Crossed Off

by Lacey Silks

  And even though he appeared to be a completely different person, almost unrecognizable, I was certain it was Harry who stood a few feet away from me, leading a conversation in a soft yet commanding voice. This had to be a coincidence. Harry didn’t know I was from New York. He had no clue I would donate the money either. He must have been invited by a rich uncle, or brought in as an escort by someone famous who needed a spotlight in the media. But why in the world did he change his appearance?

  While my brain argued to not be stupid—because honestly, coincidences like this were rare—I began checking out the rest of his body just as he looked my way.

  Oh shit!

  When he noticed me, he smiled politely and excused himself from his company. He wasn’t even surprised to see me. I, of course, remembered where I was and why I was here a fraction of a second too late and swiveled on my heel to head the other way. The gentle touch on my shoulder stopped me. The warmth of his finger sent chills through my body. I wanted to whip around and slap his face, but it seemed like the rotation took forever. And that third glass of champagne I’d gulped down didn’t help, either. Besides, my goal was still to keep as low of a profile as possible.

  “Dana, please....”

  When I finally faced him, I said through my teeth, “I’m sorry, but I don’t think we’ve met.”

  “Just act normal and don’t make a scene. You know you can’t afford to draw attention, don’t you?”

  “What the hell, Harry? Who are you really and how did you find me?” I stepped closer, almost right against his nose. The smell of him was as intoxicating as it had been in Vegas, but now, with that suit on and his beautiful face that matched this gorgeous man in front of me, he seemed like a creature that had stepped out of Casanova’s grooming academy. “What the hell are you doing here? Are you stalking me?” I was afraid the filling in my back molar was about to pop out.

  “I don’t stalk older women, Ms. Dana.” He winked conspicuously and leaned into my ear like he had some secret to share with me. “After I lean away, you will laugh quietly as if I said something funny. We’re being watched, Skyler. You better do as I say if you’d like to ever work or breathe again.”

  Chills swept through my body. Who the fuck is he and how does he know my real name? Should I have trusted him? Did I even have a choice? Not really. My need to push him away and leave this hotel was overpowered by an instinct to survive. The fact that Harry knew my real name was enough for me to wonder what else he was aware of. How much exactly did he know about me, and where did he fit in at this gala?

  I giggled the way he requested.

  “That’s better. It’s time to sit down to dinner, please?” He offered me his arm, and I took it as if he were my date tonight. The strength of his hold felt too good. For a split second, it made me forget who I was, about my job and everything that I fought to hide.

  “I’ll explain everything after the fundraiser, but only if you try to enjoy yourself.” I noticed he was talking without moving his lips. Was that a talent of his? And if so, what other talents did he hide? “For now, just act the way you would as if I was a nobody.”

  “That should be easy.” I gave him a kind yet fake smile.

  “I’m glad you think so, because there’s nothing easy about me pretending I still don’t want you.”

  My heart nearly stopped and my arm tensed in his hold. Harry covered my hand with his big palm, gently skimming his warmth along my skin. The feel of him, this way, skin against skin was exhilarating, and it replaced the anxiety rushing through my veins with pure lust.

  “Why would you say that?” I whispered.

  “Because it’s true. You know, if you wanted to blend in, you should have worn a different dress. You’re the most stunning woman in this room.”

  I wanted to retaliate, but nothing smart came into my mind. Maybe I shouldn’t have had so much champagne.

  “Did you follow me?” I asked.

  “No, but I knew you’d be here.”

  I wondered whether anyone else noticed we were talking like a couple of professional ventriloquists. By this time we were standing at my table, and I wondered how he knew where I would be sitting. My name holder, beautifully inscribed in glittery purple penmanship, was propped on the plate, but in a hall ready to seat three hundred, he must have known where I’d be seated ahead of time.

  “I need answers, Harry. Or has your name changed too?”

  “After. For now, just relax and try to have some fun. You know what that is, don’t you? I mean, a thirty-five-year-old should have had some fun in her life, shouldn’t she?”

  Harry pulled out my chair and I sat down.

  Was he freaking mocking me? Now? “I’ve had more fun in my life, Harry, than you can dream of.” That lie nearly burned my throat. As professional of a liar as I was for my job, I hated doing so, especially when I technically wasn’t on the job.

  “I doubt that, but will go with it if it makes you feel better.”

  He pulled out the chair beside mine and sat down. My gaze darted to his name holder.

  Cash Wagner.

  “And please, call me Cash.”

  Holy fuck!

  CHAPTER 4

  “You’re my boss’s son?” I asked.

  Harry had duped me. He played me like a frickin’ violin in Vegas. And like a fool, I believed every wink and smile and lie that came out of his luscious mouth.

  Stop it. Oh God, if it got out to my boss that I’d used his son for the heist, I’d be ruined. I’d lose my job and would possibly have to go into protective custody. I’d need to disappear, and this time for good. Where would I hide?

  “Why did you call yourself Harry?” I asked, a bit afraid of what he’d say. Deep in my heart, I already knew his answer, though, since he knew who I was, I suspected there was much more to his story than a simple name change.

  “Why did you call yourself Dana?” he rebutted. But the way he challenged my question took me aback. It was more playful than disapproving. And once again, the dimples didn’t help. I sipped on the champagne to avoid his question.

  Cash didn’t wait for my answer. “I guess we all have our secrets, don’t we, Sky?”

  Secrets? Did he know why I was here? Did he know about the winnings that were about to be donated anonymously to the charity? If he did, then he must have known that his father was trying to move funds from the rich casino scum to those who needed it more. Albeit illegally, but sometimes there was too much red tape to help the poor. What scared me the most was whether Cash knew why I took this job in the first place. If he had, he wasn’t letting on. He concentrated on my face, waiting for an answer.

  “Look, if you don’t want to be escorted out, we better stop talking like this. Besides, I like to watch when your lips move.”

  My breath stilled again. His words licked through me as if they were the hottest flames in the world, and I felt their light burn over my cheeks. How in the world did he manage to be someone so different from the boy I met a few weeks earlier? In Vegas, I perceived him as a hot-looking young man. I had to in order to keep focused. But Cash was definitely more than that. He was a man. A beautiful, mature, and mouth-watering man with a mission.

  “You don’t look twenty-one.” I tried to change the subject.

  “And you don’t look thirty-five.” He raked his gaze up my body, but his eyes did not rest where most men’s would. He respectfully looked straight into my eyes, and my heart drummed in my chest like it was part of a welcoming band.

  I wasn’t sure what to say. How could I tell him that camouflage was part of my job? I couldn’t afford for anyone to find out the real me, hence the wigs, extensions, and prosthetics. I used him to win five million dollars so that no one would know it was me. My job required me to lead a solitary life, which completely sucked but kept me safe—and the best way to accomplish that was to always hide, which I was a pro at.

  Wait, I didn’t have to tell him anything. He was the one who had some explaining to do. Was m
y cover blown?

  “Have you said anything to anyone about, you know, what happened in Vegas?” I asked under my breath. I was sure no one could hear me, and I hadn’t really given away anything by asking him.

  “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.” He winked as I lowered my purse to the table.

  “Oh, what happened in Vegas, Cash?” The woman who was hanging on his arm earlier sat down on his other side. I secretly wished the seat was for someone else, but given that the place setting read Monique and she had set her little purse on the table, that was only wishful thinking. She leaned in closer to Cash, and her dress drooped to the side. If she bent lower, her boobs would show. In fact, from the way Cash looked at her, I was pretty sure he’d already seen the two buttons she had instead of breasts, because really, her dress didn’t leave much of her tiny twins uncovered. I wondered whether she’d used tape to hold the fabric in place, but doubted the thought.

  And why in the world did I already not like her?

  Cash looked her way, saying, “None of your business, Monique.”

  Wow, how rude!

  She sat back, ignoring Cash’s insulting attitude and turned her attention to the man who had just sat on her other side. The full-lipped hunk didn’t lack much in the gorgeous department, either. Was I seated at a table specifically set for mouth-watering men?

  “I hope you enjoy your dinner, Sky.” Cash’s mouth curved on one side. “Don’t mind the company. Not all of my brothers’ tastes are as good as mine.”

  Really, was that all he’d leave me with? Cash removed the napkin from my plate and lowered it to my lap. He took his time spreading the tiny fabric, inadvertently brushing his finger on my naked thigh where the slit in my dress opened. Our gazes connected at the contact, and I got a funny sensation in my stomach, one I hadn’t had in a very long time. We sat there staring, and for a moment I saw that gentle man I met in Vegas. He reminded me of someone I once knew.

  Just as I was about to ask him how we both ended up in Vegas, Mr. Wagner, my boss, sat down at our table, right across from me. His brows immediately narrowed. I could see his face getting redder, and it wasn’t because he was choking. For a second I thought there must be someone who’d upset him standing behind me, and I turned around, but there was nothing but a wall.

  “What the hell are you doing here, Ms. Waters?” his thick brows scrunched closer together.

  “Ahm, I thought....”

  “I invited her,” Cash replied.

  He did?

  “Sky was under the impression you requested her presence. It’s not her fault,” Cash explained.

  “Cash, you’re not meddling in my business again, are you?” The vein at Mr. Wagner’s temple thickened with every passing second.

  “You don’t give me much choice, Father, but I don’t think that’s a discussion we should have now, do you?”

  “If you screw this up”—Mr. Wagner pointed directly at him—“you’ll force me to....”

  “What? You’ll disown me. The way you did Grace and Scar?”

  “Stop it, you two.” A beautiful woman sat down beside Mr. Wagner. Her features were flawless. Two dimples, a bit smaller than Cash’s, sunk into her cheeks. When she smiled, it was the identical one I’d seen on Cash’s face; full of kindness and love. She must have been Wagner’s wife and Cash’s mother. My head just moved from side to side as I tried to take in all the gorgeous family members. Although by now, looking at Monique lowering her hand underneath the table, I was sure that she wasn’t part of the family. What the heck was she doing underneath that tablecloth? The man beside her had that “let’s get out of here” look on his face, but knowing Mr. Wagner’s stern personality, I was sure he wouldn’t let him off that easy. Whatever she was up to, and I didn’t dare even think about it, it definitely made the man beside her happy.

  “Axel, control your females, will you?” Cash said to him before moving his attention to the woman beside his father. “Mom, this is Skyler Waters. She’s my date for tonight.”

  His what?

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Skyler,” she said. “My name is Beth.”

  “Likewise, Beth.” How the hell had my evening of “Show up. Blend in. Get out.” turned into a date with Cash? “It’s very interesting meeting Cash’s family.”

  “Have you two known each other long?” she asked.

  “No,” I said a bit too quickly, wishing I’d made something up instead of the explanation Cash would give.

  “We met in Vegas.” He draped his arm over the back of my chair, gently rubbing my shoulder. My first instinct was to pull away, but my body enjoyed the attention his hand was giving me a bit too much. “It was one of the best nights of my life.”

  What the hell!

  “Cash is exaggerating, of course,” I corrected. “We’re just business acquaintances.”

  By the look I got from Mr. Wagner from across the table, that was probably not the smartest thing I cold have said. I prayed he didn’t think I’d hired Cash to help me. If he did, I was so done. I may as well have kissed my job good-bye.

  “I told you he wouldn’t bring a real date.”

  A man to my left who’d just arrived squeezed Axel’s shoulder before shaking Cash’s hand.

  “Don’t be an asshole, Ace.”

  “Cash, watch your mouth. Especially today,” Beth scolded. “We don’t know who could be listening.”

  This new gorgeous hunk had to be Cash’s brother. The resemblance was undeniable

  The paranoia in Beth’s voice seeped through my bones. From what I knew about Mr. Wagner, I guessed being a rich family would draw the wrong kind of attention much quicker than a nobody like me would.

  Ace moved the chair beside his father back, letting the beautiful girl whose hand he was holding sit before he took his place at my side. And of course he too looked like he swam in the off-the-charts-hot gene pool each morning.

  “If things don’t work out with Cash, gimmie a call. I like older women,” he whispered.

  And there was no way he’d get any women with that kind of attitude. Now I was certain that he was Cash’s younger brother. Younger and not matured enough. He still had much to learn about women if he was planning to score. Although from that chiseled face, I wouldn’t be surprised if getting lucky was his middle name.

  “I can guarantee you it won’t work out, Ace. And while I’m flattered, I don’t date boys.”

  “You got yourself a feisty one, Cash.” Ace leaned in right in front of me, stretching his arm out for a fist bump from his brother, but Cash of course ignored him.

  “Please don’t talk about me as if I wasn’t here.” I threw him a dirty look.

  “Boys, behave yourselves. I hope you all remember how to, and if you don’t, pretend.” Beth’s lips formed a straight line. This was not up for a discussion. She obviously wasn’t a woman who liked to get embarrassed by a bunch of testosterone-filled men.

  “Skyler’s right. We’re business acquaintances for now, but I’m sure that’s going to change.” Cash’s hand lowered off my shoulder and moved to the back of my neck before skimming down. The touch of his finger over my spine nearly made me jump. It sent a swarm of sparks right to the bottom of it before zapping into my core. I turned my head toward him, saying, “Houdini was sure he’d escape from his chains in the river, and look what happened.”

  “Houdini didn’t have as many tricks up his sleeves as I do.” His coy smile was too much, but I couldn’t help but laugh at the reply. And I wasn’t sure why I believed him, but I did. He’d already shown me one of them in Vegas when he posed as someone else. If Cash’s magic included lying, then yeah, I bet he had a library full of cons.

  But I didn’t want to start comparing notes on who lied more, because I knew I would win. It’s what I’d been doing since the day I moved here. It was part of my survival. I had no choice. Despite the fact that he had deceived me in Vegas, I had a feeling he had a good reason for it. I just wished that he’d given me a bigg
er warning. For whatever reason, there was something about Cash that made me feel at ease—even though he knew about the win at the Casino, he never questioned it. But that was only because he was aware that I’d worked for his father. And right at that moment, I knew that I wouldn’t let him go until he’d told me the entire truth. I had a feeling his library of tricks was also full of books with secrets.

  This was for my own good. I needed to know whether there was any chance that my cover had been blown. If Cash and his father were not on the best of terms, then I was certain that our little meeting in Vegas wasn’t a coincidence. And hopefully Mr. Wagner wouldn’t be too upset about Cash making the arrangements for me to come here this evening—although from the frown on his face, I doubted I’d go unscathed. I could feel my boss’s gaze on me through the entire dinner. I was counting on this paycheck to upgrade my security system and to keep me hidden for a while. If the donation went smooth tonight, this would be one of the bigger payouts yet. My other jobs paid just enough to keep Sonia on the payroll so that she could do my shopping. Having her meant that I wouldn’t have to leave my apartment.

  I poked around my plate. The fist-size meal looked like artwork, and I wasn’t sure how to dig into it. I sort of didn’t want to destroy it. When I finally got down to the round filet mignon on the bottom, I was sure my mouth had begun making noises on its own.

  “My meat’s very tender,” I mumbled.

  Cash smirked from the side, saying under his breath, “Just what a man wants to hear.”

  Shit, what the hell was I thinking? Giving him any kind of ideas was the last thing I wanted. Although my own conviction was beginning to wane each time he touched me or smiled or spoke. I had already pictured him in my bed countless times. Throughout the dinner I’d relived my dreams about Harry—or Cash, I guess—over and over again. My anxiety was slowly shifting and dissipating, and all I could think about was the desire broiling inside me and my needs overpowering every thought.