Fair Play (12 page)

After moving in with Jace and settling into a routine, it was, Dani decided, a wonderful way to live. She enjoyed the dinners they ate together, the evenings when they would talk of their day, the times spent getting to know each other better, and the nights, especially the nights, where they would make love and sleep in each other’s arms. She didn’t worry anymore about employees talking. No one seemed to have a problem with them being together. Every day she grew closer to Jace. He was an incredible man and a thrilling lover. She couldn’t be happier, except when thoughts of leaving intruded. Her fear of what was to come overshadowed her happiness like a thundercloud ready to burst.

She stood in front of the mirror as she got ready for a fundraising dinner Jace had rooked her into. Not wanting to embarrass him at this function, she was taking extra care with her grooming. It had taken two days of intense shopping to find the perfect dress. As she was on her way back to the casino, after giving up, she happened to see it displayed in a cute boutique. She twisted as she looked at her reflection. The dress was dark emerald green made of a soft shimmery material that brushed her body as she moved. She swept her hair up and was placing the last pin when Jace walked in.

She watched him from the mirror. He stood still as a statue, carrying a bouquet of roses, while looking at her strangely. Dread filled her body as she quickly swung around. “Jace, what’s wrong? Are you all right?”

“Nothing’s wrong,” he said, his voice hoarse. “You look so beautiful.”

She spun in a circle so he could see how the fabric flowed around her legs. “Do you really think the dress is beautiful?”

He walked over to her, then kissed her hard on the mouth. “It is as long as you’re wearing it.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck. “You say the nicest things.”

She released him, then went to the bed and picked up her purse. She stopped. Jace was still looking at her the same strange way.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine.” He held out his hand carrying the roses.

“These are for you. Every beautiful woman should be given flowers, and often.”

Her heart melted and her eyes misted. “That’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me. Thank you so much. These are the first flowers I’ve ever received. Give me a minute to put them in water.”

When they entered the fundraiser, Dani was immediately overwhelmed. She had no idea there would be so many important people attending. According to one of his friends, Jace had started the ball rolling to build a new shelter for battered women and children and had also donated a generous sum of money himself.

It didn’t take her long to find he was well liked and well respected by his peers, and also by the ladies, but not for his generous nature. She’d caught quite a few women giving him second and third looks all evening. The jealousy bug bit her in the butt a few times, when several of those women blatantly flirted with him. The only thing that saved him from being kicked by her was that he ignored them.

Later in the evening, as she was entering the ladies’ restroom, she ran into two of the women who had blatantly flirted with Jace. One of them critically eyed her.

“I see you drew the lucky number to be Jace’s escort tonight.”

The other lady remarked. “Ignore her, she’s just jealous.”

“Jealous of what?” Dani asked.

“Every single woman in Nevada has been trying to catch him for years, and why not? He’s good-looking and rich. Good for you if you can snag him.”

Dani applied a little powder. “How sad that everyone thinks they have to snag him because of his looks and money when there’s so much more to him.”

The first woman leaned forward and whispered, “I heard there’s a lot more to him, speaking anatomically, if you know what I mean. I’d do him any day, even if he didn’t want to marry me.”

The other woman looked at her. “You’d do anyone as long as they had enough money to keep you happy.”

Dani felt her blood heat with indignation. They were talking about Jace as if he were a prize to be won because of his looks and money. It was time to set them on their asses. “Well, I’m not with him because of his looks or his money. I’m with him because he’s a terrific guy. As for anatomically, I can personally verify that he is well endowed and definitely knows what to do with it.”

She checked her makeup in the mirror, refreshed her lipstick, then walked out, leaving them looking at her with their mouths open.

She headed straight for Jace and hooked her arm through his. He then covered her hand with his. As they were standing there, the two women from the restroom came out and gave him speculative looks. Leaning down, he whispered in her ear, “What did you say to those women that they were looking at me so strangely?”

She whispered back with a grin on her face, “I told them you’re well hung and definitely know how to please a woman.”

He stared at her in disbelief. “You told them what? Are you out of your mind?”

A little devil sat on her shoulder as she teased him. “I thought I was doing you a favor. Word will get around that you’re good in bed. You should have them beating down your door when I leave.”

“Did it ever occur to you that I might have discriminating tastes?”

With a throaty laugh, she lightly scraped her fingernail down his cheek. “For the time being, I’m pretty sure you’re safe. I intend to tire you out so you don’t have the energy for anyone but me.” She pressed a light kiss on his lips, then she sidled her body next to his and purred, “I’m starting to feel needy, big guy. You’re going to have to take me home real soon.”

He slid his hand to the small of her back and caressed her. Leaning down, he kissed her ear, sending shivers down her spine. “Keep teasing me and we’ll give them something to remember.”

She grinned, put her lips next to his ear, then grabbed his earlobe with her mouth. She blew her breath across his ear as she spoke in a husky voice. “All talk and no action. I dare you. Oh, by the way, I forgot to tell you that I’m completely naked under this dress. I seem to have forgotten to put on my panties again.”

His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. “You’re going to kill me yet. We’ll be able to leave here in about a half an hour.”

She smiled sweetly. “Don’t make me wait too long or I’ll have to find a replacement.”

“Try it, and you’ll have your hands so damn full you won’t know what to do.” He pinched her lightly on her waist.

As soon as the door to their apartment closed, Jace grabbed her, then pushed her against the door with his body, crushing his mouth on hers. He ravished her mouth as his hands moved over her body in a frenzy.

With a moan, Dani tore at his clothes, frantic to feel his skin under her hands. She fixed her eyes on his face. “Please,” she begged, “I need you now.”

He wrapped her legs around his waist, then entered her quickly. A moan tore from her body when he took her faster. Her nails gripped his shoulders as she lost all reason, urging him to take her higher. Hungrily he gave and greedily she took all he had, hoping it would satisfy the madness gripping her. With one last thrust, he propelled them over the summit. She screamed his name as her body fragmented then scattered in the void.

As their pulses slowed, he caressed her gently. “Did I hurt you? You didn’t give me a chance to control myself.”

Her eyes opened slowly. “Feel free to lose control anytime.”

Quietly sitting on the couch in her pajamas, Dani was reading a book when Jace plopped down next to her.

“I’ve been wondering about something since yesterday.”

Absorbed in her reading, she answered, “Hmm ... what’s that?”

“You said something that has me baffled. When I gave you the roses, you said that they were the first flowers you’d ever received. How is it a beautiful woman like you has never received flowers? Didn’t any of your boyfriends give you any?”

“I moved a lot, so I didn’t have many boyfriends.”

“Didn’t you get flowers when you went to your prom?”

A wave of sickness rose to her throat. “Is this an inquisition?”

“No, curiosity.”

To avoid the questions, she dropped the book, then went to the refrigerator, hoping the subject was dropped. “Is there anything to eat? I’m starving.”

“Dani, please come and sit with me. I need to talk to you about something.”

Fear and dread mixed together, freezing her movements. She could feel her pulse escalating, realizing the moment of truth had arrived. Jace wanted answers, answers she couldn’t afford to give. Aware she’d eventually have to leave, she, nonetheless, had hoped it would have been much later. Her stomach twisted. How could she ever give him up?

Her lips trembling, she felt the coldness of despair seeping into her heart. Determined to make this as easy for him as possible, her chin raised and her spine stiffened.

A cool calm descended upon her, and she sauntered back to the couch. “What did you want to talk about?”

“We’ve been together for a while, and things have been great, but it’s not enough anymore. I want you to stay and never leave.”

Confused, she whipped her head toward him. “Where did this come from? I thought you wanted answers about the flowers.”

“That’s not important.” He took her hand. “I love you, and I want forever.”

“You know I can’t give you that.”

“Yes, you can. There’s no reason why you can’t.”

With the sting of tears threatening her intent to remain strong, she blinked her eyes. “I agree. It was great while it lasted.”

“What the hell does that mean? It was great while it lasted. That’s it? I’m supposed to accept that as your answer?”

Temper flaring, she rounded on him, then yanked her arm away. “You knew I couldn’t stay. When I told you I could only stay temporarily, you agreed, saying that was fine. Now you want forever, knowing it’s not possible, then have the gall to get mad? Just because you want me to stay doesn’t mean I can. What do you expect from me?”

Jace ground out, “I expect you to sit down and talk to me like an adult, not run away like a child.”

“Fine.”

Jace raked his hand through his hair, a sure sign of his discontent. “You confuse the hell out of me. Things are good between us, then boom, they’re not. Haven’t you been happy? One minute you melt in my arms, then the next you’re leaving. I just can’t figure you out.”

Regret replaced annoyance. “Oh Jace, you make me want things I have no right to want, and know can never be. I’ve been happy. Happier than I thought was possible, even knowing I couldn’t stay. Things that I stopped caring about and hoping for have come back because of you. Now it’s even harder to leave them behind, but I have no choice.”

“Please, I need to understand.”

More effective than anger, those simple words tore at her heart. The need to ease the hurt she was powerless to prevent overshadowed her pain. “I’ll try, but I can’t promise that you’ll understand. What do you want to know?”

“What are you so afraid of?”

Fearful, she lowered her eyes. “Never you. I know you won’t hurt me.”

“Dani, look at me.” Lightly, he placed his fingers under her chin, then raised it until her eyes met his. “What are you afraid of then? If you know I won’t hurt you, then you also know you can trust me.”

“It isn’t a matter of trust. It’s that I’m unable to tell you.”

“What do you think will happen if I know?”

The answer brought her grief. “Hate. Hate will happen. Your hate would destroy me.”

“Nothing you tell me is ever going to make me hate you.”

Distraught, she realized he was never going to let her leave. “What I’m about to tell you will prove you wrong.”

Needing courage, she walked woodenly to the bar, then poured a drink. “Would you like a drink?”

“No, thank you.”

With the drink in hand, she returned to the couch then began. “I’m not who you think I am. I tried to tell you in the beginning I couldn’t stay, but you wouldn’t let it go.” Distaste for the lie she had to tell, regret for the pain she would cause, and sorrow for the love she would lose, sliced at her heart. “The reason I can’t stay is because I belong to someone else.”

He sat unmoving. “What do you exactly mean by that?”

“I have a husband.” She braced herself for the storm she knew would come.

“All this time we’ve been together, you’ve been married? Damn it, Dani! Why didn’t you tell me before we slept together?” Agitated, he rose to his feet. “You should’ve told me in the beginning. I happen to strongly believe in marriage vows and fidelity. I can’t fucking believe this.” He raked his hand through his hair in a violent stroke. “Why didn’t you tell me before we got together?”

“Because I wanted you, and I didn’t care that I was married.”

He paused and stared at her, a strange expression on his face. “If you’re married, then where’s your husband?”

Caught off guard, her mind searched for a credible answer as she played with her drink. “He’s ... he’s in New York, I think. Our relationship is unique. It is open and accommodating. We each pursue our interests, then return to each other afterward.” Flippantly, she remarked, “It’s liberating, and gives us the opportunity to go to new places, meet new people, and enjoy life to the fullest.” Stopping, she gauged his reaction. “It’s time for me to go back.”

Regret scoured her heart, but pain destroyed it. Life without Jace would be devastating. Facets of him whisked through her mind, his smile, the rich sound of his laughter, the warmth of his body as he lay next to her. The ways he demonstrated his love. A soft caress, a bouquet of roses, and the look in his eyes when he gazed at her. Her heart skipped a beat. These memories would forever be etched in her mind, and be a comfort in the lonely years to come.

“Does your husband know you’ve been sleeping with me?”

Startled by his voice, she jerked her head. “Yes, I told him, but he doesn’t care.”

“Oh I see. It’s apparent he doesn’t love you, so why are you with him?”

Her mind drew a blank, and she couldn’t respond.

His voice changed as he appealed to her value of honesty. “Dani, look at me. I know what you’re telling me is a lie. Your eyes and your voice tell me it’s untrue. Why do you feel the need to lie to me? If you tell me the truth, no matter what it is, I’ll do everything in my power to help you. Together we can fix it.”

Sadness colored her voice. “The truth will hurt you. I care about you, Jace, more than I can say. I lost someone very dear to me. That loss not only turned my life upside down, but made me incapable of loving again. Then you came along and altered that. My past can destroy everything you’ve built, even your life. I refuse to let anything smother your goodness or hurt you. I know you don’t understand, but you need to believe me. It can’t be fixed.”

A vein in Jace’s forehead throbbed. “Do you honestly believe your leaving isn’t going to devastate me? You claim your past could destroy my life, but won’t you be doing the same thing by leaving?”

He paced around the room, then stopped in front of her. “Damn it, I’m frustrated.” Taking a deep breath, he continued. “Will you tell me something about your life? Even though we’ve been as intimate as a man and woman can be, I feel that I don’t know you.”

The frustration radiated from his body, weakening the wall she’d built between them. Her caring drove her need to ease his pain, and overrode her intention to distance herself. Resigned, she guided him to the couch.

She sighed. Her nerves, making her jittery, caused her breathing to become shallow. “As I told you, I grew up in Illinois. My father left when he discovered my mother’s pregnancy. There was no family to help, so she struggled to raise me by working long hours as a laundress. We didn’t have many luxuries, but it didn’t matter, because we had an abundance of love.”

I don’t know if I can do this
, she thought, as she tried to dislodge the lump that had formed in her throat. Glancing at Jace, who sat patiently waiting, she continued. “My relationship with my mother was close, and I loved her completely. One day, in an act of violence, she was taken from me. That day marked the beginning of the empty shell I became. I moved from place to place, trying, without success, to fill the void her death left behind, until I met you.”

She lifted her eyes, moist from unshed tears. “You filled that emptiness and made me complete again.”

He cocked his head. “Nothing in what you told me can destroy my life. What do you think prevents you from staying with me?”

“The part that can hurt you is I know who murdered my mother.” She swallowed and forced herself to continue. “Because I was there when it happened. I saw him kill her.”

He sat shock still for a moment before speaking. “What you revealed, if anything, warrants you staying with me. Leaving puts you in greater danger than staying here where I can protect you. Does he know where you are?”

Frightened, she scrambled up, her heart pounding out of her chest and her pulse racing. “You don’t understand. I knew you wouldn’t. I can’t stay. They will catch me, and when they do, it can destroy you. I can’t let that happen.”

“Who are they? I thought you said it was one man? Dani, look at me. What’s really going on? I can keep you safe.”

Panicked, she darted to the bedroom, then began changing her clothes. Jace followed in her wake, then grabbed her arms, whipping her around to face him. “Damn it, Dani, why won’t you trust me? Don’t you understand that I’m trying to help you?”

She glared at him, tears streaming from her eyes, as she yelled. “No! ... No, I have to go. I can’t stay. You don’t understand. I’m no good. I can only hurt you.” She struggled, trying to break free of his grasp, but his grip was too strong.

He shook her. “Stop this. This is madness. Running is not the answer. You’ll run all your life if you don’t stop and fix this now. I can help you. Let me.”

Fists balled, she pummeled his chest as she screamed at him. “You can’t help. Nothing can fix it. You don’t understand. They’ll arrest me.” Defeated, her arms fell limply to her side and her head fell against his chest. Dread and regret flowed through her body like whitewater rapids. Lifting tear-stained eyes, she flatly stated, “I didn’t just see my mother murdered. I murdered the bastard who killed her. The police are looking for me. There’s nothing you can fix.”

She read the horror revealed in his eyes. “So now you need to let me go. My past can destroy you if you don’t immediately take steps to protect yourself. You have to call the police and turn me in, because now that you know, it’s accessory after the fact. Then you need to release a statement you had no idea who I was. If you don’t, a scandal like this could ruin you.”

Destroyed, reduced to ashes, she bent and retrieved the clothes that had fallen. “I’m so sorry. I should never have come to Vegas in the first place. I was only fooling myself, thinking I could disappear and find a life, but now I see my mistake. I’m so tired of running. I’ve decided to face the consequences and turn myself in. You’re right. Running is not the answer. If you’d phone the police now, I’d appreciate it, before I lose my courage.”

Rooted to the spot, thoughts racing rapidly through his mind, Jace processed what Dani had told him. Ideas traveled through his memory, like fingers through files, as he tried to find a way to help her. With all his contacts, there had to be someone he knew that could advise him on what steps to take. Snapping out of his immobility, he yanked the clothes from her hands, then threw them on the bed.

“Talk to me. Leave the clothes, I need details.”

Resignation softened her voice as she listlessly flopped on the bed. “There’s nothing to talk about. It’s over. The more you know, the greater your jeopardy.”

Disturbed, he reached down, yanking her upright. “I have no intentions of turning you in. How could you even think that? I need information to help you, so I can figure out how to do that. Living in jail isn’t a life. Running isn’t either. I intend to fight for you. What you have to ask yourself is, do you care about me enough to fight for us?”

“It’s because I care that I can’t fight for us. Did you hear anything I said? You’ll end up in jail if you try to help me. I won’t let that happen.”

“I’m not letting you go. We’ll find a way out of this. But I’m doing it, with or without you. If you help me, it would be much easier.”

Her anxious gaze traveled over his face. “Please don’t get involved. I’m scared. If you get caught, not only will I be in jail, but you also. Don’t destroy your life because of me.”

“If you go to jail, my life is destroyed. I refuse to live without you.”

Her voice rose, frustration saturating it. “Believe me, there’s nothing you can do. What I did is over and done with. Nothing will ever change that.”

Nerves jangling, his hand automatically raked through his hair as he paced. “I refuse to believe that. There might be a chance of getting your charges dismissed. I know a few people who might be able to help, but you have to be willing.”

“I’m so scared. If I agree, you have to promise you’ll be very careful.”

“I promise.”

Bewildered, a frown marring her forehead, she tilted her head. “Why don’t you hate me?”

Abruptly, he stopped pacing, then stared at her. “Why would I hate you?”

“Because I’m a murderer.”

“I don’t believe that. You’re not capable of being a cold-blooded killer.”

“You have that much faith in me?”

“Of course I do. I know what’s in your heart.”

Flinging herself at him, she wound her arms around him, then kissed him. “Oh, Jace, thank you for believing in me. I was so afraid you were going to hate me when you found out.”