georgetown. And there were others that captured less formal occasionsSophie and the step-twins beneath a Christmas tree, a teenage Sophie standing by a red convertible dangling the keys from her fingers. There were twenty pictures in all, a sort of family album/mural, except that there were no parents in any of them. And no sign of Lucas.
Her attention was caught and held by the last photo in the bottom row. She was in it, standing next to Sophie. Lucas had snapped a victory picture after she and Sophie had beaten him at tennis.
Something moved through her then. Envy? Longing? Lifting her hand, she ran her fingers over the frame. The pictures were concrete evidence of something she already knew. Lucas Wainright valued his family.
You played a great game. Id be glad to make you a copy of the photo, if youd like.
Thanks. As she turned, she nearly bumped into him.
He handed her a bottle of water. Youd better drink it all. In this kind of heat, its easy to become dehydrated.
She took a long swallow, then watched as Lucas drained his bottle. She was close enough to see a drip of water run from the corner of his mouth to his chin, and then down the long column of his throat. In her mind, she imagined what it might be like to trace its path with her finger, to feel the coolness of the water, the heat of his skin underneath.
Penny for your thoughts.
Mac reined them in. This was the second time in almost as many minutes that shed fantasized about touching Lucas Wainright.
Sophie says you have a problem youd like my help with.
Her nerves slithered into a knot in her stomach, and she felt the bottle slip from her fingers.
Lucas caught it before it hit the floor and handed it back to her. That bad, huh?
Before she could reply, he took her arm and led her out to the porch. Why dont you sit down. You can finish that water while I fix some sandwiches. Well talk about it over lunch.
In the doorway, he turned back to her. You can stay here as long as you want. If it helps any, Sophie was pretty sure I could help. And Im certainly willing to do anything I can.
WAS HE GOING CRAZY? Lucas spread slices of bread out on the counter. Standing on that boat with her body so close to his had turned his brain to mush and another part of his anatomy into something hard, erect and ready to go.
Except it wasnt going anywhere. Taking a calming breath, he slapped slices of ham, then cheese on the bread. MacKenzie Lloyd was his sisters best friend, and he could not, would not, get involved with her. Hed vowed a long time ago to keep his relationships with women entirely separate from his family. He never dated anyone in his familys social circle, and he never brought any of his women friends home. It was just one of the methods he used to ensure that the women in his life never nurtured the false expectation that he would marry them. His other method was to be totally honest with them up front.
What was he thinking when hed invited MacKenzie Lloyd to stay as long as she wanted?
Dumb question. He reached into the small refrigerator for mustard and spread it liberally on the ham. He hadnt been thinking at all. His mind had been too busy remembering the way her scent had wrapped itself around him, the way her hair, whipped back by the wind, had felt against his chin. And once hed led her into the cabin, his mind had taken the leap from memory to fantasy, and had totally immersed itself in imagining what it would be like to make love with Dr. MacKenzie Lloyd.
Even as shed settled herself on the steps, the image had slipped into his mind of sitting right down beside her and slipping her out of that neat little blouse, then the slacks. Hed been wondering just what it was that she wore beneath that cool-looking linen. Thin, white, practical cottonthe kind that schoolgirls worewas what hed pictured. Once hed discarded that, he could spend the entire afternoon pleasuring her until she was spent and limp beneath him. And then he could begin again.
Bending down, he grabbed two beers from the cooler. He couldnt recall another woman whod aroused such erotic fantasies in him. And shed yet to give him any indication that the attraction he felt was mutual.
Was that what fascinated him? That cool, seemingly unflappable image that she projected? Certainly, he was curious about what lay beneath the surface. Hed already discovered that she wasnt as serious as she seemed. It had been pure, innocent enjoyment hed seen in her eyes when that wave had lifted her right up off the deck of the boat.
And her laugh. Just recalling the sound of it had him wanting to surprise another one out of her.
Maybe she wasnt as indifferent to him as she appeared to be. He could think of several interesting ways to test that theory.
And hed be a fool to put any of them to the test. Slapping the sandwiches onto a plate, he snagged the beers with his free hand and walked back out onto the porch.
She wasnt there.
Mac!
He was off the steps and scanning the beach when she said, Im up here.
Fear shot through him when he saw her perched on the sloping roof of the porch. What the hell are you doing? Youre afraid of heights.
Im also a coward. This is my way of summoning up some Dutch courage so that I can tell you why Im here. But you may have to eat without me. Im not sure I can get down.
Whatever else she was, MacKenzie Lloyd wasnt a coward. And what in the world had her so frightened that shed climb onto a roof to screw up her courage? Tucking the bottles under his arm, he started up the ladder. Well eat up there then. I dont relish the thought of being flattened again if you decide to jump.
He had the pleasure of seeing her lips curve in a ghost of a smile as he settled himself beside her and distributed the sandwiches and beer. Is it helping? To sit up here, I mean?
My stomach is still in a knot. But watching the water helps.
Take a drink of the beer.
She glanced at it dubiously. Itll make me want to take a nap.
Thats allowed. In fact, with the sun at its hottest, its a very smart plan.
Damn tempting too. Lucas pushed away the image of lying down next to her on the narrow cot in his bedroom. He was trying not to think about the fact that hed have to carry her down the ladder, but his body was already reacting to the possibility.
Plan. Yes, thats what I wanted to talk to you about. She took a quick sip from the bottle, and when some beer dripped onto her wrist, she touched her tongue to it.
Lucas felt the hot lick of desire and took a long swallow of his own beer. Sophie said you had a problem.
Thats because she didnt approve of my plan.
She wants me to handle it.
Exactly. Holding the bottle tightly in two hands, she kept her eyes on the sea. I should begin by giving you some background. I want a family someday. For me that means kids and marriage. Not in that order, of course. She shot him a sideways glance. Im not one of those women who wants to raise children in a single-parent household. I know from experience that it can make for an unhappy childhood, so I want to avoid it at all costs. Thats why I want to be prepared. A good plan is everything in the lab. She glanced at him briefly. It must be the same way in a business deal.
Yes, Lucas said. But Im not sure Im following you.
Mac took another swallow of beer. What are your feelings about divorce?
Lucass eyes narrowed. I want to avoid it at all costs. Thats why Ill never marry.
She nodded, then drank more beer. Lucas watched her lick the moisture from her lips as she lowered the bottle and turned to face him. I want to avoid it too. We just differ in out approaches to the problem. I want to get married and my research is designed to make sure my marriage lasts forever.
Bells began to ring in Lucass headthe ones that always warned him about women who were thinking about weddings. I dont intend to get married. Ever.
Of course you dont. You already have a family. I only had one until I was five. Thats when my fathers eye started to wander. She took another long swallow of beer, then glanced at the bottle. You know, you were right about this. It is relaxing me.
Maybe too much, Lucas muttered. Have you had anything to eat today, Doc?
No. I never eat before I fly. She tipped the bottle up again and drank thirstily. Its been ages since Ive had beer. I didnt think I liked it, but I do.
You were talking about wandering eyes. His own sure werent wandering. They were glued to MacKenzie Lloyds mouth as she licked the last trace of beer from her lips.
First its the eyes, and then its the whole body. Did you know that infidelity is the number-one cause of divorce? And the number-one reason for one of the partners to stray is that monogamy usually leads to monotony? Hopefully, my plan will prevent that.
How?
By making sure that my husband never gets bored in bed. Pausing, she rubbed the bottle against her cheek. Its getting really warm up here.
Tell me about it.
Im trying. Ive done all this research on how to please a man in bed. Most of the data Ive compiled is on male sexual fantasies. Did you know that the number-one fantasy of men is to make love with two women at once?
I think I read that somewhere.
When she turned to study him, he had the fleeting sensation of being put on a slide.
Is that your favorite? she finally asked.
Not at the present moment.
I havent figured out exactly how to create that one, but I have a lot of other ones Id like to try out. Are you going to finish your beer?
Before he could reply, she plucked his bottle from his hand and replaced it with her empty one. Then she took a long swallow.
Maybe youd better spell out exactly how it is that I can help you.
As she turned to face him, she slid a little toward the end of the roof.
He gripped her arm. Careful.
Theres a time in every research project when you have to put your theories to the test in the lab. Im at that point right now. I feel like Im bursting with research, and if I dont put some of it to use, I just might explode. Do you ever get that feeling?
Yeah.
I feel that way in the lab tooand its so exciting. Thats why I need a man right now. I have to have someone to practice on. And Sophie suggested you.
Lucass mouth went dry as dust. You He cleared his throat. You cant be serious.
But I am. I tried to explain to Sophie. This is the exact procedure I follow in the lab. Theories always have to be tested. But you shouldnt feel pressured. I can certainly find someone else to test my research on. I have a friend in Paris who has several volunteers lined up. But Sophie insisted that I ask you first.
Lucas stared at her. It had to be the beer. He removed his bottle from her hand. Let me make sure I have this straight. Youre asking me to become your lover so that you can field-test your research on me?
Exactly. And it wont go any further than that. I promise that Im not out to trap you into marriage. Sophie said you would be worried about that. This is strictly a no-strings arrangement. Ive been on the Pill for three months, and Ive always practiced safe sex, not that Ive had to worry about it lately. What about you?
Lucas stared at her, incredulous.
Is there anything in your sexual history I should be concerned about, she asked.
No, Im a very careful man.
Mac nodded. Of course, you could still use a condom as an extra precaution
Of course. And if I agree to the arrangement?
There are some particular male sexual fantasies that I want to try out. If youre willing. She took his bottle back and emptied it.
As her proposition swam around in his mind, Lucas watched a thin trickle of beer run down her throat. He imagined the bitter taste it would have, along with the sweeter, warmer flavor of her skin. But if he gave in to the temptation of leaning forward and following the path of the beer with his tongue, he wouldnt stop there. He would have to kiss her. And if he did, he wouldnt stop there either.
He felt as if he was fighting against a riptide that was carrying him farther and farther from shore, from his sanity. Even as the battle went on in his mind, he was leaning forward. Then the shingles moved beneath him.
Youre slipping. Mac grabbed his arm, and then she was sliding too.
In the instant it took him to realize that they were both going over the edge, he wrapped his arms around her and held her close. If hed been alone, he would have simply tucked his arms in and rolled. As it was, the moment his feet hit the ground, he twisted and fell backward to take the brunt of the impact. It took his breath away.
As soon as he could, he loosened his grip on her. Are you all right?
She raised her head and looked down at him. Fine. What about you?
For a moment he didnt respond. All he could focus on was the way sunlight brought out the fiery glints in her hair and the way the amber flecks had brightened in her eyes. The way her body had softened until it fit perfectly against his.
He couldnt recall ever wanting a woman this much. About your plan
Oh, she said, her eyes suddenly narrowing. Do you want to? That would be great. If youd like to get started She pushed against him. Ill get the questionnaire.
Questionnaire?
So I can tell which fantasies are your favorites.
He was thinking of carrying her down the beach to the small inlet where the palms touched overhead. There, he could make love to her until she couldnt think of anything, of anyone but him.
And the doc was thinking of paperwork!
It wont take long. Once I know exactly what you like to fantasize about, I can run them through this program I created on my laptop.
Wait a minute. When she tried to rise, he grabbed her wrist and sat up with her. The frantic skipping of her pulse against his thumb told him she wasnt anywhere near as cool as her voice had sounded.
Oh, she was excited all right. But was it about making love with him, or was it because she was thinking of her questionnaires and programs? I stopped indulging in fantasies when I was twelve. I much prefer reality.
Ohare you saying you dont want to? I told Sophie that you dont think of me that way.
I think of you that way. He couldnt stop himself from thinking of her that way.
Then She moistened her lips. Youll do it?
The strength of his desire to agree had him releasing her wrist carefully. He had to think, to weigh the possible outcomes. And he couldnt think at all when she was sitting on his lap, her mouth only a breath away. I never make snap decisions in business. Im sure you never do in the lab.
No, of course not.
Then I suggest we take twenty-four hours to think it over before either of us jumps into anything. Agreed?
Agreed.
He saw something flicker in her eyes, but he wasnt sure whether it was relief or disappointment. Then to his complete astonishment, she settled her head on his shoulder and yawned.
I feel so much better now that Ive told you why I came here.
Better wasnt exactly the way he would choose to describe the mix of emotions moving through him. Desire, he could handle. But there was something unsettling about the warmth that was also spreading through him, solid and sure. And it shouldnt feel so damn right to have her sitting on his lap. He should be setting her away from him, but he hadnt been able to prevent his arms from moving around her.
And then he didnt move at all. For a few moments he allowed himself to simply sit and hold her. The silence was broken only by the sound of waves rushing onto the shore and the cry of a gull overhead.
Who in the hell was Dr. MacKenzie Lloyd? Was she the cool, unflappable scientist? Or was she the sensual woman whod just offered to practice her sex research on him? And which one was having this effect on him?
Glancing down, he saw that her eyes were shut, her breathing even. She was asleep. Lucas frowned. Was she so indifferent to him that, one minute, she could tell him that she wanted to create sexual fantasies for him and then, the next, calmly doze off?
There was a part of him that wanted to wake her with a kiss. To catapult her from slumber to wakefulness by arousing in her at least some of the feelings that were tormenting him. He wondered if this was what that prince had felt when hed fought his way into the castle and come upon Sleeping Beauty.
Hed always privately thought the poor guy had gotten more trouble than hed bargained for when hed kissed that beauty awake.
And Lucas Wainright hadnt gotten to where he was without looking before he leaped.
Twenty-four hours. He repeated the number to himself several times as he rose to his feet and carried Mac into the cabin. By the time he settled her on the bed and retreated from the cabin down to the beach, he wasnt sure whether it was a caution or a promise.
5
WHEN SHE WOKE the next morning, the first thing Mac was aware of was the heat. Her entire body seemed to be on fire. Pushing herself into a sitting position, she felt a trickle of sweat run down her neck.
One quick glance around the room reminded her of where she was. Lucass cabin. Then her eyes widened as the memory of just what shed been dreaming about flooded into her mind. Shed been making love to Lucas, or more precisely, hed been making love to hertouching her with those clever, callused hands. There hadnt been one part of her body that theyd left unexplored. Shed barely been able to breathe, let alone move. Even now, as she thought of the way those long, hard fingers had stroked herdown the length of her arms, her legs and then slowly, torturously up the inner side of her thighshe could feel tiny little flames licking along her skin.
Mac sat up and scooted to the edge of the bed. Shed just had a fantasy! The one thing shed discovered in her research was that she had a very dull fantasy life. Obviously, that was changing. Madame Gervais had insisted that she had a sensual side to her nature. Lucas Wainright seemed to be helping her discover it.
Pushing herself off the bed, Mac moved to the window, but even the breeze making its way into the room felt warm on her skin. No wonder. The sun was already quite high in the sky. A quick glance at her watch told her it was eleven oclock. Another four hours to wait until Lucas would announce his decision.
What would it be?
Nothing in the way hed acted the day before had given her the slightest clue. From the moment that shed awakened from her nap, hed been polite and attentive, encouraging her to walk along the beach while he fished in a lagoon for their dinner.
After theyd eaten, hed taken her on a tour of the island. Hed even slept on the boat so that she could have the one narrow bed in the cabin.
In short, hed been the perfect host. Other than that one terse statementI think about you that wayhe hadnt done one thing to indicate that he might be interested in becoming herboy toy.
Moving toward the dresser, Mac gazed at her reflection. Better to face the facts. MacKenzie Lloyd was not a woman that most men had lustful thoughts about. Even with a new hair color and a head full of research, what did she really have to appeal to a man like Lucas Wainright?
The muffled ring of a cell phone had her moving quickly to the main room where she located her bag and fished it out. Hello?
Its Sophie. If Lucas is there, pretend Im someone from the university.
Hes not here. And she wasnt sure where he was. Mac went to the door of the cabin and spotted him on the deck of the boat polishing brass with a white cloth.
Good. Whatever you do, dont tell him I called. As far as he knows, I had to check my cell phone in at the desk of the spa. The one thing that would spoil my week in paradise would be to have him calling me every day to check up on me.
Youre enjoying the spa?
Its heaven. For the first time in months I feel absolutely free. I wish you could see the view I have from my balcony. There are at least three air balloons suspended in the sky. They look like giant lollipops. I have to go up in one while Im here. WaitMac, can you hold on a minute? I ordered something from room service. Theyre at the door.
In the background, Mac could hear voices, the sound of Sophies laugh, then a deeper one. On the boat, Lucas continued to polish brass with sure, steady strokes. Odd that shed never before pictured him as a man who would like to do any kind of work with his hands. It explained why theyd felt so hard when theyd settled over hers on the wheel of the boat. The memory had a sliver of heat shooting through her.
You still there? Sophie asked.
Yes, Mac replied.
Tell me how your plans progressing.
I asked him.
Asked him what? Sophie prompted. Give me the details.
As she told Sophie what had happened, Mac once again replayed everything in her mind. Her stomach plummeted farther. I dont think it was my most persuasive presentation.
Surely he didnt turn you down?
Mac smiled at the disbelief in her friends voice. Not exactly. He wants us both to think about it for twenty-four hours.
There was a great deal of exasperation in Sophies sigh. That is so typically Lucas. Hes probably having one of his security people do a thorough background check on you to see if youre any threat to Wainright Enterprises. My advice is dont wait.
What do you mean?
Seduce him into agreeing. That research of yours is worthless if you dont have the guts to use it.
I dont know
He who hesitates is lost. Picture yourself five years after you walk down the aisle with your future bridegroom. Youre in your kitchen feeding two screaming kids and youre afraid your husbands eye is about to wander. Are you going to wait for him to make the first move?
No, Mac said softly.
But? I hear a but in that sentence.
I just imagined he might be a little more enthusiastic.
Sophie laughed. Enthusiasm is contagious. Starting out by asking him to fill out a questionnaire was not your best move. As foreplay, it wouldnt rate very high on my list.
OhI didnt think of that.
I warned you that this plan of yours was not going to be like your usual experiments. You cant approach it like a job. Besides, it should be fun! And people are not like your docile little lab animals, Mac. Sometimes they need a little extra push.
The moment Lucas turned and glanced in her direction, Mac felt the impact of his gaze ripple through her. So what if his hormones werent as stimulated as hers were. So what if he was just being kind to his kid sisters best friend. Didnt she have the kind of knowledge to change all that?
Sometimes they need a big push, Sophie added.
Mac couldnt think of a man shed rather push than Lucas. Slowly, she smiled as one of the fantasies from her research unfolded itself in her mind. Thanks, Soph. Im going to take your advice.
You go, girl! And have some fun!
SOPHIE HUNG UP her phone with a satisfied smile and glanced out at the view from her balcony. Covered in lush grapevines, the hillside rolled down to the valley below. There, the neat rows in the vineyards were crisscrossed by narrow roads until hills rose sharply again.
Napa Valley, California, was as far away from D.C., the Florida Keys and North Carolina as she could get without actually leaving the country. And since shed never been here before, she doubted that Lucas would think of it. Her lips curved in a smile. Not that she expected him to be thinking about her at all for the next week. Mac should be able to handle that.
And she was going to handle the rest. For the next week, no one would know she was Sophie Wainright, least of all the man shed agreed to meet today for lunch. When shed first met him in that small caf on Capitol Hill three weeks ago, shed told him she was Susan Walker. The initials matched her own, but that was all that linked her to Sophie Wainright.
It was on the way home from that first meeting that shed discovered she was being followed. Now she pushed herself away from the railing and began to pace back and forth along the length of her balcony. Just the thought of it made her furious.
Well, shed made sure that no one had followed her here. Not once since shed gotten off the plane in San Francisco had she had that prickling sensation at the back of her neck that had warned her before. Not even Mac knew where she was coming to spend time with the man who only knew her as Susan Walker. A man who wasnt just interested in her because she was Sophie Wainright.
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