“I could use some help in the kitchen.” She took hold of Jack’s hand and pulled him to his feet. After they left the room, she said, “Taryn’s awfully pretty, don’t you think?”
“If you like that kind of woman.”
She’d hoped he’d say something like that. “Not your type?”
“What do you think?”
“I don’t know.”
He tugged on her hair. “You’re my type.”
Her cheeks warmed. Jack could be such a charmer. She just hoped he really meant that. She didn’t need to compete with another woman for his affection. Her time to find love was so limited. “I hope so,” she said under her breath.
He pulled her into his arms. “You don’t have anything to worry about.”
She looked up into his clear blue eyes and saw that he was telling the truth. A big weight lifted from her heart. Perhaps she would find love in time, after all. To answer him, she stood on tiptoe and kissed him. When their lips parted she said, “Thank you. I’m glad you’re not mad at me anymore.”
“If you want to thank me, get rid of those two.”
She laughed and handed him a stack of plates from the cabinet. She grabbed the apple pie. “I’ll do my best. After dessert, I’ll show them the door.”
“You better, or I’ll tell them we have business to attend to…in the bedroom.”
Alice threw a towel at him. “I’ll handle the guests.”
Ross and Taryn were talking softly when they entered the dining room. Alice couldn’t make out their words, but it seemed like whatever they were discussing was serious since neither one was smiling. They changed their facial expressions, however, when they realized they were no longer alone. She wondered why Ross hadn’t mentioned that his sister was traveling with him.
As if sensing her concern, he said, “Taryn’s my business partner. We had a little work emergency, but everything’s fine now.”
“Yes, I’m sorry to have barged in on you,” Taryn apologized.
“That’s quite all right. I’m glad you’re here.” Alice cut and served the pie. There was a long silence while they ate.
Taryn set down her fork and directed her attention to Jack. “So did you grow up in town?”
He shook his head. “No. My work brought me here. I teach music over at the elementary school.”
“Really? I sing a little myself.”
“My passion’s the piano,” Jack replied.
“Didn’t I see one in the parlor?” Ross chimed in. “Maybe you two could offer up some entertainment?”
“That’s a great idea.” Taryn jumped out of her chair. “What do you say, Jack? Come on, let’s give it a shot.”
Alice expected Jack to resist, but he went along easily, and a second later, she was alone with Ross. “Your sister seems nice.”
“Talented too. Wait until you hear her sing.”
Wonderful. If Jack wasn’t attracted to her before, he would be now. “I can hardly wait,” she said, trying to put on a happy face.
“Your aunt has a lovely home,” Ross said, changing the subject. “Did she grow up here?”
“Yes. It’s the only home she’s lived in.”
“There must be lots of memories here.”
Her mind drifted back to when she was young and engaged to Tom. The sense of loss brought a heaviness to her chest, and despair seared her heart. She closed her eyes, trying to hide her misery from his probing stare.
“Did I say something wrong? I didn’t mean to make you sad.”
Alice opened her eyes and answered him thickly. “No, no. It’s okay. I was just thinking back, and it made me a little sentimental. That’s all.”
“Are you her only niece?”
“Yes. We don’t have much family left. She’s ninety, and I’m pretty much all she has. I mean, other than my dad—her brother.” Alice hated to tell another lie.
Ross glanced around the room. “This place is historic. I love it. And all those antiques must be worth a small fortune. I sure hope she has them insured.”
Alice shrugged. Her belongings weren’t insured. She was an old woman who was going to die soon, and she had no relatives to leave them to. So what did it matter?
“I could write up a small policy for her. Wouldn’t cost much per month, but she’ll be well protected. That is if she doesn’t already have one. Maybe you could check?”
Alice stared at him. She didn’t like all his probing. She needed to think of a quick response, but before she could come up with one, he was asking more questions.
“Do you know where she might keep her paperwork? A safe, maybe?”
This conversation had headed in the wrong direction. Thankfully, Jack began to play the piano—just the diversion she needed. “We should join the others.”
When they entered the parlor, Alice noticed that Jack shared the piano bench with Taryn. And she was sitting way too close to him. She flipped the music sheet and began to sing. Ross had been right. Taryn did have a beautiful voice.
Alice listened while they performed two more songs together, then pasted on a pretend smile. “That was lovely.”
The gorgeous redhead looked at her through veiled lashes. “Thanks. My mom always thought I should be a singer. But fate had something different in mind.” She shifted her gaze over to Ross. “Isn’t that right?”
“Yeah, but you’ve done okay for yourself…so far.”
Something was going on between those two that she couldn’t quite put her finger on, and it made her uneasy.
Taryn ignored Ross’s remark and asked Alice, “Would you mind if I use your bathroom?”
“Not at all,” she replied. “Go down the hall; first door on the right.”
After Taryn left, Alice sat on the bench beside Jack. “Play Rachmaninoff for me.”
He looked at her and grinned, letting his fingers fly effortlessly over the keys.
Ross settled into the big overstuffed armchair and stared at the Christmas tree, but every now and then his gaze would scan the room, giving Alice the impression he was taking note of her belongings. She hoped he wasn’t going to put more pressure on her to take out an insurance policy.
* * *
Cassandra looked at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. Her pale skin had a yellowish cast. She hadn’t felt well since eating dessert. She leaned over the sink and splashed her face with cool water. She wanted to go back to the hotel. Daryn could scope out the house another time. He didn’t need to do it tonight. She would tell him they needed to leave. He might be angry, but he’d get over it.
She dried her face and hands, then left the bathroom. She walked down the hall, stopping when she came to the bedroom. A lovely canopy bed covered in a rich tapestry bedspread was too inviting to resist. What could it hurt to lie down for just a minute?
As she sank into the soft down mattress, she noticed the dressing table across the room. It held a lavish jewelry box. Her fingers itched to go through it. Common sense told her it would be insane do so. Ally could come in at any time. But the temptation was too great, and she gave in to her desire.
When she opened the box, her jaw dropped. Inside were strands of pearls and gold, along with rings containing a variety of stones. She picked out one with rubies and diamonds and tried it on her left hand. It fit perfectly. This could serve as her engagement ring. At least until Daryn presented her with the real one.
She slipped it off her finger, then dropped it into the pocket of her pants. Next, she selected a beautiful gold necklace with an oval locket and dropped it into her pocket too. She would have loved to help herself to more, but that would have been stupid. She mustn’t be greedy. Chances were good that one ring and one necklace wouldn’t be missed, not until after she was gone from this town.
Cassandra smiled as she entered the parlor. Jack was still playing the piano. Ally was sitting beside him, and Daryn was across the room, looking extremely bored. She walked up to him, trying to conceal her excitement. Stealing gave her almost as big a
thrill as fabulous sex.
“Everything okay?” he asked. “You were gone awhile.”
“I’m not feeling that great.”
“Probably all the booze you consumed earlier,” he said dryly.
“I don’t think it mixed well with the dessert. Do you mind if we get going?”
“Sure. I’m done here anyway. At least for tonight.”
They went over to the piano, and Daryn said to Ally, “We’re going to head out. Thank you for a great evening.”
“I’m glad you could make it. Both of you.”
Cassandra gave Ally a quick hug, then a wave to Jack, who had just begun to play another song.
“I’m so glad that’s over,” she said to Daryn when they were outside.
He looked at her with distrust. “What’s going on?”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re not really sick, are you?”
That was just like him. He always thought the worst of her. “I told you the truth. I’m not feeling well. That’s why I went to the bathroom.”
“That’s it? That’s all you did?”
Damn! She couldn’t hide a thing from him. But she wasn’t about to let him know that she’d stolen some jewelry. At least not yet. “Of course. I’m so tired of you accusing me of things.”
“Okay, babe. Just checking. I know you, that’s all.”
Daryn had parked the car across the street. When Cassie reached the BMW, she didn’t wait for him to open the door. She slid into the seat and stared out the window. They drove back to the hotel in silence.
Once inside the room, her stomach started to gurgle and her mouth filled with saliva. She ran for the bathroom, making it to the toilet just in time. She hung her head over the bowl and vomited. It served her right, she thought glumly. Maybe this was payback for all her lies.
A few minutes later, Daryn came in with her bathrobe. “Here, babe. Put this on. You’ll be much more comfortable.”
“Thanks.” She took it from him and began to unbutton her shirt, but the room started spinning, so she grabbed hold of the sink for support.
“Here, let me help you.” He got her undressed in no time and had the robe draped around her shoulders and a cool washrag on her forehead. “Anything else I can do?” he asked.
“Maybe get me a glass of ginger ale?”
“You going to be okay while I run down the hall to the vending machine?”
“I’ll be fine.” But shortly after he left, another wave of nausea hit, and she was back crouched over the toilet. She wished she hadn’t gone into that bar. Martinis never agreed with her. What had she been thinking? When her stomach finally finished revolting, she washed her face and brushed her teeth, then left the bathroom.
Daryn was sitting on the bed. Beside him, on the nightstand, was a glass of ginger ale. And the jewelry she’d stolen.
She swallowed hard. “You went through my things?”
“That’s all you have to say? You could have jeopardized everything, and you have the nerve to accuse me of going through your things. Well, for your information, the necklace fell out of your pocket when I was putting away your pants. After that, I thought it might be wise to see if you’d taken anything else. And what do you know? I found a ring.” His tone was flat.
She could hardly lift her voice above a whisper. “I…um… I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” She crossed the room, then sat next to him. Her shoulders sagged as she hung her head. “I can’t help myself. I don’t want to take things, but I can’t stop. I’m sorry.”
To her surprise, he put his arm around her. “I’m sorry too.”
She looked at him, her eyes open wide. “Why?”
“Because we’re quite a pair, aren’t we?” He pulled her closer. “How can I be mad at you for taking some trinkets? The game I got you involved in is so much more dangerous. I should have thought of that before letting you get sucked into it.”
She kissed his cheek. “I haven’t regretted one moment. I’d do it all over again. You’re everything to me.”
“What do you say if we make this our last scam? We have enough money to live a good life. Not extravagant, but good.” His gaze was riveted on her face.
She stared back at him. “You mean give up our work altogether? What would we do?”
“We could go legit. I could get a real job—really sell insurance. I’d be good at it. And you, well, you’re a great singer. You should pursue your dream.”
A delightful shiver ran through her. “You mean that? You’d do that for me?”
He kissed her softly in answer.
“You wouldn’t get bored with that life?” She wanted to be sure he’d thought it through.
He grinned widely. “Baby, I’d never be bored with you.”
She smiled back at him. “Okay. It’s a deal.”
“Only thing is, I’m gonna finish this up myself. I can’t let you put yourself in more danger.”
Suddenly, all pleasure left her. “W-what do you mean?”
“You can stay with my cousin in Jersey until I come get you.”
“No. Are you crazy? I’m not leaving you.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him.
“Listen to me. It’s for your own good. If anything goes wrong, I’ll be the one going to jail. Not you.”
Her stomach churned with fear. What if she never saw him again? “No, no, no. Absolutely not. We’re partners, remember? I’m with you all the way.”
He unlaced her fingers from his neck. “Baby, this isn’t negotiable. I’m calling to make the arrangements in the morning.”
Her throat ached with defeat. Once Daryn made up his mind, there was no changing it. Tears filled her eyes and spilled over onto her cheeks. She hated to cry, especially in front of him. “How long will it take you to wrap things up here?”
“I don’t know. Not long, I hope.”
She stared at him.
“Now don’t look at me like that. You don’t have anything to worry about. Didn’t you see the way those two love birds were acting? Jack’s crazy about Ally, and she feels the same about him. I’m not even going to try to get alone-time with her.”
“How are you going to get to the money, then?”
“Remember that rummage sale we’d heard them talking about?”
She shrugged. “Yeah, so?”
“Well, when she goes out tomorrow, I’ll slip inside the house. The money’s got to be stashed under the mattress. I’ve looked pretty much everywhere else. And besides, if it turns out there’s no money after all, there’s plenty of stuff to fence. It’s one shot. In and out, babe. That’s it; then I’m done, and we’ll get married. I’ll make an honest woman out of you.” He kissed the tears from her cheeks.
“Promise you’ll be careful?” she whispered.
“Promise.”
* * *
Jack glanced at Ally, who sat beside him on the piano bench, as he played one last song. The evening had been a farce, but he was happy now that those two characters had left. They were like something out of a spy novel. He didn’t trust Ross for a second, and he didn’t believe Taryn was his sister. There was something fishy going on. For all he knew, they were all grifters, plotting to steal from Alice. One way or another, he would get Ally to open up to him, bringing this charade to an end…and then he could go to the police.
When he finished playing, he took hold of Ally’s hand and pulled her to her feet. He put his arms around her waist, then bent his head and pressed his lips to hers, caressing her mouth rather than just kissing it. He teased her until a fire grew in him that he could barely control. He ran a hand up the back of her head and tangled his fingers in her hair, pulling her head back so that he could run his mouth down along the soft curves of her neck. Her pulse throbbed under the pressure of his mouth. She dug her nails into his back and let out a small moan of delight.
He wanted her now. Right now. And nothing was going to interrupt this time. He ran his other hand over the curves of her but
t and pressed her against him so that her thigh rubbed against his erection. With both his hands on her hips, he rocked her back and forth. She moved with him in a steady rhythm. “Do you want me as much as I want you?”
She curled her arms around his neck and whispered in his ear, “You know I do.”
His mouth found hers, and he kissed her again until the pounding in her chest was as fierce as a drumbeat. He ran his fingers along the hem of her blouse and, not bothering to unbutton it, he pulled it up over her breasts, exposing her bra. He moved his hands across the delicate fabric, watching her nipples harden at his touch; then he gently slipped each strap off her shoulders. Her body tensed as he unhooked her bra and let it drop to the floor, leaving her partially naked.
To his surprise, she used her hands to cover herself. She had no reason to be embarrassed. Ally was a splendid goddess. “Don’t.” He lifted her arms and tugged the blouse over her head. “You don’t need to be shy around me.”
She closed her eyes. “It’s just that—”
“Shhh.” He put a finger up to her lips to silence her protests. “You’re beautiful, and I want to see you. All of you.” With that said, he ran his finger down her chin, along the base of her neck, and then between the swell of her perfect breasts. He watched them rise and fall with each quivering breath she took. He outlined her nipples with his fingers, then ran his hands over her breasts. He took one in his mouth, careful not to hurt her with his teeth.
He slid his hand down the front of her jeans and along the inside of her thigh, where she was moist and warm and delicious. Her legs went limp, and she held on to his shoulders for support. He slipped a finger inside her and moved it in and out while stroking just the right spot to make her explode. She arched her back, her body responding to him, and let out little gasps of delight.
He withdrew his hand from between her legs and gently laid her down on the floor. It took him only a moment before he had her completely naked: jeans off, panties tossed across the room. And just as quickly, he stripped off his own clothes. His gaze took in every inch of her luscious body, her skin flushed with a rosy glow. He kneeled over her with one leg on either side of her thighs; then he brushed her hair back from her forehead and kissed her brow before covering her with his body.
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