by Erin Wade
In one swift move, Darke pulled Eden onto her lap and kissed her mercilessly. “I promise there’ll never be anyone but you. Only you, Eden.”
Chapter 18
“I’m going with you,” Eden declared.
“You’ll cramp my style,” Darke reasoned.
“You’re damn right, I will.”
“It’s difficult to be engaging and entertaining when you’re poking a pen in my back,” Darke pointed out. “I’d like nothing better than to stay in our room and make love to you, but we need access to Carter’s account. Rhonda is the key.”
“So, you’re going to bat those long lashes at her, and she’ll just hand over the information you need. I don’t think so.” Eden paced the floor. “You and I both know what she wants from you. You might trade that for the access.”
“I’m not a prostitute, Eden.” The cloud that settled on Darke’s face intimidated Eden for a second. “I have never used my womanly wiles to illicit information or anything else from someone.
“This argument is ridiculous. I won’t participate in it. If you don’t trust me, we have a problem.” Darke stomped from the room.
Eden knew she was being unreasonable and chastised herself for being so petty. God, if I didn’t love her so much, I wouldn’t feel this way.
Caz whined at the door and Eden let her out. Then she walked into the bedroom. “Is it okay to let Caz run free?” she asked, watching Darke get dressed.
“Yes,” Darke snapped.
“Look, I’m sorry,” Eden said as she zipped up the evening dress Darke was wearing. The burgundy cloth hugged her curves. “You’re so beautiful.”
Eden grimaced when she realized how low-cut the dress was. “Must you show her all your assets?” she said.
“And that slit up to your thigh is just asking to be—”
“Stop it, Eden,” Darke growled. “Jealousy doesn’t become you. You’re better than that.”
Eden bowed her head. “Are you taking Caz?”
“No, I want her to guard you.” Darke fastened her dangling earrings and applied fresh lipstick. “I spoke to Lori while you were in the shower. Carter has evaded them. They can’t locate him or Myron anywhere.”
“Do you think he’s here?”
“I don’t know. I don’t want to take any chances with your life. I happen to be in love with you.”
Chapter 19
Rhonda watched with delight as heads turned when Countess von Knight returned to her table. She is extraordinary, the banker thought. I wonder if she’s as good as she looks. She pushed other, less appropriate, thoughts to the back of her mind.
The hostess pulled out the chair for Darke as she gracefully sat down. “This is a lovely restaurant,” she said. “Thank you for selecting it and for picking me up at the hotel.”
Rhonda motioned for the sommelier to pour wine into Darke’s glass. “I believe this is your favorite,” she said.
Darke sipped the wine, raised a perfect brow and nodded. “You must have quite a dossier on me, Ms. Durand.”
“Please, call me Rhonda?”
“Rhonda, I’m afraid you have the advantage. I know little about you,” Darke said, the lie rolling smoothly from her tongue.
“Something I hope to rectify,” Rhonda replied.
They ate dinner, drank more wine, and moved to an area of the restaurant that offered a large, well-used dance floor surrounded by intimate circular booths. The band was excellent and played requests.
“Do you have a favorite song you like for dancing?” Rhonda motioned for another bottle of wine.
“Request your favorite.” Darke’s smile was breathtaking. “I suspect you dance good enough to sweep me off my feet.”
“Perhaps a slow dance so we can get to know each other better.” Rhonda scribbled something on a cocktail napkin, folded a twenty inside, and handed it to their waiter.
The first strands of “Dancing Like Lovers” floated across the room. Rhonda led Darke to the dance floor and pulled her into her arms. “May I lead?”
“Please do,” Darke murmured as she kept a space between her body and Rhonda’s. Three steps later, Rhonda swung Darke around and pulled her tight against her.
“There. It’s much easier to follow when you can feel your partner’s body.” Rhonda smiled and inhaled deeply. “You smell divine, Countess.”
Darke relaxed in Rhonda’s arms and concentrated on letting the woman lead while her mind went to Eden. She had never danced with Eden. Something she would do as soon as possible.
When the song ended, Darke walked to their table and slid into the leather booth. Rhonda slid in close beside her, so their thighs were pressed together.
“I could get used to holding you,” Rhonda said, her hand resting on Darke’s naked thigh where her dress had fallen away.
“We barely know each other.” Darke cleared her throat. “I don’t think we should …” She pushed Rhonda’s hand away. Eden was right. This dress is too accessible.
“Of course, forgive me,” Rhonda said, bowing her head. “I’m afraid I … you’re extremely sensuous, Countess. You have gone to my head. I hope I didn’t offend you.”
“Not at all,” Darke mumbled. “I was … in my country one doesn’t move so quickly.”
They danced, drank more wine, laughed, and talked about whatever entered their minds. By midnight Rhonda had one arm draped over Darke’s shoulder, and her hand was working its way up Darke’s thigh. She leaned in to kiss the countess but hesitated in anticipation, savoring the moment when she would press her lips to those she had hungered for all night.
“What the hell?” Rhonda screamed as the waitress poured a frozen margarita down her back. She released Darke and jumped from the booth as the flustered waitress tried her best to wipe the ice from her back with a napkin.
“Oh, I’m so sorry, miss,” the young woman cried. “We will pay to dry-clean your dress. So sorry.”
Rhonda stomped the floor in a fit of rage. “Where’s the manager? I demand to see the manager.”
“I’ll get him, miss,” the waitress said as she scurried away.
Darke shook her head, trying to clear the wine-induced haze that had settled in her mind. “I really should go.”
“I thought we’d go to my place for a nightcap,” Rhonda said, flashing a seductive smile. “Where is that damn manager?”
“I really must go,” Darke mumbled, feeling dizzy and a bit disoriented as she walked away.
##
Darke welcomed the cool night air as she looked around for a taxi. A town car pulled to the curb, and the back window lowered. “Would you like a ride, Countess?” Eden said, her eyes sparkling.
Darke opened the door and Eden slid over to make room for her. Darke laid her head back against the cool leather seat. “I have one hell of a headache.” She grimaced, as if talking made it worse.
##
The smell of freshly brewed coffee roused Darke from a deep sleep. She slowly opened her eyes, keeping the pain to a minimum. She found Eden standing over her.
“I thought you might like a strong cup of coffee,” Eden whispered. “It helps with a hangover.”
“I’ve never had a hangover in my life.” Darke groaned as she lifted herself onto her elbows.
“I believe your date roofied you,” Eden informed her. “Looks like I’m not the only one with devious pursuers.”
Darke moaned as the pain in her head forced her eyes to close.
Eden placed the coffee on the nightstand and propped Darke up with pillows. “Did you get what you wanted from Rhonda?”
“No! I spent the entire night fighting her off me.” Darke accepted the coffee cup Eden held out to her and sipped the strong, hot liquid. She closed her eyes against the dull thudding in the center of her head.
“It is almost impossible to drug me,” she mumbled. “I’d like to know what she used.”
“Why are you different from anyone else?” Eden cocked her head and gazed into Darke’s deep blue eyes
.
“I’m … I have an unusually high metabolism,” Darke muttered. “If it hadn’t been for a clumsy waitress, Rhonda would have had her way with me. That truly disturbs me.”
Eden grinned. “Oh, I am so sorry, miss. We will pay to dry-clean your dress. So sorry.”
“You? That was you?” Darke’s beautiful lips curved into a smile. “I should have known, but all my senses were dulled. Did you spy on me all night?”
“Yes, I did,” Eden declared. “I knew exactly what Rhonda Durand was thinking. What she had in mind for you.”
Darke hid her smile as she looked up at Eden from beneath long lashes. “How did you know?”
“It’s the same reaction you evoke in everyone you meet,” Eden huffed. “You … you’re so damn sexy.”
“Even you?” Darke teased.
“You know exactly how you affect me,” Eden whispered as she gazed into her eyes. “I can’t keep my hands off you.” She traced Darke’s jawline with one fingertip. “I love you.”
Darke caught Eden’s hand and pulled it to her lips. “I love you too, Eden.”
The hotel phone rang, sending shooting pains through Darke’s head. She exchanged a questioning glance with Eden before picking up the receiver.
“Hello? Oh, good morning, Rhonda. No, no, I’m fine. I was just planning my day. Of course, I’d love to share it with you. Let’s meet here in an hour. I understand the hotel restaurant serves a marvelous brunch.”
“You’re seeing her again?” Eden gasped as Darke returned the receiver to its cradle. “After what she tried to do to you?”
“Eden.” Darke tilted her lover’s chin so they were gazing into each other’s eyes. “My only concern is getting the information I need from Rhonda Durand to enable me to reclaim your fortune. I want nothing else from her.”
Eden leaned in and kissed Darke’s lips. “I know. I just hate the thought of her touching you.”
“No one will ever touch me the way you do,” Darke promised.
##
Rhonda drummed her fingers on the table as the server placed her drink in front of her. Things didn’t exactly turn out as I planned, she thought. I can’t believe Darke made it back to her hotel last night.
Rhonda watched as the countess stood framed in the doorway, scanning the restaurant for her. Darke’s eyes sparkled and a smile lit her beautiful face as she acknowledged Rhonda’s wave. Perhaps I should have taken it slower, Rhonda thought.
Darke thanked the hostess for pulling out her chair and smiled at Rhonda as she took her seat. “It is so beautiful here,” she said as she perused the menu.
Rhonda smiled. “Just another day in paradise.”
She waited until Darke ordered and then tried to ascertain if the woman was aware she had been drugged the night before. “We drank a lot last night. Perhaps you’d like to go out in my boat today and bask in the fresh air.”
“Actually, the hotel staff told me about a two-hundred-year-old trail that is quite invigorating.” Darke’s smile was sweet and infectious. “I would love a good hike. It will help me walk off the toxins I inflicted on my body last night.
“It would also give us a chance to get to know each other better. I don’t seem to remember much from last night except that you’re an accomplished dancer.”
“Of course,” Rhonda said. Not exactly what I had planned, but it’ll do. “I’ll need to run home and change. I’m not dressed for hiking.” She swept her hand down her body and the business suit she was wearing.
“Sounds like we have a plan,” Darke said as she finished the last bite of food on her plate. “I need to change too. I’ll be ready when you return.”
“We could run up to your room and you could change now,” Rhonda suggested. “Then go to my home so I can change.”
“If you don’t mind, I’d rather dress and meet you back in the lobby in an hour.” Darke gave her a timid-looking smile.
Rhonda nodded and reached for the check. “I’ll take care of this, Countess.”
##
“Hiking?” Eden’s exasperated squeal made Darke laugh.
“Surely you don’t think she’ll molest me on a public trail,” Darke said, bantering with the blonde. “I think it’s the safest place to get her to relax and confide in me.”
“Take Caz,” Eden insisted.
“No, I want Caz with you. She’ll keep you safe.”
Eden acquiesced. She could feel that she was still in danger. For the first time, she felt Darke might be in danger too.
“I suppose you’ll have dinner with her,” Eden grumbled, pouting.
“Um, yes,”—Darke taunted her lover—“and we’ll probably go dancing so she can hold me in her arms.”
“Sometimes I hate you, Darke,” Eden hissed as she pushed the other woman onto the bed and straddled her. “You’re not leaving here until you take care of—”
Darke silenced her with a kiss, moving her full bottom lip sensuously against the younger woman’s.
“God, you can kiss,” Eden whispered, pulling away to catch her breath before engaging Darke’s lips again.
Chapter 20
“It’ll take us about three hours to hike the trail,” Rhonda informed Darke. “I thought we’d take our time then have an early dinner at a rustic beach shack that serves outstanding seafood.”
“That’ll be fun,” Darke said. “I want to see your famed blue iguanas.”
“I’m certain you’ll see them. The trail winds through a native mangrove swamp and a two-million-year-old woodland area that is home to all types of exotic creatures.”
“I understand iguanas are a delicacy in some areas,” Darke noted as they started down the trail.
“Some of our restaurants serve them,” Rhonda said, wrinkling her nose in disgust. “I can’t bring myself to eat a lizard.”
Darke’s laughter warmed Rhonda and she reached for the countess’s hand, lacing their fingers together.
“So, how did you become one of the world’s most successful bankers?” Darke asked, playing to the woman’s ego.
“It’s a family thing—my grandfather, father, and me.”
“But the bank has tripled in growth and value under your guidance,” Darke noted.
“I see you’ve done your homework.”
“Of course. Only a fool would place billions in a bank without knowing about its financial standing,” Darke replied.
“What about you, Countess?” Rhonda stopped and turned to face Darke. “How did you amass your family fortune? I can find very little about you. Oh, your favorite wine and foods, your girlfriends, but nothing of substance.
“For instance, where do you come from? Where’s your ancestral home? Are your parents alive? Do you have siblings?”
“Gold and minerals. The US. Mother, living. I have no siblings.”
Rhonda nodded, suppressing a smile. “Well, that was easy enough.”
“I have no secrets, Rhonda.”
“Why did you select my bank?”
“I did my research, spoke with friends in financial circles. And looked at your prospectus. I’m considering investing in your bank.” Darke cut her eyes toward Rhonda. “Would that be a wise investment?”
“Of course,” Rhonda said, her eyes locked on Darke’s.
“I must be entirely honest with you,” Darke continued. “I’ve been told that your bank is the most secure bank in the world. That your computers are impossible to hack because you use unique algorithms in your security codes. No one has been able to break them. My question is, who is the genius that came up with the algorithms for the codes?”
A smile flitted across Rhonda’s lips. “I did.”
Darke looked in awe of the other woman. “I’m impressed.”
“It’s always good to impress the person you wish to know better,” Rhonda said with a flirtatious wink.
They continued down the trail in silence for a few minutes. Suddenly, Rhonda jerked Darke to a standstill and pointed into the dense foliage.
<
br /> “What is that?”
“A blond wolf,” Darke whispered. “I’ve never seen such a magnificent animal.”
“There are no wolves on Grand Cayman.” Rhonda gripped Darke’s hand tighter. “It isn’t running away. I thought wolves usually avoided people.”
Darke’s mind raced. Carter would be a blond wolf. He’s here! How did he find us? Someone told him, but who?
Darke locked eyes with the wolf, and the two stared at each other for a long time. Then the words slammed into Darke’s mind: Prepare to die, bitch. First Eden, then you.
The animal licked its lips and bared huge incisors before running into the forest.
Darke kept Rhonda behind her as she slowly turned in a circle, sniffing the air for some scent of Carter. She had to know from which direction he would attack.
“Darke—”
“Shh.”
After several minutes, Darke was confident that Carter was gone. That is probably the only warning I’ll receive, she thought. Eden! He’s gone after Eden!
“Rhonda, I must go,” Darke said, turning on her heel and heading back down the trail in the direction they’d come. She looked back over her shoulder. “You’ll be fine. I’ll call you.”
She didn’t give Rhonda a chance to protest. As soon as she was out of sight, Darke ran. The island was only eight miles wide and twenty-two miles long. With her speed, she could reach Eden in under ten minutes.
##
“Eden!” A frantic Darke flung open the apartment door as she tried to catch her breath. “Eden, baby, are you here?”
She ran into the bathroom and out onto the balcony. Eden wasn’t in their room. God, please don’t let me be too late.
A vicious growl came from below her as she watched Caz circle a black timber wolf. The animal’s eyes blazed red as it crouched to spring at Caz. “Myron!” Darke screamed.
The wolf stretched its neck to look up at her, giving Caz the target she needed. In a matter of seconds, Caz ripped out the animal’s throat.
Darke swung over the balcony and used a trellis to descend to the ground. “Caz, are you all right?” She ran her hands over the wolf’s silver-tipped coat in search of injuries and found none. “Eden. Where’s Eden?”
