Part 11 (1/2)
Lauren wasn't sure she liked the way their case had been pa.s.sed around. ”The Secret Service hasn't even talked to us about what happened.”
Drew frowned. ”Rasmussen said they have his report, and they'll contact us when they know something.”
She glanced at Gerald, who seemed more concerned with supervising Steven's every snip than he was about the Secret Service. Fine. If he wasn't concerned, she wasn't either. Worrying about Callista Featherstone was enough to keep her stomach in knots.
Drew's thoughts might still be on the investigation, but she doubted it. He was leaning against the kitchen counter, watching with interest as her new hair style evolved.
Lauren s.h.i.+fted uneasily under his unwavering gaze. She adjusted her robe, uncrossed her legs, re-crossed them.
”Hold still,” Steven ordered.
She tried, but ended up swinging her foot to a nervous beat. With three men hovering around, she felt like the main exhibit at a museum. Gerald had to be there to advise Steven, but Drew didn't.
”Don't you have something to do?” she asked him.
”Me? No.”
She caught Gerald's eye with a pleading look. He glanced at Drew and said, ”Ladies only, get lost.”
Behind her, Steven muttered something and snipped perilously close to her neck.
Drew raised an eyebrow, but Gerald had already turned his back. Lauren smiled sweetly and said, ”'Bye.”
”Just be ready by seven,” Drew told her, and left.
She threw a grateful smile at Gerald. ”Thanks.”
”The big guy makes you nervous, huh?”
”Shut up, Gerald,” Steven said mildly as he created wispy bangs with his razor. ”And if you stereotype me one more time you're sleeping in the garage.”
Gerald grinned and winked at Lauren. ”Isn't he adorable?”
She wasn't sure if he meant Steven or Drew.
Steven's skills were magical, and Lauren loved the way her new hairstyle feathered down to swing just below the line of her chin.
The dress was more than magic. Her mind skidded away from the word s.e.xy, but she was quite sure she'd never looked this good in her life. The fake red fingernails she'd applied were the finis.h.i.+ng touch. If Meg felt this way about herself all the time, Lauren might have to consider investing in a few new dresses.
Lingerie, too. There was no getting around the effect the skimpy panties and lacy elastic garter straps had on her att.i.tude, even concealed beneath the long dress. Posing in front of the mirror so she could admire the way the tight bodice persuaded her average-sized b.r.e.a.s.t.s to scrunch into rounded mounds with honest-to-G.o.d cleavage, Lauren felt a surge of confidence.
It dissipated into quivering shyness as soon as she saw Drew.
He was as stunning as she'd expected in his tuxedo. He greeted her at the foot of the stairs with a warm gaze that lingered in all the right places, and a low, sensual, ”Very nice.”
He reached for her hand as she descended the final tread, drawing her as close as he would for a dance. Too close for comfort. Even in heels she had to tilt her head to meet his eyes, and as soon as she did, his gaze slid down to her mouth, then lower to her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. Her pounding heart was probably adding significant tremors to her cleavage.
His sparkling blue gaze returned to hers. One side of his mouth curved into a mischievous smile. ”I think our bodies will fit together quite well.” She nearly melted under a hot, liquid rush of emotion before he added, ”When we dance, that is.”
”Oh,” she said, stupidly letting him know that she'd a.s.sumed he was referring to another way they might fit together. She winced.
When she dared to look at him again, he drew his free hand from behind his back and brought it into the small s.p.a.ce between them. She looked down at a single, long-stemmed red rose.
”I couldn't resist.” He grinned, a devilishly charming little boy's smile that nudged her heartbeats into a gallop. d.a.m.n, that mouth was s.e.xy. ”You don't have to hold it in your teeth. I'll find a bud vase so you can leave it here.”
She nodded, wondering what it was about Drew that kept knocking her senseless. It wasn't like she'd never been given a rose before. In fact, she'd received hundreds. Jeff sent them in all colors, by the dozen, on a regular basis. Of course, they were delivered, not handed to her personally. And he'd never looked at her quite like that.
She had taken the rose from Drew and now she didn't know what to do with it. Simply holding it was dizzying, like being sucked into an emotional whirlpool with Drew at the center. Her panicked mind sought a way out.
Thrusting the rose back, she blurted, ”I forgot, I have to call Jeff before we go.”
”Great,” he muttered. ”Sounds like a real buzzkill to me.”
That was the point. As quickly as she could manage in three-inch heels and a floor-length dress, she fled the room.
Jeff was safe. He was stable and dependable, and he never made her feel quivery inside. At least he never had before that misguided phone s.e.x incident, which was never never going to happen again. He was also suspicious. going to happen again. He was also suspicious.
”What do you mean, you were searching Meg's apartment? What for?”
”That's what I've been trying to explain, we don't know. Anything that might relate to the photographs, or to why someone might try to kidnap her. But we didn't find anything.” Lauren decided not to mention the short brown hair in the comb; Jeff was already disapproving enough of Meg's ”misguided morals.”
”Lauren, I told you to leave that stuff to the police.”
”Yes, I remember. Jeff? I...” She hadn't planned to bring it up, but suddenly his answer seemed important.
He waited through her hesitation, then said with exaggerated patience, ”You what, Lauren?” He sounded impatient today, maybe a reaction to how vulnerable he'd sounded during the phone s.e.x incident. If he was still embarra.s.sed about it, she was sure the blame was going to s.h.i.+ft back to her.
Lauren had to remove an immaculately manicured fake fingernail from her mouth to speak. ”Would you be willing to come to Was.h.i.+ngton and help me?”
”Help? I don't think interfering with a police investigation would be helpful, Lauren. I'm sure the police would rather have you stay out of it, and I'm certain they don't need my help.”
”The Secret Service,” she mumbled.
He couldn't have heard her, because he spoke over her. ”Besides, I have that Board of Directors meeting for the Downtown Development Project, and you know how important it is that the mayor have a good impression of Duchaine Properties.”
”Yes, I suppose your family's business is more important than my sister.”
”Of course it is,” he a.s.sured her, then seemed to realize the trap he'd fallen into. ”Not that Meg isn't important to you, honey, but she has a husband to take care of her now. I have to think about us. The success of Duchaine Properties will ensure our financial future. It's my job to look out for our welfare.”
”Uh-huh.” Lauren knew he expected her to be pleased with his response, but only felt numb. Money was important to him; Meg wasn't.
Jeff's voice became hearty and encouraging, probably in response to her lack of enthusiasm. He hated it when she was worried or tense. ”So what did you do with the rest of your day? Did you get a chance to visit Aunt Betty and Uncle John?”
d.a.m.n, she'd forgotten all about them. ”No, I got my hair cut. I think you'll like it.” she'd forgotten all about them. ”No, I got my hair cut. I think you'll like it.”
She heard several seconds of silence before Jeff's voice came back, sounding cautious. ”I suppose a few hours at the beauty salon might make you feel better.”