Best Laid Plans (23 page)

Wade's powerful strokes easily caught
up to Amanda. "I think you're leading me on a merry chase, Miss
Wyatt." He shook the water from his face.

"I have the feeling you enjoy
the excitement of the hunt," she responded evenly, drifting to float on
her back.

His hand dribbled cool droplets on
her swelling cleavage. "I know I'm going to enjoy the prize."

She laughed again, turned and quickly
disappeared beneath the surface. Amanda caught Wade's ankles but was unable to
topple him. He was smiling when her face reappeared. "You're like the rock
of Gibraltar," her lips formed a pretty pout.

"Come on, mermaid," his
fingertip buffed the water off her nose, "I'll race you back to
shore." He gallantly let her win, letting his gaze feast on a more
inspiring trophy - the enticing curves of her ass that the wet leotard so
effectively provided.

Amanda spread the dark green blanket
on the ground while Wade expertly uncorked the bottle of wine, pouring the
crystal vintage into plastic glasses. Foil-wrapped packages were opened to
reveal an elegant deli feast.

"This is delicious." She
bit into a mammoth red strawberry, the rich juice running down her chin.

His fingers became a napkin, catching
the luscious, pulpy liquid and transferring it to his own mouth.
"Delicious," came his low echo. Wade's lips replaced his hand, tongue
savoring the essence of Amanda.

Somehow she managed to wiggle a plump
green grape to run interference. "You may find yourself getting a cold
shower if you don't behave." Amanda smiled the warning.

"Can I help it if I find you
decidedly irresistible." An overflowing pocket sandwich was slapped into
his approaching hand.

The warm sunlight and the potent wine
aided the fermenting of relaxed camaraderie. Amanda peeled the red wax that
coated the plump circle of mild Gouda cheese. "What were you doing
yesterday?" she handed him a slice of cheese.

The semisoft curds melted against his
tongue, the wine cleansed his palate. "I shared open-house duties with
Kitty at the Crestfall Condo project." Wade looked thoughtful. "You
might be interested in one of the units. They make a great investment. You
could rent it or…" he cast an inquiring glance, "you might move into
it yourself."

"I'm just here for a
vacation," Amanda reminded him. "I do have a home in New
Orleans."

"Is there a law that says you
can't have two?" His hand curved around her kneecap. "I already dread
the thought of your leaving." Palm flowed along supple thigh. "I
think what bothers me the most is your being here, alone with Lucas." His
finger pulled the elastic on the leg opening of her leotard.

If certain events and feelings hadn't
blundered into the open last night, Amanda would have laughed off Wade's
comment. "Lucas and I have known each other for twelve years; I don't
think he's about to attack me." She tried to keep her tone light and
humorous.

Wade gripped her arm. "I would
kill him if he did." He pushed Amanda down onto the blanket, his powerful
upper body holding her captive. "This may sound insane. I've known you for
only two days, but you've become very, very important to me, Amanda."

Swallowing convulsively, emotions in
a turmoil. "I'm . . . I'm flattered . . . surprised . . . I'm . . ."
She was babbling like a schoolgirl. Did Wade always move this fast? Or was this
a new line she had yet to hear?

A soft smile etched his craggy
features. "I didn't mean to scare you." The knuckles that caressed
the sensitive cord of her neck were as gentle as his voice. Wade was anxious to
calm and soothe, silently cursing his own verbal inadequacies.

A woman whose very existence he had
never imagined had monopolized his thoughts since Friday night. Amanda had
style, that enigmatic quality that comes from within and transcends everything
else. True, he had been involved with more beautiful women, but somehow he
found them lacking. Amanda . . . she had yet to disappoint. Wade doubted she
could.

Soft feminine swells formed against
rugged masculine angles. Her body was talking a silent language to his.
"You aren't scaring me." Amanda's voice was like velvet.

"But you don't believe in
…" he hesitated, then took the plunge, "love at first sight?"

"No." Her tongue circled
berry-stained lips. "Infatuation, attraction, maybe lust." Amanda
gave an encouraging smile.

Wade pressed his forehead against
hers, noses rubbed together in an Eskimo kiss. "You are a very tough lady
to convince," his lips spoke persuasively against hers, "but I'm
definitely the man to do it."

Amanda became mesmerized by the
stealthy advance of his predatory mouth. Hands and fingers performed erotic
little miracles against her skin. He had a sure, easy touch that inflamed and
inspired mutual reimbursement.

All-encompassing fire replaced icy
sensibilities. Her hands moved across his shoulders and back, pressing into the
working muscles. Ten fingernails became provocative instigators, carving
invisible sensual squiggles that aroused and goaded.

Firm strokes massaged her thighs,
deftly changing to light, teasing fingers that pattered over her slightly rounded
stomach, wiggling into the indentation of her navel before sliding purposefully
upward to capture a full breast. Wade's thumb slid into the keyhole opening,
luxuriating against swelling satin skin and an urgent nipple.

Her even white teeth gave a warning
nip against his consuming mouth, breaking the connection. Amanda didn't know
quite how it happened, but things were getting slightly out of control.

A suffering growl escaped Wade, warm
lips pressed a final kiss to her exposed cleavage. "Amanda, I'm sorry, but
you're far too tempting a morsel."

Her hand came up to ruffle her damp
curls. "I'm sorry, too. I wasn't trying to tempt." A low laugh
escaped, and Amanda softened her refusal. "I think I'll have to reread
that book I bought on body language. I must have mistakenly shifted into a
wrong position."

"Maybe I was just being
premature."

"Why don't we get back to our
picnic." Amanda reached into the backpack for a plastic-lidded bowl. Sweet
cubes of watermelon restored the carefree mood. The red fruit was refreshing,
and the slippery black seeds were tossed back and forth in a playful game.

"Where were you off to when I
stopped by?" Wade inquired, splitting the last of the wine between them.

Amanda had to stop and think.
"Just shopping, nothing important."

He looked at his gold watch.
"Why don't we head back, shower, change and I'll take you for that
shopping trip and we can have dinner."

"You are a man of great ideas,
Mr. Lloyd."

"I'm a man who knows what I
want, Miss Wyatt."

***

Lucas was pacing the back patio,
right fist smacking against left palm. Business suit had been exchanged for
denims and a sport shirt, both speckled with wood chips. When the pounding of
horses' hooves assailed his ears, he swallowed his temper and managed to
project a calm, friendly facade.

"Hello, Crosse," Wade
reined in Buttercup and gamely dismounted. He extended his hand. "Think
you'd been ravaged by rustlers?"

Lucas' strong fingers issued a
punishing greeting as he stared at Amanda. "Not at all. I have complete
trust in my house -" Lucas was about to say "guest" but decided
on a more possessive word: "mate."

Amanda slid off Maisy, fingers
fluffing out matted, sun-dried curls. "You're home early, Lucas." She
successfully hid the amusement in her voice after noticing his clothes bore the
unmistakable and increasingly frequent imprint of the woodpile.

"I had some important things to
clear up at home." Lucas' hazel eyes favored her with a meaningful glance.

"Since you're going to be
occupied with business tonight," Wade inserted, flexing the fingers on his
right hand, "you won't mind my taking Amanda out shopping and for
dinner."

Lucas sucked in his cheeks and was
about to make a rude counterstatement when Wade smoothly put both horses' reins
in his hand. "I know you'll want to cool down your animals." He
turned to Amanda and smiled. "Why don't we get ready."

If I had any pride and intelligence
at all
, Amanda
thought,
I would leave these two rams to lock their horns in battle over
some other ewe.
But this was one of those times to say nothing, to flirt
and enjoy and to let events direct themselves.

All this attention was new to Amanda.
She found being the focal point in a ménage a trois quite exciting. Vanity
defeated pride. She gave Lucas a brilliant smile, slipped her hand into Wade's
and led him into the house.

"He doesn't look very
pleased." Wade looked back over his shoulder at Lucas' statue-like
posture.

"Nonsense," her voice was
bubbly, "he's probably thinking about some legal problem." Amanda
directed him down the hall. "Why don't you use the bath in Lucas' room.
I'm sure he won't mind."

Wade nodded. "Just let me get my
things from the car."

The minute the front door closed, the
patio doors were opened. A tall, commanding figure stalked into the room.
"All right, Mandy," Lucas all but growled, "what's going on?
What the hell is he doing here?"

Leaning against the back of the sofa,
legs crossed at the ankles, she projected a look of innocence. "We went
for a picnic by the lake."

"Our lake." He looked hurt.
"Now, that was crude!"

Amanda laughed and shook her head.
"Come on, Lucas, the guy arrived, picnic hamper in hand. What was I
supposed to do?" She looked down at the carpet. "Besides, I like
Wade."

"Wonderful!" His hand
slapped his thigh, he took a deep breath. "Am I to assume this is going to
be a duel at dawn?"

Startled, she looked up. "Lucas,
are you saying . . . are we going to . . ."

A pair of very proprietorial hands
gripped her upper arms. "I've spent most of the day rehearsing this great
little speech, only to come home and find my audience missing. I thought the
two of us might begin at the beginning. I even brought flowers." He nodded
toward the coffee table.

She turned, focusing on a crystal
vase that held a dozen pink rosebuds. "Lucas," Amanda's hand caressed
his jaw, soothing the harshness, "that was so…"

The front door was opened, and Wade's
cheery whistle obscenely cursed their privacy. "There you are, Crosse.
Those horses of yours are munching your geraniums." He cast a stern eye to
Amanda. "Come on, darling, hadn't we better get a move on?"

Duel at dawn
. Amanda pushed away the prodding of
her conscience and allowed herself a happy smile. Her glow had nothing to do
with cosmetics. This chain of events certainly had not been on her vacation
schedule. In fact, never in her wildest dreams had she envisioned these
circumstances. She made her way back to the guest room.

Two men! She applied double daubs of
Chanel's
heady perfume to all her body pulse points. The positive in all this, she
acknowledged with a grateful prayer, was the fact that she and Lucas were
communicating - if somewhat dramatically! Gone was that initial awkwardness she
had felt that morning.

Lucas. Amanda slid a burnt orange
cap-sleeve silk shirt over her head and tucked it into a midnight blue challis
pencil skirt. They had a friendship that suddenly caught fire. She found the
prospect of getting into a physical relationship with Lucas quite stimulating.

Wade. A narrow gold belt was wrapped
eight times around her slender waist, adding a bit of glitzy glamour. To be
truthful, Amanda liked him as well. He was new, exciting, fascinating, yet
oddly comfortable. But sex with Wade? A man she had just meant? Definitely a
surprising thought.

She sat on the edge of the bed,
sliding on her low-heeled black sandals. The narrow strap and gold buckle
blurred, looming complex and impossible to fasten. Amanda took two deep
controlling breaths and closed her eyes.

You are not being a tease. You will
not be a tormentor. All you're trying to do is deal honestly with both men.
She grimaced. Quite honestly, she was
confused!

The suitors were seated on opposite
sides of the coffee table. Lucas was on the sofa. Wade on the love seat. Each
man seemed to focus on the rose-filled vase.

Amanda's colorful outfit caught
Lucas' eye. "You look lovely," he said and smiled, pleased to have
spoken first.

Wade stood up, his frown twisted into
a happier expression. "That's an understatement. Where would you like
-"

The door chimes made them all jump in
surprise. Amanda was the first to recover. "I'll get it." Her heels
clicked across the teak floor to the foyer.

"Hello." Kitty Byrnes
smiled a greeting, her eyes shielded by silver-lensed sunglasses. "Is Wade
still here?"

"Yes, he is." Amanda
stepped aside.

"My goodness, Amanda,"
Kitty pushed up her glasses to form a headband against a cascade of golden
waves, "you seem to be entertaining a full house." Surveying both
men, she hesitated for a moment before crossing to Lucas. "Hello,
darling." Coral lips made an imprint against his cheek. "Why, you
were right." Kitty viewed the surroundings with amazement. "This
place has certainly undergone a dramatic change."