Susan Mallery - Lip Service

She thought about explaining that Erin had a birthmark on the small of her back. A tiny half-moon stain that Ray and all his other children shared. She doubted Mitch would believe her.

“I’ll agree to a DNA test on the condition that you keep this to yourself,” she said quietly. “You won’t discuss it with Erin. I don’t want her hurt.”

“You’re not in a position to dictate terms.”

She raised her chin. “Erin is my daughter. She’s a child and doesn’t deserve to be in the middle of this. If you really think she’s yours, you shouldn’t want her hurt or confused. She can’t know until we have the results.”

Mitch’s dark eyes gave nothing away. “Agreed. I’ll call a lab and have someone stop by.”

He turned and left without saying anything else. She watched him go. He walked slowly but steadily. If she hadn’t known about the prosthesis, she might not have guessed there was anything wrong.

When she was alone, she sank into her chair and closed her eyes. She hadn’t expected this. Didn’t he know her well enough to believe she wouldn’t keep his child from him?

Obviously not, she thought sadly. He believed the worst about her. When he found out the truth about Erin, he would know that she, Skye, hadn’t been lying. But she had a bad feeling that wasn’t going to make an already difficult situation any better.

MITCH STOOD in the center of the stable. The smell of horse and hay was exactly as he remembered, but he felt completely out of place. What he had once taken for granted now only served to point out everything he couldn’t do. Ride? He couldn’t get on a horse, let alone guide it.

Riding should have been easy. He could use a mount, so he didn’t have to push off with his left leg as he swung his right leg over the saddle. But he was unable to balance on his prosthesis. Once on the horse, he wouldn’t have the control to use his left heel.

Frustration, never far away, bubbled to the surface. What was he supposed to do with himself now? Ride around in the truck, like an old man?

“I have something for you.”

He turned toward the voice and saw Arturo leading a bay into the barn. The gelding was big and moved easily.

Mitch took a step back. His heel caught in the wood floor and he nearly fell into the hay.

“This is Bullet,” Arturo said, stroking the horse’s nose. “He’s been trained so you can mount him on the right side. You also only need to use your right heel. He’s strong and fast, with a bit of a temper. I thought you two would have that in common.”

Mitch curled his hands into fists. “I don’t need your help,” he growled.

“Maybe not, but I’m offering it. Besides, I used your money to buy him.”

That should have made him smile, but Mitch was beyond humor. He hated everything about the ranch. The chickens, the organic beef with every single thing about their lives documented. He hated how the socks on his stump were soaked with blood every night and how the nightmares kept him from sleeping. He hated that he’d been so grateful to be alive only to find out nothing about his life was how he wanted it.

“You want to ride again,” Arturo told him. “I know you do.”

“Stay out of my life.”

The old man’s mouth tightened. “Fine,” he said, and dropped the reins. He walked out, leaving Mitch and the horse alone in the barn.

Mitch felt like an ass. He knew Arturo was only trying to help, but there were-

He heard footsteps and was surprised Arturo had returned. But when he looked toward the entrance he saw a different silhouette.

“You’re even more of a bastard than I thought,” Skye said as she moved into the barn. “Does it make you feel like a man to hurt people who love you?”

She was the last person he wanted to see. Worse, she’d witnessed a part of him he had trouble controlling.

“He loves you,” she said. “He wants you to know that.” She patted the horse’s neck. “Come on, Mitch. Why is that so bad?”

“Arturo is fine. He can take care of himself.”

“You’re his family. He shouldn’t have to.”

“Get out,” he told her.

She moved closer, until she stood right in front of him. “Are you going to make me? You’ve pretty much peaked on crappy things to say to me. So what’s left?” She raised her chin. “Want to hit me? It seems that you want to hit somebody. Why not me? Don’t I deserve it?”

“Do you like it rough these days?” he sneered.

She flushed but held her ground. “I know that certain parts of your life suck, but you got to come home. That counts. You have people who are thrilled you’re back. That counts more. What I want to know is, do you have a timetable on the pity party? Or is it playing indefinitely?”

“Right. Because it’s so easy for you to judge from your perfect life. Want to trade, Skye? Want to give up a leg or an arm? Live with that for a while and then we’ll talk.”

“You are so full of crap,” she said. “This isn’t about your leg. This is about you.”

He wanted to crush her. He wanted to take her and make her beg. He wanted her naked and vulnerable and then he wanted to walk away.

She stared into his eyes as if daring him to do everything he was thinking. Finally she drew a breath.

“Erin has provided her DNA sample. Anytime you’re ready, you can do the same. Then we’ll be done.”

“Erin’s mine. We’re only starting. I’m spending my nights thinking of all the ways I’m going to punish you for what you’ve done to me.”

Sadness invaded her green eyes. “If hating me gives you strength, then go for it. But I will warn you not to get too excited about taking me on. Erin’s not yours, Mitch. No matter how much you want her to be, she’s not. And if calling me a whore makes that easier to bear, then go for it. Just remember this. That little girl thinks you’re a hero. If you give her one reason to believe otherwise, I will make you regret being born.”

That made him smile. “You really think you can?”

“Absolutely. You’re so far down, you don’t care if you live or die. I have something to fight for. My daughter.”

She left then, her back straight, her long red hair beckoning. He watched her go, admiring her spirit, however delusional. There would only be one winner in this game and it was going to be him.

THE PRIVATE AIRFIELD catered to the rich and adventurous. T. J. Boone qualified for both, Izzy thought as she walked toward him. He’d called the previous afternoon to invite her to join him skydiving. She’d accepted to see how far he would take the game.

As she took in his chiseled features and easy smile she asked herself if that was really her only motive. Was she actually interested in T.J.? He looked good both on paper and in person, which was normally more than enough for her. But this guy was different. This guy might be playing her and Skye in a big way.

She was here to find out who he was and what he wanted. Part of her wanted to prove she was right not to trust him. Part of her wanted to protect Skye, however much her sister might not believe her.

Self-sacrifice was both new and uncomfortable, she thought. She must remember not to do this sort of thing again.

T.J. pushed off his BMW M3 and walked toward her. “Scared?” he asked.

She looked past him to the small plane that would take them skyward before they jumped back to earth.

“I’ve done this before. It’s no big. The real danger isn’t from the falling, it’s the landing that can kill you.” She stared into his blue eyes. “What’s the plan? You’re going to try to keep up with me? Not likely.”

“You say that now,” he told her, then smiled. “I’ll prove myself.”

“And then what? You want to compare me to Skye? Doubling up on your odds? Does Jed not care which of his daughters you take, as long as you claim one of us?”

He continued to smile at her. “You’re very cynical.”

“I’ve known Jed a long time. He’s not the warm and fuzzy type.”

“Neither am I. Isn’t that what makes life interesting?” He jerked his shoulder toward the waiting plane. “Come on, Izzy. You know you want to.”

She did want to jump. It wasn’t silent, like everyone said. It was loud, with the air rushing by and the sound of her heart filling her ears. For those few minutes, she was totally free and out of time. She could imagine what it was like to have everything she wanted, to be both connected and alone.

They walked into the flight office and signed the necessary paperwork, then suited up. She half expected T.J. to make a move as she stepped into the jumpsuit, but he left her alone. Then they were on the plane, waiting to take off.

“You do this sort of thing often?” she asked over the roar of the engine. They spoke into microphones, with headphones so they could hear each other and the pilot.

“When I get the chance. I like the rush. What about you?”

“I enjoy it.”

“I’ve heard there’s a lot you enjoy. Rock climbing, cave diving.”

“Swimming with sharks, mountain climbing, white-water rafting. Want to see my scars?”

His gaze never left her face. “You’re going to have to trust me.”

“Why? You didn’t pack my parachute. You’re just a guy, T.J. I haven’t figured out your game, but I will. I meant what I said before. Hurt my sister and you’ll be in a world of hurt yourself.”

“You think you could take me, little girl?”

“I’m a Titan. I have staff to take you.”

That made him laugh. “I’m not afraid.”

“In the immortal words of Yoda, you will be.”

The plane took off and soon they were soaring into the blue sky. She’d jumped in several parts of the country and had done some mountain climbing in the Himalayas but nowhere else was the sky the color that it was in Texas.

“Maybe I like you,” he said, his voice coming over the headphones.

She looked at him. “You don’t know me well enough to like me. Are you dating my sister?”

“No.”

She’d been around powerful men enough to recognize that she’d asked the wrong question. “Do you and Skye have a date planned.”

He barely hesitated. “Yes.”

“May the best woman win?”

He shrugged. “Like you said. I don’t know you. Yet.”

“So you’re going to see which one you like best before picking?”

“I already have an idea about that.”

She supposed she was supposed to infer that he was leaning toward her. Big whoop. For all her success with her foundation and as a single mom, Skye was a baby when it came to the real dating world. She didn’t understand that men like T.J. would do whatever it took to get ahead. And she wasn’t going to listen to Izzy on the topic.

Unless Izzy had proof of T.J.’s sliminess.

The problem was she didn’t dislike him-she just didn’t trust him. Which left her confused. She was once again forced to ask if she was doing this to save her sister or to help herself to some good-looking guy.

Izzy hated self-awareness nearly as much as she hated sitting still. Fortunately the plane had reached the right altitude. They stood and adjusted their parachutes, then got into position, leaving their headsets behind.

“You really going to do this?” T.J. yelled.

“Of course.” She elbowed him out of the way, walked to the open door, waited for the thumbs-up and jumped.

The sensation of plummeting toward the earth thrilled every part of her. The air rushed by so fast, she had trouble breathing, but that didn’t bother her at all. It was just her and the day and invisible forces of gravity pulling her steadily down and down and down.

She laughed from the joy of the moment, from the pleasure of being exactly where she wanted to be. Right now she didn’t care about T.J. or his motives or anything else. She spread her arms and turned in the air, pumped on the adrenaline rush.

Seconds later, reluctantly, she braced herself and the parachute popped open. The free fall ended in a quick upward jerk, followed by an easy back and forth drifting to the landing spot.

As the ground raced toward her, she bent her knees and relaxed so the impact wouldn’t hurt, then settled on a spot of brown grass.

T.J. landed a few feet away. He laughed as he unfastened his parachute, then stalked over, grabbed her and kissed her.

His mouth was firm and sensual, taking as much as offering. “What a rush,” he said when he released her. “Nothing beats it.”

She stayed where she was, trying to gauge her reaction to the kiss. It had been fast but nice. She wouldn’t say no to another one, but she wasn’t dying to repeat the process.

“Some things beat it,” she said. “You’re obviously doing them wrong.”

It was an automatic response. She flirted with available men. She measured interest and frequently took advantage of the situation because it was fun. She didn’t get involved so there was never a boyfriend to worry about. Life was too short for commitments.