“That’s what they said, too.”
“I’m not taking your money.”
“I’ve already had this argument today,” he said, rubbing his forehead. “Look, Dana-”
“No,
He told himself she was upset-that her complaint about living with him wasn’t personal. But he felt the sting, all the same.
“Then go back to your own place,” he said, his voice low and angry. “I’ll get you a full-time bodyguard.”
She stood very still. “That’s not what I meant.”
“It’s what you said.”
“I’m sorry.”
Two words he’d never expected her to say.
She drew in a breath. “I can’t take your money. I sleep with you. If you give me money, then I’m your whore.”
“Dana, we have a plan here,” he said, doing his best to stay calm. “We’re trying to back Jed into a corner. Having him know everyone is buying into his precious company is going to seriously piss him off.”
She tucked her hands behind her back. “No. And while we’re negotiating-”
“Saying no and changing the subject isn’t a negotiation.”
She ignored that. “I want to go back to work.”
He tossed the folder onto the coffee table and swore. “Sure. Why not? Spend your day totally in the open with no protection. That’s smart. When the bullets come, what are the odds you won’t be the only victim? What happens when they take out your partner or some innocent citizen?”
She looked uncomfortable, as if she hadn’t thought that part through. Not that he was prepared to accept victory. He wasn’t that clueless.
“I’m supposed to be a deputy,” she snapped. “I want my career back and my life, as well. You don’t understand. You have a life, a place to go, people to see. Probably women. By the way, who else are you dating?”
If he lived to be five hundred and eight he would
“Oh, please.”
That pissed him off. “So it’s fine for you to accuse me, but not the other way around? That’s fair.”
“We’re not talking fair,” she yelled. “You’re this rich, successful guy. We were in the society pages after Skye’s fund-raiser. My picture was in there with you. That doesn’t happen to me.”
He still didn’t understand the problem but was thinking wine wasn’t going to be close to enough. It seemed more like a Scotch night.
“I don’t control the press. I didn’t even know there were society pages.”
“Me, either,” she snapped. “So you’d better fix this.”
“Fix what?”
“Everything.”
They stared at each other. Tension filled the room. There was anger and frustration and something else he couldn’t figure out.
He had no idea what to say, so he settled on the truth. “I’m not seeing anyone but you. I wasn’t seeing anyone before I met you. I want you to sign the papers because it’s the next logical step in bringing down Jed. Signing them doesn’t say anything bad about you and when all this is over, you can sell the shares and give the money to the charity of your choice.”
He watched her watching him, trying to read her expression, but he couldn’t. For all he knew, she was going to pull out her gun and shoot him.
“I get that it’s frustrating for you to be stuck here. Going back to work is dangerous, not just for you but for everyone around you. Nick needs some help out at the ranch. You’d be fairly isolated there and probably safe. If you’re interested, I’ll ask him. But I’d want you to have a driver or a car tailing you on the trip there and back. It’s a long drive that would leave you exposed. Or you could stay there. Which wouldn’t be my choice, but as you’ve said, this isn’t about me.”
“Damn straight.”
He held up both hands. “I’m not trying to run your life. I just want to keep you safe. I don’t want anything bad to happen to you.” He lowered his hands. “That’s it. You can yell at me now.”
One corner of her mouth twitched. “I’m not a yeller.”
“Right. You’re calm and diplomatic. An iceberg of emotion.”
The twitch turned into a smile. “You can call me Ice if you want.”
“Can I?”
The tension eased from the room, leaving them alone. Dana walked toward him. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.
“I just want you safe,” he repeated.
“And Jed in jail.”
“I’ve always been a high achiever. Is this okay now? Are you going to turn on me again?”
She looked into his eyes. “I won’t turn on you. At least not for this.”
“At the risk of making you froth at the mouth, are you going to sign the papers?”
She glanced at the folder, then back at him. “Yes, but I won’t like it.”
“Duly noted.”
She stepped back, then slugged him in the upper arm. “Next time, keep my secrets.”
The place she’d hit stung like a sonofabitch, but he was a guy. He couldn’t rub it. “You have my word.”
“Like I believe that.” She sighed then went into his arms again. “Want to get Chinese?”
“I thought you cooked.”
“Like I know how.”
“That’s my girl.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
THE DOWNSIDE of not being annoyed with Garth meant having to go with him to events like this one, Dana thought a few nights later as they circulated through a business cocktail party held at a large, fancy hotel. She wasn’t sure of the purpose of the party. Her best guess was someone had opened a new law firm, but she hadn’t seen the invitation. Garth had tried to explain but she’d glazed over.
Dating a captain of industry was time-consuming and expensive. She didn’t have anything close to the right wardrobe. Not that she cared about being fashion forward, but she didn’t want to embarrass him. Fortunately she and Skye were nearly the same size and her friend had opened her impressive closet for Dana’s borrowing pleasure.
“What are you thinking?” Garth asked as he passed her a glass of wine. “That you’d like to be anywhere but here?”
She looked around at the well-dressed crowd. At least it was an after-office-hours event that wouldn’t go too late and she’d been spared having to wear shapeware.
“That tomorrow I’m going to stand in front of the mirror practicing telling you no.”
He leaned in until his mouth brushed against her ear. “But I like it when you say yes.”
A shiver tiptoed down her spine and her skin broke out in goose bumps. He was good, she thought, resigned to being weak where he was concerned. Better than good.
She distracted herself by looking at the jewelry the other women were wearing and trying to calculate an approximate cost. The flaw in the plan was that she had no idea what your average diamond was worth, let alone twenty set in a fancy necklace. Or bracelet. Or in earrings.
