Chapter Three
Focused on Susan’s dance moves, it took a second for Teddy to react to the fact she was staring at a point behind him. He whipped around, his gaze darting instantly to the large white sheet hanging from the balcony. I love you, Susan. I’ve been waiting for you. was scrawled in red across the stark surface.
In a few quick strides, he was by her side, had his arm wrapped around her shoulders and led her backstage. Teddy grabbed his cell as he called out to the stagehand, “Get security out here now. Get her dressing room secured. Someone get the building sealed off and see if we can find this ass!”
The security guard standing in front of her room stepped to the side. “Room’s secure, sir. I checked it out entirely.”
Teddy nodded. The tiny room wasn’t difficult to inspect, but even so, he went through the door first, keeping his body firmly planted in front of hers before he pulled her in and shut the door. Susan was shaking and he grabbed a robe off the chair and dropped it on her shoulders.
“Sit down before you fall,” he ordered none too gently. Seeing the actual proof that the lunatic actually did exist—not that he really doubted it—and that he was still after her was enough to put him on high alert. At the same time, the fear that welled up inside him at the thought of anything happening to her made him short-tempered.
“I can’t believe he hasn’t given up.”
Teddy glanced at her. “I told you.”
“Don’t start with the I-told-you-so’s; I don’t need it,” she snapped.
He opened his mouth to comment, but seeing her tremble, he moved instead to drop to the sofa next to her. Gruffly, he pulled her into his arms and pressed her head to his chest. “I’m sorry. I was hoping he was gone, too. Either way, it’s going to be fine. He can’t get you. I’m not going to leave your side until the wacko is caught, so you have nothing to worry about. I’m right here.”
Her slender arm slid along his belly as she cuddled into him. Teddy closed his eyes at the rush of protectiveness he felt. How long had it been since he’d held her like this? More years than he wanted to recall, and even though this hug was purely a reaction to her fear, he couldn’t help but remember how good she’d always felt next to him.
His cell phone rang and he pushed the button to answer. “Yeah.” Listening to a police officer tell him what he fully expected didn’t improve his mood. “Thank you, Officer. I’ll wait to hear back.” He hung up the phone and shifted on the couch next to her.
Susan sat up and brushed her hair back. “I take it they’re still not going to do anything.”
“They’re going to check the security tapes, but even if they can see someone hanging the banner, they can’t charge him with anything other than trespassing. They’ll be by soon to take your statement.”
Susan pushed to her feet and wiped her eyes with a tissue. “That’s what they told me the last time, too.”
The knock on the door made Teddy bolt to his feet. Even knowing it was locked, he wanted to be in front of her. “Yeah. Who is it?”
“Steve.”
He opened the door and let her manager in, being careful to lock up after him.
Steve glanced at Susan but didn’t move toward her side. “They got the sheet down.” His gaze shifted from the singer to Teddy.
Teddy furrowed his brows. “And?”
“It had her initials monogrammed on it. Somehow he got a hold of one of her sheets.”
Susan’s eyes widened and her hand went to her mouth as if she was going to be sick. “Oh, God…oh, God.”
Teddy glanced at her, then back at her agent. “That security guard is a waste.”
Steve brushed an invisible piece of lint off his black dress shirt. “It doesn’t mean he was there recently. He could have gotten in at any time.”
Susan’s head jerked around. Her deep blue eyes bore into his. “Wait, I send my laundry out. So it doesn’t necessarily mean he was in my apartment at all, right? He could have gotten it from the laundry company.”
Teddy nodded. “Maybe, but I’m still going to go through the video tapes of the apartment when we get back and see if anyone looks suspicious.
He watched Susan sink to the chair in front of her dressing table and pick up her hairbrush. Her eyes met his in the mirror and the fear reflected in her gaze infuriated him. No matter how bad things were between them, no one should have to live with this kind of fear.
“So, what’s your plan now?” Steve asked, his gaze bouncing from Teddy to Susan.
Susan’s eyes shifted in the mirror to look at her agent. “I’m supposed to go to the Met tonight.”
He forced himself not to comment. The last thing he wanted was her going out in public again today.
Steve moved to step behind her.
Teddy hated how it annoyed him when the other man rested his hands on her slender shoulders.
“I’ll see you tonight, babe.” Steve grinned. “Get some rest, or at least try.”
“I will, thanks.”
As the door closed behind her manager, Susan stood abruptly and crossed the room to stand alone at the wardrobe. “I’m going to change.”
“I’ll be right outside.” Teddy walked through the door, closed it behind him, and took up his post.
He spied up into the stage equipment and let his gaze roam slowly around, looking for any signs of movement. All seemed quiet.
Letting his breath out, he allowed himself a moment of uncertainty. Yesterday, he hadn’t been convinced this was a real threat—it certainly was now.
The doorknob rattled. He stepped back and turned as Susan came out. Any sign of bravado she’d shown before was completely gone and she looked like a little girl, lost and scared.
“I’m ready.”
Her vulnerability caused Teddy to slip his arm around her shoulder and hug her to his side, even though he told himself it was simply a precaution and not his need to hold her. He kept her firmly against him until they were whisked away in the waiting car by the proving-to-be-reliable Maxwell.
Susan had scooted to the far side, her head turned away as she watched out the tinted windows.
“Not that I think it’s a very good idea, but what time are we going out tonight?”
She didn’t turn from the window. “The show is at eleven.”
“The show doesn’t start until eleven?”
“Then there will be a late dinner somewhere, which reminds me, we need to get you a tux.”
She shifted forward in her seat, but he touched her shoulder before she could call Maxwell. “I brought mine.”
Her brow was furrowed as she turned to look at him. “You did?”
He shrugged. “I figured if I was coming here, you were going to truss me up sooner or later.”
She settled back against the seat and closed her eyes. “The paparazzi will go insane wondering who you are.”
“I told you what we should let them believe.”
“No.” Her eyes flew open and she shook her head.
It made no sense that she was so adamant against giving the impression they were lovers.
Impatiently, he glanced around outside. The car was barely moving. “We should have a horse; we might actually get across town with a horse.”
“I don’t think the apartment complex would let me keep one in the underground garage.”
Teddy snorted, but didn’t comment. For several more minutes, they rode in silence.
“Did you ever try to picture what it had to have been like when my parents met?”
Where did that come from? He turned his head toward her. Susan stared back. Color was returning to her cheeks and she didn’t have the wild fear in her eyes that had been there earlier. Her tongue snaked out to wet her lips and it drew his attention. Once more, it occurred to him how incredibly beautiful she was.
He tore his gaze from her face and looked at the view of the buildings they passed. “I know they met here in the city, had a hot and heavy weekend, and she followed him back to Texas.”
Susan laughed. “Not quite that fast—but yeah, it was something like that. Picture Daddy walking these streets and chasing down Mama. He had to feel as out of place here as you do. And then to fall in love with a city girl, he must have thought his hat was two sizes too small.”
Teddy had to admit it must have been a sight back then. His memory of Julia Sampson was blurred by the number of years since her death, but she’d been as beautiful as her daughters. He remembered a tall blonde woman with an infectious laugh. He also remembered that Susan’s father worshipped the ground she walked on. “He certainly loved her.”
“Can you picture that happening to you? I mean, what if you suddenly met someone here and fell in love. What would you do?”
Teddy shook his head. It wouldn’t happen in a million years. The women he’d encountered so far didn’t even tempt him. “I would do what I always do, love ’em and leave ’em.”
Susan rolled her eyes. “You have to stop chasing skirts someday. Don’t you ever want what your brothers have? Don’t you want a family? A home of your own?”
The kids immediately popped into Teddy’s mind. But Susan was the last person he’d share that piece of information with. “You’re starting to sound like Flo.”
Susan smiled. “Yeah, I guess I do. Sorry. Having you here is kind of weird for me, like two worlds colliding.”
“Definitely two different worlds, no argument there, but they aren’t colliding; I’ll be more than happy to leave your world behind as quick as I can—once I find the guy stalking you.”
She was silent for the rest of the ride and he kicked himself for bringing the fear back to her eyes.
The car slid to a stop in front of her building. Teddy stepped out first, grabbing her hand as she climbed out of the car and holding it firmly in his as he quickly ushered her inside the front door. He stopped at the security desk and spoke to the new guards that were put in place that morning to “help” Henry.
“Miss Susan, I promise you, nobody has been anywhere near your floor. As a precaution, however, we’ve had the elevator reprogrammed with a special code so only those that have your pin number can stop at your floor,” Henry assured her.
“I know you’re doing your best, Henry. I appreciate it.” She smiled at the elderly man and then frowned at the two linebackers situated at either side of the door.
“What about the stairwell?” Teddy asked.
“The fire marshal wants to talk to you about that. A lock would be a code violation.”
“So the stairwell isn’t secure?” He pinned one of the new guards with a glare.
“We’re constantly watching the door down here.”
“I want another guy positioned at the doorway. Can you get someone over here in the next twenty minutes?”
“Yes, sir. Right away.” One of the rough-looking guys picked up his cell phone and spoke into it. Snapping it shut, he nodded.
“Let’s go.” Teddy released his grip on Susan’s hand and steered her toward the elevators. He didn’t want to get on, but it was the quickest way up to her penthouse.
As soon as he satisfied himself everything was secure, he watched Susan disappear into her room. Seconds later, he heard water running. Images of the sexy brunette getting naked and sinking into a tub full of bubbles flashed through his mind.
The buttons on his cell phone took the brunt of his discomfiture as he headed to the kitchen.
“Double B,” Cord answered.
“Hey, it’s me.”
“How’s it going?”
“It wasn’t going too bad until the stalker decided to show back up.” Reaching into the refrigerator, he pulled out a bottle of water and screwed off the top while he got Cord up to speed with what happened.
“I’m sure he had the sheet all along,” he finally summed up. “It would have been tough for him to have gotten past the new security guards—but then again, he could have snuck in before they were in place.”
“How are those guys? Charli recommended the company they’re with, apparently she had to use some bodyguards in the past.”
Teddy’s mind flashed to the redheaded bombshell and longtime family friend. Now there was a body he wouldn’t mind guarding, that’s for sure. The water shutting off down the hall jolted him back to reality.
“How’s Susan holding up? You aren’t giving her a hard time, are you? She has enough on her mind.”
“You stuck me in New York with the one woman on planet Earth I don’t want to be around, and you’re asking me to pretend I’m enjoying this?”
“You don’t have to enjoy anything—you simply don’t have to make a tough situation even tougher. Where’s Susan now?”
“She’s in taking a bath.” He set his empty water bottle on the counter and walked out of the kitchen. “She’s insisting on going to this shindig at the Met tonight. I have to wear a tux.” He sneered.
“I hate the idea of her out and about, especially at night.”
“I hate the idea of wearing a tux. Quit worrying. This job may have been forced on me, but it doesn’t mean I’m taking it any less serious because I don’t want to be here.”
“Understood.”
“I’ll be in touch if there’s anything to report.”
“Sounds good. Bye.”
“Bye.”
Speaking to Cord made Teddy realize he hadn’t checked his e-mail in a few days. What if some news from the Board at the Children’s Home came in?
He crossed the hall to the small office where Susan kept her laptop. He moved the pink mouse back and forth and waited for the screen to wake up. That’s when he discovered Susan had it password protected.
“Damn.”
He strode back to her bedroom and knocked on the door impatiently. “Susan, what’s your password for the laptop?”
No answer. He knocked again. “Susan?”
Still no answer. He turned the knob and pushed the door slowly open, expecting her to screech at any moment. Peeking around the half-open door, he discovered the room empty, but her bathroom door was ajar.
“Susan, I need the password for the computer,” he said from the bedroom doorway. He frowned when she didn’t answer. What the hell was she doing in there? Teddy tipped his head trying to listen, but there wasn’t any sound coming from the bathroom.
He took a few steps into her room, noting with interest the lacy bra and panties on the floor and the inviting look of the unmade bed. Tearing his gaze away, he moved toward the bathroom door. As he reached the half-open doorway, he closed his eyes. “I’m not looking. I just need the password for your laptop.”
He put his hand out and pushed open the door. There was no screech of protest. What could she be doing? Preparing himself to deal with her wrath, he opened his eyes. His hands fisted at his hips at the sight of Susan lying in the large Jacuzzi tub. Pink headphones in her ears apparently drowned out his voice. Her hair was piled on top of her head and any bubbles she might have had were long ago deflated, leaving her completely exposed. He let his gaze linger on her dusty rose nipples before taking in the dark triangle between her thighs.
Bright blue eyes popped open and the infamous voice shrilled in the small bathroom.
Teddy stumbled backward in his shock at her catching him staring, and he quickly turned his back.
“Get out of here! What the hell are you doing?”
“You didn’t answer me! I had to check on you,” he defended. “I’m on duty, remember?”
While he had his back to her, he had a full view in the oversized mirror as she climbed out of the tub and reached for her robe.
She caught his gaze in the glass and shoved him hard in the back. “Are you that hard up for female companionship that you need to gawk at me?” She pushed past him and through the door.
Teddy followed. “It has been a couple days. A guy gets desperate.”
In her bedroom, Susan crossed her arms over her chest. “You’re an ass. Get out of here.”
“I need to get on the laptop. What’s the password?”
“Didn’t you bring your laptop with you?”
“I was in a bit of a hurry. My assignment was on the plane ahead of me, remember.”
He said it as if it was her fault he didn’t pack everything. She twisted her mouth and shrugged. “I’ll log you on after I get dressed.”
“Just give me the login; what the hell do you think I’m going to do? Steal all your secrets? That’s your gig, remember?”
Susan colorfully told him what he could do with himself.
“Maybe later, if I have time, or if dealing with you hasn’t left me completely exhausted.”
He grabbed her elbow. “I want to get my e-mail. Come on, let’s go.”
She jerked away from him. “Don’t touch me. I can’t believe you were in there staring at me in the tub while I didn’t know it.”
“Trust me, it’s nothing I haven’t seen before—same as the rest of the world.”
Susan’s mouth dropped open. “I don’t do nude scenes.”
Teddy arched his eyebrow.
Susan’s face reddened. “I’ll log you on in a minute.”
Knowing better than to keep pushing the issue, he turned toward the door. “By the way, you really should think about a few more sit-ups. I think all that barbecue is catching up with you.”
He braced himself for something being thrown, but surprisingly, he made it through the door without incident.
Back in the small office, he waited impatiently, trying different combinations without success. When she finally returned, she was still in her robe, but her hair was down and makeup on.
Teddy leaned sideways so she could reach the keyboard and, as she shifted over the keyboard, her perfume surrounded him. It was almost enough to distract him, but watching her fingers, he thought for sure he’d seen wrong. He counted the asterisks on the screen that blotted out the word. “Your password…is my name?”
She glared at him. “Is there anything you don’t notice?”
He couldn’t help but raise his eyebrow and let his gaze slide down her robe-covered body. “Not much.”
Susan twisted the neckline together in one hand. “Pig.” She marched back to the doorway.
“Do you use that because it’s unforgettable, like me?” He leaned back in the desk chair enjoying the unexpected moment.
She turned back around and faced him with one hand on her hip. “I decided to use it because it’s simple and easy—just like you.” Susan quirked her eyebrow as if to say “so there” and then turned on her heel and left the room.
Teddy sank into the chair, but even as he clicked through to the website to get his e-mail, he was surprised. Why the hell would she use his name as her password? Was it some kind of internal punishment for screwing him over? By typing in his name every day, did it remind her of what she’d done? He snorted. Hardly. It probably was exactly as she said—something easy for her to remember.
With the messages filtering in, he quickly scanned the list. Only four days and his mailbox was full of…there it is. The one he was waiting to see.
Teddy read the brief paragraph with growing disappointment and disgust. More paperwork, more requirements, and a bunch of signatures. Red tape. That’s all it was. The officials were still dragging their feet on this.
He tapped out his answer and copied Cord.
The next e-mail was much more pleasant, and he couldn’t help but smile while reading it. Twice he read it through and then typed out a reply. Three weeks, he promised. He’d be back in three weeks and wouldn’t let her down.
If this situation wasn’t resolved by then, Susan would simply have to travel back with him for the weekend. Whether she wanted to or not. He’d already checked her show schedule and, other than a couple rehearsals, she was free. He’d have to make up some excuse, but he was going to be home that weekend. He wasn’t about to break his promise.
“Aren’t you going to get dressed?”
He clicked send and jumped up from the desk. Turning around, he started across the room, then stopped in his tracks. His mouth dropped open and his head reared back.
Susan’s dress was a shimmery, silver confection that clung to all the right places. A long slit up the side revealed a large expanse of shapely leg. The top crisscrossed her breasts, cradling them like a lover’s hands. On her wrist, a bracelet sparkled with diamonds so large they had to weigh her slender hand down. On her ears more diamonds, these the size of marbles. As she closed the clasp of her matching evening bag, he spied yet another enormous rock on her finger.
“I guess no one has to guess what you invest in.” He got hold of his senses and walked past her, but the scent of that perfume wafted to him and he struggled not to let her see how she affected him.
“Diamonds are a girl’s best friend.”
As he walked down the hall to the guest bathroom he heard her complain that he hadn’t even showered yet and they were going to be late. He ignored her as he struggled to keep his libido in check.
Annoyed, but knowing he wouldn’t move any quicker even if she nagged, Susan sank to the desk chair Teddy had just vacated. He hadn’t closed out his e-mail and she started to do it for him when the last communication he received caught her eye. Even knowing she shouldn’t, she read it anyway.
Thank you again for the beautiful dresses. Maria and I were thrilled they were completely different. Folks always want to dress us the same because we’re twins. We like that you treat us as two people instead of a matched set. We’ll wear them for you at the end of the month. We want to look our best for you and make you proud of us.
You will be there, won’t you? I know you promised and all, but I know that sometimes folks can’t always do what they say. Maria will be really hurt if you aren’t there, she’s so happy when you are around—almost like her old self. I have to say the same for me as well—when I’m with you, it’s as if nothing can hurt me again. We pray every night that you’ll be here. If you don’t show, we know it’s not your fault.
I hope you are having fun in New York and that you take lots of pictures. We’ve never been there, maybe someday. I have big dreams, don’t I? Thank you again for the gifts.
Goodnight.
I miss you.
The e-mail was simply signed Rosa.
Stunned, Susan read it again. Twins? Teddy was buying clothes for twins? Was he involved with both of them? At the same time? Images of that particular scenario flashed into her mind like a bad porno flick and she cringed.
Susan shook her head and read the e-mail once more to make sure she hadn’t misunderstood. Nope, the woman definitely said he bought dresses for both of them, and they were a matched set. This went beyond skirt chasing. What was he thinking?
Maybe he couldn’t help himself. He’d always teased about being addicted to women, unable to stop from sampling all of them. Maybe there was more truth behind his words than she’d ever thought. Maybe Teddy had a sexual addiction. Having been in the entertainment business this long, she’d seen everything, and knew for a fact there were some men, and women for that matter, who really were addicted to sex.
But Teddy?
Susan chewed her bottom lip as her stomach lurched. What on earth had made her read his e-mail? Now she was haunted by something she shouldn’t even know was going on.
Should she try to talk to him about it? Yeah, right, like he’s going to talk to me about anything. Besides, he’d never admit he had a problem. Never. Short of his enormous fear of elevators, Teddy always thought he was as close to perfect as anyone could be. He would never admit that doing whatever he was doing with Rosa and her sister was wrong. Anyway, it wasn’t her business; she felt dirty even having read his e-mail.
She clicked the computer closed and pushed away from the desk. Hearing the bathroom door down the hall open, she hurried from the room.
Teddy Weston dressed in jeans and cowboy boots with a Stetson on his head was the sexiest man in their hometown, but dressed in a black tuxedo he could easily hold his own against any big-screen hero.
He, as always, knew how good he looked and winked. “You look good in that gown, but you can’t touch this, babe.” He turned around slow, his arms spread wide to give her the full view.
Susan wet her suddenly dry lips. Though her thoughts jumped back to what she’d just learned, her body responded to the raw sexuality he emitted. Maybe there was too much of him for only one woman. But she’d rather eat worms then admit that to him.
Tearing her gaze away, she walked past him. If the twins didn’t mind sharing him, what difference did it make to her?
“I’ll do my best to control myself.”
In the back of her car, she ignored the conversation between him and Maxwell as they discussed the latest scores of some ball game and agreed that the latest headlines were unbelievable. Her own thoughts bounced around between the upcoming opera, the scare from earlier, and now the e-mail she’d read. That combined with the fact he filled the backseat of the car with his presence was overwhelming. She closed her eyes and rested her head in her hand, careful not to smudge her makeup.
“What’s wrong?”
His tersely worded question opened her eyes once more. Meeting those chocolate brown ones, she blurted out, “Do you have a girlfriend right now? I mean back home?”
His brow furrowed. “Where the hell did that come from? Is that what’s eating at you? You think some hot babe is missing me?”
She shrugged. “Just wondering if I’m taking you away from someone. I mean, after all, you’re basically living with me. I would think any woman you were involved with would have a hard time with that.”
So help him, if he said it was like living with his sister, she’d slug him. They’d been many things to one another over the years, but they had never had a sibling type relationship. More like…well…she wasn’t sure, but her reactions to him were far from sisterly. There was a time when….
No, better not to go there, either.
“Not that it’s any of your business, but no, there’s no one right now with any claims to me. Not that there ever has been anyone who could claim me.” His grin widened as he added in a drawl, “There’s just too much of me for one woman.”
Teddy always had a pretty big opinion of himself, or at least pretended to. Either he was lying about having someone back home, or the woman—make that women—truly meant nothing to him. She wasn’t sure which was more disgusting.
He continued to stare at her as if trying to figure out what she was thinking. Fortunately, the Met came into view and the crowds and craziness of it all pulled his attention away from her.
Before the door opened, he turned and pinned her with a strict glance. “Right now, the only woman I’m concerned with is you. Don’t worry that my thoughts are somewhere else and not on your safety.”
“I didn’t think that.”
He gave a brief nod. “Just so we’re clear. I’m on a mission, and I never fail in a mission.”
“Yes, sir, Sergeant Weston,” she muttered to his exiting back. Does he really think I’m that self-centered?
His familiar hand reached into the car to assist her. As she emerged, a million flashes went off all around.
“Susan! Susan, over here,” the crowd and paparazzi yelled from all angles.
Her perfected smile in place, she nodded politely but kept moving toward the opera house. Teddy was so close to her side she could feel the heat from his body. His arm was tight around her waist, and one large hand cupped her hip. Normally, she would have lingered outside and answered questions, taken full advantage of the press to keep her face and name out there. But her bodyguard was having none of it and hustled her inside at breakneck speed.
Once they were safely inside, she twisted out of his hold and glared at him. “You seriously know nothing about working the crowd, do you?” She waved her hand to indicate the mob of media outside, who had now turned their attentions to the next arrival—someone she noted was the latest up-and-coming young thing. “That part of my job is crucial.”
“And my job is keeping you alive, so we do this my way.”
With so many people around, she couldn’t do anything but narrow her eyes at him without causing an unwanted scene.
Nestled in her private balcony box, Susan usually enjoyed the opera. Tonight, though, all she could think about were the events from another balcony—the sheet that had eerily hung down in the theatre, her shock and disgust at knowing the stalker had touched her private linens, maybe even had been in her apartment…
Without warning, tears filled her eyes and she struggled to keep her composure. Sitting still like this with nothing to do but think was the worst thing in the world. Her mind wouldn’t shut off and allow her to enjoy the opera.
Next to her, Teddy slumped in his seat, arms crossed over his chest. Though he appeared to watch the performance, he had a look of extreme boredom on his face. As she stared, he turned his head and looked at her. He frowned and shifted closer.
“What’s wrong?”
She shook her head. “Nothing. Shhh.”
Through the corner of her eye, she watched him study her before returning his attention to the stage.
When intermission arrived, he sprang to his feet.
“I need a drink and to stretch my legs.”
She wrinkled her nose. “I’m going to stay here; you go ahead.”
He bent to stare into her face. “Are you sick? You’re face is even more pasty than usual.”
His rude comment would usually tick her off enough to make her get up anyway, but she wasn’t up to arguing with him. “My head is aching, that’s all. Go get your drink. I’m fine right here.”
She watched him pull his cell phone out and rapidly send a text. “Maxwell is bringing the car around back.” He picked up her shawl and shoved it toward her. “Don’t forget your purse.”
“We can’t just leave during intermission. That’s incredibly rude and tacky.”
Teddy snorted. “You look as if you’re going to hurl at any second. I’m not going to sit around and wait until that happens before we get out of here.”
“You’re using that as an excuse to get out of seeing the rest of the opera.”
“Hell, yeah. Why wouldn’t I? Stop being bullheaded. Wouldn’t you rather be back in the apartment in your sweats, eating some ice cream, than sitting through this?”
She hesitated and he held out his hand. “Come on. I’ll even have Maxwell stop and get some of that Chunky Monkey stuff you love.”
That sounded just about perfect. A sudden image of their childhood, when her father would make huge ice cream sundaes for them, came to mind.
Before she could react, Teddy grabbed her hand, pulled her to her feet, and dragged her from the box. She kept her eyes averted so as not to make contact with anyone she might know. His fingers were linked around hers and most folks probably thought the handsome stranger was hustling her out of the theatre in order to get her to bed. If only they knew how far from the truth that was. But it was better to let them think that than for anyone to think Susan Sampson was rude enough to walk out of the performance at intermission.
Moments later, they’d slipped out the back door and into the waiting car. She caught her breath as he practically shoved her across the back seat.
“How did you know exactly how to get to this back door?”
“I did my homework. I wanted to be certain we had an escape in case there was any trouble.”
Teddy leaned forward, slid the panel open between the two seats, and gave instructions to Maxwell about stopping for ice cream. She was amazed when he ordered her two favorite flavors and the toppings she preferred.
“How do you remember stuff like that?”
He closed the panel and leaned back as the car moved forward. Tapping his forehead, he nodded. “It’s all up here.”
“Yeah, well, in a head that big there’s a lot of space to keep information.”
He quirked his eyebrow. “Look who’s talking.”
“I’m not egotistical.” Susan furrowed her own brow.
“You’re not? Aren’t all performers just a bit full of themselves? I mean, why else would you prance around on stage and sing to thousands, sometimes millions of people if you didn’t think you were good enough for them to hear?”
She shifted farther back into the seat, yanking on the skirt of her dress to remove it from under his thigh. “You are something else.”
“That’s what all the women say.”
She ignored his smart remark. “You’re a performer too, you know.”
He shrugged. “I’m just a small town crooner, same crowd every week. As you’ve reminded me time and time again, you are in a completely different league than me.”
“And whose fault is that?”
Teddy’s deep brown eyes darkened ominously and all humor left his features. “Don’t go there.”
Susan held his glare for a second longer, then gave up and closed her eyes. Her head rested back against the soft leather of the car; even when she felt the vehicle stop and Maxwell get out, she didn’t bother to open them. Let Teddy think what he wanted. When would she ever learn that he wasn’t about to make peace with their past.
Teddy tried to pretend he didn’t care that Susan still looked pale as the car pulled up to her building. He strode from the vehicle, waited for her to emerge, and ushered her inside. In the elevator, she rubbed her temples drawing his sympathy—a little. To distract himself from the elevator ride he indulged in a long hot stare at her curved bottom outlined by the evening gown. He teased her unmercifully about having a wide rear end, but truth be told, it turned him on like no other. Why did women think they needed to have a skinny behind to be attractive? To him, there was nothing sexier than what he was staring at right now.
“Are you really so hard up for a woman that you need to stare at my butt?”
Teddy rolled his gaze to her face. “I was really trying to figure out how much stress those seams can take before they split.”
“Jackass,” she cussed as the elevator doors swished open. Generally, she marched ahead of him, or tried to. The fact that she waited for him to go first brought home the fact that she was spooked after this afternoon’s stalker incident.
He quickly checked the door and did a scan of the apartment, not finding any problems.
Without saying anything else, Susan went to her room and closed the door. Teddy took the grocery bag of ice cream into the kitchen and pulled out two large bowls. Popping the toppings into the microwave to heat, he scooped several large globs of ice cream into the dishes, then tipped the can of whipped cream up and squirted it into his mouth.
“You are so childish.”
He swallowed as Susan, wearing lounging pants and a well-worn T-shirt with the Texas flag emblazoned across the front, padded barefoot into the kitchen. With her face scrubbed clean and her hair up in a ponytail, she looked like a teenager. For a second, time froze, and he was standing in front of the girl of his adolescent fantasies.
Yanking his thoughts back, Teddy reached to the microwave for the jars of sauce. “I’m amazed at how fast you can go from fantastic to frumpy.”
A solid punch to his upper arm surprised him and the ice cream topping sloshed over the side.
“Shit.” The scalding hot liquid burned his thumb as it dripped. Quickly, he set it on the counter.
“Don’t make a mess with that.”
“No, I’m not burned. Thanks for the concern.” Teddy shifted out of the way as Susan wiped at the counter with a wet cloth, cleaning up the hot caramel sauce.
She glanced at him. “You couldn’t even change first?”
“It only takes me a second to drop my pants.” He scooped first caramel and then hot fudge sauce onto his heaping pile of ice cream.
“Yeah, I’m aware. But don’t leave that tux on the floor. Flo isn’t here to pick up after you.”
After squirting a generous amount of whipped topping onto his sundae, he sprinkled it with some crushed peanuts and declared it done. The first spoonful was as amazing as he knew it would be. The chocolate marshmallow ice cream was cold and sweet and he winced at the too-big spoonful he held in his mouth. It made his teeth ache. “I’m here protecting that delectable backside of yours, the least you could do is pick up my clothes,” he finally retorted.
Susan carefully squirted a small amount of whipped cream on her bowl and then added chopped nuts. “Two seconds ago I was frumpy with a big rear end, and now you think it’s delectable?”
“It must be or the wacko wouldn’t be stalking you. God knows he’s not chasing you for your brains.”
She picked up her bowl and sashayed toward the living room. “Considering the IQ of most of the bimbos you date, I wouldn’t say they’re after your brains, either.”
“Hey, leave my bimbos alone. I like them just the way they are.”
“Hmm, times two, obviously.” Susan settled on the couch with her ice cream.
“What’s that supposed to mean? Times two?” He plopped down in the oversized chair across from her. A few quick shoves with his foot and his shoes flung off, landing on the carpet. He dug his big toe into the band of each sock and one by one shoved them off. With his feet bare, he hiked them up on her coffee table.
Susan tucked her own bare feet up under her on the couch. “You tell me.”
Teddy shoved another spoon of ice cream into his mouth and caught himself staring at her. She took dainty bites and licked each spoonful clean. Any other woman he would accuse of trying to turn him on with her antics—but with Susan, it was just her natural way of enjoying what he figured was a rare treat. She seemed to be savoring every bite, and what that was doing to his groin was nothing shy of torture.
He frowned. “As usual, you aren’t making any sense.”
“Whatever.”
She picked up the remote and, for several minutes, ignored her ice cream while flipping through channels. When she settled on a chick flick, he protested. “Come on, anything but crying women bonding with one another.”
She continued to flip channels for a few minutes before settling on some movie he didn’t recognize. When she didn’t switch channels again, he knew the guy inside him should complain, but the TV couple was getting it on. From the dialogue, it sounded as if the hero had just returned home after being gone several years and he wanted to make up for lost time with the lovely blonde heroine. Teddy set his empty bowl on the end table.
There was quite a reunion going on, too, as the onscreen hero dropped into a chair, much like the one where Teddy was sitting, and the heroine straddled his lap. Within a few quick camera shots, the heroine was topless and, while the camera didn’t quite show all of her breasts, it was more than obvious the hero was fully enjoying them.
He glanced at Susan who stared intently as if she was studying their acting rather than watching the movie.
His imagination went into overdrive, imagining how cold her tongue would be right now against his. How her breasts, which he knew were braless under that old T-shirt, would fit in his palms. He wondered if she was as dramatic in bed as she was on the screen.
Teddy frowned again. How would a guy know if she was acting or serious? Hmm, he’d never considered that before.
“Have you seriously never done a nude scene?” he asked without even realizing he was going to ask it.
She turned to look at him. “Not full frontal.”
In the throes of passion, the couple on the screen filled the air between them and Teddy leaned forward. “Topless?”
A stain of red crept into her cheeks and he laughed. “You have!”
She shook her hair and lifted her chin. “It was tastefully done and important for the role.”
“I bet it was. I bet you topless was definitely something that director insisted on.”
She wet her lips. “Actually, they gave me a choice of a body double, but I decided that wasn’t right. I didn’t want anyone to think it wasn’t me.”
He chortled. “Yeah, right. You think you look so good that no one else could possibly match up.”
She glared. “That’s a lie. I thought having someone who looked…bigger or something was false advertising.”
“So all the magazine covers aren’t airbrushed? All those sexy layout photos—they’re all you?”
“I can’t help what magazine editors do once the photos are taken, but yes, for the most part, those photos are all me.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Tough.”
He ran his gaze along the length of her, zooming in on her breasts. “Prove me wrong,” he challenged.
Her eyes widened. “How? You mean by showing you.” She laughed. “Good try, cowboy. Not going to happen.”
She crossed her arms over her chest, which only served to plump them up even more beneath the thin cotton. His mouth watered with the thought of seeing them uncovered. Not that he hadn’t seen them before, most recently in the tub, but somehow, if she lifted her shirt right now, it would be the hottest act he’d ever witnessed. Like being flashed.
“Chicken.”
“Chicken? Are you serious?”
He shrugged. “Whatever.”
Teddy stood, picked up his ice cream bowl, then reached his hand out for her now empty one. “My guess is you are nowhere near as incredible as those photo spreads. You’re just too embarrassed for me to find out. Probably got some big old ugly moles going on or something.”
She handed over the bowl and narrowed her gaze even more. “I do not have anything wrong with me. And I don’t care if you believe me or not.”
Walking away, he laughed. “It’s okay, SusieQ, I get it. You don’t mind showing the entire world what you got under that T-shirt, but for some reason you’re too insecure to show me in the privacy of your own home.” Setting the dishes on the counter, he continued to goad her. “I mean, it’s not as if you have anything to be afraid of with me. You and I both know you could be the last woman on planet earth and I still wouldn’t touch you.”
Heading back into the living room, Teddy stopped dead in his tracks. Susan stood in his path, her tiny hands braced on her hips and a challenge in her eyes. His heart sped up. Was she going to show him? He’d bet a hundred bucks on it.
He raised his eyebrow as if daring her.
“I’m not doing this to prove anything.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “Okay.”
“Just so we’re clear.”
“We are.” His gaze hooked on the mounds under the Texas flag. He’d seen his share of breasts—okay, more than his share of breasts—but suddenly he was as overexcited as a boy behind the barn playing you-show-me-yours-I’ll-show-you-mine with the girl next door. Actually, wasn’t that exactly what they were doing? And if she wanted to see his, he had no issue with that, either.
Her hands fluttered to the hemline of the blue shirt.