“That was over an hour of your time, Lucy. I owe you for that.”
“Okay. You owe me a date, and this,” she murmured as she hypnotized him with her wolf-blue eyes, tilted her chin up, and pressed her lips to his. He was surprised for a millisecond but then desire burst to life inside him as she slid her palms up his biceps and wrapped her arms around his neck. Her breasts were plush, pressed against his chest, and he groaned when she leaned her voluptuous body against his from knees to nose and moaned softly.
He slid his hands from her waist up her back and tangled them in her long black hair. Her lips were even softer than he’d imagined as she tilted her head and allowed him to deepen the kiss, stroking his tongue with hers as she opened for him. His cock, which had finally given him a respite was back to its previously erect state and she very subtly rubbed her pelvis against his, letting him know she was aware of it.
Usually pretty circumspect with the outward emotions, Beck was struck by how much he wanted to beat his chest and throw her over his shoulder. She unleashed something in him and instead of it being disturbing, it felt freeing. He wanted to crush her to him as the wave of emotional tension shimmered and then burst inside him and he was hard pressed to restrain himself from laying another passionate kiss on her.
“Wow.” Motion caught his attention through the glass-fronted entrance. “Uh-oh.”
“What?” she murmured as she rested her forehead against his chest and sounded like she was composing herself or catching her breath.
“We had an audience.”
Her head popped up and she turned to check the back of the shop then looked out the door. “Oh, crap. Of all the people.”
The dark-haired woman stood on the sidewalk, hands on hips, gawking in at them. She pursed her lips into a haughty twist and shook an accusing finger at them. He couldn’t hear her muffled words through the glass but could make out what she was saying. “Shame on you!” She turned up her nose and continued on her way.
Lucy growled. “If it wasn’t for the fact that I’m a newly self-employed and have several of her friends as customers, I’d flip her the bird and see if she can read my lips when I tell her to fuck off.”
“She looks vaguely familiar. Who is she?”
“Tabitha Lester.”
“That name sounds familiar.”
“She worked for Clay Cook and nearly got Lily killed a couple of years ago. She led Lily’s ex right to her. Psychotic bastard. I wasn’t here when that happened but I heard all about it from the girls. What’s crazy is that some people paint Tabitha as some kind of paragon of virtue, when the truth is she’s a hateful, bitter woman. Jealous of anyone who finds happiness, especially if it doesn’t line up with her rigid set of beliefs. She got a job as the secretary at one of the churches in Divine after Clay fired her for her part in endangering Lily.”
“I remember her now. She was working there when I came in to see Clay one day. Sort of snooty. Well that’s good she no longer works at Clay’s, I guess.”
“Yeah, except that now she kind of runs the local gossip mill through her other job. She’s in lots of people’s business. I guess that’s what you do when you have no life, but I can’t afford to piss her or her friends off.”
“Well, we just won’t give her further reason to gossip,” Beck murmured as he brushed his lips against her forehead and she giggled and shuddered as his beard tickled her nose. “Sorry. I need to shave this mess off.”
“It’s okay,” Lucy whispered. “I’ve wanted that kiss for a long time, Beck O’Malley.”
He stroked her cheek and gazed into her piercing blue eyes, the happiness at giving her what she wanted a fierce thing in his heart. “I hope it was worth it, sweetness. You’ve been pretty patient.”
“I know a diamond in the rough when I see one.”
“Sure hope I don’t turn out to be a lump of coal.”
“Who says you aren’t right now?” she asked with a chuckle. “It’s just a question of time and patience. And I’m not perfect either, Beck.”
He feigned astonishment. “You’re not?”
She squeezed him and said, “Talk to you soon.”
He pecked her forehead one last time after she unlocked the front door and let him out. He smiled at her and waved back, wondering how he’d make it up to her for not accepting payment for the massage. A gift, perhaps? He took out his phone and dialed Patrick as he walked to his truck parked at the curb.
His chest felt loose, like a weight had been lifted and the realization that he was truly free hit him. Chloe no longer haunted his memories like she had in the past. When he’d kissed Lucy, he’d only felt her lips. When he’d looked in her eyes, he’d only seen blue eyes. When he’d wrapped his arms around her, he’d only felt her statuesque, curvy form against him. And in his heart there’d been no guilt.