Stolen Seduction (21 page)

one. He ran a hand through his hair. “Okay, here’s the deal. I wasn’t ticked last night because I got a

hard-on from being pinned beneath you. I was pissed because I knew you were holding out on me.

If we’re going to work together on this, you have to be honest with me. Even if you’re not sure how

I’m going to react.”

“Maxwell, I—”

It irked him that even now she wouldn’t use his first name when she used Billy’s so damn easily.

“Let’s get one thing clear here. I do want you. I’ve wanted you since we met, and that doesn’t piss

me off, it jacks me up. But trust me when I say, all that’s gonna do is cause problems between us,

especially when you can’t tell me the truth. So be careful what you ask and how you answer right

now.”

Her eyes widened. “Is that a threat?”

Was it? Yeah, he realized, it was. There was only so much of her he could take before he broke.

Then took her down with him. And sexy power struggle aside, he knew she didn’t want him like

that.

“That’s up to you.” He refocused on what was really important. “If that guy is the same one from

the elevator, it means he wasn’t working for your cousin like you thought he was.”

She bit her lip. Stared at him. Then finally said, “No. I already thought of that.”

“Which means—”

“He wanted me out of the picture even before Bryan was killed.” She hesitated, then added, “The

woman was Lucy Walthers. She’s a secretary at RR, the one who was with Bryan the night he was

killed.”

The one he’d interviewed. “So she set your cousin up.”

“Possibly. But Paul isn’t a family member, so even if he found the sixth statue on his own, the company wouldn’t be awarded to him.”

“Unless he’s working for someone else.”

“Yeah,” she said quietly.

At her frown, he added, “The only way to figure out who that is, is to find the next bronze.”

She stared at him. And the look of frustration in her cobalt eyes made his chest tingle. “I should go

take that shower so we can leave.”

He nodded slowly, even as a frisson of guilt he didn’t want slithered in. “Hailey?”

She turned to look back from the bathroom doorway. “What?”

“Just so we’re clear on one more thing. I’m hotheaded sometimes. It gets me into trouble. And I’m

not always good about apologizing when I’ve been a real ass, so—”

“If you even try to apologize for what happened in the bathroom, Maxwell, I promise I’ll go back to

the Everglades and find your gun so I can shoot you with it myself.”

The mischief sparkling in her eyes eased the pressure in his chest. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“Watch me.”

He did. With eyes he couldn’t tear from her if he tried. She disappeared into the bathroom with all

the grace and regality of the heiress she was, head lifted high, blonde hair flying behind her, but the

only thing he saw was that red lace now branded into his brain, peeking out from beneath the hem

of her oversize tee, calling to him like a drug to an addict for one more hit.

Nicole took her seat next to Billy in the grandstand of the Calder Race Course and fingered the ticket in her hand. “Why are we here again?” she asked, looking around the sparsely populated stands

as she pulled her jacket tighter to her shoulders.

“Because it’s fun. And because I’m pretty damn sure this is the one place no one will recognize

you.” He tugged the Miami Heat bucket cap lower to shield her face more, then looked down to the

track with eyes that lit up like fireworks. “Here they come.”

He rose and clapped like an idiot with the other few desperate souls braving the crappy January

weather for the chance to win a couple measly bucks. Even stuck two fingers in his mouth and let

out an ear-piercing whistle. Frowning, Nicole rose, too, so she’d blend in, then wished she hadn’t

passed up his offer for popcorn when they’d walked through the building. She was starving. And

she didn’t even like popcorn.

She breathed out a sigh. Glanced at her watch. Looked up and around. No sign of her sister. No sign

she’d be out of here anytime soon.

“They’re getting ready,” Billy said with a grin at her side. “Which horse did you pick?”

She had no idea. Working up a good scowl, she lifted the paper and held it out to him with a flick of

her fingers. “Sun-bolt.”

“Sundown,“ he corrected, leveling her with a look. “Babe, you gotta know your horse.”

She stared at him. Then nearly laughed. She’d never seen a guy get so worked up over something as

silly as betting on an animal that could break its leg and have to be put down in the first ten feet.

A horse whinnied below. The gates snapped shut. Just before the bell sounded, he leaned over and

put his mouth on hers.

“For luck,” he said as he pulled back. Then his attention was off her and focused solely on the massive animals tearing up the track far below them as if the moment had never happened.

Warmth slid through her veins, and before she could stop it, her chest bumped.

Okay, stupid to get worked up over one little kiss, especially when they’d screwed each other senseless the whole night and day before and when neither obviously trusted the other, but she felt butterflies in her stomach just the same. She chanced a look sideways at him, standing there, cheering like

a loon for a horse he had no attachment to aside from the fact he’d slapped a twenty on it to win,

and found herself grinning right along with him.

Billy Sullivan wasn’t like any guy she’d met before. Immature, cocky, a real James Dean, Rebel

Without a Cause-in-the-twenty-first-century kind of guy. But smart. Way more fun than any of the

stuffy and arrogant playboys she’d dated before. And, oh, yeah, sexy as hell with those hazel eyes

and all that thick light brown hair. Maybe that last part was why she’d done what she had with him,

but even before the thought hit she knew it was a lie.

True, she’d gone to bed with him because she’d been attracted to him. Even knowing what he was

really after. But mostly she’d slept with him because there was something about him that appealed

to her on a much more basic level. Something a little bit lost, a tiny bit wild, and a whole lot misunderstood. Something…a lot like her.

She pushed that thought out of her head and turned back to watch the race. Then grinned all over

again when Billy started jumping up and down, grabbing her arm and yanking her with him as the

horses sped down the stretch and GoldenEye, his pick, came in first.

He lifted her up and twirled her around. Then planted a big sloppy kiss on her lips before pulling

back and grinning down at her. “You are my new good-luck charm.”

“Sunburst didn’t win.”

“Sundown came in second.”

She did her best to glare at him, though she knew she did a half-assed job. “Whatever. Does that

mean we can leave now?”

His smile widened. “No way.” He grabbed the race schedule from his back pocket and flipped it

open. “Let’s double down.”

She groaned for effect, then felt those butterflies take flight when he slanted a cheesy smile her way

and sat to fill out his race form.

Oh, trouble. This guy could end up being a serious problem if her sister didn’t show up soon.

Footsteps echoed from somewhere above. And as if summoned from the cauldron of hell, a pair of

cheap sandals stopped on the opposite side of Billy’s chair, next to the end aisle where they sat.

“Don’t tell me you’re betting.”

Billy looked up to the left, and a slow smile spread across his tanned face. Without tipping her head

up so her face was still shielded, Nicole’s gaze followed until she was staring right at her sister.

“Not just betting. Winning.” He rose and gave Hailey a quick hug, then frowned when he eased

back. “What the hell happened to you?”

“What the hell hasn’t happened to me?” Hailey said with what could have been humor but sounded

more like whining to Nicole.

“Let’s not attract attention.” The man standing at Hailey’s back grasped her hand and pulled her into

the row directly behind Nicole and Billy’s seats.

Though Nicole hadn’t gotten a good look, her thoughts echoed Billy’s sentiments. Hailey’s face was

bruised, her eyes looked tired, her hair was covered by a Florida Marlins cap and she was wearing

some plain-Jane capris and a shapeless T-shirt under a very boring Windbreaker Nicole would never

be caught dead in. But the guy she was with? Okay, now he was interesting.

Nicole shifted slightly to get a better view. Though he was sitting kitty-corner behind her and she

had to really look, she wouldn’t be a woman if she didn’t notice those midnight eyes, that brown

hair so dark it seemed black, and at least two days’ worth of stubble on his square jaw that gave him

the whole dark-and-mysterious look. Of course, he had a real don’t-mess-with-me air about him,

but that toned body flexing beneath his sweatshirt? Um, yeah. Okay. That was interesting, too.

Who the heck was he? And what was he doing with her sister, now, when Hailey was obviously in

so much trouble?

It was clear Billy and the mystery guy knew each other. No real introductions were made as he and

Hailey sat. And for some reason, Nicole got the impression neither liked each other all that much.

Another interesting piece of info.

“Who’s your friend?” the guy asked Billy.

Billy turned to face her, hooked one arm over the back of his seat and shrugged. And Nicole knew

she was on her own.

Slowly, she turned and lifted her face so the brim of her stupid bucket cap was out of her eyes. Then

she smiled. “Hello, Sis.”

To Hailey’s credit, she didn’t show any surprise. Unless of course you noticed the little tic above her

left eye. The one that only came out when she was really peeved. “What are you doing here?”

“Racing. Wait, betting.” When Billy coughed, she glanced his way. “What? Is that wrong?”

“Billy?” Hailey said from between what Nicole knew were clenched teeth. “I suddenly feel the need

to place a bet. I think I need your help.”

“I don’t think that’s such a—”

“Back off, Maxwell.” Hailey stood before her hunky dark bodyguard could stop her.

On a long sigh, Billy handed Nicole his race schedule. “Hold on to this for me.” Then he was gone.

He and Hailey moved to the top of the grandstand where they couldn’t be overheard, away from the

few stragglers who’d stuck around to watch the track below being groomed for the next race. And

though Nicole couldn’t hear what they were saying, she could only imagine the conversation.

She chuckled to herself and looked back at her unexpected companion. “So…Maxwell. Is that your

first name, last name or some kinky nickname my sister gave you?”

“Last.”

“You got a first name, sexy?”

He didn’t seem interested in having a conversation, was too busy twisting in his seat to look up

where Hailey was reading Billy the riot act. Nicole knew Billy could handle himself, but it irked her

beyond words that this guy’s eyes had skipped right over her like she wasn’t even there. To focus on

Hailey, who looked like she’d just gone ten rounds and picked up a new wardrobe at K-Mart on the

way here just for shits and giggles. Nicole decided to try another tactic.

She moved up one row and sat next to him. He obviously hadn’t heard her move, because when she

touched his arm with her fingers, his eyes shot to hers and he looked at her like she’d shocked him

with a cattle prod.

“Sorry,” she said with a grin, then a quick nibble on her bottom lip she’d perfected over the past few

years to draw attention to her mouth, which she knew was one of her best assets. “My neck was get-ting sore there. You don’t mind, do you? They’ll probably be a while.”

He looked down at her hand, still resting on his arm, then back up to her eyes. “Do you really think

this is a smart move on your part?”

Her smile faded, but she didn’t move her hand. Dark and mysterious just became dark and irritating.

“Who are you?”

“A friend.”

“Hailey doesn’t have any friends.”

“How would you know?”

“Because you have to have a heart to have a friend, and she clearly doesn’t.”

His eyes narrowed.

“Don’t believe me?” she asked, pointing up the grandstand to where Hailey and Billy were still arguing. “That’s how she treats her friends. And anyone who doesn’t do what she wants.”

He leaned close to her, so close she barely heard his words. “If that’s true, then why do you care?”

“Because she owes me.”

“For what?”

“That’s none of your business.”

“From here on out, girlie, anything that has to do with her is my business. Don’t mess with me.”

“Nicole.”

Billy was striding toward her, looking righteously ticked off and sexier than she’d ever seen him.

Oh, yeah. Serious trouble. Her blood warmed all over again. “Come on, we’re going.”

She rose slowly when he reached for her arm and caught a glimpse of Hailey, three steps up at his

back, looking pretty ticked herself. Oh, now wasn’t this just fun? Good times. Just like the old days.

“Where are we headed?”

“Someplace a little more private.” Billy’s fiery eyes shot between her and Hailey’s mystery man,

and judging from the flash Nicole saw there, it was clear he’d witnessed at least part of her conversation.

Well, that was a good thing, right? About time she stopped having fantasies of lovebirds and put this

guy in his place. Besides, as fun as he was, that’s not why she was really here.

Of course, why that thought suddenly left a hole the size of a grapefruit in her chest was a mystery