L yric took longer than necessary in the shower and lingered in the bathroom long after she’d dried her hair and done her makeup. The truth was, she was nervous. She wasn’t sure how to act around Connor now. The last twenty-four hours had seen a 180 in their relationship. She wasn’t used to this uncertainty. She called the shots in all her sexual relationships. Nothing touched her. Nothing got to her. It was all casual and meaningless. Everything was on her terms. With Connor she felt like she was spinning out of control. It was a helpless, panicky feeling. A knock sounded at her door. “Lyric, we need to be going.” She hesitated and then opened the door to see Connor standing there. “I’m ready.” “Kane’s waiting downstairs with the car.” “You’re riding with me.” He touched her arm. “Of course. You don’t go anywhere without me.” She breathed a soft sigh of relief. He escorted her down the stairs and out front to the circle drive where a limousine was parked. She wrinkled her nose. “Seems a bit conspicuous, don’t you think?” “It’s armored,” Connor said. “Bulletproof windows. You’ll be safe.” Her eyes widened. “Do you really think I’m in that much danger?” Kane, who was standing by the limo, straightened and opened the passenger door for Lyric. “We always assume the worst. That way we don’t get any nasty surprises.” She slid into the roomy interior and scooted around the curved seat to allow Connor to duck in. She held her breath, waiting to see if Kane would slide in as well. To her relief, he shut the door, leaving her and Connor alone. “He’s just doing his job,” Connor said with a hint of amusement. “I don’t like him,” she muttered. “He makes me nervous.” Connor raised an eyebrow as the car pulled away from the house. “I didn’t think anyone made you nervous, Miss Badass.” She pulled a face at him. “Did you make all the phone calls you needed to make?” he asked. “Most. Not all,” she admitted. “I didn’t call Paul. I wasn’t in the mood to hear him bitch.” Connor’s expression darkened. “You need to tell him to shut the fuck up. You’re making him a fuckload of money. He can lighten the hell up.” She shrugged. “Depends on who you ask, I guess. According to him, he’s doing me a favor.” Connor snorted. “If he ever thought you were walking, he’d bend over backward to kiss your ass. When I first met you I thought that everyone around you kissed your ass too much. Now I think you’re surrounded by a bunch of assholes.” She grinned. “And in the beginning, I thought you were the biggest asshole of them all.” “And now?” She pretended to consider the matter as she studied him. “Now I think you’re a pretty okay guy.” Her phone rang and she checked the display screen. She rolled her eyes and hit the ignore button. “Does your phone always ring twenty-four/seven?” he asked. She sighed. “Pretty much. There is no shortage of people always trying to keep me in line. They either want to call me to bitch at me, call me to remind me to be somewhere, or call me to ask me to do something.” “So not very much ‘Hi, how are you?’ then.” She stopped and considered for a moment and then laughed. “No, I suppose not. I can’t remember the last time someone called just to say hi or ask me how I was doing.” Connor shook his head. Half an hour later, the limo pulled up to the stage entrance of the stadium. Connor got out and scanned the area before reaching back for Lyric’s hand. Kane and his men took position around them just as her manager strode out of the back entrance and made a beeline for Lyric. Connor immediately stepped in front of Lyric and wrapped a protective arm around her, shoving her into his back. Kane stepped in front of Connor while his men pushed in around Lyric. “Get the hell out of my way,” Paul barked. “I’m her manager.” Connor halted him with an icy glare. “Get her inside,” Kane barked. “The reunion will wait until then.” Paul didn’t look happy to be ordered about, but he had little choice as the men closed ranks and ushered Lyric inside the building. “Where the hell have you been?” Paul demanded once they were inside. “I’ve been waiting here for two hours. There are things to go over and I couldn’t very well go over the details of your performance without you.” Lyric sighed and wished he’d just shut up. She had no desire for one of his tantrums in front of everyone else. Connor’s face had darkened to a storm cloud and his jaw was set in a rigid line as he glared at Paul. “I’m fifteen minutes early, Paul. Calm down.” Paul reached for her elbow to pull her down the hallway but Connor cut him off and wrapped a protective arm around Lyric’s shoulders. Paul shot Connor a disdainful look but continued to the meeting room where the rodeo execs were waiting. Paul did most of the talking, and by the time it was over, Lyric had a headache. He made silly demands, argued every point, and finally Lyric told him to shut up. She apologized to the assembled people and then listened as they went over the schedule. Next they gave her a tour of the rotating stage that was used for all the performers at the rodeo and gave her a preview of the screen graphics for the background. She met with the band since hers wouldn’t be making the show and rehearsed the songs she’d be singing for the show. Three hours later, it was done and she left the building, surrounded by Kane and his men. The car was waiting, but before she could slip into it, Paul caught up to her and grabbed her arm. She turned in surprise and glanced pointedly at his hand. “We need to talk, Lyric. What the hell is going on with you? You look like shit. Have you even tried to stay in shape for your tour dates? You only have a few weeks off and then you go back on the road. You’ve gained at least ten pounds, if not more. You don’t want to look like a slob onstage. This is your career. You could at least act like it’s important to you.” Her cheeks burned with humiliation. She wanted to crawl into a hole and die. It shocked her that he would confront her in front of Connor and Kane and the others. But then, he wouldn’t consider them important. They were just the hired bodyguards. Beside her, Connor hissed in anger and took a step toward Paul. Paul was oblivious to just how pissed Connor was, but Lyric could see the fury in Connor’s eyes. “Instead of stuffing your face and lying around, why don’t you make it to the gym or, better yet, have some exercise equipment delivered to the house Phillip rented for you? Your fans don’t pay big bucks to see your fat ass onstage. They pay to see a lean, sleek performer.” He didn’t get another word out before Connor slammed him into the wall. “What the fuck?” Paul spit out. He looked to Kane. “Get him the hell off me. You’re fired. You’re all fired.” Kane crossed his arms over his chest. “Get who off you? I don’t see anyone. The only thing I see is a loudmouthed, disrespectful asshole who is about to get his ass beat. Deservedly so.” Lyric watched, openmouthed, as Connor gathered Paul’s shirt in his hands and got into his face. “Listen to me, you piece of shit. You shut the fuck up. If I ever hear you talk to Lyric that way again, I’ll tear your nuts off and cram them down your throat. Are we clear?” Paul’s eyes bulged out of his head and he gaped at Connor and then at Lyric. “Are you going to let him get away with talking to me that way?” Connor slammed him against the wall again. “The only words I want to hear out of your mouth are an apology to Lyric. Now.” Connor’s hand tightened and pushed into Paul’s throat, cutting off his air. “I’m s-sorry,” Paul stammered. “You know I only want the best for you, Lyric.” Lyric recovered her wits and walked forward, her mind still whirling from Connor’s reaction. She stopped just a foot away from where Connor’s hand was still wrapped around Paul’s neck. For a long moment she simply stood there and watched him grow more and more uncomfortable. Sweat beaded on his brow and he glanced between her and Connor nervously. “Paul?” she finally said. “Fuck off.” She spun around and headed toward the car where Kane had already opened the door. A smile hovered over his lips, and as she climbed in, he murmured, “Well done, Ms. Jones.” Lyric slid over as far as she could and directed her gaze out the opposite window. For the first time, she wanted to be alone. She didn’t want to face Connor or have him witness her absolute humiliation. Her face burned, and she was so mortified that she literally wanted to close herself off in her room for a week. She wasn’t so lucky. Connor climbed into the back of the limo and a few moments later the car pulled away. She refused to look at him. She didn’t want to see sympathy or pity staring back at her. The silence was suffocating and she could feel him watching her. Connor was furious. He couldn’t remember a time he’d been this pissed. He’d wanted to kill that son of a bitch. He still wanted to kill him. He’d seen Lyric’s face when Paul had spewed his venom. He’d seen her pale, seen her draw into herself. Everything that Connor had told her had been erased by a stupid bastard who couldn’t see how beautiful Lyric was. And now she sat so still and rigid, making herself as small as possible, refusing to look at him. She was embarrassed—who could blame her? And that pissed Connor off even more. She had nothing to be ashamed of. Nothing to be embarrassed over. He couldn’t hold silent any longer. “Lyric. Look at me.” She flinched. Closed her eyes but held her chin firm, her gaze still fixed out the window. “Lyric.” He waited. He was patient. She had enough assholes in her life only too willing to shit on her. He wasn’t going to be one of them. Finally her shoulders sagged and she turned slowly, her eyes dull. He hated that more than anything. He liked her “fuck you” attitude. He liked that she didn’t flinch in a stare-down. That she’d take on anyone and anything. That wasn’t the woman he was seeing now, and it infuriated him. “He’s an asshole. You should fire him. You deserve better than that.” She shrugged. “He’s good at what he does. He made me. I owe him.” Connor had to call back the snarl. His lips curled and it took a few moments before he could calmly respond. “Bullshit.” That surprised her. Her eyes narrowed and she cocked her head to the side. “You don’t owe him shit. Lyric, this is business. You ought to know that. If you weren’t so upset by what that moron said, you’d realize it. You pay him. If I had to guess, he gets paid way too damn much. That’s all you owe him. A paycheck. Until such time as he no longer provides the service you pay him for, and quite frankly, I’d say the only service you need from him is for him to go fuck himself.” The corner of her mouth lifted into a half smile. “You made yourself. You worked hard. You’ve got talent. Without those things it wouldn’t matter what the hell he did or didn’t do for you. You made yourself. Don’t forget that.” She smiled fully now and some of the light came back to her eyes. “No one has the right to talk to you like that,” he continued. “Not him. Not Phillip. Your biggest power is the willingness to walk away. The moment they realize you’re willing to do that, I think you’ll see a dramatic turnaround in their attitudes. I still think you should fire Paul’s ass, though. You can’t tell me there isn’t another manager who can do his job and keep their goddamn mouth shut while doing it.” To his utter shock, she launched herself across the seat and into his arms. She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him so tight that his oxygen was momentarily cut off. He was happy to tuck her more firmly in his embrace. He curled his arms around her and held her against him, inhaling the sweet scent of her hair. And because he simply couldn’t resist, he brushed his lips over her head and kissed and nuzzled, offering her comfort. “He’s wrong, you know.” She went still, waiting. He tightened his hold and laid his cheek over the top of her head. “You look fantastic. There is nothing about you that isn’t drop-dead sexy.” He felt her smile against his neck. “You probably think I’m talking shit. I’m not. I don’t need to kiss your ass. There’s no reason for me to lie to you. You can’t fire me. You don’t have anything I want or need. Except you. Just you. And that drop-dead, sexy-as-sin body of yours.” She laughed softly and her body shook against his. He stroked a hand over her hair, content to let her lie against him, warm, snuggly and relaxed. “You’re good for my ego, Connor. You say things in a way that makes me think you mean them. I don’t get that very often. It’s become second nature for me to disregard any compliment because I’m always suspicious of the motive behind it. Isn’t that sad?” “Yeah, it is. But hey, at least for now, you have me to keep it real for you.” She pushed away from his chest and smiled down at him, her eyes alight with joy. It made her seem softer. Like a girl instead of a hardened woman. It completely changed her appearance and he was hard-pressed to even put this woman together with the woman he’d first met backstage with the outrageous pink hair and “fuck you” attitude. It gave him an indescribable thrill that he was likely one of the few people in the world who got to see the woman behind the layers. He may not have earned her complete trust, but on some level she did trust him. Enough to let down the barriers. He gathered her back in his arms and squeezed. “What’s next on the agenda?” She sighed. “I have that meet and greet after the show. Nothing until then, though. I need to give Kane my schedule. I promised I would. I feel so disorganized right now. I know it sounds bad, but when I’m on the road, I don’t have to think about where I have to be or go. I have people to push me here or there, and I’ve gotten used to that.” He ran his hands over her soft curves and rubbed her back until she was loose and relaxed against him. “Not bad. I’m sure it’s crazy for you. You need people for that, but they need to be people you trust.” “It’s hard. I don’t trust anyone. I don’t expect people to be trustworthy. I never really thought about it before you said something about it, but I suppose it really is a shitty way to live. After a while you just accept that things are the way they are and you just go with it.” “You can change that, Lyric. People will only do what you allow them to do. It’s okay to push back. It’s okay to expect more from the people around you. That doesn’t make you unreasonable. It makes you smart.” “No one’s ever accused me of being smart,” she said dryly. “Then they’re morons.” She pushed away again so she could look into his eyes. She raised her hand to cup his jaw and she stroked over his face with featherlight fingers. “I hated you when we first met. I could see the disapproval in your eyes and it pissed me off. It made me mad that it mattered to me what you thought.” He grimaced but she shushed him with a finger to his lips. “I’m glad Phillip hired you. I’m woman enough to admit I was wrong about you. I’m glad you’re here,” she finished softly. He kissed her finger, then sucked it into his mouth and nibbled delicately at the tip. “I’m glad I’m here too.” “Think the chef has any more of those cupcakes?” she asked wistfully. He grinned as realization hit her. “To eat!” she protested. “I want them to eat!” “Nobody says you can’t eat them,” he said silkily. “I don’t know about you, but my mama never said anything about not playing with my food.” She laughed, and the sound was vibrant and alive in his ears. It made him want to do all sorts of mushy stuff that he’d give other men shit over. But with her it just felt right. She shifted and he was afraid at first that she was going to move back to her seat. But she settled down against his chest and he wrapped his arms around her again and cradled her. She gave a soft little sigh that told him she was as contented as he was. He smiled to himself and nuzzled his face into her hair. CHAPTER 21
L yric was sitting in the kitchen with Connor eating a cupcake when Kane stalked into the kitchen, a grim expression in his face. Her heart sank. What could it be now? She tensed, ready to go on the offensive. Connor simply placed his hand over hers, a gesture that calmed her considerably. “Your manager is here and demands to see you,” Kane said. “Want me to get rid of him?” He said it in such a way that sent chills down Lyric’s spine. She could envision Kane stuffing him into a trunk and disposing of his body. He looked serious enough to actually be contemplating it. She sighed. “No. Let him come up. I need to deal with this.” Connor frowned, but this time it was she who put her hand over his. “I’m coming with you,” Connor muttered. “That son of a bitch better be respectful or I’m going to take him apart.” Lyric smiled and stood. “I can take care of myself, though I appreciate the sentiment.” Still, Connor followed her into the living room, where they waited as Kane disappeared outside the house. A few moments later, Kane returned, walking ahead of two of his men. Paul was held between the two bodyguards and he was steaming mad. His face was red and puffed up with visible anger. When the two men flanking him finally let him go, he shook and then lunged away from them, rubbing his arm as he glared at the offenders. “Lyric, what the hell is going on here?” he demanded. “This is completely unacceptable! Who are these men to tell me what I can or can’t do? They manhandled me! I’m going to sue!” Lyric rolled her eyes, then crossed her arms over her chest and stared at the man who’d controlled the better part of her life for the past several years. “You’re fired, Paul.” Her calm words had the effect of a gunshot. Paul recoiled and his mouth fell open. It worked up and down but nothing came out for several long seconds. Then he exploded. “Fired? Fired? You can’t fire me.” “The hell she can’t,” Connor shot back. Again she put a hand on Connor’s arm. He quieted and stepped back to allow her to continue. Maybe it was the calm in her eyes or her demeanor. Paul went from furious to placating and pleading in a nanosecond. “You can’t fire me, Lyric. You owe me. I put you on the map. We’re a team, you and me. Look, I’m sorry for the things I said, but you know I was just looking out for you. I want what’s best for you.” Lyric glanced at Connor and smiled. He winked, and she drew strength from that small gesture. Connor was right. He was absolutely right and she’d never seen it until he pushed. She turned back to Paul. “I don’t owe you anything. I paid you for services rendered. That’s the only compensation I owed you. From this point forward our relationship is severed. You won’t be allowed access to me in the future. If you have anything at all to say, you can contact Phillip or my lawyer.” Paul’s shock turned to ugly, black fury. He took a step forward and pointed a finger close to her face. “You won’t get away with this, Lyric. I know too much about you. I’ll bury you.” Connor and Kane both stepped in front of Lyric. The two security men took hold of Paul’s arms. Connor waved them off. “Let me give you a piece of advice,” Connor bit out. “Don’t threaten Lyric ever. There isn’t a place on this earth you can hide from me.” “Or me,” Kane interjected. “If you do anything, if you say anything, with the intent of damaging Lyric’s career, her reputation or her personally, I’ll hunt you down and I’ll take you apart piece by piece.” “You’re threatening me!” “You’re damn right, I am. And if you think I’m just blowing smoke up your ass, I invite you to try me. I’m not much on words but I sure as hell will kick your sorry ass if you utter so much as a peep. You got me?” Paul’s face lost color. His eyes darted back and forth between Kane and Connor and he sagged like a deflated balloon. “Get him out of here,” Connor ordered. Lyric watched as Paul was hauled out of the living room. She felt an odd sense of elation. As if she’d lost the ten pounds that Paul had complained about. She felt ridiculously light and freaking giddy. She smiled broadly as Connor and Kane both turned their attention back to her. “I don’t suppose either of you know of a good manager, do you?” Kane actually cracked a smile. She was surprised his face didn’t crumble with the effort. Connor slipped an arm around her and hugged her to him. “I’m proud of you for taking a stand, Lyric. The bastard needed his ass kicked.” “Would you really hunt him down?” she asked curiously. Connor frowned. “Hell yeah.” “Thank you,” she said as her grin got bigger. She turned to include Kane. “Thank you both.” “I can make his life miserable for him if you want,” Kane offered. “You’re not even joking, are you,” Lyric muttered. “Nope. I don’t have a sense of humor.” At that, Lyric chuckled. Her cell phone went off and she sighed. “The man works fast. He must have speed-dialed Phillip on his way out the door.” “So don’t answer,” Connor said. Lyric stared down at the phone in her hand. Then she looked back up and grinned. “Anyone up for another cupcake?” “Did he make chocolate?” Kane asked in a hopeful voice. CHAPTER 22
T hree cupcakes and four missed calls later, Lyric licked the last of the frosting from her fingers and sighed in satisfaction. Her phone went off again and she lifted an eyebrow at it. “He’s persistent, isn’t he?” Connor grunted. “I’m surprised he hasn’t called you.” Connor held up his phone and flashed her the screen that said he had as many missed calls. “Ha-ha! You turned your ringer off. Smart guy.” “He’s probably calling to fire me,” Connor said wryly. “He probably thinks I’m a bad influence on you. But if I don’t answer the phone, he can’t very well fire me, right?” She snorted. “You, a bad influence on me?” “Yeah, I know, right? How ridiculous is that? Everyone knows you’re the miscreant here. Not me.” He looked so damn innocent saying it that she had to laugh. “I bet you got away with murder as a child.” He shook his head. “Nope. Pop would have kicked my ass.” “And your mom?” He grimaced. “She and Pop split up when I was young.” “Oh. Sorry to hear that.” “Shit happens.” “Yeah,” she said softly. “Connor, I need a minute when you get a chance,” Kane said. “Just got a report we need to run over.” Lyric’s brow creased as she looked between the men. “Report?” “Yeah. We’ve been running background checks, criminal histories, stuff like that on all the people who work with you or have access to you.” “And?” she prompted. Kane shrugged. “Don’t know yet. Just got the e-mail on my BlackBerry. I’ll need to log on to a computer and print it out. Connor and I can split it up and look over it. This will probably take a while so if you need anything, let one of my men know.” That was it. He wasn’t sharing anything further. It frustrated her on one hand, but there was a part of her that didn’t want to know if someone close to her was fucking with her. She didn’t trust anyone, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t be pissed that someone she’d allowed into her circle had betrayed her. But shouldn’t she know these things? Shouldn’t she be aware of any potential threat that existed? Connor stood and then laid a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. “We’ll let you know as soon as we’ve gone through all the information. I won’t keep anything from you. You have my word.” She nodded. “I think I’ll go for a swim. Is that allowed?” She looked innocently at Kane as she asked. “You’re safe here. My men will be watching. Go take your swim.” Making sure she hid the mischief she knew was brewing in her eyes, she sidestepped Connor and headed for the stairs. “Y’all have fun going through your reports.” As she bopped up the stairs it occurred to her that she actually felt... happy. Not in a disgusting “Zip a Dee Doo Dah” way. She wouldn’t be busting out the sunshine songs or anything. But she felt relieved, happy and a little excited all at the same time. She felt strong. Empowered. A little more in control of her own destiny. It shamed her to realize just how much she’d allowed to go on around her. She literally bounced from person to person, always allowing others to control the puppet strings. She performed. She did what she was told. She ate was she was told to eat. She exercised when she was told to exercise. She smiled when someone said smile. She performed like a windup doll. And she’d been perfectly miserable the whole time. Angry and miserable. She’d embraced such an existence because she truly felt it was what she deserved. But was it really? She shook her head, unwilling to mar what was shaping up to be a perfect day with dark memories. She didn’t want to go there. She didn’t want to think about things she couldn’t change. What she wanted to do was enjoy a swim and maybe tweak Connor in the process. He’d probably be pissed, but the impish demon inside her simply couldn’t resist the desire to needle him. Yep. A simple little swim would be fun. And she hadn’t had fun in a damn long time. Not until she’d met Connor and his friends and allowed herself to relax and truly enjoy the company of others. She liked it. Liked it a hell of a lot. She didn’t bother searching her stuff for a suit. She didn’t have one. She stripped down until she was bare-assed naked and then threw on a robe and tied the ends for her trip down the stairs. Connor had told her to enjoy herself. She planned to take him up on it.
“You realize we’re going to get totally busted for this,” Julie said as Sam rolled to a stop at the gates of the house Lyric was staying in. Serena waved a dismissive hand as Sam rolled down the window to address the guard. “What are they going to do, shoot us?” “Maybe,” Faith murmured as she surveyed the automatic slung over the guard’s shoulder. “We are here to see Ms. Jones,” Sam said in his somber voice. “Sorry, sir. No one gets onto the premises without direct authorization.” Angelina’s eyes widened. Direct authorization? she mouthed. “Let me take care of this. Lyric gave me her cell number,” Julie said as she yanked out her cell. She held up a finger through the window to the guard. She punched in Lyric’s number and waited as it rang. “I could just call Connor,” Faith offered. Julie snorted. “And let him get all pissy with us for coming without his permission? Oh, hi, Lyric, it’s Julie Tucker.” She held up a finger to silence the other girls. “I’m good. Hey, what are you doing right now? Swimming? Oh that sounds fun. Uh yeah, we’re kind of here at your front gates only the dude with the gun won’t let us in without proper authorization. Think you could help us out with that?” Julie’s face split into a grin. “Yeah, sure.” She closed the phone and leaned over the front seat to look out at the guard. “Ms. Jones will be calling you shortly.” On cue, the guard reached for his phone and sent a glare into the car. “Ms. Jones,” he greeted. “Yes, there are four women here to see you.” There was a pause. “No, I don’t think that’s a good idea. Perhaps it would be better if I were to speak to Mr. Malone or Mr. Murphy.” He winced. “Yes, of course, I understand Mr. Malone and Mr. Murphy are in an important meeting. No, ma’am, I understand. Yes, of course. I’ll let them in immediately.” “That’s our girl,” Serena said with a grin. The gate swung open and the guard motioned them in, though he looked less than happy to be doing so. Sam drove the car up the drive and parked in front. “Lyric said for us to come around to the pool,” Julie said as they all piled out. “You going to make it, Angelina?” Angelina shot her a glare as Sam helped her from the car. “I’m not that huge.” “Yet,” Julie said with a grin. “I’m so going to drown you,” Angelina muttered. “I feel it best if I accompany you ladies,” Sam said stiffly. Serena patted his arm. “Of course, Sam. You can keep us safe from all the guys with guns.” He pinched his lips together. “I still don’t think this was a good idea. Mr. Roche will be most displeased if I allow any harm to come to you.” “Mr. Roche does not have to know of all my comings and goings,” Serena said dryly. Two guards appeared, both armed, and they glanced warily at the women. Julie couldn’t say she entirely blamed them. Women were probably scarier creatures than a whole horde of men with knives and guns. “Can you direct us to the pool?” Julie asked airily. “They won’t really shoot us, will they?” Faith whispered as they started forward. “I’ll pretend I’m in labor if they do any funny stuff,” Angelina said in a low voice. “Pregnant women always scare the shit out of men.” Sam hovered protectively over the women as they traipsed around the side of the house. He shot scowls at the men who flanked them. It was pretty funny because Julie’s money was on Sam in a throwdown. He might come across as all starchy and straitlaced, but he was a big son of a bitch and he got growly when it came to “his” women. As soon as the gate to the pool was opened, they saw Lyric pressed against the side of the pool, staring expectantly in their direction. She lifted an arm to wave, and it was then Julie realized Lyric didn’t have a stitch of clothing on. She started laughing. The others stared at Julie and then back at Lyric, and Faith’s mouth formed an O. “Hey!” Lyric called. “Gosh, I’m so glad to see you guys. How on earth did you manage it? I’m practically kept prisoner here, with no visitation, I might add.” “We’re on the lam today,” Faith said. Serena burst out laughing. “Lam? Faith, you crack me up sometimes.” “Well, the men don’t know where we are. We’re supposed to be ‘shopping.’ They’d probably have a kitten if they knew we’d come over here. But honestly, what do they think is going to happen? We have Sam, and Lyric has guys hanging from the tree branches with guns.” Lyric chuckled. “I asked Connor if I could have you guys over and he gave me the spiel about how it wasn’t safe, blah blah, and he’s right, but I’m awfully glad to see you, and you’re already here, so there’s no reason for you to leave!” “Are we interrupting?” Angelina asked with a pointed glance in Lyric’s direction. Lyric glanced down and then back up at the women and grinned. “Oh no. Connor and Kane are mulling over background checks, criminal records and all that fun stuff, so I decided to take a swim. I figure Connor will pop a button when he sees I’m skinny-dipping.” “In more ways than one,” Julie muttered. “Why don’t you guys come in? The water’s great. I’ll have the chef make us something yummy. I’ll have drinks made. Whatever you guys want.” Julie glanced at the other women. “We didn’t exactly come prepared to swim, and it’s cold out today! Aren’t you freezing?” Lyric arched an eyebrow. “So? The pool is heated and you don’t need a suit.” “A swim would feel really nice,” Angelina said with a sigh. “We can fire up the hot tub later if you find the water too cold,” Lyric offered. Faith frowned. “But not too hot. It isn’t good for Angelina.” “So strip and get in,” Lyric said. Sam cleared his throat. “Perhaps I should relay your wishes to the chef and make myself available inside.” Serena laughed. “Good idea, Sam.” She turned to the other women. “Well? Are we up to being totally daring?” “Or are you chiiickennn,” Lyric taunted. “Oh hell no, you did not call me chicken,” Julie muttered. Lyric pushed off from the side of the pool and swam backward to the center of the pool. “Last one in doesn’t get the really yummy cupcakes the chef baked.” “Chef? Cupcakes?” Faith shook her head. “I must be doing something wrong.” “I want that cupcake,” Angelina said as she started pulling at her pants. Laughter and shrieks hit the air as the women all started shucking out of their clothes. Shirts and pants flew through the air and soon it looked like an orgy had taken place on the patio as clothes hung from every chair, were strewn on the ground, and panties and bras hung from the bushes lining the walkway. Soon they were all in the water, and for Lyric, what she’d thought was an absolutely perfect day had just gotten better. “Did you swear Sam to secrecy?” Angelina asked Serena. “I really don’t want the guys to come barging in and ruin our girly day.” “I can have one of the guards shoot them,” Lyric said calmly. She swam to the side of the pool and looped her arms along the concrete to hold herself up as she kicked her feet below the surface. “They won’t wonder where we are for a few hours yet,” Serena said confidently. “They were all so relieved that he was stuck taking us shopping that they won’t even think to look for us.” “Except Damon, who loves to shop for you,” Faith said smugly. Serena shrugged. “What can I say? The man has better taste in clothing than I do.” Lyric eyed the intricate gold band on Serena’s upper arm and remembered Damon’s possessive caress and the way he touched her there often. “So how have you been, Lyric?” Angelina asked. “Is Connor still being mean to you?” Lyric felt heat rush into her cheeks. The other women obviously noticed it too because their eyes sharpened like vultures going after road kill. “Ohhh,” Faith said. “Okay, spill!” Julie demanded. “Oh my God, Serena and I have been dying to know all about Mr. Stick Up His Ass. I’ll admit to him firing more than a few girly fantasies.” Faith clamped her hands over her ears and promptly fell underwater. She came up sputtering and holding her hand out. “Oh please. No. He’s my brother, for God’s sake. I don’t want to hear this!” Angelina rolled her eyes. “Your brother is hot, Faith. Deal.” “He isn’t mean,” Lyric defended. “He’s been very...” “Uh-huh,” Serena said knowingly. “Very good? Very sexy?” Lyric laughed. “Well, yes and yes.” Julie grinned. “Oh this is great. I love it. Connor Malone has met his match.” “I wouldn’t go that far,” Lyric said carefully. “Oh crap, men alert,” Faith said as she ducked farther underneath the water. Lyric looked up to see the chef and one of his assistants carry out a platter of hors d’oeuvres. “Oh stop it, Faith. You’re freaking gorgeous. Let them look and lust over what they’ll never have,” Julie said cheekily. “You guys are so never telling Gray about this,” Faith squeaked. “He’ll kick my ass.” The chef cleared his throat and did his best to avert his gaze, though Lyric could see him totally sneaking glances. “I would be happy to provide drinks for you ladies. I have a fully stocked liquor cabinet, and one of my assistants is a trained bartender.” “Ohhh, Lyric. You have all the good stuff,” Julie sighed. Lyric grinned. “Well, order up. I’ve never tried drunk swimming before. Maybe we should see if any of the security team is a trained lifeguard?” “Not a bad idea,” Faith said. “Ask Sam to come out,” Serena said to the chef. “What?” she asked when the other women looked at her. “He’s seen me naked before. Hello? Damon keeps me naked pretty much twenty-four/seven when we’re at home.” “Do I even want to know?” Lyric asked. “Oh we’ll fill you in on Serena’s lifestyle after a few drinks,” Angelina said. Serena turned and lifted an imperious brow in Angelina’s direction. “And yours?” Angelina flushed but laughed good-naturedly. “Okay, maybe not.” “There I go, feeling frighteningly boring again,” Lyric said. “You guys are killing me with all these interesting comments.” “I’m the only normal slash sane one in this group,” Julie said. Julie was immediately swamped with waves of water as Faith, Angelina and Serena all drenched her. “Drinks, ladies?” the chef reminded. “Oh yeah, forgot,” Lyric said. And now that the chef and his wide-eyed assistant had gotten quite the show... “Hmm, why don’t you surprise us?” Serena suggested. “Make us some yummy, fruity cocktails with the cute little umbrellas. We can stage our own little beach getaway here at the pool.” The chef nodded, then turned and had to nudge his assistant to get him to snap his attention away from the women. Angelina grabbed on to one of the floaties and rested her chin atop it as she floated lazily in the deep end. “This is so nice. I feel like a walrus, mind you, but man, this feels wonderful.” “I’m so glad you all came,” Lyric said. “This has been such a great day and now it’s only better.” “Oh? Do tell,” Julie prompted. Lyric grinned and she reached for one of the floats lying on the side of the pool, then propelled herself along the surface of the water so that she floated close to Angelina. “I fired my manager.” “Whoa. Really?” Faith asked. Lyric nodded. “Yep. Thanks to Connor.” “Wow, we obviously need deets here,” Julie said. “I’ll tell you all about it. Over drinks,” she said smugly. CHAPTER 23
