Delicious (16 page)

“I don’t know. She’s . . .” He rubbed his forehead, searching for the right words. “Under my skin.”

“That guy her bodyguard?” Deke nodded at Tyler.

“Of sorts, yes.”

Deke raised his brows. “He looks like he’d like to do more to her body than guard it.”

“I’m pretty sure Tyler already does.” Why else would she allow him to kiss her? Have a house key? See her naked? Touch her in public?

Leaning in, Deke stared at Luc long and hard. He swallowed, certain his cousin could see right through him.

“Unless I miss my guess, you’ve had an encore performance with Alyssa recently.”

That obvious? “So?”

“So you don’t care if she fucks him, too?”

Luc fisted his hands in the tablecloth. He knew it was telling, but hell, Deke saw through him anyway. “It infuriates the hell out of me. I’ve had moments lately where I wanted to break every bone in his miserable body.”

“She’s more than a fuck to you?” Deke sounded surprised.

As much as Luc wanted to avoid answering the question, he couldn’t. In fact, he’d been asking himself the same thing.

“I don’t understand it. She’s everything I don’t need. Shady profession, total lack of modesty, so damn independent. Probably multiple lovers,” he snarled. “I can’t see her being happy with a rock on her hand, kids in tow, living in suburbia.”

“But you don’t know that for a fact?”

“No,” he admitted.

“Let me ask you something. Were you
ever
jealous watching me in bed with Kimber?”

Luc paused. But the answer was easy. “No. Though you two had a bond, for a long time I felt completely involved in the relationship.”

“I couldn’t stand watching you touch her,” Deke admitted. “Every time you did, I thought it was going to fucking kill me. How is that different from how you feel about Alyssa being with Tyler?”

“I knew you weren’t going to hurt Kimber,” Luc hedged.

But did he really believe that Tyler would hurt Alyssa when he was trying so hard to guard her?

“Okay, forget this guy. What about Jack Cole? If Morgan was out of the picture, would you share Alyssa with Jack? He’s a stand-up guy, and I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t be the first time he’d had sex with her. Sure, it’s been a few years—”

“Shut the fuck up,” Luc growled.

The image of Jack Cole unleashing his chains and cuffs and commands on Alyssa was like running his guts through a meat grinder.

Truth was, he didn’t want anyone else touching her.

“Okay.” Deke held up his hands. “But take my word for it. When you’ve got feelings for a woman, jealousy comes with the territory.” He stood as his wife approached. “Especially when the woman is beautiful. Everything okay?”

“Great.” Then she frowned at Luc. “You all right?”

No. Leave it to Deke to throw the fact he felt more than lust for Alyssa in his face. What the hell was he supposed to do about it?

“Fine.” He did his best to sound sincere . . . and knew he fell short of the mark.

“I have my next doctor appointment in a few weeks, and Deke will be out of town. Can you take me?” Kimber asked. “How much longer will you be here?”

A pity invitation, and he was desperate enough to grab it. Any small involvement with Deke and Kimber’s baby was likely more than he’d ever have for himself, especially if he kept ignoring Emily and chasing Alyssa like a schmuck.

Bless Kimber for caring how he felt. He brought her close for a long hug. “I’d love to. I’m only here until Thursday.”

“Oh, just a few days, then.” She smiled. “That’s great!”

Deke clapped him on the back and sent him a meaningful stare. “Make the most of them.”

JUST after midnight, Alyssa shut the doors to Bonheur. A weight lifted from her shoulders. The evening had been a huge success, and everyone who’d come tonight said the food and service were spectacular. All wanted to come back, and she finally believed she had a future comprised of more than taking off her clothes for strangers. The evening really couldn’t have gone better.

Except watching Luc with Deke and Kimber.

To say that the sexy chef still had feelings for his cousin’s beautiful wife would be stating the obvious. He’d hugged her, looked into her eyes. The moment hadn’t seemed sexual, but they were in public. And Deke supposedly didn’t share anymore. Still, the embrace had unnerved Alyssa. Was the other woman the reason Luc couldn’t give more of himself to her?

“You ready to go?” Tyler asked, hovering near her as he had all night.

“I’ll take her home,” Luc said, appearing behind her.

“It’s my job.” Tyler crossed his arms and donned his badass mien as tightly as he would leather pants.

Luc ignored him. Instead, he turned to her, face solemn. “I’d like to take you home. We should talk.” She hesitated, and he pressed. “Please.”

What did he want? If she went, she risked further heartbreak. But if she refused him, she’d never know. What if he wanted to renew their earlier argument? Or just have sex again. She winced.

“All right.” She avoided looking at Tyler. “I packed up your things. They’re in my foyer. Homer is expecting you.”

At that, Tyler smiled. She also read the hurt on Luc’s face. For her sanity, she had to sideline him to Homer’s, but she should have done it when they were alone.

“Fine,” he bit out.

Telling her that it wasn’t fine at all.

“You sure you want to ride with him?” Tyler asked, clearly looking for any reason to get one up on Luc. “I can follow you, make sure he doesn’t give you any issues.”

She leveled him with a no-nonsense stare. “He’s a chef, not a serial rapist. I’ll be all right. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

Scowling, Tyler drifted closer, reaching for her. Luc was faster and closer, wrapping his arm around her waist. She ignored Tyler’s not-so-silent curse.

Outside, she locked the restaurant’s door and let Luc lead her to his SUV. His touch lingered at her waist, and she tried not to notice her quivering knees.

Once they were on the road and the beautiful night air sifted through her hair, she turned to Luc. “Spill it. What did you want to talk about?”

“Everything.”

Alyssa had this niggling suspicion that Luc was going to try to talk his way back in her bed. And where he was concerned, she was so, so weak. Though she should give him brownie points for facing the conversation head-on, she really didn’t know what to say that wouldn’t lead to her admitting she had deep feelings for him and them undressed and entwined.

“I’m exhausted, and it’s late,” she begged off. “Can’t it wait until tomorrow?”

“It shouldn’t take me more than a few minutes to apologize.”

She whipped her gaze around to him—and didn’t say a word.

He swallowed, his long, dark hair whipping around in the night wind. He looked gorgeous, so capable and sensitive. She fell for him a bit more.

“Don’t look shocked, please. I’ve had a few hours to think about what happened earlier. I was wrong to jump down your throat about your leaving this morning to be with Tyler. It’s none of my business. You have a lot on your mind, and he works for you . . .” Luc shrugged. “I won’t lie and say I like the way he looks at you. I have no doubt his thoughts are totally unprofessional. I also won’t lie and say the thought of you with him doesn’t make me crazy.” Luc gripped the steering wheel tighter. “But that’s between the two of you, and I have no right to interfere.”

So he was past the anger and knew he’d pissed her off, and accordingly wheeled out an apology. But . . . “In other words, it’s none of your business if I fuck Tyler, but you still think I am and will try not to growl at me about it?”

“It doesn’t matter what I think. It’s your life, and I have no right to tell you how to live it. I have four days and some change left here. I’d rather spend the time enjoying you than fighting with you.”

“So let’s put all the emotion behind us so we can fuck like rabbits for four days?”

God, why didn’t he just slap her in the face instead of slowly stabbing her in the heart?

“I meant that you’re right. I haven’t been a monk since we first got together, and it’s wrong of me to expect that you have no other life. I don’t know whether you and Tyler have something going. I’m not passing judgment. All I’m saying is that I’d rather spend time with you, whatever we choose to do, than argue.” He sighed, and shot an enigmatic dark stare at her. “You’re a fascinating woman. I want to know you more.”

Good guy or player?
That was the problem. She didn’t know Luc deep down. Either he was genuinely apologizing for allowing his misplaced jealousy to get the better of him or he was saying what he thought she wanted to hear, hoping that she’d be motivated to shed her clothes and spread her legs. Either way, he’d said nothing emotional . . . but this was the first time he’d pursued her. Could it lead somewhere?

“What I really wanted to hear was that you believed I didn’t have sex with Tyler today.”

Luc shrugged. “You don’t owe me explanations.”

“I don’t,” she agreed. “But I want to know what you really think.”

It was probably pointless, but she couldn’t stand him thinking she was the kind of woman who slept around.

He paused, seemingly lost in his thoughts, sorting through them. “You’re too dedicated to your future to fuck away the afternoon the day
your
happiness opens its doors.”

Tears hit her instantly. He got it. He got her! It was a start.

Alyssa bit her lip to hold it in. Damn exhaustion was making her weepy, and the shit had to stop.

She took a deep breath to compose herself. “Exactly.”

“I’m sorry I put extra stress on you.”

“I’m sorry I disappeared this morning. I should have left a note or something, explaining . . .”

What? That she’d been too overwhelmed by their time together and had lost her heart?

“That you were too keyed up?” he guessed.

It was as good an excuse as any. She nodded.

“I understand.” He slanted a concerned frown to her. “Did you get any dinner?”

She sorted through her evening’s events, then shook her head.

“Lunch?”

No, she’d been too busy making sure her appearance tonight was perfect to worry about food. “I skipped it.”

“Breakfast?” He sounded incredulous.

Alyssa winced. She’d been curled up on her bed at Sexy Sirens, crying her eyes out.

“Damn it! You’re not taking care of yourself. Did you sleep at all today?”

Because Lord knew Luc had made certain she didn’t get any sleep last night.

Again, she shook her head.

A moment later, they pulled up in front of her house. He hopped out and rushed around his SUV to get her door.

Now that she’d been still for a bit, weariness crept up on her, and she stumbled out of the vehicle—into his arms. He brought her close, and she allowed herself to feel safety and warmth, pretend that she really mattered to him.

“That’s it.” He sounded fed up. “I know you’re eager to throw me out, but you have to let me in to take care of you.”

If she did that, she’d wind up naked with him again, letting him deep inside her body, deeper inside her heart.

“Luc . . .”

“You’re not talking me out of it. Keys?” He held out his hand.

Alyssa wavered. How nice would it be to let Luc take care of her for a few minutes? She was always in charge of everything—had been since the day she left home. Right now, giving over her responsibility to him sounded like a ridiculously wonderful fantasy.

Fearing she would regret the decision but too tempted to care, she dropped her keys in Luc’s palm.

A
S soon as Luc closed the keys inside his fist, he bent and swept her into his arms. She clung to his neck, and the masculine scents of pine, musk, and soap hit her system. It was a good thing he held her or her knees would have given way completely.

“Wh-what?” she sputtered. “What are you doing?”

He unlocked the door with one hand, shouldered his way in, and stopped her before the burglar alarm so she could disarm it. After the beeping stopped, he walked past her kitchen and stepped down to the den, depositing her on the downy-soft sofa. He lifted the quilt she usually kept across the back for chilly mornings and draped it over her legs.

“You okay?”

“More tired than I thought . . .” she mumbled. God, she wasn’t even sure she could stay awake long enough to disrobe, even though sleeping in this dress would ruin it.

Groaning, she tried to push to her feet. Luc eased her back down. Lacking the will to resist, she settled back into the cushions with a mutinous expression.

“You’re not going anywhere.”

“I have to change. Take off my makeup.”

“Not right now, you don’t. Give me five minutes. Just sit here that long. I promise to make it worthwhile.”