Ruthless Read online

  “I’m thinking about how much I need you,” she cried, a tear slipping down her cheek. “And that scares the hell out of me, Luc.”

  He kissed her cheek, tasting her salty tears against his lips. He nestled his face in her hair, whispering in her hair. “You can trust me, sweetheart. I promise I won’t let you down again.”

  Chapter Twelve

  For the second morning in a row, Marisa woke up wrapped in Luc’s arms. Only this time they were naked and she knew he had no intention of letting her walk away without a fight.

  The sharp buzz of her cell phone indicated she had a text message. She reached over to snag her discarded jeans, careful not to wake Luc. She needed more time to decide how she was going to deal with him.

  It was a message from Ty McCall.

  What happened to you last night? I was disappointed you didn’t stick around for that drink.

  Her fingers flew over the keys. Sorry, something came up. Rain check? She hit send as soon as she felt Luc stirring beside her.

  Just name the time and place...

  Luc leaned over, kissing her shoulder. “Checkin’ in with Sierra and Lex? They must’ve wondered where we...” He grabbed the cell phone out of her hand.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she demanded, trying to seize the phone he held just out of reach. “Give me that!”

  “What the hell do I think I’m doing?” He scowled at the screen. “You’re lying in my bed, naked, and you’re making plans to meet another guy? What the hell is that about?”

  She folded her arms over her chest. “I don’t owe you an explanation. I can go out with anyone I want.”

  He tossed the cell phone on the bed. “Sure would be a shame to see that kid’s career end before it even got started, now wouldn’t it?”

  Marisa glared at him. “You wouldn’t dare.”

  He rubbed his hand over the stubble on his cheek. “Ty’s agent’s been after me forever. I thought I saw something in him, but I can’t work with a guy I can’t trust, now can I?”

  “You’d really let your personal feelings interfere with business?”

  He frowned, looking confused. “My personal feelings play into my business decisions every day, darlin’. Either I have that gut feelin’ about someone or I don’t.”

  She pulled the sheet up higher when his gaze dipped lower. “And you had that feeling about Ty until you saw him kiss me last night, is that it?”

  Luc shook his head. “No, I was willin’ to let him off with a warning. But if you’re hell bent on seein’ him again...”

  “I thought people were wrong about you. When they said you were ruthless, I claimed they didn’t know you like I did. It looks like I was the one who was wrong.”

  “I didn’t get where I am by bein’ a doormat.”

  “Luc, it’s not fair for you to hold it against Ty just because—”

  “Call me crazy, but I tend to take it personally when a guy’s makin’ a play for my woman.”

  “I’m not your woman.”

  He snickered. “The hell you’re not. If you weren’t, we both know what happened last night wouldn’t have happened. You don’t take sex lightly, Marisa. Hell, I’m the only guy you’ve ever been with. Doesn’t that tell you something?”

  She glanced at the open condom box on the nightstand. “Yeah, it tells me I wasn’t ready to take the risk on someone new last night.”

  He picked up the condom box and hurled it across the room. “Is that was this is about, the fact that I’ve screwed a few other women since we broke up? Did you expect me to live like a monk after you ended it?”

  “How would you feel if I told you I’d ‘screwed’ a few other guys since we broke up?”

  His jaw tightened as he clenched his fists. “You haven’t, so it’s a moot point, isn’t it?”

  “But what if I had?”

  “I’d be pissed, okay?” he shouted.

  “Why?”

  He shifted closer, gripping the back of her head. “Because I love you.” His eyes drifted to her lips. “I want to be your only lover.”

  Her eyes glided to his lips. “You are.”

  “It’s gonna stay that way. I don’t want you to be with anyone else.”

  “You’re asking me to be monogamous? You’re saying you want a commitment?” She held her breath, waiting for his response.

  “Yes.” He dipped his head to kiss her gently on the lips.

  “What kind of commitment?”

  He took a deep breath. “I want you to be my wife, Marisa.”

  Her jaw dropped. “Are you serious?”

  He shook his head. “Do I look like I’m joking?”

  “Why now? What’s happened to change your mind?”

  He glanced at the cell phone on the bed between their legs. “I don’t want to feel this way anymore. I don’t want you to be with anyone else, and I know it isn’t fair to ask you to stay with me if I can’t give you what you need. So, I’m giving it to you. Are you happy now?”

  She reared back. “That’s your idea of a marriage proposal, Spencer?”

  He raked his hand through his hair. “Give me a break here. I’ve never done this before. If I’m screwing it up, I’m sorry.”

  She scooted off the bed, taking the sheet and phone with her as she headed for the bathroom.

  “Where the hell are you going? You didn’t give me an answer.”

  She turned around, struck dumb by his ignorance. “The answer is no.”

  Luc drummed his fingers against his mahogany desk as he waited for the doorbell to ring. He was expecting a visit from Ty McCall. Marisa may have declined his inept marriage proposal, but he’d be damned if he let some other guy move in on her before he had a chance to make things right.

  The doorbell rang at the stroke of the hour. At least he was on time.

  Luc had given his housekeeper the day off, so he crossed the foyer to answer the door without consulting the intercom.

  Ty McCall stood on the other side of the door, his back turned, looking out over the expansive grounds of Luc’s estate. He turned around when Luc answered the door, tipping his cowboy hat. “Mr. Spencer.”

  He stuck his hand out. “It’s a pleasure to see you again, sir.”

  Luc looked him up and down. The kid had the makings of a super-star, and despite what he told Marisa, he wasn’t about to let another manager take him to the top. He wanted a piece of that action for himself. “Come in, Ty.” He stepped back so his guest could enter. “Can I get you anything to drink before we get started?”

  Ty shook his head. “No, sir, I’m fine, thank you.”

  Luc nodded. “You can call me Luc.” He gestured down the hall. “Why don’t you follow me to my office?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Luc waited until he was seated behind his desk with Ty perched in an armchair across from him. “I want to get some personal business out of the way before we talk about your career, Ty.”

  The younger man shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Uh, personal business? I’m not sure what you mean.”

  Luc propped his feet up on the edge of his desk and tilted the swivel chair back. “You kissed my girlfriend last night.” Luc watched with satisfaction as the color drained from Ty’s face.

  “Uh, I did?”

  Luc nodded sharply. “You remember Marisa Turner?”

  Ty swore softly. “I had no idea she was your girlfriend. She said she didn’t have a boyfriend anymore.”

  Luc felt a modicum of pity for the guy. He saw that he didn’t intend to cause trouble between him and Marisa; he’d just been drawn in by the lure of a gorgeous woman. Luc could hardly blame him for being attracted to Marisa, the woman was damn near irresistible. “Let’s just say we’re trying to work things out.”

  Ty held his hands up. “Say no more, I’ll back off. I want you to know I’m not the kind of guy who would hit on another man’s woman, Mr. Spencer.”

  Luc smiled. “I’m sure it was just a misunderstanding, T
y. Now that we’ve got that cleared up, I’d like to get down to business.”

  Ty leaned back in his chair, waiting.

  “I’ve checked out a few of your shows, listened to your demo, watched your videos, talked to your agent...” Luc waited for Ty to process the information. “I like what I see, Ty.”

  He leaned forward. “You do? I mean, my agent mentioned that you’d spoken to him, but I didn’t want to get my hopes up.”

  “I think you’ve got what it takes, kid.” He regarded him carefully. “How old are you again?”

  “Thirty.”

  “Right. Okay, I’d like to offer to represent you, Ty.”

  Ty laughed. “Are you serious? Man, that would be awesome. I’ve been tryin’ to make it in this business forever. Working with someone like you would...”

  “Change your life.” Luc waited for him to process those words. He needed him to understand that from this moment forward, his life would never be the same. “I’m starting my own record label. This is strictly on the QT right now, but I’d like you to be the first artist I sign.”

  Ty gripped the armrests of the chair, his knuckles turning white. He grinned. “I don’t know what to say.”

  Luc laughed. “You could say yes.”

  Ty jumped out of his seat, reaching across the desk to offer Luc his hand. “Yes, hell yes. Thank you, I promise I won’t disappoint you.”

  “I know you won’t. I don’t make mistakes, McCall. I trust you won’t be makin’ any more mistakes, either?” He gripped Ty’s hand firmly, staring him in the eye.

  “No, sir, I can promise you that.”

  Luc arrived at Trey’s house to find Sierra looking desperate, with a crying baby in her arms and a phone cradled against her ear.

  “Can you hold on just a minute, Jeff?” she said to the caller. “The cavalry just rode in.”

  Luc stepped over the threshold, sensing it would be wiser to start walking in the opposite direction.

  Sierra smiled at him. “Hi there, Uncle Luc, you got here just in time.” She thrust Alisa into his arms, careful to support the baby’s head and neck as she made the transfer. “I just have to finish up a business call. She’s been fed, burped, and changed. She just needs someone to walk her around and sing to her as she falls asleep. You can handle that, right?”

  “I, uh, came to see Trey.”

  Sierra laughed. “He’s out in his studio. I won’t be but a minute.” She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Thanks, Luc, you’re a lifesaver.”

  Luc walked around in circles, bouncing the baby gently as he stared into her bright blue eyes. She didn’t look tired, just curious. “Hey, beautiful,” he whispered, letting her grip his finger. “Were you givin’ your mama a hard time?” He winked. “I used to do that a lot too, but you’ll come to find she’s not so bad after all.” The baby cooed and Luc smiled at her. “In fact, she’s pretty great, but don’t tell her I said that ‘cause I’ll just deny it.”

  He stroked the baby’s soft cheek with his fingertip. He hadn’t held a baby in fifteen years. He’d allowed himself to forget how wonderful it could make him feel. He should have been there to watch Nikki grow up. No matter how bad his old man was, at least he’d been there to witness the important events in his life. Now that he was facing his own mortality, his father had even started to reach out to him to try and make amends for the past. He’d never have that opportunity with his own child.

  He bent to kiss Alisa’s cheek.

  Sierra leaned against the doorframe, watching him, a smile tugging at her lips. “You gonna tell me why you look like you’re right at home holdin’ a baby, Uncle Luc?”

  Luc turned his back, afraid his expression might give him away. “What do you mean? I was just tryin’ my damndest not to drop her.”

  Sierra smiled as she walked toward them. “She seemed to settle down as soon as you took her. You must have a special touch with babies.”

  He laughed, trying to mask his discomfort. “Not babies specifically, just ladies in general.”

  Sierra took the baby out of his arms. “Ah right, except for one lady, right?”

  He dropped his hands to his sides, trying to fight the urge to ask if he could hold her for just a few more minutes. “I assume you’ve talked to Marisa?”

  “You just missed her.” She tickled the baby under the chin. “Auntie Marisa just left, didn’t she, sweetheart?”

  “What did she have to say?” Luc tried to feign mild curiosity but knew he failed miserably.

  Sierra laughed and nuzzled her daughter’s cheek. “Auntie Marisa’s pretty mad at Uncle Luc, isn’t she, Alisa?”

  Luc threw his hands up in the air as he began to pace the floor. “I will never understand women. They want a marriage proposal, so you propose marriage, and they’re still not happy.”

  Sierra settled the baby into a swing. She turned it on, watching as it gently rocked Alisa back and forth, lulling her to sleep. “You really are clueless, Luc.”

  He pinched the bridge of his nose, wondering if he had any pain relievers in the car. The mother of all headaches was looming and he had a feeling Sierra planned to make it worse by listing his many faults. “Why’s that?”

  “You didn’t propose to her because you wanted to spend the rest of your life with her.”

  He turned to face Sierra, trying to follow her train of thought. “What are you talking about?”

  “You proposed to her because you were afraid of losing her to someone else.” She took a step toward him, resting her hand on his forearm. “She told me about what happened with Ty McCall.”

  Luc grunted. “McCall won’t be a problem anymore. I had a word with him, and let’s just say we came to an understanding where Marisa’s concerned.”

  Sierra rolled her eyes. “You don’t get it, do you? It doesn’t matter whether it’s Ty or Tim or someone else. Marisa is beautiful, smart, and sexy. A long line of men will always be trying to earn their chance with her.”

  Luc scowled and shoved his hands in his pockets as he resumed pacing. “So what would you suggest I do?”

  Sierra shrugged. “I don’t know. Do you love her?”

  He sighed. “What kind of question is that? You know I do.”

  “If you love her, prove it.”

  He stopped pacing and stood rooted to the spot, watching Alisa sleep. “How am I gonna prove it? I’ve already told her I love her, that I wanna marry her...”

  “Don’t tell her, show her. It’s true what they say you know; actions really do speak louder than words.”

  When he would have asked for more advice, his cell phone rang. He checked the call display; his father’s name and number flashed on the screen. He thought about avoiding his call, as he often did, but he had a sudden impulse to speak to the old man. “Hey, Dad, what’s up?”

  “Um, excuse me, is this Luc Spencer?” a female voice asked.

  Luc felt his heart race. He instinctively knew something was wrong. “Yes, this is Luc. And you would be?”

  “I’m calling from St. Petersburg Memorial Hospital, sir. I’m afraid your father has had a massive heart attack.”

  Luc felt his body sway as he gripped the back of a nearby chair for support. “How bad is it? Is he going to make it?”

  “The doctor suggested you get here as soon as you can, Mr. Spencer.”

  Luc knew that meant his father had very little time left. “I’ll be there later today. Thank you for calling. Please, call me back if anything changes.” He prayed he wouldn’t get that call. Too many things were left unsaid between them.

  “Of course we will, sir.”

  Luc disconnected the call and stared at Sierra, trying to process the news. He tried to force his brain to take the actions necessary to get him on a plane so he could be at his father’s bedside before it was too late.

  Sierra walked toward him. “Luc, is everything okay?”

  He shook his head. “My dad had a heart attack,” he whispered. “It doesn’t look like he’s gonna
make it.”

  Sierra reached up to put her arms around him. “Oh, honey, I’m so sorry. What can we do to help? Do you need Trey to go to the hospital with you?”

  He shook his head as he rubbed her back, trying to formulate a plan in his mind. “No, it’s okay. I need to fly to Florida, St. Petersburg.” He pulled away. “I should call the airport.”

  She grabbed his hand. “I’ll make the arrangements. Leave your car here. You can take the limo. Do you need to go home and pack a suitcase?”

  He shook his head, fighting back the tears. He never expected to feel this kind of emotion at the end of his father’s life. It just reinforced the fact that he needed to be there, to tell his father he loved him, something he’d never said before. “I don’t think I have time for that. I’ll just buy whatever I need when I get there.”

  Sierra rubbed his shoulder. “Luc, I don’t think you should go alone. Maybe...”

  “No, I’ll be okay. I need to do this alone, Sierra.” He brushed a kiss across her cheek. “Thanks for your concern. Tell Trey I’ll call him later, okay?”

  He forced himself to put one foot in front of the other. He knew this short trip was going to feel like the longest of his life.

  Marisa was grateful Sierra thought to book two tickets to Florida. She was right, Luc couldn’t face this alone. She made her way across the busy terminal, pulling both his carry-on and her own behind her.

  She scanned the waiting area and saw Luc immediately. He was sitting alone, in the middle of a long line of chairs facing the window, watching the aircrafts prepare for take-off.

  She left their luggage at the end of the aisle and slid into a chair next to him, taking his hand in hers without saying a word.

  He looked up, seeming surprised. “What are you doing here?”

  She looked out the window. “Sierra told me what happened. I couldn’t let you go through this alone, Luc.”

  He drew her into his arms, burying his face in her neck. “Thank you, sweetheart.”

  She pulled back to look at him. Her heart broke seeing the unshed tears in his eyes. “Can I get you anything?”