Luring Lucy Read online

  Bram stood, caught her arms, and pulled her up, too. “I love you.” He kissed her, long and hard. “I love the kids. Let’s be a family, Lucy.”

  Lucy toyed with the hair on his chest. She felt like she was floating, then realized Bram had lifted her completely off her feet. “I love you, too. I think I’ve been in love with you for a long time, but I just never imagined …”

  “Your self-esteem was low,” he explained gently, rocking her back and forth. “It was a nasty separation and you took it to heart.” Then he grinned. “Marcy knew all along how I felt. When I told her I had something to do this week, she knew that I was coming after you. And given how quick she agreed to fill in for me, I’d say she approves.”

  “Others won’t be so generous,” Lucy warned. “They’ll say that we were fooling around all along, even when I was married. They’ll make up stories that you had something to do with the separation—”

  Bram released her and turned away. “And you don’t want to take the risk of more scandal, is that it?”

  Lucy caught him before he’d taken a complete step and hugged him from behind. “No, I just want you to be prepared, that’s all.”

  Bram twisted around to her, his eyes darkened to near black. “Then you’ll marry me?”

  She smiled and threw herself into his arms. “On one condition.”

  Bram squeezed her so tight she could barely breathe. “Name it.”

  “Promise we’ll come back here at least once a year, just the two of us.”

  Bram held her face and kissed her hungrily. Lucy took that kiss as wholehearted agreement. Seconds later Bram lifted her over his shoulder and started for the house.

  Lucy squealed from her upside-down position, “Bram! What are you doing?”

  “Getting some ice.”

  “Ice?” She started to giggle until Bram smacked her on the bottom.

  “Damn right, woman. I told you I’d get even.” He kissed her hip and brought her around to hold her gently in his arms. “And I always keep my word.”

  Lucy started to feel weepy again, she was so full-to-bursting with love.

  Then Bram opened the freezer and pulled out the ice tray, and she took off running, laughing, loving—having the time of her life.

  This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in these stories are either products of the authors’ imaginations or are used fictitiously.

  LURING LUCY. Copyright © 2001 by Lori Foster. (Originally published in Hot and Bothered, from St. Martin’s Press.)

  Previously published in Real Men Last All Night, (St. Martin’s Griffin).

  e-ISBN 9781429959438

  www.stmartins.com

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations in critical articles or reviews.

  For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.

  First Edition: July 2011