by Jess Dee
Chapter Four
Daniel turned up the air conditioner in the car until the icy blast numbed the tip of his nose—not that it was hot outside. His sweltering state was solely related to the upcoming night, the opening of his exhibition, and the turning point in his friendship with Amy.
In keeping with his original plan, he was about to alter the bond between himself and Amy irrevocably. There would be no guise, no misconceptions, and no trickery in place. After this evening, things between them would never be the same.
There was a lot at stake. If the press and public hated his work, his professional reputation would be ruined. That in turn would impact his ability to raise the necessary funds required to refurbish the oncology ward.
And if Amy felt even the tiniest bit threatened by the next part of his plan, she’d bolt.
Anticipation shimmied through him as he pulled up outside her home. His breathing shallowed. The next few hours would be critical.
Amy greeted him at the front door in a dress that almost brought him to his knees. The hot black number hugged her curves and floated around her legs—and did dangerous things to her breasts.
Did she have the vaguest idea of how damn sexy she was?
Daniel clenched his fists by his sides and stifled his need to grab her. He took a deep, calming breath as he followed her inside.
Bad move.
Her vanilla perfume assaulted his senses. God help him, he wanted her. Now. It was time to finish what they’d started at Lexi’s party. Daniel fought the urge to push her against the wall, shove up her skirt, and bury himself deep inside her. Spend the rest of the evening ravishing her, making love to her.
“So, tonight’s the night.”
Daniel whipped his head up. “What?” How did she know what he had planned?
“It’s your big night. How are you feeling?”
Ah…she was referring to the exhibition. “A little edgy.”
“A little? You’re wound so tight you look ready to snap.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“Would you like a drink, something to help you relax?”
“Yeah, please. Scotch, straight up.”
Amy poured them each a whisky and then clinked her glass against his. “To my best friend.” Luminous green eyes watched him with concern.
How would she react if he leaned over and nibbled on the corner of her worried mouth?
Would her breath catch? Would she surrender to him? Would desire build and pound through her, like it did through him?
“I’ve never seen you like this, Dan. You seem… I don’t know. ‘Tense’ doesn’t begin to describe it.”
He held his shoulders stiff, determined not to kiss her. “I’ll be okay. You ready to go?”
“Let me grab my wrap.” Amy walked out of the room.
The gentle sway of her hips and the seductive slit in the side of her skirt offering a delectable view of thigh were so inviting Daniel had to fight down the instinct to reach out and haul her back to him.
He downed his scotch in one mouthful, praying the alcohol would burn away his feverish hunger.
The drink made no difference. His body was in overdrive. The only heat that could touch him now was that of Amy pressed up against him.
Tonight, he would take her in his arms again, and the heat of their desire would sear them both.
Daniel held the gallery door open, and Amy walked into the cavernous room with walls lined with his beautifully framed photographs. A huge color picture of a group of doctors holding up champagne glasses hung on the wall opposite the door. The caption underneath it read All in Good Health. The blurb below welcomed guests to the exhibition.
“A posed picture,” she noted. “Not your usual work.”
“Yeah, well, it was appropriate for the purpose of this exhibition. The rest of the pictures are more natural.” Daniel paused. “If you can call photographs of sick kids natural.”
Concern for her friend ate at Amy. He’d been quieter than usual in the car. Distracted. Now his voice was strained. Nervous tension radiated out of every pore.
She touched his shoulder. “Would you like to take a few minutes before you have to face the crowds?”
He gave her a tight smile and shook his head. “Nah, I’ll be fine.”
“I know you will. The exhibition’s going to be a huge success. Wait and see.”
He looked at her with a tenderness that softened the stress lines around his eyes. “How is it you always seem to know the right thing to say?”
She shrugged. “How is it you always seem to know the right picture to take?” She could have said something more, perhaps wished him luck, but there were times when words weren’t necessary between them. Instead, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek.
Since their encounter on the beach a few weeks back, she’d been careful to keep their interactions touch-free. But Daniel needed her, and she could hardly refuse him a little physical support.
She reached up to wipe the lipstick off his face, and he trapped her hand against his cheek, holding it there. His eyes filled with an intensity she couldn’t read, and her heart began an unsteady pounding.
The air between them was charged in a way it never had been before, and Daniel’s touch, once casual and friendly, now seemed…heated.
Amy wanted to say something, but their conversation was cut off as a woman swooped down on them. “Daniel, you’re here,” she boomed. “Excellent. There are a million people waiting to meet you, and the press conference starts in ten minutes.”
He gave Amy a helpless look as Valerie Carnell, the gallery owner, whisked him away into the crowd. Amy waved him off with an encouraging smile, hoping he’d relax as the evening wore on. She hoped she’d relax, too. The nervous energy between the two of them made her jumpy.
She accepted a glass of wine from a passing waiter, took a couple of large sips, and when she felt a little more in control, turned to the photographs. It was time to see what had affected Daniel so much over the past few months.
The pictures were remarkable. Daniel had captured the feel of the ward with uncanny accuracy. He’d brought the clinic to life. Amy was transported. The gallery dissolved away, and she found herself standing in the middle of the hospital, watching the bustling activity taking place before her eyes.
Nurses tended to their sick patients. The care they lavished on the children was so powerful, Amy felt an inexplicable need to help. Couldn’t she soothe away that small boy’s pain, ease the teenage girl’s hacking cough?
Her heart twisted for the mother sitting by her son’s side, holding his hand while he slept. A book lay forgotten in her lap as she stared down at him, her face haunted.
From the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a doctor on duty. His shoulders sagged, and he looked downright exhausted. She could almost smell the coffee that steamed from his polystyrene cup, misting his glasses.
For the first time, Amy had a real idea of how Daniel must have felt when his sister was a patient on this very ward. She blinked rapidly, forcing her tears away. God, what the young Daniel must have gone through. The fear, the dread he must have lived with. No wonder he hated speaking about that year. It wasn’t surprising the memories were hitting him so hard now.
She had a sudden need to find her friend, throw her arms around him, and comfort him. To take away the pain. Make the hurt disappear. She searched the room, but there was no sign of him.
He was probably busy with the press interviews.
With no other choice, she finished looking at the photos and smiled at the last one—a picture of a little boy and his father leaving the hospital. A huge grin and a bunch of balloons spoke of happy outcomes.
“Aren’t they incredible?”
She turned around to find Daniel’s mother, Molly, and his sister Sarah. “Unbelievable,” she exclaimed, both delighted to see them and excited to have someone to rave to about the exhibition. “The two of you must be bursting with pride.”
“Oh, believe me, I am,” Molly said. “I’ve been bragging to anyone who’ll listen that Daniel’s my son.”
Sarah cringed. “She’s been telling everyone.”
Amy grinned. “I know what you mean. I’ve had this mad need to grab complete strangers and tell them Daniel’s my best friend. He’s the most brilliant photographer ever.”
“Undoubtedly.” Molly smiled.
“This is his best work yet,” Sarah added.
Despite the laughter, being at the exhibition couldn’t be easy for Daniel’s family. “It must be tough on you both, seeing these pictures, reliving it all.”
Sarah shrugged. “Not as tough as it’s been on Daniel. I dealt with my illness a long time ago. Daniel never did. He accepted I was okay and moved on. I think that now, for the first time, he’s realizing how precarious the whole situation was, and it’s taking a toll on him.”
Sarah hit the nail on the head. While the Tanner women always spoke openly about the leukemia, Daniel kept it firmly locked away. Through numerous discussions with him, Amy had learned that as a child, he’d simply accepted the return of Sarah’s good health without questioning it. During the shoot, however, he’d had to come to terms with just how difficult Sarah’s illness had been for the whole family.
“Things look pretty serious here,” Daniel said as he and Lexi joined them. “You guys not having a good time?” He wore a broad grin and had obviously cheered up significantly. In fact, he looked downright exuberant.
“Not really.” Sarah wrinkled her nose. “The entertainment’s lousy and the decor stinks. The least they could have done was hang some decent art on the walls.”
“Don’t worry,” Daniel reassured his sister, “I know the gallery owner. I’ll have a word with her.”
They all laughed as Molly hugged him. “I’m so proud of you.”
“Thanks, Mum.” Daniel left his arm around his mother’s shoulders.
“I wish your dad had lived to see this exhibition.”
“We all do. He would have been proud, too,” Sarah said.
Amy envied the family’s ability to remember their father and husband with such love. She couldn’t think about her own father in the same light—hell, she didn’t even know if he was dead or alive. After Amy’s mum had confronted him about his numerous affairs, he’d simply thrown in the towel and walked away, stepped out of their lives forever, abandoning his wife and his fifteen-year-old daughter. His impressionable daughter, who had struggled to understand how the most important man in their lives could desert his family. As an adult, Amy had turned that confusion into a defensive wall around her heart.
Initially, the wall had been flimsy. She’d still harbored a childish fantasy of finding a decent man, a better man than her father had been. And she thought she’d found him in Simon.
She’d been wrong.
Following Simon’s betrayal, Amy had bricked up that wall and reinforced it with several layers of concrete. Between Simon and her father, she’d pretty much learned never to let another man in.
“So,” Lexi asked her brother, “how does it feel being the center of attention?”
Daniel couldn’t hide his smile. “Not bad. Although my eyes are still burning from all those flashes.”
“About time you learned what it’s like being on the other side of the lens,” Amy pointed out.
“Flashes are good,” Lexi said with authority. “They mean publicity. And the more publicity we have, the more money we can raise for the ward.”
“I don’t think raising money will be a problem.” Molly’s smile was back. “An hour ago, Valerie told me she’d sold fifteen photographs tonight. And you still have the rest of the week.”
Amy thought about the price tags attached to each photo, did a quick mental calculation, and gave a silent whistle. If sales over the next seven days continued the same way, they’d be able to refurbish the entire hospital, never mind just the ward.
Well, almost.
She looked at Daniel, ridiculously happy for him. He was staring at her, and for a moment, their gazes locked.
The room around them fizzled away. All she could focus on was her friend, his hooded gaze, and that intense, unreadable expression.
Her stomach did three quick cartwheels, a somersault, and a backward flip in quick succession.
What the—?
And just like that, it was over.
Daniel gestured across the room. “Sar, I think Steve is looking for you.”
Sarah waved at her husband, who was beckoning her. “I’m sorry to do this, but it’s getting late. We have to get back home to the kids.”
Amy checked the time. It was close to eleven.
“Are you ready to go, Mum?” Sarah asked.
“I am.” Molly hugged Daniel again. “Tonight was wonderful.”
Sarah kissed everyone good-bye, and Molly did the same, pausing to squeeze Amy’s hand before she left. “Keep well, my dear. I hope to see you soon.”
“You, too,” Amy said, still slightly breathless from Daniel’s look.
“I’m going to see what the doctors on the ward thought about the show.” Lexi winked. “Don’t worry, Danno. I won’t let Leona near you.” Chuckling, she walked over to her friends.
A jolt went through Amy. Leona was here? She cast Daniel a wry grin. “Have you seen her tonight?”
“Are you kidding? I’ve had to duck into the men’s room three times to avoid her.”
“Our…little ruse didn’t work?”
“Not really, but I don’t want to talk about her now.”
“Anything you say.” She took his hands in hers and pretended not to be scorched by the heat of his bare skin. “Your family is right, you know? You should be proud. Your work is unbelievable.”
“I’m glad you like it.” He wound their fingers together.
“I love it. And I’m glad to see the preshow jitters are gone. You were so nervous before.”
He stared at her, his blue eyes darkening.
Her stomach lurched. “Daniel?”
His gaze took on a predatory hue.
“Are you okay?”
He blinked. “I need fresh air. Come with me?”
“Of course.”
With her hand still clasped in his, Daniel turned and walked toward the balcony.
Chapter Five
Butterflies danced in her belly as Daniel swept aside a curtain, revealing a door. Before shutting it behind them, he pulled the curtain back in place, concealing their exit.
It was deserted on the balcony, too cold for anyone to be outside. She took a deep breath of wintry night air.
Daniel’s behavior was strange, and for the second time in weeks, Amy found herself feeling awkward with him.
He led her over to a shadowed corner and leaned against the railing.
It was dark. The inky blackness of night obscured her sight of him.
“You okay now?” She wasn’t. A peculiar sensation churned through her chest, leaving her flustered.
“Almost.”
Amy shivered, though whether it was from a blast of icy wind or his gravelly tone, she wasn’t sure. Blinking a couple of times, she waited for her eyes to adapt to the lack of light.
“You’re cold?”
“A little.”
“Can’t have that.” Daniel slipped off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders, tucking it under her chin.
His warmth enveloped her. Traces of aftershave clung to the jacket, and she breathed in his spicy, familiar scent. It curled through her nose and coiled around her heart, making it flutter.
“Danny?”
He hadn’t moved. His hands still held the jacket together above her breasts and he stood close. Very close.
Amy’s nipples pebbled, and she forgot what she wanted to say.
“Yeah?”
The cloak of darkness lent a clandestine aura to their conversation, and prickles chased their way up her spine.
“Uh…nothing.”
�
�Morgan?”
“Hmm?”
“I’m going to kiss you.”
Hadn’t she already told him? It wasn’t right for friends to kiss. “You probably shouldn’t,” she warned, but her tone lacked conviction and her eyelids were becoming too heavy to keep open.
“Why not?” His body hovered against hers.
“Honestly? I can’t remember.”
The tip of his tongue touched her lips, and she shuddered.
“Still think I shouldn’t kiss you?” His voice was a smoky whisper.
“I can’t think at all when you do that.”
“Do what? This?” He flicked his tongue over her lower lip.
“Mmm.”
“How about if I do this?” He pressed his lips against hers for the shortest time.
“Daniel.” His name came out as a soft moan.
“Mmm?”
“Shut up and kiss me.”
Their kiss struck fever pitch the instant their lips met.
Heat seared through her as she opened her mouth, and he plunged his tongue inside. It tangled with hers, tasting, exploring, driving her half-crazy with need.
If anticipation had drowned her logic, his kiss immobilized her mind. Reality faded. For the longest time, she could only feel. Instinct and Daniel became her two guides, and she blindly followed where they took her, heedless of the outcome.
His mouth was hot and wet and filled her with delectable sensations. A hint of scotch lingered on his tongue, and she drank in the delicious taste.
He tightened his fingers at the back of her neck as his mouth ravaged hers. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and was vaguely aware of his jacket dropping to the ground. Unable to resist, she stood on tiptoes and held her body flush to his.
As her pelvis made contact with his, he gasped and backed her against the wall, pressing himself so close she felt every miniscule move he made, every erratic breath he took.
And every inch of his erection pushing against her belly.
“More…” She yanked his shirt out of his pants, the impulse to touch his bare flesh dictating her every move.
He loosened his hold so her hands could creep under the soft cotton, up his sides and around to his chest. Her hands imbibed the warmth of his skin as she ran them over his muscular torso. His lean power awed her, lending further credence to his undeniable masculinity. Beneath his ribs, his heart pounded, its staccato rhythm matching her racing pulse.
