The Ultimate Romance Box (6 Bestselling Romance Novels)

by Eckhart, Lorhainne

  “Okay. I’ll get it for you.”

  They followed her to the master bathroom. The detective slipped his right hand into a latex glove. As soon as she took the bottle from the glass cabinet, he snatched it out of her hand. “Your doctor gave you a prescription for ten days. One tablet of 10 mg per day,” he read off the label. “You sure you never took any?”

  “Never. A friend told me it caused her dizziness. I didn’t need that on top of everything else.”

  Ladd spread a clean tissue on the dark granite counter, pushed the lid down, and opened the bottle, and then carefully spilled its content over the tissue.

  They counted seven pills. Chills coursed her arms and legs.

  “Three are missing,” Ladd said ominously. “I’ll be back soon.”

  ****

  Alexa’s knees buckled. “I don’t understand. Who took the three pills?”

  Steve’s death was turning into a nightmare for her. With the back of her hand, she wiped the sweat from her forehead.

  “Alexa, are you sure you never took any? Think hard.”

  “I’m sure, Dante. I hate taking medicines. Besides, you saw the lid was still securely tightened as if it had never been opened.” She reached inside the cabinet and took out a few bottles. “Here, you can check these. Those I never used are still securely tightened. But the ones I used are easy to open. Once I open them, I don’t tighten them again.”

  He tried the lid of a few bottles to verify what she said, read the labels, and counted the pills inside each vial.

  “You can believe me. I know I didn’t open the Valium bottle.” So who took the three pills out of the bottle? “Do you think Steve helped himself to my medicines?”

  “Possible. Did he use your bathroom the last two times he visited?”

  Alexa shook her head, walked back to the living room, and paced its length several times. Her eyes fixed on the marble tiles of the floor.

  “Alexa, for heaven’s sake, stop. I know you’re stressed, but try to control your facial expressions, your tone of voice, your whole attitude. The detective was studying you.”

  “Yeah, yeah, you’re right,” she said, not paying attention. “Something is bothering me. But I can’t put my finger on it.” And then she swirled to face him. “Dante, yesterday Steve walked straight into my living room without knocking on my door. He had my key. He could have taken the pills anytime without my knowledge.”

  “Why would he do that?”

  “Maybe he was stressed because of his move to Atlanta? Maybe he didn’t want to let anyone know he was under a lot of pressure? He probably took the pills and swallowed one a day. But yesterday, he also drank. You heard the detective. Drugs and alcohol caused him drowsiness. He slept and slipped under water.”

  “It makes a lot of sense from a medical point of view.”

  “Doesn’t it?” She cleared their breakfast plates from the table, her heart lighter, now that she’d figured a plausible reason for Steve’s death. “I hope the detective would come to the same conclusion. Can we call him and explain this theory?”

  “No. The less you tell him the better. Let him do his job. And let me do the talking.”

  “Why? Because he wouldn’t believe me?”

  “Because I’m your lawyer. You hired me to defend you.”

  She cringed. “Defend me from what? Don’t talk like Julia.” Alexa raised her voice, suddenly upset. “And don’t act bossy like Greg.”

  “I would never act like Greg, Alexa.” His eyebrows gathered in a scowl and a shadow darkened his eyes. He came to her and held her hands in his. “Never. I despise him. And I respect you too much to treat you like a sex slave as he’s obviously done.”

  Her cheeks flamed. How had Dante guessed that was precisely what Greg did to her? That she had trouble trusting men because of the way Greg controlled her?

  Arrogant and autocratic, he’d slept and played with her whenever it suited him during their marriage. Shame prickled her eyes, yet she sealed her mouth on the awful details. Too young and inexperienced to leave and live on her own, she stayed with him, until she reached the brim of her cup.

  “I hate him. God, how I hate him. He’s so powerful. He controls my share of the company, my money, my investment. But I’m not eighteen anymore. I’ll leave the Blue Waves, and then I’ll find a way to regain control of my assets.” She hoped she’d be able to do it on her own. Except she didn’t feel that strong in spite of her resolutions. Once she’d settled away from this building, she’d consult with professionals.

  Dante’s strong and gentle hands squeezed her shoulders, imparting her with confidence. “Alexa, you’re doing the right thing by going away. This is a momentary crisis. Soon you’ll be able to follow your plans.”

  The little niggling of self-doubt filtered out of her stressed mind, but Dante’s close proximity created a new type of tension.

  “Things will get better eventually, cara mia.” He swiped a curl behind her ear, cupped his hands on each side of her head, and gazed deeply into her eyes. “Trust yourself. And trust me, please.” His breath and soothing voice brushed her face with warmth. Sudden tingles stirred in her belly.

  Drat, she needed him as a lawyer, not a lover.

  “I do, Dante. Thanks for the support.” Easing away, she shoved the past aside and regained her composure. The present brought enough problems without adding rotten memories. “I’m sorry I’m wasting your time. You must have piles of papers to go through.”

  “Work can wait for one more day. Besides, you’re my client now. A client who needs special care.” He tilted her chin with his fingertip. She looked into dark blue eyes twinkling with mischief. “I have an idea. Let’s go check on my boat and take it to the ocean. The day is gorgeous, and I missed my Little Sicily.”

  She laughed. It would be easy to let go and fall in love with Dante, but so wrong. Before giving up her heart, she’d better learn to be independent.

  “Yes, let’s go to the marina. I’ll pack a few things. Go get your stuff from your place,” she suggested. Eager to enjoy a fun day, she rushed to her bedroom, shoved her bikini, towels, toiletries, and a change of clothes into her oversized beach bag.

  In less than two minutes, Dante came back from his condo. “Give me the bag and let’s go down before more people delay us.”

  Rather than taking the elevator and risking a meeting with disagreeable neighbors, they raced to the fire exit and climbed down the twenty-one floors. After a fifteen-minute ride in Dante’s BMW, they arrived at the marina.

  A day with Dante in the middle of the ocean would be pure bliss, a gift from the gods she might not receive again, especially if the investigation got complicated.

  ****

  “I haven’t called Tom Dallen to put the boat into the water,” Dante said after he parked his shiny black sports car. “We have to stop by his office.” They strolled through the covered storage area housing racks of boats hanging on three levels. The office of the marina’s owner was at the end, hidden in a dark corner, where the engine noise and rattling of the boats forklifts wouldn’t disturb him.

  They went up the five steps leading to the door. Dante peeked through the little window into the dimly lit room and gasped. He ducked, pushing Alexa down with him. “I’ll be damned.”

  “Why? What did you see?” she whispered.

  “Tom, and guess who’s in his arms?”

  “Who?” she mouthed.

  “Your friend Julia,” he murmured into her ear.

  “No!” Alexa pulled back, her eyes huge in the semi-darkness.

  He clamped his hand on her mouth. “Shh.”

  She eased his fingers away and kept holding them. “You sure?”

  “Oh yeah. Believe me, I can tell when a man is kissing a woman.”

  “On the mouth?”

  He snorted. “So far yes.”

  “What are we going to do now?”

  “Let’s go back out. I’ll call him as I should have in the first place.” He turned
and tiptoed down the steps. “Damn it, Alexa, come here.”

  “I got it,” she proudly brandished her tiny camera—more like a piece of jewelry— and followed him.

  “It’d be too dark to be clear.”

  She chuckled as they hid behind the racks and proceeded to the door.

  “This little toy costs a fortune.” Like everything she owned. He shook his head. “Trust me, it’s good,” she added and patted her camera.

  “You caught them kissing?” Maybe the picture would come in handy if things got difficult.

  “Kissing and more.”

  Dante stopped in his tracks and bit his lip not to burst out laughing. “Yeah?”

  She leaned to his side and whispered. “He had a hand grasping her breast and the other clutching her butt.”

  “Mamma mia. Ladd should hire you as an assistant.”

  “Actually, Dante. I think we should do a little investigation on the side. Our detective doesn’t look too smart to me.”

  Dante arched his eyebrows. “Not a bad idea.” He’d been thinking the same.

  They reached the door, made a beeline for his car, and slid inside. Dante turned the key on and punched a programmed number on his cell phone. A few minutes passed before Tom answered. “Deep Waters Marina… Dallen speaking… How… how can I help you?” His voice was labored as if he struggled to recover his breath.

  “Hi Tom—”

  “Oof, stop it. Uh… excuse me. There’s uh… a… a fly bugging me. Who’s there?”

  Dante shook his hand and waggled his eyebrows for Alexa’s benefit.

  “Tom, this is Dante Cantari. I’m back from Sicily. Can I have my boat lowered to the water?”

  “Now?” The single word rang so loud that Alexa heard it and clamped both hands over her mouth while her shoulders shook.

  “Yes, please. I’m sitting outside in my car. Would you like me to come to your office?” Dante asked sweetly.

  “No. No. I’m coming right away. I’ll call Juan to get your boat out to the water.”

  “Thanks. Appreciate it.” Dante clicked his phone shut. “I have the feeling we interrupted him in the middle of a serious, hum… job.”

  “Oh dear, I can imagine him talking to you, and trying to refrain from huffing and puffing while she works on him. That made up for the heartache she gave me. Too bad I don’t have a picture of that scene. We left his window a minute too early.”

  “Thank God. We’re not peeping toms. Here he comes. I see him in the rear window. Stay inside.”

  Dante jumped out of his car and walked toward Tom.

  “Welcome back, Dante. Good to see you. So how was the trip?” Tom pumped Dante’s hand, a jovial smile on his face. The walk across the boat storage area must have helped him recover.

  “Great. But it’s wonderful to be back. I missed my Little Sicily. How’s she doing?” He clapped Tom’s back while still shaking his hand.

  “Here she is, clean, shiny, and gorgeous,” Tom said as the forklift passed by carrying Dante’s boat. “You should have called earlier. I would have set some time to go out to the ocean with you. Today, I’m kind of busy.”

  Dante nodded with understanding. “Don’t worry. Another time.”

  “Yes. Of course. I better go finish the job I started.”

  “Go ahead. We should never neglect our work. See you some other time, Tom.” With effort, Dante managed to keep a straight face.

  Tom rushed back inside the boat storage area. Once he disappeared into his office, Dante opened the passenger door to let Alexa out of the car. “He couldn’t wait to go back to his work.”

  “I bet. Julia is not a patient woman. The little bitch had the guts to accuse me of taking her husband. To think the guy is not even buried yet.” Alexa patted her pocket. “Just let her open her mouth again. I have a great picture to shut it permanently.”

  Dante chuckled. “At least, this episode helped you unwind. Now let’s enjoy our day.”

  At the dock, Dante helped her climb down into his boat. “See how beautiful she looks.” He seriously missed the boat that gave him hours of relaxation.

  But Alexa wasn’t listening. Her eyebrows knitted, her eyes fixed on the dirty water of the canal.

  “Alexa?”

  “Dante,” she said without looking at him. “Think with me for a minute. Maybe Steve took the pills from my medicine cabinet. And maybe it was Julia who dissolved the Valium in his coffee. Maybe she wanted to get rid of him to be with Tom.”

  Chapter Six

  A breeze whisked off the ocean, tinged with the taste of sea and salt. “This is heaven.” Alexa reclined against the white leather pillow of the left side bench, drinking her beer straight from the can, while Dante focused on sailing his boat.

  With a similar concentration, Alexa studied his chiseled profile and strong neck. Black strands of hair curled, mussed by the soft wind. She stopped sipping her beer and licked her lips. Her gaze fell to his tanned shoulders and the brawny back rippling with muscles as he maneuvered the speed throttle. The boat glided over the smooth surface of the ocean, creating a white froth in its wake.

  From far away, the buildings looked almost alike, at least the ones painted white. She removed her sunglasses and squinted to locate their neighborhood. “I think we are in front of our building,” Alexa said, to attract his attention. Frankly, she’d had it with Dante flirting with his Little Sicily and ignoring his flesh and blood friend.

  “Uh… yeah. Did you hear that noise?” Dante stiffened, his back straight.

  “What noise?”

  “In the engine.” He tilted his head, listening. “No, it’s normal. For a moment I thought my Little Sicily was—”

  “Dante, did you hear me? I asked you if this is our building.”

  “No. We’re still too far north. We’ll pass the Blue Waves in three minutes,” he said, as he glanced at his watch.

  “Are you always so accurate?”

  “I have to be.” He chugged on his beer and set it in the bottle holder of the starboard side. “I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I made a mistake that sent an innocent person to the electric chair.” He bent his head and busied himself again, steering his boat. “She’s amazing, my Little Sicily. So smooth at high speed.”

  In spite of the burning sun of the early afternoon, Alexa shivered. “Dante, do you actually know cases where innocent people were unjustly condemned?” Good Lord, it wouldn’t do if over-confident Detective Ladd stupidly blamed her because Steve had taken her antidepressants.

  Steve drowned. That was all.

  Dante snorted while adjusting the speed, and then slowed the boat to idle. “The court archives abound with such cases.”

  Biting the inside of her cheek, Alexa lurched forward. So mistakes happened in court. Good God. She swallowed. “Dante...” she muttered, unable to express her fears.

  But Dante’s long fingers caressed the control board amorously. “Bellissima.”

  Traitor. He’d called her that last night. Now his boat was the bellissima.

  “Here is our magnificent Blue Waves,” he said with a chuckle. “To the left, you can hardly see the restaurants and boutiques of Las Olas, and…” He turned his head toward her, and gasped. “Alexa, what happened? Your lips? How did you hurt yourself?” He cut off the engine and came to kneel by her bench. He took her hand. “My goodness, you’re trembling. Are you all right?”

  She rubbed her fingers against the towel she’d laid over the bench. “It’s nothing. I only bit my cheek. Dante, I hope there will be no wrong verdict in Steve’s case.”

  “Stop torturing yourself.” Dante cupped her face and tilted it to capture her gaze. “Don’t forget you’re my client.” He gave her a smug smile that didn’t reassure her. “I won’t let them make mistakes.”

  “But it can happen. Right?”

  “Alexa, you said it yourself. Steve took your pills to alleviate his stress, felt drowsy, and slipped under water. It makes sense.”

  “Do yo
u really believe that’s what happened?” She had a bad feeling about the whole drowning. A damn bad feeling.

  “Forget Steve. Forget Ladd. We’re here to enjoy the day.” He lowered his head, covering her lips with his mouth, robbing her thoughts away.

  The hell with Steve.

  Oh God no. She shouldn’t wish bad things again. She shouldn’t…shouldn’t…

  Dante tasted deliciously good.

  The boat’s gentle swing and Dante’s expert lips lulled her into relaxation. Give me more. Give me more. His lips, tongue, and hands listened to her order, playing a topsy-turvy dance on the flesh exposed by her skimpy bikini.

  Stop. He’s your lawyer. As if she cared right now. One night of passion with Dante would restore her joy in life for months. Alexa hooked her arms around his neck and pulled him down over her, delighting in their foreplay. She curled her fingers in the hair at his nape and nuzzled the lobe of his ear.

  Without taking his hands off her, Dante eased away. Darkened with desire, his blue eyes scanned the horizon. Alexa smiled, pleased their thoughts seemed so attuned.

  “What’s the verdict? Are we safe and private, here?”

  “Safe yes, but not private enough. My radar shows a boat heading straight toward us.” He stood and grabbed the nautical binoculars sitting next to his board. “I’ll be damned. It’s the Coast Guard’s boat.”

  “What’s so surprising about it? It’s good to know they survey the waters. For safety, you know.”

  “Yes, of course. But our friendly detective is with them.”

  “What now? Can’t he leave us in peace for a few hours?”

  Sure enough the Coast Guard cutter headed straight towards them, slowed, and stopped parallel to the Little Sicily.

  “Hi there,” one of the officers said. “Detective Bob Ladd needs to talk to you. Come alongside,” he ordered.

  Dante threw a rope from his boat to the coast guard and caught the one the man threw him. They both pulled at the same time, getting the two boats as close as possible.

  Ladd jumped into the Little Sicily. “You can go. They’ll bring me back.”