Best Laid Plans (25 page)

"Listen to me, Lucas
Crosse," a peremptory index finger pounded a warning tap between his
glittering eyes, "if you think you're getting any more than a goodnight
kiss out of me, you might as well pack yourself in ice cubes!"

He easily pushed aside the pillow.
"Brutal but beautiful!" Lucas' fingers turned her scowl into a smile.
"Go ahead, ask me whatever is on your mind." He settled back against
the mattress.

Amanda switched off the vibrator and
sat cross-legged, her back forming a barrier against his dominant masculine
presence. "While Wade was finishing with his client, I waited in one of
the vacancies."

She cleared her throat and took a
deep breath. "Lucas, it reminded me so much of Royal Street. The same
layout, the warehouse area, two big rooms for an office and showing space.
There were no display windows, very exclusive, very elegant - the look that's
missing in the wide-open department stores.

"I. . .I asked Wade about the
rent and all the other fees. He knew some and he'll check on others. I did some
rough figuring, and looks like the initial investment would be around one
million dollars." She swallowed, turning her head to view his reaction.
"The store has four thousand square feet."

Lucas exhaled a whistle. "Mandy,
you're probably looking closer to a million and a half. You know how costs keep
rising, estimates run over budget, there's always something that follows
Murphy's Law."

"I know. I know."

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to
do a cost study, feasibility report, get estimates. Test the local banking
waters, see what we find. You've got sound financial backing in
Rags
."

She fell back against the pillows.
"Lucas, are you serious? Will you really do it?"

His wide, dimpled grin answered her
questions. "Tomorrow soon enough?"

"You are marvelous!" Her
hands cupped his smiling face. "I promise I won't be too devastated if you
say this idea is economically unsound."

"That's a lie and you know
it." His arms imprisoned her waist, holding her tight against him. Her
sensuously smooth silk-covered breasts felt naked against his bare chest. The
delicious floral scent of jasmine and roses silently encouraged a more reckless
encounter.

"I promise. No tantrums, no
tears, no grumps, no glumps."

The erogenous swells and curves that
were Amanda revitalized Lucas' formerly gelded spirit. "I'll take you on
your word." A blistering rush of heat turned him into an aggressive,
excited stallion. "You did promise me a goodnight kiss."

"I did, didn't I?" She
pretended to ponder the idea for a moment; darkened lashes provided a
protective shield. "It does seem fair that I give a goodnight kiss to
someone."

Lucas' broad chest vibrated under throaty
laughter. "You're going to pay for that one, Mandy!" Five masculine
fingers pressed into her scalp and lowered her head. His greedy mouth feasted
on full, half-parted lips; an eager tongue invaded further.

A small sigh escaped Amanda, she relaxed
and became a willing participant. Her hands pressed into the tempered strength
of his shoulders. Her exploring fingers flowed along the corded muscles of his
collarbone to move lower, becoming lost amid the luxurious mat of hair that
furred his chest.

Suddenly, his mouth became more
demanding, raping and pillaging for his own pleasure, devouring the very
essence of her. Calloused fingers ruffled silken curls in wild disarray. His
other hand purposely destroyed the protective strapping of Amanda's gold belt
before roughly pulling her blouse free to sculpt the smooth skin on her spine.

Passions collided. Starting like
small ripples in a pond, they strengthened to a warm wash of waves until Amanda
felt as if she were drowning. She could feel his body harden beneath hers. The
thin brown sheet provided no protection from his large, rigid erection. Her
fingers clawed against his heart, the erratic beat surmounted her own.

Amanda felt alive and womanly but
somehow anxious and afraid. Physical intimacy was more than a mechanical act to
her. Although she and Lucas were hardly strangers, adding a sexual exchange at
this time might alter sensibilities, might take a still intangible
something
and build into it an importance that might not be deserved. There would be a
ton of strings attached to having sex with her best friend. The biggest would
be the loss of that friend.

When Amanda felt his hand slide under
her skirt and move up along her thigh, she struggled hard for freedom. For a
brief second, Lucas' powerful body proved invincible. Then, suddenly he
released her. "I...I think you've exhausted my supply of goodnight kisses
for at least a week," she tried to keep her tone light but her low voice
was shaky as she eased herself off the bed.

"Wonderful," Lucas called
to her departing figure, "you won't have any left for Wade!"

Nine

“And you're going to call Art Goldman
just as soon as you get to the office?"

Lucas took a deep breath.
"That's the third time you've asked me and the third time I've said
yes." He drained the last of his coffee. "I will call your
accountant, get your first-quarter gross sales and net profits, tell him what
you have in mind and then hold the receiver a foot away when he screams."

Amanda gave him a quelling stare.
"Arthur never screams," her lips twisted into a grin, "but he
mumbles a lot."

When he reached for more coffee,
Lucas found she had confiscated the carafe. "Hey! I wanted another
cup."

"You've already had two. Haven't
you been hearing all the reports about caffeine?" Amanda held up his navy
blazer. "Let's go, counselor. Have you got that list of rough
figures?"

Long arms slid into lined sleeves.
"Were you up all night doing that?"

"Actually, I slept like a
log."

"Didn't dream about me at
all?" A hound-dog expression formed on his rugged face.

Amanda raised a perfectly arched
brow. "Strange, but Wade wanted to know if I dream about him, too."

Lucas' dark gaze radiated a flintlike
warning. "Better watch it, Miss Wyatt." He tapped the end of her
straight nose. "Women who light both ends of a candle usually wind up
getting singed."

Amanda's fingers walked up the lapels
of his jacket to tighten the knot in his cranberry silk tie. "I guess I'll
just have to decide which one of you gets-" her steel-like expression
matched her tone, "blown out."

"I kind of like the sound of
that!" His moustache gave a suggestive wiggle.

"Get out of here, Lucas."
Amanda shoved him toward the patio doors. "Call me as soon as you hear
from Art."

"Mandy, I do have other
clients." He picked up the briefcase that was on the kitchen counter. At
her little-girl pout, Lucas relented. "Why don't you drive into the city
and we'll have lunch?"

"I'm wallpapering the kitchen
and the hallway. I don't want to stop in the middle."

"All right, dinner. I know this
great little French restaurant—"

"French!" She smiled at
him. "You've got a date."

At precisely nine o'clock, Amanda
stopped wallpapering and reached for the telephone. Eleven musical beep tones
later, Sherry Lau's gentle voice came on the line.

"Boss, you must have ESP."

"Something's wrong!"
Amanda's suddenly moist palms wiped against her paint spangled shorts. "I
can be back within the day." She silently cursed herself for conceiving a
new store when the original was still such an infant.

"Take a deep breath,
Amanda." Sherry's calm tone strove for tranquility. "I was going to
call today to tell you that we've had the best two weeks ever - just under two
hundred thousand in gross sales."

"You're kidding!" She
stumbled against the barstool, falling onto the seat. "I should go away
more often."

Sherry laughed. "Sometimes you
amaze me, Amanda. You have that magic touch. You know what women want before
they do. You bring them an outer reality for their inner dreams. Your fashion
wisdom is what's selling. The first batch of those silk shirts I ordered from
Reuben have been literally inhaled. I'd like to order more. Make sure we create
both the demand and the supply."

"Listen, Sherry, you aren't
exaggerating those sales figures, are you?"

"No. I've been sending a tally
sheet every week to your accountant. Art's thrilled."

"What's your long-range
prognosis?"

"We're going into the May-June
wedding season and the high school and college formals. The gowns you ordered
have been arriving steadily, and they are gorgeous. No duplicates. I'm putting
a small ad in the women's section of this Sunday's paper. I had that artist
friend of yours, Tommy Ryan, work one up. Very classy. Both him and the ad.
We've had dinner three times."

It was Amanda's turn to laugh.
"I'm glad you like Tommy. I have every confidence in you, Sherry. As a
matter of fact…" she cleared her throat, "I'm not quite sure when I'm
coming back."

"Does this have anything to do
with Lucas?" The voice sounded hopeful.

"Lucas and Wade. . ."

"Two men? Mandy! Confucius say:
The superior man guards against lust."

"And," Amanda continued as
though she were deaf, "perhaps adding a Dallas annex to
Rags 'n' Riches
."

"No kidding! Do you really think
you can make them abandon cowboy chic? Where?"

"There's a storefront in the
NorthPark Mall. It looks just like Royal Street, Sherry. I've never been
enthusiastic about mall shops, but this one is very, very different."
Amanda smiled slightly. "It's me."

"Then go for it. Confucius also say:
What is right will follow."

"Sherry, would you like me to
tell you where you and Confucius can put your little witticisms?"

"Now, now. A superior man is
satisfied and composed." A bubble of laughter filled the phone lines.
"Amanda, whatever you decide, you know the entire staff will back you. I
can even work out a schedule so that we can come help set up the store."

"Thanks. I knew I could count on
you. I'll let you know how things go. Call me if there are any problems."

"Okay. Besides, I want to hear
all about your juggling two men. I may pick up some pointers."

The phone beeped as soon as Amanda
hung it up. Wade's low timbre vibrated against her ear. "Good morning.
What are you up to?"

She looked down at her
wallpaper-gluey T-shirt and smiled. "I'm quite elegant this morning,
lounging around in marabou and satin."

"That's sounds quite enticing. I
wish I could drive out."

Amanda frowned.
Goodness, Wade had
believed her! Would he believe bonbons, too?
"Actually, I'm busy
hanging wallpaper. Did Mr. Rafferty make a decision yet?"

"Oh. Uh." Wade swallowed
his confusion. "Yes. He's taking the smaller storefront in the east
wing." There was a pause. "Amanda, are you serious about a shop in
the mall?"

"More and more," came her
affirmative comment. "I just talked to my assistant manager and found
we've done record sales in the past two weeks; the forecast is sunshine and
greenery all the way."

"I better get answers to all
those questions you had last night."

"Lucas is talking with my
accountant and working up some funding approaches. I'll be getting back to you
with more questions by tomorrow."

"We'll do it over lunch. I
wanted to see you tonight, but I've got a business meeting." Wade sounded
anxious. "I seem to crave your company. Day and night."

Amanda ignored the not-too-subtle
undertone of that last word. "I'll miss not seeing you today, too."
That was the truth, no come-on. "Why don't we meet back at NorthPark Mall
around eleven tomorrow. I'd like to inspect the place again and then we can
move on to lunch."

"Hmm. That looks good. Think of
me today, Amanda. I'll be thinking of you all night."

It took the BeeGees' Saturday Night
Fever CD to eradicate the sensual echo Wade's voice had implanted in her brain.
Amanda diligently concentrated on her work. The wallpaper was smooth, seams
practically invisible, patterns matched. She wasn't sure who or what was the
speck of sand that would turn into the pearl.

Lucas?

Wade?

A new store?

Maybe even two out of the three?

Maybe all three?

The phone beeped a greeting just as
she sank her teeth into a second chunky peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
Amanda's hello was mumbled around a sticky tongue.

"Amanda? Lucas gave me this
number. How ya' doin'?"

"That all depends, Art,"
she told her accountant. "Were Sherry's figures right? Is there a chance
for a second store?"

"The receipts match and there's
a damn good chance you can expand. That's why I'm callin'. Lucas is sharp.
We've been vollyin' suggestions back and forth all mornin'. I think you've
surprised everyone with your business, Amanda. Projected gross sales look
close, very close to four million."