Blood in the Marsh (33 page)

She turned to look at Michael, just then realizing that he was wearing only a pair of loose cotton pants. Curly brown hair covered his big chest, trailing down his muscular abdomen to disappear into the drawstring waist of his pants. His arms were big and muscular and his skin looked tanned. She let her eyes wander over him, unaware of how long it took.

When she looked up, she saw him watching her. “Sorry. Just haven’t ever seen you like this.”

“Would it make you more comfortable if I put on a shirt?”

She shook her head and the action make the room swim. “No, I like…I mean—well…I think you look good without a shirt.”

He didn’t reply as her eyes moved over him again. Lyra didn’t know how to handle what was going on inside her. She was sick at the thought that she had even thought she cared about Nick, that he was someone she could trust. How could she have worried about him finding out that she loved Michael? Nick wasn’t someone who had real emotions, so why had she been so concerned with his feelings.

“Lyra?”

Michael’s voice drew her attention, making her aware she was staring at him again. She looked up at him and blushed. “Sorry, I’m doing it again, aren’t I?”

“Yeah.” He nodded. “Listen why don’t you let me help you upstairs so you can get some sleep.”

“Okay,” she agreed. “After one more drink.”

Before he could stop her, she picked up the bottle and turned it up to her mouth. Gulping down several swallows, she gasped for air and tried to set the bottle down. She missed the table and it dropped to the floor.

“Oops!” She reached for it, but succeeded only in toppling off the couch into the floor.

Michael helped her up. “Come on. I think you’ve had enough.”

He took her arm and started across the room. She swayed and stumbled and he caught her, swinging her up in his arms. Lyra put her arms around his neck as he carried her up the stairs, feeling safe in his strong arms.

He took her to her room and put her on the bed. “Got to get undressed,” she mumbled and tried to stand and pull her shirt off.

She fell again and he just managed to catch her before she hit the floor. “Here, I’ll help you.”

She crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head at first, then laughed. “Well, why not? It’s not like you haven’t seen me, is it?”

Michael didn’t say anything as he pulled her shirt over her head. Lyra wobbled as she unfastened her jeans and he steadied her. She slid them down then fell back on the bed and he pulled them off. She looked up, saw him looking down at her, and suddenly felt very warm and tingling.

“Don’t you want to get under the covers?”

Lyra didn’t hear him. She was too busy looking at him and wondering how it would feel to be pressed up against him.

“Lyra?”

She pushed herself up and reached out, but stopped short of touching him and drew her hand back, touching her fingertips to her lips. Hesitantly she reached out again and timidly touched him, running her fingertips across the muscles of his abdomen.

Michael took her hand in his and she looked up at him. “Michael? I don’t want to be a virgin anymore.”

He sat down beside her. “Lyra, this isn’t a decision you make when you’re drunk or scared. It’s something—

“That you obviously find distasteful! What’s wrong with me?” she asked with tears springing into her eyes. “Am I so undesirable that men can’t stand the thought of touching me?”

Michael sighed and took her hand. “No. Not at all. You’re very desirable.”

“But you don’t want me,” she said, looking away.

“That’s not true,” he said. “It’s just that…”

She looked up and he stopped in midsentence. She moved his hand to her face and held it cupped against her cheek. “Will you kiss me?”

Michael groaned and closed his eyes for a moment. She put her hand behind his head and pulled his face to hers. “Please.”

Their lips met and his arms encircled her. Lyra’s breath caught in her throat as he pressed against her and she clung to him. Michael pulled away and looked down into her eyes. She ran her hand across his chest then kissed his neck softly, working down to his chest.

He pushed her back against the pillows and knelt over her, kissing her deeply. She sighed as his lips moved to her neck. He moved lower and she tensed slightly. Pausing, he looked up at her. She nodded and he lowered his mouth to her breast.

Lyra felt a surge of heat steal over her as his tongue circled her nipple. She arched against him as his mouth closed on her breast and her fingers tangled in his hair. He was gentle and easy, taking his time as his mouth worked its way down her body.

When he reached the apex of her thighs, she tensed again. He pulled her underwear off and gently spread her legs, licking at the inside of her thighs. She moaned as his tongue touched her, feeling a sudden electric sensation course through her.

She had never felt such intense sensations as his mouth was creating and it made her want to feel more. Disappointment flared as he moved back up, gently licking at her breasts.

He kissed her and she ran her hands down his body. She hesitated as she reached his groin, then her hand closed around him through the thin cotton material. “Please,” she whispered. “Make love to me, Michael. Teach me how.”

A sound like a moan came from his throat as he lowered his lips to hers.

Chapter Eleven

Tuesday— Sea Island

Lyra was up before dawn. Her head pounded from the aftereffects of the alcohol and she felt a little queasy. Going downstairs, she was surprised to find Chelsey sitting at the kitchen table. “Chels? You okay? Why’re you up so early?”

“Couldn’t sleep.”

Lyra fixed a pot of coffee and sat down. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

Chelsey looked over at her. “Lyra, do you have something going with Michael?”

Lyra’s eyes widened. She started to lie but Lucius’ words came back to her and she changed her mind. Maybe it’s better. This way Chelsey won’t be in any danger anymore.

She looked away and sighed. “Chelsey, I want to explain…”

Chelsey jumped up in shock. “My god! I didn’t think it could really be possible when I asked. I just knew you were going to reassure me that it was just my imagination. But it’s true! Lyra, how could you? I thought you were my best friend! And what about Nick? Yeah, what about him? Isn’t one man enough for you or are you suddenly some sex fiend now that you’ve gotten a taste of it and one man isn’t enough for you?”

“Chelsey just let me explain.”

“Explain? Spare me the details!” Chelsey shouted. “You really had me fooled, Lyra. All But you’re just like everyone else. Out for number one. Well, fine. You want both of them, you can have them. Just do me a favor, okay? Stay the hell away from me from now on!”

“Chelsey, wait!” Lyra ran after her as she started up the stairs. “If you’ll just give me a chance…”

Chelsey whirled around and slapped her. “Give you a chance? To what? Make me look like an even bigger fool? Just leave me alone, Lyra. I don’t want to see you or talk to you. I just want you to get the hell away from me!”

She ran into her room and slammed the door. Lyra followed her to find her throwing things into a suitcase. “Chels, you can’t leave!”

“Can’t I?” Chelsey screamed. “Watch me!”

“But you won’t be safe!”

Chelsey laughed. “Get off it, Lyra. We all know you’re the one they’re after and as far as I’m concerned they can have you! Now get the hell out of my way!”

Michael ran into the room. “What’s going on?”

“Ask your little playmate!” Chelsey shouted.

“What’s all the screaming?” Nick asked as he walked in.

Chelsey grabbed her suitcase and faced them. “Why don’t you ask little Miss Perfect? Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have places to go.”

She brushed passed them. Michael gave Lyra a puzzled look and ran after Chelsey while Nick walked over to Lyra. “You want to tell me what that was all about?”

She turned away from him. “Chelsey’s got the idea that I have something going with Michael and she’s mad.”

Nick frowned and took her arm, turning her around. “And?”

And here was her chance. Tell the truth and get it all out in the open. She started to do just that, but as she opened her mouth to speak, she realized that it tmight be a mistake. Nick was the enemy and she had to treat him as such. And tell him only as much as she had to.

“ I let her believe what she wanted to,” Lyra said. “Right now she hates me and that makes her safe, so it’s best this way.”

“You’re going to let her believe it because you think you can protect her that way? Lyra, that’s crazy! I’ll go stop her and tell her myself.”

“No!” She grabbed his arm. “If you do I’ll tell her it’s true. I’ll say I slept with him. Then she’ll never believe you.”

“Then I’ll get Michael to tell her the truth.”

“She won’t believe him either. She’ll believe me.”

Nick cursed and sat down on the bed. “Damn! This is one stupid idea.”

“Well, we’re not all secret agents so we don’t all play by your rules, Nick. And it’s not stupid. You know that Leo doesn’t want Chelsey. At best all he’ll do is try to get her to talk and she’ll be happy to do that right now, as mad as she is. So she’s safer now than she was. Besides, I kind of resent the fact that you find it so damn easy to think that no other man would possibly want to have anything to do with me. If I’m such a pariah, then what do you want with me?”

Nick stood up and put his hands on her shoulders. “Lyra, I didn’t mean anything like that. I love you, you know that.”

“So you say. Whatever, that’s not even important right now, is it?”

“It is to me.”

“You know what I mean.”

“Yeah, I do, and luckily I have a plan, but I’m going to need your understanding and trust for it to work.”

That’ll be a cold day in hell, she thought, but made herself respond enthusiastically. “Really, what?

“Come on, let’s go find Michael and I’ll tell you both all about it.”

They went downstairs and found Michael sitting alone in the den. “She wouldn’t even speak to me. What’s with her??”

Lyra’s eyes darted from him to Nick and she opened her mouth to answer, but Nick cut her off. “Lyra made Chelsey believe that you and she had something going so she’d get pissed off and leave. Lyra thinks that as long as Chelsey hates her, she’ll be safe.”

Michael looked at Lyra and she looked down for a second. “Leo won’t do anything to her. He has no reason to. And he won’t have to try to make her talk about me. The way she feels right now she’ll be glad to. Besides, Nick says he has a plan he’s going to tell us about.”

Her last statement took the attention off her and put it on Nick. Michael looked over at him. “I’m listening.”

Nick sat down on the couch with Michael and Lyra sat down across from them. “We’re going to trap Leo using you and Lyra as bait.”

“Me?” Michael looked at him as if he was crazy.

Nick nodded. “See, not only does he need Lyra, but he needs another body. That’s where you come in.”

“And just how do you propose to use us?” Michael asked, putting special emphasis on the word ‘use’.

Nick smiled. “Easy, I’ll set myself up as just another money-grubbing little worm who’s out to make a score and offer to trade you and Lyra for a couple of thousand dollars.”

“A couple of thousand?” Lyra asked, thinking that when she overheard him talking to Leo his price had been far more than a couple of thousand.

“Sure.” Nick smiled. “Ten, fifteen thousand. As desperate as Leo is to get his hands on you, he’ll go for it. Throwing Michael in will be a little bonus.”

Michael leaned back and stared at him. “You still haven’t explained how you’re going to trap him.”

Nick smiled. “Just leave that to me, old buddy. I’ve got it all worked out.”

“And just when is this going to go down?”

“In a few days,” Nick replied.

Lyra made no comment and Nick looked over at her. “You’re awfully quiet. No comments?”

She shook her head. “I think I’m going to go take a shower. You leaving or what?”

“I have a couple of things to take care of. I’ll be back in a couple of hours.”

She nodded and looked at Michael. “How about you?”

“I don’t have to leave ‘til later.”

“Okay.” She stood up and walked to the door.

Nick watched her leave then looked at Michael. “Does she seem different to you?”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m not sure. She just seems different.”

Michael shrugged and made no comment.

“Well,” Nick checked his watch, “I’m outta here. See you later.”

Michael nodded and watched him leave. He felt bad about Chelsey being so upset, but was also a little relieved that she had left. Maybe Lyra’s right. She won’t be as much of a target if everyone thinks she and Lyra aren’t friends anymore.

He shook his head and stood up to fix a cup of coffee. If he were honest with himself, he would admit that his relief didn’t stem from the feeling that Chelsey would be safer; he was relieved because now he would not have to try to deal with her and her feelings while trying to hide his own.

Taking his coffee into the den he sat down on the couch and propped his feet up on the coffee table. Closing his eyes, he leaned back and sighed. He had never expected what had happened last night and he still didn’t know exactly how to deal with it. In his mind, he saw the events take place all over again.

When he opened his eyes, he saw Lyra standing in the doorway watching him. He didn’t speak but held out his hand. She walked across the room and took it in hers, sitting down beside him.

“I think we need to talk,” he said softly.

She looked down and blushed slightly. “I’m not sure I want to.”

“Lyra, I need to know. Are you really in love with me?”

After a moment, she looked up. “Yes.”

“And last night?”

“Last night was…well it was life-changing for me. I didn’t think I’d ever feel the things you made me feel last night and it was…well, it was beyond what I had imagined. I don’t know if I can ever feel that again, or if I could feel it with someone else, but I suspect I couldn’t. I think you’re it for me, Michael. And not just because of what happened in bed or even at Lexi’s.”

“At Lexi’sI’m not sure I understand what you’re talking about.”

She looked away for a moment, trying to decide if she wanted to tell him what she had seen and heard at Lexi’s house. “Michael, something happened last night. I think you deserve to know the truth, but I’m not sure how you’ll take it.”

“I know something happened,” he said softly. “And I don’t want you to think I’m trying to push you into—”

Lyra put her fingers over his lips.

“Michael,” she started hesitantly. “I don’t really know how to say this, so I’m going to spit it out. Last night I saw Lucius and he told me some things, things I haven’t told anyone. Anyway, I left and ran to Lexi’s. I planned to snoop around to see what I could find out about Leo, but when I got there, Nick and Leo were in the den. I snuck into the study and listened to them and I heard Nick telling Leo that he was willing to turn me over to him for a price.”

“But Nick told us that same thing this morning. That’s his plan, to make Leo think he’s going to trade us for money.”

“But he told us he was going to ask Leo for a couple of thousand,” she reminded him. “I heard him tell Leo he wanted twenty million. And in exchange he’d make sure I was untouched and that he got your body as a bonus.”

Michael stared at her for a moment then shook his head. “Lyra, you must have misunderstood.”

“No, I didn’t.”

“And so what are you trying to say here?”

Lyra frowned and looked away for a few moments. “Michael, isn’t it just possible that we’re the ones getting led into a trap?” She looked over and met his eyes. “What if Nick really does intend on selling us to Leo? Twenty million dollars is a lot of money.”

Michael shook his head firmly. “No. Nick would never do that.”

“Are you willing to bet your life on it?”

“From your tone of voice I can tell that you’re not.”

“I don’t know anymore, Michael. I just know that I have to make damn sure that whatever happens, Leo is not able to make the transference. And that means that I need to talk to May-May Carter again. Will you go with me?”

He didn’t answer for a moment then he nodded. “Okay, if that’s what you want. But you still haven’t told me about this dream or vision or whatever it was you had about Lucius. What did he tell you?”

She heard Lucius’ voice inside her mind and looked away. “He said for me to follow my instincts; and right now those instincts tell me that I have to see May-May. So, can we go now?”

He shrugged and stood up. “Okay.”

They went to the garage and got in the car. Just before he started the engine, Michael leaned over and kissed her gently. She smiled and touched his face. “What was that for?”

“Just for being you,” he replied as he started the car. “Now where to?”

That Same Morning

Michael stopped the car in front of May-May’s house and turned off the engine. “Should I wait here?”

“No,” Lyra said as she opened her door. “Come with me. I want you to meet her.”

They walked to the front door and knocked on it. A few moments passed before May-May answered. She smiled at Lyra and gave Michael a curious look. He smiled and she stared at him for a long time then pushed open the screen.

“Come on in the house. I’ve got coffee and fresh bread in the kitchen.”

Lyra walked in and hugged May-May tightly then looked at Michael. “May-May, this is Michael Santera. He’s a very good friend. Someone I trust very much. Michael, this is Mrs. May-May Carter.”

“A pleasure to meet you,” Michael said politely.

May-May gave him a curious look then smiled. “Same to you, Michael. Now come on in the kitchen and we’ll talk.”

They followed her into the kitchen and she poured them all coffee then put a fresh loaf of bread and a jar of homemade jam on the table. Lyra cut herself a slice of bread and spooned the thick jam on top of it.

“Ummm,” she murmured as she took a bite. “This is wonderful! Michael, try this.”

She held it out to him and he shook his head. “Come on, just one bite,” she urged.