at Juliana, his mouth quirked in amusement. She wanted to die. He’d caught in a lie—a tiny white one, but a lie nonetheless. And exposing the untruth had proved so easy for him. Just turn on the charm. Let an old lady talk to her heart’s content. Before long, he’d have Ella spewing out all the details of her life, leaving no dust mote forgotten. The lie he would uncover there wouldn’t fade with a smile. “I do enjoy a meal with spice.”
“So Juliana says.”
“And Juliana ought to know.”
Curiosity danced in Ella’s soft hazel eyes. “Since you’re being so kind, feeding you is the least we can do. I was thinking of rice and green beans as side dishes, and something creamy for dessert to offset the spices of the meal. Do you have a preference?”
“I’ve always had a soft spot for ice cream.” His gaze drifted to Juliana’s neck. She shivered at the memory of his remedy for ice cream headaches—long, slow kisses drawn in exquisite torture down the column of her neck.
Ella fished inside her purse and drew out her list. Juliana shuffled her to the first step. “It’s all right, Ella, you don’t need to write it, I’ll remember.”
“What kind?”
“Butter pecan,” she blurted before she could stop herself. She could still smell the caramel on his breath when his lips had finally joined hers, feel the warmth of his tongue as it melted the ice cream remaining in her mouth. She stiffened against the unwanted sensations swirling in her body, and rushed Ella down the remaining stairs.
“I thought you said he was just an acquaintance,” Ella said, trying to slow Juliana down.
“We shared a few meals.”
Ella stopped on the cement path and peered up at Lucas with renewed interest. Her mouth rounded in an O. “He looks—”
Juliana gripped Ella’s arm tighter. Ella’s hurt gaze darted to Juliana. Juliana sent her a silent appeal. Ella must have sensed her fear. Her frown deepened. She opened her mouth. Juliana gave a small shake of the head. Ella stared a while longer, then something seemed to click in her mind. She looked at Lucas again.
“…so handsome, don’t you think?” Ella finished with barely a hitch in her voice. A wave of relief rippled through Juliana.
Lucas missed none of the exchange, and smiled even more widely. He wasn’t model pretty, but something about the savage cut of his looks, about the dark appeal of his deep brown eyes, about the potency of the charisma he exuded without even trying intrigued.
“I never noticed.” His ego was already two sizes too big; she didn’t need to feed it. She didn’t want to be drawn to him again. Falling for him again would only make the inevitable more painful.
He faked a direct hit to the heart. “You wound me, Jewel.”
“She’s not usually this rude,” Ella said, loosening Juliana’s hold on her arm. The strap of her purse unraveled off her shoulder. “It’s the stress of Briana’s kidnapping, and now there’s something going on at the shop, too. It’s just too much for one person to handle all at once, all alone.”
Lucas strode forward and ambled down the stairs. The look on his face was much too calm, much too satisfied. What was he up to? She fought her urge to step back, to wipe the sweat beading along her hairline.
He took her hand in his, twining his fingers with hers. She shuddered at the warmth enveloping her cold skin. But when she tried to jerk her hand away, he squeezed her fingers just tight enough so she couldn’t escape without making a fuss. And a fuss would bring questions from Ella.
Damn him, he knew, he just knew she wanted Ella out of his way and fast, and he was using that knowledge to get what he wanted—a closeness she wouldn’t have otherwise allowed. Did he expect she would melt for him so easily again? Did he really believe he could turn her into putty so simply? Then when he thought she was all soft and weak, would he start all over with the questions?
“She’s not alone
“So Juliana says.”
“And Juliana ought to know.”
Curiosity danced in Ella’s soft hazel eyes. “Since you’re being so kind, feeding you is the least we can do. I was thinking of rice and green beans as side dishes, and something creamy for dessert to offset the spices of the meal. Do you have a preference?”
“I’ve always had a soft spot for ice cream.” His gaze drifted to Juliana’s neck. She shivered at the memory of his remedy for ice cream headaches—long, slow kisses drawn in exquisite torture down the column of her neck.
Ella fished inside her purse and drew out her list. Juliana shuffled her to the first step. “It’s all right, Ella, you don’t need to write it, I’ll remember.”
“What kind?”
“Butter pecan,” she blurted before she could stop herself. She could still smell the caramel on his breath when his lips had finally joined hers, feel the warmth of his tongue as it melted the ice cream remaining in her mouth. She stiffened against the unwanted sensations swirling in her body, and rushed Ella down the remaining stairs.
“I thought you said he was just an acquaintance,” Ella said, trying to slow Juliana down.
“We shared a few meals.”
Ella stopped on the cement path and peered up at Lucas with renewed interest. Her mouth rounded in an O. “He looks—”
Juliana gripped Ella’s arm tighter. Ella’s hurt gaze darted to Juliana. Juliana sent her a silent appeal. Ella must have sensed her fear. Her frown deepened. She opened her mouth. Juliana gave a small shake of the head. Ella stared a while longer, then something seemed to click in her mind. She looked at Lucas again.
“…so handsome, don’t you think?” Ella finished with barely a hitch in her voice. A wave of relief rippled through Juliana.
Lucas missed none of the exchange, and smiled even more widely. He wasn’t model pretty, but something about the savage cut of his looks, about the dark appeal of his deep brown eyes, about the potency of the charisma he exuded without even trying intrigued.
“I never noticed.” His ego was already two sizes too big; she didn’t need to feed it. She didn’t want to be drawn to him again. Falling for him again would only make the inevitable more painful.
He faked a direct hit to the heart. “You wound me, Jewel.”
“She’s not usually this rude,” Ella said, loosening Juliana’s hold on her arm. The strap of her purse unraveled off her shoulder. “It’s the stress of Briana’s kidnapping, and now there’s something going on at the shop, too. It’s just too much for one person to handle all at once, all alone.”
Lucas strode forward and ambled down the stairs. The look on his face was much too calm, much too satisfied. What was he up to? She fought her urge to step back, to wipe the sweat beading along her hairline.
He took her hand in his, twining his fingers with hers. She shuddered at the warmth enveloping her cold skin. But when she tried to jerk her hand away, he squeezed her fingers just tight enough so she couldn’t escape without making a fuss. And a fuss would bring questions from Ella.
Damn him, he knew, he just knew she wanted Ella out of his way and fast, and he was using that knowledge to get what he wanted—a closeness she wouldn’t have otherwise allowed. Did he expect she would melt for him so easily again? Did he really believe he could turn her into putty so simply? Then when he thought she was all soft and weak, would he start all over with the questions?
“She’s not alone
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