Dark Bargains 3 Read online

But he spent more time watching her than he did the show. He rarely watched television, because he had so little time to get into anything. There were a couple of historical series that he enjoyed when he had the opportunity to go through several episodes at once, but other than that he rarely bothered. He had to admit that the one she’d picked was funny, though. It was a cute story about a girl from a tiny town in the Midwest who moved to New York, humorous without being raunchy or too ridiculous. It was so... Diane.

  He could picture her curled up on her sofa in her little townhouse watching it before bed with her cat tucked in beside her. That Marcus had stolen that from her was a crime—one which Lucas intended to make him pay for in full measure.

  Their other routine was beginning to cause him further doubt. When Diane knocked on his bedroom door that night he opened it lost somewhere between anticipation and trepidation. He wanted her too much to share his bed with her for long without doing something about it. She was wearing another sleeping t-shirt with her hair loose, both sweetly innocent and mouth-wateringly sexy at the same time. The heady mixture had his pulse racing as he got into bed with her, and it required every scrap of willpower he possessed to keep his body under control.

  She settled against him with the breath of a sigh, and he put an arm around her and pressed a kiss against the fragrant hair behind her ear. A tiny sound escaped her, and she turned her face towards him. Her eyes were open, glittering in the faint moonlight, and his mouth moved to hers without thought. The first tender brush of her lips sent fire screaming along his nerves, and desire flashed inside him with a white heat.

  Flicking his tongue along her lips, she parted them with an eagerness that surprised him. Their tongues met and twined together in a slow, tender dance that was all the sweeter because they were both holding back the passion driving them together. Diane twisted beneath his arm to bring her face closer to his, and when she tilted her head back he deepened their kiss to explore the velvet of her mouth more fully.

  He could no longer restrain his body’s reaction to her, and if she’d had any doubts about whether he wanted her, they were dispelled now. She uttered a low moan when he slid his hand beneath her t-shirt and his palm grazed across the satin skin he’d been dying to touch for days. Diane’s fingers twisted in the bedclothes and her body arched while her tongue swirled wildly against his.

  His need was a pulsing heat, hard against her softness. In two seconds he could have been inside of her, taking her as he’d dreamed, but the rational part of his mind kept him from ripping off her panties and plunging into her wet heat. He could feel her trembling, and he knew that it was as much from anxiety as passion. Although his body damned him for it, he forced himself back from the edge and drew away from the temptation of her body. She wasn’t ready, and he wasn’t Marcus.

  “Diane...”

  She went still as he pulled back from her, barely even breathing.

  “Sweetheart, if we keep this up there’s not going to be any stopping.”

  “I’m sorry,” she murmured, and turned away.

  “Don’t be. I just don’t want to do anything you’re not ready for. I...” He gave a helpless shrug that she couldn’t have seen in the darkness. “I don’t want to hurt you. I want it to be perfect when it happens.”

  When she rolled back towards him he grinned at her. “And it will happen.”

  That earned him a tiny, pained laugh. “I want to, Lucas. I really do. But...”

  He stroked her cheek and bent to take one more taste of her sweet lips. “I know. Let’s go to sleep.”

  After a moment she snuggled back against him, but although he made himself relax there was no going to sleep. In desperation he started counting backwards from a million. He was several thousand numbers in before his brain and body finally shut down so that he could drift off into a restless slumber.

  * * *

  Both of them slept late the next morning. Diane knew that Lucas had taken forever to fall asleep, so when she awoke she made no attempt to get up. Instead she lay watching him while his chest rose and fell with deep, slow breaths.

  How could he be so different from Marcus? While they were brothers, they were like night and day. He’d wanted her so badly last night—she had tasted it in his kiss, felt it in the tension in his body and the hard length of his manhood as it pressed against her stomach. Yet he’d held back to protect her, even though he’d known she would have given herself to him. Somehow he’d understood that even though she wanted him with the same desperation he felt, the taint of Marcus still touched her soul and she had been unable to get past the fear. He was a wonder, practically a miracle, and he wanted her.

  With a smile she reached over and touched his bare chest with her fingertips. He was real, not a dream, and he was hers if she only had the courage to take him. Lucas would protect her from Marcus, and she believed that he would do everything he could for her family. She didn’t have to be afraid again.

  Resolve stiffened in her like steel in her bones. She would tell him. She’d tell him everything and trust in him. It would work out. Her old life was probably gone forever, but she could allow herself to dream of a new one, even if she couldn’t quite see it yet. As long as he was part of it, it didn’t really matter.

  A clear chime sounded in the hallway, and Lucas’s eyes fluttered open. When he saw her looking down at him heat sparkled in their depths.

  “Good morning,” he said, his voice low and throaty.

  Before she could respond the chime came again, and Lucas sat up with a puzzled expression.

  “That’s the doorbell,” he told her.

  Fear hit like an icy spear in her belly, but when Lucas saw her expression he shook his head.

  “It’s too soon for Marcus to be back, and he would just come inside, not ring the doorbell.” He hopped out of bed and pulled on a t-shirt. “I’ll go see who it is.”

  Unwilling to remain there alone, she followed Lucas down the stairs at a discreet distance. He was grumbling as he unlocked the heavy iron door and swung it open. At the sight of whoever was outside he went silent and jerked back a step.

  “Hi. Is Diane here?” There was a brief pause. “If not, I’ll be happy to make do with you.”

  Diane’s jaw dropped. No. It couldn’t be. She rose to her tiptoes and leaned around the banister to see past Lucas. A slender woman with long, straight hair the same color as Diane’s was sizing Lucas up with blatant interest, a teasing smirk on her dark pink lips.

  “Cyndia?”

  The other woman shifted her gaze into the house and spotted her sister. “Surprise! Hey, babe!” She slipped past a stunned Lucas and greeted Diane with a hug. “Nice place.”

  “What are you doing here?”

  “I came to check up on you.” She glanced over her shoulder at Lucas and let her gaze roam around the foyer. “Looks like you’re doing just fine. Let me get my bags and we can catch up. Do you have coffee? The stuff on the plane was disgusting.”

  Cyndia turned back towards the door, but Lucas had already retrieved her bags and was watching the two of them in consternation. There was nothing for Diane to do but introduce them.

  “Lucas, this is my sister, Cyndia. Cyndia, this is Marcus’s brother, Lucas.”

  He nodded at Cyndia. “Nice to meet you. I’ll go make some coffee.”

  Cyndia watched him leave like a cat about to pounce on a mouse. “These St. Cyr boys are something else! This one’s even more delish than Marcus.”

  “Yeah. I need to get dressed.”

  They each grabbed a bag and carried them upstairs, where Diane showed her a vacant room adjacent to her own.

  “It’s all yours.”

  “Swanky! This place is amazing. Much better than a hotel.”

  “Wait until you see the bathrooms. They give new meaning to the word decadent.”

  “You can give me the grand tour after coffee,” Cyndia said.

  “What are you doing here?” Diane repeated as they passed into her room and
she hurriedly dressed.

  “I ran into Marcus at the casino, and he said he’d been called away for an emergency and had to leave you here. So he arranged for me to have a few days off to come and keep you company.”

  Diane’s mind raced while they went back downstairs. Marcus was behind this, so there had to be something sinister behind it. He’d sent Cyndia here for a reason. Why? Was it just so that Diane wouldn’t be alone with Lucas, or was there more to it? Either way, she was going to have to tread carefully. Cyndia wasn’t stupid, and Diane didn’t dare let her know there was something going on between her and Lucas. Her sister had no filter, and she was liable to blab it out without thinking if she knew. Diane had learned long before high school never to trust her with a secret.

  In the kitchen Lucas had the coffee brewing and was waiting on them at the breakfast bar. The pot beeped as they came in, so Diane poured them each a cup then sat down not knowing what else to say. That was never a problem for Cyndia, though.

  She turned a dazzling smile towards Lucas. “I figured I’d find my poor sister moping around and watching her cooking shows while she waited for Marcus to come back. I didn’t expect her to have company. I can’t say I’m disappointed, though.”

  Lucas smiled back at her. “I just got back from a long business trip and I’m camped out here to unwind.”

  “I’ll bet I could help you with that,” she purred.

  Diane rolled her eyes. Cyndia would never let a little thing like having a boyfriend stop her from chasing after hot guys. Poor Lucas. Maybe she should get him some pepper spray. It was about the only way he was going to be safe from her sister once she got warmed up. Still, Lucas probably had plenty of experience fending off women like Cyndia. She frowned into her coffee cup. At least he’d better fend her off. She hadn’t forgotten how Cyndia had stolen boy after boy from her while they were growing up, and since Cyndia had no idea what was going on between her and Lucas she’d probably jump in head first.

  All she could do was have faith in Lucas. Her heart sank a little as she watched the two of them bantering, though. Men loved Cyndia—they couldn’t seem to help themselves. Would Lucas be any different?

  Taking a break from flirting, Cyndia turned back to her sister. “So what have you been up to?”

  “Mostly hanging out here. I’ve gone to Vegas a couple of times.”

  Her sister sighed in exasperation. “You’re in Vegas, with Lucas who probably knows every nook and cranny of the place, but you’re sitting around here all day? Oh, babe, you never change.” Her head swiveled back to Lucas. “If I throw myself on your mercy, would you please pretty please take us out later so my poor sister can experience a little bit of life for once instead of hiding inside of her bubble?”

  Lucas couldn’t hide the amusement gleaming in his eyes. The jerk was enjoying this.

  “I think I can manage that.”

  Diane pursed her lips in thought. Maybe it was better this way. They could keep Cyndia out and distracted so she didn’t asking uncomfortable questions.

  “Why not make a day of it?” Cyndia asked. “Are you busy, Lucas?”

  He shrugged. “I have no plans.”

  Cyndia reached over and touched his hand. “Since you’re the expert, will you come up with something to do while I get my sister put together?”

  As Cyndia dragged her back upstairs, Diane glared at her back. It was like high school all over again. When she had closed the bedroom door, Cyndia leaned against it and fanned herself.

  “Damn, honey. Marcus is hot and all, but that one is enough to get your panties soaking at fifty feet!”

  Diane lifted one shoulder in a nonchalant shrug. “He’s nice.”

  “Nice?” she squealed in mock outrage, but then her eyes narrowed in thought. “I didn’t see a ring. Is he single?”

  “He’s a widower.”

  “Oh, really? Poor guy. Maybe I can console him while I’m here.” Cyndia plopped down on the edge of the bed and cocked her head. “What are you doing?”

  “Picking out an outfit.”

  “Oh, for god’s sake. You’re going to Vegas, Diane, not church.” She got up and pushed her sister aside so she could flip through the outfits in the closet. A brief mini dress caught her eye and she pondered it for a moment before shaking her head. “Aha!” She held up a clingy white dress with a lace top and a dark blue print on the skirt.

  “Better. It’s sexy as hell without slutting you up too much.” Her eyes returned to the mini dress. “Now for me...”

  “Borrow it if you want.”

  Cyndia looked her sister up and down. “You’ve lost some weight, so I’ll bet it will fit. What the hell.” She pulled the dress out with undisguised glee. “I’ll be right back.”

  Diane shook her head with mingled affection and annoyance. Cyndia meant well—she always did—but plowed through life and the people around her like a bull in a china shop. Still, Diane couldn’t help but love the wretch. She glanced down at the dress Cyndia had picked out for her. It actually wasn’t a bad choice. While it was nowhere near as sexy as the one Cyndia had selected for herself, it was enough to get her some attention from anyone not completely blinded by her sister.

  Once she had changed into the dress she went to the bathroom to finish getting ready, where Cyndia rejoined her a few minutes later. As she had expected, her sister was stunning in the mini dress.

  “How do I look?” her twin asked, twirling around for effect.

  “Amazing as always.”

  “You’re looking pretty hot yourself, sis. This lifestyle change seems to have agreed with you. Marcus must have worked some magic.”

  Diane suppressed a shudder of disgust. The only magic Marcus could work was the black kind. It was Lucas who had brought her back to life.

  “Thanks,” she said.

  Her sister picked up a brush and carefully ran it through Diane’s curls. “I have to say, this whole thing is so unlike you. It surprised the hell out of me when you just up and ran off with Marcus. He must really be something.”

  “He is that.”

  “So tell me about Lucas. Maybe we can both get lucky—one for you and one for me!”

  Diane replied with a noncommittal grunt. “He’s kind of a workaholic. I don’t think he’s really dated anyone since his wife died.”

  “I’ll just have to see about that.”

  “Well, you can try.”

  And Diane was going to kill her if she succeeded, sister or not.

  “There,” Cyndia announced with satisfaction as she put the finishing touches on Diane’s hair. “You are smokin’, babe! Let’s go make all the other women in Vegas jealous.”

  Lucas had changed into a pair of charcoal Dockers and a deep blue shirt that made the gold in his eyes glow, and Diane knew without having to look when her sister spotted him. She could practically feel Cyndia slipping all the way into temptress mode.

  “Oh, I am going to enjoy this,” Cyndia murmured.

  “You two look lovely,” Lucas said.

  While he smiled at them both, his eyes were on Diane when he spoke. She flushed a little then had to bite her lip. This wasn’t going to work. They were going to give themselves away before they even made it to Vegas. Luckily Cyndia seemed oblivious. She often was.

  When they followed Lucas into the garage, Cyndia stopped short with a startled squeak.

  “Is that a Ferrari?”

  “Yep. Unfortunately it’s only a two-seater, so you’ll have to settle for the Mercedes.”

  “I could sit on your lap.”

  Lucas chuckled as he unlocked his Mercedes. “As interesting as that might be, it would be a little too cramped. It’s not exactly the roomiest car in the world.”

  She shamelessly batted her big, blue eyes at him. “Maybe I can convince you to give me a ride later.”

  “We’ll see.”

  When he opened the front passenger door, Diane gritted her teeth as Cyndia jumped inside, leaving her to climb into the back. Lucas
didn’t bother to hide his amused smirk as he closed the door for her. He was enjoying this far too much. Cyndia turned in her seat to look at Diane, her eyes alight with glee.

  “The man has a freakin’ Ferrari!” she whispered. “I may just keep him. Have you ridden in it?”

  “A couple of times,” she replied with all the nonchalance she could muster.

  “Oh, you lucky... I swear I am going to get a ride before I go home.”

  They were interrupted when Lucas got in, and Cyndia spun to face him. “So where are we going?”

  “I thought we’d go to the Aria for lunch. Afterwards you can check out the shops if you want, and then head over to Bellagio and Caesar’s for a while. When you get hungry again we can go to Illusions, my father’s casino, for dinner. After that...” He shrugged. “We’ll see what happens.”

  Diane perked up at his list. Neither Marcus nor Lucas had taken her to Illusions, and she’d been curious to see it.

  “It all sounds great to me!” Cyndia said.

  As he backed out of the garage, Diane caught Lucas’s gaze in the rearview mirror. The tiny laugh lines at the corners of his eyes were showing, and she could tell he was fighting against a smirk. She gave him a severe look in response that rolled off of him like water off a duck. With a sigh she slumped down in the plush leather seat. He was going to be insufferable as long as Cyndia was here.

  Her sister kept up a light chatter through the whole drive. She had never been to Las Vegas before, so her excitement grew as she picked out the famous landmarks and hotels. Lucas parked in his private spot at Illusions, where they took a taxi down The Strip to Aria.

  To Diane’s growing annoyance, Cyndia latched onto Lucas’s arm and flirted outrageously as they walked to the French restaurant Lucas had picked out for brunch. Diane felt rather left out because Lucas was playing up to it, perhaps a little too much. She knew it was necessary to maintain the charade that they were practically strangers, but he didn’t have to be so enthusiastic about it! She fumed silently until their food came, but the brioche French toast and mimosas were so good that she forgot to be annoyed for a while.

  “This is incredible,” Cyndia gushed to Lucas, “but if I did this more than once a month I’d gain forty pounds! How can you live in a place like this with all these restaurants and fabulous food and not weigh three hundred pounds?”