The Platinum Collection. Maisey Yates
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been winging it as I usually do, but this is far more intense than it’s been with other guys, and he’s bound to start noticing I’m a bit weird about some things.’ She rolled her head to look straight at Elizabeth, a yearning appeal in her eyes. ‘You’ve worked for him for two years. Will it put him off me if I tell him I’m dyslexic?’
Having experienced how exacting he was about everything to do with work, Elizabeth could only answer, ‘I honestly don’t know, Lucy. Does it feel as though he’s in love with you?’
‘Well, definitely in lust.’ Her forehead puckered. ‘I can’t be sure that’s love, but I really want it to be, Ellie. More than I’ve wanted anything. I want him to care so much about having me, it won’t matter that I’m flawed.’
Elizabeth sat on the bed beside her and smoothed the worried furrows from her brow. ‘It shouldn’t matter if he loves you. And stop thinking of yourself as a dummy, Lucy. You’re very smart, and you have so many talents...any man would be lucky to have you in his life.’
She heaved a rueful sigh. ‘Well, I don’t want him to know yet. I couldn’t bear it if...’ Her eyes shot a pleading look at Elizabeth. ‘You haven’t told Harry, have you?’
‘No. And I won’t.’
‘I need more time. To give it a chance, you know?’
‘Yes, I know.’
‘I’ve been running off at the mouth about me. What about you and Harry?’
Elizabeth shrugged. ‘Same thing. More time needed.’
‘But you do like him.’
‘Yes.’ The hostility towards him had completely dissipated last night, as had the steaming vexation and resentment he had so frequently stirred. As it was now, there was nothing not to like.
Lucy propped herself on her elbow, an earnest expression on her face. ‘Promise me you won’t go off him if things don’t work out between me and Michael.’
She hadn’t expected Lucy, who had always seemed to be a live-in-the-moment person, to look ahead and see complications arising from the situation. It took her by surprise. Before she could consider the promise, Lucy rattled on.
‘Harry could be the right guy for you. Let’s face it...he’s gorgeous and sexy and wealthy and obviously keen to have you in his corner. You could be great together and I don’t want me to be the reason for you not having a future with him. I’d be happy to see you happy with him, Ellie, regardless of what happens between me and Michael.’
Deeply touched by her sister’s caring, she couldn’t help replying, ‘But being so madly in love with Michael, you’ll be hurt if he walks away from you.’ Just as she had been on Monday—totally shattered and never wanting to see him again.
‘Oh, I’ll muddle along like I always do,’ Lucy retorted with a wry grimace. ‘I’m good at putting things behind me. I’ve had a lot of practice at it.’ She reached out, took Elizabeth’s hand and squeezed it reassuringly. ‘You mustn’t worry about me. Go for what you want. You deserve a good life, Ellie.’
‘So do you.’
‘Well, maybe we’ll both achieve it. Who knows? I just want to clear the deck for you and Harry. Now tell me you’re okay with that.’
Elizabeth heaved a sigh to relieve the heavy emotional fullness in her chest and finally said, ‘I’m okay if you’re okay.’ She squeezed her sister’s hand back. ‘Whatever happens with either of us, we’ll always have each other, Lucy.’
‘Absolutely!’ she agreed, the earnestness breaking into a wide grin. ‘Now let’s go get our men!’ She bounced off the bed and twirled around in a happy dance. ‘Let’s have a fabulous weekend, following our hearts’ desire and not thinking about tomorrow.’ She paused in the doorway to the living room to give Elizabeth a wise look. ‘You never know when something might strike us dead so we do what we want to do. Right?’
‘Right!’ Elizabeth echoed, suddenly wondering how much of Lucy’s attitudes and behaviour stemmed from their mother’s early death and the suffering that had preceded it. She’d only been seventeen. Would Michael wrap her in the loving security blanket she needed? It was simply impossible to know at this point.
When she and Lucy emerged from the apartment, the two men were still standing where they’d left them in the office. Michael’s attention instantly swivelled away from Harry, his face lighting up with pleasure at seeing her sister again. He held out his arms in a welcome-back gesture and Lucy waltzed straight into them, laughing up at him as she curled her arms around his neck.
‘All done here?’ he asked indulgently.
‘Yes. But I want all four of us to lunch together in the restaurant.’
He threw a quick appeal to his brother. ‘That can be arranged?’
‘Leave it with me,’ Harry said, not exactly committing to the idea. ‘Why don’t you take Lucy across to the restaurant, order a bottle of wine, and we’ll join you when we’ve cleared the way?’
‘See you soon,’ Lucy tossed at Elizabeth as Michael scooped her away with him.
Which left her alone with Harry.
She’d been watching Michael very intently, wishing she could see into his mind and heart, knowing now that he could hurt Lucy very badly if lust didn’t turn into love. This wasn’t another flash-in-the-pan attraction for her—easy come, easy go.
Was he the right man for her sister?
A little while ago she had believed he was the perfect match for herself. It was hard to get her head around transferring that sense of rightness to the connection between Michael and Lucy, but at least it didn’t hurt anymore. She felt no jealousy. No envy. Just a rather horrid sense that fate was playing a capricious trick in seeding attractions with the potential to mess up their lives.
* * *
Harry clenched his hands in instinctive fighting mode. Throughout the whole encounter with Mickey and Lucy, Elizabeth’s attention had been trained on them. She hadn’t looked to him for any help. Even now with them gone, her focus was inward, probably measuring her feelings and unwilling to reveal them.
Was she still obsessed with Mickey?
He needed to know.
‘Elizabeth...’ he said more tersely than he’d meant to.
Her gaze flicked up to his. He saw no pain in her eyes. It was more a look of curious assessment. Of him. Was she comparing what she’d felt for Mickey with how she now felt about him? Last night’s intimacy had to have had some impact on her. She’d responded to him very positively.
‘If you’d rather not have lunch with them...’ he started, willing to make up some excuse for her to avoid spending more time in their company if she found it intolerable.
‘No, it’s fine,’ she cut in. ‘If it’s okay with you for me to vacate the office for the lunch hour.’
‘You’re sure?’ he asked, wanting absolute confirmation that she was free of any angst over her sister’s connection with his brother.
A whimsical smile softened her expression as she walked towards him. To his surprise and delight, when she reached him she slid her hands up his chest and linked them around the back of his neck. ‘Lucy said to go get our men and right now you’re my man, Harry. I hope you’re happy about that,’ she said in a soft seductive lilt.
Was it true?
He fiercely didn’t want it to be on the rebound.
He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into full body contact with him. No resistance. In fact, she rubbed herself teasingly against him, stirring an instant erection. Her eyes blazed with a boldness he’d never seen in them and he sensed a determination in her to take life by the scruff