Текст книги "Tasting Fear"

Автор книги: Shannon McKenna

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Текущая страница: 10 (всего у книги 33 страниц)

Chapter

10

Nancy leaned over the counter in the Amory Lodge lobby. “Are there any messages for me?” she asked.

The desk clerk looked put upon. “Not in the past fifteen minutes.”

Liam had told her he would arrive around eight. It was a quarter to nine. Peter and Enid’s showcase was scheduled for nine-thirty.

She looked up to find Enid bearing down on her in performance regalia: a velvet miniskirt, cleavage bulging out of her black leather vest, her hair a mass of luxurious blow-dried curls. “Peter forgot to pack my new mike!” she wailed. “just spent a thousand bucks on that thing!”

“You bought a thousand-dollar mike before paying me back for the registration fees?” Nancy asked wryly.

Enid threw up her hands. “I couldn’t sing ‘The Far Shore’ with that piece of crap! It sounds like I’m singing in a public bathroom!”

Nancy sighed. “This hotel is crawling with musicians who have good mikes. Think of someone who owes you a favor.” Her eyes flicked to Enid’s cleavage. “Shouldn’t be that hard,” she muttered.

“Hey,” came Liam’s deep voice from behind her.

Nancy whirled around. There he was, large as life, in a crisp white shirt, jeans, and a long, elegant black coat. Incredibly handsome.

Enid simpered. “Aren’t you going to introduce me, Nance?”

Nancy bit down on an impulse to smack her. “Enid, this is Liam Knightly, a friend of mine. Liam, this is Enid Morrow, one of my clients.”

“Delighted,” Enid cooed, holding out her hand.

He shook it politely. “You must be Peter’s wife.”

Enid smiled brilliantly. “Nancy must have told you all about us!”

“Of course.” He turned back to Nancy. “Sorry I’m late. I hit traffic.” He gave her a hard, possessive kiss, right in Enid’s face.

An uncontrollable grin spread over Nancy’s face. “It’s okay. I’m just glad you’re here.” Her whole body was smiling. Every cell, every atom, every photon of her was happy to see him. He was the handsomest man in the room, probably in the entire hotel. By a factor of ten.

“You’re just in time to hear our showcase,” Enid announced.

“Wouldn’t miss it,” he said, with a courteous nod.

“Find Eugene and ask if you can use a Mandrake mike,” Nancy suggested. “I think I saw him in the restaurant about ten minutes ago.”

A pout marred Enid’s heart-shaped face. “Can you take care of it? I have to touch up my makeup and make sure Peter’s dressed properly.”

“Okay, I’ll do it.”

Enid scampered toward the elevators, casting a dimpled smile back at Liam. Nancy grabbed his hand and towed him toward the restaurant. “Sorry to rush you, but I’ve got to catch Eugene,” she said.

Liam’s fingers curled possessively around hers. “He left you for her?” he asked, in a low, wondering tone.

She tried to wipe the silly, satisfied look off her face. So Enid’s sex-kitten appeal didn’t affect him. Her mood soared. “Pick up the pace,” she urged. “I’ve only got ten minutes to save the world.”

He swung her around a corner into an alcove full of vending machines. “If you’ve got ten, you can spare one of them to kiss me. That leaves nine to save the world. That’s a generous margin.”

He kissed her very thoroughly, until she was soft, hazy, and glowing. “What was I supposed to be doing?” she asked, dazed.

He leaned his forehead against hers and kissed the tip of her nose. “The mike. From Eugene. For Enid,” he said dutifully.

“Oh, God.”

He tagged after her companionably as she ran her errands, and finally they were seated in the back of the hall, her hand tucked securely in Liam’s. Peter and Enid were great, and the band that backed them played with energy and precision. When the plaintive strains of “The Road to You” died away, the applause was long and loud. Nancy nudged Liam as she clapped. “What do you think?”

His face was noncommittal. “Better than I expected.”

Nancy tugged on his hand. “Let’s congratulate them. Come on.”

Enid spotted Liam’s tall form first, and she bounced toward them, beaming, her eyes expectantly on Liam.

“I enjoyed it very much,” he said politely.

Enid took him by the arm, pulling him toward where Peter was still seated, fingering his guitar. Nancy trailed uncomfortably behind. The situation was out of her control, and it made her nervous.

“Hey, Petey! Meet Liam, Nancy’s new friend,” Enid said.

Peter’s head whipped around. His eyes narrowed. “Ah, so you’re the guy who spirited away our manager the most important week of the year.”

Liam gently extricated his arm from Enid’s grip. “And you’re the guy who left her at the altar and mooches money off her.”

Peter’s mouth dropped open. He glanced at Nancy, his face both thunderous and betrayed. “Who does this asshole think he is?” he hissed.

Nancy pushed closer, horrified. “Peter, I’m sorry. He—”

“Don’t tell me. I don’t want to know.” He grabbed Enid’s arm. “Come on, baby. Let’s network.” Enid shot a bewildered glance over her shoulder as he dragged her away.

Nancy was aghast. “Oh, no, Liam. Look what you’ve done.”

The expression in Liam’s eyes was absolutely unapologetic.

She turned her back on him and left, but Liam kept pace beside her. No matter how fast she went, his stride lengthened to match it.

She pretended not to know him in the elevator. She’d known he was opinionated, but this was scary. This was destructive. Once out of the elevator, he stalked beside her with catlike grace to her room door, waiting as she fumbled for the key. She unlocked it and stumbled inside. The door ka-thunked shut behind them.

Liam flipped on the light by the door. “Okay,” he said in a grim, tight voice. “Go ahead. Let me have it.”

“I cannot believe you!” she exploded. “I had no idea when I invited you here that you would do your best to sabotage my professional life!”

He frowned. “I just told it like it was. And about time, too.”

“About time for what? To ruin my career?”

He snorted. “No, for a reality check. Peter and Enid are vampires. They suck you dry. And you don’t react. You don’t draw the line.”

“Timing is everything! Right after an important gig, surrounded by concert-series presenters, is not the best—”

“There’s never a good time, Nancy.”

She plowed on. “Grace. Delicacy. Minding your own goddamn business. These are the earmarks of maturity.”

“Fine. So I’m immature.” The label clearly did not bother him.

“Liam, if I didn’t know better, I’d think you were jealous.”

“I’ll tell you who’s jealous,” he said bluntly. “Peter. He’s jealous of me, and afraid of losing you. Or at least of losing control of you.”

Nancy gaped. “But Peter’s got Enid, and besides—”

“I got that jerk’s number the minute I laid eyes on him. ‘You’re the guy who spirited away our manager,’” he mimicked in a whiny voice so much like Peter’s, Nancy almost betrayed herself by smiling.

She caught herself just in time. “Peter and I have been friends for years. It’s normal that there’s some ambivalence—”

“Ambivalence?” His voice was heavy with sarcasm. “He’s pissed because for the first time, he doesn’t get to have his cake and eat it, too. He took advantage of you the whole time you were together. Then he met Enid, and he wanted her, too, so he figured out a way to keep you both. The perfect setup. You to get the gigs, and Enid to suck his dick and fluff his ego. Nobody’s going to give you the respect you deserve for free, Nancy. You’ve got to demand it. You’ve got to put your foot down.”

Nancy opened her mouth in automatic denial, then closed it. A dull pain in her belly told her that he was speaking the truth. An ugly, dangerous, ill-timed, inconvenient truth. But she couldn’t deny it.

“Maybe you’re right,” she said slowly. “But that doesn’t change the fact that it was wrong of you to say what you said out there.”

Liam shrugged. Right or wrong. He did not care.

An aching silence spread out between them. Nancy wanted to howl in frustration. “What the hell do you expect me to do about it?”

“Get rid of them,” he suggested matter-of-factly. “Fire them.”

She gave a short laugh. “It’s not that simple. They’re my clients, Liam, not my employees. And besides, they’re also my—”

“Friends, right.” His voice was heavily laced with irony.

“Yes. Friendship is complicated. You work things out. Over time.”

“They suck you dry, and don’t even thank you, let alone reimburse you. They’re spoiled children. Get rid of them.”

Nancy threw up her hands. “Liam, you can’t just fire your friends. You have to find solutions, compromises.”

“Nope. News flash, Nancy. You don’t.”

“You’re not very good at compromise, are you?” she asked slowly.

He stared back. His silence answered for him.

Nancy clenched her hands. “I can’t deal with this conversation right now,” she said. “I’ve got enough to worry about. So please. Either keep your mouth shut around my colleagues, or leave now. Agreed?”

Liam started to speak, stopped himself. He nodded.

She braced herself. “Does that mean you’re staying?”

He nodded. She let out her breath in a long sigh of relief. It wasn’t the wall. A reprieve. Maybe. She pulled her key card out of her pocket and handed it to him. “Here. You take this, and I’ll get another one made at the front desk. Get yourself settled in. Mandrake plays in”—she glanced at her watch—“an hour. Same room as Peter and Enid’s showcase. See you there.” She opened the door, turned. “Liam?”

“Yes?” His voice was wary.

She searched for words to express the yearning in her chest. She was glad to see him, missed him, wanted him. Maybe even loved him.

“Nothing,” she whispered as she slipped through the door.

Liam strode down the corridor, self-disgust sour in his mouth. Being rude to her ex had been bad enough, but spouting off preachy crap to Nancy was worse. Telling her how to conduct her business. Like he had the right. Damn. He mouthed the word as he stabbed the elevator button. A blue-haired old lady gave him a nervous look and a wide berth. Good instincts. He was an animal tonight. Lacking in social skills. What were the earmarks of maturity? Grace, delicacy, minding your own goddamn business? He came up blank in every category.

No more scenes. If he could get through the conference without any fuckups or fistfights, he would be rewarded by four days of solitude with Nancy. The elevator pinged. It was almost time for the Mandrake showcase, so he headed toward the hall.

“Hey, Liam!”

Liam turned to find Eoin leaning against the wall, freckles standing out in sharp relief in his pale face. Liam clasped his hand, which was ice cold. “Nancy told me you would be playing. I’ve been looking forward to it. How’s it going?” he asked.

Eoin shrugged. “I don’t know. We’ve only rehearsed three times.”

Liam slapped him on the back. “You’ll be great. Don’t worry.”

Eugene and a tall, skinny black guy came charging down the hall, looking excited and self-important. “Come on, man, let’s do it!” Eugene said to Eoin, as they surrounded him and bore him away.

“Break a leg!” Liam called. Eoin shot a final desperate glance over his shoulder. Liam gave the kid a thumbs-up.

He went into the crowded hall. No chairs left. Nancy was on the other side of the room, talking to Matt, the big redhead he had met at the seisìun at Malloy’s. She turned, gave him a tentative smile.

He smiled back. Her smile widened, became brilliant. God, she was pretty, dressed up in one of her ninja outfits, hair pulled into a braided bun, earrings dangling down to her jaw. Exotic, elegant. He leaned against the wall and stared. She made every other woman in the room look commonplace. That airhead Enid was insipid in comparison.

The lights dimmed, and Mandrake came onstage to tremendous applause. The lanky black guy laid down a complicated primal-sounding rhythm, and Eoin promptly launched into a fiery Irish reel, followed by Matt and Eugene on the guitar and fiddle, and finally a scrawny blond girl who played what looked like an endless variety of wind instruments.

They were excellent, and Liam applauded after each piece till his hands tingled. The pulsing energy of the music soothed something raw and savage inside him. He was fiercely glad that Eoin had fallen in with this group. They would keep him happy and busy until he found his feet. After they finished, he pushed his way through the crush and gave Eoin a quick, hard embrace. “Great job,” he said. “You kicked ass.”

Eoin grinned. “Thanks,” was all he had time to say before he was surrounded by chattering, congratulating people.

Something poked Liam in the back, and he looked around to find Nancy smiling at him. “Weren’t they fine?”

“Excellent.” He swept her into his arms. “Sorry,” he whispered.

He offered up a silent prayer of gratitude as her body softened, went pliant in his arms. He’d gotten through the crisis. This wasn’t the wall. There was still time, still grace. His arms tightened hungrily around her. “Do you have more to do tonight?”

She looked through her eyelashes. “Theoretically, I could network for hours. But I don’t have any appointments until tomorrow.”

He saw Peter, who was scowling at him from across the room. Liam grinned, baring all his teeth, and nipped Nancy’s ear possessively.

“How long has it been since you’ve eaten?” he asked.

She looked guilty. “Um…”

He rolled his eyes. “Nancy, for God’s sake—”

“Okay, okay, don’t scold. I forgot. So sue me. Let’s go get something. Want to ask Eoin and the others if they—”

“No. I want to be alone with you. I missed you.” He leaned over, sucked in a whiff of her perfume. “You smell good.”

She stood up on tiptoes and kissed his lips. “I missed you, too.”

Dinner options were scarce at that hour, but they found an all-night pizza place that delivered. It arrived in their room shortly after, and Liam watched with approval as Nancy enthusiastically devoured pizza.

“Wow,” she murmured, licking her fingers. “Guess I didn’t know how hungry I was.”

“No wonder people take advantage of you. You never eat. It takes energy to put your foot down.”

She snorted and grabbed another piece. He made another cautious attempt at conversation. “So the conference is going well?”

“Excellently,” she said, fishing for a napkin. “I’ve given out scads of promo packets. We’ll get lots of bookings. And the showcases all went wonderfully.”

“I’m glad,” he said.

She took a sip of her soda. “I’ve been thinking about our conversation. In some ways, I think you’re right. But in others—”

“Let it go,” he offered. “I was way out of line.”

She studied him with her wide, brilliant, leaf-colored eyes. “Only somewhat out of line,” she conceded gently. She took her cell out of her purse, made a big show of turning it off, and got to her feet. “Have to wash off pizza grease,” she murmured, disappearing into the bathroom.

He pinched out the jack of the room phone. This was a delicate moment. He didn’t want anyone to interrupt it and fuck it up. He peeled off his shirt, in the interests of saving time, and followed her into the bathroom. She washed her hands and face, patted herself dry. Her eyes locked with his in the mirror. Full of longing.

He longed for it, too. He reached around, trapping her against his body. He plucked off her glasses, pulled her hairpins out, unraveled the coiled braided hair, and smoothed the crimped waves over her shoulders.

He wrenched his belt loose, got rid of the rest of his clothes. Nancy gave him that secret little sorceress smile that drove him wild and glanced down at his stiff, rampant erection. She petted it.

“Ever ready,” she murmured. “At attention.”

“Fuck yes,” he said. “For you. Always.”

He tugged the snug black sweater out of her jeans and peeled it off over her head. Her bra was silvery green, a sheer, lacy thing.

“Wow,” he said, admiring it. “Look at that. Fancy underwear.”

“I thought I might get lucky,” she whispered.

He unhooked the bra and tossed it away, ran his hands over her velvety softness, felt the muscles that moved sinuously beneath it. Marveling at the translucent perfection of her small, high breasts.

“I’m the lucky one,” he said. “God, look at you. So beautiful.”

She just smiled, but her eyes caught his in the mirror, and they both laughed. “See? I’m making progress, aren’t I?” she teased him. “I no longer flip out and get all uptight and scared when you say that.”

“That’s good,” he said. “But I want you to know it in your bones.”

Her gaze slid away, and she blushed. She didn’t know it, though. She liked to hear it, but she didn’t buy it. He could see it in her eyes, and it made his chest ache. That he could not get past that invisible barrier inside her. Her caution. So deep, it was beyond his reach.

He could only wait. He slid his hand down over her belly to the downy tuft of hair at her muff, and insinuated his finger against that tender, tight furled slit. Just resting it there. “I wish you could see what I see when I look at you,” he said. “It drives me nuts.”

Nancy twisted in his arms and looked into his eyes. Her gaze had suddenly become very focused. “Then we’ll just keep at it, then. Things take time. Right?”

They stared, gripped by tension. “Right,” he said hoarsely.

He turned her, sank down to his knees, and buried his face against the hot, fuzzy ringlets crowning her pussy. He pried her legs a little wider, just wide enough to slide his tongue inside, teasing and fluttering her clit, thrusting deeper to taste her hot, rich flavor.

Hunger swamped his mind, but he kept at it until she shivered and arched and cried out, her body jolting in his grip.

He picked her up, carried her into the other room. He flung her onto the bed. Touching her, kissing her, spreading her out wide and loving her again with his lips and his tongue, again, again. Making her sigh and sob and clutch him, begging.

When he finally fumbled the latex on and positioned himself, she took him in so completely, it felt like flames of pure pleasure were licking him, each stroke an agony of delight more perfect than the last. He clutched her, heartbeat clamoring in his ears.

Things took time. Hell yes, they did. All the time she liked. The more time the better. A lifetime would be fine with him.

That amazing idea lifted him up and blasted him into inner space.

Someone was pounding on her door, and probably had been for some time. Nancy struggled out of a dream that had a great deal of gratuitous pounding in it. Liam stirred as she slid out of bed. She found her nightshirt, and slipped it on as she went for the door.

The pounding had redoubled. She pulled the door open and focused on Peter and Enid, who looked electrified.

“Good God, Nancy, you’re not even dressed!” Enid said, dismayed. She peeked into the room, eyes widening when they landed on Liam sitting on the bed dressed only in his jeans. “Remember yesterday at the Exhibition Hall when you were talking to the promoter for the Jericho Arts Center in D.C.? Where Bonnie Blair is opening next week?”

“Uh, yes, of course. I gave him a promo packet. He seemed interested in an opening act sometime,” Nancy said, rubbing her eyes.

“Yeah! That’s just it! Sammy Phillips with the Phelps Bay Blues Band was opening for Bonnie, but he wrecked his car yesterday, and—”

“Oh, no!” Dismay shocked her to full consciousness.

“Don’t worry, Sammy’ll be fine,” Peter said impatiently. “But he broke his collarbone. Enid and I were having coffee, and the promoter came up and asked if we’re free Wednesday! I told him are we ever!”

Nancy was wide awake. “Opening for Bonnie Blair? At the Jericho? You mean this Wednesday?”

Enid and Peter nodded violently, identical wide grins splitting their faces. “Is that megaspectacular, or what?” Peter crowed.

“That’s incredible,” Nancy breathed. “I’ve got to get on the phone right away to the presenter. To all the venues in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. I’ve got to get pictures to the press, I’ve got to—”

“But that’s not all,” Enid said. “There’s more! Get this, Nance! There just happened to be this exec from MGM Studios in Hollywood staying at the hotel, and he heard our showcase! He loved it!”

“Hollywood?” Nancy rubbed her eyes again. “Excuse me?”

“His name is Maitland Sills, and he’s going to put his production department in touch with us! He says ‘The Far Shore’ is perfect for the closing credits of a big-budget feature film they’re doing, starring Brad Pitt! And you have to talk to him pronto, Nance, because he’s leaving for Logan Airport in an hour. He’s got a meeting this afternoon in L.A.”

“Holy crap,” she said slowly. “Why didn’t you call me?”

Enid and Peter exchanged long-suffering glances. “Your cell was off,” they said in unison.

“I was going to introduce you to Sills last night after the showcase, but you disappeared,” Peter scolded.

“So why not call the room?” she snapped. “You knew my number!”

“Disconnected,” Enid said triumphantly.

Nancy’s head whipped around to check. Sure enough. No jack in the phone. Liam met her eyes and lifted his big, muscular shoulders in an unapologetic shrug. She felt the tension begin to gather in her neck.

“Time to focus, Nance. No more distractions,” Peter said, staring at Liam. “You’ll come to the Jericho gig, right?”

“I definitely should,” she said.

“It’s happening, Nance!” Enid burbled. “We’re going to hit big!”

Liam moved around in the room behind her. Nancy suddenly remembered their sailboat plans. Her stomach took a nosedive. “Oh. I, um, did have plans for the next few days,” she said hesitantly. Liam’s naked, muscular back was to her. He rifled through his overnight bag.

“Postpone ’em,” Peter said carelessly. “This is the chance of a lifetime. We’ve gotta jump on it with both feet.”

“Uh…yeah,” she said, glancing anxiously behind herself.

Peter followed her gaze, and his face hardened. “He’s not coming with us, though,” he said. “So don’t even think about it.”

“Don’t worry,” Liam said remotely. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

Peter made an impatient sound. “Well? Enid will stall Maitland Sills while you get yourself together. Hurry! See you in a few.”

Nancy shut the door and turned to face Liam.

His face looked hard. “So we can forget our plans?”

She pressed her fist against her mouth. Shit, shit, shit. “I’m so sorry, Liam, but everything has to stop for this gig,” she said apologetically. “I’ll be on the phone nonstop for days to publicize—”

“I understand perfectly,” he said.

Hope stirred briefly. “You do?”

“Of course. I shouldn’t have put down a deposit. It was stupid. There’s always going to be something more important for you. Always.”

Hope shriveled and died. She stared at his averted face as he fished under the bed for his shoes. “Liam, I would love to go on this boat trip with you! We can go when I get back!”

“Something else will come up. And something else after that. I know that tune by heart.”

She shook her head helplessly. “We’re not listening to the same tune, Liam,” she said miserably. “And we couldn’t keep up this eternal vigilance routine much longer anyhow. I understand the impulse, and I honor it, but we both have to make money, and this is the biggest—”

He held up his hand. “Stop. You’re just making it worse.”

Her knees went weak with dread. “We’ve hit that wall, haven’t we?”

Liam dragged a shirt over his head and tucked it into his jeans with swift, economical motions. “We are roadkill,” he said.

She lurched forward and laid her hand on his chest. “Liam, it can’t be over just because of this. This is stupid. It’s just bad timing.”

He stepped back. Her hand dropped, with nothing to hold on to.

Her jaw trembled. “I was starting to think we had a chance.”

“So come with me,” he challenged her. “You can’t, can you? Of course not. You’ve made your choice.

No big deal. Don’t sweat it.”

“Liam, I’ve been working for this moment for my whole adult life!”

“Good luck, then.” He took the revolver from the back of his jeans, opened the cylinder and shook the bullets out into his hand. He tossed the empty gun into his bag. “You’d better start making those phone calls.”

“Wow,” she said. “You are the most rigid, uncompromising person I have ever known.”

“Remember what I said last night about putting my foot down? That’s what it all boils down to.”

“And you don’t care what gets crushed under your boot?”

He shrugged on his coat. “This conversation is over.”

Nancy grabbed his arm. “You can’t just cut me off like that!”

He wrenched away. “Watch me.” The door thudded shut.

Nancy sank down onto the bed. The silence was deafening.