Sex, Lies & Lipstick (A Moonlight and Magnolias Novel Book 2) Read online

  “We got some things worked out anyway. I’m going to send Mimi, Miss Celia and Momma back to Shadeland with King tonight.”

  “And then what?” I asked.

  “And then we’re going into New Orleans to a secured location with more agents and lots of surveillance.”

  “What location?” I asked as he took my hands in his and kissed them one by one.

  “Z’s home in the Garden District.”

  “And what does his home have that this one doesn’t?” I asked. “I mean, I thought we were trying to hide.”

  “We’re not hiding. We’re staying safe. Believe me, I want Hector to think it’s cool to walk around in the world and look for us. That’s how we’ll nail him.”

  “Really?” I smiled. “Because so far that tactic hasn’t worked worth a flip.”

  “How do you know what we’ve done to look for him? Until yesterday you didn’t even know he was out there looking for you.”

  “So it is me he wants,” I whispered.

  “He wants me,” Mac corrected, pulling me close to make me feel safe. It wasn’t working.

  “Then why the notes about me?” I asked. “Why the lipstick? Why make sure I knew he was in my house?”

  “He was in Lone Oak too, sweetheart.”

  “You know what I mean, Mac. I read the note.” I inhaled, holding in the fear.

  “What note?”

  “I read the note from Hector on your desk. The one where he wanted to crush me like a butterfly or something. What he’s dreaming of doing to me? I mean…”

  “He’s crazy, Samantha.”

  “I don’t care what he is. He’s after me. Not you.”

  “He wants to hurt anyone and everyone. He’s no longer under the protection of the drug cartel he was working for. They were like his family, his stability. He had Miller and the drug cartel. Now he has nothing. He wants us, you and me, to feel his pain.”

  “Mac,” I sighed as I began to pace the room with nervous energy. “I want this to be over.”

  “Don’t you think I’d rather be sipping champagne with you in Paris? You know I would. And we will. Once Hector is gone for good, we can breathe easy and get on with our life.”

  “Can we? Because the last time I checked I believed he was gone. Then yesterday there’s lipstick on my mirror making sure I never forget him.”

  “Samantha, I’m never going to let anything happen to you. You know that.”

  “I just wish things were different.”

  “Look at it this way,” Mac smiled as he sat and pulled me into his lap. “If Miller hadn’t been funneling money to his secretary to keep quiet about the affair with Hector, I would’ve never come to Autumn Valley and we wouldn’t have met.”

  “You would have come to visit your mother and you know it,” I insisted, unconvinced of how his logic worked.

  “Everything happens for a reason, Sam. We were supposed to meet. We had a once in a lifetime chance of meeting and we did. Now we are married and have a new baby. All things that were never going to happen to me until I met you.”

  “Are you actually thanking Hector for bringing us together?”

  “I’ll thank him with some handcuffs on his wrists,” he continued. “I’m saying we were meant to be together and someone like Hector isn’t going to take any of that away from us. You, the kids, my mother and Miss Celia are all I have in this world. I’m not going to let anything happen to any of you. You have my word.”

  I sighed, knowing he meant everything he said. Mac Callahan was the most loyal, genuine man I’d ever known. The fact that he was as beautiful on the outside as he was on the inside was icing on the cake for me. He was my everything.

  “It’s not your word I want,” I smiled. “It’s my honeymoon and I want to act like it’s my honeymoon. I’ve waited so long to be with you.”

  “Tonight, baby. Tonight,” Mac growled.

  Looking for Mimi, I found her and Mac’s mother in their room together. Mimi was reading to Nancy as she’d done many times before at Autumn Valley.

  “How’s Miss Nancy doing?” I asked.

  “It’s just hard for us older folks to pick up and go like you young people. We have a routine and we like to stick with it. It makes us feel safe. Nancy and I are both a little out of our routine.”

  “Not for much longer,” I smiled. “You’re going back to Autumn Valley tonight. You and Miss Nancy both.”

  “And what about you, dear? Aren’t you coming along?”

  “Mac and I are staying behind with the kids and Polly.”

  “You’re staying here?”

  “We’re moving into New Orleans. Another agent has a home there. Apparently it’s a fortress of security. Mac’s not comfortable with us going back to Lone Oak just yet. He wants to see if Hector makes a move.”

  “Well, you don’t hit a hornets nest with a short stick, that’s for sure.”

  “I don’t think we’re provoking Hector. Do you?”

  “Honey, I think Hector’s bat-shit crazy. His cheese slid off his cracker a while ago.”

  “I don’t want to talk about it. Are you and Nancy doing okay? Has Nancy said anything?”

  “Honey, I’ve been reading to her this morning, but I think she’s so confused as to where we are and what’s going on. The only thing she’s said today is the word man.”

  “Maybe she’s referring to the décor of King’s lake house,” I joked.

  “Did someone say my name?” King asked as he knocked and walked into the open door.

  “I was just remarking on the testosterone-laden decorating style. That’s all.”

  “Sam, are you making fun of my man cave?” he quipped with a dazzling smile.

  King could somehow always make things seem okay. When Mac raided the office last year and Miller killed himself, King was there as a shoulder to cry on. When the FBI was questioning me, King was there offering support. For goodness sake, he was on duty in the emergency room the night Hector shot Mac and we both came in by ambulance. Now that Hector was back, he’d once again come to the rescue and offered a place to hide until we could make plans. King Giles was more of a guardian angel than a man.

  “No, King,” I replied as I stood and walked to him for a hug. “I was just thinking to myself that you are truly a guardian angel.”

  “Not really. I just seem to be in the right place at the right time. Or maybe it’s the wrong place at the right time,” he smirked as he hugged me tightly.

  “Well, I’m thankful for you every day, Dr. Giles,” Mimi chimed in. “It does an old woman’s heart good to see a man so pretty on the outside have a good heart. Us old folks sometimes think the world has gone to hell in a hand basket based on how men act these days. You surely do an old Southern woman’s heart good.”

  “Well, that’s kind of you, Mimi,” King drawled. “I think mostly I just do my job.”

  “She’s right, King. I just don’t understand why you’re still on the market.”

  “Maybe I’ve just not met the right girl yet.” King uttered, looking to his feet to hide the redness that had crept into his face. “Speaking of Southern girls, how are my two favorite doing today? Aurelia told me everyone had their meds this morning on schedule.”

  “I’m fine, but I worry about Nancy,” Mimi confessed. “She doesn’t do well with change. But Sam says we’re all going back to Shadeland tonight so maybe that will be better for her.”

  “We’re going back to Shadeland?” King asked, raising a suspicious eyebrow.

  “Mac is sending you home with Mimi, Nancy and Celia.” I explained.

  “And the rest of you?”

  “Mac, Polly, the kids and I are going to New Orleans. Another FBI agent has a place there and security is tight – tight enough that we can breathe a little until Hector makes a move.”

  “And how long will that be?” King continued with the questioning.

  “I don’t know. A couple days, a week.”

  “It would’ve been nice to
hear this from Mac.”

  “I know. I’m sorry you’re hearing it from me. The other agent, Z, just left. This all just happened.”

  “What time are we leaving?”

  “I don’t know. Do you want me to ask Mac?”

  “No, thank you,” he dropped his head. “I think I feel emasculated enough for one day.”

  As King left the room, I dropped my shoulders. He didn’t deserve this. He’d only been trying to help and all Mac had done was keep him in the dark. I knew Mac respected King. They’d grown up together. I just think because King was, once upon a time, sweet on me as Mimi said, it still bothered Mac. I just needed all the men in my life to come together and help right now. King was doing his part. Mac was making me a little crazy.

  I sat back down and took Mimi by the hand. “Will you be okay without me in Shadeland?”

  “Hell, yes. I can keep an eye on that no good rotten Richard a lot better down the street instead of on the bayou. I just worry you’re putting yourself in danger and you don’t need too. Scum like Hector will always turn up. He doesn’t know any other way.”

  “Like I said, Mimi, just until we know what Hector is up to.”

  “Humph,” she protested.

  “What are you trying to say? Spit it out.”

  “I’m saying you can’t keep trouble from coming, but you don’t have to give it a chair to sit on.”

  “We’re just laying low until Hector makes a move, Mimi. That’s all.”

  “Just make sure the next move he makes isn’t checkmate.”

  I walked through the house looking for Mac. I wanted to tell him to be extra nice to King. I climbed the stairs and with each step felt worse about all that had transpired. We’d trampled through King’s house and all over his feelings in the last two days. As I called for him, Polly found me in the master bedroom.

  “Hey,” she smiled. “Mac is outside on the phone. I didn’t want you to walk all through the place.”

  “Thanks,” I replied as I took a seat on the end of the bed. The red roses that covered the room had a fragrant but overwhelming smell.

  “What’s wrong?” Polly asked, sitting beside me. “Let me rephrase that. I know what’s wrong. I guess I should ask what can I do for you?”

  “Nothing,” I sighed, throwing myself backwards on the bed, my feet still on the floor.

  Polly did the same and we looked to the ceiling where I noticed for the first time mirrors.

  “Ooooo,” Polly sang. “Dr. King Giles just officially became Dr. Kinky.”

  I couldn’t contain my laugh and we both burst out in giggles.

  “I wonder what else King’s got in here,” Polly continued as we looked at each other in the mirror.

  “Polly…” I said with disgust. “He’s a gentleman. But—I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was surprised.”

  “I’m not. He’s hot. There’s probably a red room up here somewhere. There’s a door hidden in that knotty pine wall over there that leads to his red room of pain and submission,” she jeered.

  “Stop it, Polly. You’ve been reading too many erotic novels in your free time,” I laughed. “It’s funny, though.”

  “What?” Polly asked.

  “I don’t remember it this way last night. I thought there were windows over the bed. You know, like a huge skylight kind of thing. It matched that wall of glass. Maybe I was just too tired.”

  “No,” said a deep voice from the door. “It was windows last night.”

  Polly and I both shot off the bed and stared in embarrassment and I wondered how long he’d been standing at the door.

  I quickly filled the silence. “Hi, King. Ah, yeah. It wasn’t like this last night. I mean I didn’t think it was.”

  “Someone must’ve hit the button,” King confessed with a sly smile as he walked to the bedside and pressed a recessed button on the side of the huge rustic bed.

  The mirrors quickly changed to windows and I became red-faced. “Sorry. We weren’t trying to snoop,” I confessed.

  “No problem,” he continued as he sat down in the huge overstuffed chair by the bank of windowed walls. He looked like Gaston in Beauty and the Beast as the chair had a set of antlers at the top. Its mate sat cattycorner to him.

  “I feel badly about taking your room, King.”

  “Don’t. This room was meant for more than one person to enjoy.”

  I was at first taken aback by King’s behavior. I wasn’t used to seeing him like this. And then it occurred to me as he gave Polly a smile he wasn’t talking about Mac and me—he was speaking directly to Polly.

  “Polly, did I overhear you asking about a room of submission?”

  “I’m sorry,” Polly laughed nervously. “I was just making a joke. You know, trying to cheer Sam up.”

  “Okay then,” he shrugged as if he had a secret and he rose from the chair. “I didn’t mean to bother you girls. I just came in to get a few things from the closet. I want to take some things back to Shadeland. If you’ll excuse the interruption.”

  “By all means,” I insisted as I took Polly’s hand and helped her from the massive bed. “We’ll give you some privacy.”

  “No need,” he continued as he moved toward the walk-in closet where I’d stored my luggage. “You never know, you might see where the secret door is hidden in the knotty pine…Polly.”

  Polly giggled nervously and I shoved her out the door, knowing we’d been caught. “We’ll leave you to it.”

  I heard him laugh soft and low as we walked the hallway. “Oh my Lord,” I winced. “What was that?”

  “I don’t know,” Polly smiled. “But Dr. King Giles just got a lot more interesting.”

  “What do you think he wants to take back with him to Shadeland? Fishing gear or something?” I asked.

  “I was thinking handcuffs and a riding crop.”

  13

  MAC

  “Yeah, Micah,” I muttered as I paced the grassy area behind the lake house. “I understand. I just want to make sure each house is completely watched.”

  “We’ve got more agents covering the grounds of Lone Oak than before. No one can get in or out without being seen,” Micah rasped.

  “What about Autumn Valley?”

  “There are agents guarding empty rooms. Meals have been delivered as if your mother and Mimi Peterson were actually in the room. Only the nurses and attending physician know the truth.”

  “Good. And how’s it looking at Sam’s house? No one is going back there, but I want to make sure it’s secure.”

  “Yeah,” she continued. “The guy, Sam’s cousin? He’s a dick, but other than that it’s fine.”

  “That’s funny. Mimi says the same thing about him.”

  “Tell Mimi I agree.”

  “What’s going on?”

  “He’s giving the agents a hard time. I guess he wanted to have some people over for something and they told him no and it turned into a shouting match. The agents held their ground. I didn’t want to mention it. You’re supposed to be on your honeymoon.”

  “Thanks for the update,” I sighed as I rubbed my day-old beard with my hand and continued around and through my hair with frustration. “I met with Z. We’re moving to the Garden District tomorrow in NOLA. He’s there now making the arrangements.”

  “Good. You’ll have secure phone lines from there.”

  “Speaking of phone lines. Now that I’ve heard Richard is trying to throw parties while we’re away, let’s just get a tap on the phone in the house at Sam’s and get NSA to track the bastard. If Mimi doesn’t trust him, we probably shouldn’t either.”

  “Agreed.”

  “I’ll check in tomorrow after we’ve changed locations.”

  “When are you coming to D.C.?”

  “After tomorrow. I’ve not told Samantha yet that I’m leaving. She’ll understand.”

  “If you say so.”

  “C’mon, Micah. Not you too.”

  “All I know is if I were supposed to be on my
honeymoon, I’d be a bitch on wheels if you left me behind.”

  “Well, maybe that’s the difference between you and Sam. She understands me.”

  “If you say so,” Micah repeated.

  “Yack at ya later,” I sighed.

  “Only if you’re lucky.”

  I turned to find my bride waiting for me in the doorway of the front entrance. “Mac, sweetheart. Can you please fill King in on what’s going on? I had to tell him he was leaving tonight. I think he feels bad enough. He’s only been trying to help.”

  “Come here,” I growled at her as I climbed the steps to the expansive porch that encompassed the house. I pulled her in tightly. The stress of the case was starting to wear on me and I was horny as hell. I looked around the lake house to see if there was a tool shed close by. I was that desperate.

  I’d had a taste of Sam yesterday after the wedding, but it wasn’t enough. It would never be enough.

  “I need to get you alone. You look so sexy in your little spring dress,” I whispered in her ear. “I want to clear this house out and have you all to myself.”

  “Don’t forget Polly and the children will still be here,” she sighed as I tickled her neck with kisses and felt her melt in my arms.

  “I can handle your best friend and our children in the house,” I whispered into her. “It’s just a little much with the entire clan hanging around.”

  “I know,” she agreed. “But if we get some quiet later tonight, I might have a little surprise for you.”

  Her words worked through me like a spark to a flame and I pressed my eager manhood into her as hard as I could manage.

  “Not here,” she whispered. “Not now.”

  “I can’t wait much longer, blue eyes,” I confessed as I caressed her long beautiful chestnut hair. “You know you can’t tease me like you do and then walk away.”

  “Why?” she giggled.

  “Because I have a hard time walking away – literally. Seriously, Sam,” I murmured, pressing my face into her neck. “I’m dying here. Give me something.”

  She tilted her head back and pursed her lips. I pulled her close, uncontrollably grinding myself into her hip as I began to kiss her sweet lips.