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Reilly frowned. “You’re on thin ice, River.”
River ignored him and spoke directly to Lucy instead. “My brother is a bit greedy where you’re concerned, I’m afraid.”
Her grin came out of nowhere. “Yeah?” River’s flirty attitude was just the thing to take her mind off the upcoming audition.
Reilly’s arm went around her shoulders. “My brother’s right about that, at least. I definitely don’t share well with others.”
River chuckled, and Lucy found herself totally at ease with the two of them. “I bet you two were a handful growing up,” she said, curious about them.
Both men nodded, but Reilly spoke first. “We tried our damnedest to fool Mom, but she’s always been able to tell us apart and see right through our shenanigans.”
“Dad got us confused a time or two, though, didn’t he?” The mischief in River’s eyes couldn’t mask the love he obviously had for his father.
“It was loads of fun tricking him,” Reilly replied, “right up until he’d tan our hides.”
She stifled a laugh. “As I thought—a handful.”
“Enough about us,” Reilly said as he pointed to the small stage at the far end of the restaurant. “So, ready to belt out a tune?”
And then the nervous jitters returned. Lucy stepped off the stool and took a deep breath, then let it out. “Sure, but like I said it’s my first time to sing for anyone other than my bath sponge.”
River patted her on the back. “You’re going to do great.”
“River’s right. Besides, I happen to know for a fact that you don’t suck.”
Lucy frowned. “You do?”
Reilly crossed his arms over his chest, a smile playing at the corners of his lips. “I asked Sarah about you. She told me you have the voice of an angel.”
Sarah and her big mouth. “She caught me off guard once at my apartment and overheard me singing,” she explained. “I’m going to kill her.”
“Aw, don’t be mad at her,” Reilly said. “I sort of grilled her about you when you wouldn’t return my calls.”
River gave her a nudge toward the stage. “Quit stalling, beautiful.”
Lucy counted to ten, then turned and started walking across the room. Why did she suddenly feel as if she were on a pirate ship and she were about to walk the plank? When she reached the small, raised area that acted as the stage, Lucy stepped onto it and took hold of the mic stand. “I’ve chosen a slow country tune. Will that do?”
“Perfect, sweetheart,” Reilly said. “Whenever you’re ready.”
With both of the men’s attention on her, Lucy dived in headfirst. God, how she wanted to knock Reilly’s socks off with her voice, but her nerves were rioting out of control, and the first few lines were shaky. Lucy closed her eyes and absorbed the music. Soon, her worries fell away, and she found herself drifting along with the tune. The romantic words caught in her heart, and without realizing it, Lucy thought of Reilly. His rugged features, intense green eyes and sensual lips. As she sang, Lucy imagined Reilly touching her, loving her. She swayed to the beat and caressed her own neck, where she ached to feel his lips. Her hands smoothed down her sides as she imagined Reilly’s hands caressing her curves. Warm breath brushed her cheek, startling her out of her fantasy. Reilly stood in front of her, staring down at her with a look that sent her pulse into a tailspin.
“I’ve missed you,” he murmured.
“This is only an audition,” she said, knowing nothing could be further from the truth.
His eyes darkened with arousal. “Sarah was right—you do sing like an angel.”
“Thank you,” she said in a breathless voice. She looked around the room and noticed River had gone. “Did I scare your brother away?”
He chuckled. “No, he loved it and wanted me to tell you the stage is yours if you want it.”
Lucy wondered if she could truly sing to a roomful of customers. She honestly didn’t know. “I’m not trying to play hard to get, but I really will have to think it over.”
“A little scary to think of singing to a crowd, huh?”
“Very,” she replied. “I hope you understand.”
He cupped her cheek in his palm. “Of course, but I am going to try to persuade you.”
