by Meryl Sawyer
"Really?" Dana gasped. She was paranoid, certain that everyone looking at her was condemning her, when they'd actually been supporting her.
"Sure," Pinsky said with an encouraging smile. "The DA started it. He said you were the best prosecutor he ever had and that you were an even better judge."
Hwang tucked the petition into his briefcase. "Your name's on the list for superior court. I'm going to make certain that the governor sees this."
"Thank you," she managed to say. She was overwhelmed by the rapid turn of events. Usually the wheels of justice moved as slowly as a postal worker on Valium, but not this time.
Even more surprising was the support of her colleagues. She'd been worried about nothing, imagining all sorts of things. She was liked and respected. Relief flooded her, making her feel weak and shaky. And incredibly happy. She could hardly wait to tell Rob.
"Come on." Pinsky guided her to the door, and Dana couldn't help thinking that Rob was right. There were plenty of good men around. Adam Pinsky's wife was fortunate to have married such a sensitive man.
Dana admitted that she was guilty of having a closed mind. People were people; some were good and others were bad. She hadn't looked for the good men like Garth Bradford, Adam Pinsky, Collis Hwang. And Rob Tagett.
Back in her office, Jason and Puni were asleep in her chair, but Dana was greeted enthusiastically by Vanessa and Garth.
"I was expecting Rob," she said, still hugging Vanessa.
"He had to leave," Garth said.
"Before he saw me?" she asked, and Garth solemnly nodded. "Is something wrong?"
Garth hesitated, then said in a troubled undertone, "I think he's worried about his son."
29
The sun, stalking the day's last clouds across the horizon, slowly disappeared into the sea as Dana drove toward Rob's home on the north shore. She rolled down her window, welcoming the stiff breeze. The air here was as warm as it was in Honolulu, but the stronger breeze swept farther inland, bringing a salt mist that she could taste on her lips and feel in her hair.
It had taken her longer than she'd expected to take the tidal wave of calls from colleagues congratulating her on the results of the review. Then she'd had to complete several probation reports and prepare the arraignment calendar so her new secretary could input it into the computer.
Should she have called Rob before coming? she wondered, pulling into his driveway. Garth said Rob had gone home, and Dana knew that Zach wasn't with him. His mother had taken him to Maui to visit her friends. This might be their only chance to be alone for some time.
Why had he left before the review was even over? Garth said he'd called Rob on his car phone the minute he knew the results—even before she'd come back to her office—but it still bothered her that Rob hadn't waited. Was there truth to what Zach had said? Was Rob considering getting back together with Ellen?
"There it is again," she muttered to herself. "Distrust rears its ugly head." She turned off the motor, then gripped the steering wheel. Rob had faith in you. He went all the way to Gomper's Bend to prove it. He needs support now. He's terrified of losing his son to drugs.
Those fortifying words in mind, she marched along the path toward the front of the house, which faced the beach. Rob was on the deck, stretched out on a chaise, a bottle of Primo beer in one hand. Surely he'd heard her footsteps, but he didn't turn to face her. Instead he kept his eyes on the horde of surfers riding the high-cresting waves, backlit by the setting sun. Then she noticed the fresh bruise on the rise of his cheek.
"Rob, you're hurt."
"Nah. I bumped into something." He turned and put down the bottle.
Instinctively she knew he'd found one or both of the mokes who'd attacked them and settled the score, but she didn't challenge him.
"Garth told me about the review… and the petition. Congratulations."
She detected distance in his tone, preoccupation.
A nervous flutter in her chest, she looked around. "I wanted to thank you in person for checking on Hank Rawlins. I don't know why it didn't occur to me to do that years ago. Now I won't have to spend the rest of my life looking over my shoulder."
He unenthusiastically patted the chair next to him, inviting her to sit. "Don't make it more than it is. I did some routine investigating. That's all."
She dropped into the chair beside him, suddenly feeling exhausted and at a loss for words. This was a side of Rob she hadn't seen before, and she realized she didn't know him as well as she'd thought. Tentatively she said, "Zach came to see me."
"Really?" Now she had his full attention. "When?"
"He dropped by late last night."
"To check you out." Rob chuckled. "A chip off the old block."
She tried to joke. "You had maroon hair too?"
Rob gazed at her, his blue eyes reflecting the dying embers of the sunset, seeming unusually intense. "No, but I went for good-looking women."
Dana could have told him Zach hated her on sight, but didn't. Rob, it seemed, had enough to worry about without this.
"Did he happen to say what he was doing today? I haven't been able to reach him."
"Last night he told me that his mother was taking him to Maui to visit her friends."
"Great! Naturally, she didn't bother to leave me a message."
His tone indicated nothing but contempt, almost prompting Dana to ask where she stood. But she didn't. A growing awareness that something was wrong kept her silent.
Rob watched the last flicker of light disappear into the sea, the sun setting on paradise. After Garth had told him that he would be arrested, Rob had made up his mind not to see Dana. He planned to throw everything he had into this fight, and he didn't want Dana caught in the crossfire.
More than anything, she wanted to move up the judicial ladder. The review had backfired—big time. Instead of disgracing her, it had rallied the legal community to her side. When the governor saw the petition he was certain to appoint Dana to that superior court vacancy.
It might be days or even weeks before the governor acted. If Dana's name became associated with the most notorious criminal in the islands, her chances would be ruined. No way would he let that happen.
He'd thought that leaving before she came out of the review would have discouraged Dana and made her question his interest in her. But this wasn't the old Dana. The woman sitting beside him was someone new.
A wild card.
That thought frightened him. He didn't want her involved in this mess. If Big Daddy was out to frame him, he wanted to fight him on his own terms. Only a fool would refuse to admit that Big Daddy wielded power in the islands. Dana had escaped this time, but she might not again.
Rob could see now that he wasn't going to be able to put her off by ignoring her. It was going to take a helluva lot more than that. He was going to have to get rid of her. That meant he would have to hurt her.
He ventured a glance at Dana and saw her hair fluttering in a cat's paw of wind. The sassy precision cut needed a trim, and close inspection revealed her blonde roots. She looked younger than usual. And nervous.
He couldn't blame her; he was behaving like an insensitive prick. What choice did he have? Like sharks spotting blood in the water, the media would eat him alive. And ruin Dana's career too, if he wasn't careful.
"I've made an appointment for you and Zach with Dr. Ho for counseling," she told him. "Monday at two."
"Great." Come Monday he would be in jail. He was going to have to talk to Zach, hope he'd listen, then send him home with Ellen. And pray his son could stay out of trouble.
"Zach will be fine, you'll see," Dana said gently.
Her look was so sympathetic, so concerned that he had to brace his hands against the chaise to keep himself from leaping up to hug her. And ask her to stick with him through this mess.
Dana rose. "I'd better go. I've got a cat waiting to be fed."
She sounded as uncomfortable as hell, and it was his fault. "You scored a big victory,"
he heard himself say. "I'm proud of you. Why don't you feed your cat, and I'll pick you up at eight-thirty and take you out to celebrate."
The grateful smile she beamed at him hurt worse than any of the mokes' punches. "I'll be ready."
Rob drove up to Dana's curb. What in hell are you doing? he asked himself for the hundredth time.
He turned off the ignition and silently acknowledged the truth. He had to let Dana go, but he wasn't ready quite yet. He wanted to take her to a restaurant where they could talk. Being alone was too tempting. If he touched her, kissed her, he'd never let her go. Tonight they'd enjoy the evening, then he'd tell her. What he was going to say exactly, Rob had no idea. But he'd think of something. He always did.
"You coward. You're just postponing the inevitable," he told his reflection in the rearview mirror. But he couldn't help himself. He couldn't stay away from her.
Dana answered his knock and he grinned quickly to hide his surprise. She wasn't dressed to go anywhere. Instead she wore white shorts and a blue blouse knotted at the waist. Her hair was damp around the edges from the shower.
"I picked up steaks," Dana said breathlessly. "I thought it would be more fun to barbecue here… and talk."
Uh-oh. Just what he didn't want—to be alone with her. And temptation. She grabbed his hand and pulled him inside.
"Open the wine while I toss the salad."
He followed her to the kitchen, where a marmalade cat looked up suspiciously from her bowl for about a half second before deciding he was of no interest. Rob grabbed the bottle, thankful to have something to do.
"Tell me about the review. I want to hear every detail."
Dana launched into the story, also seeming grateful to have a safe topic of conversation. He listened intently, imagining her poise under such pressure and hearing the relief underscoring every word.
"Collis Hwang took the petition to the governor. Hwang thinks I still have a good chance of getting that superior court appointment," Dana concluded.
"I'm betting on it," Rob responded, and she blessed him with a melt-your-heart smile that left no doubt that this was her fondest dream, assuring him that leaving her was his only option.
"I'm not counting on being appointed," she told him. "It's enough just to get out of that blackmailer's clutches. Now I can get on with my life."
Rob poured the chardonnay into glasses. "Binkley admitted Big Daddy contacted him about the inquiry, but he denied that he was the one who told him about Hank's so-called murder, right?"
"Yes. Binkley claimed an anonymous caller tipped him." Dana waved the paring knife she was using on the carrots. "I'm certain it's someone Big Daddy had call."
"We still don't know who the blackmailer is."
"Does it matter? Thanks to you, I don't have anything to hide." Dana left the salad and walked toward him. "Vanessa is free, and Jason's safe. What more could we want?"
He tried to smile, wishing he could share her happiness. But rape charges hung over him, threatening to take Dana and his son. He'd called several contacts on the force, trying to see what evidence they had against him. No one knew—or would tell him—anything.
"I'm sorry." Dana stopped in front of him, her flawless green eyes filled with concern. "I wasn't thinking. What more do we want? We want Zach to weather this crisis. We want him to live with you and be happy."
"Yeah," was all he could say. Like a swimmer caught in one of the north shore's deadly undertows, he was being swept so far away from shore that nothing could save him.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Dana's eyes bored through his, seeking his soul.
Rob was tempted to spill his guts, but he held back. He could still hear the joyful echo in the kitchen when she'd said she might be named to that vacancy on the superior court. With luck she'd get that appointment before he was arrested. Sure as hell, he didn't want her defending him and ruining her chances.
Dana twined her arms around his neck, moving closer and gently pressing her body against his until the soft swells of her bosom molded against his chest. She looked him directly in the eyes. "I love you, Rob."
He couldn't help himself, he honestly couldn't, yet he tried. He gripped the counter with both hands for a second. The tender, expectant look in her eyes touched him in a way he never could have anticipated. He threw his arms around her, anchoring her to his chest.
The air left Dana's lungs in a soft gasp as Rob hugged her. Feeling the tears spring to her eyes, she closed them. Thank God, she said to herself. Rob had been acting so strangely that she hadn't known where she stood.
This at least was familiar territory; she wasn't adrift in some uncharted sea. Her lips trembling, she returned his kiss. A shiver of longing tripped up her spine, sending chills across her breasts. This was what she wanted and needed. Someone special, someone who cared about her, someone she could truly love. She sighed and rested her head against his sturdy chest, content.
His hands skimmed across her body and paused to caress her intimately while his tongue danced with hers. Roving fingers found their way under her blouse to the clasp of her bra. With a flick of his wrist it was undone and her breast was cradled in the palm of his hand.
"You're beautiful, so beautiful," Rob whispered.
"Yes," she whispered, believing for the first time in her body's beauty instead of being afraid of it. She pressed her hips forward as her nipple tightened under the pressure of his thumb. Both breasts felt hot and achy now. She wanted his mouth on them the way it had been the other night.
Her pulse pounded in her temples, making her head spin, and she knew she was out of control. Images flashed through her mind so quickly she didn't have time to react: She was backed up against the refrigerator, her blouse dangling from one wrist; then she was sliding to the floor in slow motion; suddenly she was naked, yet she had no memory of undressing or being undressed.
Maybe she wasn't out of control. Perhaps it was Rob who'd gone over some invisible edge. He was everywhere at once, his touch tender but undeniably urgent—as if he couldn't get enough of her.
"Slow down," she whispered, wanting to make this last—forever.
He misunderstood and thought she wasn't aroused enough. His lips left hers and traced a moist trail down the sensitive curve of her neck. She buried her face against his neck and inhaled his sensuous earthy scent, clutching his hair, threading its soft fullness through her fingers, comparing it to the wiry hair on his chest as it abraded her sensitive nipples.
Rob! She thought. Rob… oh, Rob!
She'd waited so long—all her life—to be swept away like this. Once such domination, such unbridled passion would have frightened her. Not anymore.
His turgid erection pulsed against her naked thigh and she tried to remember when he'd taken off his clothes, but quickly decided it didn't matter. All that mattered was the subtle movement of his tongue as it glided down past her navel, tasting, circling, tasting again.
"Oh, my… more. Give me more," she cried.
"You got it, babe." His hands were under her now, digging into the softness of her buttocks and gently spreading her legs apart. The sensitive skin responded with a flare of heat that centered in her groin.
"Oh, yes," she cried out.
That spurred him on; he centered himself between her legs and blew across the cluster of curls. His hot breath felt cool against the moist skin—and unbelievably erotic. His head dipped and his tongue invaded her most intimate places with smooth, sure strokes.
She clutched at his powerful shoulders and held him there, mesmerized by the prospect of imminent release. Ripples of anticipation coursed through her with each tantalizing stroke of his tongue. Suddenly he was inside her, with a jolt that felt as if he'd shot right through her. She welcomed him with an instinctive upward thrust of her hips, wrapping her legs around him and matching his ever increasing rhythm with her own.
Her lungs were burning from lack of air and her eyes were watering—she wasn't sure why—when she realized she was seconds fro
m climaxing. Too soon, she tried to shout, but the pounding of hips and the ramrod hardness between her thighs silenced her.
He stopped, still buried to the hilt inside her, and gazed into her eyes. "I'm the one. The only one— and don't you ever forget it."
"I know," she whispered. "You are the one."
She wanted this exquisite feeling to last forever, but it didn't. In a starburst of ecstasy that bordered on pain, she catapulted over the edge. Seconds later Rob followed, collapsing on top of her, utterly exhausted. She held him to her breast, not wanting the experience to end.
She honestly couldn't recall being this happy, this content. Yet here she was buck naked on the kitchen floor with her elbow in Molly's Meow Mix—euphorically happy. So this was love.
It was minutes before she found her voice. By then Rob had rolled off her and was staring at the kitchen ceiling. He seemed troubled.
"Maybe we should put the steaks on the barbecue," she suggested, thinking they should talk.
Rob levered himself up on one elbow and ran his hand over the supple curve of her hip and glided between her thighs with his talented fingers. "Screw the steaks."
In seconds they were in her bedroom on top of the new comforter she'd splurged on. This time he drew her to him more gently, his earlier intensity replaced by such tenderness it made her heart ache.
Too soon morning came, an apricot glow that backlit Koko Head in a wreath of light. Dana cracked one eye, realizing she must have fallen asleep. When had they stopped making love?
She turned to touch his cheek and make sure this was real, not some erotic dream, but he was gone. Nothing more than an indentation in the pillow said he'd ever been there. Suddenly a hollow feeling of being lost swept over her. It was the same helpless sensation she'd had at her parents' funeral when she'd stared at the twin caskets and realized they were never coming back.
The beckoning scent of coffee brewing brought her to her senses. Rob was in the kitchen. Was she ever going to stop being so insecure?