Erotic Deception (13 page)

Oh groovy. He’s concerned about my person. What did I expect? An avowal of love?

“Plus,” Jet injected a lighter tone. “By your staying here a few more weeks I’ll see how effective your expert Rhythm Method is.”

Lily closed her eyes, feeling very tired. “Jet, I’m not pregnant.”

“Time will tell.”

“Yes, it will,” she sighed. “Anyway, I’m driving to St. Louis tomorrow.

That wiped his expression clean. “St. Louis?”

“I need to kill some time until Fred calls and since you suggested I consider other places to live,” she shrugged, “I’m going to take your advice and check into St. Louis.”

“Why not relax for a while?” Jet swiped a hand around his neck. “You said it yourself earlier, the threat here has been alleviated. It wouldn’t hurt for you to take a few days to enjoy your stay in Windom Hills. There’s a lot to do around here with the flea markets and hidden caves in the hillsides.”

Was that disappointment Lily detected in Jet’s voice?

“I’ll experience a lot of it on my drive to St. Louis,” she pointed out

A mask slipped over his face. “If that’s what you want to do,” he said and reached into his pockets, pulling out his keys. “I have to go,” he took a few steps backward before turning down the same path Mark had just traversed. He tossed over his shoulder, “Call if you need anything.”

Lily’s gaze trailed after Jet in disenchantment.
If wishes were horses…

Chapter Eight

Lily was on the balcony when her cell rang.

“What are you wearing?” Mark asked seedily.

She smiled. This past week, Mark had stopped by on several occasions to check on her. At first, Lily had been wary over his intentions, until she learned about his interest in a Windom Hills high school counselor.

“A sweat soaked tank top and baggy frayed denims.”

“Yeow, that kills the fantasy. Think you can clean up enough to go out?”

“Go out?” she asked still smiling, but her interest was piqued.

“Why not? I thought you could use a taste of Windom Hills nightlife.”

Lily chuckled guessing his invitation stemmed from another turndown from Liza.

“Playing hard to get, is she?”

“Yep, and I’m not waiting around for her. What do you say? Want to join me in a wild and crazy night?”

“Define wild and crazy,” her response was dry.

“You mean you will?” Mark sounded incredulous.

“It depends on what you have in mind,” she hedged.

“Only some drinking, dancing, playing a little pool, getting naked, you know,” he teased, “the usual things people do on a Saturday night.”

Lily squinted at the lake from behind her sunglasses. It would be nice to do something besides wait for Fred to call and mope about Jet, of course.

Her trip to St. Louis a week ago had left her with no desire to go back, let alone live there. Upon her return, discovering Jet had left town for a few days had also been anticlimactic. The time with Mark had lifted her out of her lethargy.

“If I can keep my clothes on, the rest sounds interesting,” she told him.

“Spoiled sport,” he replied, but she could tell he was grinning. “How about I pick you up at eight o’clock?” he offered.

“This isn’t a date, Cowboy. Why don’t I meet you there instead? That way if a certain female wanders in, you won’t have to worry about taking me home.”

After only a minor protest, Mark made she sure she knew the name and location of the bar before hanging up.

Lily finished dressing and added the final touch of dangling earrings when she suddenly felt faint. Wow, she must’ve spent too much time in the sun. Either that or she was PMSing. Her hand stilled on the earring back. Actually, that should’ve already happened.
Strange.
She’d always been regular. Of course, nothing had been normal lately.

Around eight-thirty, she pulled into the parking lot of The Big Rock Hangout spelled out in large crooked letters across the building. She smiled at the modern replica of an old time saloon.

The suspended swinging doors gave entrance to the main bar and cozy dim lighting. Several patrons were crowded around the small square tables and guffaws of laughter competed with the country music stemming from a jukebox in the corner.

Mark said he’d be playing pool and Lily followed through to an adjoining room where several billiard tables sat staggered around. She was glad to see the dress code ranged anywhere from cowboy boots to trendy fashion.

Case in point, Mark sat beside an attractive auburn-haired woman wearing white slacks and matching vest. The infamous Liza? A tall, distinguished blonde man stood beside her clad similar to Mark in a chambray shirt, jeans, and cowboy boots.

Mark let out a long whistle at Lily. “My very own Rhinestone Cowgirl.”

She made a face at him. “I’m not your anything,” she responded wryly.

Lily had left her hair down to fall around her shoulders. She’d chosen fitted light blue denim jeans with matching jacket sprinkled with Rhinestones down the front. Casual, but cute. Black stiletto boots with steel-toed points was a little on the dressy side, but the white-silk cami was her only true concession to city life. It exposed a flirty glimpse of her flat waist and a solitary diamond in her navel piercing. Maybe a little over the top, but what they heck. She’d needed to replace her slump with a burst of femininity.

Mark rose and motioned for her to sit.

“You are a vision,” he whispered.

She dimpled. “Thank you.”

After seating Lily beside the other woman, Mark made the introductions.

“This is Don Black, the owner of this fine establishment and his wife, Cheryl who is also Jet’s sister.”

Mark told her Jet’s sister was the nurse on duty when he’d gone to the hospital the night of the infamous accident.

“Hello,” she responded cautiously, unsure of her reception.

“You made quite a name for yourself in this town with that accident,” Cheryl volunteered, but without an ounce of censure. “I hope you weren’t hurt.”

“No,” Lily shook her head and then grimaced in remorse. “Too bad I can’t say the same about your brother.”

Cheryl waved it away. “He only needed a few stitches,” she reassured warmly.

“Cheryl’s been stitching Jet up for years,” Don interjected. “You should’ve seen him split his head open on his first Big Wheel. That’s when Cheryl decided to be a nurse.”

Lily smiled in gratitude at their obvious attempt to put her at ease.

“Would you like a drink?” Mark asked and after her request for wine, he sauntered off to the bar.

“Have you and Mark been seeing a lot of each other?” Cheryl asked and when Lily’s eyes grew wide, Cheryl chuckled. “I don’t mean to be nosy, but we’re one big family around here. We have a tendency to stick our noses into other people’s business.”

Her self-deprecation charmed Lily out of taking offense at the intrusion.

“Actually, Mark and I are just friends,” Lily said. Then, to clarify any future rumors, “I’m not looking to get involved right now and I believe Mark might have an interest elsewhere.”

“Cheryl does like to dabble in matchmaking,” Don said with an indulgent look at his wife. “But you’re right,” he endorsed his support to squelch gossip, “Mark does have an eye on someone who works at our school.”

“Liza?” Cheryl asked, taken aback. “When did that happen?”

Lily almost laughed aloud. Obviously, Jet’s sister was used to being in the know of things.

Since the bar wasn’t that crowded, Mark was back in record time with Lily’s drink.

“Do you know how to play pool?” Mark asked Lily.

She smiled ruefully. “Kinda-sorta.”

“Great.” He looked over at Cheryl and Don. “How about a foursome?”

“I’m in,” Don replied.

“I’m not very good,” Cheryl said.

Lily laughed. “Wait until you see me.”

“So what type of work do you do?” Don asked while Mark readied the pool table for their first game.

“I’m a psychologist,” she answered.

“Oh, one of those,” Cheryl teased.

“I wouldn’t try analyzing too many people around here,” Don joked. “You may end up with more patients than you can handle.”

“Yo, Cheryl,” someone called.

They all glanced over and Lily recognized the bartender as he approached their table.

“There’s a phone call for you. Don, I need more beer, can you get it?”

“Sure can,” Don said. “Mark, I hate to leave Lily alone here, but I’ll need help with those kegs.”

“Don’t worry,” Lily assured. “I’m a big girl.” She pointed to the cue sticks hanging on the wall. “I’ll pick out one of those wooden shooty-things.”

Mark set the cue stick he’d been holding down on the pool table. “Why do I get the feeling you’re going to beat the pants off of us?”

“What is it with you and removing your clothes all the time?” Lily asked in mock rebuke.

Mark chuckled and followed Don toward the front of the room.

Meanwhile, Lily got up to choose her selection. She was reaching up to grab one of the shorter sticks when a hand slid around her waist.

She froze and before she could react, a wonderfully deep voice spoke into her ear.

“I have come to the conclusion Dr. Delaney that you and I are like the conversation between the Sadist and the Masochist. Ever heard it?”

Jet’s touch ignited the very core of her nerve endings as if designed just for him.

“The Sadist and Masochist?” she stammered.

“The Masochist begs the Sadist, ‘Beat me.’ The Sadist answers, ‘No.’”

Lily swallowed and regained the use of her brain cells.

“Who’s the Masochist and who’s the Sadist?”

“That’s a puzzle I’m still working on, but the actors are definitely us.” He thumbed over the jewel in her bellybutton and dropped his voice to a whisper. “Did you miss me?”

Lily closed her eyes. He was right. They’re both crazy and she was the glutton for his punishment.

He let her pull away and Lily got her first look at him in two weeks.

Tonight he was dressed in black denims and an open white dress shirt with a black t-shirt beneath. She expected cowboy boots, but instead found stylish brown leather loafers with no socks. She scowled. There should be a law against him.

“Were you gone?” she asked, walking over for her drink.

She hated that her hand was unsteady when she drank from the wine. She was all too conscious of him watching her with those sweet baby blues.

“Was there something you needed to tell me?”

Her brows creased in confusion. “Tell you?”

“Like, if the rabbit died? Or if any little eggs got hatched?” he asked.

The supposed threat of a pregnancy
.

“Don’t worry, Sheriff. You won’t have any little knees climbing on your lap saying, Mommy’s seeing things again,’” she said bitterly.

A myriad of emotions crossed his face before settling on relief.

“That’s one less thing to worry about,” he murmured. Then he asked, “Are you barhopping alone?”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m not barhopping. Mark asked me to meet him here.”

His eyes glowered. “Is that right?” he said softly. “Are you dating my deputy?”

As if he’d care. “No, he took pity on me.”

“It was good of him to sacrifice his time,” he mocked, perusing her sparkling attire. He lingered on her waist. “Nice jewelry.”

The man was way too disturbing and Lily needed to take control.

“I heard you went out of town, where did you go?”

He smirked, aware of what she was doing. “To visit friends.”

Jealousy was quick and fierce and caught Lily off guard.

“That’s an informative answer,” she said.

“It was an informative visit,” he replied pretending ignorance to her sarcasm. “How about you? Did you like St. Louis?”

Great. He won’t answer my questions, but he wants me to answer his.

“What’s that old saying?” she responded carelessly. “A nice place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there?”

“Good,” he replied and took the glass from her hand.

Oxygen constricted her lungs when he raised the glass and touched it to his lips. His gaze held hers captive while he took a sip of the wine and for the life of her, Lily couldn’t look away.

He returned the glass to her and subsequently freed Lily from the contact. With fingers suddenly gone limp, she replaced the glass to the sturdy surface of the table.

The corners of his eyes crinkled and it was apparent the rascal knew the exact affect he was having on her.

Her mood darkened. “Stop playing with me.”

“Is that what I’m doing?”

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear for equilibrium and caught sight of Mark, Cheryl, and Don returning. There was also another woman with them. A stunning one.