Drawing The Line (Mistaken Identity Series)

by Sylvia Hubbard

  "Why Shane? And don't give me that load of crap about me being your boss. You're using that as a shield," Andrew said piqued with anger.

  "I have to in order to make sure I don't end up like all the other women have ended up around here, Andrew," she confessed. "You know you are a very handsome and a very powerful man. You know you could probably have any woman you wanted, but I can't have you."

  "Do you feel I'm handsome and powerful Shane?" he asked, coming around the desk blocking the only way out, unless she was unladylike by crawling across the desk. Allowing him to see her weakness was not in her, so she stood her ground and bravely looked up at him without showing the turmoil going on inside her.

  Her heart began to race and goose bumps covered her arms at the possibility of Andrew's touch. They were in the office alone and anything could happen. There would be no witnesses. The thought of knowing this made Shane's blood feel like lava flowing from her brain through her whole body. She found herself backing away from him until her back pressed against the wall and he didn't stop advancing until his body was inches from her and both his hands trapped her in place, on both sides of her body.

  "It shouldn't matter what I think, Andrew," she said.

  He looked down into her eyes as she craned her neck up to gaze at him. "I'm losing patience with you, Shane Keaton. You are the most stubborn woman I've ever come across. I didn't think this would take so long, but you have managed to outlast all the others."

  "W-What others?"

  He didn't answer her question. "It doesn't matter though. Sooner or later I'll break that wall you've built." His hand moved over to the left side of her chest and the tip of his well manicured finger traced a heart over her own pulsating organ.

  She took long deep breaths in order not show he was affecting her, but in truth she was fighting her own body's temptation to throw her arms around his neck and kiss him until hell froze over. Remembering what Rochelle had told her, Shane said, "I'm involved with someone else, Andrew. I don't want to have a personal relationship with you."

  "I don't like to lose. I'll be the last man who will ever have you, Shane, so get use to the idea." Andrew moved away enough for her to get around him.

  Shane saw her opportunity to leave and she had to force herself to move. Quickly, she went to the door going upstairs and tried the code he had told her. The door opened instantly and she ran upstairs praying he wouldn't follow her.

  Needing a moment to gather her equilibrium, she called Paul's number. He answered immediately and she asked if she could come over tonight. If she spent another night in Andrew's loft, she would definitely push aside all her morals and give in to him.

  She would convince herself that no matter what, she wanted to be with Paul. He was so right for her and she didn't want Andrew Watkins.

  Yet, she knew she was lying to herself. Too bad she couldn't just be naughty and have them both!

  Chapter 18

  Paul greeted her outside when she drove up. He wouldn't allow her to take the steps up to his room. Instead he carried her up to his large white room and laid her in the bed. After helping her remove her clothing, she needed to feel him beside her and he wasted no time in disrobing down to his silk black boxers and joining, her wrapping her in his arms.

  They didn't need to speak as he stroked her back until she fell into a deep exhaustive sleep.

  When Shane finally allowed reality to intrude upon her peaceful slumber, Paul was lying by her fully awake looking down at her. "There's something more than what happened yesterday troubling you, Shane," were his first words.

  She cupped his smooth cheek and then brushed her knuckles down his neck needing some intimacy between the two of them. He read her thoughts and kissed her. It wasn't long before Paul was coveting her body with his mouth and hands, making her tremble with a need so powerful all she could do was imagine herself wrapping her legs around Andrew's sinewy waist and wishing he was pressing deep inside of her.

  She cried during her explosion with guilt and divine pleasure, all at the same time. Paul continued his tantalization of her body until she was thoroughly sated.

  When Paul pulled her into his arms, he accepted her long deep kisses, but he could still tell there was something wrong with her.

  He went to get them something to eat, while she freshened up in the bathroom. Her robe had been washed and hung on the back of the door. There were two other terry cloth Christian Dior robes on the back of the door that gave her pause - One white and the other black; with the black one being a little bit longer and larger than the other robe.

  For some strange reason she leaned over and smelled them, but they were freshly washed. Yet, the gut feeling inside of her told her the black one didn't belong to Paul.

  The knock at the door startled her and she came out the bathroom.

  "I thought we could have lunch in the breakfast nook downstairs," he said.

  She tied up her robe and allowed him to escort her downstairs. Her foot was fine and when she had taken the wrappings on her hands off, she saw that the cream Rochelle had put on her had done a lot of healing. The bandages had come off easily in the shower.

  As she ate, Paul gave her a very relaxing foot massage. "Do you want to talk about it, Shane?"

  Shane knew eventually she would have to tell Paul about her feelings she was trying to repress even from herself about Andrew. She wanted to be honest with Paul especially since she had agreed to marry him.

  "I have worked around a lot of people, Paul, and I've never had a problem with maintaining a professional air about myself, but... he does something to me. I've seen pretty faces and much more tolerable men have expressed their interest in me, but he makes me forget myself. I'm so scared when I'm around him, Paul, and all I can do is think about sex."

  Paul didn't stop his relaxing ministrations as he worked up her calves and soon her thighs, then slowly moving back down her to her ankle. She had expected him to have a negative reaction to her confession, but his placid reaction was quite awkward for her.

  When he didn't answer after a moment, Shane said, "I do want to marry you Paul, and I want to honor your wishes after everything." She still didn’t like to think about what was to come for him because it felt so difficult to accept. “And go ahead and marry your brother.”

  "I don't want you to feel any guilt for what you're feeling Shane. You shouldn't because I know what we are embarking on doesn't require your emotional state of mind," he said.

  Shaking her head, she said, "I want to be true to you, Paul, at least emotionally."

  "I don't want you to stress yourself over guilt that you don't need to be feeling." He nudged her until she came over to sit on his lap. "This will be stressful enough when we try to deceive everyone with our marriage."

  Shane nodded, but she still felt guilty.

  "What you're telling me is that what you feel for him cannot be denied by you, but you feel a sense of obligation to me. I've always felt there is a thin line between love and hate and your sense of extreme dislike towards him obviously is just another form of your heart telling you what it wants," he explained.

  "Are you telling me to give in to what I feel to him, even though I've already agreed to marry you?"

  Paul didn't answer. Instead he kissed her and said, "Why don't we discuss this tonight after dinner, Shane? You're just too tense to talk about this now."

  Shane was even more perplexed, but Paul's suggestion was a way to get her mind off of the subject for now. They spent the morning in the Jacuzzi together talking of other things. She learned a lot about Paul's younger years that he had spent mostly at home because he had always been too ill to travel, which was why he had a penchant for always having all the luxuries of life close at hand to his business life.

  Courageously, she questioned him about his unusual strength and healthy condition despite his sickness, remembering how he had easily carried her up the stairs. “Why don’t you look ill, Paul? Or even act ill now?”

  Pa
ul smiled proudly. “Eating good, maintaining a healthy life has helped me live longer. Taking the medicine and so forth keeps up my strength until things get worse for me. Now I do have my bad days, but I tell myself it’s all a state of mind.” He leaned over to steal a kiss. “You’re good for my mental strength, Shane. Now that you’ve agreed to be my wife, I don’t worry so much about what’s to happen when I’m gone especially for my father’s business and my brother. Thank you so much, Shane.”

  Beaming from the compliment, she had lost her train of thought for a moment. Paul was the sweetest.

  When it was time for her to return to work, she was thoroughly relaxed. Just as she was preparing to leave, Paul asked, "Will you be able to meet my brother tonight?"

  She nodded perturbed, hoping to hell nothing else happened that day. "Where can we meet?"

  "Tonight at Gaston on the Boulevard around nine. I'll have a private booth rental in my last name," Paul instructed her.

  ***

  Andrew wasn't there when she arrived at the office, but Rachel of course eagerly followed Shane to the large back office. Shane stopped at the doorway of the office unsure if she had walked in the office she had been assigned to.

  There were five-foot high cubicle walls installed around her desk giving her a separate atmosphere from Andrew's office area. Shane looked behind her to Rachel for an explanation.

  "He ordered them installed early this morning. I didn't ask any questions, but he was mildly perturbed, while they installed them as if the more he looked at them the angrier he became," Rachel explained. "You just don't know how glad I was when he finally left. He did state you would be here and to let you know if you didn't feel very well, you were allowed to leave early."

  "I'm fine," she said weakly and thanked Rachel for asking as she sat behind her desk.

  Rachel leaned against the cubicle wall with an expectant look upon her face as if Shane was supposed to go into explanation about her horrific outing with Andrew where she had gotten injured, but Shane really didn't feel like telling Rachel anything.

  "He came downstairs with attitude although that's usual, even though since you've started, he has been in a rather better mood of late."

  "Do you often work on Saturdays, Rachel?" Shane inquired off the subject Rachel was trying to stick with.

  "Only four hours to catch up on any office work. Mr. Watkins plans to hire someone into the office. Did he say you'd be working a lot of Saturdays?" Rachel inquired.

  "I wanted to get started on the liquidation of the homes reports. I saw that you've scheduled a meeting with me to join Mr. Watkins with Mr. Antonio Bellini and Frederic Patterson on Wednesday," she noted.

  "Mr. Watkins requested you join him even though he did mention the reports you were giving him were very detailed."

  Shane had made her reports detailed purposely so she would have to speak to Andrew as little as possible. Yet, she would have to speak to two of the most powerful men in the world of real estate in less than a week. What was a girl to wear?

  As she thought about what she could get to wear, she asked Rachel, "Have you heard of Gaston restaurant on the Boulevard?"

  "Yes. That is one of Mr. Watkins' favorite restaurants," Rachel answered. "They serve a sort of worldly soul food and steak menu, on an upscale price if you know what I mean. Mario Gaston is an African American chef that is known internationally for his dessert and meat skills.”

  Shane was slightly impressed by the way Rachel spoke of him. “You make it seem like he makes fat back taste like steak,” she teased.

  Rachel chuckled, but agreed, “I wouldn’t put it past him. I know he’s went to a highly regarded European school, where he's studied since he was eighteen and his father is a world renown chef, but Mario decided to come back here where his mother lives and open up a restaurant to be close to her and his sister. All I know is that Andrew traveled a lot just before going to college to play over in the Europe football leagues and that's where he met Mario."

  "How do you know all that?"

  "Mr. Gaston comes here a couple of times a month to force Mr. Watkins to take a break."

  Shane hoped Andrew wouldn't be there tonight, but Paul had said they would have a private booth so she really wouldn't be worried once she sat down. "What kind of atmosphere should I dress for?"

  "Rich, with an after five. You were invited?" Rachel asked excitedly.

  "Yes," Shane smiled more to herself. "I'm meeting a friend there who has obtained a private booth."

  Rachel raised a brow in curiosity. "Do you know how difficult it is to obtain a private booth at Gaston? You've got to be really rich or know someone next to God."

  Shane shrugged not wanting to let Rachel know her personal business. "He's a well to do gentleman, if you must know."

  The look in the office manager's blue eyes was still filled with curiosity, so Shane decided to change the subject, "How are the Christmas party arrangements coming along?"

  "Great. I've reserved the Rooster Tail for Christmas Eve. Mr. Watkins said he wanted it to be an extra special so he's gotten an open bar and even Mr. Gaston to assist with the menu," Rachel explained.

  "Has he ever done this before?" Shane asked.

  Rachel shook her head. "Like I said, ever since you came there have been some changes."

  Shane was glad her cell phone rung and Rachel left the office closing the door as she exited out to give Shane some privacy.

  Jeremiah was on the other end. "I just came from the site, Shane." The sound of distress in his voice made Shane alert. "I had gone there yesterday and taken ground samples and pictures. Today when I got out there to look around some more, someone had set the building on fire and the grounds were covered with fresh dirt. Did Mrs. St. Charles ever contact you yesterday?" he questioned.

  "I assumed she would get in touch with me when she could, but I haven't heard from her," she answered.

  Jeremiah's tone of voice was quite solemn as he said, "Don't hold your breath for that call. The harbor master just located her body near the Belle Isle beach."

  Shane didn't like the implications. "What's going on, Jeremiah?" she demanded to know.

  "I don't know, but I got my ass out of there as quick as possible," he said. "I want you to go downtown with me right now."

  She was beginning to realize that Jeremiah was an on the spot guy. "Meet me in front of the office," she ordered and released the call.

  Shane looked at her calendar again, seeing she had an appointment with another agent in the office in the field training, but after a quick word with the agent she was able to reschedule her appointment with him to Monday.

  "I'm going out for a few hours," she told Rachel. "You can reach me on my cell if you or anyone else needs me."

  Rachel didn't question her, but Shane knew the office manager was peeking out the door as Shane jumped in Jeremiah's Dodge Neon.

  As soon as they were on the Chrysler Freeway heading downtown, Jeremiah reached under his seat and put a manila envelope in her lap.

  "If this is the land belonging to Tyrex," Jeremiah said. "Then they're in some real shit if the senator gets his hands on this report."

  "I don't get it Jeremiah," she said seriously confused.

  Jeremiah started from the beginning. "Tyrex is a three hundred billion chemical waste containment company. They dispose of used chemicals from all around the world, and have started a buyout of other small containment companies. Tyrex acquired ownership of Minion six years ago. Minion was a badly run company in the eastern part of Michigan. They were so deep in debt and ridden with Health Department violations they needed to dump some stuff fast. Instead of shutting them down, which Tyrex should have, they sent some guys in to clean it up and hush up the locals who were getting sick. Twelve vats of used Hydrochloric Acid were dumped five years ago into a bad landfill and seeped into the ground contaminating several counties water supply. The landfill just up and disappeared and no one knew what happened to them until now." He held up one of the p
ictures she had taken yesterday. "These pictures indicate that those twelve vats were stored there at one point. That's why the concrete became corrosive and rotted.

  "So the question we must ask now is where they are now?" Shane asked.

  They were heading downtown to the city county building. Jeremiah paid the ridiculous price for parking in downtown Detroit and they hurried over to the Coleman A. Young Municipal Building, which housed the city deeds and history records of all land ownership.

  "Where do you think the chemicals could be hidden?" she asked.

  "That's the kicker and I didn't figure it out until this morning, which is why I went to get more land samples. You said you found that tag in the dirt? I swabbed the tag and found remnants of Hydrochloric Acid on it. The samples I took yesterday were saturated with the chemical, which could only mean one thing."

  She remembered when she fell down the well. The splash had caused the horrible odor to come up, but also there had been a fizzing sound. "The tag belongs to Dale Technologies," she determined.

  He nodded in confirmation. "Dr. Dale must have been out on this site taking samples before she was killed." He handed her a key on a gold chain. "This is a copy of the locked box at the First Federal Bank main branch. I've stored all the samples and reports in there in case something happens to me too."

  Shane didn't like his tone of voice. "You think something might happen, Jeremiah?"

  "I think you found the land that's been getting everyone killed or missing. Tyrex will do anything to prevent anyone from finding out more about this land and their connections to it." He escorted her to the desk and told the clerk the land in question location.

  When the clerk pulled up the information, Shane requested a detailed list of taxpayers and owners of the property. She paid the printout fee, and once they received the lists, she and Jeremiah went back to the car to discuss everything in private.