Lecia turned around. Her eyes met Anthony’s. She fully intended to tell him that yes, he scared the hell out of her. But when she saw the honesty in his gaze, she knew the words would be a lie.
Not entirely a lie. He
did
scare her. But not because she thought he’d murder her and dump her body in the Pacific. She was afraid that if he touched her, if he tried to kiss her, she would be utterly powerless to stop him.
There was something entirely too sexy about Anthony Beals, something wickedly dangerous. He had an intensity that she could only imagine was explosive in the bedroom.
Anthony looked at her curiously. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“You’re married.”
His expression changed to confusion. “What—You think…you think I’m trying to come onto you?”
Oh, darn. She hadn’t meant to say that. It was supposed to be a mental note as to why she needed to stay away from him.
But she didn’t get to say another word, and neither did An
thony, because a woman’s high-pitched squeal made them both jump apart.
Lecia turned her head toward the scream. A drop-dead gorgeous woman scurried toward her, arms flailing with excitement.
“As I live and breathe. Dr. Love!”
The woman had a southern accent. Maybe from somewhere in Texas?
Lecia actually braced herself for the woman’s hug, considering she was coming at her like a speeding train.
“Oh my God. It’s really you. Dr. Love, I am
such
a big fan!”
For her twiglike size, the woman had a surprisingly strong grip. With much effort, Lecia wormed her way free. Taking a few steps backward, she forced a smile. “Hello.”
“I can’t believe it.” The woman fanned a hand in front of her mouth. “I just hugged Dr. Love.”
Lecia continued to smile politely. What else could she do? She was a regular person, and having people treat her like some major star was going to take a lot of getting used to.
“I take it you read my book,” she said for lack of anything else to say.
“Cover to cover, at least ten times.”
“Wow.”
“That book was a lifesaver. Especially that chapter on how women have to give themselves love first if they ever want to receive it. How that will open you up to experiencing true sexual intimacy.”
Knowing how that must sound, Lecia glanced Anthony’s way. She was suddenly embarrassed. As she feared, Anthony was giving her an odd look. She explained, “It’s a chapter about self-esteem, body image. I tell women to mentally
throw their baggage in the garbage if they want to find true sexual fulfillment.”
“I didn’t realize until I read your words what I was doing.” The woman lowered her voice and said, “Sometimes I didn’t even want to get naked, because I was afraid the cheesecake I’d eaten the day before was showing on my thighs. But you got me over that.”
“Well. I’m glad I could help. What’s your name?”
“Oh, God. How stupid could I be? LaTonya. LaTonya Brown.”
“Brown?”
“I’m Kahari’s sister.”
“Ah. Nice to meet you, LaTonya.”
“I hope you don’t mind me asking, but will you sign my book for me?”
“No problem.”
“My friends are gonna
die
.”
Barely suppressing another squeal, LaTonya whirled around and ran out of the kitchen.
“I thought for sure you were some kind of diva,” Anthony said. “But you’re not. You’re real.”
“I’m just a person making a living. Same as you.”
“I understand. It was never about the fame for me. Football’s been in my blood since I was a kid.”
“There’s nothing better, is there?” Lecia said, grinning up at him. “Making a living doing what you love?”
“Nope. Except having someone to share it with.”
Lecia narrowed her eyes in speculation. Was Anthony saying this simply for her benefit, or was he, as his words implied, a romantic?
It seemed the air in the kitchen had suddenly grown thick
and difficult to inhale. Lecia felt her airways constricting, and she turned, strolling toward the café area. As she did, she reached inside her purse for her inhaler.
Hoping that Anthony wasn’t watching, she inserted the inhaler into her mouth and squeezed. She held the breath in her lungs until she couldn’t hold it anymore, then exhaled.
She nearly choked when she felt the large hand on her back. She hadn’t expected it.
“Hey, you okay?”
She nodded. “Yeah.”
“You just took some type of inhaler.”
“Uh-huh. For asthma.”
“And you’re sure you’re fine?”
For a moment Lecia didn’t want to move. Except perhaps to edge even closer to him. She faced him now, standing tall. “Yes, I’m fine.”
“Good. ’Cause I don’t need you dying on me.”
His words soured what had actually been a nice moment. At least what she had thought had been a nice moment. It was clear that Anthony had only one interest in her—to help him get his wife back.
That shouldn’t have bothered her, but it did.
LaTonya was back in a flash, clutching her copy of
The Big O
as if it was gold. As Lecia took the book, LaTonya said, “My friends and I were thinking of starting a women’s night. A time when we can frankly discuss everything about women’s issues—our bodies, love, sex. All that. I hear others have been having them, and we think it’s such a great idea.”
“I think it is, too. And if my book has gotten women talking frankly about love and sexuality, then it was well worth the effort to write it.”
Lecia scribbled a personal note to LaTonya, then passed the
book and pen back to her. As Kahari strolled into the room, Lecia glanced up at Anthony. “Are you ready?”
“Yeah.”
“Again, it was wonderful meeting you, LaTonya. I’m glad the book’s been helpful. Kahari, thanks for your hospitality. The sandwich was great.”
“No problem. You’re welcome here anytime.”
“I’ll call you later,” Anthony told Kahari. “We still have to discuss business.”
“Sure thing.”
Then Anthony once again placed his hand on the small of Lecia’s back as he led her out of the house.
“I have news, Ginger.”
Thank God, it was her lawyer. And not a moment too soon, as she was meeting with the loan shark later today. She had put off Pavel time and time again, but she didn’t know how much longer he would give her before he demanded payment or finally killed her.
Ginger covered the mouthpiece of her cell phone and said to Bo, “It’s my lawyer. He has news.”
“Who’re you talking to?” Zack asked.
“Oh. Um, no one. Actually, I’m at a friend’s place. Tell me,” Ginger went on. “When will I have the five million?”
“Uh, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”
Ginger’s stomach plummeted. But she refused to even consider defeat. “It won’t be this week?” she asked hopefully.
“No.”
“When? Next week?”
“Not exactly.”
The sinking sensation intensified. “Then when?”
“Maybe never?” Zack’s tone was questioning, as if he was guessing a trivial pursuit answer.
Ginger paused a beat, then said, “This is some kind of joke, right? I mean, you all but promised me you could resolve this case for me.”
“I can. And I do have an offer. Just not what we’d hoped for. Your husband’s lawyer said one million.”
“
One
? That’s the same he offered me the last time.”
“I’m sure I can get him to raise it.” Zack now spoke with a confidence his voice had lacked before. “The starting offer is always low.”
“Then call me back when you have something we can talk about.” Zack didn’t answer, and Ginger had to wonder if he had heard her. “Zack? Are you still there?”
“Yeah.”
“You heard what I said?”
“Yeah, but I’m thinking. I guess I just…well, it seems…”
“What?”
“This whole thing could be tied up in court for years. Unless you’re willing to settle. My guess is they might come up to a million five, maybe two. And if they do—”
“Turn it down.”
“What?”
“I said turn it down. I’ve seen my husband give tons of money to lots of causes. He can damn well give to his wife.”
Ginger wasn’t sure, but it sounded like the lawyer whimpered. “Ginger,” he said. “I strongly advise—”
“I’m not interested in what you advise. You work for me. You do what I say.”
“I’m just saying—”
“Call me when you have news I want to hear.”
Then Ginger hung up. But there was no satisfaction in it.
“Wait a minute.” Tyanna stopped searching through the row of Gucci jeans to face her sister with a wide-eyed stare. “You were out with Anthony Beals—the same guy you said you didn’t ever want to see again, much less be in the same room with?”
Lecia had decided to tell her sister about it while shopping on Rodeo Drive. In the posh designer stores, she figured Tyanna would keep her natural curiosity and excitement under control—so as not to draw attention to them. But when had Tyanna ever cared about attention? Her baby sister had a flair for the dramatic. And this story was drama with a capital D.
“Tyanna,” Lecia whispered. She glanced around, but no one was within immediate hearing distance. “Let’s not talk for the whole world to hear.”
“Sorry,” Tyanna spoke in a quieter tone. “But you drop a bomb on me like that…how do you expect me to react? After the
Tonight Show,
I didn’t think you’d be spending any more time with Mr. Beals.”
“I don’t think you heard me correctly. I said the man showed up at my workplace and all but kidnapped me.”
“Did you call the police?”
“I…I almost had to.”
Now Tyanna frowned. “Almost? If you felt threatened, why wouldn’t you call the police? Hell, you have Sheldon’s cell number. You know he would have come to your rescue with as many members of L.A.’s finest as necessary.”
Lecia sighed her exasperation. “I didn’t say I needed rescuing. Let me finish my story.”
“Okay.” Tyanna continued perusing jeans.
“He claimed he wanted to take me for a coffee, to talk. In the e-mail he’d sent, he said he wanted to apologize. I figured if he had shown up at my workplace to say he was sorry, the least I could do was hear him out.”
“Uh-huh.”
“I was worried at first. But it’s not like he tried to gag me and force me into the car. And he told me I could use my cell to call the police if I truly felt threatened. Which I almost did when he took me into an exclusive Beverly Hills neighborhood. I guess that sounds weird. The problem was, he was taking me fairly far from the office, and I knew we wouldn’t find a Starbucks in that neighborhood. Turns out, he took me to some football player’s place. Kahari Brown.”
“Kahari Brown!” Tyanna couldn’t hold in her excitement. “Get
out
!”
“So you know who he is.”
“Of course I know who he is! Sheldon’s gonna die when he finds out you met him. Is he nice?”
Lecia should have known that Kahari was a huge star, simply because of his house. “Actually, he seems very nice. Grounded, too, despite the fact that he’s got this enormous
mansion. Maybe one day you’ll see it. He said I was welcome anytime.”
“Oh my God.” Tyanna practically danced on the spot. “I guess you and Mr. Beals kissed and made up.”
“These jeans would look good on you,” Lecia said, holding up a pair of faded denims with slightly flared bottoms. “You should try them on.”
“Forget the jeans.” Tyanna took the pair from her and put it back on the rack. “Tell me what else happened.”
Lecia told her sister the rest of the story, complete with Anthony’s request that he help her get his wife back. “I have to admit, my view of him has changed, although I don’t know why he’s bothering with any effort to win his wife back. That’s a lost cause, as far as I’m concerned.”
“I don’t know, sis. Going off on an adventure with L.A.’s newest bad boy? You’re becoming almost as reckless as me.” She laughed.
“Maybe it’s this town. People move here and suddenly their lives are embroiled in scandal.”
“Uh-huh,” Tyanna said, as if she knew better.
Lecia ignored her sister and took a pair of jeans off the rack. When she lived in South Florida, she’d gone to the shops of Bal Harbour only once with Tyanna. But since moving to California, she and Tyanna had become frequent shoppers at the designer stores. It wasn’t so much about buying the expensive stuff they could both now easily afford. It was about time to bond as sisters—something they hadn’t done much in Florida since they’d both led very different lives. Shopping together gave them a lot of time to talk.
“Have you heard from Mom and Dad?” Tyanna asked.
“Yes,” Lecia replied, rolling her eyes. “Dad didn’t have much to say about the
Tonight Show
in particular, but he kept
telling me to ‘stay grounded.’ Guess he thinks I’ve changed—for the worse.”
“Oh, don’t worry about him.”
That was easy for Tyanna to say. Dubbed the “wild child” of the family, she had always played by her own rules. Lecia supposed the youngest child could get away with that. As the oldest, she could not. Her parents had put pressure on her to be like them, and that’s exactly what she did, following in their footsteps and becoming a doctor.
She’d also married the man they’d wanted her to, and that had been the biggest mistake of her life. And because of their hopes for her, she had put her dream of writing on the back burner.
She finally felt in control, though. Even her parents had to respect her success. And ever since she’d begun living life on her own terms, Lecia had found a new respect for her sister.
“What I want to know,” Tyanna said, “is are you gonna see him again?”
“I didn’t say Dad and I weren’t talking.”
“I’m not talking about Dad, silly. I’m talking about Anthony Beals. Are you gonna see him again?”
“Of course not.” But despite her words, Lecia’s stomach fluttered. “I told him I’m not interested in helping him get his wife back. I can’t even imagine getting involved.”
“But that doesn’t mean you can’t see him again.”
“Why would I?”
Tyanna shook her head. “Oh, boy. It’s been that long that you don’t remember why a single woman might want to see a man like Mr. Beals?”
Lecia scowled at her sister. “I don’t want any of these jeans. You want to look at shoes with me?”
“Okay, sis. We won’t go there.”
“Good.” Lecia led the way to the vast selection of shoes.
“Oh, and I have to tell you, Lecia, those shoes I bought the last time—Sheldon took one look at me in them and bam! We forgot all about heading out for dinner and stayed home for dessert.”
Lecia leveled a lopsided grin in her sister’s direction. If there was one couple that didn’t need any help in the sex department, it was her sister and Sheldon. The two were lovebirds who were very open with their affection. They could barely keep their hands off each other. It was nice to see.
“I’m happy for you,” Lecia said.
“You can have it, too.”
“The shoes?”
“No, great sex. Though the shoes will probably help.”
“We’re not going there, remember?”
“I can’t help it. How long has it been?”
“Wow. Look at this pair.” Lecia grabbed the first pair of sandals she saw. She didn’t care that the several feet of straps were totally not her style.
“I think if you had sex, you’d be less uptight.”
Lecia wagged the shoe at her sister as she spun around to face her. “Spare me the sex talk. I don’t even have a man.”
“You don’t necessarily need one.”
“Oh yes I do. I’m not into casual sex.”
Tyanna sighed sadly.
“Please, spare me the pity,” Lecia told her. “I’m not dying.”
“But you’re not really living, either.”
“One can live very well without sex.”
Tyanna made a face to say that was debatable. “I did for a year, and it was the worst damn year of my life.”
“That’s because you were in love with Sheldon and he had left you without an explanation. Sure, he’d been on the run
to save his life, but you never stopped loving him even when you thought he had abandoned you. So when he came back into your life—”
“I thought we were talking about you.”
“Okay, I admit. Sex might be nice.”
At Tyanna’s smirk, Lecia glanced over her shoulder. To her horror, she saw one of the sales associates standing behind her.
“Maybe I could come back,” he suggested.
“Yes, please.” Lecia groaned as he walked away.
“He was kind of cute, sis.”
“And probably just as horny as the other guys I’ve dated. Come on, Tyanna. You more than anyone know the kind of men I’ve met since I’ve been out here. Men who think that because I’m a sex therapist, I’m some sort of porn queen. Every one of my last five dates ended horribly, because every guy expected me to take him home in the first half hour.”
Tyanna shrugged. “I guess that’s the L.A. way.”
“It’s not my way.”
“I’ll ask Sheldon if—”
“No, don’t ask Sheldon anything. I’m not interested in being set up.”
“Not every guy is Allen.”
“I know that. I do.” Just the mention of her ex-husband’s name was enough to give her a headache. “But the last thing on my mind is a relationship. I’m so busy with my work. And even if I was interested in finding someone, the truth is, all the good ones are married.”
“All right, all right. I can tell I’m not gonna win this argument. Let me change the subject.”
“Yes, please.”
“Wendy and I will be filming a new video.”
Now this was something she could sink her teeth into, Lecia thought. “Great.”
“This one will be abs. After that, we’ll do legs.”
“I still can’t believe how well things are going for you. And me. One minute we were in Florida. Now here we both are in Los Angeles, living our dreams in a way we never thought possible.”
“I know. I love it here. I miss Mom and Dad, though. But mostly I miss Charlene and Michelle.”
Charlene was the middle sister in their family of three daughters. Michelle was Charlene’s only daughter. Charlene had suffered a huge loss when her husband was killed in a car accident while she’d been pregnant.
“I miss them, too. I spoke with Charlene a couple nights ago, and I think I convinced her to head out here at the end of the summer. I hope she comes. I miss our niece.”
“That girl is getting so big. Time flies. Which is another reason we need to find someone for you to settle down with. If you’re ever going to have a family.”
“Me? You’re the one who has been married for a year and a half. When are you going to start making babies?”
“When we stop honeymooning,” Tyanna replied, winking as she laughed.
Lecia linked arms with her. “You buying anything?”
“Nope.”
“Then come on. Let’s go get something to eat.”