by Lexy Timms
Just as Allyson had suspected there was an office, and she knew that she was going to have to sneak back there unnoticed sometime during the night.
After the tour, Dane started talking to Nicholas and Katherine. Allyson made sure to keep them in her sights as she approached Rebecca Greene on the far side of the living room.
“You look lovely, Rebecca,” Allyson said.
Rebecca beamed. She was sporting a black lace knee-length dress that fit her beautifully. “Thank you, Mrs. Prescott. So do you. You look very elegant tonight.”
“Thank you.” Allyson smiled. She hated wondering if a perfectly nice woman like Rebecca was the one responsible for the embezzlement. It seemed so unlikely, but anything was possible now.
As they talked about work and the girl’s football line that Nicholas had suggested, Allyson felt her insides knot up. The moment of truth was approaching, and she was on edge.
“I hate to ask, but do you would you happen to have a tampon or anything?” Allyson interrupted, her face turning bright red. She could feel the burn on her cheeks and all the way down her neck. It was the perfect cover- up.
“Oh, you’re in luck.” Rebecca reached into her tiny clutch and discreetly handed a tampon to Allyson. “I’ve got some painkillers as well if you need any.”
“That’s all right, thank you,” Allyson said. “I’ll just head over to the bathroom.”
She hurried away from Rebecca and stepped out of the living room. Making her way down the hall, she looked over her shoulder to make sure nobody was around. She rushed by the bathroom and slipped into Nicky’s office, gently closing the door behind her.
The office was dark except for the light of the moon streaming in through the window. Turning on the light would probably make her search easier, but she didn’t want to risk anyone seeing the glow of the light from outside.
Her heart hammered in her chest. Sweat formed on her brow. Steeling herself, she walked over to the large desk in front of the bookcase and opened the top drawer. She retrieved her phone from her purse to use it as a flashlight while she rifled through the documents in the drawer.
There were financial statements, memos, business plans. Nothing that seemed helpful. Frustrated, she turned her attention to the other drawers. There were more documents. Contracts, business letters, legal filings. A manila folder that was stamped with the word ‘Confidential’ caught her attention. With her hands shaking, she reached into the folder and pulled out the contents.
She gasped as she held her phone over the words to read. Nicholas Handel’s will. A will that bequeathed most of his fortune to charities, but with one small exception.
Suddenly the sound of approaching footsteps made her jerk in surprise. Her heart jumped into her throat. As fast as she could, she shoved her phone back into her purse.
The doorknob on the office door rattled.
Oh shit. Someone was trying to get in. If it was Nicholas, she was done for. She had no way of explaining her presence in his office. Realizing there was no time to put the documents back properly, her eyes darted around the room for a hiding place.
She was having a hard time adjusting to the near darkness of the room. Ducking under the table seemed like a bad idea, but then, in the light of the moon, she spotted the huge velvet curtain that had been pulled back from the window.
The door began to creak open. With her heart slamming against her ribs she scurried behind the heavy curtain, hoping to God that nobody found her.
Footsteps sounded as someone stepped into the room.
Please don’t turn on the light. Please don’t turn on the light.
She held her breath, her hands still gripping the documents in her hand. The terror of making a sound that gave her away was almost unbearable.
Another set of footsteps.
“Nicholas.” Dane’s voice. He sounded agitated. “Forget about the book. My father wants to talk to you about this investment I was telling you about.”
“Suit yourself,” Nicholas said. “But then I win the bet. I have the book here.”
“Fine.” Dane gave out an exasperated breath. “You know how it is with fathers.”
Nicholas snorted. “Tell me about it.”
The sound of door creaking shut made her exhale, desperate to catch her breath. The sound of the footsteps began to fade, and she slipped out from behind the curtain.
She knew Nicholas Handel’s secret now. Knew what he was hiding. And if there was time, there could very well be a chance to solve the mystery. Figure out who the embezzler was. But there was no time. Dane had given her a firm demand.
He’d given her the chance to sneak around Nicky’s home with the assurance that, if she didn’t get enough evidence to clear her name, he’d go to jail in her place. She had promised to let him go ahead with that plan. But she had no intention of keeping that promise.
Allyson folded the documents in her hand and shoved them into her purse. Stealing something this valuable was a huge risk, but she needed to have a backup plan in case things went awry.
With the documents now in her purse, she raced out of the office and locked herself in the bathroom. Tears stung her eyes. She stared at her reflection in the mirror. The face staring back at her looked exhausted. Ghostly pale.
“Get it together,” she hissed at her reflection.
Fighting back tears, she squared her shoulders. She had no intention of letting her husband go to jail in her place. The only way to save Dane was to agree to the terms of the plea deal. Admit to a crime she didn’t commit and face three years in prison. The thought of the whole world thinking she was a thief made her heart ache. But the thought of Dane in prison because of her was something she could never live with. Ever.
Taking a deep breath, she stepped out of the bathroom, ready to lie to her husband for the second time since they had gotten married.
Chapter 12
That had been close. Too close.
He walked with Nicholas down the hall and back out into the living room. Dane could have sworn he saw Allyson head towards the office, which was why he had tried to stop Nicholas from walking in. It had been too dark to see inside the office, so there was a chance his wife was still inside.
He wasn’t going to take any chances. When he and Nicholas found his father and Katherine talking in a corner, he made a point to give them as much financial advice as possible.
Allyson appeared by his side minutes later. She touched his arm and motioned for him to follow her.
“Excuse us for a second,” he said to his father and the Handel siblings.
“Of course,” Nicholas said with a nod.
Dane followed Allyson out onto the balcony.
“Did you find anything?” he whispered into her ear.
She nodded and then lowered her eyes. Something was wrong. Her entire demeanor was off. His wife’s face was pale. Her entire body tensed. “I figured out what sort of heir Nicholas has.”
“Wife or kid?” he asked.
“He has a secret wife,” she said. “Based on the date in his will, they haven’t been married very long. However, he isn’t leaving her that much money.”
That didn’t surprise him. Nicholas was selfish and stingy. Or maybe his wife already had plenty of money of her own.
“Did the will say who his wife was?” he pressed.
“No,” she replied. “But I have my suspicions. Rebecca Greene is at the top of the list.”
“That makes sense,” he said. “She’s in charge of the women’s department at the London office. She would have access to accounts from headquarters. A scheme like that would be much harder for her to pull off from London, but not impossible.”
“Do you think we should wait this out?” she asked. “Try to get more evidence?”
He shook his head. “There isn’t enough time. We need to talk to your lawyer, and get my lawyer on the phone right now. Get them to get the charges applied to me.”
“We should probably get out of here and hash
things out with Lester.” She sighed, her entire body shuddering.
Dane reached for her and pulled her close. Held her tightly to him. The warmth of her soft body against his tempted him more than anything ever had. If this was going to be one of their last nights together, he wanted to hold her in his arms for as long as possible.
When they finally pulled away from each other, Allyson headed back into the living room to find Lester while he went over to his father.
Somehow, they managed to get out of the party early after saying goodbye to the Handel siblings, and they went back to the hotel.
Lester met them in their suite while Dane got his lawyer on the phone.
“Mr. Prescott, I cannot advise you to do this,” his lawyer, Jack Strickland, said. “I understand that you want to protect your wife, but admitting to a crime you didn’t commit will come with serious consequences.”
“I don’t want your advice,” Dane barked. “Just do as I say.”
“It’s pretty early in the morning over here, but I should be able to get the prosecutor on the phone,” his lawyer replied.
“Do it,” Dane muttered.
As the night wore on they hashed out a deal with Dane’s lawyer, finally getting the charges moved to Dane. “This only works if you’re back in New York by next Tuesday afternoon.”
That was a little less than four days. Perfectly doable. If he could find a way to say goodbye to Allyson. “What happens after I meet up with you?” Dane asked his lawyer.
“Well, you’ll be taken into custody. After that you’ll be sentenced and start serving a three-year sentence,” Jack replied. “Are you sure this is something you want?”
“It is,” he said determinedly. “My wife is not going to jail.”
With everything settled, Dane finished up some of the finer details with his lawyer on the phone while Allyson made final preparations with Lester.
“You don’t have to do this,” Allyson said, appearing beside him after showing Lester out of their suite.
“It’s the only way,” he said. “I could never accept you going away for even a minute. The night you spent in jail is not something I ever want you relive again.”
Her lower lip trembled, and her shoulders slumped in defeat. “Oh, Dane. This is ridiculous. We’ll get this sorted. We’ll find out what’s going on. We’ll find a way.”
“Will you wait for me?” he asked. “Three years is a long time.”
“I’d wait forever for you.” She inhaled sharply, like she was trying to stifle a sob.
Seeing her like this was destroying him. He crossed over to her and wrapped his arms around her tightly. She clung to him.
Without even thinking, his lips took hers in an aching, desperate kiss. This might be the last real night they spent together for three years. Tomorrow he’d get on a plane and head back to New York, where he’d undoubtedly spend most of his final free days working with his lawyer.
He had to have her one last time. Had to remember every inch of her perfect body.
Dane pulled away from her to lift her into his arms, walked her over to the bed, and set her down gently.
“I want you,” he said gruffly, already ripping off his jacket.
The moment he said the words his wife tugged off her cocktail dress, down to nothing but a pair of high heels and lacy red underwear. “And I want you.”
“You are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” he choked out. Drinking her in made his heart slam hard in his chest. He was almost insane with desire for her, painfully hard. Needing to get out of the rest of his clothes he tossed them off until he was down to nothing, his erection pointing right at her.
Her skin was flushed, her full breasts heaving as she breathed. Slowly she pulled off her red lace panties, the explicit sight of her sex drowning out every coherent thought in his head. When she licked her lips provocatively, whatever it was that was holding him back snapped. Dane climbed onto the bed and took her mouth with his again.
Allyson arched her back as he rolled on top of her. With their tongues entwined, she moaned low in her throat and wrapped her long legs around his waist.
He tore his mouth from her to ask, “Are you ready for me?”
“Yes,” she moaned, her fingers running up and down his back. Her nails raked across his skin, the sweet pain turning him on like nothing else ever had.
With one quick thrust he was inside her, pleasure gripping his body. She was wet and warm, her sex tightening around him.
He groaned and thrust deeper into her, making her cry out in ecstasy. His gaze met hers, and he couldn’t look away. Never wanted to.
There was a mix of lust, love, and sadness as her emerald green eyes burned into him. As he rocked into her faster, harder, it was as if they were saying goodbye to each other. Not with words, but with their bodies. With the way she gripped him so tightly, he thought she might never let him go. With each frenzied stroke into her, he was reminding her without words that he loved her more than life itself.
They climaxed together, the pleasure so overwhelming that he collapsed on top of her. When he finally caught his breath, he kissed her damp forehead. “I love you,” he told her.
She stared deep into his eyes. “And I love you. Always.” Allyson pressed her soft lips to his, a kiss so lingering that it felt like a goodbye.
He had worried that the fear of losing her meant he wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight, but he was so exhausted that he closed his eyes and drifted off into dreamless sleep.
Dane awoke with a start, reaching his arm across the bed for his wife. Nothing. Her side of the bed was still warm, but Allyson wasn’t sleeping beside him like he expected.
Not to mention their suite was dark.
His eyes darted around the room, searching for her. “Allyson?”
No answer.
She wasn’t in their suite. He didn’t know how he knew, but he just knew. Dane wasn’t the kind of man who panicked, but he was on the verge of turning the place upside down to find her.
Rolling out of bed he grabbed his clothes off the floor, quickly put them on, and started searching the suite for his wife. Every room was empty.
He grabbed his phone, dialing her frantically, but each call instantly went straight to voicemail.
Where was she? Had she left the room to get something downstairs? Had the person who had left that threatening note taken her?
His gut churned. Dane rushed out of their suite and headed downstairs to the front desk.
“Have you seen my wife?” he asked the receptionist. “Allyson Prescott.”
“Oh, yes sir, I have,” the receptionist answered. “She just headed outside to the rental car.”
Rental car? He didn’t bother asking the receptionist further questions. Instead he sped out of the lobby and out of the hotel.
It was still dark outside. Probably about three in the morning from the looks of things. A black car was parked right outside, its engine still running.
His wife was sitting in the passenger seat.
Her eyes widened when she saw him. They widened even more as she watched him get into the driver’s seat beside her.
“What are you doing?” she demanded.
Teeth gritted he fired back, “What am I doing? What the hell are you doing?”
“Dane, go back inside.”
“Not happening,” he said. “Not until you tell me where you’re going and what you’re doing.”
She let out a loud sigh. “I’m going to the airport.”
“Without me,” he muttered.
“That’s right,” she said with a nod. “I’m going back to New York to take the plea deal.”
“The plea deal we both decided was for me,” he said. “You made a promise to let me take care of this. I let you look for a way to clear your name. I gave you that chance when we were at Nicholas Handel’s place. Now you’re just going to break your promise to me?”
“Yes.”
“You lied to me,” he accused.
“I did,” she said. “I knew you wouldn’t listen to reason, so I planned to take the plea deal. Lester and I discussed it when you were on the phone with your lawyer. There’s a plea deal, and it stands whether you or I show up in New York. As long as one of us shows up, the deal is good. I’m going to take the deal in your place.”
“Not any more you’re not,” he said coldly. “You’re going back into the hotel while I head to the airport.”
“I’ll go away for three years,” she said. “It’s not that long.” She sounded so aloof. So cold and distant. Nothing like herself at all.
“What happened to wanting to clear your name?” he asked.
“After I realized you were going to take the fall for me, I decided saving you was more important than my pride,” she said. “You’re the one who thought taking a plea deal was a sensible move.”
“Yes, if I was the one taking the fall for you,” he forced out.
“I can’t let you go to jail for something you didn’t do.”
“But you’re innocent, too,” he insisted.
She nodded. “I am, but the cops had their sights on me. I brought this problem to our family, so I have to find a solution. This is the best plan.”
“I’m not letting you do this.” He glared at her.
“That doesn’t matter,” she said smoothly, in a tone that irritated him. “Lester will be back soon to drive me to the airport. He went to get some cash out of the hotel safe, so I suggest you go back upstairs before he returns.”
“Let’s just to back to our room to talk this over,” he said, hoping to buy more time to get some sense into her before she ruined her life.
“No,” she said sharply. “You don’t get it, do you? My mother was right about me. I am ruthless and cunning. At least, when I have to be. And, right now, I have to be.”
Before he could reply she leaned over, grabbed the car keys from the ignition, and scrambled out of the car.
He reached over to open the passenger door, but it was too late. The click of the doors locking let him know that his wife had locked him inside.