by Gemma Bruce
She’d lied to him. Twice. He’d known pretty quickly that she wasn’t the pitiful wallflower she appeared to be. He’d been willing to buy her investigative reporter story, because he liked her and he wanted it to be true. Which was stupid. He obviously had no sense of self-preservation when it came to women.
And his immediate anger at having been duped settled into his belly, smoldering all through the day until late into night, when it turned to a cold, dark stone inside him.
Chapter 15
“Lordy, I never saw a man so cross in the morning.” Jeannie dug out a wedge of her grapefruit and pointed the spoon at Andy. “You been keeping him up late?”
Andy shook her head. “Not me.”
“Didn’t think so. A man that’s getting it wouldn’t be walking around under his own personal storm cloud. The two of you didn’t have a fight?” She eyed Andy, then shook her head. “No, I don’t suppose you fight with anybody. Maybe you should put yourself out to make him feel better.”
Andy frowned at her. “Why? I thought you were mad at him for getting Demetri in trouble.”
Jeannie ate the wedge of grapefruit, then waved the empty spoon. “Oh, that was yesterday. I just can’t seem to stay mad. Anyway, during Dr. Bliss’s talk last night, I had me a little tête à tête with Katherine Dane. I think we understand each other. Nobody’s gonna get fired.”
“You bribed her?”
“Well, let’s just say that we came to an understanding.”
Evelyn shook her head. “Jeannie, you’re shameless.”
Jeannie looked up, wide-eyed. “Well, I do try.”
———
Dillon sat in Katherine Dane’s office along with Demetri, Rusty, and JoJo. She’d just told them that she and Dr. Bliss, who wasn’t present, were going to give them all another chance.
“But, Katherine,” sputtered JoJo. “The rules are clear.” Ignoring the fact that Demetri was sitting two feet away from him, JoJo recited a litany of infractions that Demetri had incurred, reminded her of his probationary status, and his poor attitude.
Katherine merely smiled and said something banal about understanding and turning new pages. They were to be given a second chance.
“But Dillon and I didn’t even—”
Katherine cut Rusty off with another smile.
Demetri sat back in his chair, relaxed and expressionless. He’d known all along that he wasn’t going to be fired. It hadn’t been just bragging. He did have something on them.
JoJo looked as if he might bust a blood vessel and left immediately after the decision. Demetri thanked Ms. Dane, then left the room, shooting Dillon and Rusty a sardonic smile.
Dane gave them both pointed looks. “No more trouble.”
“We didn’t—”
“There won’t be,” said Dillon “Come on, Rusty. We’ve got to get to the pool for lunch.”
He ushered Rusty out of the office. As soon as they were outside, Rusty exploded. “Why does he get away with this stuff? It was almost like she was blaming us.”
Dillon shook his head. “Not a clue. But there’s nothing you or I, or evidently JoJo, can do about it. Just stay away from him.”
“I’d like to kill the fucker.”
Dillon sighed. “But you won’t.”
Rusty frowned at him. “Of course not. I’m just blowing off steam.”
“Good. Remember that.”
Demetri had already proved he was dangerous. And Dillon thought he might be capable of killing in a rage. It would be better for everyone if he’d been sent packing, but if there was a chance he knew anything about the death of Imogene Southwaite, it would be best to keep him on site. And if he could be linked directly to that death, all the better.
Dillon glanced at his watch. “Look, Rusty. I need a few min-utes—to get my head together. Can you cover lunch for me?”
“Sure, but—”
“Thanks. I owe you.”
———
Andy fretted through half of the Make Him Beg For More workshop, but since you had to have a lover before you could make him want more, she ditched the second half and went to find Dillon.
She was dismally unsuccessful. He’d left breakfast early, and he was MIA for lunch. Rusty was there, with a swollen nose and a split lip.
An ache settled in the pit of her stomach. “Do you think he and Demetri were fired after all?”
“Nope,” said Jeannie. “See. There he comes now. Yoohoo.” She fluttered her hand in the air. Andy swiveled around so quickly that she almost upset her water glass.
Relief turned to disappointment. Demetri was sauntering toward their table like he didn’t have a care in the world.
He finally reached the table, leaned over, and kissed Jeannie’s cheek.
Jeannie beamed. “Everything all right, honey?”
“Just peachy.” He grinned back at her.
Andy groaned inwardly. If he’d gotten Dillon fired, she’d personally beat the crap out of him. She might slug him anyway just for the hell of it.
He flicked the tassel of Jeannie’s earring. Jeannie practically simpered. Andy felt like throwing up.
Why couldn’t Jeannie tell that he was as fake as a snowstorm on a studio lot. Or maybe she could and she just didn’t care. It was a sobering thought. And not exactly what goddess training was supposed to be about.
As Dr. Bliss and all the priestesses kept reiterating, it wasn’t necessarily about sex, but about empowerment. How could the relationship between Jeannie and Demetri be empowering to anyone but Demetri. He was cleaning up in the “trinkets” department. Jeannie might even be giving him money. Someone should stop her.
Not your business. Jeannie had Evelyn and Loubelle to give her advice, if she wanted it. Andy had a different mission, and so far she was doing a terrible job. So much for empowerment.
———
Keeping one ear out for footsteps, Dillon opened the drawer of Demetri’s bureau. It was a long shot that he’d find something. More than likely whatever had kept Demetri from being fired was something he knew, not something he had. Still, he had to check.
He searched all the places amateurs usually hid things and found nothing. Went on to the more sophisticated hiding places. But after an extensive search of the room, his trunk, and his storage locker, Dillon had to admit defeat.
It was nearly two o’clock. Lunch would be over in a matter of minutes, and the attendants would come straggling back for their few hours off.
Dillon looked around, making sure he’d left no signs of his search. Then he slipped out of the room.
He’d just about exhausted his avenues of investigation. None of the employee or participant files had yielded anything out of the ordinary. Bliss kept nothing in her office but self-help books, soft furniture, and herbal tea. Hopefully Talbot’s computer geeks had hacked into the accounting program, but unless they came up with some startling discrepancies, this investigation was going to go south.
———
When lunch was over, Andy lingered at the pool, pretending to soak up the sun.
Demetri took one load of dessert plates into the cabana, then hurried away, leaving Rusty and Louis to clean up the rest. They both scowled as they watched him stop to talk to several women who were obviously waiting for him. They left en masse, and Rusty and Louis turned back to their chores.
“I heard what happened yesterday,” Andy said. “Are you all right?”
Rusty shrugged. “Yeah. Mainly my pride and my nose just got bruised.”
“Both can be really painful,” agreed Andy.
The unswollen side of Rusty’s mouth quirked upward. “You can say that.”
“And they’re letting that b—Demetri stay,” added Louis. “He must have some kind of hold over them just like he said. Anybody else would be on their way back to Sacramento by now.”
Demetri with a hold over Terra Bliss? Interesting. “What kind of hold?”
Louis shot a quick look at Rusty. “Oh, nothing. He just brags
sometimes.”
They had been told not to discuss the fight. “I’ve noticed,” said Andy and looked expectantly at him. “But it must be more than just bragging if he’s still here.”
“Who knows,” said Rusty. “She let us all stay. Not just Demetri.”
“Dillon, too?” asked Andy.
“Sure. He’s the one that broke up the fight,” said Louis. “Threw a block that any karate master would be proud of. Man, it was beautiful.” He shook his head in admiration, then bit his lip. “Sorry, we’re not really supposed to talk about stuff like that with you ladies.” Louis picked up his tray of dishes and carried it away.
Andy turned her attention to Rusty. “I won’t tell.” She lowered her voice and said, “I think it’s so exciting. Nothing exciting ever happens to me. I mean, Jeannie, Evelyn, and Loubelle were just telling me about a woman who disappeared during the last session. Imagine. Right under everyone’s nose. Do you think she was kidnapped?”
“No, of course not,” said Rusty. “She just left early. Just because no one saw her leave doesn’t mean anything weird happened.” He reached over and awkwardly patted her shoulder. “You don’t have anything to worry about.”
“Oh, I’m not worried,” said Ariadne, making her eyes round. “It’s just that I’ve never been around people who fight and get kidnapped.” And by the way, I have this bridge.. . .
“Miranda didn’t get kidnapped. So don’t let Jeannie fill your head with all sorts of gruesome ideas.”
“Oh?” Andy had to force herself not to jump up and grab him. “What did happen to her?”
“She had to leave suddenly. An emergency at home.”
“Oh,” said Andy. She didn’t have to feign her disappointment. There was no emergency at home.
Rusty was frowning, and Andy was afraid he was suspicious of her interest in someone she didn’t know.
“How—how did she leave? Did someone pick her up? I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone but delivery trucks and the landscaping company use the main gate. What happens if you want to—have to—leave suddenly?”
“You’re thinking of leaving?” asked Rusty, his expression changing to one of concern.
“No, I just—what if someone has an emergency?”
Rusty finished loading his tray and lifted it to his shoulder. “Then Mr. Bliss drives them down to the bus station in Lake Tahoe, but that doesn’t happen too often. And if there’s a medical emergency, there’s the MedEvac helicopter. So there’s no reason to worry about not being able to get away if you really need to.”
“That makes me feel better. Thanks.”
Andy watched him walk away. He and Louis hadn’t given her much additional information to what she already knew. Mac obviously hadn’t had anyone pick her up. And no one had heard a helicopter take off during the night. So she must have climbed out over the wall. But why? And where did she go?
Andy waited a few more minutes before she got up to leave. The pool had emptied out except for a few die-hard sun worshippers. Dillon still hadn’t made an appearance. He hadn’t been fired, so where the hell was he?
And why did she care. It was nothing more than major attraction and a little infatuation. At least on her side. Maybe Dillon had just been doing his job.
———
Dillon saw Ariadne come out of the pool area and was hit with a stab of familiarity so strong that his breath caught. Not just of recognition, or even of anger, but a sense of connection, and he was shocked to realize, completion. It wasn’t just about the sex, which was damn good in itself, but something more. He knew it, and he hated feeling it. Because she was a liar and God knew what else.
He’d already jeopardized one mission because of a woman. Granted, she’d been a consummate agent, as alluring as she was deadly. His job was to seduce her, then lure her into his agency’s waiting arms. He thought it had been going as planned, but she was also casting a spell over him. And by the time he figured out what was happening, he was drugged and being hoisted out of a helicopter.
He’d miraculously survived, but part of him had died. The part that trusted himself. The part that trusted other people. And in that respect, she continued to weave her vicious web around him.
He swore he’d never be entrapped again. And here was Ariadne, beautiful, generous, and lying through her teeth.
She saw him, hesitated, then began to walk toward him. His pulse kicked up. He wanted her. He wanted her to be different. He wished he’d never seen her. Now he would have to force her to confess her real reasons for being here, hope that if she had been sent to monitor him, she didn’t know how he really felt about her.
She kept walking toward him, while he stood rooted to the ground. Her expression was tentative as if she wasn’t sure of her welcome. Or she was pretending. She was good at pretending. If he hadn’t witnessed her undressing that first night, he might still be trying to figure out what her game was. And it was a game. It had to be. She slowed as she came nearer, waiting for a sign from him.
He turned and walked away as fast as he could.
———
Andy stopped. He’d seen her. And he’d avoided her. God, that was too much. This was not about taking care of Rusty or getting fired. This was about her. And she didn’t get it. They have great wilderness sex one day—at least she thought it was great—and the next he won’t even talk to her.
Was it something she’d done?
Whoa, she told herself. It isn’t always your fault. Yeah, right, so why did she feel as if she’d just blown it big-time. Her bottom lip began to tremble. She bit it. Her mouth twisted, she blew out air. To hell with him. It was time for her to get a move on anyway. First thing tomorrow, she’d go up to the falls, call home, and get somebody to come get her. She was accomplishing nothing here.
She wished she could just jump into one of the helicopters and get away. Unfortunately, she couldn’t fly them, only jump out of them. She’d always meant to learn. There was big money for aerial work; she’d just never gotten around to it.
And there was Katherine’s meditation group. She’d planned to see if that was a connection between Mac and Ms. Southwaite and so far nada.
She sniffed. She should probably stick it out for a few more days. She’d just have to find a way to avoid Dillon while keeping her heart from breaking.
———
Andy missed dinner. She bought a bottle of wine and some cheese and crackers at the Terra Bliss store and pleaded a headache. The crackers did nothing for her stomach, and the wine didn’t do much to lighten her spirit. But at least it put her to sleep, for a few hours. Mostly she spent the night tossing and turning and dreaming of Dillon. Wondering why things had gone so wrong so fast. And why she’d expected anything else.
By the time the alarm woke her at five-thirty, she was sick of being depressed, hurt, and lonely.
At least meditation might get her back on the right track. She’d had her big phone revelation during it.
She arrived at the Spa to find Katherine already sitting cross-legged on her mat at the front of the room, doing some sort of premeditation meditation. Just watching her made Andy’s eyelids grow heavy. Heavier than they already were from worry and lack of sleep.
Well, if she didn’t find inner peace, she might at least catch a short snooze.
When they were all seated, Katherine opened her eyes and smiled that I’m-your-guru–and-I-love-you kind of smile. It looked odd on the business manager’s aquiline face. Was this what made her such an efficient manager? Her inner peace? Maybe that was what her semi-aloofness was. The thing that kept everyone at a slight distance. Totally unlike the doctor, whom they flocked around like rock star groupies.
Resigned, Andy folded her legs, placed her hands in her lap, and prepared to endure.
Like the day before, Katherine talked them through their breathing, her voice low and slightly singsong, taking them deeper and deeper into their “inner calm.” Andy felt some of her tension ease away. Her surroundings began
to blur until she seemed to be floating.
Katherine’s voice became gentler, quieter, until she stopped speaking altogether. Andy began to nod off, but was brought back when she heard a rustle nearby. She partially opened one eye. Katherine was moving among the meditators, correcting the posture of one, speaking softly to another.
Andy stifled a yawn. The air was heavy and smelled strange. Incense, she thought before her thought drifted away. Then she felt Katherine’s hand on her shoulder. Just the briefest touch. Heard her murmur something that Andy missed completely.
The same thing had happened yesterday. Really, she had to concentrate. What had Katherine said to her? Press something? Her stomach to her back? She knew that was a technique for something. She pressed her stomach to her back. It was too hard to sustain. Press. Press. Pres . . . Her body began to slump.. . .
The next thing Andy knew, Katherine was back on her mat bringing them to their “non-rest” state. When Andy finally forced her eyes open, Katherine was smiling benignly around the room.
Everyone began returning their mats to the side of the room.
Andy stood, almost stumbled. Her foot was asleep. She picked up her mat, waited for the pinpricks to set in, then hobbled her way over to deposit her mat with the others.
Everyone was quiet, their minds turned inward, as they crossed the lawn to breakfast. Andy considered just going back to bed, but her stomach growled. Maybe Dillon wouldn’t be there. She didn’t look forward to eating while trying to pretend Dillon wasn’t walking around their table scowling and hating her.
She filled her plate with food and sank into the vacant chair at their usual table.
“Late night, honey?” Jeannie’s drawl did a lot to bring her around.
“Early morning,” said Andy. She stifled a yawn then breathed in as Louis poured her a cup of coffee. “Bless you,” she said. He grinned back at her.
“Well, you should have slept in.”
