by Tee O'Fallon
He shrugged. “This is my tradition.”
“I can see that.” And his feet were h-u-g-e, huge. “What size shoe do you wear?” The disparity between their feet was comical. His were nearly three inches longer and twice as wide.
“Lucky thirteen. You?”
“Lucky seven.”
A uniformed member of the New York City Police Department belted out the national anthem, then the first pitch was thrown.
By the seventh inning stretch, they were on the edge of their seats—literally. The score was three-three after a controversial call that resulted in the Boston Red Sox tying the game.
“Did you see that?” Kat shouted, pointing to the screen. “That ump needs glasses. The runner was so out at first it’s not funny.”
Dayne nodded. “That ump makes more controversial calls than any other umpire in the league.”
She fell back against the sofa and crossed her arms. “I should have him fired.”
He chuckled. “You have that much pull?”
“I’d be willing to assert my influence. It’s a matter of principle.”
“That it is.” He held up his hand, palm out for her to smack, which she did in mutual agreement.
The brief contact sent tingles of awareness shooting up her arm. Awareness she didn’t want to feel. She stood, raising her arms over her head. “Time for the stretch.” Dayne didn’t move. His gaze was fastened on her breasts. Quickly, she lowered her arms and sat, grabbing another cookie to take her mind off thinking about him, too. It didn’t help. Not when he looked at her that way.
“Tell me about Chad.”
Kat froze in mid-chew. She finished chewing then swallowed. The cookie and the latent anger and humiliation. “There’s not much to tell. He’s my ex-boyfriend.”
“I know that. But how long has it been?”
“About a month. We broke up a few hours before you and I first met at the Haven. At least, that’s when I found out from Penny that he dumped me. Later that day, I read about it in the tabloids. One of my maids overheard the conversation and sold it for three hundred dollars.”
“Ouch.” He grimaced.
“Yes, ouch.” Thankfully, the raw, aching pain had finally disappeared. “That’s why I have such a small staff. I didn’t want eyes and ears on me all the time, so that same day, I fired everyone I didn’t trust.”
“Understandable.” He nodded. “Why did you break up?”
“He discovered that in order to marry me he’d have to sign a prenuptial agreement.” There. She’d said it, and it felt good to unload.
Dayne’s features tightened. “The man’s a fool for letting you get away.”
“Actually, he did me a favor. He only wanted my money. Like I said, it’s kind of a recurring problem for me.”
“I’ll bet it is.” Again, he nodded, but there was sincerity and understanding in his eyes.
She clasped her hands, staring at them. “I think what upset me most was that I would have given him anything he wanted. Anything.”
“Do you still love him?”
The answer came to her with incredible clarity. “I don’t think I ever did, or I wouldn’t have gotten over him so quickly. I think I just wanted someone to love and marry. It’s important to me. I want to have children but not with someone who doesn’t love me back.” She gave a self-deprecating laugh. “You probably think that’s silly and naive.”
“No. I don’t.” He took a deep inhale and let it out. “The day I got accepted into the FBI academy, I went out and bought a ring for my girlfriend. An engagement ring. I was excited to share the good news and tell her that I wanted her with me wherever I got stationed.”
The young woman in the now crumpled photo. Brit. “I take it things didn’t work out.”
He grunted. “She was excited by the diamond ring, all right. Not about me becoming an FBI agent.”
“Why not? I would be proud if the man I loved worked for the FBI.” Whoops. Heat flooded her face. She hadn’t meant her words to come out quite like that.
“Thanks, but she definitely wasn’t proud. She expected me to go to medical school then join her father’s orthopedic practice and make the big bucks of a surgeon so she could live in style. What I thought was happy news wound up being the very thing that split us up.”
“I’m sorry.” His iron-hard jaw tightened, leaving her wondering if… “Do you still love her?”
“God no.” He laughed bitterly. “I just felt stupid for not seeing her for what she was.”
“A gold-digging bitch?” As Lily had indicated last night.
The corners of his mouth lifted. “I guess we have more in common than we realized. The Yankees and people wanting to marry us for our money.”
“Who knew?” Kat grabbed another cookie sandwich, touching it to his in a mock toast. A cookie toast. “Here’s to finding the right person.”
“The right fiscally responsible person.”
They laughed and bit into their cookies. A gob of icing squirted onto her lower lip.
“Kat.” Using his finger, he swiped off the frosting before it fell onto her shirt. As he licked his finger, his gaze met hers and he swallowed.
Kat’s heart raced. There it is again. So much heat and emotion pouring off him, she could feel it straight through her blouse. Kiss me. Kiss me, dammit.
He leaned in closer until their mouths were inches apart. Her heart pounded faster. If he didn’t kiss her soon she’d go up in flames.
His lips grazed hers, softly at first then with more pressure. He urged her mouth open, and oh yes. Finally. When their tongues met, need spiked in her blood. She wanted to touch him but was afraid this was some kind of magic spell and one wrong move would shatter the moment.
Still not touching her with his hands, he deepened the kiss and it was all she could do not to groan into his mouth. He tasted of sugar, chocolate, and vanilla. The unhurried way his tongue danced with hers was more sensual than the first time they’d kissed. That kiss had been fast and furious and more about easing their grief. Then, they’d barely known each other. This time was completely different. Now they were just two people who liked and wanted each other.
With a groan, he pulled away. No, she wanted to scream. The look on his face mimicked what he’d said to her in the library last week: You’re a witness. My job is to protect you, not… make love to you. He hadn’t said those words then, and he didn’t now. He didn’t have to.
His chest expanded as he took a deep breath. “I really should take the dogs out.” He shoved his feet into his shoes and headed for the door. The dogs joined him, and a moment later she was alone.
All the energy bled from her body. She sank to the sofa and grabbed one of the fluffy, frilly-fringed pillows, holding it to her chest. They were standing on either side of an emotional boundary, looking over the edge at something that could have dire consequences. He’d set that boundary. To keep me safe. It was a line he couldn’t—or wouldn’t—cross.
Would getting involved really undermine his ability to protect her? He seemed to think so. Maybe it’s my priorities that are messed up.
Kat dug her nails deeper into the pillow. Life was a precious gift, and someone out there wanted to end hers.
Dayne and the dogs charged back inside. “Are you sure it’s him?” he said into the cell pressed to his ear. “When did he get there?”
Kat shot to her feet, tracking Dayne as he paced the foyer, looking grim. She threw the pillow to the sofa and moved closer. Whoever he was talking to, the news wasn’t good. That seemed to be a recurring theme in her life.
He ended the call and slammed his phone onto the table. “Clarkstown PD found Jonathan Bale’s car. Bale wasn’t in it.”
“Who was?” She half expected him to say they’d found another dead body.
“His girlfriend. She was on her way to
visit Bale. He checked himself into rehab. A month ago, and he’s still there.”
Which meant Bale couldn’t have killed Rebecca or Amy. Which meant…
The real killer was still out there.
Chapter Twenty
The things I do in the line of duty.
The brand-new monkey suit Dayne wore felt like a straitjacket and not because it didn’t fit right. It was probably the best-fitting suit he’d ever worn. But wearing it—he was a fraud, an imposter trying to blend in someplace he didn’t belong.
Remy lay in front of the fireplace then sat up to watch. Her jaws cracked and when she began panting, he could swear his dog was laughing at him.
The gate bell chimed, then his cell vibrated with two incoming texts. One from Kade, telling him they’d be here in twenty seconds, and another from the outside guard, informing him two vehicles were passing through the gates.
Kade had texted him earlier to say he needed to make a few adjustments to the security system and that he’d bring along some “company.”
A moment later, someone pounded on the door. Remy barked and bolted to the foyer. When Dayne opened the door, five sets of eyes went as wide as silver dollars.
Kade, Markus, Jaime, Eric, and Eric’s fiancée, Tess, gaped at him. For a full five seconds, no one said a word. Then the snarky comments flew at breakneck speed.
“Yo, double-oh-seven. You gonna let us in?”
“Heading to the prom?”
“He looks like a giant penguin.”
“Bond. James Bond. Shaken, not stirred.”
Tess pushed past his friends and stood on her tiptoes to drop a kiss on his cheek. “I think you look very handsome.”
“Thank you, Tess.” Dayne still felt like a complete dork. He gave Tess a quick hug then released her and stood aside to let his friends in. “One of you want to tell me what you’re all doing here?”
“We were in the neighborhood.” Eric shook Dayne’s hand then clapped him on the shoulder. “Tess wanted to go antiquing in the area, so here we are.” The groan in his friend’s voice was accompanied by a sappy grin the man had been wearing since the day Tess blew back into his life.
He held back his laughter. Eric loved antiquing about as much as a dog loved fleas, but he absolutely adored Tess and would do anything for her. Since buying his fiancée a little store in Flemington, New Jersey, she’d been dragging Eric everywhere to shop for crafts, antiques, and all kinds of trinkets to stock the place with.
“The rest of us,” Jaime said, crouching to ruffle Remy’s ears, “are here to help Kade tweak the new system. Then we’re ordering in from the Clausland Tavern for pizza.”
Dayne’s mouth watered. The Clausland Tavern made the best pizza around, and he wished he could join his friends. It would be a whole lot better than the snooty food he’d be getting at the gala tonight.
He held out his hand to Markus, who stood silent and grim off to the side. Something had been eating at the man since he’d shown up two years ago with one helluva deep cut on his forehead. One day, Markus would talk about it. Bad things happen when a man keeps heavy shit bottled up inside.
A sharp yip came from the second floor, followed by tiny puppy feet scampering down the stairs.
“Angus, my man.” Jaime scooped up the puppy, letting Angus lick him a few times before holding the wriggling puppy out to Markus. “Here. You haven’t been kissed in a while.”
The hint of a smile curved Markus’s lips as he took the pup from Jaime and let Angus clean his chin.
High heels clicked as Kat glided down the stairs into the foyer, looking so regal and so incredibly beautiful Dayne was struck utterly dumb. For the last four days, he’d tried not to think about kissing her again. Since then, they’d avoided each other as much as possible and barely spoken. Now he couldn’t talk even if he wanted to.
Her rich chestnut hair was pulled back into a cluster of curls, and as she turned to greet his friends, the glittery clip in her hair shimmered like jewels. Her gown was just as glittery, reminding him of pale pink champagne. Tiny sleeves fell just off her shoulders, displaying the graceful curves of her upper arms and shoulders and making him want to kiss every inch of exposed skin.
The dress’s neckline dipped to a deep vee, stopping just short of baring the tops of her breasts, while the rest of the gown hugged her torso and hips, flaring at the bottom in pink waves. Dayne hadn’t known his mouth hung open until Eric’s hand beneath his chin nudged it shut.
“You look amazing,” Tess said.
“Thank you.” Kat gave Tess a quick hug. “How’s Rosie doing? Are she and Tiger still getting along well?”
“You should see them together.” Tess whipped out her phone and pulled up pics Dayne had already seen of Eric’s Dutch Shepherd K-9, Tiger, and the pretty Australian sheepdog-shepherd Tess had adopted from the Haven.
Kat shifted to look at the phone, and holy hell. He’d thought the front of her dress was eye-catching. I’m doomed.
The back of the dress draped—no, make that swooped—teasingly low to just above her waist, leaving most of her back exposed. All that smooth, creamy skin called to him like an ice cream cone to a kid on a 95-degree day. He wanted to lick every last inch. Someone gulped, and damned if it wasn’t him.
Jaime unclipped his cell and began snapping shots of Dayne. “I gotta send these to Nick and Matt.”
Kade and Eric joined in, and the air filled with the snapping clicks of cell phone cameras.
Dayne gritted his teeth so hard they squeaked. “Knock. It. Off.”
Kat stepped closer, massaging her chin as she examined the tux. “Something is a bit off. I wonder…” She pulled open the right side of the jacket, exposing his Glock. “Must you really wear this dastardly weapon of death? It ruins the cut.”
He shot her an unwavering stare. “I really must.”
She released the jacket. “Touchy this evening, aren’t we?”
Tess giggled. “That, he is.”
“Buddy, you look so hot right now, I’d do you.” Jaime held up his phone and snapped another shot.
“Knock it off, Romeo.” Markus gave Jaime’s bicep a none-too-easy punch, and Dayne shot his friend a look of gratitude.
Eric smirked. “He is pretty, though, isn’t he?”
“Fuck all of you,” Dayne snapped.
“Dayne, really,” Kat admonished, but from the hint of a smile spreading on her face, she wasn’t offended in the slightest. “Hmm.” She tapped her finger on her chin and began circling him, eventually stopping behind him. When she tugged at the hem of his jacket, her fingers grazed the top of his ass. A lightning bolt of sensation shot down the backs of his legs, then up the front to— Dammit all to hell, they had an audience.
Her hands released his jacket and he exhaled a breath of relief. That was, until she came to stand directly in front of him. Things were about to get worse. Even her flowery perfume was making him hornier than a rhinoceros in a rose garden.
He tried focusing on anything besides the way she smelled. Or the way her dress dipped torturously low toward her softly mounded breasts.
Tiny pink gemstones sparkled at her ears and from a thin gold chain around her neck. The tips of her toes—painted light pink—peaked out from delicate gold sandals. Yeah, focus on her toes.
Again, not working. Even the woman’s toes were sexy.
Kat rested her hands on his shoulders then smoothed them down the front of his jacket. “This looks good.” He swallowed, hard, as his slacks tightened painfully over his dick. Luckily, she blocked everyone else’s view.
When her hands parted the sides of his jacket and her eyes dipped to his waist, a bead of sweat trickled between his shoulder blades. As she skimmed the tips of her fingers along the front of his cummerbund, flames licked at his balls.
“Kat, no!” He grabbed her wrists, holding them aw
ay. “The tux is fine.” He could barely choke out the words as he struggled for control. Of his libido and his emotions. Where she was concerned, both were inextricably entwined.
Her eyes were questioning at first then she looked down—at his giant, throbbing boner.
Her cheeks flushed, and her eyes flared with awareness of what she’d unwittingly initiated.
“Yeah. We’re done here.” Releasing her wrists, he spun and stalked away to cool his jets in the bathroom.
When the door shut behind him, he went straight to the sink and cranked on the tap. He cupped his hands and splashed cold water in his face.
Time to face undeniable, scary-as-shit facts.
He wanted her like nobody’s business, and it wasn’t just about sex. It was about—more. She was getting to him. Hell, she’d already gotten to him. But getting involved with her could have dire consequences and not just because being around her messed with his head.
His feelings for her went way beyond a one-night stand or even a brief fling. What worried him was the long run. Could they really fit into each other’s worlds?
His guts twisted at the thought of never seeing her again when this was over. If he didn’t stay clear of the trigger that would set them off, they could both wind up burned and bleeding, with their hearts cut into tiny pieces.
Chapter Twenty-One
“Ready?” Kat asked as the limousine braked in front of her twenty-two-story building on Madison Avenue—a subsidiary Vandenburg Enterprises location with a banquet-ballroom on the top floor.
Dayne sat across from her, staring through the tinted windows at the throng of reporters gathered on either side of the red carpet leading to the main entrance. A slight frown downturned his lips—lips she sorely wanted to kiss her again, but she didn’t dare test those boundaries. Nearly five days had passed since then, and he hadn’t touched her. It was as if someone had flipped a switch. Funny, how she’d been determined not to get more personal with him. Now it was all she thought about.
“Vultures,” he grumbled.
Subtle, fresh cologne filled the limo. While she’d been examining his tuxedo at the castle, she’d breathed in the same scent. He was so strikingly handsome in the tux, so broad-shouldered and sexy her breath hitched. The same as when she’d seen the erection straining behind his slacks. Emotionally, he didn’t want her. Apparently his body never got the message. Just thinking about it made her skin hot and her gown feel like it was smothering her.