Con propped himself up on one elbow to study her. “Was it worth it?”
Her gaze turned distant, and he knew she was seeing the teen she’d been. “I sure thought so at the time.”
“How do you feel about it now?” He held his breath, afraid she’d change the subject. They’d shared lust and a few laughs during her senior year, but they hadn’t shared anything real of themselves.
Mandy rolled over onto her back and stared at the blue ceiling. “I don’t know. All those things: the straight A’s, the cheerleading, the student council—while I made sure I was just bad enough so no one would think I was geeky—made me feel accepted. Acceptance was my holy grail.” She reached between them and clasped his hand. He squeezed it. “Who knows why certain things obsess us. It’s the now thing to blame every kink in our psyches on our parents, but Mom and Dad were innocent.”
He laughed. “I must’ve driven you crazy. I was so laid back I was unconscious. My grades were okay, but I didn’t burn a lot of brain cells during high school. Just enough to get by. Football was a natural for me, so I did it. If I’d had to work hard to be good, I would’ve blown it off.”
She didn’t laugh. “I was jealous. You didn’t let anything get to you. Life just flowed around you.”
Now she’d really shocked him. “And here I thought my attitude frustrated the hell out of you.”
She remained quiet so long he thought she wouldn’t answer. “Did you ever go to art school?”
Con nodded. “I worked for Dad during the day and went to U of H at night. Since graduating, I’ve gotten good enough to sell some of my paintings. I’ll probably always keep my day job, though, because I like the physical labor. It balances the other half of my life.” Here goes the big question. “Why’re you telling me everything now?”
Mandy turned her head to look at him. “Because we didn’t talk ten years ago. Maybe if we had, things would’ve been different.”
Left unsaid, but understood, was that maybe she wished things had worked out between them. His instant rush of emotion left him wary.
He sensed she’d done enough soul baring for one night. Con wouldn’t press her for more. “We were kids, and kids are dumb.”
“Oh, I almost forgot, you asked about the ‘cream’ me. It’s my decorating persona, and I’ve done well with it. When I got to New York, I researched my target customer base, decided on an image that would get a positive response from them, and became that image. It worked in high school, and it’s worked in my business. And yes, sometimes I even paint walls bright colors, but not these walls. I still think they should be cream.” She frowned.
For a moment, he thought she was aiming her frown at him, until he realized she was looking over his shoulder. “What?”
“Umm, Sweetie Pie looks energized. Please tell me I’m wrong. I want her to be limp and droopy, because I really don’t want to believe she got off on our lovemaking.” Mandy sat up to get a better view of the plants.
Con didn’t give a damn about Sweetie Pie. Mandy took his breath away. He’d accepted she was beautiful in a cool elegant way, but this . . . She was gorgeous in a way he hadn’t seen before. Her cheeks were still flushed from sex, her lips swollen from his kisses, and her eyes soft with lazy sensual fulfillment. And her hair was tousled. He wanted to lean forward, touch that soft mouth with his lips, and bury his fingers in the silky strands of blond hair.
“Con, look at Sweetie Pie.” She wasn’t going to give it up.
Silently wishing an attack of aphids on the hapless Sweetie Pie, he turned over to look. Geez, he needed out of this place. Everything that happened here was creepy, and he didn’t have a high tolerance for creepiness. Sweetie Pie looked like the Plant Fairy had given her an adrenaline shot. And Jessica looked like she’d put out a batch of new leaves. No way would he make love again in front of these leafy voyeurs. Listen to yourself. You’re nuts.
“Simple explanation.” He tried for casual, but it didn’t quite come off. “All our heavy breathing put a lot more carbon dioxide into the air. Sweetie Pie and Jessica are loving it.”
Mandy’s expression said that was a bunch of crap. He thought so, too.
“Maybe I should go back to my—”
“No.” Now that he had Mandy in his bed, he was revved for a hot night of love. Not in front of the plants, though. The total stupidity of that thought made him wince. Sparkle had said the plants fed off their energy. They couldn’t see. Still . . . The solution seemed simple. He’d turn off the lights. For just a moment, though, he wondered about their night vision. This place is turning you into a wacko, Maguire. “Stay here tonight.”
She nodded. “We can talk some more about cream walls. And I haven’t even gotten started on blue butterflies. But first I need a shower.” She swung her legs to the floor, stood, and then wiggled her fantastic little behind all the way to the bathroom. She’d kill him, but he’d die a happy man.
As soon as he heard the water running, he got up and
