Somewhere in His Arms (43 page)

             
“His name is Draco!” she offered, giggling at Marco's discomfort. “I heard.”

             
“Well, you missed the part where his wife caught them
in flagrante.”

             
“No!” she gasped at this juicy tidbit of gossip. If you ever needed to find out where Hollywood hid its skeletons, Marco was your go-to guy. “What happened?”

             
Marco began removing the foil. “The Mrs. came out like a bat out of hell and pounced on ole Viv like something out of
Fatal Attraction.”

             
“What happened then?”

             
He chuckled to himself and bent low so no one could hear. “She tore her dress off!”

             
“What's so horrible about that?”

             
“She wasn't wearing
any
underwear!”

             
Lucy burst out laughing at the image of poor Vivian standing all by herself sans knickers. “Was this in public or in private?”

             
“”Everyone in China now knows that Viv's carpet doesn't match the drapes!”

             
“Oh, that's horrible!” Lucy's hands flew to her reddened face. “She must have been mortified!”

             
“You know, that's what I've always loved about you, Lucy girl...”

             
“What?”

             
“You're so sweet and she's such a miserable bitch!”

             
“Oh, I don't know,” she said and tilted her head. “I can be a bitch.
              “Yes, but you're not vicious. She's like a viper on a chain.” He began combing her hair. “She's always been jealous of you.

             
“
What?”

             
He nodded. “She's always had to work at looking that great and you're a natural beauty. She couldn't stand it.”

             
Lucy sat in shock. She'd known Vivian resented her, but she'd always assumed it was because of her father. Vivian was known as one of the most beautiful women in the world, how could she be jealous of her?  “Jealous of me?” she pointed to herself.
“Me?”
she repeated incredulously. “The black crow?”

             
“Is
that
what she called you?” Marco demanded in outrage. “That bitch!”

             
“Well, I
was
scrawny as a kid.”

             
“But look at you now!” he smiled and pulled out the hairdryer. “You're a swan!”

             
She tilted her head to one side, studying her reflection critically. “A black swan is more like it.”

             
“Never look a gift horse in the mouth, “ he said primly and urged her head down. He pulled the brush expertly through her hair, and Lucy tried to think of what kind of dress she should get.

              Two hours later, Marco had finally allowed her to view the results of his handiwork. She had to admit, the man was an artist. He'd colored her hair a deep rich cocoa with warm highlights of chestnut and auburn. It warmed her complexion considerably. He'd also gone ahead and given her a fringe to hide the scar. Then he'd softened the effect by adding long layers and freed of the weight, her hair fell into its natural wave. He'd cut about three inches off, and Lucy found she liked having shoulder length hair. She only hoped Alec would approve.

             
Marco had refused payment and had packed up a bag of his signature hair products to try at home. She kissed him on the cheek and thanked him profusely. He'd been so embarrassed that he'd actually blushed. He made her promise to call him personally next time and as Lucy left, she could swear the blonde eyed her with something akin to envy.

             
Once outside, she saw it was getting late, so she headed for the first boutique that caught her eye. The saleswoman had been about as helpful as scurvy and as Lucy was pressed for time, she grabbed a black lace number without looking at the price tag and nearly fell on the floor when the dress rang up costing two thousand dollars.

             
Lucy reluctantly handed over her card and winced as the girl scanned it. She half expected it to be rejected but breathed a sigh of relief when the card went through. Adding insult to injury was a pair of three hundred dollar black strappy sandals and silk hose to match. And since she had a new dress, why not wear new underwear as well? So a black lacy bra and matching panties were added to the damage.

             
Alec would kill her but at least she'd look great while he did it.

             
She rushed out of the store, her new credit card burning a hole in her pocket. Alec drove up to the curb, and she was reminded of that night when he picked her up his jeep.               The car interior was illuminated briefly and she caught a glimpse of Alec's face as he took in her new hairdo.

             
“Well?” she asked once she was buckled in. “What do you think?”

             
“I don't know yet, “ he said as he drove off. “Did you get a dress?”

             
“Yes and no.”

             
“Yes, you did or no, you didn't?

             
“Well, that all depends on what you budgeted for it.”

             
He laughed uneasily. “I suppose I'll find out when I get the bill.”

             
“Uh-huh.”

             
“Well, we'll go home to freshen up and then I'll take you out to dinner.”

             
“Where are we going?”

             
“It's a secret.”

             
“Well, I hope they have steak. I'm starving!”

             
“That and then some, wife!” he said, and they both burst out laughing.

Chapter Twenty-six

As soon as they got home, Alec jumped in the shower while Lucy had a quick bath. He'd taken the opportunity to trim his hair and get a decent shave, so there wasn't much to do except lather up and rinse.

             
Wrapping a towel around his narrow hips, he headed over to the sink to towel-dry his hair. He also had a clear view of his wife who'd piled her new 'do onto her head and was busy scrubbing her face. She was still too pale for his peace of mind. The final confrontation with Reese had taken its toll; there were nights when he would wake up alone to find her in the living room, watching TV in the dark.

             
“Better hurry up, love,” he said, grabbing a towel and helping her out of the tub. “We've got an eight o'clock dinner reservation and I don't want to be late!”

             
“What's the rush, English?' she grinned and wrapped her arms around his neck. She kissed the scar over his eye. “How'd you get
this
anyway?”

             
“Gavin threw a bowl of porridge at me when I six,” he explained with a rueful sigh. “I wasn't smart enough to duck!” He bent and dropped a kiss on her adorable little nose.

             
“Hmm, “ she pressed her lips against his. “What did your mum say?”

             
Between kisses he managed to answer: “She yelled at me for messing the floor.”

             
“Poor baby,” Lucy murmured, kissing his freshly shaved cheeks. “She should have given him a good hiding,” she gasped when his hands slid to her bottom and pressed her up against his erection. “Oh, my love,” she breathed, her head falling back. He spread warm kisses down the slender column of her throat. “Um...maybe we should stay here.”

             
He chuckled wickedly and slipped his tongue into her mouth. Their tongues embraced and stroked softly, then he dragged himself away. “Later, wife,” he said gruffly, glancing down at himself. “We'll eat first. Then I'll ravish you.”

             
“Ravish...?” she said hopefully. “Promise?”

             
“Hurry up, wife!” he growled and nearly tripped on the bath rug when he flung open the door. “Or we'll never get out of here!”

             
She laughed at her husband and swept past him to the spare bedroom to dress. Lucy flung off the towel and rubbed some perfumed lotion into her damp skin. Then came the underwear. She'd never been fond of black, since Vivian had laid claim to that particular color long ago. But she supposed one had to make allowances somewhere, especially since now she was a married woman.

             
Lucy was reminded again of the knife attack as she pulled on the underwire bra. It was the first time since leaving the hospital that she dared wear something a little more supportive. She'd chosen the bra for functionality more than anything else, but it didn't hurt that it was also pretty to look at with delicate lace and embroidery. The matching lace boy shorts were a little different than what she was used to but were surprisingly comfortable.

             
Then came the dress.
Two thousand dollars!
What had she been thinking, or drinking for that matter? She cut off the price tag, wondering why she was feeling so guilty. It wasn't as if she was going to wear it once. A dress that cost
that
much would surely serve as the go-to little black dress! Lucy had to admit, it was gorgeous. It was knee length with cap sleeves, a wrap style bodice, scalloped v-neckline, and a wide ribbon belt that tied at the front. It would serve to hide the scars on her chest, while still maintaining feminine elegance. Sequins were scattered about and shimmered in the lamplight.

             
She put it on and some of the guilt at her purchase was diminished by the way the dress draped her slender figure. Lucy hummed to herself and put on the thigh-high stockings she'd bought to match. They were held up by a lace-trimmed elastic band, then for the shoes. Having spent most of her adult life running around in sneakers, she wasn't prepared her for this momentous occasion. She'd bought the lowest heel she could find and that happened to be a three-inch pair of Jimmy Choos. Lucy fastened the straps and stood up, wondering if she should call for help. She tottered dangerously on the platforms and wondered how the hell did Vivian ever manage to walk straight?

             
She walked around tentatively and made it to the dresser without falling on her face. Lucy hurried to fix her hair. She ran a comb through it, pinning the freshly dyed locks up with a few jeweled hairpins. For makeup, she applied a tinted moisturizer and a little cream blusher to add some color to her pale cheeks. The pale pink color spread itself dangerously and for a frightening moment, she was afraid she'd end up looking like a rodeo clown, but the color evened out and complimented her fair skin perfectly. Lucy never thought she'd find a use for those makeup lessons that Vivian had foisted on her, but she found she remembered how to expertly apply mascara and smoky eye shadow without resembling a raccoon. She dusted her face with a light application of powder and added mauve lip liner and a matching lip-gloss.

             
Surveying her reflection, she decided that makeup wasn't the evil war paint she'd made it out to be. It could be useful at times, especially when you didn't want to go on a date with your husband looking like a cast member of
The Walking Dead!
Rose scented perfume was added sparingly to her wrists, neck, and what the heck, between her breasts as well. Lucy stood back and made a face at herself in the mirror. She'd never win first prize in a beauty contest, but she supposed she wouldn't crack any mirrors either.

             
The one thing she regretted was the loss of her mother's jewelry. Her mother had had quite a collection, but her father had given most of the diamonds and gold rings to Vivian. The remaining pieces had been sold to pay off the mounds of medical bills her mother incurred during her many illnesses and suicide attempts. The only pieces of real jewelry that Lucy owned were the diamond and pearl earrings Rudy had given her.

             
She put them on and heard Alec calling her from the living room. “Are you ready yet, woman?”

             
“I'll be ready in a minute, dear!” she called back, laughing. Lucy took one last look in the mirror before deciding the dress needed something. She headed to their bedroom and rifled through the dresser for a black Pashmina silk shawl that Vivian had thrown out during her annual closet-cleaning ritual. Lucy had been instructed to take the items to a local resale shop, but she'd liked the shawl so much, she'd kept it for herself. What Vivian hadn't known, hadn't hurt her.

             
Now she was ready.

             
Alec fumbled with his cufflinks and wondered why the hell would anyone invent a shirt that needed the bloody things. Then he was suddenly assailed by the scent of roses. He looked up and saw
her
and for a moment could not breathe, nor form a coherent thought. The most beautiful creature he'd ever seen in his whole sorry life was standing before him and she was... his.

             
She was wearing some black lacy thing and she'd pinned the dark chocolate locks up; wispy strands framed her lovely face on which she had applied a light layer of cosmetics. He had always been of the mind that Lucy was perfect as is, but seeing her all dolled up like that sent his heart into overdrive. She was so damn beautiful it hurt just to look at her.

             
“Alec, why are you staring at me like that?” she asked, frowning at him. Maybe the blush
had
been a little too much. “It's the blush, I put on too much didn't I?” He went to her and caught her hand. Her breath caught as he raised it to his lips.

             
“You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in me life,” he breathed at last.

             
“Oh,” she said shyly and blushed some more. Lucy took a good look at Alec who was looking rather smashing himself. He was dressed for the occasion and she would swear he'd just walked off a magazine cover. He'd bought a new suit and the navy striped wool accented his tall athletic form nicely. The dark teal shirt and matching silk tie brought out his eyes, and her heart did a quick giddy-up in response to this hunk that just happened to be her husband. “You are
very
handsome,” Lucy whispered in awe.

             
It was his turn to blush. “You're prettier.”

             
“It's the dress.” She smoothed the lace awkwardly. “I've never worn anything so fine.”

             
Alec kissed her hand again and offered his arm. “No, it's you, “ he said huskily. “It's
always
you, love.”

             
“Well, if I'm pretty then you
must
be handsome!”

             
“Me?” he laughed and escorted her out to the car. “I think you rub off well.”

             
Lucy threw him a kiss and slid into her seat. He opened his door and climbed in. “Shall we?'

             
“Let's shall!” she leaned across to kiss his cheek and sat back as he started the car. “Where are we going?”

             
“Too many questions, wife!” he scolded and pulled out of the driveway. “Sit and be quiet like a good girl and the secret shall be revealed.”

             
“Oh, you!” she chided lightly “Well, I hope you made a reservation.”

             
“Reservation?” he repeated blankly.

             
“Alec, you didn't!”

             
“Maybe I did and maybe I didn't,” he said oddly. “I guess you'll just have to find out, won't you?”

             
“Oh, for heaven's sake!” she grumbled and tried not to laugh along with her husband. She supposed she would find out soon enough.

              They pulled up in front of the Montage Beverly Hills and found a long line of cars winding from the garage and into the street.  Alec swore as a black Mercedes nearly sideswiped him and he jerked the wheel to evade it. “What the hell? Everyone and their mother are here!”

             
“They must be having some sort of party for one of the award shows,” Lucy surmised. “Try the private entrance.”

             
“There's a private entrance?”

             
“Sure, Viv bragged about it all the time. But I don't know how we'll get in seeing as how we're not VIPs or anything.”

             
“Want to make a bet?” he muttered under his breath. Party be damned! He'd been planning this night for weeks and he wasn't going to let anything get in his way. He stopped the car along a darkened side street and yanked out his phone.

             
“Alec, what---?”

             
He got out and Lucy wondered what so important about this hotel. They didn't have to eat here. She'd be perfectly happy at a McDonald's, but it seemed Alec had his heart set on eating here for whatever reason she could not guess. He appeared to be arguing with someone on the phone, while raking his hand nervously through his hair. He came back five minutes later with a silly grin over his face. “They said there'd be no problem.”

             
“How did y---?”

              “Wouldn't you like to know, wife?” he chuckled knowingly and started the car.

             
Lucy didn't know how he managed to finagle an invitation through the underground entrance, but Alec looked mighty pleased with himself as they were escorted through the hotel by a valet who kept peering uneasily over his shoulder. “What did you say to them?” she hissed low.

             
He put a finger to his lips and smiled. It was an “I have a secret smile,” and she found it extremely unsettling. “I'm not telling.”

             
He'd been acting peculiar all week, and Lucy wasn't quite sure what to do about it. Her normally forthright husband was behaving as if he had a dead body buried in the backyard, and she began to wonder if Reese hadn't hit him a little too hard on the noggin. “Alec, are you feeling all right?” she asked, concerned.

             
Alec loosened his tie a bit, suddenly feeling like he was wearing a noose. “Me?” he gulped. “I'm perfectly well, wife!”

             
Lucy wasn't convinced but she'd let it slide... for now.

             
They were finally escorted into Scarpetta and ushered quickly to a private table on the balcony. “Is this table acceptable, sir?” the hostess inquired anxiously. “Perhaps a table on the patio would be more to your liking.”