Nancy held open the door and smiled in welcome. “Please, come inside.”
Meg’s high heels clattered against the tile entryway. Steve looked around, pleased to note that his sister had cleaned up the house a bit.
“Oh, Stevie,” Meg whined, “you never told me what a beautiful home you have.” She trailed one finger along the underside of his jaw. “But then, we haven’t had time to discuss much of anything, have we?”
“Make yourself comfortable,” Steve said and watched as Meg chose to sit on the sofa. She sat, crossing her legs with great ceremony. Then she patted the empty space beside her, silently requesting Steve to join her there. He glanced longingly at his favorite chair, but moved across the room and sat down next to Meg.
The minute he was comfortable, Meg placed her hand possessively on his knee and flexed her nails into his thigh. Inch by provocative inch she raked her nails up his leg until it was all Steve could do not to pop straight off the sofa. He caught her hand and stopped her from reaching what seemed to be her ultimate destination.
Her expression was mildly repentant when she looked at him, but Steve knew her well enough to know the action had been deliberate.
“I thought you might be hungry before Steve takes you to dinner, so I made a few hors d’oeuvres,” Nancy said and excused herself.
“What are you doing?” Steve whispered the minute his sister was out of the room.
“Doing? What do you mean?” She had wide-eyed innocence down to an art.
“Never mind,” he muttered as Nancy returned from the kitchen carrying a small silver platter.
“Those look wonderful,” Meg said sweetly when his sister put the tray on the coffee table in front of them. “But I couldn’t eat a thing.”
To the best of his knowledge it was the first time his sister had cooked from the moment she’d moved in with him, and he wasn’t about to let it go to waste. He chose a tiny wiener wrapped in some kind of crispy dough and tossed it in his mouth.
“You shouldn’t have gone to all this trouble,” Meg told his sister.
Nancy sat across the room from them, apparently at a complete loss for words.
“I suspect you’re wondering about all these letters and e-mails I wrote,” Meg said, getting the conversation going. “I hope you aren’t unhappy with me.”
“No, no, not at all,” Nancy said, rushing the words together.
“It’s just that I’ve come to know what people really want from me by the things they say.” She turned, and with the tip of her index finger wiped a crumb from the corner of his mouth. Her tongue moistened her lips and Steve’s insides turned to mush.
“I learned a long time ago what men want from a woman,” Meg continued after a moment, “especially when I went to work for a phone sex line. Most of the guys are just looking for a woman to talk dirty to them.”
“I see.” Nancy folded her hands primly in her lap.
“There was the occasional guy who was looking for a good girl to shock, of course. I got very talented at acting horrified.” She made a soft, gasping sound, then laughed demurely.
“Why … why would someone like you place an ad in Dateline?” Nancy asked, nervously brushing the hair from her face.
“Well, first,” Meg said, holding his sister’s gaze, “it’s just about the only way someone like me can meet anyone decent. But it wasn’t your brother who answered the ad, now, was it?”
“No, but—”
“Not that it matters,” Meg said, cutting her off. “I was tired of my job and all those guys asking me to say those nasty things, and I didn’t want to start working on my back again.”
“On your … back,” Nancy repeated.
“I’m sorry, sugar. I didn’t mean to shock you. I’ve got a colorful past—but that doesn’t mean I’m a bad girl. I’ve got a heart just brimming with love. All I need is the right man.” Her gaze wandered to Steve and was long and deliberate. “Your brother’s given me a reason to dream again,” Meg said softly. “Lots of people think women like me don’t have feelings, but they’re wrong.”
“I’m sure that’s true,” Nancy said tentatively.
“I knew I chose right when I found out your brother has his own business.”
“He’s struggled financially for years,” Nancy was quick to tell her. “It’s still touch and go. He lives from one month to the next.” Nancy glared at him pointedly. “Don’t you, Steve?”
“Not anymore. I’m more than solvent now,” Steve tossed in for good measure, struggling not to laugh. He was enjoying this.
Meg tightened her arm around his. “I can see how well Stevie’s doing for himself. He’s wonderful,” she said, refusing to look away. The adoration on her face embarrassed him.
“Why, Steve here could make enough money to keep me in the lifestyle to which I’d like to become accustomed.” She laughed coyly.
“Ah …” It sounded to Steve as if his sister was close to hyperventilating.
“Of course, I wouldn’t take anything from him without giving in return. That wouldn’t be fair.” She snuggled closer to his side and gave him a look so purely sexual Steve was convinced he’d embarrass them all.
“There are things I could teach your brother,” Meg said in a husky voice full of sexual innuendo. She acted as though she was eager to get started right that moment and the only thing holding her back was propriety. Her breathing grew heavy—and if he didn’t know better he’d think she actually had worked for one of those disreputable phone services.
Soon he was having a problem controlling his own breathing.
“Steve!” Nancy snapped.
He turned his attention back to his sister, staring at her blankly.
“Didn’t you hear Meg?” she asked.
He shrugged. He knew the two women were talking, but he’d barely noticed their conversation.