The Opium Room (7 page)

Chin. On. Floor. There’s no way he didn’t see the spare tire below her belly button. At least if she’d had her wits about her, she could have sucked it in. She wanted to crawl into a hole and die.

Fox took one slow step toward her. Then another. “I can see the panic on your face,” he said softly. He slipped his hand underneath her hair, cupped the back of her neck. Gently he tilted her head, whispered into her ear, “Don’t be.”

His lips brushing against her ear sent a succession of chills down her arm.

Then he looked her in the eye. “You have
the
most womanly, beautiful body that it has ever been
my pleasure
to see.”

Lea just blinked at him, lips parted.

Take me! Take me now!
she wanted to say. That was the sexiest thing she’d ever heard. And the way he said it in that low, breathy tone.
Good Lord!

Even when things were at their best, Brandon had never said anything like that. The word beautiful or anything close to that hadn’t come out of his mouth since they went to their high school prom. He’d never looked at her with such desire in his eyes. Desire was never a part of their sex life. It was always a matter of two bodies going through the motion of what men and women were created to do, but devoid of any emotion. And up until now, that was all she had to go by. Never had she dreamed that mere words could set every nerve ending on fire.

Mixed in with her hot, turned–on feelings were hints of intimidation. This man had put some lovin’ on the ladies, no doubt. Before she could think any more about it, he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulled her against him. Softly, tenderly, he kissed her, teasing her with a swipe of his tongue.

Still holding onto her, he said, “Can I buy you dinner?”

“I don’t… It’s pretty late.”

“Breakfast, then?”

“I noticed a small diner right next door,” Lea said. “We could walk there.”

Fox smiled, presented his arm. “All right.”

Lea latched on and they walked to the door.

“Don’t forget your purse,” Fox said, pointing to the bed.

“Oh, yeah.” She grabbed it and smiled sheepishly. “Ready now.”

Lea had walked right by it without thinking. Seems she was scatterbrained a lot as of late. Now she couldn’t blame it on a lack of sleep.

There was a lot going through Lea’s mind as they walked across the small wooden bridge from the parking lot of the hotel to the twenty–four hour diner. What went on last night was still not crystal clear, but it was indisputable what would happen tonight if she’d gotten in the car with Fox. They’d have ended up right back in The Opium Room. Not that she didn’t want that to happen, it’s just, she wasn’t prepared. She hadn’t been able to get the image out of her head of the buxom red at his door earlier that day. Red was much slimmer than Lea, dressed in fancier clothes, and exuded a sex appeal that Lea felt was impossible she could tap into. She didn’t fit the mold of the kind of woman he was used to. She was just a curvy girl from the country.

Those thoughts led her to an idea. Karrigan could give her the scoop on the kind of women Fox likes. And she obviously marched to the beat of her own drum. Maybe she could help Lea loosen up.

—Fox

“Coffee?” Fox asked Lea after they ordered their drinks. He wasn’t sure he’d heard her right.

“I told you I love it.”

Fox crossed his arms on top the table, leaned forward. “It’s summer. In Georgia.”

Lea leaned forward from the other side of the table. Lowered her voice to match his. “If it was served at the beach, I’d buy it.”

Fox got a kick out that little exchange. Everything, her body, her body language, her likes, her dislikes, were signaling that she was the woman for him. The settling down kind. The kind that only comes around once in a lifetime.

“Tell me about yourself, Lea.”

“I’m a farmer’s daughter from Augusta, South Carolina. I married my high–school sweetheart while attending Clemson to earn a degree in Information Technology. We were together for ten years. He cheated. We divorced. I work from home. Volunteer at the Children’s Hospital twice a week. And my extra–curricular activity consists of water aerobics with my best friend Kate a few nights a week.”

Fox chuckled.

“I know. I’d laugh too,” Lea said flatly.

The waitress came back with their drinks. Said she be right back to take their order.

“No, it’s the way you said it,” Fox said. “You spit it out so fast it sounded rehearsed.”

“Yeah, well, when your routine’s always the same, that tends to happen.”

“What does your volunteer work consist of?”

“On Tuesday, I take my dog Glitzy—she’s a cockapoo—with me. She plays in a group session with the kids who are well enough to get out of bed for a while, and she personally visits the children who can’t get out of bed. She knows a lot of tricks. She jumps through a hula hoop, bows, gives high–fives and kisses. The kids adore her. And then on Thursdays, I push around the happy wheels cart.”

Fox raised a brow. “You mean happy
meals
?”

“No, you heard right, happy
wheels.
It’s a cart with three shelves full of toys and books generously donated to the program. I take it room to room. When the children browse the “shelves” for their Thursday toy, they feel as if they’re in a store. Some of them have been hospitalized for several months; it restores their sense of normalcy, at least temporarily. I can’t tell you which one fills my heart with more joy. Seeing their faces light up when they see the toy cart coming, or when they play with Glitzy.”

Fox nodded his head in approval. “You’ve got a kind heart, Lea. If I had any extra time on my hands, I’d love to do something like that.”

Lea peeled back the seal on the individual creamer and looked up at Fox as she dumped it into her coffee. “I see you spend some time in the gym.”

He shrugged. “A little. I use the hotel’s fitness room when Roman stresses me out.”

Lea’s eyes widened. “He must stress you out. A. Lot.”

Fox laughed. “Yeah.” He imagined his father’s face on the punching bag every time he got after it, but he preferred to keep that between him and Everlast.

The waitress came back with pad in hand. “Y’all ready now?”

Lea ordered French Toast with scrambled eggs. Fox said he’d have the same.

“Do you have any brothers or sisters?” Fox asked.

“One younger brother, Galen. He’s a college student.”

“So, is your brother as down–to–earth as you?” Fox asked. “Cause I need to find Karrigan some direction.”

Lea laughed, showed her pretty teeth. She had one of those extraordinary smiles that lights the entire face. If she were covered from the nose down, one would still be able to see her smile in her eyes. She put her elbows on the table, wrapped both hands around the coffee, he presumed, out of habit; it certainly didn’t have anything to do with the temperature. He liked how she was starting to relax. He wanted her to be nothing but content with him. Extremely satisfied would be even better. But that would happen in due time.

“Galen’s a good guy,” Lea said. “Quiet, though. And very shy. I doubt Karrigan would like that.”

“He sounds exactly like what Karrigan needs,” Fox said.

“Last time I talked to him, he was single. We could hook them up.”

“That’d make for some memorable family functions.”

“Why?”

Fox had purposely set that question up. “Brother and sister dating brother and sister.”

The waitress brought their food and set it on the table. “Enjoy.”

Talk about ill–timed.

Lea picked up her fork and knife and cut into her French toast.

Fox sighed and followed suit. The moment was gone.

Halfway through the meal, Lea said, “I almost didn’t recognize you tonight when I opened the door.”

Fox grinned, shoved in a mouthful of eggs. “Why?”

“Look at you. You look like a young, regular guy. Not all

fancy–smancy.”

“Well I’m sorry if I looked all… Wait—what’d you say?”

“Fancy–smancy. It’s an expression. You know what I mean. For a lack of a better word, I guess I’m trying to say… prominent.”

“This is me, Lea. Just like I am right now. I don’t like wearing a suit every day, but it’s business. I’m just playing a part.”

“I know, and I hope that I didn’t offend you. I’m the one with the inferiority complex. I feel completely different around you when you’re wearing your business suit.” She put down her fork and nodded. “I just don’t see why you’re wasting your time with me. You could pursue any of the number of sophisticated women I saw in your hotel.”

“I have.”

“You have?”

“Yes, I have. Damn it, I’m thirty years old. What do you think, that I’ve been celibate all these years?”

“Oh.” Lea picked up her fork, shoved in another bite, and looked out the window.

“Lea, I wasn’t finished.” She looked back at him. “What I’m saying is, I’m over women like that. I see what they’ve had to offer. And I don’t see in them what I see in you. I’m not talking about anything sexual, either.”

Lea sighed. “Like sex is not a big deal? Please. I’m close to the same age as you, and I’ve been with one guy. My husband. That’s it. I doubt I have as much to offer as you seem to think.”

Fox reached across the table, gripped her hand. Smiled as he said, “On the contrary.”

“Oh, no.” Lea sat up straight. “We did something last night, didn’t we? Come clean.”

He nodded. “Something.” He let her squirm for a good ten seconds. “But not that.”

She sighed so hard her bangs blew away from her face. “I’m gonna beat you.”

“I look forward to it. But can you wait till after our date?”

“What date?”

“The one I’m taking you on. Tomorrow night?”

“I don’t know. I really need to rest, so I can absorb the information I’m getting out of the next few days.”

“Well, what about the night after your last meeting? That’ll be Friday, right? It will give you a few days to miss me.”

Lea lifted a brow so very sexily, a coy smile tugged at the side of her mouth. “Miss you?”

“Kidding. But I can’t swear that I won’t miss you.” He stood, walked to her side of the table and scooted back her chair.”

“Let’s get you home.”

He paid, left a tip, and they walked back over the bridge to the hotel.

“Fox, where are you taking me Friday night? I don’t know if I brought anything appropriate for a date.”

He grabbed her hand. “Just bring you. I don’t give a damn about anything else.” He didn’t let go.

When they got to the hotel, Lea asked for Karrigan’s number.

“What for? In case you haven’t noticed, Karrigan’s not exactly a good influence.”

“I was going to pass it along to my brother.”

“Oh,” Fox said happily. “In that case, you got a pen?”

Lea dug in her purse, handed him a three–inch spiral memo book and a pen.

Fox scribbled down Karrigan’s cell number, flipped to the next page and left a personal note for Lea. He started to hand her back the thick–barreled pink pen when he saw the writing on it: YOU BETTA REDNECKOGNIZE!

Before his smile could spread across his face, Lea jerked away the pen and pad and stuffed them in her purse. “Well, thanks for that. See you Friday.”

Fox had planned on one more kiss, but Lea had closed the door in his face before he got the chance.

—Lea

Lea pressed her back against her hotel room door. From the other side, she heard Fox say, “Okay then. I’ll call you.”

“K,” she answered, trying to sound cool. She prayed to God that Fox knew the saying on the pen came from a television show and that it wasn’t her life motto. And it wasn’t like she bought it for herself. It was part of the Honey Boo Boo gift basket Kate had given her for her twenty–eighth birthday earlier in the month. She must have been trying to sabotage Lea’s future dating plans because she’d also included a T–shirt that said
Sugar Bear my baby daddy.
At least Lea was smart enough to leave that at home.

She fell back onto the bed, just stared at the ceiling.

She’d never expected to meet someone during this trip. At least not someone who she’d instantly—dare she think it?—fall in love with. It was more likely just plain lust from being alone for the last year. She felt equal parts fabulous and uneasy being around Fox. But she’d never anticipated the fabulous part.

Her confidence had been stolen from her—an unforeseen consequence of the divorce. She hadn’t been good enough for her husband of ten years. How could she be good enough for Fox? She wasn’t sure.

She sat up, grabbed her cell phone from her purse and punched in Karrigan’s number.

“El–lo,” Karrigan answered.

“Can you keep a secret?”

“Sure I can.” She smacked, obviously had a mouth full of something.

“I’m very attracted to your brother, but I have a problem.”

“Uh–huh…”

“You see, he and I are from two different worlds, and I feel like such an outsider. We’re going on a date Friday night, and I need you to help me find an outfit. Something you know your brother would love.”

“Oooh, sounds juicy.” Either she had spit out, or finished, what was in her mouth. “When do you want to meet up?”

“Tomorrow during the day I’ll be at the convention. How about six–ish?”

“That’s a plan… What’d you say your name was?”

“Lea.”

Silence. Then, “Sounds familiar. I’m trying to place—”

“Remember, we had dinner at Remedy and drinks at Dilemma yesterday.”

“Oh, that’s right. Yeah, I remember, hon. You’re the one Fox was hanging with before Father summoned him to the attic. That’s what I call Roman’s office—the attic—because nobody likes going in there.” She went to chewing again.

“All right, well, I’ll call you tomorrow when I’m ready.”

“All righty.” Another smack. “Hey, which brother you got the hots for?”

Lea had a delayed response. “Fox.”

“Oh, okay. Erickson’s cooking is so good he makes women melt, and I thought since you ate the spaghetti… And Fox—that’s understandable, too. He’s a chic magnet.”

“Oh,” Lea said, defeated. “Really?”

“Mmhmm. You wouldn’t believe all the women who walk by making googly, sex–me eyes at him. Even the ones he already took to bed do.”