Lexie (21 page)

Lexie smiled. “You think you’d be invited?”

Damn, one smile and he could feel his body revving back up.

Deliberately, he rolled his hips. “You’re not going to shake me that easily.”

“Mmmm.” Her eyelids fluttered closed. “I don’t think I am.” When she opened her eyes again, though, the sweet smile left her face. “I don’t know if Roxie would even offer to let me stay anymore.”

Cam fought back the grumble that threatened to rise from his chest. He didn’t want to defend the evil twin. Not now. “She was just upset this morning.”

“She’s not used to the Underhills.”

And, unfortunately, Lexie was. Cam felt his frustration building. He’d wanted to lock out the outside world, but it was forcing its way back in.

“Thank you for being nice to her,” she whispered. Little lines of stress appeared between her eyes, wiping away the peaceful contentment that had been there only moments before. “It meant a lot to me. I know you two don’t get along.”

“That was basic humanity.”

“It was still nice.” She ran her fingers through his hair. “Will you take me to The Ruckus? I need to talk to her.”

He’d do almost anything for her, but that? “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”

“She didn’t mean to hurt me. She couldn’t. Not as much as they did.”

They
. If he could have gotten his hands on the Underhills right now, he would have strangled the lot of them.

He stroked his hand down her side and settled it over her hipbone. “Don’t make the same mistake twice,” he warned. “Don’t put too much faith in this newfound twin of yours.”

Her eyes darkened. “She’s not them.”

No, she wasn’t. Roxie was a different kind of trouble entirely.

Cam swore underneath his breath. He hadn’t wanted to drop this on her, but he didn’t see any way to avoid it. “Baby, she’s already put calls out to the news magazines and tabloids, wanting to sell her story.”

Beneath him, Lexie went still. “She’s what?”

“I told you, I’ve got resources looking into things. You just caught me talking with one.” He hadn’t put a stop on the background check, and he wasn’t especially happy with what his people were digging up.

Lexie struggled to sit up. “Now we
have
to talk with her.”

“Yeah, we do.” He eased his weight off her. She was right. It was better to nip this in the bud. “We’ll go get your car tonight and see if we can talk some sense into her. You don’t want reporters dogging your every step. They’re relentless and they’ll rip your life apart looking for secrets, imagined or real.”

She was already looking around for clothes. “Let’s go now.”

“Sweetheart, the bar isn’t open yet.”

“But I got inside the other day.”

“You think Roxie will let you in today?”

His shirt dropped back onto the floor.

Sighing, Cam caught her hand and pulled her back to him. “Let’s just take the day. You need to refresh and regroup—and I’m determined to get some food into you.”

Her gaze lifted. “But we’ll go?”

“I promise. Hell, what good’s a ruckus if you can’t raise one there?”

Chapter Twelve

Things were rocking at The Ruckus when they arrived. Even from as far away as they’d had to park, Lexie could hear the beat of the music that was playing inside. The bass traveled through the airwaves and echoed inside her chest. She looked around at all the pickups and motorcycles that circled the place. As a marketer, she was impressed by the business that one billboard was bringing in.

Then again, maybe it had been the twin action atop the bar that people were talking about.

She kept her eyes straight forward. There would be none of that tonight.

A Harley approached, and the roar of its engine drowned out the low thumping. The rumble seemed to throb through the pavement, and Cam’s hand settled low on her back. He made an almost imperceptible move to put himself between her and the street.

“I’m fine,” she murmured. They passed the stoop that led to Roxie’s apartment. The third-floor windows were dark, yet neon beer signs glowed up ahead. The bar was much more intimidating at night. She worried that Roxie might be too. Her twin hadn’t been happy when she’d left, and she’d had all day long to stew over things.

Cam opened the door to the bar, and the music rolled out. Lexie glanced inside but couldn’t see around the corner.

“There she is.” Skeeter hopped off the barstool he kept by the door. Before she could stop him, he enveloped her in a monster hug. “I was wondering if you’d drop by tonight. Feeling better?”

Lexie winced when she realized this man had seen her at her worst. Drawing back, she patted his massive chest. “A bit. Is Roxie working?”

“Yeah, she’s here.” He twisted his face and peeked over his shoulder. “Do you know what’s got her panties in a bind?”

Lexie bit her lip. “Maybe.”

Ignoring Cam, the bouncer grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her towards the bar. “Well, get in there and fix her. She’s taken more pieces out of my hide tonight than I can count. I’m big, but I don’t have much left.”

He gave her a familiar swat on the butt, and Lexie jumped in surprise. Cam let out a growl, but she caught his hand. She pulled him with her as she moved farther into the bar.

“Hey, look,” somebody said. “The carbon copy is back.”

A roar went up throughout the crowd, and more than a few bikers raised their mugs in her direction. Lexie waved at them even as she felt Cam’s glare radiate.

Had the place been this busy the other night when she was here? Her face got warm when she couldn’t remember. Looking back, all she could really recall was how hot it had been and how…fun. She remembered laughing and singing. The place and the crowd weren’t her normal scene, but she’d felt free as a bird here. Happy and accepted.

She wanted that back.

Going up on her tiptoes, she tried to see past the beer tap. If Roxie was working it, she couldn’t tell. The place was jam-packed.

“Lexie!”

Turning to her right, she spotted the owner, Charlie. He waved them over as he finished wiping down a table. “Here, you two. Have a seat.”

The table was small and cramped, but welcome. “Thanks, Charlie.”

“Are you hungry? Want something to drink?”

Cam nodded. “A beer would be great. Whatever you’ve got on tap.”

He pulled back a chair for her, and Lexie sat. She tucked her purse close by her feet. The thought of alcohol made her stomach turn. “Diet Coke for me.”

“Good call.” Charlie winked at her knowingly. “I’ll send Roxie over.” He took a step, paused and turned back. “Could you do something about that burr under her saddle?”

Lexie smiled wanly. “I’ll try.”

“Wonderful.” Cam watched as the barman wove through the crowd. “And I thought Her Evilness was in a mood yesterday.”

“Cam.” Lexie glanced at him through her lashes. “Please?”

He rolled his shoulders and settled back into the wooden chair. The look he gave her was heated. “I know what I promised, and I know what you promised in return.”

She shifted in her chair. “Shh.”

He spread his legs wider under the table. His knee rubbed against hers, and she fluffed her hair. Her mind still hadn’t fully adjusted to the change in their relationship, but her body had. It melted every time he touched her or gave her that look. After the afternoon they’d spent together, she might as well be a puddle at his feet.

He draped an arm across the back of her chair, and his fingers stroked a strand of her hair. “But I can wait.”

She fiddled with the fresh bowl of peanuts Charlie had set in the middle of the table. Her chair was pointed right at the jukebox—the same jukebox where she and Cam had made out for the first time.
In public
.

How had things changed so quickly? She was doing things she never would have dared before, and two people she hardly knew were suddenly the key people in her life. She’d found a sister she loved, regardless of the tension between them. And as for Cam… Well, he was becoming a confusion and an obsession all at once. He was still a mystery to her, but something deep and important was developing between them.

She just hoped she could trust it. If she’d learned nothing in the past days, it was that people could and would surprise you.

But not always for the better.

“Brace yourself,” Cam muttered.

Lexie didn’t need the warning. She could hear Roxie’s heels cracking against the floor even with the music blaring. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw that her sister was still in full battle mode.

Apparently she didn’t have a hunk to ravage to ease her tension.

The random thought had Lexie’s eyes blinking wide, even as her twin slammed their drinks on to the table.

“Came to get your car?” Roxie didn’t wait for a response as she dug in her pocket and came up with the borrowed keychain. She tossed it onto the table, and the keys clattered across the surface until Lexie slapped a hand over them.

She met her sister with her shoulders squared. “We came here to talk.”

One of Roxie’s eyebrows lifted. “Well, I’m busy.”

As swiftly as that eyebrow had risen, though, it snapped back down. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at the two of them sitting together, and her gaze turned laser-like on the spot where Cam toyed with Lexie’s hair.

“Are you serious?” Heat blasted across the table as she turned on Cam. “You took her to bed
today
?”

He stiffened. “Now wait one minute…”

“Why? You obviously couldn’t.” Roxie planted her hands on her hips and rocked her foot back on its heel. “Just like the other night. You pounce on her when she’s weak and vulnerable. Nice, Hatchet. Real nice.”

Cam’s chair squealed against the floor as he pushed it back and started to stand. “You’re one to talk. She did nothing to you today, but your claws came out at her.”

“Hey!” Lexie was on her feet before he’d risen to full height. “Enough.”

“But he—”

“She—”

Lexie smacked both hands on the table, rocking the drinks. Beer slopped onto the wooden surface, but she turned a furious glare on her sister. “I was the one who pounced.” She whipped her head around towards Cam. “And I don’t care.”

Sitting down in a whoosh, she reached for her Diet Coke. She took a healthy gulp before looking up at them both defiantly. The tip of Roxie’s boot dropped to the floor, and Cam eased back into his seat.

“Sit.” Lexie pointed at an empty chair. “Please.”

Roxie tapped her fingers against her hipbones. She cast a glance back at the bar but pulled out the chair and perched on its edge. “Fine, but I can’t take long. We’re busy.”

“That’s all right. I just want to make sure you’re okay.”

Her twin shrugged. “It wasn’t your fault.”

“In a way, it was. We should have taken more time to look into things. If we had, maybe…”

“You didn’t have time—not with the way they were coming down on you.” Roxie rolled her shoulders uncomfortably. “How did you stand growing up with those people?”

Those people. Her family. The fire in Roxie’s eyes immediately put Lexie’s back up, but she identified with it too. The anger and the horror over this morning’s encounter hadn’t left, nor was it getting any weaker. Every time she’d thought about the unfairness of it all, she’d wanted to march into Cam’s living room, grab that paperweight and throw it through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

“I had no idea what they’d done,” she said. “I don’t think they understand the damage they did.”

“Stop making excuses for them. You don’t split up kids. I don’t care if there were enough ‘parents’ to go around.” The air quotes Roxie used might as well have been daggers.

And Lexie might as well have felt them digging into her heart. Out of everything that had happened, that was what she regretted the most. Why had the other couple walked away? How could they have left a beautiful little two-year-old on her own? “I’m just sick about that, Roxie. If—”

“Ifs and maybes get us nowhere. What’s done is done.” Roxie dragged a hand through her wild hair. “It’s obvious the Underhills never wanted you to find out, but you did.”

“
We
did.”

A vengeful grin pulled at her sister’s lips. “Yeah, and that knocked them for a loop. Big time.”

Lexie frowned. She took no joy from what had happened on that sunny veranda. She’d never felt a deeper split between herself and her family, and she didn’t know if she wanted to go through the motions to fix this one. Roxie was right, excuses and apologies could only go so far. Actions spoke more loudly than words.

The grin slipped from Roxie’s face. Reaching out, she toyed with the peanuts. “I’m sorry I snapped at you earlier. That was a low blow.”

Lexie twirled her straw slowly in her drink. “We were both upset.”

“Yeah.”

Their table fell quiet amongst all the noise and movement.

Cam took a drink of his beer. “Just how upset were you, Rox?”

She swiveled her head in his direction. “What does that mean?”