Dancing with Deception

by Kadi Dillon

  “He can’t help it,” she snapped. She regretted it immediately though. “Sorry.”

  “Why can’t he help putting his daughter’s life in danger? I’d love to hear this.” He finished off his drink, crushing the can with long, strong fingers; then put it in a compartment that held a small trash can.

  “I just meant the leaving part. I’m sure he didn’t know he was putting me in danger.” Even to her own ears, the statement rang false.

  “Rebecca. That was a shitty thing for him to do.”

  She nodded, fighting against the burn of unwanted tears. Would she ever stop the water works? She hadn’t cried this much since she was a baby. He said her name again and she warmed at the concern she heard in his voice.

  “Let’s just change the subject, okay?”

  He watched her for a minute—trying to gage her emotions, she knew. Most guys were uncomfortable with a woman crying. But, she remembered, he had held her while she’d sobbed out her terror a few days ago. Then he’d kissed her more thoroughly than she’d ever been kissed before. Her pulse still raced when she remembered the feel of his hard body against hers.

  “What do you want to talk about?”

  She didn’t want to talk, she realized. Her gaze dropped to his mouth. Did she dare try to initiate something? He hadn’t tried to touch her or kiss her since that time in the bathroom. What if he didn’t want to again? She saw his body tense and his gaze also drop to her mouth. A new kind of panic shot through her and she groped for a topic to throw out there.

  “What happened to Jess?” Damn it– was that breathless sound actually her voice?

  “What?” If possible, his body tensed even more.

  “Jess,” Rebecca prodded. “When we spend time together, I always get the feeling that something bad happened to her.”

  His lips thinned into a grim line. He turned away to stare out at the water. She knew he wasn’t turning away from her, however. She sensed his struggle and her heart went out to him—and to Jess. More than anything she needed to know about Jess.

  “It’s her story to tell,” he finally said. He looked at her with eyes full of helplessness and sorrow. “And I want to know if she tells you. Suffice it to say that she was hurt.”

  “But she’s okay now?” She understood privacy and wasn’t offended that he wouldn’t tell her. But she did want to know if Jess was all right. She seemed fine most of the time. But Rebecca also knew all too well that a person could hide behind an outer wall so well that no one would ever try to look beyond its thick surface.

  “She will be.”

  It wasn’t the answer she wanted. It only added to her curiosity and her concern.

  “So, where did your mother take a cruise to?”

  “I don’t know.” The answer was so empty, it hurt Rebecca. They were never close. There were times that Rebecca didn’t even think of Lilah as her mother. Sometimes she just seemed like the ever absent roommate.

  As a little girl, Rebecca would watch her mother put on her makeup or dress herself up for a date. She would stare in wonder at the beautiful woman she lived with. Lilah had a classic ivory complexion without a blemish or wrinkle. Later, when Rebecca became conscious of fashion, she realized Lilah had ruined her perfect complexion by caking on makeup like it was going out of style. She had also bleached her mink brown hair into a horrible blond color that never turned the platinum shade she desired.

  “You ever take a cruise?”

  He was changing the subject, she realized and smiled again. “Not yet.”

  “Where would you go?”

  She thought for a moment. “Everywhere. That’s why I haven’t taken one yet. None of them go everywhere.”

  They were cast in shadows when a cloud scooted in front of the sun. The wind whipped a little, blowing black strands of hair in front of Rebecca’s face. Before she could swipe them away, Gideon lifted his hand to oblige. His fingers left a trail of fire as he slid them across her cheek to tuck the silken strands behind her ear.

  He lingered at the base of her ear causing her to shiver.

  “Cold?” His voice was a murmur.

  She shook her head slowly. She saw the intent on his face and braced herself for his kiss. She wasn’t prepared however. The hand on her throat curled around the nape of her neck, sending delicious tingles down her spine. His mouth swooped down on hers in a hungry assault.

  She’d had it both ways, she thought as his tongue ravished her mouth. Their first kiss had been quick and hard, their second slow and silky and she honestly couldn’t decide between the two which she liked more. Right now though, she wanted the bite.

  She curled her arms up around his shoulders, gripped, and held on while he plundered. She tasted the coke he’d been drinking before and something else; something dark and intoxicating. She heard him grown and felt the vibration in his chest.

  The pace was fast. Her heart raced as she struggled to keep up. The wind whipped again, wrapping her hair around the side of his head. She was barely aware of him pressing her back into the cushioned seat so that he was lying on top of her.

  No longer passive, she arched against him and felt his hardness. His hands were moving achingly slow compared to the speed of his lips pressing against hers over and over again. He trailed wet kisses down her face to the side of her neck and bit lightly. Heat gushed through her like a geyser that had nowhere to pour out. His tongue laved over where his teeth had just sunk causing her to writhe beneath him.

  He continued to brand her with his mouth and hands while she did the same to him. Her hands moved up his back and she reveled in the feel of hard muscle under her palms. It wasn’t enough. She pulled the hem of his shirt up and encountered hot skin. She thought she moaned but his mouth covered hers in another searing kiss.

  His big hands cupped her breasts, holding her while his thumbs teased her nipples into straining peaks. She wrapped her slender legs around him, pressing center to center while sensations slammed her like a tidal wave.

  His hands slid up her stomach, under her shirt. Lost in him and in the delicious whirlwind, she pressed her mouth to Gideon’s neck. She tasted his salty flesh and couldn’t get enough. He said something low and harsh, and then he was tugging at the snap to her shorts.

  At first, the distant sound of a motor didn’t connect in the foggy mist that was her mind. All she could hear above her own heart hammering was the sounds of their breathing. Then, little by little the sound of the motor became louder.

  “Gideon.” He hadn’t heard. Rebecca curled her hand around his shoulder and pushed. “Someone’s coming.”

  “Don’t care.”

  “Gideon!”

  On a groan, Gideon pulled slightly away but didn’t release his hold on her. Their eyes met. His were so dark that she couldn’t tell where his pupils began. He looked up to see who was approaching. From beneath him, she saw his mouth pull into a grim line.

  “I’m going to kill him,” he growled. His forehead dropped to hers as he heaved a sigh of frustration. “Please tell me you want to finish this later.”

  She nodded and he kissed her again before rising. She sat up, pulling her shirt down as she rose. She saw the boat approaching but couldn’t see the driver yet. Gideon was getting another can of soda out of the ice chest. Inspired, Rebecca picked up her unfinished can and drank deeply to cool the fires he had just lit.

  She recognized Colin as he got closer. She wanted to smile at the murderous glare Gideon was giving him but decided against it, biting the inside of her cheek to keep it at bay.

  “This had better be damn good,” he muttered.

  Colin cut the engine on his boat when he pulled up beside Gideon’s and grinned. “I apologize if I was interrupting anything.”

  Rebecca hoped her face didn’t look as hot as it felt.

  Gideon growled. “What do you want, asshole?”

  “Dad’s pal called back with the info on Jefferson.”

  Gideon tensed visibly. “What’d he say?”
<
br />   Colin shrugged. “Don’t know. Dad figured we ought to wait for you two to get back but I figured you’d want to know.” He moved to the helm and gunned the engine. “Meet you back at the house,” he shouted over the noise.

  They were quiet until the sound of the motor died down. Then Rebecca turned to Gideon. He was looking at her again but with none of the hunger or desire he had showed before. “You okay?”

  “Of course.” She didn’t know if he was asking because of the thorough assault he had just laid to her senses or because they were moving forward with her dilemma. Either way she was fine, she told herself. Just fine.

  “All right.” He tossed his can into the trash and started the boat.

  Gideon docked and helped Rebecca out of the boat. He kept her hand in his as they walked to the house. He liked the feel and fit of her small, delicate hand in his large one. He definitely liked the feel of them rubbing over his skin.

  Heat punched him in the gut when he thought of what they’d done. He’d been seconds away from ripping her pants off and having at her when his idiot brother interrupted them. Oh, he’d been furious. At least he’d chosen then to show up and not when he’d been inside her. He doubted he could have stopped for anything then.

  He saw her smoothing her hair out of the corner of his eye and smiled. She’d be embarrassed, no doubt if anyone else suspected anything. She’d turned scarlet when Colin had shown up and her color had barely returned to normal. Hell, just looking at her was a dead giveaway to what they’d been up to.

  He’d be up to it later if he had anything to say about it.

  He opened the door for her and smothered a grin when she gave him a curious look. She walked through the door without comment and he followed.

  His family was all sitting at the kitchen table. If anyone noticed Rebecca’s flushed face, they didn’t comment. They just smiled and Colin pulled out a chair for her. Gideon remained standing and crossed his arms over his chest.

  “So?”

  Charles tapped a stack of papers on the table. “Six men in Ohio by that name. None of them have the means to have ordered a boat like this guy had requested.”

  “So it was a setup.” Gideon wasn’t surprised in the least. “Why haven’t they made a move if they know where we are?”

  Charles shrugged. “They’re either waiting for us to leave Rebecca without protection or they lost their tail on you when they followed you back.”

  Gideon nodded at his father. “I think it’s the latter. There’s no way they can keep watch on the island. We’re too far away from Pelee and the mainland to keep watch.”

  “If they got your cell phone number, what’s stopping them from getting your address?”

  Gideon looked at Rebecca. No hint of the blush from earlier remained on her face. She was pale and afraid now. Her fingers were bloodless as she twisted them on the table in front of her.

  “I’m not listed at this address. The business and island are listed under Colin’s name. The house is under my parents. It’ll take them a while to figure it out.”

  “You’re on the license for the boatyard,” Colin reminded him.

  “Yeah, but your name will show up first.” A small detail played over in his mind. “There were two of them on the boat when they came to look for her on Avery.” Gideon looked at Rebecca. “The one you kicked.”

  “So?”

  “So, I went in the cabin with the short one. My phone was left up on deck. They didn’t find out anything. The bastard called his phone with mine to get my number.”

  “That makes sense,” Charles smiled. “Go get your phone and check your call log to be sure.”

  “So what’s next?” Colin asked.

  “They know everything about Rebecca. How is that?” Gideon hadn’t thought of it before. They’d been following her, watching her routine. Then, when they hadn’t been able to find out where the painting was, they’d grabbed her. How did they know her father would take it to her?

  He fixed his eyes on hers and saw her squirm. He had a bad feeling about it, but he asked again. “How did they know who you were? Your father didn’t come around. Why would they think to look you up?”

  “My father’s a con-artist.” No one spoke or seemed to move. Gideon calmly waited for her to explain. “H-he went to jail and met others like him. They helped him so that when he got out, he could move on to bigger cons. Big money…”

  “Your father stole the painting?” And she’d been hiding it for him?

  “No. Not exactly.” She looked up at him, her expression begging him for something. “You see, it’s my painting. I painted it when I was younger.”

  “You helped him.”

  “No, I didn’t even remember painting it. I must have been young. I only realized a little while ago. He covered my name in the corner and must have fooled someone into believing its valuable.”

  “And that someone’s pissed off.” He shouldn’t feel hurt that she hadn’t told him her father had purposely put her in danger. She had led him to believe he was just stupid. Fury turned his blood hot. He thought of all the things he would do to Austin Channing when he met him. And he would meet him, he promised. He intended to see this thing through to the end.

  “So why would they come after the painting if they knew it was worthless?” Jess wanted to know. “Wouldn’t they go after your father instead?”

  “They probably still think the painting is worth something. Judging him, he probably showed them the painting and forged documents stating it’s supposed worth then gave them time to transfer the money. If they had the painting, they could easily test it and find out its crap. But if he hid it, they’d look for it and not him.”

  His mother’s breath caught in her throat. Gideon knew it was out of pity for Rebecca and the total disregard her father showed her. Hell, he felt for her too.

  “When did you realize the painting was yours?”

  She looked up at him and he saw her vivid blue eyes wide and anxious. “On the way here… to the island.”

  “And why the hell didn’t you decide to mention it until now?”

  Her chin tilted which aggravated him more. “Would it have made a difference?”

  “That’s not the point and you know it.”

  “Just what is the point, Gideon?” Charles picked the file up and put it in a drawer.

  “Hell if I know,” Gideon muttered. Furious at her and himself, he strode to the door. “I’m going to go finish working. See you guys later.”

  He couldn’t say exactly why he was so angry. Rebecca was completely right. It didn’t make any difference whether the painting was worth a fortune or worth only what it cost to buy the damn finger paint. He guessed he thought they had something to barter with before. Now, there was a very good chance that what they were risking their lives for was worthless.

  It was the lack of trust that bothered him the most. He understood why she would have been wary of telling him at first. She probably thought he would accuse her of being a part of the scam.

  But when things had started changing between them, he expected her to be more open with him. Hell, he thought raking a hand through his hair. Maybe it had only changed for him. Maybe she wasn’t as affected as he thought she was. He sure was. Every time he thought about having his mouth on hers his pants became too tight.

  He flipped on the light in the office and dug out the plans for the boat he had been designing. It wouldn’t be Avery, he knew. But it would be almost as good. Avery had been the first boat he and his family had sweated and strained over. She was top of the line with features that put a yacht to shame. Gideon had claimed her since he was the face of the boatyard. Clients envied her and often tried to duplicate her but one thing Boats by Avery claimed originality. No boat would ever be duplicated. Not even a basic sail boat.

  Gideon pulled out a stubby pencil from his desk drawer and picked up on his sketch for his new boat. She would be a lot like Avery, he thought as he penciled in a storage compartment.
But he would add in the mini-fridge he had thought about only after they had designed and built her. Sketching kept his mind off Rebecca; until he penciled in the bench seat. He frowned remembering their earlier encounter and widened the seat a few inches.

  He set the pencil down and sighed. He wouldn’t stop thinking about her until he had more than just a taste of her. He’d thought of nothing but Rebecca since their kiss on the bathroom floor and the kiss only an hour ago didn’t come close to whetting his appetite.

  He was thoroughly disgusted with himself for wanting her even though he was angry with her. She’d kept things from him even after they started to like each other. They’d basically lived together for six days and he knew more about her than he did any of his past girlfriends. That had to mean something, he mused. Maybe the added danger heightened the interest.

  Whatever the cause, the outcome remained the same. He would have her.

  Jess popped her head in sometime later. Without a word, she sat down in a low-back chair and crossed her legs underneath her. The long glare she gave him rendered him reluctant to begin a conversation so he only nodded and continued shading in his sketch.

  “You’re an asshole.”

  Gideon sighed. “What do you want, Jess?”

  “You hurt her feelings.”

  He put his sketch away because he knew his sister wouldn’t give him any more peace until he gave into whatever she wanted him to do. “Her, meaning Rebecca?”

  “Who else? You know you hurt her feelings. You’re such a jerk, Gideon.” She crossed her slender arms over her chest and lifted her chin at him. He would have laughed if he knew she wouldn’t pick up a paperweight and beam him with it. He knew better, however.

  “Maybe I am, but she kept things from me.”

  “With good reason,” she snarled. “And like she said, what difference would it have made if she told you it was hers?”

  “None. It’s the fact that she didn’t tell me after we—” He cut himself off knowing his sister would just love to hear about his attraction for Rebecca.

  “After you started liking each other?” She smirked. “Yes, I know. I’m not blind. But it doesn’t matter. With good reason, she probably thought you would stop being nice to her if she told you. And I was going to look at the painting first.”