by Angelo, Judy
How could she face him now? Sleeping with her boss had been the worst mistake of her life.
Her mood grim, Dana slid out of bed and began the task of packing for her trip back to New York. How was she going to survive the journey back, with Rock – the seductive apple from her Garden of Eden – sitting right beside her the whole time? How could she look him in the eyes? What would she say? She groaned at the thought. The trip was going to be agony.
But when she saw Rock the look in his eyes told her that her fears were unfounded. As she approached, his lips softened into a slow smile.
“Did you rest well?” he asked, his voice low. “I left early this morning. I didn’t want to wake you.”
Dana’s body almost sagged with relief. So he didn’t hate her. Maybe there was still hope…
Hope for what, Dana? That your billionaire boss will fall in love with someone like you? Get real. She shook her head, trying to drive the warring thoughts from her mind. She wouldn’t think about that now. One day at a time, that was how she would go. And today wasn’t starting out so bad. She would enjoy the happy times as long as they lasted.
The flight back was short. At least that was the way it seemed to Dana. Rock engaged her in entertaining conversation the whole way, avoiding any mention of what had happened between them. And that was a good thing, wasn’t it? Now, on the plane, was not the time, after all.
And then, when they were only half an hour away from their destination, Rock told her something that made her heart sink.
Someone was stealing money from Premier Holdings. And it had been going on since before Mr. French left.
Dana’s initial reaction was confusion followed by distress then, as strange as it seemed, relief. At first she’d wondered who in the world would do such a thing to a wonderful man like Richard French, and who would want to hurt the company? How would they ever find out who was behind it? But then a realization struck her – Rock had taken her into his confidence. He’d shared a major secret, one that could affect the future of the company. He’d trusted her enough to make her aware of his suspicions and his investigation.
That had to mean something.
And maybe what that meant was, boss or not, maybe she did have a chance - if only a slim one – with Rock St. Stephens.
But then, only time would tell.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Soon after they got back to the New York office Rock had to leave for yet another issue with one of his companies in Alaska. He would only be gone a week, he assured her, but Dana had to fight hard to hide her disappointment when he told her. She knew she would miss him every day that he was gone.
But her problem ran far deeper than just missing Rock. She’d been on edge since that first day they returned to office. Would anything change between them? Would he expect a repeat performance?
Even worse, from here on, would he ignore her completely? Dana knew she would not breathe easy until she knew what the future held for her.
In the meanwhile she would do her work and count the days till Rock’s return.
And then she had an idea. What if she could solve the mystery of the embezzled funds before Rock got back? He would be so shocked and impressed, and he would sing her praises to Mr. French. And maybe, just maybe, it would make him like her just a wee bit more. Maybe even love her? Dared she even think it?
She would have to be discreet in her investigations, though. Outside of Rock, no-one knew of this but her, and she had to keep it that way.
The first day of Rock’s absence Dana finished her work early then put on her sleuth’s hat. Grabbing a notepad and a pen she began to think. Now where should she start? It had to be someone inside the company and, more than Rock, she knew each employee intimately. Her thoughts went to Sean Johnson. He was the logical first stop, being the financial controller of the corporation. And he wasn’t very friendly. She wrote his name on her list.
Then she thought of Sean’s second in command, the chief accountant and bookkeeper, Terrence Trust. She chuckled softly to herself as she wrote his name. With a name like Trust he shouldn’t even have made it on her list. Tapping her pen against her chin, she thought some more. This was harder than she’d thought. From what she knew of her co-workers, every one seemed clean and above board. There really was no-one she could say had been acting suspiciously. And then, like the flick of a light switch, she remembered something…something her friendly stalker had said. “Don’t think just because I’m a sales agent I can’t take you to nice restaurants and buy you gifts. Don’t worry about money. I’m good for it.” She gasped at the thought. Could Jason Blake be the one?
Then she shook her head and gave a soft chuckle. No. Impossible. There was no way Jason would have access to the company’s books. He was in sales, not accounting.
Still, he had been dressing pretty well, lately. And, now that she thought about it, he had been throwing a bit of money around, offering to buy drinks for everyone whenever the staff went out. She tightened her lips and frowned. For what it was worth, she would start getting friendly with Mr. Jason Blake. He was definitely worth checking out.
And so it was that the very next day Dana accepted Jason’s invitation to dinner.
Okay, so she’d orchestrated the whole thing, putting irresistible crumbs under his nose, dropping hints that she hadn’t had a dinner date in soo long and she was soo bored that she’d go out with anybody who asked her.
And it had worked like she’d known it would. And tomorrow, if all went well, she would know if Jason Blake was her man.
**
Rock could not believe it. After he’d thought all had been resolved at the Alaska station here he was again, on a plane to that very location. He gritted his teeth even as he thought about it. He’d told his president he would need the next several weeks to get things in order at his recently acquired company. He hadn’t expected to have to leave again so soon.
And this had happened just when events at the new company had taken a turn for the better. And that ‘better’ came in the form of one highly attractive, irresistible executive assistant by the name of Dana Daniels.
At the thought of Dana, Rock’s face relaxed and a smile crept across his lips. He’d known he had the hots for Dana, had been attracted to her since day one, but who could have known that she would have returned the sentiment?
That trip to the Bahamas had been a blessing in disguise because she probably hadn’t realized how she felt until they’d had a chance to spend time alone together, getting to know each other. And then her true feelings had come to the surface.
Rock pressed the button to tilt his seat back, his mind clearing itself of the work before him, his focus only on Dana. He was in trouble, he knew that much. Because the problem was, his feelings for this woman were not just physical. That was how it had started that first day he’d seen her so many months ago but now things had gone far beyond that. He’d come to know another side of her and she was not just a pretty face. Dana was warm and affectionate and kind, and she could be damn funny, too. A woman with a sense of humor. Now that was special.
Rock drew in a deep breath then let it out slowly and it was then that he came to a very serious conclusion. He wanted Dana Daniels in his life, and not as an executive assistant. No, he wanted far more than that. He’d been looking for a long time and now something had clicked, telling him the search was over. This was the woman he wanted as his wife.
Rock almost chuckled to himself. His family would think he’d gone nuts. They’d been pushing bachelorettes on him for years and he’d tried a few but had always moved on. And now, not only had he found his ideal mate himself, he’d done it in a matter of months. He knew his family, and especially his older brother would not believe it, not until he walked Dana down the aisle.
And now that his heart had spoken he intended to do just that.
For now, though, he would keep it to himself. He would wait until he was back in New York and could see her face to face.
He had to do things properly. He would do this when the time and place were just right.
**
Well, this was it. Her debut as a private investigator. Dana chuckled as a cheeky thought crossed her mind. Maybe she should try out for the role of the next Bond Girl?
As she strolled into the Eden Restaurant she saw Jason seated in the waiting area, frowning as he focused on the iPhone in his hand. She approached and as he looked up and saw her his face cleared and a broad smile lightened his face.
“Dana, I’ve got the perfect spot. I reserved a table for two in a private lounge so we can talk without any distractions.”
Dana smiled. Jason didn’t know what a big favor he’d just done her. Perfect. Now she could grill him without any risk of being overheard.
Within minutes she and Jason were seated in an intimate little alcove, separated from the other side of the restaurant by potted palms and a Chinese screen. Not totally private, but it would do.
As soon as they’d settled down and placed their orders Dana engaged Jason in friendly conversation. In fact, she was a lot friendlier this evening than she’d ever been with him. She wanted to loosen him up, make him feel comfortable, make him think she really liked him. His beaming face told her that her strategy was working beautifully.
“You know, Dana,” he gushed, “I never knew we’d ever get together like this.” He gave her a sly look. “You were just playing hard to get, I see. Good trick. It certainly got me interested.”
“Yeah, hard to get,” she said, chuckling. “That’s me.”
And then she wondered how she was going to go from that topic to the one she really wanted to tackle Jason on - his new spending habits.
She needn’t have worried. Jason was such a talker, hopping from one topic to another, but then always circling back to himself, that before long he’d gone back to his old habit of trying to impress her.
“I’m glad you finally came around to going out with me, Dana. See, I’m not that bad.” He held his arms wide as if asking her to examine him. “Lookin’ good, right?”
Dana raised her eyebrows and nodded slowly as if in true admiration. “Nice suit.”
“I got it at Macy’s.” He grinned. “A good step up from Sears, right?”
“Nice,” she said again then gave a seductive smile. “You know I meant to tell you, you have been looking good lately. What gives? Old Aunt Mable died and left you her millions?”
Jason laughed out loud at that. “I wish. I wouldn’t be working at Premier Holdings if I’d had that kind of luck.” Then he leaned forward and in a conspiratorial whisper he said, “I just know how to get around.” Then he gave her a wink and she didn’t know if it was meant to make him look sexy or smart. He succeeded in neither.
“I guess I need to hang with someone like you,” she said slowly, watching his face intently. “You look like someone who knows a thing or two.”
“Now you’re talkin’.” Jason practically smacked his lips in satisfaction. “Hang with me, babe, and you can forget about pinching the pennies, just like me.”
Now if that wasn’t grounds for suspicion, Dana didn’t know what was. Although Jason hadn’t come out and said anything incriminating – so far – she could guess it would be a matter of time…especially if she got super friendly with him.
And that was what she resolved to do. Over the next couple of days she’d be so nice to Jason he’d soon take her into his confidence…hopefully. But even if he didn’t, she had a Plan B. She could see what information she could dig out of Sean Johnson. Discreetly, of course.
But Dana soon came to realize that Sean was not an easy nut to crack. The man was as tight as a drum, giving up not one ounce of information. The day following her dinner with Jason she went to see Sean, telling him she was doing an analysis for Rock and just needed a little help from him. Then, among her generic questions, she slipped in some that would give her an idea of how much he knew about the embezzlement. He didn’t take the bait, totally ignoring those questions not directly related to what she’d told him she’d come about. Darn.
Then Dana tried a different tactic. She would pick the brain of Sean’s second – trusty Mr. Terrence Trust.
And that was how Dana found out how guilty Jason really was.
“Isn’t it a nice coincidence, Dana?” Terrence said as he pushed his thick glasses back up his nose and gave her a gap-toothed smile. “There seems to be a growing interest in the field of accounting in this corporation. You know, young Mr. Blake came and sat with me last year and had a similar conversation.”
“Really?” Dana raised her eyebrows in surprise but then she softened her expression with a smile. “Asking these same sorts of questions, about how to read a financial statement?”
“Well, not exactly.” Terrence tilted his head to one side and cracked his neck with a loud pop then grinned. “Sorry. Bad habit.” Then he blinked at her through his thick glasses. “No, actually he was more interested in how the sales documents such as his expense reports tied into the monthly reporting system. Said it was really baffling him and he wanted to understand so he wouldn’t make any mistakes going forward.” Trust nodded and looked very pleased. “An admirable young man. It takes a big person to admit he’s made mistakes.” He pointed a finger at her. “And he wants to do better. Isn’t that something?”
“Yes,” she said, nodding. “It certainly is.”
Terrence leaned back in his chair and clasped his fingers across paunch. “And I explained everything to him. He came to me three evenings in a row and I did not turn him away. When I was done with him he knew everything there was to know about expense reconciliation. I even threw in a bit of bookkeeping.” He chuckled. “I never waste a chance to teach someone something new.”
“You’re quite…generous.” Dana struggled to keep a straight face as she stared at the self-satisfied little man. Talk about naïve. How much of the company’s financial secrets had this man given away? He was way too trusting and open to hold a sensitive position like this. But now she knew. Jason had used the knowledge gleaned from Terrence Trust to manipulate his expense reports and the funds allocated to him. And he’d been helped by a poor, innocent man who had no idea he had been duped.
Of course, even with this newfound knowledge Dana knew she could say nothing. This was a matter for Rock to handle and she would bring him into the picture as soon as he returned to office.
But, in the meanwhile, there was one little problem – she’d become oh, so friendly with Jason in the last couple of days that he seemed convinced that she had the hots for him. And she could not get rid of him. And today they had a lunch date. Dear God, give me strength to endure the chattering…
Lunchtime came around soon enough and, stifling a sigh, Dana grabbed her purse and headed out the door. One last time, Dana. Just grin and bear it one last time.
To Dana’s surprise, Jason was not his usual chatterbox self. In fact, his mood seemed distant, almost pensive. More than once during lunch he stared off into the distance, seeming to forget she was even there.
“Are you all right, Jason?” she finally had to ask. “You seem to have a lot on your mind today.”
Jason’s eyes snapped back to her. He blinked then looked at her like he was seeing her for the first time that day. Then his face fell and he heaved a sigh, one of the saddest sounds Dana had heard in a long time.
“It’s my mom,” he said, his voice cracking. “She’s dying.”
Dana’s eyes widened. “Oh, my God,” she whispered. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s her kidneys. They’re giving out on her.” He shook his head. “We’ve been trying to find a donor but we’re too far down the waiting list. She’s past sixty so she’s not priority.” He gave a bitter laugh. “A woman who spent the better part of her life as a nurse helping others. Not a priority.”
“I’m…so sorry.” Dana reached out and touched his hand. She didn’t know what else to do.
“And can you believe it?” he
continued, his voice hoarse with emotion, “I’m not a match. Her own son.” He said the last word with such disgust that Dana could not help wondering if somehow he blamed himself for his mother’s suffering.
He put his hands to his head and his nostrils flared as he sucked in his breath. “She doesn’t have health insurance and it costs so much money - the treatment, weekly dialysis, medicines - and it’s all been in vain. God, this is so unfair.”
He looked like he was close to tears and Dana’s heart reached out to him. She could not imagine what he was going through. But even while observing his grief, there was one thing she had to know. Could she ask it now? Yes, she decided. There was never going to be a good time so it was best to just put it on the table while he was in this state – vulnerable, and possibly ready to share.
“Jason, is this why you…took the money?”
Jason looked like he’d just been hit with a two by four. His sad expression gave way to shock then fear. The color drained from his face. “I…I …how do you know about that?”
Dana shook her head. “It doesn’t matter, Jason. What matters is what you did.” She drew in a shallow breath and lowered her voice, trying hard not to sound judgmental. “I understand why you did it but still, it was wrong.”
Jason’s hands began to tremble and he clasped them then lowered them to his lap. “I…I know, Dana. I know it was wrong but what else could I do? My mom needed care.”
The last word ended on such a plaintive note that Dana felt nothing but pity for him. How could she judge a man who was in the depths of despair?
She reached out again and when he saw her hand he took it and clung to it like it was a lifeline. “I want to help you, Jason,” she said earnestly. “Let me help you. Please.”
“But…how? The deed is already done. The money’s all gone.” The desperation gave a sharp edge to his voice.
“You have to confess.” At his look of hopelessness she spoke quickly. “I’ll talk to Rock. I’ll ask him to give you a chance to pay the money back. But there’s no other way but to confess.”
