The Renegade Returns (Mill Town Millionaires) (13 page)

Then she lay next to him in the dark, listening to his breath even out. As he slipped into sleep, she ached for what she so desperately wanted.

But would never have.

THIRTEEN

L
uke glanced at Jacob next to him at the bar, waiting for his fiancée to bring them drinks. KC was being helped by her brother, Zach. He wasn’t officially working, but he still kept a close, protective eye on his family. Luke couldn’t blame him.

“This was a great idea,” Luke said, grinning as he watched his reserved older brother, Aiden, lead his wife onto the dance floor—for a fast song, no less.

He usually pictured Aiden drinking imported beer and fine dining in New York, not dancing in a honky-tonk in South Carolina. Boy, had times changed.

Jacob grinned as KC approached. “We all needed some downtime. The past few days have been intense.”

“Definitely,” Luke replied.

With all the suspicions and questions running through Luke’s mind, he’d been hard-pressed to think about anything else. Except Avery. She consumed him on so many levels now.

Their mission for adventures had gotten derailed by his accident, then their utter physical absorption of each other. They’d spent every night wrapped up in the big bed, shutting out the world.

Luke was more than addicted…each time he visited, he was in danger of never leaving her house again.

But tonight, he wouldn’t be sidetracked. If he couldn’t have Avery in bed, he wanted her on the dance floor. Another adventure. After all, he couldn’t recall ever seeing her dance.

He positioned her next to him on a small bit of dance floor real estate and glanced around to see what everyone else was doing. After two minutes, he had no idea why Avery didn’t normally dance—she was deadly at it. She picked up the steps quickly and executed them with incredibly sexy hip action that had his mouth watering.

Luke, on the other hand, knew that he danced with more enthusiasm than skill. When he missed a step, they both laughed and kept going.

He hadn’t laughed that much in a long time.

After a handful of songs, he led her back to the table for some cool drinks and bar food. Avery eyed him over her French fry.

“What?”

“You seem quite fond of surprises,” she said, grinning despite her accusing tone.

“Worked, didn’t it?”

Her grin turned rueful. “Guess so.”

“No guessing about it.” He leaned closer, invading her space until he saw the brown flecks in her eyes. “No sexy woman should be left sitting on the sidelines. You have too much to offer for that.”

He watched the flush build in her cheeks. Her eyes widened, then sparkled with a look he now knew all too well. Leaning in, he brushed her lips with his, aching for more than he could have right now.

As he pulled back, he was glad to see she didn’t look around, didn’t peek to see who was watching. Her entire focus was trained on him…and his on her.

“Sometimes sitting on the sidelines becomes a habit, because it’s familiar,” she said quietly. “It’s comfortable. And we know it won’t end up hurting us.”

“Won’t it? In the long run?”

Excuses were just that. Experience had taught him he got nowhere when he let those little half-truths direct his actions. He wanted to pull her against him and tell her it would be okay, that neither of them would hurt when this was over. But he couldn’t. That was a guarantee he didn’t think he’d be able to live up to. A buzz in his pocket saved him from answering.

Pulling out his cell phone, Luke saw his crew chief’s number on the screen. With a gesture to Avery, he hurried for the door.

When he’d stepped into the cool night air, free from the music of the noisy bar, he answered.

“Hey, Jeff. What’s up?”

They’d had regular check-ins, but Jeff hated the phone so he never called just to chat.

“Got some great news, buddy.”

Anticipation added to the buzz he’d worked up from dancing. Luke walked across the parking lot to burn off his sudden burst of adrenaline. “Hit me.”

“Our sponsor problem is solved.”

“How come?” Luke tried to ignore the pounding of his heart in his throat.

“I was contacted tonight by someone whose interest is off the scales. You’re not gonna believe this.”

Probably not. “Who?”

“NC State Oil.”

Hot damn.
One of the biggest sponsors in his division. Luke’s knees went a little weak.

“Bobby Joe is retiring,” Jeff said. “Very down low right now. They want you as their new feature car.”

Jeff rattled off some other details but Luke wasn’t processing them. Only when the words “come back” rang in his ear did he return to earth.

“When?” he asked, his mouth dry as cotton.

“Next season, buddy. They’re all set to negotiate, talk contracts.”

Luke thought over Avery’s careful plans, her goal of getting him back to racing—in two seasons.

Jeff was oblivious. “I’ll give the head honcho your number. You can set up a meeting.”

Luke barely remembered signing off. He couldn’t move, standing alone in the cool night air.

A second chance.

All that he’d wanted since his accident was to return to the track, to his career. Now he could. So why wasn’t he screwing up his recovery by jumping for joy?

Deep down, he knew why. Because there was more than just her disappointment keeping him from returning to the bar and breaking the news to Avery. The pain on the horizon wasn’t only physical…and wasn’t only his.

Almost to the building, the sound of an angry voice halted Luke’s stride.

“I said I’d get you your money. I just need more time.”

Luke instinctively stepped into the shadows, not far from where Mark Zabinski was speaking into his cell phone. His agitated tone indicated intense strain.

“Look—I realize I’ve gotten a little behind—”

His heavy sigh permeated the gloom.

“—okay, a lot. But I’ll take care of it.”

Another silence. Luke strained to hear beyond the pounding of his heart, surprised when Mark’s voice turned whiny. “No, I can’t just go to my parents for any more handouts. I told you, I can fix this.” He exhaled a ragged breath.

“Forty-eight hours. Got it.”

As Luke slipped back through the door into the club, he couldn’t help wondering what that had been all about.

* * *

Life was too damn complicated.

Luke looked around Zach’s garage at the men who’d supported him after his accident, and couldn’t find the words to tell them someone had tried to kill him. Even though the evidence sat right before him, the words were hard to come by.

Luckily Zach started the conversation for him. “So do you have an idea about who’s trying to hurt you yet, or do we need to do some digging?”

The shock spread in low murmurs. Luke had to face the truth he’d been avoiding. “I’m pretty sure I know who it is. I’ve only had problems with one person since my return.”

Zach patted the truck’s hood. “A certain someone who thinks you’re stealing his girl?”

They all looked at Zach in surprise. Not because Zach was saying something Luke hadn’t thought, but because he hadn’t realized anyone else knew.

Zach smirked. “I snooped around once they towed the truck in. It’s definitely been tampered with.”

“Dammit.” Jacob’s gaze darted between Luke and the vehicle. “How long have you known this?”

“I knew the truck had been messed with right away,” Luke said. He shook his head. “Mark and I had a few run-ins over Avery, but I never thought he was that vindictive.” Until Mark came to Avery’s house—that had been eye-opening. “Actually, I think I started suspecting him of something from the moment I stepped into the executive suite. He made me uneasy, but there was no reason to think it was anything more than that.”

But there was more. “While I was outside the bar last night, I overheard a conversation between Mark and someone who wanted money from him. Badly.”

Aiden asked the obvious. “What does that have to do with us congregating in Zach’s garage?”

“It got me thinking.” Luke paced a few steps. “The way he talked, it was obvious that he needed to raise cash, quickly. Whoever was on the other end of the line was more than unhappy. And it didn’t sound like the first time.”

He looked at Jacob. “One of the departments he oversees is accounting, right? He’s fought to keep an outdated computer system. How many people check those paper files?”

Jacob was catching on. “That antiquated system would be the perfect tool for embezzling money,” he mused. “Do you really think he’d do this? I mean, his family has money.”

“Were you friends with him in high school?” Zach asked.

“We call it that now,” Jacob answered, “but truthfully, we were rivals. Healthy competition for a lot of the same roles kept us motivated.”

Zach glanced at Luke, who shrugged. “I had no motivation.” And no guilt over never serving on student council.

Jacob threw out his former taunt. “Slacker.”

“That’s me,” Luke said with a grin. “I just drive round and round in a circle for a living.”

“It’s a good thing you do,” Zach said. “Otherwise, your ass would be grass. This probably wouldn’t even have been too big a problem for you, except you were on a road flanked by steep ditches.”

“Too bad you headed home instead of to Avery’s,” Jacob added.

“Nope. Probably for the best,” Luke contradicted. “I drive over two narrow bridges to get to her place.”

Zach winced. “Yeah, that would have been worse.”

“But do we know for sure it’s really sabotage?” Aiden asked.

Zach took them on a tour of Luke’s truck, showing them the difference between wear and deliberate damage.

Jacob looked puzzled. “Does he really hate you enough to seriously harm you?”

“I wouldn’t have thought so.” Luke glanced back under the hood, remembering his last conversation with Mark. “But I did threaten his job the last time I saw him.” He briefly explained what had happened.

Aiden’s expression darkened. “You were fully in the right. Avery didn’t deserve that.”

Zachary cleared his throat. “I hate to bring this up, but it’s part of my job to be suspicious.” He met gazes with each man in turn. “Based on everything we’ve talked about here, is anyone else worried about the mischief a high-ranking employee with unlimited access to financial accounts and a possible gambling problem can get into roaming around the mill?”

Luke stiffened as a lightbulb lit up in his brain. He could see the moment it happened to Jacob and Aiden, too. So he asked for all of them, “You think he might be involved with the sabotage of the mill, too?”

Zach held up his hands. “I’m saying he might have motive for more than just vehicle tampering.”

“But if the mill goes under, he’d lose his job, and the money,” Luke pointed out.

“Not if he has a new source of income from a rival mill,” Zach said. “They could pay him to do it, then offer him a higher position in their company once the competition is shut down.”

A chorus of male curses filled the garage.

After a minute Zach said, “We don’t know for sure. We need a way to find out.”

“At least there’s one easy place to look,” Jacob said. “His accounts at the office are our best chance of finding hard evidence of embezzlement…or anything else.” He shifted, obviously upset with the idea. “If it’s not on the system, we’re out of luck.”

“Guess I’ll volunteer to do some snooping,” Luke said. “I’ll go at night so few people will be around, but if they see me, I can just claim to be going over the accounts to acquaint myself with the business.”

But first he owed Avery a long-overdue confession.

FOURTEEN

“I
t’s okay, Cindy. I’ll close up when I’m done.”

Her office manager sent Avery a tired wave. After the long day they’d put in, she didn’t have to be told to leave twice. Today had been one of those days where everything that could go wrong, had. From surly patients to computer errors to missing records, it had all hit the fan today.

Avery wished more than anything she could just close her eyes and drift away for a while. Maybe she’d enjoy the facility’s whirlpool before going home. Her muscles throbbed their approval of the idea.

They ached from wanting other things, too. She’d been asleep this morning when Luke had headed out. He’d left a note that he’d see her tonight, but she’d heard nothing since.

Right now, she just wanted to relax. With the front doors locked, she shut everything else down. Grateful that she kept some clothes here, she started the tub with the water as hot as she could stand. Normally she would have put in bath salts, but she just wanted the jets tonight.

She’d just stripped down when her phone dinged. Glancing at it, she saw a text from Luke.

At the door. Brought dinner. Hungry?

She couldn’t resist. Only Luke ever tempted her to be sexy, fun Avery.

In more ways than one. Hope you brought an appetite.

She grabbed an oversize towel and headed through the dark building to the front doors. She turned the key in the lock, then opened the door for Luke. He must not have noticed her state of undress until he was completely in, because he stopped abruptly. “Avery?”

Without missing a beat, she relocked the door, then headed back the way she’d come. First she let the towel droop, revealing her bare back, almost to the dimples right above her butt. After another few yards, and she let the towel fall completely, trailing behind her from the corner still clutched in her hand. She heard Luke’s footsteps behind her, his sharp intake of breath, and knew he could see her pale skin in the gloom.

By the time he’d set down the food, she’d stepped into the swirling hot water of the tub. Kneeling, she let the water engulf her to the small of her back, then glanced over her shoulder at Luke. The way his gaze clung to her dampening skin was gratifying. Flattering. Desire clutched low in her body.

She heard the soft slip of clothes against skin as he undressed. Then the hiss of his breath as he stepped into the steamy water. Bubbles attacked her skin from all sides. Anticipation heated her up. Need clawed at her, forcing her to glance at him once more, the invitation clear.

He crowded in close. The heat from him and the water shot her to supernova status. His hardness tucked against her, fitting snugly into the crease of her backside. She pressed into him.

How could he make her feel so good? A simple touch, a look, and her confidence soared. Or maybe it was just her desires overwhelming her self-consciousness. It just felt good to feel free. To not be afraid of doing something stupid.

His heavy palms against her breasts left her reeling. Her nipples tightened, needing his touch. He played with them, sending sensation shooting through her. How would she ever live without his touch?

He knew just when to tease, just when to move. His whole body rolled against hers, skin to slick skin. As if no part of him could hold back.

Her body grew hypersensitive, feeling every droplet of sweat as it beaded, every tremble of her breasts and every forceful stroke of him inside her. His thrusts shortened, his groans dragging from his lungs as he drove them both higher. Finally on the brink, she felt his mouth cover the sensitive spot where her neck met her shoulder. He sucked hard, as if to devour every ounce of her he could reach.

One final drive and they exploded together. Their cries mingled in the steamy mist coating the room. Bodies milked every last twitch of sensation before collapsing into the water. Sated. Satisfied.

If she weren’t in a tub, Avery knew she’d slip right under the veil into sleep. In just a few minutes she’d get up and dry and dress. Just not yet. Not yet. But Luke was having none of it. All too soon, she was on her feet on the chilly tile floor.

As he rubbed her with a towel, she barely heard Luke’s voice above the sound of the draining water. Not enough to distinguish what he was saying. “What?” she asked, struggling to open her heavy eyelids.

Her first peek told her something was wrong. For the first time ever, she’d guess that Luke Blackstone was…nervous. This time when he spoke she heard him more clearly. “I’ve got a new race car sponsor.”

Did he say…
She twisted to see his face as he moved to her back. “A sponsor? So soon?”

“Yeah. Pretty amazing, huh?” A slight grin pulled at his lips. But what worried her was his hooded look. “And it’s a good one, too. A great one.”

“That’s wonderful.” Wasn’t it?

“The company is one of the biggest sponsors on the circuit right now,” he said, but he still wouldn’t look at her. “Their current driver is about to retire, and they want me to take his place.”

“So they’re willing to wait until you’re fully recovered?”

His lack of words and lack of expression didn’t bode well. If she hadn’t been this close to him, she wouldn’t have noticed the rapid beat of his pulse at the base of his throat. Nerves? Or simply the aftermath of what they’d just done together?

Avery, herself, was quickly cooling down—in a very uncomfortable way.

“Actually,” he finally said, clearly and unnaturally calmly, “they want me back for next season.”

“And you told them they had to wait, right?” Avery wasn’t even sure why she asked. She knew from Luke’s previous remarks she was fighting a losing battle.

“No. I didn’t.”

Without warning, he snagged a towel from the counter and wrapped it around himself, almost as if girding for battle, leaving her open, vulnerable.

Needing something to do, anything that didn’t involve waiting for him to return to her, she set the tub to drain. Though he wasn’t looking in her direction, her self-consciousness had already returned full force. She too rushed for a towel, stumbling a bit as she moved.

Luckily, she regained her feet and got herself covered without incident. Landing flat on her face, naked, would have been the ultimate humiliation—especially when she needed him to listen to her. She hadn’t managed to get through to him before. Would she be able to now?

“Luke, that’s really not what’s best for you, for your body. It takes time for these things to not only heal, but for you to regain strength.”

“I’m already getting around fine. No cane.” He whipped around to face her. How could a man look so intimidating with only a towel on, his long blond hair sexily disheveled? “I’m back on my feet when they thought I might never be. If I continue strength training, I’ll be just fine.”

“Will you? I explained what happened after the accident the other night. The stress that type of incident puts on your body can be tremendous. The risks when it’s happening on the track are so high. Please don’t—” She choked herself off.

Begging him to stay here, not to go, would have nothing to do with risks and everything to do with herself. But personal desires couldn’t have anything to do with her argument right now.

He braced his legs, as if taking a stand. Against her.

“Am I well enough to go back out on the track?”

Oh, she didn’t want to do this. “Yes, but if something happens—”

“I’m well enough to do my job. That’s what matters.”

Stubborn man. “But a wreck on the track could do irreparable damage because you haven’t built up enough resistance. You know all too well how dangerous your job can be.”

His cold stare told her she’d crossed a line. “Is that really your argument or is this about something else?”

Avery jerked back as if he’d slapped her. “What?”

“Are you sure this isn’t about you and me? Is it that you want me to stay, and this is the only argument you can think of to keep me here?”

Oh, she’d thought his insinuation had hurt. This was a whole other level. She fell back on her professional persona, simply dropping the towel and pulling her scrubs back over her damp, naked body. Only when she was covered and her hair was smoothed back did she ask, “Are you seriously questioning whether I’m letting my personal feelings sway my judgment?” If it was one thing she’d always prided herself on, it was that her evaluation of Luke had been first and foremost professional. Always. She could feel her own anger rise. “Would you rather I just tell you to stop being a stubborn jackass and listen to reason?”

“That’s exactly what I’m asking. I mean, you’ve been waiting for this for an awfully long time. Maybe you can’t bear to see it end. Will there be another excuse coming down the line after this one?”

“I don’t want you to go.” She swallowed. Keeping her emotions under control was so much harder than she’d imagined. “I’ll be the first to acknowledge I’ve developed feelings for you…deep feelings. But I’ve always known you would leave, Luke. Always.” Which was why she’d never verbalized those feelings.

He stood there like a mountain, arms crossed over that magnificent chest. Not giving an inch.

“But my professional opinion is just that—professional. My recommendations were backed up by your former physical therapist and your physician before we ever became involved. I would never mix that in with my—” she took a deep breath “—personal feelings for you.”

She let the words hang in the air, hoping he would at least acknowledge the truth of what she was saying, but he didn’t.

And that was something she couldn’t live with.

“If you truly think my evaluation of you, my recommendation for your career, is based on a selfish need to keep me with you, some obsessive desire to fulfill a childhood crush—” man, was that humiliating “—then I think it’s time you left.”

Without waiting for his nonresponse, she swept by and stalked to her office, locking herself inside before she collapsed against the door. Silent tears trickled down her cheeks. Only after she heard him open the front doors and leave did she give in to the storm inside her.

She’d be strong later. She’d clean the tub, lock the doors and return to her empty house, just like she had every night before Luke had come back into her life. Later.

For now, she could only let the pain sweep her away from the knowledge that once again, someone would leave her behind.

* * *

Man, I am such a jackass.

Luke had always prided himself on being kind and friendly. He rarely had conflict with anyone. When he did, he’d just as soon avoid it by disappearing onto the track than provoking major fights like his brother Aiden sometimes did. Luke was a fan of letting things work themselves out.

Sure, he occasionally said things that rubbed people the wrong way. Not out of any desire to be mean, just from letting something slip that would have been better left unsaid. Just like a few nights ago with Avery. He’d known the minute he’d started talking about feelings he was gonna screw up. And sure enough, he’d dug a hole so deep he’d been stumped as to how to get himself out of it.

Now he had to figure out how to salvage the one thing that had touched him like nothing but his racing ever had. But should he? Was it fair to win her back, patch things up, then turn around and leave her behind so he could pursue his dream?

He didn’t know. Pacing back and forth in his suite at Blackstone Manor had only made his leg ache, reminding him of Avery all the more. He couldn’t stop thinking about his truck, either. There were too many reasons to suspect Mark had tampered with it, regardless of whether his intentions were deadly or not. Then Zach had texted him:

Found multiple log-ins from Mark’s work computer to the inventory system. Only accessible by management. Possible link to sabotage.

So instead of sleeping, wrapped around Avery’s warm, silky body tonight, he was poking through Mark’s computer at the mill. What else was he going to do at two o’clock in the morning?

Not to mention, he had no idea if the guy might strike again. And Luke wasn’t losing his life over some agenda he didn’t even understand. Tonight was the best night, because the plant was shut down for maintenance that would begin in the morning.

It didn’t take long. After an hour of snooping, Luke had enough evidence to confirm some of his suspicions…and awaken even more. Mark didn’t know nearly enough about computers to hide what he’d been doing, or maybe he’d thought he didn’t need to. The combination of a dated system and paper files had allowed him to move money without anyone noticing. The withdrawals from various company funds into a secondary account that Mark then transferred to a miscellaneous account at another bank appeared genuine enough, until someone searched for the documentation and receipts.

The deposits had grown in frequency and amount over the past few years. Since his work performance had been fine, Luke didn’t think it was drugs or drinking. Gambling was still his best guess.

If Mark was unstable or desperate, he could hurt a lot of people by sabotaging the mill, even if he simply intended to destroy property. Just like the goons he’d probably hired had done to Aiden’s studio.

Luke copied what he could into his online backup storage before shutting the system down. Rubbing his eyes, he blinked at the clock. Three-thirty in the morning. Maybe now he could sleep without aching for Avery by his side, her measured breath a soothing rhythm beneath the palm of his hand. First thing tomorrow, he’d meet with Jacob, Aiden and Zach.

Firing this guy outright wasn’t the solution. They had to be very careful to get all the information they needed before confronting Mark.

Closing down the office, he headed for the stairwell. The accounting department was on the third floor, so Luke decided to exit via the stairs. After sitting so long, moving felt good. As he passed the door for level two, he heard a truck engine rev.

Knowing there wasn’t supposed to be any activity tonight, Luke paused. The administrative offices sat over a two-story loading dock, where they shipped out the finished products.

Were they prepping some last-minute deliveries? That didn’t make sense, because the whole plant closed down over maintenance weekend. Maybe it was just his heightened suspicions after everything he’d read tonight, but Luke knew he wouldn’t sleep unless he checked it out.