The Tycoon And I

Lucas raked his fingers through his hair, scattering it in a haphazard fashion. “Great. Isn’t anything private anymore?”

“Quit grumbling and come check it out.” She started for the door. When she didn’t hear Lucas following, she turned back. “You have to see all of the work the men did on the tunnel—from rewiring the lighting to replacing the rotted wood. Although to be honest, it’s more like a long skinny room than a tunnel.”

Lucas let off an exasperated sigh, but she knew once he explored the hidden tunnel, he’d be as impressed as the rest of them. She led him to the back stairs that was constructed of stained wood. But it was the small landing that was a beautiful maze of inlaid wood.

“Someone was very clever,” she said, coming to a stop by a sunset-inspired stained-glass window. “I’m guessing it was your great-grandfather’s idea to create such an artistic floor pattern. If I hadn’t known to look, I never would have guessed the center section opens up.”

Sticking her finger in a discreet thumbhole, she lifted the wood panel. Inside was a rustic wood ladder.

“Don’t worry. The ladder is safe. The men just finished the repairs today and I haven’t had a chance to look around. You must be familiar with it.”

“Actually, I’ve never been down there. My grandfather had the entrance sealed. I’m surprised the workmen were able to open it up without damaging the wood.”

“Believe me, it took a while and lots of care. But I think they did an excellent job. Let me be the first to give you the grand tour.” She didn’t bother to wait for him to make up his mind. She started her descent.

Entering this rustic area was like stepping back in time. She let her imagination run wild, thinking of the old-timers trying to outsmart the cops. The Roaring Twenties must have been a very interesting era, especially for the Carringtons with their hidden tunnel.

Kate rubbed her bare arms. There was a distinct drop in the temperature down here. She was certain the goose bumps were from the chill in the air and had absolutely nothing to do with her view of Lucas’s long legs or toned backside as he descended the ladder.

She gazed around, imagining the wooden racks lined with bottles. “Back here there’s a rack with some very old wine. Seems it was shuffled out of the way and forgotten.”

“Interesting. Did you uncover anything else?”

“Afraid not.”

He moved closer to get a better look. It wasn’t until then that she noticed how tight the quarters were down there. Lucas’s broad shoulders filled the space between the brick wall and the wooden shelves. There was no getting around him. And there was no room to back up.

Lucas’s spicy cologne teased her senses. How could one man look and smell so good? And why did her body so readily respond to him? She knew better than to let her guard down around him. Perhaps inviting him down here was not the best idea.

“That’s all there is. We should go.”

Lucas glanced up from the bottle of wine he was examining. His gaze met hers. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were afraid to be so close to me.”

The problem was she liked it too much. If they stayed down here much longer, she was afraid she’d abandon her common sense and cave into her body’s lusty desires.

“I...I have work to finish.”

“I’m going to look around here a little more.”

He returned the dusty bottle to the rack and turned, signaling her to pass him. Anxious to make her escape, she moved. By the time she figured out there wasn’t enough room for them to modestly pass, her body was sliding over his. Toe to toe. Thigh to thigh. Chest to chest.

The temperature suddenly rose. Her gaze caught his. Did she stop moving? Or had time slowed down?

“Kate.” His voice was raw and full of unmistakable desire.

She’d lied to herself. That first kiss was unforgettable. The memories flitted through her mind every night. What would it hurt to let him kiss her again? Just to see if it was as good as she remembered.

Her heart pounded, echoing in her ears. Her breath hitched. She was playing with fire. She should move. Leave. Run. She didn’t want to get burned. But she couldn’t turn away from his hungry gaze.

His head dipped. Her eyes fluttered shut. Curiosity and desire collided, holding her in place. And then he was there. His touch was warm and gentle as his lips brushed over hers. No kiss had ever felt so heavenly. Her insides melted and pooled in the center. If she weren’t pinned between his hard chest and the wall, she was quite certain her legs wouldn’t have held her up.

But all too soon reality rumbled through her dream. The memory of how he had walked away from her at the hospital shattered the moment. She couldn’t do this. Not with him.

She couldn’t trust him.

Ducking her head, she moved to the ladder. With lightning speed, she rushed up the rungs and hurried back to the library, hoping Lucas wouldn’t follow. She willed her heart to slow. For her lips to quit pulsating. Most of all, she needed to think clearly. And with Lucas around, her thoughts became a jumbled heap.

* * *

What in the world had just happened?

Had he dreamed that one succulent moment? He ran his tongue over his lower lip, tasting the sweetness of Kate’s cherry lip balm. A frustrated groan rumbled in his chest. He’d given his word that he wouldn’t let something that foolish happen again. Yet every time Kate came close and he could smell her fruity shampoo and feel the heat of her touch, logic evaded him.

Now that his ill-laid plan had gone awry, he couldn’t leave things like this. He started up the ladder, wondering what he should say to her. “I’m sorry” just didn’t seem enough, but he had to try. With the wood plank back in place, he headed for the library.

He rolled his shoulders, trying to ease the tension running through them. He was making too much of this. It was barely even a kiss. No big deal.

When he strode into the library, Kate once again had a hammer in one hand and some trim in the other. He waited for her to turn. When she didn’t, he cleared his throat.

“About what just happened, I just want you to know that I shouldn’t have overstepped—”

“It was nothing.” She kept her back to him, shielding her facial expression. “Now you see why I think the tunnel would hold a lot of appeal for people.”

She waved off his kiss as if it was nothing—as if it hadn’t meant a thing. The thought that this thing—this growing attraction—was all one-sided pricked him. His jaw tightened and his body tensed. Why was she being this way? He wasn’t the only one who felt something.

Kate swung around to face him with the hammer still in her hand. “Do you have a problem with the plans?”

Lucas found himself eyeing the business end of the hammer. If she meant to gain his attention, she’d certainly done that. Not that he couldn’t easily overpower her. After all, she was inches shorter than him and looked to be as light as a feather. Only feathers didn’t have so many delicious curves. Kate’s waist dipped in above the flare of her hips, and his fingers itched to wrap around her and pull her close. He was tempted to remind her that though the kiss had been brief, it’d definitely ignited a flame.

He straightened his shoulders. “And what if I do have a problem with all of this?”

“You’re backing out on me now?” Kate’s features hardened and he couldn’t help but notice how her knuckles turned white as her grip on the hammer tightened. “You can’t do that. I won’t let you. We have a verbal agreement. If you even think of backing out now, I’ll...I’ll...”

He smothered a chuckle as her threat lost steam. Not wanting to add fuel to her rising temper, he willed his lips not to lift into an amused grin. She sure was cute when she was worked up. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to egg her on a little more.

“Should I be worried?”

“You already agreed to this party. It’s too late to back out now. I already gave my word to the hospital that I’d have the funds for the operation.”

Her words hit him with more sting than any blow from a hammer. She was right. How was he supposed to put up an argument now when faced with a little girl’s well-being?

As though remembering the hammer was still in her hand, Kate bent over and placed it on the white drop cloth lining the floor. She straightened and tilted her chin upward. “Besides, your aunt thinks the prohibition tunnel will play in nicely with the 1920s flapper theme.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” he mumbled.

As though he hadn’t spoken a word, Kate continued, “She also said that at last some good would come from the Carrington history.”

He didn’t like being ganged up on by his aunt and his... What was Kate to him? A friend? She was closer to him than he let anyone get these days. But friend didn’t seem to fit what they had either. Especially not after that brief but stirring kiss.

Just then Kate leaned toward him. He froze. What was she planning to do? His gaze slipped down to her lips. They were full and rosy, just perfect for another sweet kiss. Anticipation grew. Was it possible she’d enjoyed his touch more than she’d been letting on?

His breath hitched as she moved closer. Her hand reached out to him. What was she going to do? Pull him down to her?

The thought of her being so bold...of her taking control of the situation turned him on. His eyes drifted closed. All semblance of logic fled his brain. He waited for her to make her move, willing her to keep going.

Long-ignored desires roared through his heated veins. After all, they were alone and it was late in the evening. No one would bother them until morning. And it had been so long since he’d let his defenses down—since he’d been close with anyone.

“There. All taken care of.”

Lucas’s eyes sprang open. What was taken care of? Certainly not his needs—his desires.

“Don’t worry.” Kate held out a white piece of fuzz for his inspection. “At first, I was worried that it was some spackling, but it’s just lint. Your suit has been saved.”

His suit? That wasn’t what he was concerned about at this moment. His clothes might be fine, but his mind and body were a jumbled mess. He swallowed hard, working hard to control his wayward thoughts.

“Why are you working so late?” His voice came out much harsher than he’d intended.

Kate’s brown eyes flashed with surprise. “I had things to do.”

“You’re supposed to be overseeing the project, not doing all of the work yourself.”

Her hands pressed against her slender hips and her eyes narrowed in on him. “I’m doing what needs to be done. Unlike some people in this room, I keep my word.”

Her barbed comment didn’t go unnoticed by him. She was still ticked at him about the episode at the hospital. He should explain to her what had happened. But that would only lead to more questions...questions he didn’t want to answer.

Not now.

Not ever.

When he didn’t respond, she added, “You know, if you didn’t want to meet my daughter, all you had to do was say so in the first place.”

“But I wanted to—”

Lucas stopped. His jaw tightened, his back teeth grinding together. What was he saying? This wasn’t going to make things better for either of them. But the damage had been done.

An inquisitive gleam showed in her eyes. “What do you mean you wanted to? Why’d you change your mind?”

He glanced away and shuffled his feet. His gut told him that she wasn’t going to drop the subject until he fessed up. But how could he do that? He didn’t talk about his past with anyone...not even his aunt.

“Surely you have something to say for yourself.” Her tone was hard and sharp.

He didn’t like being pushed around. His ex-wife had known his vulnerabilities and used them for her own benefit. He wouldn’t allow someone else to take advantage of him again.

Kate could push and shove as hard as she wanted, but he wouldn’t give in...not until he was ready.

“I’m tired. And I still have reports to go over. There’s Chinese takeout on the counter if you want some. And just so you know, I am truly sorry.”

He turned away from the confused look in her eyes, telling himself that he didn’t care. This woman meant absolutely nothing to him.

Nothing. At. All.

But if that was the case, why as he yanked the door shut behind him did he feel like a total heel? And why did he want a chance to make things right with her?

CHAPTER ELEVEN

HE’D TOTALLY OVERREACTED.

So what if he’d lost his mind for a moment and kissed her again? It didn’t mean he was falling for her big brown eyes or her cherry lips. The whole lack of judgment thing could be written off to a few restless nights and the stress of not bringing in enough money to cover the overages regarding the San Francisco expansion.

Days passed and with each day that went by, Lucas noticed that they were falling back into an easy routine. Pretending they hadn’t shared yet another even more intense lip-lock seemed to work during the day, but at night, when he should be sleeping, images of Kate and her tempting kisses filled his thoughts.

“Sorry I’m late.” She rushed into the kitchen after returning from her visit to the hospital. “You didn’t have to wait to eat. In fact, I’m not really hungry.”

“I have plans for us tonight. Instead of the food coming to you, you are going to the food.”

She shook her head before sinking down onto a kitchen chair. “I’m sorry. I’m too tired to go anywhere.”

Dark shadows under her eyes sent up warning flares. Maybe asking her to work on the house was too much for her.

He realized that in his attempt to avoid his unwanted attraction to her, he’d failed to do his duty as her boss—and, dare he admit it, as her friend. He’d let her work herself into the ground while he’d been busy at the office. He had to fix this, but how?

“No problem. When you get your appetite back, I’ll get you whatever you want.” He sat down next to her. “Your wish is my command.”

With her elbows propped on the table, she rested her chin on her upturned palms. Was it exhaustion that had her so down? Or did she have bigger things on her mind? Was it Molly? Had her health taken a turn for the worse? His chest tightened.

“How’s Molly today?”

Kate’s eyes widened. “How did you know that’s what I had on my mind?”

“What else would you be thinking about?” Unlike him, she probably hadn’t fantasized the afternoon away, imagining the temptation of another kiss.

“Molly’s refusing the surgery.”

This news set him back. “What do you mean refusing?”

“Well, she didn’t put it in those terms. But she’s moody and depressed. She’s insisting on going home and I can’t blame her. She’s been poked, prodded and examined for months now.”

He’d have a hard time dealing with that and he was an adult. He didn’t know how a child could put up with visiting doctor after doctor. Children were supposed to be outside, running around in the fresh air playing dodgeball or jumping rope, whatever it was that little girls liked to do.

“I’m sorry. That can’t be easy for either of you. Did you tell her that it won’t be much longer?”

Kate nodded. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. “What am I going to do? They say with tricky surgeries that the patient’s attitude plays a huge role in the recovery.”

He didn’t have any experience with sick people or surgeries. He’d been a kid when his grandparents passed on. And his father died of a massive coronary at his desk at the Carrington offices. So all he could do was try to remember what it felt like to be a kid. And his favorite memories were of the times when he’d been with his aunt.

A thought sprang to mind. “Why don’t you give Molly something to look forward to?”

Kate narrowed her gaze on him. “Don’t you think that’s what I’ve been trying to do?”

“You aren’t understanding me. What if you give her something to dream about? A plan for when she gets out of the hospital?”

“I’m running low on brilliant ideas. And by the time Molly is out of the hospital, I won’t have two pennies to rub together much less money for a trip to Disneyland.”

This was a small way he could help Kate. “You don’t have to spend a lot to make your little girl happy. And you don’t have to visit Sleeping Beauty Castle either.”

Kate jerked upright. “How would a bachelor like yourself know about Sleeping Beauty Castle?”

He wasn’t about to tell her that he too had a little girl and when he used to read her bedtime stories, he’d promised to take her there when she got a little older.

“Who doesn’t know about the castle?” he bluffed. “It’s in almost every Disney commercial. But what I was trying to say is that you don’t need that. You could plan a whole vacation right here in New York City.”

“You may not notice the cost, but dinners out and show tickets add up quickly.”

“But there are other options.”

Kate rolled her eyes. “If you are going to tell me to take Molly window-shopping, save your breath. That will never fly. She’ll want everything she sees.”

“I can assure you that good times don’t have to cost a fortune.”

“And what would you know about it? You probably grew up with the proverbial silver spoon in your mouth.”

“You might be surprised to know that my childhood didn’t have as many silver spoons as you’d imagine.”

She paused and eyed him up. “There’s no way you’re going to convince me that your family sent you out into the world to earn bread money.”

Her words pricked his good mood, deflating it. “Money isn’t everything. Sometimes I think it would have been better to be born into a different family, one who didn’t worry so much about money and appearances. Maybe then my parents wouldn’t have...”

“Wouldn’t have what?”

He glanced up to find genuine concern in her eyes. He hadn’t meant to open this door to his past. Some things were best unsaid. But in this one particular case, his past might show Kate just how good she and her daughter have it.

He sighed. This still wasn’t going to be easy. “Maybe without Carrington Gems and the status that came with it, my parents wouldn’t have gotten divorced. But even after they got divorced, things didn’t get much better. They still fought, mostly over me.”

“I’m sorry.”

Not about to get into how they’d turned him into a spy for each of them, he continued, “It was during this period that my aunt would whisk me away. She could see that I wasn’t happy. So she’d take me on day trips around the city.”

Kate waved away his idea. “I’m sure it was nice. But if I want to distract Molly and give her something to look forward to, it’s got to be better than a walk in the park and a push on the swings. Besides, when she gets out of the hospital, we’ll be heading back to Pennsylvania. This job is great, but it’ll be over soon. I have to think about either getting my old position back or finding a new one.”

He frowned at the thought that one day soon Kate would be gone. He was getting used to having her around. Not that he was getting attached to her or anything. He just liked having someone at home with whom to share a meal and make conversation.

Still, he’d like to see that Kate and her daughter had good memories to take home with them. His idea would take some convincing. However, seeing something with one’s own eyes was always more persuasive than a sales pitch.

Yes, that’s what he’d do—show Kate a good time.

* * *

The next morning, Kate was back working in the library, mulling over how to cheer up Molly. She liked that Lucas had been there pitching helpful ideas. Most of all, she liked that he’d opened up some about his childhood. Things must have been bad if his aunt felt she had to get him out of the house. Her heart went out to that little boy who’d been in such an unhappy situation.

“Let’s go.”

Her head jerked up at the sound of Lucas’s voice. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to pick you up.”

She straightened, not recalling that they’d had any plans. Yet he was standing there midmorning in a dark pair of jeans, which accented his athletic legs, and he’d unbuttoned his blue collared shirt and rolled up the sleeves. What in the world had gotten into him? And why did she find herself staring at him like some starstruck high-schooler? Probably because it should be against the law to look that good.

His blue eyes twinkled with mischief. “Well, are you just going to stand there smearing paint everywhere?”

She glanced down, finding the paint stick she’d been using to stir the white paint for the trim dripping all over the drop cloth. She hurried to set it aside and put the lid back on the can. Something told her that she wouldn’t be doing any painting until Lucas left, not if she wanted to get the paint on the walls and not the floor.

That was one thing about this project that she really enjoyed, being able to work with her hands. At her old job she’d done the sketches, consulted with the owners and supervised the transformation. But she hadn’t rolled up her sleeves and dived in with the detail work. When she finished with this project, it truly would be the crowning accomplishment in her portfolio. First, though, she had to get it finished. Too many things were riding on her bringing this project in on schedule.

“I can’t go anywhere. I have work to do.” She pressed her hands to her hips.

“You need a break.”

“What I need is a few more hours in the day.”

“I thought you might say that so I’d like you to meet Hank and Mike.” Two men in white overalls stepped into the doorway. “They can paint or whatever it is you need them to do.”

“But I can’t just leave.”

Lucas grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the door. “We have to hurry—”

“Is it Molly? Did something happen—”

“No. Nothing like that. This is all good. I promise.” He sent her a reassuring smile that made her stomach dip. “Go get changed while I make a quick phone call. We have someplace to be.”

“I need to have a few words with these guys.”

Lucas frowned.

“It’ll only take a minute.”

“Hurry.” He turned and strode away.

Minutes later, dressed in fresh jeans and a pink blouse, Kate stepped outside. The bright sunshine warmed her skin. With just a gentle breeze, it was warm enough to venture out without a jacket.

As they made their way down the sidewalk, she couldn’t hold back her curiosity. She stepped in front of Lucas and turned. “I’m not going any further until you tell me where we’re headed.”

“Didn’t your mother ever teach you to wait patiently for your surprise?”

“My mother didn’t do surprises. Let’s just say she had an active social life and kids didn’t really fit into the equation.”

Lucas’s lips pressed into a firm line. “If it makes you feel any better, I know where you’re coming from. My mother wasn’t big into the parenting scene either, unless it fit some sort of social agenda.”

Their conversation dwindled as they started to walk again. Destination unknown. Kate gave up worrying about it and lifted her face up to the sun. The exercise and the sunshine were working wonders on her mood. The tension in her neck and shoulders eased away.

In no time at all, Lucas was taking her by the hand and leading her through Central Park. “Come on.”

This was his surprise? A trip to the park? Her good mood dimmed as she thought of how much Molly would enjoy this adventure. “What are we doing here?”

“I’ll show you.” He led her over to a beautiful white horse-drawn carriage and held out his hand. “We’re going for a ride.”

“Are you serious? But why?” She hesitated. “I shouldn’t be here.”

Lucas’s dark brows drew together. “Why?”

“Because it isn’t right. Not with Molly in the hospital.”

He nodded as though he understood. “I guess I didn’t think this through. Would you rather go see her?”

“Yes...but I can’t. This is Chad’s agreed time with her. And she likes having her dad around. And I...I don’t do so well with his occasional snide little comments.”