Dangerous Kiss (19 page)

To Teddy's amazement, Mila snuggled close in the cinema. He couldn't believe it. This was something he'd dreamed about ever since he'd hit puberty, yet he was still scared of her. He couldn't help thinking of her firing the gun… killing Mary Lou. At the same time he wanted to grab a feel of those perky little tits and touch those hot sexy thighs. He wanted to shove his Johnson at her and have her caress it.

He'd never touched a girl - he was way behind the other dudes in his class, who'd all been making out while he'd been shut in a boys-only school in New York, thanks to Price, who thought that would force him to concentrate on his work.

Price did not want him getting into any of the things that he'd done. Endless women, wild sex, drugs, and booze. Price wanted him to be perfect. And that was impossible.

'Wanna touch my tits?' Mila whispered seductively in his ear.

'Wh-what?' he stammered, sure he hadn't heard correctly.

'Do you?' she encouraged, moving even closer.

'C-can I?'

'Christ, Teddy,' she said forcefully. 'You're such a loser. For God's sake, go for it.' And with that, she grabbed his hand and shoved it up her T-shirt.

Feeling her hard, pointed nipples, he nearly came in his pants. Her tits were the best thing he'd ever felt.

Was this sex? He had a giant hard-on - which was nothing new because he got hard every time he looked at a girlie magazine. Only this was the real thing, this was Mila, and his heart was pounding.

Her hand crept down to stroke his erection. 'Oooh, aren't you a big boy?' she said, licking her lips with a snake-like pink tongue. 'My little Teddy - what a surprise!'

They were sitting in the back row, her choice. Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner were emoting on the screen, but who cared? Teddy certainly didn't.

Right now he didn't care about anything except his interaction with Mila - the object of his lust.

She snaked her hand down the front of his pants. Flesh upon flesh. He thought he'd died and gone to heaven. Then, without warning, he felt himself squirting all over her hand.

'Ha!' she exclaimed. 'That was quick. Now you belong to me. Did you know that, Teddy? You always belong to the first woman you have.'

'But - but I haven't had you,' he stammered.

'That's okay,' she said, matter-of-factly. 'We're just starting. We got plenty of time.'

Chapter Thirty-five

'I haven't heard from you in a while.'

'Who's this?'

'You're kidding, right?'

Lucky sighed and held the phone tight. 'Hi, Alex,' she said. 'Your timing is impeccable.'

'What does that mean?'

'It means that twenty minutes ago Lennie and I had a big fight and he walked.'

'Walked?'

'You heard it here first.'

'Jesus! This isn't right.'

'Tell me about it. I'm sitting in an empty house with nobody to punch in the face.'

'If it's a face you want, you can have mine.'

'I'm angry and frustrated.'

'Sounds healthy.'

'Are you alone?'

'I could be in ten minutes. Why?'

'Thought I might come over and vent.'

'Want me to drive to your house and collect you?'

'I'm still capable of driving, thank you very much.'

'I'll get out the vodka.'

'I'll see you in ten.'

What am I doing? she thought. Running to Alex at the first sign of trouble. This is insane.

And, yet, why shouldn't she go to Alex? Whether Lennie liked it or not, he was her best friend. And she couldn't burden Steven: he had enough to cope with.

Besides, her relationship with Alex was absolutely platonic.

Of course, there was that one wild night five years ago… but that had been a one-off they'd both agreed to forget about. And, anyway, Alex only went for Asian women, and she was in love with Lennie. There was absolutely no chemistry between her and Alex. Absolutely none.

Before leaving, she called Palm Springs to talk to her children. Instead she got Gino, who informed her they were all eating dinner. 'Everything okay with you, kid?' Gino asked.

'Of course. Why?'

'Somethin' in your voice.'

Oh, he knew her very well indeed, her father. He was a canny old man. 'Don't be silly,' she said lightly. 'I'm enjoying the break.'

'We'll keep the kids as long as you want,' he said. 'They're havin' a good time.'

'Thanks, Gino. And please thank Paige for me.' Five minutes later she was in her Ferrari on her way to Alex's house. He lived further along the Pacific Coast Highway, in a Richard Meier-designed modern masterpiece. They were neighbours in a way, although neither of them ever dropped by.

He was standing at his front door, waiting for her. 'This is a nice surprise,' he said. 'Sorry to hear that you're so pissed off.'

'Right,' she said, getting out of her Ferrari. 'And so would you be.'

'I'll tell you what the plan is,' he said, holding her arm. 'We'll take my car, 'cause I hate your driving.'

'Take your car where?'

'We're going up the canyon to the Saddlebag Inn, where we will have a leisurely dinner, during which you can tell me everything.'

'I wasn't planning on dinner,' she said, gesturing at her outfit. 'I mean, look at me

- I'm in jeans and a sweater.'

'Lucky, I don't know how to tell you this - but you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen.'

'You're prejudiced, Alex, 'cause I'm your best friend.'

'Could be. But since you're also the smartest woman I know, we won't argue.

Here's the deal. My fridge is empty and we both need to eat.'

'I'm not hungry.'

'You'd better be. I was planning a wild night of tantric sex with Pia, but since you've ruined that little scenario, let's go satisfy me in some other way.'

She couldn't help smiling. 'Hmm… just because I'm not into tantric sex…'

'Ha ha!' Alex said. 'I'm amused.'

'I aim to please.'

'Stop carrying on,' he said, 'and get in my car.'

'God, you're bossy,' she grumbled. 'I'd forgotten what it was like being around you.'

'I'm a director,' he said briskly. 'That's the way we are.'

She climbed into his Mercedes and they set off.

As they drove up the canyon, she started laughing.

'Glad to see I've brought a smile back to your face,' he said, glancing over at her.

'Care to share the joke?'

'I'm remembering,' she said.

'What?'

'The last drive we took under adverse circumstances.'

'You mean that drive when we were supposed to go see Gino in Palm Springs?'

'That's the one,' she said. 'I was in a freaked-out state 'cause that's when I thought Lennie was dead. But instead it turned out he'd been kidnapped. Only we didn't know that, right?'

'Sounds like a plot from one of my movies.'

'I hope not.'

'If I remember correctly you were so wasted. And we ended up in a sleazy bar with some crazy stripper - what was her name?'

'Driving Miss Daisy,' Lucky said, chuckling as she remembered the outrageous black stripper they'd somehow gotten attached to.

'Right,' Alex said, laughing too. 'You insisted I give her a job.'

'And you wouldn't,' Lucky said.

'God!' Alex said, smiling at the memory. 'That was some night. You were totally out of it.'

'And I suppose you were stone cold sober.'

'As a matter of fact I was,' he said. 'Had to be. One of us needed to be in control.'

'Sure,' she said.

'Then we had wild sex in that Norman Bates motel in the middle of nowhere,' he reminded her. 'And in the morning you were gone.'

Lucky stopped laughing. 'Alex,' she said, her face serious, 'you were never supposed to mention that. I was drunk. I didn't know what I was doing.'

'Never thought I'd hear you come up with an excuse like that,' he said, shaking his head.

'It's not an excuse, it's a fact. For all I know we didn't even have sex. You probably passed out.'

'Thanks a lot.'

'Did you?'

'What?'

'Pass out?'

'If it makes you feel better.'

They drove in silence for a few minutes, then Alex said, 'You ever tell Lennie?'

'Of course not.'

'Then why does he hate me?'

'He doesn't hate you.'

'Sure he does.'

'That's not true. We're all friends.'

'We were all friends for about two months after he reappeared, then suddenly his attitude changed. You must've noticed.'

'He likes you, Alex.'

'Bullshit! I think he knows.'

'There's no way he could possibly know,' she said. 'I never told him.'

'Anyway, what was he doing all that time he was held captive in a cave - jerking off?'

'That's not a very nice thing to say.'

'What about the girl who rescued him?'

'Nothing happened between them.'

'How do you know?'

'Because he told me and I trust him.'

'Okay, if you believe it, I'll believe it.'

'Can we quit this conversation, Alex.'

'Yes, Lucky, whatever you say.'

Once Lennie was out of the house and in his car, he realized he had nowhere to go. He also realized that Lucky was right, he was taking his lousy mood out on her, and any sane person knew that it wasn't her fault.

She'd mentioned divorce. How could she mention divorce at a time like this? The very fact that she'd done so angered him. Christ - didn't she understand what he was going through?

Yes, a little voice whispered in his head. She understands all right. You're behaving like an asshole, and it's gone on too long.

Cool down, that's what he had to do. Cool down and get his head together. Go home, apologize, and resume normal life. Because whatever he did could not bring Mary Lou back.

In the meantime, he drove around aimlessly, finally deciding to check into the Sunset Marquis for the night. Being by himself for one night wasn't such a bad idea. After all, he'd endured months of solitary confinement when he'd been kidnapped.

It had taken him a while when he'd got back from that ordeal to face life again.

Now this: the setback he'd been praying wouldn't happen.

Mary Lou's image kept dancing before his eyes. So pretty and sweet and talented. What if he'd gone for his gun immediately? What if he'd thrown open his car door and fought with the attackers?

What if, what if, what if… The words kept going through his head, driving him insane.

Perhaps tomorrow he'd feel better. He wasn't going home until he did. Lucky deserved better.

Alex allowed her to talk. They sat outside at a table for two, and Lucky let fly with all her problems.

'Maybe I made a mistake giving up my job at the studio,' she said, reflecting on the situation. 'It wasn't that I didn't enjoy what I was doing, I simply felt my responsibility was to spend more time with Lennie and my kids.'

'Do you miss being at Panther?' Alex asked.

'I think I do,' she said uncertainly. 'It was hard work, but that's what I enjoy. I've always worked hard. When I was in my twenties I was building hotels in Vegas and Atlantic City. Gino taught me the work ethic, y' know. Get out there and do it

- and do it good.'

'If you miss it, you can always go back. After all, you still own the studio.'

'I'd feel kind of stupid going back so soon. I have to give the people I've put in charge a chance.'

'Then what's your plan? You'll go nuts sitting around doing nothing.'

She nodded, picking up her wine-glass. 'You're right.'

'I have an idea,' he said.

'What?'

'Why don't you produce a movie? It's a whole different deal from sitting in an office, fighting off agents and producers. Produce your own movie, Lucky,' he urged. 'Something you feel passionate about.'

'I never thought of that.'

'You'd enjoy the challenge. Besides, you're in the perfect position. You don't have to go through the shit of getting a studio to put up the money. You can greenlight your own project, then produce it.'

'I'm not experienced enough.'

'How about taking on a project with me?'

She laughed drily. 'That would go down well with Lennie.'

'So now you're going to live your life worrying about what Lennie thinks, huh?

Where's that independent spirit of yours?'

'Lennie is my husband, Alex.'

'I know that, but surely you don't have to ask his permission?'

'To tell you the truth, I think you're right - he is a little bit jealous of you. So if we undertook a project together, that might put him over the top.'

Alex shrugged. 'Just an idea.'

'Thanks for the thought anyway,' she said. 'We'd probably drive each other crazy, because I'm very opinionated. And so are you.'

'You're opinionated?' Alex said, his lethal crocodile grin coming at her full force.

'Wow! I'd never have guessed.'

Lucky couldn't help smiling back. 'Let's talk about you for a while. How's your mother?'

'Dominique's fine. Since she married the opera singer, she leaves me alone.'

'That's nice to know. You must feel good about that.'

'Stop sounding like a shrink.'

'I'd have made an excellent shrink.'

'You'd have made an excellent anything.'

'You always make me feel good, Alex.' She took another sip of wine. 'By the way, how's your love life?'

'You know about my love life, Lucky,' he said ruefully. 'They come, they go. I come, they go.'

'Alex, Alex, why don't you find a nice girl and settle down?'

'Now you sound like my mother.'

She laughed softly. 'First your shrink, then your mother. Which do you choose?'

'If I had a choice,' he said slowly, 'you'd be a free woman.' A long meaningful pause. 'And you'd be with me.'

Chapter Thirty-six

'Don't look now,' Kyra said, speaking out of the corner of her mouth. 'There's a guy sitting at the table to our left who hasn't taken his eyes off me.'

'Really?' Brigette said.

'Yeah,' Kyra said. 'He keeps on staring at me. Of course, I'm used to it.'

Here we go again, Brigette thought. Kyra and Lina are exactly alike. Apart from the colour of their skin and their accents. Mega egos!