Two of Hearts

by Christina Lee

  “What does that—”

  My hips thrust forward, pressing her to the closet door. “Did he fuck you so senseless on those nights that you had no problem drifting off?”

  “Shane, you’re not making this—”

  “I know you,” I growled, not able to hold myself back. “I know what you like, and I sure as hell know what you need.”

  “Shane—” My hands slid upward alongside her breasts, my knuckles just grazing the lace of her bra. Confusion and desire fought for purchase in her gaze as she began trembling. “We . . . you need to stop. Please. I can’t . . . God!”

  The air between us was suffocating as she removed my hands from her skin. I tightened my hold on her fingers. I wasn’t ready to let her go and I could tell from her ragged breaths that she wasn’t either.

  “Not here,” she said, straightening and dragging her fingers away to smooth down her skirt. “Not in my place of business.”

  I nodded and backed toward the door. It might’ve been self-serving, but I wanted her thoughts on me today, not him. “Have a nice lunch.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  SHANE

  I drove to the van where Charlie and Alex were setting up. I hadn’t seen my colleagues in weeks, each working other cases, but when we teamed up there was a great camaraderie between us. I had called in my favors and if the trail ran cold, they’d be headed back early.

  But if we found foul play, we’d pull federal rank, since Native American casinos were built on tribal ground. Tribal ground is considered sovereign, which means that local and state law have no jurisdiction there, though in some special cases, the federal government can come in for closer inspection.

  “Got a bug on the table. Pretty snazzy place.” Alex clapped me on the back. Over the years, he’d become one of my closest buds. “Hope he drives a Porsche for what he’ll be paying for that lunch.”

  “Been told he likes living large,” I said. But if he ran a nonprofit, I wondered if he was living above his means. Dakota wasn’t a woman who was necessarily impressed by upscale places. If he knew her like I did, he’d know that her favorite places were those small and cozy out-of-the-way diners. But maybe I didn’t know her at all anymore, no matter how much I told myself I did.

  Charlie nodded at me as she fiddled with some buttons.

  * * *

  Charlie, short for Charlotte, was a classic beauty with her blond hair, green eyes, and athletic body, but I never felt anything for her other than respect. She’d had to prove herself in a profession that was overwhelmingly male and was tough as nails because of it.

  I looked at my watch and threw on my headphones. We waited for several minutes before we heard the rustle of background noise, the sound of seats being pulled out and a waiter taking drink orders.

  Then we waded through an hour of fund-raising talk while Alex and Charlie ate some takeout that he had brought from a local Italian restaurant. According to the lunch table chatter, Circle of Hope raised an impressive amount of funds at this annual event, and they hoped to meet their new yearly goal.

  “We need to keep these monies in the community,” a board member named Rose said. Flint Thornfall was unfortunately not present but he was mentioned a couple of different times in this same conversation. “We don’t want others benefitting from what is rightfully ours.”

  I could only imagine Dakota shifting uncomfortably in her seat, the subject hitting close to home.

  “There are many worthy charities and donors out there,” Ridge said. When he spoke, the idle chatter fell away. “And we appreciate any amount anybody is willing to give. Dakota Nakos from the Golden Arrow Casino is making an impressive donation again this year. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome,” Dakota said in a firm voice, and the only other sound that could be heard were forks clinking against plates.

  Ridge was definitely attentive to Dakota, almost protective. His comment seemed to be an attempt to smooth the rougher edges and prove a point. Though I appreciated that, I didn’t like it. Not one bit.

  A few minutes more and we were about to unplug when Ridge asked Dakota to stay behind for dessert.

  “It’s been too long, Dakota,” Ridge said, his voice deep and intimate.

  “It’s been busy, you know that,” Dakota said in a flustered voice.

  My jaw tensed and I tried to brush away the image of the two of them sitting together, their heads dipped, their chairs close. This was my job, I lived this everyday, and I needed to keep a professional head.

  “Well, you look beautiful as always,” he said, and my teeth clenched tight.

  “Thank you,” she said in a curt voice. I got the impression that she felt uncomfortable when he threw compliments her way.

  They made small talk about the weather as Dakota ordered a cappuccino and Ridge ordered a crème brûlée. I could tell by the inflection in her voice that Dakota was nervous and I wondered why, especially if they were just friends. Was it true that Ridge still held a candle for her and Dakota could sense that? Or did she still feel something for him, too?

  “So how’s it really been going?” Ridge asked. “Taking over the casino?”

  “The transition itself has been pretty easy,” she said. “The staff knows me and I’d been left in charge a lot when my father . . .”

  She still had a hard time talking about Mr. Nakos, and I wanted to be there to reach out my hand and comfort her. I imagined Ridge doing the same now, and I wanted to rip his fingers off of her. It was easier being in a different state and not knowing who Dakota was sharing meals with. I could push it out of my head and focus on work.

  Except work had become frustrating as hell. Alex and Charlie were smart not to bring up my recent state of mind, but I knew they would eventually. Alex had reached his threshold a couple of times over the years, so maybe advice from him would help.

  “Any new leads on your dad’s case?” Ridge asked, low and soft.

  “Not that I’m aware of,” Dakota replied. “I just wish I knew something, anything. For some closure. We all need it.”

  Hearing her say those words gave me the resolve I needed to move forward with my own investigation.

  “Sounds like it was just some thug who needed money for a quick fix or something.”

  Charlie briefly looked me over as she shifted in her seat, probably trying to read how I was doing with this fucked-up situation.

  “Which makes it even more senseless,” Dakota said, sighing.

  “I’m sorry,” he said, his voice sounding tortured. He might’ve, in fact, really cared about Dakota and had truly been hurt by their breakup.

  “Thank you,” she said after a beat. “It’s just, the pressure is too much. Your dad, he—”

  “My dad’s a royal asshole,” he said, shocking me with the venom in his voice. “I mean, I’m a businessman. I get wanting to invest in another successful casino. But his timing is terrible.”

  “So you’re saying if he had waited a month then you’d be cool with him trying to buy us out?” she asked, her voice pitched.

  “Hell, no,” Ridge said, and it sounded like he’d shifted in his chair. “I’m just trying to understand my father from a business perspective.”

  “I understand him more from a cultural perspective to be honest,” Dakota said. “But that doesn’t seem to be your father’s point in all of this.”

  “Maybe it’s a little of both. Hell if I know,” Ridge said. “But his judgment has always been off, so I’m not surprised.”

  I read into his words and thought about what Stuart had shared with me about his father’s infidelity while his mother was dying. Man, that had to have sucked.

  “Obviously not everybody agrees. He’s got the Casino Association on his side, it seems,” Dakota said through what sounded like a tightened jaw. “The bottom line is he’s creating problems for my family. Why won’t he just leave us alone? Or better yet, support us through this difficult time?”

  “I can’t change what he feels, Dako
ta . . . what he believes,” he said, with resignation in his voice. “I never could. He’s too impulsive and proud.”

  “Maybe if you just—”

  “Already have, Dakota,” he said, cutting her off. “It’s like talking to a block of steel. He just doesn’t get it. Never has.”

  “That’s some bad blood between those two.” Alex’s voice cut through the quiet of the truck and I shook my head, now understanding what Stuart and Kai were telling me about this father-and-son relationship.

  Charlie was grimacing, too. She knew all about bad parental relationships, but it might not have compared with this guy’s story, sitting at that table with my girl. My girl. Fuck, I wanted her to be that. Badly.

  “I wonder if they can even stand to be in the same room together,” Charlie muttered, but before I could attempt to answer, they began speaking again.

  “So what do you plan on doing?” Ridge asked, his voice filled with concern. He seemed pretty levelheaded and mature, I’d give him that. I couldn’t help wondering just why they had broken up. He was successful and attentive, but I could ask myself the same question about countless women I had tried to date over the years. When it’s not right, none of that matters.

  “Of course, my mother and I are going to stand strong. We’re not giving up something that feels rightfully ours. Whether anyone believes that or not,” she said. “I wish I could understand why your father is so intent on getting our land.”

  “He probably thinks he can do a better job of running your casino,” he said. “I mean, for all of his misguided intentions, he does know how to turn a profit, if he’s not pissing people off.”

  “Now it just sounds like you’re trying to defend him,” she said, bitterness laced through her voice. “Just because he owns a successful casino doesn’t mean—”

  “Whoa, Dakota,” he said. “Hey. You asked me about my father and I’m trying the best way I can to respond. Don’t take it out on me.”

  “You’re right. I apologize.” I heard her inhale sharply through her nose as if trying to take a calming breath. It made me wonder if this was a small glimpse into what their past relationship had been like.

  “It’s okay,” he said. “I understand how emotional this is for you. Have you asked yourself what you’ll do if they go through with the vote?”

  “What can we do except try to stay afloat?” she bit out and then released a low growl of frustration. “I want to look them in the face when they vote us out.”

  “Yeah, I get that,” Ridge said, after a long beat. Then there was silence, both of them breathing heavily.

  “I didn’t intend to get you riled up,” Ridge said in a tight voice. “I’m sorry.”

  “I’m sorry, too. It’s been tough, to say the least,” Dakota said.

  They ate their dessert in near silence, making small talk here and there, but the tension between them was coming through our wires.

  “I hate that you’re upset,” Ridge said, his voice timid.

  “It’s not your fault,” Dakota said, as if soothing him. My stomach tightened.

  “I didn’t get the chance to ask you about the night of the benefit,” he said. “You okay with saying a few words after making your donation? It would mean a lot.”

  “Yes, of course,” she said, and the quiet between them felt way too intimate for my comfort level.

  “So do you want to meet me there or . . . can I pick you up?” he asked. “It would be nice to go together.”

  And there it was. He did want her back. But I couldn’t help thinking that they had been through this same scenario before. So why did he hang in there? Maybe the same reason why I held onto the memory of her all of this time. Charlie held my gaze, and I wondered if she was thinking the same thing.

  I held my breath as Dakota took her time answering. Fuck.

  “I’ll . . . I’ll meet you there,” she said.

  “I can’t even pick you up? Enjoy a nice evening with you? It’s not like I’m asking you to—”

  “I’m sorry, Ridge. I just can’t . . .”

  I rolled my head back and stared hard at the ceiling, as if I could locate some fresh air there. My lungs were so raw from inhaling exorbitant amounts of air.

  “Fine,” he said, sounding resigned. “Is this still because of that guy you used to date in college? Your brother’s friend?”

  She’d told Ridge about me? Alex’s gaze darted toward me and away.

  “No . . . yes . . . I don’t know,” she said all at once. “What does it matter anyway? There’s too much going on right now. This isn’t the best time for me to become involved in a relationship.”

  I tried to keep from hunching over because her words were like a punch to the gut. It was the same thing she had said to me out on the balcony, but fuck, I knew what she was feeling, how she had responded to me. The way she kissed me. Shit.

  I wanted to give her space, but wasn’t five years long enough? Why couldn’t we work through all of this shit together? Hell, did I sound as pathetic as Ridge just now?

  “Fair enough,” Ridge said, disappointment in his voice. Though I had to hand it to him, the guy seemed like a class act. “Let me walk you out.”

  Charlie looked over at me as my heart continued crashing out of my chest.

  “Keep your head, man, don’t make this too personal,” Alex said, removing his headphones.

  “Already is,” Charlie said. “But Shane is smart. He wouldn’t have gotten us involved if this wasn’t important.”

  I nodded, unable to speak. I pulled out my laptop and began making notes. It was quiet in the van for a few minutes more.

  “Is it true what she said?” Charlie asked, looking back at me. We all knew each other pretty well. During long hours of surveillance we talked about everything under the sun. She had some regretful relationships herself. But it was Alex who knew more about my feeling for Dakota.

  Alex was one of those guys who was very open about his relationships. He told me about the love of his life, a woman he’d fallen hard for during one of his long witness protection surveillance cases, and it had ended badly. She had been the ex-wife of another field Marshal, so you could imagine the bad blood. That had been before Alex had transferred to our department, but his reputation had definitely preceded him.

  “I had it bad for her for years,” I said. “One summer we finally acted on our feelings, which was tough because she was my best friend’s sister.”

  Charlie nodded, seeming to understand. She was great to hash things out with, too. I thought that Dakota might actually like her.

  “We both had a year of college left,” I said. “I figured we’d go off and do our own thing, make it work somehow. She’s a very driven girl, always had been very independent.”

  “Obviously, given the fact that she now runs a casino,” Charlie said, grinning.

  “Right,” I said, nodding. “But it was almost like we didn’t know how to be with each other, outside of our friendship. We’d go weeks between seeing each other, both of us concentrating on graduation and work.”

  “The plight of long-distance relationships,” Alex said, having gone through a crash and burn himself last year.

  “I started talking about going through Marshal training and it was like she just gave up on me. I almost wondered if she was waiting for that opportunity to let me go,” I said. “She has this way of shutting me out, putting up a wall. So I got pissed off and that was that.”

  “Maybe she thought she was holding you back,” Charlie said. “That you were destined for different things.”

  “Maybe,” I said. “But I would have figured it out if she would’ve given me the chance. I didn’t really know how to be her boyfriend back then. She intimidated me in a lot of ways. Plus I had gotten good at stuffing my own feelings away. My dad always did that while I was growing up.”

  “Our dads sound the same,” said Alex, whose own father was a decorated military man. Alex had always described him as a tough motherfucker.
<
br />   “For me, it was my mom,” Charlie said, shaking her head. Her mom was Highway Patrol and had seen her share of shit on the interstate over the years.

  “Guess we’re all a little fucked up,” I said. “Especially being in this business.”

  “Well that’s an understatement,” Alex said. “Let’s hope we don’t screw up the generations that follow us.”

  “That remains to be seen.” Charlie smiled and then took a swig from her water bottle.

  Being away from home helped me grow up, get comfortable in my own skin, and for that, I couldn’t have any regrets. Now I knew what I wanted. Who I wanted. I just hoped I wasn’t too late.

  Chapter Seventeen

  DAKOTA

  As soon as I swung open the apartment door, a hand hooked around my waist, hurtling me into a hard body. “Did you at least check the peephole first?”

  Before I could even respond, Shane’s other hand glided to my hair and then his lips were on mine. It was the evening; I’d been halfheartedly reading a book in my pajamas, which consisted of a long sleep shirt and underwear. His tongue hungrily parted my lips.

  I hadn’t had time to discuss any casino business with him today. When I returned from lunch with Ridge, he was in the bar speaking to the manager and he hadn’t make any eye contact with me. I didn’t know if it was because of what he might’ve heard in the conversation between Ridge and me. But it wasn’t anything he hadn’t already known. Not wanting to appear too obvious to the staff, I kept walking. I had plenty of work to keep me busy anyway. Before I knew it, the afternoon had flown by and he was already gone.

  I didn’t know what I was expecting; it was awkward enough trying to understand what was happening between us. I had no idea what was going through his head or where we stood after he had kissed me out on my balcony and then crowded me in my office before the luncheon. Besides, I had made it clear that it was bad timing for us to restart our relationship. Too bad I couldn’t get him out of my mind for even one second.