Executive Protection(72)

Inside the restaurant, he watched her meet a tall man with dark hair, and then a hostess led them to a table. He went there as they both sat down. The man smiled and kept glancing at Lucy’s breasts.

Aware of how irrational he appeared, Thad forged ahead. Before he reached the table he wondered if Lucy was doing this on purpose. The way her date smiled suggested he knew her. Any man would look at her breasts in that dress. He saw Thad first, his smile flattening. Lucy turned with a slack jaw to gape at him. She hadn’t expected him to follow her here.

“We need to talk,” he said to her.

“Thad?”

“Let’s go.” He held out his hand.

She didn’t move.

“I’m ready to talk,” he added. And he was.

She faced her date, who grinned.

Why did he grin?

The man stood. “I’ll call Kate.” With a nod to Thad, he walked out of the restaurant.

“Well, now that you’ve ruined my date.” She motioned to the seat the man had vacated, her hand palm up. “Why don’t you join me?”

“He wasn’t a real date.” Thad moved to the seat across from her and she studied him without asking how he knew. “Why is he going to call my mother? Did she have anything to do with this?”

With a grunt, she picked up the menu. “How did you know?”

“It’s okay. It worked.” He couldn’t believe how insanely jealous he’d gotten.

Looking at him over the menu, her eyes smiled.

But he didn’t feel like smiling. This wasn’t easy for him. “I need time to sort it all out, Lucy.”

No longer smiling, she put the menu down. She understood what he was saying. He needed time to know whether he could come to her unconditionally, neither accepting nor rejecting the possibility of marriage.

“Okay,” she murmured.

She’d give him time. Relief loosened his tension.

But Thad didn’t delude himself. If he took too much time, she’d eventually give up on him, and rightfully so. If she ever went on another date, it would be for real.

“If I devote myself to this relationship, I have to be sure I come to you honestly,” he told her.

Her face softened with what he could only call love. “I know.”


She knew...

She was an incredible woman. And Thad would be a colossal fool if he let her go.

“Why don’t we start with you coming with me to my brother’s wedding,” he said. “Sophie, too.”

“Are you sure you can handle that?” she teased.

“Yeah, I’m very sure.” And he was. Maybe this would be easier than he thought. If he just let go...

* * *

A crowd of Trey and Debra’s closest friends and family filled the beautifully decorated ballroom at Kate’s estate. Lighted curtain panels knotted in the middle lined two walls of windows. Yellow flower petals on white napkins and numbered glass candles adorned tabletops. Huge vases of flowers sat on several tall cocktail tables and waitstaff abounded to cater to the guests.

Lucy watched Thad dance with Sophie on the raised platform in the middle of the room. In a black tuxedo, he captured her gaze for lengthy periods of time. Every once in a while, he’d look over at her. The way he looked at her raised the temperature a few degrees. He’d noticed her in her long, black figure-hugging dress. Sophie was adorable in her white ball gown with bubble hem and flower in her hair. She’d had fun being girly at the hair salon with Lucy. They’d gotten their nails done, too. Lucy was going to have a hard time letting her go.

“I’ve never seen him like this.”

She turned to see Kate, who’d just come up to stand beside her. “The date did the trick.” Or, at the very least, stopped him from being so distant.

Thad lifted Sophie and held her as he danced in a circle. Her laughter rose above music and people talking.

“What are you going to do with Sophie?” Kate asked.

Keep her...

“I don’t know.”

“She’s good for Thad.”

Lucy glanced at her and then back to Thad and Sophie. His face did light up whenever he was with her. She didn’t acknowledge Kate’s comment. Turning her son into viable husband material was a big enough challenge.

The song finished, and Thad brought Sophie over to them. Sophie hopped up on a chair at the table where they’d sat for dinner and dug into the rest of her cake.

Thad extended his hand. “May I have this dance?”

Lucy gave him her hand and went with him to the dance platform with butterflies of delight tickling her. Could it be that he’d change his mind about marriage and family?

He brought her close, holding her hand and encircling her waist. She rested her hand on his shoulder and looked up at his face. His eyes had a happy light to them.

“What are you doing to me, Lucy?” he asked.

Smiling, she tipped her head up. “Stealing your heart.” She kissed him once on his lips.

“You’ve already done that.”

“Have I?”

His eyes answered for him, and then he showed her with his mouth, kissing her softly, lingering.

“Looks like you’ll be next, little brother.”

They drew apart as Trey and Debra danced beside them. To Lucy’s delight, Thad didn’t cringe or stiffen. He just smiled down at Lucy. Hope soared and she had to reel it in a bit.