by Linda Verji
"I was saying, she knows. But she seems to think that she can bribe someone to get them to you…" Aiko continued, explaining her older sister's attempt to send Misha cupcakes. It was amazing that Misha managed to keep up with the conversation despite her whole being hyper-tuned into Danny.
She could feel his gaze on her; the way it lingered on her gray t-shirt that now felt way too tight around the bust area. She could feel his eyes touch on her thighs displayed by her jean shorts. Fighting the urge to draw the covers at her feet over the rest of her body, she said to Aiko, "I appreciate the thought but I don't want her getting caught. We both know prison-orange ain't a good color on her."
They both laughed, but a moment later Aiko cut in with, "Cara wants to say hi."
Misha spent a few minutes talking to Femi's daughter, even though her peripheral vision stayed on Danny. Seemingly tired of frazzling her nerves with his heated gazes, Danny leant forward and took her computer. Misha immediately leaned forward to snatch it back. "Don't."
"Don't what?" Cara asked.
"Not you, honey," Misha said, gesturing for Danny to bring back her laptop. Instead he flipped it open.
Oh shit! She didn't plan for him to find out like this. Panic clawing at her, Misha swung her feet to the floor and tried to snatch the laptop again. But he turned in his seat and touched the gadget's screen. It came alive to reveal the start page, and he keyed in her password.
On a panicked breath, Misha told Cara, "Let me call you later, okay. Something just came up."
But even with that hurried goodbye, she wasn't fast enough to keep Danny from seeing the document that she'd been reading before his arrival. It was the document Sal had sent her detailing their findings on Eric. Misha could've tried to take the laptop back, but what good would it do? From the way anger flared in Danny's eyes as he read, it was obvious he'd already figured out that she'd broken their agreement.
So she sat back, folded her feet on the couch and waited for him to blow up. He set the laptop back on the coffee- table and sat back in the recliner, tapping his chin and staring at her. The silence and the staring was disconcerting to say the least, and despite herself Misha lowered her gaze to the floor to avoid his unwavering gaze.
"We had an agreement." His voice didn't rise but when Misha peeked upwards, she found his lips drawn in a straight line and his narrowed gaze still on her.
He was pissed as hell!
"I had to," she started. When fresh annoyance flickered in his expression, she ducked her head back downward. Playing with her fingers, she said, "Hear me out. You remember when you told me to leave it to Tony?"
He didn't even nod.
"Well, they took him off the case and gave it to some detectives who are trying to ice it. Their names are on that document…" She leaned forward and touched the laptop eager to show him what she meant. But he ignored the device, his icy stare firmly on her. Feeling like an errant teenager, she sat back in the seat and picked at her nails. "I just can't let the case die like that."
Surely, even Danny could understand that.
Nope.
His anger remained unabated. It swirled in the tense silence that he let fall in the room, like a volcano threatening to erupt. Just when she thought she couldn't bear the silence anymore, he stood up. Without a word, he strode from the room.
She hated when he did this - gave her the silent treatment. Usually, she'd let him work it out on his own then talk to her when he felt like it. But in all honesty, this one was her fault. So a couple of minutes later, she followed him.
She found him in his room, seated on the king-size bed and stripping off his socks. Leaning against the doorjamb, she said, "I'm sorry."
He didn't look up. Socks gone, he unknotted his tie.
Oh, wow. This was going to be a lot harder than she thought.
"Danny, please stop being angry," she pleaded as she crossed the room and settled on the bed next to him. He immediately stiffened. She repeated, "I'm sorry."
He didn't respond, but stopped fiddling with his tie. His arms dropped to rest on his knees.
"Eric died trying to get to me, and it doesn't seem right to let his case die like that," Misha explained. "And after Katherine threatened me-"
He twisted to stare at Misha. "Katherine threatened you?"
Misha nodded.
"When?"
"She came to the hospital the day before I left and told me that if I print Eric's story she'll ruin my career." Misha dismissed the threat with a wave of her hand. "But that doesn't even matter because-"
"Of course it matters." Anger vibrating in his voice, he asked "Why didn't you tell me about Katherine?"
Misha stared downwards and mumbled, "Because I knew you'd tell me to ignore her."
Silence again, but this time there was less anger in it. Danny ran his hand over his face and sighed. "You can be so reckless sometimes." Shaking his head he added, "Misha, Misha, Misha. What am I going to do with you?"
Resting a hand on one of his shoulders and her chin on the other, she suggested hopefully, "Forgive me?"
Inclining his head, he watched her for a moment. "You realize that you're compromising your health, right? And your safety while you're at it."
"I promise I'm being careful," she soothed. "I haven't even left the house."
"Then how did you know that the Wildes were trying to freeze the case?"
"Tony came here-" she started. But when she saw the flicker of anger in Danny's eyes felt compelled to add, "He was here to discuss the case…"
She briefed Danny on everything she and Tony had talked about. Well everything except the part where she was supposed to talk to Lauren. She was saving that for later.
But Danny, it seemed, had selective listening because all he heard was the Tony part.
"So now you're investigating with Tony?" His eyes flashed again, this time she wasn't so sure it was just anger. Jealousy? The thought that Danny might be jealous should've irritated her. Instead her mouth kicked up in a small smile. He noticed it immediately. "You think this is funny?"
"No. No. It's not." She schooled her featured into appropriate contrition. Soothing a hand over his back, she said, "And I'm not investigating with Tony."
Danny looked away from her. "Seems like it."
"We're just sharing information." She kissed his shoulder. "Actually I was thinking of someone else to help me with the investigation."
His head snapped towards her, his eyes narrowed as he took in her expression then he shook his head violently. "No."
"You're the one who keeps telling me I'm not well enough to be running around." She squeezed his shoulder. "This way I stay healthy, you know what I'm doing and you don't have to get Sarah to spy on me." When his eyes widened in shocked guilt, she smiled. "Yes, she told me. Handcuffing me to the sofa? Really?"
"I should've done it," Danny grumbled.
She soothed a palm over his neck before easing her hand into his hair. The soft strands fell around her fingers as his head lolled forward. "Will you help me?"
"No." He shook his head, but it wasn't as emphatic.
"Please," she pleaded as she massaged his scalp. His responsive groan was so low, she didn't think he meant for her to hear it. Hmm, so his scalp was a soft spot. Saving that information for a rainy day, she repeated, "Please."
He turned his head and his hooded eyes met hers. In his gaze she saw arousal; powerful, heated arousal. It hit her like a freight train because arousing him wasn't her intentions. Yet, there it was, clear as daylight.
Her pulse stuttered in its path, her breath caught and her hand stopped its massaging motion. Seeing his head moving towards her, she mentally screamed at her body to move away from him, yet it stayed put.
Caught in the trap of his desire.
Danny stopped a hair's breath away from her, as if waiting for her to back away. She should have. But for the life of her she couldn't remember why. Her dazed mind no longer cared about the consequences of getting closer. So he touch
ed his lips to hers.
Just a touch, but it was enough to send ripples through all her nerves. Neither of them moved their lips, no tongues met, yet that one touch was like being struck by a million volts of lightning. And when he retreated slightly so only his breath washed over her lips all she wanted to do was push his head closer so he could kiss her. Really kiss her.
He murmured, "Okay."
For a moment she was too mesmerized by his lips and eyes to understand what he was saying 'okay' to, until he added, "I'll help you out."
His words were enough to break the magical spell he'd cast over her, yanking her back into reality. Misha quickly withdrew her hand from his hair and scooted away from him.
"Um… uh… thanks," she tripped over her words as she stood up and backed toward the door. "Um… okay. Sarah left food in the microwave. But I'll go warm it up and-"
Screw it! She fled the room without finishing the sentence.
Danny was afraid he'd moved too fast. He hadn't planned to kiss her; it had just happened. The way she was touching him, looking at him, her scent, the little kisses on his shoulder, her lush lips, the desire in her eyes… He was a man, not a stone. But by the way she'd scuttled away and locked herself in her room after the kiss, it was obvious her walls were still up and climbing.
Had he ruined his chances?
Danny raised his hand to knock on the door, but paused with his ears to it, trying to catch any sounds. Soft music wafted through the wood. She was awake. Drawing a fortifying breath, he knocked. Once. Twice.
"Yeah?" she called out. He pushed the door open to find her cocooned in bed, a book in her hand and R&B music playing from the phone resting on the bedside table. It was obvious she'd showered by the sweet scent of lotion that filled the room. Her lips curled in a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes as she said, "Hey."
Good, she was still talking to him. The pressure in his chest eased a little. Leaning against the wall, he said, "Hey. You didn't eat."
"Sorry, got lost in this." She lifted the book. "I'll get something later."
"When's later? You're not supposed to take your meds without eating?" He instantly regretted his words. Great job, Hollis. Instead of dealing with the elephant in the room, you're berating her.
But it seemed that a change of subject was what she needed because she flashed him another smile, this time more genuine. "You worry too much, Daniel."
He gave a self-depreciating smile and shrugged. "I can't help it."
"Okay. Just to make you happy." She set the book aside and pushed away her covers. Danny almost swallowed his tongue when she revealed the navy tights and racer-back top she was wearing.
On any other woman the outfit might have been innocuous, but Misha wasn't built like other women. The tank-top clung to her voluptuous tits announcing that she wasn't wearing a bra. The tights clung to each curve of her lower body; kissed the wide breadth of her hips and smoothed over her thick thighs. Damn it if this woman wasn't trying to kill him. He knew if she turned…
Afraid that he might do something stupid and worsen the obvious tension between them, he went ahead of her to the kitchen. But apparently his torture wasn't over. The woman could even make warming and eating food erotic. All that turning, lifting on toes to pull a plate from the cupboard, sucking the spoon into her mouth was enough to drive any man to the brink. Danny was glad the kitchen island was between them to keep her from seeing her effect on him.
"So what exactly is my part in this investigation?" Danny asked more to distract himself from imagining other parts of his replacing that spoon.
"Well, we need to talk to the suspects…" She let the statement hang and watched him.
The nervous look in her eyes was enough to give him a bad feeling. He repeated carefully, "Talk to the suspects?"
"Mm hmm." She nodded.
Then it hit him. "As in talk to Katherine?" Her eyes widening confirmed his suspicions and he exploded, "I'm not getting within a thousand feet of that woman."
"Come on, Daniel. You promised to help," she wheedled.
"Not with this." He shot Misha and irritated glance. "You know I don't like being around her."
"I would do it," Misha pleaded, "but she can't stand me. And you won't have to stay for long. Just talk to her about Eric, act like he was blackmailing you too and see if she'll spill any of her secrets."
"Ugh!" he groaned, even though he knew he'd do it. If he didn't Misha would likely find a way to speak to Katherine, and after her threats he didn't want Misha anywhere near her.
"You'll do it?" Misha asked hopefully.
He gave her a tight-lipped nod.
"Thank you," she gushed. "While you're there could you also talk to Lauren and ask her to come see me. I've been trying to call her but she's not picking up."
Great. As if dealing with Mrs. Can't Keep Her Hands To Herself wasn't enough, he'd now have to talk to the daughter his mother was trying to get him to marry. Just great.
"You'll owe me for this one," he warned.
And he was serious. If Misha was intent on making him her errand boy, then she'd have to do a couple of things for him too.
CHAPTER 16
Danny was going to kill Misha.
Seriously, he was going to strangle that duplicitous minx as soon as he got home. In their eighteen years of friendship Misha had come up with many hare-brained schemes, but this one took the cake. And he felt like a piece of the poor cake, doomed to be eaten.
By Katherine Wilde.
The moment he walked into the Wildes' living room, Katherine lurched onto him like he was the straw to her sinking ship.
"Oh, Daniel, you can't imagine how awful it's been," she said throatily, sidling next to him on the long Victorian settee.
"I'm sorry for your loss." He tried to move away but the older woman shuffled closer, pressing her thighs against his and her breast to his arm.
Good God! She was so close he could practically see her tonsils. But he had the impression that was not what Katherine wanted him to see; not with the way she was leaning forward, her breasts virtually falling out of her deep v-neck top.
Misha owed him. She owed him big.
"That will be all, Phillip." Katherine's eyes never left Danny's as she waved her heavily jeweled arm at the door.
Pip started, "Would Mr. Daniel like-"
"No, that will be all," Katherine dismissed as she scooted closer to Danny.
"Of course, Mrs. Wilde." There was no inflection in the butler's voice but surely he was as uncomfortable as Danny was with Katherine's blatant seduction.
Lucky for Pip, he got to leave. The door closed behind him with a soft click. It was all Katherine needed. She boxed Danny into the corner of the settee looking like if given the appropriate motivation she might climb onto his lap.
"I feel so lost without dear Eric." Mrs. Wolf… um… Wilde sighed heavily as her paws dug into Danny's upper arm. She batted her eyes. "Thank you for coming to see me. You're such a gentleman."
"Yes, well." He cleared his throat as he tried to keep his eyes above her neck. "I wanted to make sure you and Richard were doing okay after the tragedy."
If he was hoping for the woman to be subdued by the mention of her husband he was in for disappointment. Katherine bit her bottom lip then breathed, "Are you sure that’s all you came for?"
Oh, Misha. You'll pay for this.
Danny plastered a weak smile on his face. "Actually, no."
"Really?" The blonde set her manicured hand on his thigh and squeezed.
He slapped his hand over hers to keep her from doing any more damage, and said, "I wanted to know if Eric had approached you too."
The woman stiffened against him at the mention of her former PA. Her tone was noticeably less coy when she asked, "What do you mean approached?"
Looking suitably troubled, Danny recited the cover story he and Misha had agreed on. "About a month ago I received a text message from an anonymous number. The sender was threatening to go to the pres
s and give them our story if I didn't cough up twenty-five thousand dollars."
Katherine's gaze hardened. "Our story?"
Danny nodded, gesturing between the two of them. "Our story."
It took the blonde a few seconds to make that connection. When she did, she released Danny's arm and thigh and spat out, "That bastard."
Free from her stranglehold, Danny eased back on the settee and agreed, "That bastard."
"Good riddance to bad rubbish." Gone was the woman who was mourning 'dear Eric' only minutes ago. Her eyes alight with unrestrained fury, Katherine asked, "How did you find out it was him?"
"I set my people on the number. It led straight to Eric."
"I wish I'd been that smart." Clenching her jaw, Katherine turned to the coffee table and picked up the glass of wine. After swallowing, a healthy mouthful, she confessed, "That thug managed to siphon seventy-five thousand from us before I caught on to him."
Seventy-five thousand dollars? So all the money she and Richard had withdrawn from the accounts had gone to Eric? Danny injected anger into his voice. "For the same thing?"
"No." To his disappointment she didn't elaborate further but instead asked, "Did you give him the money?"
"Some of it," he lied. "I didn't want to give him anything, but I also didn't want him ruining your good name. So I gave him ten grand."
"Oh, Danny." Katherine plastered herself against him again and threw her arms around his neck. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." Danny patted her back awkwardly. He was glad when Katherine released him, even if it was only partially.
She kept a hold on his upper arm as she asked, "Did he show you proof too?"
Proof too? It made sense that Eric must've something to base his blackmail shenanigans on. Thinking on his feet, Danny nodded. "He had pictures."
Katherine inclined her head, her gaze scrutinizing his features as she asked, "And Misha doesn't know any of this?"
"Of course not!" He threw in, "Otherwise it would already be in the papers by now."