by Coleen Kwan
Her muscles sighed with relief as she sank into the comfy contours of the couch. Stretching out, she found a handy cup holder for her beer in the armrest.
“That’s what I like about guys’ apartments,” she said. “They’re so practical when it comes to things like where to put your beer.”
Dane dropped down next to her, his weight pushing into the leather and causing her to tilt toward him. “And you can put your feet on the coffee table no problem.” To demonstrate, he toed off his boots and plonked his feet on the large slab of polished oak that formed the coffee table.
Following suit, Holly shucked off her shoes and stretched out her feet as well, her pink socks bright against his black ones.
“Your feet look so dainty next to mine.” Dane flicked on the television, and chose a movie at random from the cable selection.
“That’s because your feet are ginormous. You should be called Bigfoot instead of Dane.”
He nudged her with his shoulder. “Well, you know what they say. Big feet means big…”
“Big socks?” She pretended to guess. “Big shoes?”
He laughed and slung his arm around her shoulders as if it was the most natural thing in the world to do. “You’re a tease, Holly.” He took another slug of his beer before setting the bottle aside.
His arm was warm and heavy across her shoulders, his fingers absently stroking her bare arm, sending delicious shivers through her. The temptation to cuddle up to him was so strong she could hardly breathe.
No man had ever exerted such a magnetic hold over her, not even the guy she’d thought her soulmate. Why Dane? Why couldn’t she keep him at arm’s length like she knew she should? She stared at his profile, wishing he would twist his head and plant those lips on hers. Her stomach tightened. She wanted his kiss, but she wanted more, too. Something more than just pure lust, something more dangerous—
“Don’t,” Dane said, his gaze still firmly fixed on the television, his voice a low growl.
“Don’t what?” she managed to ask.
“Don’t look at me like that, or I won’t be able to hold back.”
She swallowed, unable to deny that she was gobbling him up with her eyes. “Is this how you hold back?” she murmured. “By talking about big feet and putting your arm around me?”
“You’re right.” With a soft sigh, he removed his arm from her shoulders and scooted several inches away from her. “I said I’d bring you here for dinner, not to seduce you into my bed, and I meant it. We’ve both had a long day, and we should just relax for a while.”
Why was he being such a gentleman all of a sudden? The sexual tension between them was more combustible than a dry forest soaked in acetone. Alone at night in his apartment, there was nothing stopping them from setting a match to all that tinder. But, strangely, she appreciated his restraint. He wasn’t just after sex. He liked spending time with her, enjoyed her company.
She rolled away from him, inexplicably content, and snuggled her head onto a cushion. “I like this movie,” she said as the first action sequence of a thriller movie began to play out on the screen.
In reply he lifted her feet off the coffee table and planted them in his lap. “Comfy?”
She nodded. Yes, she was very comfortable lying here on Dane’s couch with her feet in his lap. As the movie played on, he began to absently massage her feet, and a blissful feeling drifted through her, relaxing her sore muscles. Before she knew what was happening, sleep came rolling over her.
Chapter Six
Soft morning sunlight gilded Holly’s face and turned her hair to dazzling silver. Dane gazed down at her curled up figure on the couch. She looked so peaceful in her sleep. He hated waking her, but she’d be mad at him if he didn’t. Her mouth was soft and dewy and pouty. Maybe he could wake her with a kiss… Blood thrummed in his groin, and he wondered why he’d been such a boy scout last night. Why, when he had her snuggled up into his side, hadn’t he just kissed her like he wanted to all the time? Why hadn’t he given them what they both obviously wanted?
Exasperated with himself, he leaned over and touched her shoulder.
“Go ’way,” she mumbled grumpily, swatting at his hand before rolling over onto her stomach.
Grinning, he shook her a little harder. “Hey, sunshine, it’s time to get up.” A groan came from her mussed up hair. “Do you want everyone to see us arriving at the Halifax together?”
That got her attention. She scrambled upright. “Crap. Where am I?” She stared wildly around her, obviously not expecting to find herself in his apartment. “Why did you let me sleep over?”
“I fell asleep too, but don’t worry. It’s still early. You’ve got time for a shower.”
Her bleary gaze cleared and tracked over the towel slung around his hips before resting on his bare, damp torso. Her eyes widened, her lips parted, and the fact that she couldn’t tear her eyes away from him made the heat thump in his veins.
“Shower, right.” She pushed to her feet and stepped back as if she didn’t trust herself around him semi-naked.
“It’s through there and upstairs.” Dane jerked a thumb at the hallway that opened to a staircase leading up to the sprawling master suite. “There’s plenty of fresh towels for you.”
“Uh, thanks,” she muttered before scampering away.
As he put on his clothes in the dressing room of the master suite, he heard the sounds of splashing in the adjoining bathroom, and his imagination went into overdrive. The shower was huge, with two shower heads and a private view of the city skyline. He pictured a naked, wet Holly standing spread-eagled in that shower while he stood behind her, his lips against her neck, his hand stroking her between her thighs…
He let out a groan. Shit, he did not want to be nursing a hard on all day long. Maybe he should join her in the shower. No, he couldn’t do that, dammit. There wasn’t enough time. If the other contestants or that pesky journalist saw them arriving together, tongues would start wagging, and sooner or later the gossip would reach his father’s ears. Martin would think he wasn’t fit for the family business, or, worse, he’d think Dane was fooling around with Holly just to piss him off. At this critical time, he didn’t need his dad questioning his loyalty or his judgment.
It was probably a good thing he hadn’t given in to temptation and carried Holly to his bedroom last night, because one night with her wouldn’t nearly be enough, and he couldn’t afford to get embroiled in a steamy affair with her. He had to remain focused on his goals—get the Halifax Hotel, win his father’s trust, and in doing so, honor his promise to his mom as well as save his sister from Eric.
Holly stood in the way of all those goals. She was his rival, his opposition. He had to remember that.
***
Holly frowned at the blank walls in the Vienna suite. The rooms were taking shape. She’d finished painting and wallpapering, and some of the furnishings she’d ordered had already arrived. She’d spent most of the morning completing the bedroom, but the walls of the living room continued to bug her.
She knew what she wanted to hang there—two striking, surrealist paintings that her father owned. He’d bought them many years ago, and they were now permanent fixtures in his private gallery at home. Would he trust her enough to lend his prized possessions to her? She could source some prints of other, more famous works, but they wouldn’t have the same effect as her father’s originals. With their mind-bending designs and stunning colors, they would lift the room out of the ordinary, and hopefully give her a chance of making the second round of the Gilbert Challenge.
Taking in a deep breath, she pulled out her cell phone and quickly called him. He seemed pleased to hear from her, but when she made her request, he wasn’t so happy. Given her track record, he was reluctant to hand over his precious paintings. She persisted, though, and eventually he agreed with reluctance, but only if he organized the transport and installation of the paintings. After agreeing to all his conditions, she finally ended the call.
&nbs
p; “Anything the matter?” Dane asked from the hallway. She had opened the door to air out the paint fumes, and now he stood in the doorway, his eyebrows raised. “Looks like you had a difficult call.”
“My dad. I want to borrow a couple of his art works, but he doesn’t trust me enough, so I had to talk him into it.”
“Original art work?” He walked further into the room. “You’re upping the stakes, huh?”
“Hey, I plan on winning. I thought you knew that.”
“Yeah, but…” He paused and gazed at her, a slight frown marring his face.
She tensed. Was he thinking about her sleeping over at his place? Today, with hindsight, she realized that last night had been a big mistake. If she and Dane had slept together, she could’ve passed it off as just lust, but they’d done more than that. She and Dane couldn’t be friends; they couldn’t hang out together and fall asleep watching late night movies.
The beep of her cell phone distracted her.
“Oh, Holly, thank god you picked up!” a desperate female voice gasped.
“Cassie? Is that you?”
“Yeah, I need—” She broke off, and a drawn out groan filled Holly’s ears.
The hair on the back of Holly’s neck rose. “Cassie! Where the hell are you?”
“H-home,” Cassie stuttered in between heaving breaths.
“I’ll be there as soon as I can.” Holly ended the call. Cold shivers raced up and down her spine. She met Dane’s concerned eyes. “It’s—”
“Your pregnant sister-in-law. I know. Come on. Let’s go.” He gestured to the open door.
Holly gaped at him. “You mean you…?”
“Yeah, I’m taking you there. Wherever it is, it’ll be quicker on my motorcycle.”
He made sense, and she was in no state to argue. Her hands were trembling so much she could barely pick up her purse. Without speaking, Dane plucked the key out of her hand, ushered her out of the room, and locked the door for her. He pressed the key back into her fingers.
Within minutes they were on his motorcycle, and she’d given him the address. This morning he’d provided her with a helmet for the ride to the Halifax, so now they could go faster. In normal conditions, a taxi ride to Cassie’s house would have taken twenty or thirty minutes, but today’s traffic was horrendous. Cars clogged the streets, impatient drivers honked, intersections were jammed. But on a motorcycle, everything was different. Dane wove the machine expertly through the traffic, and they made good progress.
They pulled up outside the large mansion that Cassie and Kirk had bought as soon as they’d decided to start a family. Pulling off her helmet, Holly raced to the front door, Dane close on her heels. She knocked frantically several times until Cassie finally opened the door, looking wan but relieved.
Holly grasped her sister-in-law’s arm and helped her to the living room, where Cassie sank into an armchair. Holly knelt in front of her.
“My contractions have started,” Cassie said. “I tried calling Kirk, but he’s in a black spot or there’s something wrong with the network because he’s not picking up. I—I panicked, and called you.” Her lower lip trembled.
“What about your doctor?” Holly asked, knowing her brother had made sure Cassie was under the care of the best obstetrician in San Francisco. “Did you call him?”
Cassie nodded. “He said to get to the hospital. That’s when I called you.”
“Okay, I’m taking you to the hospital right now.”
“Right now? But I want to wait for Kirk—” Before Cassie could complete the sentence, she doubled over, her face scrunched as the contraction took over. “Oh jeez,” she panted after it had passed. “That one came sooner than I expected.”
“What do you mean?” Holly gulped. “Are—are you going to have the baby now?”
Cassie bit her lip, her face gray and sweaty. “No, not right away. I think I still have some time. But I need Kirk.” Her chin trembled. “I c—can’t do this without him.”
Holly squeezed her hand. Her sister-in-law was one of the strongest, most capable women she’d ever met, but this was one time where only one man would do for her.
“Where is he?” Dane’s voice came from behind them. “I’ll go and get him.”
Both women looked up at him, Holly belatedly realizing that Cassie had never met Dane before.
“Uh, Cassie, this is Dane Schofield, one of my fellow competitors at the Halifax Hotel. Dane gave me a ride over here on his motorcycle.”
“Hi, Dane.” Cassie gave him a weak smile. “Um, did you mean it? About fetching my husband?”
“Of course. I’ve got a spare helmet here.” He held up the helmet Holly had recently worn. “The good thing about a motorcycle is that it can get through traffic jams.”
Cassie’s expression brightened a little. “He went out to inspect a building site just out of town.” She gave Dane the address and Kirk’s number, and Dane entered the information into his cell phone. “Oh, thank you.” Cassie slumped into her chair. “You don’t know what this means to me. And Kirk.”
“We’ll meet you at the hospital,” Dane said, heading for the door.
Holly hurried after him. “Are you sure about this? I mean, you still have to finish your room at the Halifax. You don’t have the time to—”
He stopped her by swinging around and gripping her arms. “Listen, I don’t know Cassie or your brother, but I know you, and I can see that you’re worried sick about the situation, and I want to help you any way I can. Simple as that. Now go in there and hold the poor woman’s hand.”
“Okay.” Holly paused, realizing how glad she was that Dane was here with her and so ready to help. “Thank you. I really appreciate it.”
He pulled on his helmet, swung onto his motorcycle, and revved it up. “While I’m gone, can you try calling your brother again and explain what’s up? That way, he won’t think I’m trying to con him into something when I turn up with some bullshit-sounding story about his wife going into labor.”
“Oh, yes, of course.” For a while she’d forgotten that the Schofields and the Rochesters were bitter rivals. “I’ll stay in touch, and…and thanks.”
He touched her briefly on the chin with his knuckles. Then he flipped the helmet visor shut and roared away.
“Okay, I’m taking you to the hospital,” Holly said to Cassie as soon as she returned to the house. She helped Cassie to her feet and grabbed the car keys and travel bag waiting at the front door.
“I told Kirk to go to work today,” Cassie muttered. “He was being so over-protective, but now I just want him with me.”
As they hit the afternoon rush hour, Holly tried calling her brother, but he was still out of reach. They crawled along at an agonizing pace. Ordinarily, Holly would have relived the frustration by yelling at pushy drivers, but this time she didn’t want to do anything that might raise Cassie’s blood pressure. So she ground her jaw and clenched the steering wheel, her stomach in knots until finally she pulled into the driveway of the hospital.
“Kirk’s not here.” Cassie’s brow wrinkled as they were ushered into the birth center.
“He won’t be long,” Holly replied with more conviction than she felt. The city traffic was dire. Maybe Dane wouldn’t get Kirk here soon enough, despite his motorcycle.
The nurse helped Cassie into bed in a private room. Looking lost, Cassie wrapped her fingers around Holly’s hand. “I hate hospitals. Thank god you’re here.”
Holly squeezed her back, a lump forming in her throat. “You’re family. I’d do anything for you.”
“Anything, huh?” Cassie lifted an eyebrow, looking more her usual self. “So I can put you down for baby-sitting duties?”
“You betcha.” Holly laughed. “I’m going to spoil my niece or nephew rotten.”
They were interrupted by another contraction that had Cassie turning white and gasping. Holly, ignoring her crushing grip on her fingers, tried to coach her with her breathing exercises, wishing she knew what she was doin
g. Several more contractions came and went, together with medical staff checking up on Cassie, before the door flew open again and Kirk burst into the room, his eyes wide, his hair wild, his tie askew. He rushed to Cassie’s side, demanding to know what was going on. As Cassie’s face crumpled with relief and the midwife reassured him that everything was on track, Holly backed away to give them some privacy.
“Hey, Holly,” Kirk said when she was almost at the door. “Thanks for…for everything. You going to hang around for a while?”
She nodded. “Yeah, sure. I’m just going to get a soda or something. I’ll be back soon.”
She slipped out of the room and leaned against the corridor wall for a while until the tension had loosened from her shoulders. She walked to the waiting room and had just found a vending machine when Dane appeared. Her heart gave an involuntary leap, and her smile stretched wide across her face.
“Thank you.” She pressed a hand to her chest, feeling a weight had been lifted off her. “That was really good of you.”
“No problem. Glad I could help. How are things here?”
“Things are going much better now Kirk’s here. Was he shocked when you arrived and gave him the news?”
“He thought I was trying to trick him into something.” Dane chuckled as he dug into his pocket for a couple of dollar bills. “You Rochesters are a suspicious bunch.”
“Jeez, I hope he didn’t give you a hard time.”
“I didn’t give him a chance. I told him to shut up and get on the motorcycle.” He fed the money into the vending machine and bought two cans of soda.
“My god. No one tells my brother to shut up.” She gazed at him in awe.
“Except when his wife is involved. He didn’t want to stop and call, told me to shut up and ride.” Dane handed her a can of soda, popped the tab of the other, and chugged down half the contents.
She stared at him, fascinated by the muscles of his throat working as he swallowed. He lowered the can, and caught her eyes.
“Thanks once again,” she said quickly. “And when Kirk recovers, I know he’ll thank you personally too.”
