Strong and Sexy

by Jill Shalvis

  “Maddie arranged for one already. Dani—”

  “No, let’s just go.” Nodding, she moved around him to the door, careful not to touch or look at him, so he pulled her back around.

  The look on her face dared him to say what was on his mind. “Dani, I don’t know what the hell I’m doing here. I don’t know what comes next.”

  “Well, let me help you. Nothing comes next.”

  “Maybe that’s not what I want.”

  “Really? What do you want?”

  He wanted to say whatever makes you happy, or anything that would make her stop looking at him like she was looking at him now, as if he was about to disappoint her and she was okay with that.

  “Tell you what. You let me know when you know.” Pulling free, she stepped off the plane.

  Resisting the urge to thunk his head against the wall, he followed her out.

  “Don’t say anything about my job.” Dani whispered this to Shayne on the porch of her mother’s Tahoe house. Somewhere inside were her siblings, on a weekend getaway. “The job makes them crazy.”

  “Okay.”

  Nodding, she went to knock, then turned back to him. “And don’t say anything about my car either. When they’re reminded of my financial situation, they’re always afraid I’m going to change my mind and need their money.”

  He nodded.

  But again she hesitated before knocking. “And nothing about—”

  “Dani.”

  “Right.” She nodded. “I’m stalling. I realize that.”

  “Then knock.”

  “Okay.” But she just stood there, heart thumping in her chest.

  “Dani? You okay?”

  “Terrific.” But she wasn’t. She wasn’t even close. She was being stalked by someone who wanted her to look crazy. She was falling in love with a man she’d told she didn’t want to do anything with but have sex. Overwhelmed, she closed her eyes, then drew in a deep breath. “Just terrific.” And she would be, even knowing that when they got to the bottom of her rather unique problem, it would be over between them.

  And she was okay with that.

  Or she would be, soon as she repeated it enough. You’re not keeping him, you’re not keeping him . . .

  Damn it, she wanted to keep him.

  But she’d known what would happen, known it from that first night when she’d been stupid enough to think one kiss would be enough.

  One kiss would never be enough, not for her, not with this man. But that was her own damn fault, and she’d get over it.

  On her own.

  Shayne sighed, reached past her, and gave a decisive knock-knock-knock. She glared at him but he just shook his head.

  Such a damn guy.

  A damn guy who didn’t know how to take the just-sex thing to the next level, and she was okay with that. She had to be, because she’d told him she was.

  Her stepbrother opened the door with a glass of champagne in one hand and a ski bunny in the other. He had an unlit cigar hanging out a corner of his mouth and a ridiculous party hat tipped to one side of his head. “Surprise—” He broke off, then sighed. “Oh. It’s you.”

  “We need to talk.”

  Tony sighed. “Hang on.” He shut the door in her face.

  “Ah. Family love.” Shayne nodded. “It’s overwhelming, isn’t it?”

  And just like that, the tension drained from her and she laughed. Laughed. So did he. He got it. He got her. And something else. Even though she didn’t want to, she got him too. “Thanks,” she whispered, and turning to him, pressed her mouth to his jaw, meaning to just give him a quick little peck for being there, just to let him know that even though she knew that he knew that he was a big chicken shit when it came to them, she still was grateful for him being here with her.

  But at the last moment he turned his head and she accidentally caught his mouth with hers, and the quick little kiss didn’t feel so quick or so little when his hands tightened, pulling her in against him.

  The front door opened again, and Dani broke free, a little blown away by how quickly he could draw her in and make her forget absolutely everything.

  Her stepsister stood there this time, wearing a frown and a little black dress that surely cost more than a month’s salary. She glanced at Shayne in surprise, obviously not able to figure out how Dani had possibly snagged him. “Dani? What are you doing here? Someone tell you about the party?”

  “What party?”

  “We’re having a surprise party for Mom.”

  No. No one had told her, mostly because clearly she hadn’t been invited, but that didn’t surprise her. “I just need to talk to you a moment.”

  Eliza glanced at her watch. “I’ve got half a minute.”

  Dani let out a breath. “Okay, well, someone’s trying to make me look crazy. There’s a dead body—”

  “A what?”

  “A dead body,” Dani repeated. “And it keeps disappearing and then reappearing. And then there’s the fact that someone was in my apartment, and then shooting at me in the parking lot at work, and then the dead body again, this time in my office, and then the concussion. And frankly, the police are starting to doubt my sanity.”

  Eliza laughed. “Starting?”

  “My half a minute,” Dani said. “Someone isn’t trying to kill me so much as trying to make me look crazy. Maybe so that a certain someone and her brother could ensure their full inheritance.”

  Eliza gave one slow blink. “You mean me.”

  “Is it? Is it you trying to get me committed to the loony bin?”

  Eliza lifted her champagne glass and drained it. “Tony,” she called weakly over her shoulder. “Do you by any chance have a plan to have Dani committed to the . . .” She looked at Dani.

  “Loony bin,” Dani provided helpfully.

  “Loony bin?”

  Tony reappeared, minus the ski bunny. “What the fuck?”

  “Well . . .” Eliza grabbed her brother’s drink and drained that too. “Danielle’s just stopped by to ask us a question, a simple one, really. She’d like to know if we’re the ones who have a dead body, one that keeps disappearing and reappearing, and are we also the ones who have entered her apartment without permission, shot at her in her work parking lot, and . . .” She turned to Dani. “I’m sorry. I forgot what came next.”

  “The dead body again,” Dani said helpfully. “In my office.”

  “Right. And then the . . .”

  “Concussion. Which led to the someone trying to make me look crazy to the police.”

  Eliza turned to Tony. “This is where we come in, apparently.”

  Tony looked at Eliza, and then together they both burst into laughter.

  Shayne frowned. “What the hell is so funny?”

  Eliza had to lean on her brother, but finally she wiped away her tears of mirth and sniffed. “Oh, God. It’s beautiful, really.”

  “What? What is beautiful?” Dani demanded.

  “Your ridiculous need to prove yourself all on your own, without family or friends or help of any kind, has finally come back to bite you on the ass.”

  “I don’t have a ridiculous need . . .” Dani trailed off when Tony lifted a brow. “Okay, maybe I do. A little. It’s just that you guys never wanted to include me.”

  “Oh, no,” Eliza said. “You’re not putting this on us. I’m drunk, but not that drunk. From day one you looked down your perfect, surgery-free nose at us. Face it, Dani. It wasn’t that we were too good for you, but that you were too good for us.”

  Dani just stared at them, letting the words sink in. Was that—could that be true? Really?

  Eliza sighed, and as a waiter passed behind her with a tray full of drinks, she nabbed two and handed one to Dani.

  Dani stared at it. “I can’t.”

  “See? Too good for us.”

  “No, it’s just that I overindulged earlier.” Had she disliked Tony and Eliza just because they’d had money? Had she distanced herself as if she was too good for
them? She’d certainly had the fiercely independent thing down by the time they’d come into her life . . . Oh, God. Was this all her fault? “So this has nothing to do with your dad’s money?”

  “Did you by any chance see how many zeroes are on the end of our trust-fund accounts?” Eliza smiled, and it was surprisingly free of cynicism and sarcasm. “I don’t think you’ve ever really looked, but let me tell you what. We have enough, Dani, more than enough, without what was set aside for you.”

  She could only stare at them. “So you don’t care if I go after it.”

  “Nope. And here’s the kicker,” Tony said. “We don’t even care if you’re really crazy.”

  “But hey, as long as you’re here,” Eliza added, “you could come in and pretend we’re all one big loving family, and yell ‘surprise’ when your mom gets here. That would be nice.”

  “She already had a party,” Dani pointed out.

  “Yes, but this is your mother. She likes multiple parties.”

  Chapter 23

  Back in Los Angeles, Shayne walked Dani to her door. He had a sinking feeling in his gut that this was it, that when he said good-bye here, she was going to walk out of his life.

  “Thanks for the flight,” she said, turning to face him. “It was almost painless.”

  The “almost” hung in the air, while the pain she’d just professed not to feel sat in her eyes and grabbed him by the throat. “Dani, you sure you don’t want me to come in?”

  “Not necessary.”

  Just down the hall, Alan’s door opened, but instead of Alan, a pretty brunette came out, straightening her slightly crooked clothes with a silly little smile on her face.

  “Oh,” she said in surprise and pulled up short. “Dani.”

  Dani blinked. “Reena?”

  “Reena . . . from your work Reena?” Shayne asked.

  Dani nodded, her eyes on the woman. “You . . . and Alan? But . . .” She looked blown away. “But . . . when?”

  “We met when he brought you pizza that night, remember? And then you turned him down for another date, so that left him free.” She lifted a shoulder. “And I needed a pick-me-up.” But she softened. “You’re not mad, right?”

  “I’m not mad. Of course I’m not mad.” Dani glanced at Shayne, then back at Reena. “I’m just . . .”

  “Surprised? Yeah, well, other people have stuff going on too, Dani. Other people get lonely, have needs, too.”

  “I know that.”

  “Do you? Because it seems like sometimes you don’t.”

  “Reena—”

  “No, never mind.” Reena rubbed her eyes. “I’m sorry. I just don’t want this to be a problem.”

  “It’s not.”

  “Okay, good. Then I’ll see you at work.”

  “Wait.” Shayne glanced at Dani, who was looking a little shell-shocked. “Wait up.”

  Reena looked him over. “I know you. You’re the rich pilot. Not sure which karma god Dani kissed lately, but she’s on a roll.”

  Shayne asked, “You think nearly getting killed, several times now, is on a roll?”

  Reena’s smile faded as she turned to Dani. “Can you believe I nearly forgot? Did they catch the shooter?”

  “No,” Shayne said. “Nor the person who was in her office. The one who caused her concussion and five stitches.”

  “What?” Reena grabbed for Dani’s hand. “What?”

  “You don’t know what happened to her at work?” Shayne asked.

  “Oh, God. Something else? I haven’t been in, I had today off. What happened. Reena’s self-protective smile had vanished, replaced by a freaked-out expression that could have been faked but seemed genuine. “Dani? What happened?”

  “There was a dead body in my closet.”

  “A dead . . .” Reena staggered back against the wall. “My God.”

  “I freaked, tripped over someone, and fell. Knocked me unconscious.”

  “Oh, Dani.”

  “When I woke up, no body.”

  Reena just stared at her, slack-jawed, and slowly shook her head. “Have you considered the fact that you must have royally pissed someone off?”

  “Yes, actually,” Shayne said.

  Reena looked at him as understanding dawned. “You think that I—My God. She’s never pissed me off.”

  “What about the promotion?”

  “Well, yeah, I was jealous,” she admitted to Shayne. “And then there’s you . . . I mean, hello, have you looked in the mirror?” She looked at Dani, eyes luminous. “I know I can be a jealous, petty bitch, but I’m not a vindictive one. Tell me you know that.”

  Dani stared at her, and then nodded. “I know it.”

  “Okay, good.” Reena hugged her hard, then pulled back and looked into her eyes. “Stick with him until this is over. He’s pretty, but he also looks fairly capable, as far as guard dogs go.”

  Shayne watched her go, then found Dani watching him.

  “She comes off the list too,” she said very quietly, then turned to her door.

  “The list is getting a little short for my comfort.” For the first time he really had no idea at all what she was thinking, and he decided he liked it better when she wore her emotions out on her sleeve.

  She unlocked her front door, opened it, peered inside, then turned to face him, one of her fake, polite smiles crossing her lips. She’d been giving him the fake, polite smile ever since the flight back.

  “Thank you,” she said.

  He looked at that fake, polite smile and tried to figure out where it was coming from. “I think we should talk, make a new list.”

  “I’ll do that. Tomorrow.”

  “By yourself.”

  “Yes.” She stepped over the threshold, still careful to block his way.

  He got it. He wasn’t coming in. Under any circumstances. “Dani.”

  “Yes?”

  Since she was looking over her shoulder into the dark apartment, he tugged her around.

  Another brief flash of that fake, polite smile. “We’ve already said good-bye.”

  So he hadn’t gotten tired of her as planned. That was scary enough, but nothing to the fact that somehow the tables had gotten turned and she’d tired of him. Letting go of her, he just stood there, a little stunned, and ridiculous as it seemed, a whole lot hurt. “Fine.”

  Cocking her head, she gave him a look. “What’s fine?”

  “Every damn thing.”

  “Now you’re just pouting.”

  He gaped at her. “I am not pouting. I never pout. But if you think the fact that you’re tired of me means I’m going to let you walk in there alone after all the things that have happened to you, you are crazy.”