by Calista Fox
I eyed him curiously. “You can’t deny that chances are very good Vale is still in the game—regardless of family shame when he couldn’t pull off the kidnapping—and that means Wayne is likely still his go-to guy. Which also makes Wayne a contender for Lux bomber.”
“You’re a bit better at this than you give yourself credit for,” Amano admitted, albeit reluctantly. “Both of you. But I still want you to drop it. Forget about Wayne and Vale, except to keep an eye out for them.”
“Yeah,” Kyle said with a sudden hint of concern. “That high-voltage wiring won’t mean dick if they realize this is where we’re hiding out. They can rappel into the backyard from the helicopter.”
I shivered. “Thanks for blowing all sense of security I was feeling.”
“That’s not going to happen, Ari,” Amano assured me. “Watchtower, remember?”
“And what’s the guard going to do if the helicopter gets too close?” Kyle asked. “Shoot it down?”
“Let me take care of that. Jack Conaway told me about the aircraft when he called in the details of the chase. It’s already in my contingency plan.”
Kyle and I exchanged a look. Amano had a contingency plan?
And … yeah, I was pretty sure that plan was to shoot the helicopter down.
Who would have known launching a luxury hotel could turn so dangerous … deadly, even?
With the dark cloud hovering over us, we all went about our day. Kyle opted for a swim. Amano conducted whatever business it was he conducted on the landline, since his cell wouldn’t work out here. Occasionally, I stole a peek at one of the phone consoles and there’d be three or four lines lit at once. He had his own network of people—I hoped like hell they were more loyal than the ones in the society network Dane plotted to take down.
A couple days passed, and Kyle grew restless. He wanted to go to the retreat to do some landscaping and maintenance. One of the security guards picked him up in a rental—nothing flashy. A pale-blue Prius. Disposable was the word that popped into my head, yet again.
I guessed they’d drive it once and then it’d disappear. They’d likely use a different one to return Kyle.
It made for boring times not having him around, given that Amano was always deep in secret-service mode. Playing Wii solo wasn’t all that thrilling, and I didn’t want to overly exert myself because of the baby.
So it was an even more pleasant surprise and relief when Dane came strolling into the living room, from the back patio, while I read.
Peering at him over the top of the book, I said, “Please tell me you’re not a mirage.”
He joined me on the sofa, lifting my curled legs onto his lap and stroking my bare skin. “Not a mirage.”
“Thank God.” I set the novel aside and pulled my legs from where they rested, sliding my butt onto his lap instead. I wrapped my arms around his neck. “To what do I owe the unexpected honor?”
He kissed me softly. One arm circled my waist. His free hand combed through my long, plump curls. “Aside from the fact that it’s impossible to stay away?”
My fingertips grazed the side of his neck, down to his collarbone. “I think about you nonstop. I’ll never get through this book, because my mind keeps wandering to you and then I have to go back and reread. Nothing but you registers.”
His lips tenderly tangled with mine. Then he whispered, “I’m dying a very slow death.”
Tears stung my eyes. “Don’t say that.”
He grunted painfully. “This needs to be over.”
My gaze lifted from his tempting mouth to his clouded green eyes. “Amano’s been on the phone to you all this time, hasn’t he?”
“Not all the time. I’ve had meetings, depositions to give, more evidence to turn over.”
“What did he say?”
“We talked about Vale Hilliard and Wayne Horton. I have to stop them. But they’ve both covered their tracks well. Vale because of his money—he can easily create a layer of anonymity. Horton’s like—”
“A ghost. I know.” I sighed. “But at the end of the day, doesn’t someone with that sort of brilliance want people to know how clever he is? That he could sabotage a world-class, multi-billion-dollar business venture?”
Dane nodded. “It wouldn’t be out of the ordinary. A lot of criminals get caught because they brag to friends or family, post something incriminating and stupid on Facebook, whatever.”
“Like Walt on Breaking Bad.”
“What?”
“A show Kyle and I streamed when we were at the retreat and had WiFi. So this guy is a meth cook and he’s like, the absolute best of the best. When his brother-in-law DEA agent tries to help find this ‘best of the best,’ Walt gets sort of jealous that someone else is going to get credit for his recipe. Even though that guy would go to prison, not Walt. His ego takes over his sensibility.”
“And that’s why you think you could get a confession out of Horton? That he’d want to brag to you about everything he’s pulled off?”
I shot a look out the open patio doors, wondering if my bodyguard was out there. “Amano tells you everything, doesn’t he?”
Dane nodded.
My nerves jumped. It was only a matter of time before Amano discovered I was pregnant. I hid the pre-natal vitamins in my bathroom—wholly off-limits to him. I’d already devoured every book and magazine I could get my hands on when it came to parenting, so I didn’t keep any around the house. I had gradually begun wearing looser clothes, subtly, so as to not draw attention. But eventually, the baby bump would give me away. And I’d need to see my OB-GYN soon. Not to mention, I wanted to start planning for the nursery. Though … I wasn’t sure where that would be set up. Here? At our creek house? Somewhere else?
My life with Dane and plans for the baby were pretty much in limbo. Not a comforting position to be in when you were a planner who needed every detail nailed down before any big event. All of my details hung in the balance at the moment, making me antsy.
Really, I needed to rethink my strategy on keeping my pregnancy a secret. If Dane’s visits became more frequent—which I would love—then any day he’d notice I wasn’t just arbitrarily putting on weight, no matter how toned I stayed from yoga and genetics.
Getting back to the topic at hand, I said of Wayne’s potential bragging, “It would sort of be an in-your-face for him, where I’m concerned. I’m sure he’d love to torture me with stories of how he’s destroyed everything I love—whether he knows you’re alive or not. Vale hadn’t hesitated to tell me who he was and what his role was when he kidnapped me. He was just fine telling me he worked for the bad guys. He was proud to be their henchman.”
“Still is, apparently. I thought for sure they’d cut him out when he fucked up so badly.”
“Maybe they did.… Then maybe he came up with the plan to bomb the hotel. And had the perfect accomplice to make it happen.”
Dane’s jaw worked as he mulled this over.
I reiterated what he’d said, because it had merit. “Even the most meticulous criminals get caught because they do something absurd. They believe they’re beyond reproach. That’s when they fall.”
He studied me a moment, then said, “You are not going anywhere near Wayne Horton, Ari. Do you hear me?”
I sighed. “Dane. Honey.” I brushed my lips over his. He let out a low, sexy growl. Then returned the sensuous kisses, his lips twisting with mine.
Unfortunately, he seemed to realize something and his head jerked away. “You’ve never called me honey.” His gaze narrowed. “If you think for one a minute you’re going to sweet-talk me or seduce me into letting you take a crack at getting a confession from Horton, you’re seriously mistaken.”
Toying with the button on Dane’s shirt and peering at him from under my lashes, I said, “The sooner this is over, the sooner you can come home. For good. We can be together every night. And I promise you’ll enjoy making up for lost time.”
His eyes rolled and his head fell back against the top of
the sofa. “Jesus. You don’t play fair. My body aches for you every day and the thought of this being through so that I can get naked with you again anytime I want—” He let out a sharp breath.
I smiled.
But I’d only baited him so far—not hooked him.
He said, “These guys are going to turn on Vale, anyway. Put all the blame on him for anything related to the Lux to try to wash their hands of the blood—and get out of attempted-murder charges. I just need to finish what I’m doing.”
“But you have to rope in two remaining guys from the society. I only need one. And he’s here, Dane. Somewhere under my nose. Looking for me, I suspect.”
His head lifted and he pinned me with a grave expression. “The answer is no. You’ve been in jeopardy enough. There is no chance in hell I would willingly allow you to—”
“What if you were there with me? Amano, too? The FBI? Close by. And we met in an open spot, someplace public where he couldn’t grab me and drag me off?”
“He’d see it coming a mile away, baby. He’s been setting traps—he’d recognize when the tables were turned on him, trust me.”
“Not if it was an accidental run-in. Somewhere he frequents.”
“Like Denny’s?” Dane smirked.
I glowered. “Does Amano deliver verbatim reports, or what?”
“Pretty much. And while I found your reasoning sound, it was still amusing.”
“I’m so happy you like my sense of humor.” I tried to slip from his lap, a little peeved he didn’t take me seriously.
But his strong arms caged me. “Ari, just try to understand that I love you too much to let you do anything dangerous.”
“Marrying you was dangerous,” I countered.
His expression turned even grimmer. I hadn’t thought that possible. “I take full responsibility for the trouble I’ve brought to your life. Trust me when I say it keeps me up at night. But, Ari, needlessly inviting that trouble in will make this worse for both of us.”
“I wasn’t blaming you,” I said, my tone softer as I tried to smooth the crinkle between his eyes with my fingertip. “I just want to help, Dane. And I want to be done with all of this, too. I want you back. Not every now and then, but all the time. Permanently.”
He pulled me closer and held me tight. “I know, baby. I want the same. But this is not the answer.”
“I disagree. It could work, Dane. It’s worth a try.”
“No. It’s not.” He kissed me. “No more discussion.” He stood, with me in his arms, and carried me off to bed.
* * *
Dane returned a week later. He couldn’t seem to stay away. I didn’t mind.
He didn’t bother with pleasantries this time, just came into the living room, took my hand, and led me down the hall to our suite. He kicked the door shut behind him, not turning on any lights, so that the only illumination came from the reflection of the rippling water against one wall from the pool lights.
Whirling me around so my back was to the door, he clasped my wrists with one of his large hands and raised my arms above my head. He kissed me hard, passionately, somewhat angsty, even. As though all the pressure and separation had finally gotten to him.
I returned the kiss with equaled fervor, silently demanding more.
His tongue swept over mine, twisting and tangling, delving deep. His other hand cupped my breast and squeezed almost roughly. For once, I didn’t worry over it dawning on him that the mounds were bigger, swollen in his palm. It felt too good to have him aggressively massaging and then teasing my nipple with his thumb through my tank top and lace bra.
He broke our kiss just long enough to gruffly say, “I need to make you come.”
Excitement shot through me. I had no idea what brought this on, and I certainly wouldn’t complain.
He gave me another sizzling kiss that nearly had me incinerating at his feet. But he continued to hold me with my arms pinned above my head and part of his hard body pressed to my side.
His hand slid down my belly to the button on my denim shorts. He pulled it apart and pushed the zipper down. Then his hand was inside my panties and his fingers glided over my already slick folds. His kiss and assertiveness made me instantly, ridiculously wet.
A tremor ran through my legs as he caressed my pussy lips, then targeted my clit, rubbing aggressively. With the exact amount of pressure and just the right tempo to send pleasure coursing through every inch of me. I was restless and hot, so fast. Needing the release as much as he apparently needed to give it to me.
He ripped his mouth from mine and kissed my jaw, my throat, nipping in a thrilling way, teasing my senses further. His head dipped and he tongued my nipple through my clothes as two fingers slipped inside me and he stroked wickedly.
“Oh, God,” I moaned. “Dane.”
“Come for me,” he murmured. “Come all over my fingers.”
“Yes. Oh, God, yes.” My wild pants of air filled the quiet room. My heart pounded in my chest. Heat and exhilaration rushed through my veins. “Oh, Christ.” The erotic sensations blossomed as the heel of his hand massaged my clit and his fingers pumped deeper, with determination.
I writhed against him, loving the muscles that pressed against me, the smell of him, the feel of him. My eyelids fluttered closed.
I shattered, crying out his name.
The climax was vibrant, radiating brilliantly as I clung to it. Savoring the pleasure he brought me, as always.
Dane dropped sweet kisses over the tops of my breasts, along my collarbone, up the side of my neck. His tongue pressed to that ultra-sensitive spot just below my ear, keeping the shock waves running rampant.
He nipped gently at my earlobe.
Then he whispered, “When were you going to tell me about the baby?”
chapter 18
I stared up at him.
Dane’s eyes locked with mine. His jaw was set and his devilishly handsome face was a mask of hard angles. I couldn’t read him—tell if he was okay with me being pregnant … or monumentally pissed off.
“I, uh…” Huh. I wasn’t sure what to say.
“How far along?”
“Nineteen weeks.”
He released my arms and stepped away. As he shoved a hand through his hair, he said, “You look sort of … balanced.” His brow furrowed as though he wasn’t sure that was the correct word.
It was.
With a nod, I told him, “I seem to slowly be filling out everywhere. The boobs are keeping up with the bump. And the hips … Well. Let’s just say I’m going to be a bit voluptuous when this is all said and done.”
He spun around and started to pace. Unfortunately, I couldn’t discern his source of consternation. He’d mentioned children once before.
Of course that had been long before the devastation that was now 10,000 Lux and the perils that ensued.
I said, “How’d Amano figure it out? I didn’t tell him.”
“He’s pretty observant.”
That was certainly a fact. I couldn’t exactly be surprised or mad at Amano. I knew he’d catch on eventually, even if he’d never spent much time—if any—around a pregnant woman.
“So, I know this is a shock—a total accident because I skipped some of my birth control pills when I was wrapped up in Lux planning.” I took a deep breath, let it out gradually. “Good news or … bad news?”
He sat on the bench at the end of the bed and dragged a hand down his face. “Good. Bad. Fantastic. Awful. I don’t fucking know.”
“Let’s try initial, gut reaction,” I tentatively ventured, my stomach knotting.
“You just got it. I couldn’t arrive fast enough. My private Learjet can get me here from the East Coast in just under four hours, and that was still too long.”
My stomach uncoiled. To help lighten the mood, I asked, “We have a Learjet? How cool is that?”
“Ari.” He smirked. The supersexy one that totally did me in. My knees weakened. I crossed to the bed and plopped down on the edge.
<
br /> Dane said, “I paced the aisle the entire way. Thank God no one else was in the cabin. I vacillated between soon-to-be-new-dad jitters and hell-yes-I-knocked-up-my-wife excitement.”
I grinned.
“Then I saw you and all I could think was that I had to have you. Immediately.”
“So, we really shouldn’t waste time talking.” I wagged my brows. “And P.S., pregnant sex is pretty awesome—at least from my side of things.”
He grunted and went back to attempting to wear a hole in our hardwood floor.
“Okay,” I said, my spirits sinking again. “Now that gut reaction is over. What are you really thinking?”
“That this is the absolute worst timing imaginable. I am a colossal idiot. And, let’s see…” He shook his head, clearly angry. “I’ve put not only my wife’s life in jeopardy, but also our baby’s.”
“Ah, yes,” I said. “Hence the reason I didn’t mention that we’re with child.” I stood and interrupted his path, forcing him to stop. “I knew it would worry you incessantly to not be here, to not know every second of the day how I’m doing, feeling, et cetera. You have to finish what you started, Dane. You don’t need the distractions I pose.”
“Ari.” He gently gripped my upper arms and stared deep into my eyes. “You are everything.” He grinned a bit impishly. “You and our baby,” he amended, “are everything.”
I flung my arms around him and held on tight. “I know that. And the baby knows that, too.”
He harrumphed.
“Okay, well, he or she will know that.”
“You haven’t found out yet?”
“No.” I pulled away. “I wanted to be surprised right along with you.”
His head inclined to one side as he contemplated this. “How are you going to plan … colors, clothes … whatever?”
“I guess I’m not.”
He gave me a long look and then asked, “You’re okay with that? Because, come on, you have to be prepared for everything. I know you.”
“Yes, you do.” I kissed him. Then said, “But I want us to do it all together. So … I’m curbing my planning tendencies with meditation and yoga, and I’m basically driving Amano crazy with all manner of chitchat and making Kyle regret he’s living here with us by challenging him to pool and bowling, since they’re not strenuous and I’m of the ultra-paranoid mind-set when it comes to hurting the baby.”
