In a Fix by Linda Grimes Read Free Book Online

take me shopping—maybe she and I should go out and get you a few things, too.” Behind Mina’s eyes, I could see Billy grasping for a way to separate himself from Trey’s bare skin.
    Mark jumped at the idea, at least partially. “That would be great, babe, but don’t you think Edith has done enough for us already? Maybe you could run out and get me something while I keep her company here.” He looked at me pointedly. Getting a little anxious to make the switch, was he? Fat chance.
    “The stores are all closed by now,” I said pleasantly. “But not to worry. You lovebirds are welcome to my spare room tonight. Tomorrow you can go shopping together.” Twin glares met my perfectly reasonable suggestion. You just can’t please some people, I thought with inner glee.
    Ignoring the visual arrows, I moved the conversation forward, as any good hostess will. “I must say, Trey, we were all so relieved when Mina told us you were out at the time of the explosion. But, Mina, you must have been horrified when you found out he was kidnapped.”
    Billy caught on. “Well, yes, of course I was—you know I was. I was terrified someone would hurt my pumpkin.” He looked at Trey, letting tears fill Mina’s eyes. However annoying Billy could be, at least you could trust him to remain in character on the job.
    Mark narrowed Trey’s ocean-blue eyes at me, telegraphing mayhem at the Billy he thought I was, and pulled Mina closer to his naked chest. “I’m sorry about that, babe, but I’ll make it up to you.” He leaned over and whispered into Mina’s ear. I didn’t catch what he said, but judging from the way Billy jumped up when he was done, it hadn’t been well received.
    “Are you quite all right, Mina? You’ve gone pale.” And I was loving every chalky bit of it. If I could make Mark equally uncomfortable, I’d be a happy old woman. How dare he try to foist the job of not sleeping with me onto Billy? If he didn’t want to sleep with me, he could darn well not sleep with me himself.
    “I’m fine. Except … this is a little embarrassing to say, but I think I just started my, um, monthly. Since all my stuff blew up, I don’t have any, uh, you-know-whats. You wouldn’t happen to have any on hand, would you, Edith?”
    Slick. Billy always could think on his feet. I pretended to be flustered at the forthrightness of the question. “Oh, my. I don’t know. I mean, I don’t … for myself it’s no longer … well. Perhaps there’s something in the cabinet under the sink?”
    “Let’s go look, shall we?” Billy took me by the arm, none too gently, and led me back to the guest bathroom.
    “We have to stop meeting like this.” I batted my eighty-odd-year-old eyelashes at him.
    “You. Clothes off. Now.”
    “I beg your pardon?”
    “We are switching right this minute, or I swear I’ll spill the beans to Trey. Screw your business.”
    “What on earth did he whisper to you?”
    “He told me he bought some special supplies at the resort shop when he went back for his wallet earlier.”
    “So?”
    “The ‘special supplies’ are condoms. Fruit-flavored. Mina’s favorite.” A shudder went through him.
    “F-F-Fruit? Oh, my gawd!” True, they were Mina’s favorite, but how did Mark know? Unless Trey told him. Guys do talk. And Mark was probably trying to pay Billy back for giving him trouble, not knowing it was really me. What better way than to have Mina entice Billy’s Trey persona with the condoms later, when Billy was under orders not to follow through? Hee! This was working out even better than I’d hoped. I doubled over and stuffed half my hand in my mouth to keep my howls of laughter contained.
    “Ha-fucking-ha. Come on. Get those rayon rags off right now. Don’t worry—you haven’t got anything under there I’m not already intimately acquainted with.” He didn’t wait for me, but unbuttoned my blouse and yanked on my sleeve.
    I sat down hard on the plush bath mat. I couldn’t help