Lingerie Wars (Invertary 1)

He stepped to the side of the door. Now her way was clear if she wanted to go. She made no attempt to run. Instead she dug her fists into the pockets of her coat, making it pull on her shoulders.

“Why don’t you go back to the army and leave us all in peace?” she asked. “Wouldn’t that be easier? You can’t possibly want to run a lingerie shop. Sell the thing and be done with it.”

“Oh, would that I could,” he said.

Unfortunately, no one would buy a business that hadn’t made a profit in ten years. Well, no one except his clueless sister.

She rolled her eyes.

“Betty the troll and that loony contract of hers,” Kirsty said.

Lake didn’t correct her. If she wanted to think it was the contract that stopped him and not the state of the business, then that was fine with him. The fewer people who knew it was a mess, the better. That way it would be easier to sell once he got it back in the black.

“I’d love to get my hands on her nephew.” Kirsty’s voice broke into his thoughts. “That man needs a good hiding.”

It took a minute for Lake to catch up with the conversation, and when he did a flush of heat worked up from his stomach to his head.

“If you want to get your hands on a man,” he told her, “I’m available.”

Her eyes widened.

“That’s not going to happen,” she said tightly.

Lake shrugged.

“I’m not even suggesting that I get you out of that underwear you’re so attached to. I’m just saying that I’m here. If you want me. To do with as you will.”

Her mouth opened and closed like a hooked fish. Lake smiled confidently, aware that every time she saw him she’d replay his words. He’d wear her down by default.

“It’s no big deal,” he said as he took a step closer to her, lowering his voice under the din of the bar. “Lovers by night. Enemies by day. It’s in all the best spy movies.”

“I don’t want to be your lover.” It would have been slightly more convincing if she hadn’t stumbled over the word and flushed bright pink at the same time.

Lake cocked an eyebrow, feeling pretty pleased with himself. Kirsty frowned.

“Don’t think you can wear me down, either. Guys with a lot more finesse than you’ve shown have chased after me. If I can resist them, I sure as heck can resist you.”

“I don’t plan to mention it again. I’m just going to wait. I’ll be right in front of you. Watching you think about me. Watching you think about what we could do together. How we could be together. I won’t need to say anything. It’s all going to happen in your head.”

She threw up her hands in exasperation.

“I’ll tell you something. All of this”—she waved her hand in front of him to signal that she meant him, not her—”is happening in your head, not mine. My head is empty, thank you very much.”

Lake grinned widely.

“Auch, I mean...” She poked him in the chest. “You know what I mean.”

“Yeah. You want me.”

“In your dreams.”

“Yep, there too.”

“You are the most annoying man I’ve ever met and I don’t have time to deal with your many psychological problems. I’m going home.”

With that, she was gone. Lake found himself grinning at the door as it swung shut behind her.

After a large plate of fish and chips and a cold beer, Lake was in fine spirits. The cheery bustle around him improved his mood no end. He sat at a table near the bar flicking through images on his iPad. He had intended to relax while he caught up on news and sport. Instead, his time with Kirsty made him curious and reminded him that he’d yet to run a background check on his enemy. Around him the buzz of the busy pub acted like white noise to block out his day. It helped soothe him, which was good because Kirsty’s story made for grim reading.