Page 45 of Landry
"Moving in with you?" She stirred on the padded seat restlessly. When he had made the suggestion, she had been bowled over and for a minute had been tempted to say yes. But there were still so many things that needed to be sorted out between them.
"No, I can't."
"Won't." His grip tightened around her neck when she started to move away.
"All right, won't. You simply cannot expect me to just move in with you. There are still things we have to sort out between us."
He sighed, feeling as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders. "I'm a patient man."
Relieved that he was not upset, she draped a foot over his thigh. "Is that so?"
"Hmm." He wanted desperately to keep her safe and to forget that there was danger ahead. "Sometimes."
"Oh, before I forget." She tilted her head as his mouth made the journey to her throat. "If you're going to keep doing that, I'm not going to be able to finish the thought."
"It was probably not important anyway." He nibbled his way to her collarbone. "You smell good enough to eat."
"It sounds like you're still hungry. Landry, stop."
"Why?" His fingers were busy unbuttoning her blouse. "I think we should retire to bed."
"Wait!" Taking a deep breath, she shook her head, marveling at how much he could muddle her mind.
"I want you."
"Soon." She held up a hand. "It's important. I think we have a potential investor."
He had started to reach for her again when her words gave him pause.
"What do you mean?"
"That's what I'm trying to tell you. This well-dressed man walked in this afternoon and asked for a meeting with me. Helen spoke with him first and told him that I was busy, but he insisted it was important and that he was a friend of your family."
Warning bells started ringing immediately inside his head. "Go on."
Frowning at the tense look on his face, she continued. "That's the only reason I met with him. His name was Joel Massey. He left a card. I-" Her voice petered off as she watched the color drain from his face. "Landry?" She grabbed his arm, her senses tingling. "What is it?"
"What else did he say?" he asked hoarsely. "Specifically."
Still frowning at how pale his skin had gotten, she searched around in her mind to remember what the man had told her. "He said you and Kathy were like his own children. I asked him if they knew he was in town, and come to think of it, he gave me a strange smile, said yes, and told me he was going to finish what he started. I have no idea what he meant."
"Before I could ask him, I got a phone call, and he told me he had a meeting and had to leave. He said to tell you he'll see you around. Landry, what's wrong?"
"I need to make a call." He fumbled for his phone and got jerkily to his feet. "Father, where is Kathy?" He listened a moment. "Is mother near you? Put me on speaker."
"The bastard found Kady-Ann. He paid her a visit this afternoon, pretending to be an investor." He listened a moment, eyes swirling with anger.
"Don't you put this on me. If anything happens to her-" He closed his eyes and paced away and then back. "I'm going to have to tell her. Yeah, of course."
Shoving the phone into the pocket of his slacks, he stood there lost in thought.
"Landry?"
Stirring himself, he strode over and took her hand. "I think this conversation is best held in the bedroom. I'll rekindle the fire."
Letting go of her hand, he went to stir the flames and watched as it leapt upwards and started to warm the room. Funny, he doubted it was going to penetrate the cold layer covering his skin. Taking a deep breath, he turned and crossed the room to sit next to her.
"I had hoped to keep you from ever being exposed to this hell," he began. Taking her hands, he studied her elegant fingers. "It started fifteen years ago or even longer than that." His tone and the look on his face had fear coursing through her.
