MacNamarasLady (2 page)

“Not much to worry about here.” T.S. was
thankful for the fact that he knew almost everyone here, on sight at least, if
not better. No single ladies to blindside him. Unless you counted Missy, which
he didn’t. She was single, but he’d never made a move on her. She had
commitment stamped all over her. Plus, she was Candy’s best friend. That could
make things sticky if he and Missy had a fling. And that’s all it would be. All
it could be. He didn’t do permanent.

Lucas laughed, took a sip from his bottle
and inclined his head. That was the thing about having such a good friend. They
understood you without you having to explain.

There was a selection of very good wines
and cocktails available but the two of them drank beer. From the bottle. That
said it all. They were both blue-collar boys who’d managed to survive and do
okay for themselves.

T.S. caught sight of Missy again as she
sauntered across the floor to talk to Candy. The woman certainly knew how to
move, all fluid and sensual. It gave a man ideas.

Just watching that long, lean body in
motion was a sight to be appreciated. She was wearing a dark blue dress that
clung to her curves and ended just south of her thighs leaving some mighty fine
real estate between the end of her dress and her ankles to be admired. The
neckline, while perfectly respectable, allowed him a brief glimpse of her
cleavage.

He realized he was staring and that Lucas
was watching him. To head off any questions, he motioned to Candy. “Remind me
again how you got a classy lady like that to marry the likes of you.”

A slow smile crossed Lucas’ face. T.S. had
never seen his friend as happy as he’d been these past few months. “I got
lucky. She does look good, doesn’t she?” The way Lucas was watching his wife,
T.S. knew he was already anticipating his wedding night.

T.S. studied Candy with a dispassionate
eye. Yeah, she was good-looking if you liked curvy women with spicy brown hair.
Her unruly hair was currently bundled up on top of her head in some updo that
seemed to defy gravity. The off-white, calf-length dress emphasized her curves,
yet managed to look demure at the same time. Quite an accomplishment.

But it was the woman standing next to Candy
with her head thrown back, and a husky laugh coming from her parted lips that
made his cock come to attention. Made him imagine those lips around that part
of his anatomy. “Yeah, she does.” And he wasn’t talking about the bride.

He was happy for his friend. Truly he was.
Lucas had been scarred by his past and Candy had been able to heal him, to make
him smile again. For that reason alone, he’d always be grateful to her. That
also put her on the short list of friends he’d do anything for. The list was
now expanded from one person to two.

Not wanting to get too deep on such a day,
he changed the subject. “Ready to start the new project tomorrow?”

Lucas laughed. “Maybe the day after. I
think I’ll be busy tomorrow.” The hot glance he sent his new wife left no doubt
in T.S.’ mind what his friend planned to be doing tomorrow.

“Okay, the day after then.”

Lucas owned the building he lived in. His
store—Coffee Breaks—was housed on the bottom floor and his home was on the top
one. The original plan had been to put offices in on the second, but that plan
had changed once Candy had come onto the scene.

Part of the second floor had already been
converted into a weight room and guest suite. The other half was going to be
made into a small apartment for Candy’s long lost brother Justin Logan. Now
there was a man with secrets. But as T.S. didn’t want anyone asking questions
about his past, he kept his thoughts and questions to himself. Justin did the
same and they got along rather well. Justin would be helping with the
renovations.

T.S.’ contracting company had handled all
the renovations on the building to date. But the apartment was a small,
personal project. He was working on it himself with Justin, but he’d moved his
crews to another major job. He’d supervise them in between working on the
apartment. He preferred to be onsite with his crews but he was making an
exception in this case. Plus he had his foreman Max handling the new job. And
Max had been with him since the beginning. He trusted him to take care of
business.

Candy hurried over to her husband’s side
and Lucas’ arm went around her waist, pulling her closer to his side. It was a
natural gesture, one he knew his friend didn’t even think about. For a brief
moment, he was jealous. What would it be like to love someone that much? His
momentary envy was quickly followed by shame. Lucas deserved to be happy.

And you don’t
? a small voice questioned in his head. He ignored that voice, as he
always did. He was happy just as he was, thank you very much. He didn’t need a
woman. Not permanently. But he sure as hell wouldn’t mind a few hot nights
messing up the sheets with Candy’s best friend.

Might not be the smartest move in the
world, but he wouldn’t turn it down if the opportunity arose. Maybe then the
dark-skinned, sloe-eyed beauty would stop haunting his waking and sleeping
dreams.

He tracked Missy around the room as she
stopped to chat with Katie and Cain Benjamin. Now there was an unlikely pair.
Katie, an artist and former employee of Lucas, was friendly and approachable.
Her husband was a huge guy, topping about six-eight. Scars on one side of his
face gave him a menacing appearance. He was generally reclusive, not at all
like his outgoing wife, but T.S. liked them both.

Missy laughed at something Katie said, the
sultry sound snaking over his skin. Even Cain smiled at her. Missy was like a
peacock surrounded by a bunch of doves, a flash of color in an otherwise bland
landscape.

“T.S.?” He glanced down and found Candy’s
hand on his arm and a frown on her face.

“I’m sorry. What did you say?”

She laughed. “I thanked you for coming, for
standing up for Lucas.”

He patted her hand. “As I told him, there’s
nowhere else I’d rather be.” He raised his bottle in salute. “May you always be
as happy as you are at this moment.”

Candy beamed at him and her smile widened
when she gazed up at her husband. That was one man who was going to get lucky
tonight.

The collar of his dress shirt was suddenly
choking T.S. He reached up and loosened his tie. Pulling the thin material
away, he tucked it in his pocket and opened the top button of his shirt. He
hated wearing the damn things and had only done so for Candy’s sake. For some
unknown reason women seemed to prefer a man in a tie. The tuxedo pants, jacket
and shoes were uncomfortable as all get out. Give him a good pair of faded
jeans, a T-shirt and work boots any day of the week. He didn’t know how men
worked day after day in these monkey suits.

“You should mingle,” Candy told him. “Have
something to eat.”

His eyes automatically sought out the
loaded buffet table. And what do you know? Missy was headed that way. “I think
I will.” He leaned down and kissed the bride’s cheek. “Take care of him,” T.S.
whispered in Candy’s ear.

“I will,” she promised.

And he believed her. Candy had gone through
a lot to get Lucas. She’d done what few women would have been brave enough to
do. She’d gotten past the thick barriers his friend had constructed around his
heart. No mean feat.

Giving Lucas a mock salute, he wandered
toward the buffet. He stopped and spoke with Denise, a very happily married
woman who worked for Lucas at the coffee shop, and her husband Don. Denise had
supplied him with many a cups of coffee while he’d been working on the upstairs
sections of the building these past few months.

He nodded to Katie and Cain as they headed
toward the bride and groom.

All the while he chatted, he kept one eye
on Missy, moving ever closer to his target. He was hungry, but what he wanted
wasn’t on the menu. T.S.’ mouth watered at the thought of finding out what was
beneath that snug dress Missy was wearing. He wanted to lick her dark skin as
he peeled away her clothing, piece by piece. Discover all her secrets.

Was she wearing thigh-high stockings or
pantyhose? Did she favor bikini panties or thongs? She could be wearing granny
panties but he didn’t think so. Not that it mattered. It was a fallacy that men
really cared about such things. All that really mattered to a guy was that his
woman would let him take the damn things off. Men were simple and basic when it
came to things like sex. But there was something about Missy that screamed
fancy lingerie.

What color would her nipples be? Rosy beige
or light brown? Would they be small or large?

The pants he was wearing went to a whole
other level of uncomfortable as his cock stood at attention. He was glad the
damn jacket helped cover the telltale bulge.

“Hell of a party.” He picked up an empty
plate and began to fill it from the various offerings.

“It was a wonderful ceremony.” The low,
sultry sound of Missy’s voice wrapped around him, making him fantasize about
long summer nights and hot sex. Heck, he’d take a cool fall night, a cold
winter one or a wet spring evening. He wasn’t picky.

This close, they were at eye-level. Missy
might have been a smidge taller than he was in those killer shoes of hers. He
didn’t mind at all. She’d be a perfect fit for him in the bedroom. Their bodies
would align perfectly when they hit the mattress.

He’d always felt awkward and clumsy around
smaller women, afraid he’d hurt them with his passion. That wouldn’t be a
problem with Missy. She’d be able to handle him. Easily.

And it was time to change his train of
thought before he really embarrassed himself.

“They look good together.” He motioned with
his head toward Lucas and Candy who were currently dancing to the soulful music
seeping from the stereo speakers.

“They really do,” she agreed. She broke off
a piece of brownie and popped it into her mouth. “I knew he was something
special the first time he brought Candy brownies at work. These things are
incredible.”

T.S. watched, totally enthralled as Missy
chewed slowly, her eyes taking on a dreamy appearance before she finally swallowed.
A low moan came from deep in her throat. “Oh yeah, these are deadly.”

His muscles tightened and he had the urge
to punch his best friend for making the damn brownies. He wanted to draw such a
sound from Missy’s lips. Not that he wanted anything permanent. But he sure as
hell wouldn’t mind getting Missy out of his system. She’d haunted his nights
and fantasies long enough.

He frowned, not liking where his thoughts
were heading. No one had control over him. Ever. Not since he was eighteen. It
had been a woman then who’d helped orchestrate his downfall.

No, he reminded himself. He’d done it by
being stupid enough to believe she wanted him. Lorna was the sister of his
brother’s girlfriend and he’d lusted for her as only a teenage boy could. That
was the reason he’d been in the car that fateful night. He’d been thrilled that
his brother had let him drive the beat-up, shit box of a car he’d owned.
Stupid.

He shoved aside the memories. God, they
were so long ago but they still haunted him. He put down the plate, his hunger
suddenly gone.

“You okay?”

Missy’s concern was like acid in an already
festering wound. “Fine.” He could want a woman and still be in complete
control. Hadn’t he been proving that fact his entire life? It didn’t have to
mean anything. It wouldn’t mean anything.

“Let’s dance.” He took the plate from her
hands and set it on the table. Before she could object to his highhandedness,
he added, “It would make Candy happy.”

Missy frowned but allowed him to escort her
to the area of the floor that had been cleared for dancing. Candy and Lucas
were swaying to another slow tune. Sure enough, Candy smiled and waved her
fingers at them. “Isn’t this a great song?”

“Wonderful,” he answered.

“I’m glad you asked Missy to dance.” He
couldn’t help but smile at Candy’s enthusiasm. She wasn’t fooling anyone. He
knew she’d love to have him and Missy become a couple. Wasn’t going to happen.
Not in the permanent way that she wanted. But that didn’t mean he and Missy
couldn’t have another kind of relationship. A very adult and sexual one.

“Maybe I asked
him
,” Missy
countered, her tone tart.

Candy
laughed as Lucas spun her away. “Either way. I’m just glad you’re having fun.”

T.S. decided he wouldn’t mind having some
fun, especially if it involved him and Missy and no clothing. Maybe she’d be
agreeable to the idea. A man could only hope. He took Missy into his arms and
began to move. One of her hands sat on his shoulder, while the other was held
in his hand. Her chest brushed against his as he twirled her in a circle before
settling down to sway to the music.

Missy didn’t know whether to stamp her foot
in frustration or walk away from T.S. She did neither. No way did she want to
cause a scene at her best friend’s wedding reception, not when Candy looked so
darn happy.

When she’d told Candy she should have an
affair with Lucas she’d never dreamed they end up married. But they looked so
right together. Lucas held Candy as if she was the most precious thing in his
world. Missy ignored the twinge of envy that coursed through her.