Luke kept his expression nonchalant. “Yeah, she’s always hated it. I remember this one time, back when Josh and I were in college, he surprised Ellie with an entire case of makeup. Josh decided that since she was in high school she needed to look mature, but when he gave her the makeup she rolled her eyes and ever so politely said, ‘I’m not a hooker, Joshua’.”
He’d hoped mentioning Josh would rattle Vivian but all he got from her was a little laugh. “She’s got a mouth on her, doesn’t she?” Vivian said.
“Yes, she does.” His jaw stiffened a little as he pondered the best way to approach the subject. He had two choices—either dance around the issue a bit longer and see if the woman said something, or just come right out and confront her.
In typical male fashion, he opted for instant gratification.
“I saw you this afternoon.” He kept his tone light and leaned forward to rest his elbows on the table. Was that a spark of guilt in her eyes?
“You mean in town?” she returned smoothly, her composure quickly restored. “Yes, Ellie and I were shopping.”
“No, it was after that. Around five or so. I was driving past your house.” His lips curved in a little smile as he saw her face go a shade paler.
“Oh.”
“How long has he been here?”
His question mingled in the air with the cigar smoke from the man at the next table. The defiant look in Vivian’s eyes made him think she would play dumb, but to his surprise she suddenly sighed and said, “Two days.”
“He’s staying at your place?” When she nodded, he added, “Does Ellie know?”
“He made me promise not to tell her.” A defensive edge entered her voice. “He’s not trying to interfere, he’s just here to make sure his sister is okay.”
Luke laughed. “Not interfere? That’s what Josh is best at, sweetheart.”
“Just don’t tell Ellie he’s here. She’ll be furious. And, um, I’m working hard trying to convince him to go home.”
He lifted his brows. “Are you?”
A slight pink flush rose in her cheeks. “Of course.”
Luke didn’t buy it. If he’d been doubtful before, he sure as hell wasn’t now. There was something between Vivian and Josh. No question about it. Yet it didn’t really surprise him. Josh had always been drawn to older women, maybe because the guy had never really gotten the chance to be a kid himself. What irked him was that Josh didn’t trust him enough to handle Ellie on his own, that he’d had to take matters into his own hands and butt in.
Well, enough was enough. In one corner he had Josh breathing down his neck, requesting a favor and then charging in to do it himself. In the other he had Ellie teasing him with her sexy smiles and incredible body, asking him to fuck her and testing his control. And the situation would only get worse, unless Luke put a stop to it right now.
“You know what?” he finally said. “Why don’t we just put all our cards on the table?”
Vivian swallowed, and then reached up to run her fingers through her long blonde strands. “Meaning?”
He leaned closer, speaking quietly so that nobody would overhear. “I don’t give a damn what’s going on between you and Josh, but obviously you do or you wouldn’t be keeping it a secret. All I want is for Ellie to leave this goddamn town and go home. That’s all Josh wants too.” He blew out a breath. “The way I see it, you’re the only one who can make that happen.”
A suspicious glint entered her eyes. “And how can I do that?”
“Ellie came here because of you. She has a job because of you.” He set his mouth in a tight line. “I want you to fire her.”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me.” His words were harsh but he didn’t give a damn anymore. “Tonight I’m going to take Ellie out and show her I’m not playing her game anymore. And tomorrow when she comes in to work, you’ll be informing her that she’s fired.”
The pink splotches on Vivian’s cheeks darkened to a deep shade of crimson. She clasped her hands together tightly, the white on her knuckles telling him she was furious. “And I suppose if I don’t agree, you’ll tell Ellie that I lied to her about Josh being here?”
“I’m considering that, yes.” He allowed his jaw to relax. “Look, Vivian, we both know Ellie doesn’t belong here. She’s hiding away from her life. She had to put her career on hold, her fiancé dumped her, and it hit her hard. Do you honestly believe her future is in this town?”
After a moment of silence, Vivian gave a grudging look and said, “No, I don’t.”
Luke’s chest swelled with hope. “Then let her go. Don’t give her a reason to stay.” He reached across the table and gripped both her hands with his. “Fire her, Viv. You know it’s for the best.”
“I’ll…think about it.” She removed her hands from his grasp and shot him a knowing glance. “But just remember something, Luke. You’re not Ellie’s bodyguard. She doesn’t need protection. She needs a friend.”
Before he could question the cryptic remark, Vivian bounded from the chair and straightened the hem of her knee-length black skirt. With a small nod, she turned away and headed for the bar.