Lost : The Little Sisters Book One Read online

  The Neils waved them off, and with the three Little sisters tucked in the car beside Jace, they were off covering the short distance to the Reeves’ lavish beach house. A modern-designed, open-concept home overlooking the bay. The place was lit up and spilling over the cliffside, with loud music that rebounded off, echoing out towards the sea. Jace tossed the keys to the hired valets and they all climbed out to make their way to the grand entrance teeming with people dressed to the hilt in glitz.

  Lucy eyed the Reeves’ home balefully, but was happy to note that the place was packed. She could lose herself in this crowd and none would be any the wiser. She could paste herself up against some wall and do what she did best… be a wallflower.

  Chapter 8

  “I would have chosen gold for you myself.”

  Startled, Lucy turned to see who it was who had spoken over her shoulder and found her tawny gaze caught and held persuasively by the dark voids of Richard Reeves.

  “To match your eyes,” he clarified when the silence between them continued. Luckily that was about the time that Jace turned around to see what had held her up.

  “Richard? Happy birthday, man,” exclaimed Jace enthusiastically, and Lucy and her sisters added their own birthday salutations.

  “Will you be singing for us tonight?” Richard asked Lucy, leaning in to pin her with his piercing gaze. The heat already suffusing her face now flared up with her temper.

  “Sing?” Lucy turned to glare at Jace accusingly. How could Richard have known she could sing unless Jace told him? Her accusing look was correctly interpreted.

  “God, Lucy! Richard found out you could sing ages ago. You should know you have a penchant for singing in the shower. Richard merely heard you belt out a tune on one of those chance occasions.”

  “A few of those chance occasions,” corrected Richard, still staring down at Lucy. “You know he is as much a friend of mine as he is yours, little Lucy. I hang about his home too”

  Skulk, more like it. Lucy pressed her lips thinly at being called little. There was nothing little about her… accept her surname.

  “Well, Richard and I are not quite the same kind of friend,” refuted Jace, laughingly, sending a soft blush to warm up Lucy’s cheeks. But Richard was not amused; instead his gaze seemed to harden with an edge of steel.

  “You’re late, Jace,” accused Richard, his gaze not moving from Lucy’s. Lucy flushed scarlet, uncertain about all the attention and not a little afraid by it.

  “Naw, man, we’re right on time. The party is in full swing,” denied Jace, laughingly.

  “Nope, you missed the bunny popping out of the cake,” said Richard solemnly, his words a stark contrast to his dry tone. Jace only laughed outright at that. But Richard merely lifted a sardonic brow pointedly towards the white bushy tail on an impressive fanny as the woman, to whom both were attached, sashayed her way past them to disappear into the crowd.

  “Trust Celine to arrange something so cheesy,” muttered Richard with a sudden pained expression that even surprised laughter out of Lucy. It was so out of character that she warmed up suddenly to Richard’s welcoming smirk.

  “It will be up to you to put things right, Lucy,” taunted Richard challengingly. “Add some class to this do.”

  Lucy narrowed her eyes, knowing when she was being played. Richard had to know where things stood between Celine, Jace, and herself. If Lucy’s suspicions were right, Richard had everything to do with that circumstance.

  “I won’t be singing your birthday song, Richard. Not now, not ever.” Lucy murmured pointedly, her tone coming out husky and sensuous, an involuntary reaction to feeling incredibly sexy.

  “The filly has teeth. Never knew it before now,” he murmured under his breath as he looked down at her. That was not so strange, as they had barely exchanged words over the years. Why would he know anything at all about her?

  “I claim forfeit!” Richard announced abruptly.

  “For what?” inquired Jace, amused.

  “For your being late and having me suffer the attentions of one rabid bunny all on my own,” said Richard sardonically.

  “Such suffering,” said Jace, laughing as he eyed that particular bunny knowingly. But he decided to play along. “Alright. What do you want?” Jace enquired agreeably.

  “I’ll take Lucy here for a spin and you can take her two adorable sisters upstairs to Bethany’s room. All underages are restricted to her room, I’m afraid,” said Richard ruefully, as he smiled down gently at Emily and Cat.

  The twins cried out their protests and what they thought of the idea of being locked away upstairs from what must have been the hottest party of their life. Lucy was left staring up at Richard as Jace laughingly brushed aside their valiant efforts to be allowed to stay, and then they disappeared into the crowd.

  Lucy lifted a brow, knowing Richard had skilfully maneuvered them all.

  “Come Lucy, let’s take a spin on the dance floor while I convince you how it would be in your best interest to sing for me.” Richard’s grin was as wicked as his dark, good looks. But it was the dark intent hidden behind his words that arrested her attention. She had no intention of singing to his tune, no matter what.

  Lucy eyed him assessingly. His dark head of hair was almost shoulder length, thick and glossy. His piercing dark eyes were wide and framed with long, dark lashes. His aquiline nose was thin and prominent on his exquisite face. It was no wonder that women drooled over him and the magazines clamoured to have his face plastered on their covers. Of course, having billions to back the face couldn’t have hurt either.

  But it was going to take more than just a pretty face to sway her.

  Reluctantly allowing Richard to draw her onto the dance floor, she stepped into his arms, feeling them slide insolently down her exposed back to rest on her hips. Lucy glanced up to meet his gaze, finally unable to avoid it anymore. Her arms felt heavy as she placed them across his shoulders.

  Standing here in Richard’s arms was the very last thing she’d expected of that night. Lucy wasn’t sure how to react. The dress and her new-found confidence were having her behave in a way that warred with her natural inclinations. Lucy was almost powerless to stop the sensuous sway of her hips, moving beneath his hands to the slow drugging beat of the music.

  Trance had never been her favourite, but then this mix was experimental music. Lucy wouldn’t have been surprised if this was the first anyone was hearing it.

  “You’re looking exceptionally beautiful today, Lucy,” murmured Richard, his tone deep and husky in her ear. “Should I say, I am honoured?” His chuckle was deep and a little shaky. But Lucy didn’t take note of that. She only heard his words and took offence.

  “I didn’t dress up for you, Richard.” Lucy spat out on a hiss.

  His hands tightened about her. “Didn’t you, Lucy? It is my birthday, you know. Everyone here dressed up for me tonight. But if you didn’t, then who did you make yourself pretty for, Lucy? Who were you wanting to impress? Jace?”

  His hand came up to jerk Lucy’s chin up so that their gazes met and clashed. Tawny gold shooting sparks uselessly into the deep, dark voids.

  “You would play dress-up to entice Jace away from his betrothed? I didn’t think you were that kind of girl, Lucy.”

  The fuse to her sharp temper was lit. “I am whatever sort of girl, I choose to be, Richard.” Her hand reached back to grasp his, intending to pull them apart and leave him right there on the dance floor but Richard was stronger and quicker. A shuffle of feet later and Lucy found herself spun free; only his grip remained, this time strong in the clasp of her hand.

  It took a moment for Lucy to understand what was happening, but by then it was too late to stop him. Richard was signaling to the DJ and then the mic was in his hand.

  “We have with us a very talented singer. Please give a warm hand to Lucy Little.”

  His grin was almost visceral as he thrust the mic into her hand. Lucy gripped it hard, suddenly finding herself thrust int
o the spotlight. A place she had never wanted to be, least of all at a party like Richard’s.

  But her temper was frayed, and her dress beckoned her to be bold and take this bull by its horns. Lucy was never one to back down from a challenge, and a challenge had been made. It was there in the dark gleam of Richard’s eyes. He was daring her to do this. A dare she accepted. The mic slid into her clasp and her hand fisted about it, latching on as though it belonged.

  Her other hand reached down to tap against the side of her hip as a beat familiar to only herself rose in her head. The echo of that beat was unexpected, but the DJ was nothing if not the very best at his field. It was the tune in her head that she had been singing these lyrics to ever since she penned them down, but it could work.

  It could even be better. Lucy tested the sound with the first few thrills, the DJ picked up on her changes and accommodated with the next step of the beat. She thought back to the song she had written—a response to her father’s comeback single. A song she wrote when she was only thirteen. A tale of her feelings of loss and betrayal. Then Lucy’s words were flowing out of her in practiced ease. The melody was haunting, but it was really the husky tone to her voice and the deep well of meaning behind her words that trapped and entranced her audience of listeners.

  No, no, no… bloodstone

  I feel… I feel betrayed

  By the love you never had for me

  Betrayed… by hate you never hid from me

  Hurt by the love you took from me

  Saddened by the love you lost me

  I want you…

  I want you to feel…

  I want you to feel what I feel

  I want you to feel…

  I want you to feel what I feel

  I feel… I feel betrayed

  By the love you never had for me

  Betrayed… by hate you never hid from me

  Hurt by the love you took from me

  Saddened by the love you lost to me

  You know

  You know what I feel

  Lucy ended her song with a few thrills, the way she started, but it was only when her husky voice faded away and the entrancing music that accompanied it fell silent that the applause broke out. A thundering applause that shook her to the core. Her eyes welled up and Lucy gritted her teeth, willing herself not to cry. The mic was removed from her limp hand and a card was thrust into it. DJ Drax. Lucy lifted an inquiring gaze to catch him signalling to her ‘call me’.

  Lucy smiled timidly; now that the song was out of her and her temper returned to the norm, she was finding the luxurious effect of the silky fabric against her skin fading to the background. It no longer ruled her actions. The strange sensuality she had been feeling in her dress all leaked away, out into her song. Lucy shuffled her feet a few paces back awkwardly, wanting nothing more than to have the unwanted attention being showered on her to stop. But the applause did die down and, released from expectation, Lucy dropped the fixed smile she wore and turned heel to push her way through the crowd wanting nothing more than to find Jace.

  But her escape was thwarted by a pair of well-shined shoes. There was no second guessing who the pair belonged to. Lucy lifted rebellious eyes to drown in dark voids. The ebony that latched onto her tawny depths was riddled with hidden depths of their own. Storm and tempest brewed there, but it was the deep well of sorrow that caught and trapped her in his net. What pain did Richard suffer? He who had everything? He who ruled them all as trifling pawns in his game?

  The urge to make trouble snuffed out of her by what she saw, Lucy dropped her gaze, staring down at her unstylish shoes as the silence dragged on uncomfortably.

  “Shall we take a turn about the room,” Richard offered, his words forced, his voice hoarse. “I could introduce you to some of Jace’s friends. Or, we could step onto the dance floor. I believe the waltz will be sounding out soon.”

  Lucy barely contained her lips from falling agape at that. Waltz! Seriously? In this day and age?

  “I don’t dance,” she muttered finally, after carefully considering her options. She wanted nothing more than to return to Jace, but something told her Richard was not about to release her from his side anytime soon. It would be wiser to simply bide her time until Jace came to the rescue himself… if Jace came to the rescue. Her temper sparked again. Where was he?

  “I’ll guide you. I have a feeling you’ll be a natural,” said Richard, ignoring her words as he slipped his cool, long fingers about her arm in a firm grasp that brooked no resistance.

  “Huh? I don’t want to dance,” Lucy said insistently, but found herself on the dance floor once more with Richard’s arm about her waist and the other firmly holding onto her hand. It was a formal hold and shouldn’t have warranted such reactions, but Lucy couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable. Her breath struggled to break free of her chest, and the warm press of his hand on the small of her back, skin to skin, was sending out all sorts of distracting signals. Butterflies flew in her belly and those flutters sent out an alarm bell. They were the exact feelings she felt in Jace’s arms.

  Attraction. Lucy’s mouth fell open on a ragged breath and, as if on cue, the waltz started. His feet flew across the floor, each step as light as a feather until they were revolving round and round.

  Lucy was spun about the room with such skill that, under any other circumstances, she would have been elated. But as it were, she was levied by his high-handedness. So much so that when they finally pulled to a halt in the darkened balcony and her hand was finally released from his grasp, there was not much she could do to stop it from happening.

  Lucy’s hand shot up of its own accord to ring across his cheek but his own was quicker, raised to intercept. So that she only found her wrist captured in his hand. Stalemate.

  “Tsk tsk,” he tutted mildly. “Such temper, Lucy.”

  Lucy tugged at her hand, incensed enough to want to try it again.

  “Uh-uh,” he said, shaking his head. “No hitting the birthday boy,” he added carefully before his polite façade dropped away unveiling his cruel intense gaze boring holes into hers.

  “Seriously, what did you expect? That I greet you with open arms as Jace’s sudden new love interest. This, whatever you have with Jace, is not real. It’s just Jace’s reaction to our efforts to bind him to my sister. The merger between our companies is vital to our company’s survival and I will not have his sudden fascination with his childhood friend get blown into something it was never intended to be, simply out of his sheer stubbornness to bend to our will,” Richard stated coldly, laying down the playfield and where everyone stood… according to Richard, that is.

  Lucy stared into his cold, hard gaze and found no mercy, no doubt, and certainly no remorse over what he had just said. He took it as his right to interfere in the lives of others, and to mould them to his expectation.

  “Let me go!” Lucy tried to wring her hands free, but he only held on harder. She could tell he was not yet finished, but Lucy didn’t want to hear any more. Her free hand flew up just as he opened his mouth to spout out another hash of rubbish. Lucy reached out instinctively, covering his mouth with her hand and hissed up at him, “I will not hear you say another word on this. What is between Jace and me, concerns no one else but us. Leave us alone.”

  “The hell I will. You would do better with someone else. Someone like me, let us say. I, not your beloved Jace, but me. I…,” he said hoarsely through her fingers still clasped over his lips. At that point he broke off whatever else he was about to say, and Lucy let him. She shook her head violently. Lucy had no interest in him or his crazy ideas that she knew could only be false, whatever they meant.

  Then he kissed Lucy. Shocking the hell out of her as he first stuck his tongue out onto the palm of her hand, and when she instinctively moved to pull back he caught that hand and held it in place as he continued to… to make love to it. There was no other way to explain it. He devoured her hand with his lips, tongue and teeth. Oh god! His teeth nibbl
ed right down to the very centre of her palm, sending ripples of pleasure down her spine.

  A cry of pleasure so sharp that it was almost pain escaped her lips and he reacted by wrenching her close against him, holding her wriggling protesting form while he continued to nibble down to her fingertips.

  “No, let me go,” Lucy finally cried out vehemently, fighting the tendrils of attraction that were wrapping about her, spilling pools of heat to soak her core. But still he continued until she was forced to beg.

  “Please… release me, Richard. P… please,” Lucy pleaded brokenly, torn within herself, and utterly confused over her reaction to him. With a resounding groan, he pushed her away.

  “Stay away from Jace. And me… stay away from us.” Breathing hard, he had his last say before he spun around to double back into the crowded room.

  Lucy was left gasping in reaction. Unsure what just happened. She stood there confused, reliving it all. Trying to make some sense of it.

  “There you are,” called out Jace. Shocking her back into the present as he made his way over to Lucy. “Been looking all over for you. Heard you sang a song and I missed it.” Jace complained, before adding softly, “I am so proud of you.” Leaning down, Jace brushed his lips against Lucy’s. Reacting out of instinct, she latched on and clung for life, before burying her face into the crook of his neck as she trembled in aftershock.

  “Hey, Lucy? Are you alright?” Jace moved them apart to stare down at her with concern. He gazed down at her searchingly before his expression turned playfully wicked, “Or did you just miss me?”

  Lucy mutely shook her head, uncertain what to say.

  “Common darling, let’s go get you a drink.”

  “The twins?”

  “They’re fine. Believe it or not, there’s another party going on up there, but not to worry, they’ll be fine.”

  Lucy let him draw her close, sliding his hand possessively down her back, and he slowly led her back in, murmuring in her ear about what went on upstairs. Lucy kept her head down and burrowed closer against him, finding that she didn’t really want to be back in the party.