Sleepless in Savannah (17 page)

When she finished, she decided to add a spell to stir sexual desires and help Sophie find new sex partners. A new lover would be the quickest cure for her Lance lust. She hung the talisman over Sophie's front doorway. The charm was supposed to open up hearts at first meeting, allowing love to shine through or making the person want to go to bed with you. The smiling goddess on the talisman denoted the goddess of lust, passion and sensuality. Perfect.

She opened some incense, but a noise sounded at the door. Voices.

Sophie's and a man's? Not Jeremy's.

She sneaked to the window and peeked out, surprised to see Lance on the doorstep with her sister. Thank goodness they hadn't arrived home when she'd been sprinkling the salts around or the charm wouldn't work.

Now all she had to do was gather pebbles and arrange them around a pink candle, then burn it every night for seven minutes at sunset and Sophie would have all the new lovers she could handle. Then she wouldn't need to pine over Lance Summers.

And Lucy wouldn't have to worry about her sister getting married and leaving her alone....

* * *

Lance stood on the front porch of Sophie's house, wondering if she'd bought his earlier story about dropping in the coffee shop to complain about the dating service. When he had passed the shop and seen her with the other guy, he'd had a total out-of-body, freak jealousy attack and followed her in, hoping to get rid of her date for her.

Now he was just damn mesmerized by her sultry presence. Although they'd already talked for over an hour, and he had developed a good understanding of Sophie's plans for the house he still hesitated, reluctant to leave less the good doctor show up to make up for running out on her by administering some mouth-to-mouth. "So you're going to keep the wood flooring?"

"Of course. In fact I want to strip away all the carpet," Sophie said.

He wanted to strip her, Lance thought, his gaze dropping to the low-necked slinky black dress she'd worn for her date. "And have them refinished?"

"That, too." Sophie's green eyes sparkled beneath the moonlight as he inched closer to her. Her back was pressed against the wood molding of the doorway, her delicate face angled upward so she could look into his eyes. Her mouth drew him, made him ache.

"I want the whitewashed look for the kitchen floors," she said.

"And Victorian accessories throughout."

"Absolutely."

He lowered his head toward her. "Craftsmanship is important to you?"

Her voice grew softer. "Only the best."

"It sounds as if you know exactly what you want."

A small smile curved Sophie's lips, triggering sensations inside him. "I do. Things that will last forever," she whispered. "But I'm not sure I can afford everything I want."

His chest squeezed as he feathered a strand of hair away from her cheek. "Cost too high?"

Sophie nodded and licked her lips. "I'm afraid so."

He cupped the base of her head in his hand, his entire body tightening at the way her breath whispered out. Hunger, denial, and need bolted through him. He forgot they were talking about her house and furniture and flooring. The cost of wanting her was too high.

The price of not having her was even more painful.

Unable to control his tortured body's response to the flutter of desire in her eyes, he lowered his mouth and claimed her. The first touch of her lips sent fire burning through his belly; the second had his body hard and throbbing. And when she threaded her fingers in his hair and answered with a slow thrust of her tongue, he pressed her against the wall and kissed her as if his thirst would never be quenched. She dragged her hands over his shoulders and down his back, kneading his muscles with fingertips that urged him to deepen the torture. And he did.

Reason was forgotten.

He gently trailed kisses along her jaw, then up her neck to the sensitive shell of her ear, and lower. Unbearable need pulsed through him. She tasted like fire and sin, and sultry promises that turned his senses inside out with want. His hands tiptoed across her shoulders and down her torso, the pressure of her breasts against his chest intensely erotic. He wanted to touch her there, too, to taste her sweetness and hear her cry out his name as he suckled her. Another sip at her neck and he licked his way down to the curve of her breasts, but suddenly the porch light sprang on.

Seconds later the door burst open. "Sophie!" Lucy's head flounced through the opening. "Oh, my gosh, I didn't mean to interrupt. I heard voices and wanted to make sure that pervert wasn't back."

Lance stiffened, lowering his hands in front of him to hide his erection, while Sophie ran her hands through her hair trying to tame the wild ends. The gesture simply enticed him more.

Then Lucy's words rang through his sex-starved brain.
The pervert?
So Sophie hadn't informed her sister that he'd been arrested?

"Lucy," Sophie said in a warning voice. "Uh, there wasn't a pervert—"

"There was, too. I saw him, and called the police."

"You called the police?" Lance said.

"Yes, of course. What did you expect me to do, let him stalk us?"

"He wasn't a stalker," Sophie said.

Lance's anger cropped back. "You had me arrested?"

"You're the pervert," Lucy said.

"I'm not a pervert," Lance said tightly, "or a stalker." But before Sophie he was a legendary sleeper—eight to ten hours a night.

"It was a misunderstanding," Sophie said, trying to play peacemaker. "Lucy, Lance was watching the house because he was worried about us with the door missing."

Lucy wrinkled her nose. "Sophie and I can take care of ourselves. We don't need a man; for goodness' sake, we grew up in Vegas."

Sophie gently pushed her sister's arm, urging her back inside. "Lucy, that's enough."

Lance backed away. For some reason Sophie's sister didn't seem to like him.

What had he done to make her disapprove of him?

* * *

"What are you doing home so early? I expected you and loverboy to tie one on." Sophie closed the door, instantly annoyed at the sight of Lucy's things strewn across the den. Knowing her attempts to teach Lucy to be a neatnik were futile, she bit her tongue, more important issues rising to the surface.

Like Lucy's rotten timing. Why had she interrupted her and Lance? And why had she been so hostile?

"I started feeling guilty about leaving you with Jeremy, and decided to come home so we could spend some time together."

Guilt tugged at Sophie for being irritated. Lucy was in town for only the week. If she could give up a man, which was rare for Lucy, in exchange for time with her sister, Sophie shouldn't complain.

She threw her arm around Lucy's shoulders and they walked to the den. "Sorry, I didn't mean to snap. I was just surprised."

"And disappointed because I interrupted you two getting it on." Lucy gave her a curious look. "What exactly
is
going on between you Lance?"

Sophie dropped onto the sofa, perplexed herself. "I... I'm not sure."

"You were making out?"

Sophie shrugged. "He kissed me."

"I saw that."

Sophie narrowed her eyes. "You interrupted on purpose?"

Lucy winced. "No, I did hear a noise; then I opened the door and saw you." She toyed with the pillow on the sofa. "Are things moving forward with you two?"

"I don't know," Sophie said, miserable. "One minute we were talking about the renovations; the next we were tangled together in a lip-lock."

"He's a good kisser?"

Sophie pressed her fingers to her temple. "The best."

"You're in love with him, aren't you?"

Sophie groaned and dropped her head into her hands. "I'm trying not to be. After all, he did trick himself out of that date with me. And he's given me no reason to think he wants a relationship."

"Then stick to Maddie's rules." Lucy twirled a strand of hair around one finger. "What was rule number five?"

"Make sure his teeth are sunk in; then reel him in."

"His teeth aren't sunk yet?"

"They only nibbled at the surface."

"So it was a good thing I interrupted. You indulged in some foreplay, but it's way too soon to consummate."

Sophie moaned again. She desperately had wanted to consummate things. "Right."

Lucy patted her back sympathetically. "How'd you end up together, anyway? I thought you and Jeremy were having coffee."

"We did." Sophie explained about his emergency. "But I have to admit that I was grateful when he left, Lucy. Jeremy is—"

"Boring."

Sophie laughed. "Dreadfully so."

"Sorry, Soph." Lucy clasped Sophie's hand, a wicked gleam in her eyes that Sophie didn't quite understand. "We'll do better for you next time."

"What do you have up your sleeve, Lucy?"

Lucy feigned innocence. "Nothing. But you're going to accept dates from that singles service for the show, right?"

"Did you have to remind me?"

Lucy squeezed her arm. "Who knows, you might just meet Mr. Right from one of the listings."

"And if I don't?"

"Then you'll have fun." Lucy pulled her into a hug. "After all, we don't need a man, Soph. We have each other. Together we're invincible, remember?"

Sophie hugged her. "Of course I do, silly. We'll always have each other no matter what."

Lucy nodded. "And no man will ever come between us."

Sophie heard traces of the fear she and Lucy had lived with as children. Deseree had let the men in her lives do exactly that, replace her time and feelings for her children. But Sophie and Lucy had vowed never to fall into that trap.

"No, Lucy, no man will ever come between us."

* * *

Emotions ping-ponged in Lance's head as he left Sophie's. He hated the fact that Lucy didn't like him, but adrenaline still surged through him from the steamy kiss he'd shared with Sophie. He had wanted more. Sophie had wanted more.

He wouldn't sleep tonight for dreaming about having more.

Perspiration beaded on his forehead, and he cranked down his window to let some cool air inside. But the temperature had risen to the high eighties and the air felt sultry. Just as Sophie's touch had.

Maybe he should give in and sleep with her to purge her from his system. But what if that didn't work? What if one time only made him crave another and another and he became obsessed with her and needed her, and then she left him?

His sleep deprivation must be getting to him, making him crazy.

Because you're crazy over Sophie.

No, crazy in lust, maybe, but he and Sophie really had nothing in common. Other than the fact that they both liked restoring the house, and that she took care of her little sister just as he had with his...

His cell phone rang, jarring him, and he grabbed it off the console. "Lance here."

"Hey, man, it's Reid. Listen, McDaniels phoned and left a message. If we're still interested in this deal, he wants us to meet him at seven am at that new Pancake Palace."

Lance sighed in relief. "Don't worry, bro; I'll be there."

Reid agreed to meet him, then hung up. The local drugstore caught Lance's eye, and he veered into the parking lot and rushed inside. He wouldn't allow images of Sophie or the heat wave to keep him awake tonight. He'd find some over-the-counter sleeping pill and down it so he could spend the night in peace for a change and be fresh for his morning meeting.

A good night's rest, and he'd be able to put this insane attraction in perspective and get back on track.

* * *

Sometime around four in the morning, the sleeping pill finally took effect. Unfortunately, Lance had doubled the dosage out of desperation, and he slept straight through his alarm clock. A banging on the door finally woke him from his slumber. He dragged the pillow over his eyes, certain a bulldozer had attacked the house. The banging continued, the windows rattling from the force. Maybe it was an earthquake.

Cursing beneath his breath, he plastered both hands over his ears and burrowed further down into the bed. His limbs felt as if they'd been weighed down with concrete boulders, and pain sliced through his temple as if a chain saw had been unleashed on his skull.

Then a door slammed shut in the den, footsteps cut through the noise, and Reid appeared in his bedroom. Lance managed to tear one eyelid open enough to squint through the early-morning sunshine.

"What the hell are you doing in bed?" Reid roared. "You missed the meeting. And this time McDaniels says he's finished with us for good."

Chapter 11

Sleep forgotten, Lance charged out of bed, sick to his stomach that he'd missed the meeting and let his brother down. For God's sake, his company's immediate and possible long-term future depended on him staying on his toes instead of on his back in bed, regardless of whether or not he'd had any sleep in the last decade.

"I'll fix it; I swear I will, Reid." He reached for the phone and began to punch in numbers.

"It's no use," Reid said. "He was pretty pissed. Let him cool down first."

Lance dropped the phone, disgusted with himself. He'd always been the responsible one. Reid counted on him. "I'll apologize. Grovel." Lie if he had to, but he'd damn well do everything he could to salvage this deal.