A Touch of Passion (boxed set romance bundle)

by Uvi Poznansky

  “Al said they went under the radar. He’s going to call us as soon as he finds them again. We’ll be ready to go. We have a plan.”

  “No!” she said, falling back against her seat, her mouth hard.

  “What else can we do?” Dax asked, attempting to be reasonable.

  “Let’s drive up and down the strip ourselves.”

  “We tried that already. They laughed at us.”

  “I can’t just sit and think about how I’m going to make them pay.” She shook her head. “It will make me crazy.”

  He understood that.

  “What are you going to do, now?” she asked.

  “Believe it or not Veronica, I have things to do. I own a business.”

  “You have someone to run your shop,” she said. “You don’t need to be there.”

  “There is always something that needs doing.”

  “I’m paying you to be with me,” she pointed out. “I can give you a raise.”

  Dax stopped at the red light and closed his eyes. He thought of the medical bills. “What is it you’d like to do today?”

  She was pleasant in her victory. “We can Google how to make their bodies disappear without a trace. You have lots of swampland and alligators around here, don’t you?”

  Dax ended up taking her to his dad’s house, so that he could catch up with chores for his father. Laundry, vacuuming, hosing the deck by the water. He refused to be an accessory to whatever she had brewing.

  Dave was happy to have the company of a beautiful woman, he said. They disappeared to the television room and watched the Kardashians.

  “I’ve met them all,” Veronica said. “Kim is a royal bitch.”

  “I knew it,” his dad said. “I could tell. But she’s got a nice,” he patted his flat butt.

  “It’s real, too. She will show anybody after a few martinis.”

  Dave grinned. “That I’d like to see before I die.”

  Veronica lifted her brow. “I could arrange it. Kourtney is the nice one, though.”

  Dax left them to their discussion of the family made famous by Kim’s sex tape, and the queen mother of the family’s quick capitalization of it.

  He’d discovered his father’s obsession with Kim a few years ago, after a session in the hospital where that was all they had on the tube. Dave had been addicted ever since.

  He fired off a text to Celia, letting her know he could pick her up at four, and go table shopping. He wasn’t surprised when she didn’t answer, but he was disappointed. He wanted to be with her right now, and if it wasn’t for Veronica, he’d be at the café washing dishes, or doing whatever Celia needed–just to be with her.

  I’ve got it bad.

  He tried to call Darcy, but there was no answer. Determined to grow a pair, he tossed Celia from his thoughts and plugged Nine Inch Nails into Pandora on his iPhone, put in the headphones, and got to work.

  Didn’t stop him from wearing a stupid smile when Celia texted back, that she’d see him at four thirty, once the shop was closed.

  After he finished the deck, he went inside and put together sandwiches for the two, who were now watching the comedy channel.

  “Veronica, has my dad confirmed your opinion of Americans and their bad taste?”

  She reclined on the over-stuffed sofa like a cheetah-if cheetah’s had thumbs and texted with the speed of light. “We are having an enjoyable afternoon,” she said. “Did you finish your chores?”

  “Funny.” Who was she texting? “I’m going to pick up Celia and take her shopping. Ready to go back to the hotel?” His tone made it very clear she was not welcome to go shopping.

  Veronica pouted. “It is boring there.”

  “You’re welcome to stay and watch TV,” his dad said from the depths of his recliner. “We can order pizza.”

  Veronica relaxed into the couch, her gold-plated phone in her lap. “Deal. Cheese stuffed crust?”

  Dax left before either of them changed their minds, pulling onto the street in front of the café at quarter after four.

  He parked just as Celia was locking the store. Dax hopped out and met her on the sidewalk, peering inside the darkened interior. The tables were already set for the morning, the glass in the display case gleaming.

  “How’d it go?” he asked, slipping his hands around her waist. Since it was just the two of them, he stole a kiss, lingering at her plump mouth as if she offered a feast. Her cheeks turned pink and her chest hitched.

  “You, Dax, take my breath away.” She put her hand over his heart, which thumped beneath her caress.

  Dax covered her hand with his. Thump, thump. He caught their silhouette, standing so close, in the reflection of the window. They looked right together. “That’s how my whole body feels around you. Are you free for dinner tonight?” Dinner, and whatever else may follow.

  Her cool blue gaze warmed and she slipped her hand in his. “Let’s start with finding some tables, okay?”

  “All right.” Dax took her by the elbow and escorted her to the passenger side of the jeep. “What did you do with Veronica?”

  “She and my dad are watching bad TV.”

  Something flashed in Celia’s eyes, but he didn’t know what. “What happened to South Beach?”

  “About that,” he said. “You know Veronica’s photographers never came back with the equipment?”

  “I was wondering.”

  She fastened her seatbelt and he got in the driver’s seat. “We decided to have my ex-cop pal look for them. Al found them in other people’s pictures on Facebook, wearing the emerald like they were rap stars. Dancing on the tables in South Beach.”

  “Not exactly hiding?”

  “No.”

  “So you were going to find them?”

  “And they went underground--again.”

  “Poor Veronica.”

  “You are being too kind,” Dax said, remembering how the woman manipulated him with cash and emotion.

  “You are.”

  “She’s paying, trust me.”

  Celia started laughing. “Good. Now, where can I get tables, cheap?”

  “New or used?”

  “New. Good quality. Just, you know, on a really great deal.”

  He took her to Ace Hardware, introducing her to the manager, who he’d gone to high school with. “Tim, this is Celia. Just moved into the area, and she’s got a new business. Needs four tables that will fit on the sidewalk. On a budget. Can you hook us up?”

  “Sure,” Tim said, giving Celia an appreciative once over that pissed Dax off.

  “Can I see them first?” she asked.

  “Summer clearance. We’ve got plastic, or fake iron.”

  “Awesome!”

  Tim put his hand on Celia’s shoulder, and Dax didn’t care for the instant jealousy that came when it stayed there seconds too long. “This way,” he said.

  Celia bustled off after Tim, eventually choosing the faux iron. They came in flat boxes that required assembly. His old school pal gave her an extra ten percent off as a special welcome to the neighborhood, which almost made up for him being so damn touchy.

  But not quite. Dax gave a cool good-bye, making sure that his hand was on Celia’s back as they left and loaded the boxes into the back of his jeep.

  “How about some sandwiches from LaSpada, and I’ll help you put those together?” he suggested. His phone rang just as they got into the vehicle. “Dax,” he said.

  “It’s Al. Get your ass down here, now, before these two get arrested–for real! And want to explain why your dad is here with that crazy model?”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Celia, in the passenger seat of the jeep, watched as Dax turned around instead of driving toward the café, so they could put the tables together. His expression was grim, and she knew he’d just gotten bad news. “What’s wrong?”

  Dax winced. “How do you feel about a ride to South Beach?”

  “What? Right now? I can’t.” A million details she had to take care of
by tomorrow morning popped up inside her head.

  He turned his turquoise gaze on her full force. “Please? Veronica and my dad are in South Beach. I knew they let me out of the house too easy. She had her phone out, texting.” He gritted his teeth. “I should have realized something was up.”

  “What are you saying?” Celia had a tough time putting the sexy model together with Dave, Dax’s ill father.

  Dax sped over the bridge, catching air on the other side.

  Celia held onto the door handle and tightened her seat belt. “Who was that on the phone?”

  “My friend, Al. He said that he’s got the photographers in sight, but they’re being obnoxious. Drunk and stupid. Even South Beach has its limits, and he’s worried they are going to piss off the wrong people.”

  “How did Veronica know where to go?”

  Dax flexed his fingers against the steering wheel. “Maybe they called? Texted? I have no idea. Obviously, she’s been keeping secrets of her own.”

  Celia frowned as she imagined what she thought she knew of South Beach. Drinking and parties and topless women. “Why did she take your dad?”

  “They bonded.”

  Celia struggled to put the two together. Old sick man, young vibrant model. “How?”

  “Over Kim Kardashian’s ass.”

  Stunned, Celia sat back. “Your dad likes Kim Kardashian?”

  “He’s likes the whole damn family.”

  “I never would have guessed that,” Celia said, hanging on as Dax switched lanes and headed toward the freeway. “I had him pegged for beer and football.”

  “He likes that stuff too. When he was in the hospital the first time a few years ago?” Dax said it as a question, signaling to get onto the ramp. He drove with confidence, which Celia appreciated considering how fast they were going.

  “What was he in for?”

  “Lung infection. They didn’t find the rest until last year.” He made his way to the express lane. “Anyway, the nurses all watched Keeping up with the Kardashians, and he got hooked.”

  “My addiction was the Food Network.” The rest?

  Dax glanced at her, slaying her with a flash of his dimple. “You taught yourself to cook like that, from watching Chopped?”

  Celia smiled. “I liked to cook before, but it was always about what Preston liked.”

  “Preston? Your deceased husband?”

  “He was a douche bag.”

  Dax choked. “I can’t believe you just said that.”

  Celia found it easier to tell him as they were driving. He couldn’t react, just listen. She only wanted to tell him once. “Just because he was a great doctor, doesn’t mean he was a nice person.”

  Dax nodded. “That I believe.”

  Silence stretched between them as they drove, passing slower cars in the right lanes. Celia would never have guessed she’d be okay flying in a topless jeep going over eighty miles an hour, but she was. She trusted Dax, trusted him in her new life.

  “He died in a parachute accident.”

  Dax frowned. “Holy shit. Celia, I am so sorry.”

  “It negated the life insurance policy, because it was a risky activity.”

  His jaw tightened, but he seemed to understand that she just had to say the words. Get them out like poison inside her.

  “Also, his chute tangled together with the person he was jumping with. A woman.” She wrinkled her nose to stop the tears.

  “Instructor?”

  “Mistress.”

  “Ah, bullshit, Celia. That’s crap. Damn it.”

  “It really is okay, Dax. I haven’t told that to anybody besides my parents and my therapist. A little of it to Khanti. Preston betrayed me in so many ways, but food shows enabled me to escape. So, I get why your dad is into the Kardashians. He has cancer?”

  “This is heavy shit for driving.” Dax kept his eyes on the road.

  Celia expelled a breath, her stomach unknotting. “I trust you, Dax. Also, kind of heavy shit.”

  Dax tapped the steering wheel with his thumbs. “I feel like I can tell you anything, and that it would be all right. My sister doesn’t know about the cancer.”

  Celia took the impact of that information, trying not to judge. “Why?”

  “Dad didn’t want to bother her. She’s just finished her Masters, she’s having an affair with her professor, and she’s finishing up an important project in Melbourne.”

  “She’ll be angry?”

  “Furious,” he admitted. “But my dad made me promise.”

  She heard the pain in his voice. He’d had to handle his father’s imminent death on his own. “I volunteered quite a bit at the center, on Preston’s behalf, but I loved being with the kids. They have this acceptance about death and illness, a grace we lose as adults.”

  “Adults know more of what we’re leaving behind.”

  “I suppose that’s true. There’s never really a good time to give up the ghost.” Her eyes filled. “Want to know something I never even told my therapist?”

  “I want to know everything about you.”

  “Maybe not.” Celia relived the embarrassment. The shame. “Preston jumped out of that plane as if he was having the time of his life. I’d never heard him laugh like that with me.”

  “He sounds like a deceptive asshole.” Dax shook his head. “Don’t go blaming yourself for his duplicity. I’ve heard you laugh. You’ve got a great laugh, Celia.”

  She bowed her head, his acceptance a balm to her wounded pride. Her hair whipped around her face, stinging her eyes. The rush of air as they sped along was thrilling. Exhilarating. “Thank you, Dax.”

  “But know this--you and I are a thing. We have something, and don’t give me that ‘just friends’ bullshit. I don’t know what this is, but I want to explore it.”

  Celia looked up at him, shielding her eyes from the glare of the setting sun. “We’ll see.” He made her feel as if she was flying from the inside out.

  “No.” He thumped his pointer finger against the dash. “No hiding, Celia. Not anymore.” Dax glanced at her with a serious expression before getting off the freeway. “Let’s go find my dad before shit really goes down.”

  Celia took out her phone. “Should we call them? Or are we meeting your friend?”

  “Let’s talk to Al first. He’s freaking brilliant, way too smart to be a cop. Way too moral to be a criminal. He’s got some gray lines like anybody, but he’s cool. I bet he’s come up with a plan by now.”

  She was all about a good plan.

  Dax pulled into the closest gas station. “Hey buddy,” Dax said into the speaker phone. “Just got off the freeway. Where are you?”

  “Diva’s on Ocean? The drag place?”

  Celia grinned. So much for her Martha Stewart image, which she never liked anyway. So what if she had a penchant for following the rules? She could still have fun, and let her straight blonde hair down.

  “Yeah. Your dad’s hanging back, watching, while Veronica is partying with her guys like there was never any problem.” Al chuckled. “I can’t wait to remind them there’s a problem. These two jokesters have stomped on my last damn nerve.”

  “See you in ten minutes,” Dax said, ending the call.

  “He sounds mad.” She reached for her purse and dug out her brush, lip gloss and powder. Celia looked for the visor on the passenger side, with a mirror, but there wasn’t one.

  “He is.” Dax watched her with amusement.

  She leaned across the jeep’s center console and looked in the rearview mirror. Her hair shot out in every direction, and she had a smudge of something on her nose. She rubbed it off with the palm of her hand. “I can’t go anywhere looking like this.”

  Dax burst out laughing. “You look beautiful.”

  Her heart warmed. But she’d seen her hair. She quickly brushed it back and tied it in a low knot, then she grabbed Dax’s face in between her hands and kissed him. Deep and hard, just as a reminder of what they might get to do later. Then she sat b
ack. “So, what’s the plan?”

  He drove onto the main road, adjusting his seat. “We’re going to find Al. I’m not sure what Veronica’s game is. I’m kinda pissed off that she and my dad didn’t include me.”

  “I don’t blame you for being upset. But your dad is an adult.” Celia’s lips twitched. “Who is at a drag queen bar, right?”

  Dax got a glint in his eye and grinned. “Serves the old man right if he gets hit on.”

  “Dax!”

  ❋

  Dax found a parking spot a block down from Diva’s. He and Celia walked hand in hand down Ocean Boulevard, their steps aligned.

  Her confession about her asshole of a dead husband made his heart ache. She’d busted her ass making his life a charmed one, and for what? He’d disrespected her in the worst way. Not only cheating, but not taking care of the one you swore an oath to. To honor and protect. Cherish.

  The doc voided his life insurance policy by making a piss poor choice, and left Celia to bear the brunt of surviving. Settling insurmountable debt to start fresh and new. His respect for her grew with each step they took. It was no wonder she’d been so determined to make Ambrosia successful-on her own.

  Celia’s grip tightened as they walked through the crowded strip of cars and people. She tilted her head up at him, blue eyes wide. “I just saw an iguana riding on a naked man’s shoulder. Well, almost naked.”

  “A parrot is way too tame for South Beach,” Dax said. “Have you been to the Keys?”

  “No. Unless a passing cruise ship counts.”

  “We’ll go, you and I. Take South Beach, times it by five, and that’s what goes on in Key West.”

  She scrunched her nose. “We’ll see.”

  “I’m going to take those words out of your vocabulary.”

  “What would you rather I say?” She looked at him again and almost walked into a roller-blader.

  He laughed and tugged her close for a kiss. “Whatever you want, Dax. I’d love it, Dax,” he chanted.

  She pushed against his chest, smiling wide. “I’d love it, Dax,” she said, batting her eyes.

  “Really?” Dax swung her to his other side.

  She pressed her lips together. “I would love to do whatever you want.”