Secret Pleasure (16 page)

Half an hour later she walked out more nervous than before. Of course, one of the first questions they had asked her was what had happened at her old job. She’d done the best to explain it and thought that they had actually listened, all except a few who had looked down their noses at her. She did like the director; he seemed friendly enough and she thought she’d won him over.

She answered question after question and felt very confident about the interview. If they would just overlook the reason she’d been let go at her last job.

Driving back to the Cardone’s, she couldn’t help but think about Dante. In the last week he’d become very irritated. He’d been very short and almost rude with her. She knew he was hurt and she tried everything to pull away from him, to spare him that hurt.

She looked at trying out for this job as her first steps away from a bad situation. When Kathleen had returned home from her week at the spa, Airlea had explained to her that things weren’t working out, and it was time for her to look for another job.

Kathleen had tried to talk her out of leaving, but when it had come down to it, she’d understood Airlea’s need to secure a future for herself.

She was just pulling into the long drive when she saw a man standing at the gate next to a large white truck. He waved at her and she stopped and rolled down her window a little, making sure the door was locked. He was huge. His arms were easily as wide as her waist, and she could see his muscles bulge from under his t-shirt. His chest, well, she wondered what he’d look like without his shirt on. She could see the muscles flex in his arms as he bent down to talk to her.

“Airlea Rossi?” She nodded her head and thought about hitting the gas if there was trouble.

“I’m Ethan Knight. I’m Katie’s brother-in-law. She told me where to find you. I’d like to talk to you for a minute.”

“Oh, yes.” Airlea rolled her window down a little more. She remembered Jason talking to her about the man. He had been right, the man looked like he could easily snap someone in half.

“Would you care to come up to the house? We could talk…”

“No, I’d better not. Miss Rossi, I believe your life is in danger.”

She almost laughed. “I’m sorry?”

D
ante watched Airlea from across the dining room table and thought she looked different. He felt bad for treating her the way he had in the last few weeks since she’d left him alone that night. He’d been hurt. There was no other way to explain it.

He felt something for her, but he couldn’t blame her. After all, they had entered the arrangement with an agreement that neither one of them was ready for a relationship. He’d been the one to break that. How was he supposed to know that he’d fall for her? But she was everything he wanted. Her kindness was beyond questionable. She was funny and easy to talk to. She was undeniably beautiful and at times he found himself just staring at her, dreaming about their future.

Maybe he was still mental from his accident or the pills he’d stopped taking a few weeks ago. He just couldn’t stop thinking about her. When she’d driven into town earlier that day, he’d found himself watching out the window for her return. He knew he was crazy; he’d fallen for her so quickly. Hell, he’d only known her for two months. There was no way someone could or should fall for someone that fast.

Earlier his mother had told him that Airlea was in town for an interview. If she got this job, she’d leave and he had to do something to get her to stay. Not only because he was not all the way healed, but because he just didn’t want her to go. He looked at her again across the table and thought she looked nervous.

“How did your interview go today, Airlea?” He watched as she jumped at the mention of her name.

“Oh, it went fine.”

“When will you know if you got the job?” His mother persisted in the questioning. He could tell Airlea was nervous and wanted to drop the subject.

“They said they would make a decision later this week.” She took a large bite of bread and almost choked on the mouth full.

“Well, I know we’ll be sorry to see you go, but I think if you could secure the position at the children’s hospital, it would be wonderful for you.”

“Thank you.” She kept her head down and tried to eat her soup without another word.

“How did they handle the news of how you left your last job?” Dante just couldn’t resist seeing her squirm. She looked up quickly and glared at him.

“Fine.” She put her napkin down. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m a little tired. I think I’ll retire early. Good night.”

She left the room and he watched her go. Not saying a word, he got up and walked from the room. He was still a lot slower than her, so when he reached her door, she had already shut it. He knocked on the door briefly, then entered without waiting for her to respond.

“What are you doing?” She covered herself with the shirt she’d just removed. He was pleased to see a bright white silk bra and instantly the desire flooded into him.

He kicked her door closed and flipped the lock. Without saying anything he walked over to her and pulled the shirt aside.

“Dante, I’m not in the mood.” She tried to grab her shirt back. He held it out of her reach.

“So, this is what you look like in a bra.” He smiled down at her. Her breasts looked fuller and higher. He enjoyed the look. Tossing her shirt on her bed, he reached up and lightly ran his hand across the mounds and watched her eyes go cloudy.

“I’ve decided to try everything I can to keep you here. Even if that means we just take our pleasures where we can.”

He dipped his head and kissed the underside of her jaw then moved downward until he licked the tops of her breast across the white lace.

“Dante.”

“Tell me you don’t want this, that you don’t want me, and I’ll stop, I’ll walk away.”

“No, don’t.”

“No, what?”

“Don’t stop.” Her head rolled back and he watched as her eyes close. Her hands came to his hair as she held him to her.

He knew he was fooling himself into believing that he’d take the pleasures as they came. He wanted more with her. He had to have more with her. His heart hurt when he thought about her leaving, but he knew he had to take what she’d give him and maybe find a way to persuade her to stay and give him another chance.

Airlea laid next to Dante and realized he’d maneuvered her. Since they were in her room, she couldn’t get up and leave him. Short of kicking him out or being rude, she had no way of getting him to leave her bed. She lay there and listened to him breathing and felt his warm breath on her neck. She tried to fool herself into believing that she didn’t enjoy the warmth or the feel of his skin on hers.

She didn’t know what to do about the information she’d been given by Ethan earlier that evening.

He’d told her that someone, a woman, in this house had hired the men who’d tried to kidnap Katie. He didn’t know who yet, but he had found out that that person was now out to kill her. She had a good idea who it was.

It didn’t really ease her mind knowing that Ethan was outside somewhere, watching the house. Watching out for her.

She did feel safer with Dante in the room, but she wished she could tell him what was happening. She had mixed feelings about the whole deal.

What had she done to deserve the woman’s wrath? What had Katie done? The fact that she’d actually tried to kidnap her niece and hold her for ransom shocked her. It wasn’t as if the woman was hurting for money. She lived in a big beautiful house, and was given anything she asked for. Airlea didn’t know all the details of the family fortune, but she knew that Florentina walked around like she ran the house.

She’d told Ethan her suspicions and had told him all that had happened to her since arriving. She’d mentioned Gino, the man who’d held her in the shed and how he had disappeared. Ethan took some more information from her about the man and told her he would try to find him. Maybe the man could shed some light on what had happened. And if need be, he could even help them corner Florentina.

Lying in the bed next to Dante in the dark, she watched the shadows cross the ceiling. As she was running through all of it in her head again, she heard a noise. At first she thought it was coming from the hallway door, but then she turned her head and watched as the french doors slid open silently.

She froze; she knew she’d locked them. Dante was sprawled on his stomach, his face buried in her hair with his arm thrown over her chest.

“Airlea? It’s Ethan.” She relaxed and pulled the sheet up so it covered her.

She didn’t know how light a sleeper Dante was in normal circumstances, but she doubted he would sleep through the two of them chatting over him.

She pointed to the door and held up her finger, motioning that she’d be there in a minute.

After she watched Ethan walk silently back out the doors, she rolled out from under Dante and grabbed her bathrobe, then tiptoed to the door.

Closing it silently behind her, she looked around for Ethan. He was standing in the darkness, leaning against the wall. The cold in the night didn’t seem to be affecting him.

“What’s going on?” she whispered, walking towards him.

“I found Gino.”

She shivered. She didn’t like the man, but knew he could possibly help tie up all the loose ends. “Did he tell you anything?”

“No, he’s in a shallow grave about three hundred yards from here. Shot through the chest. Most likely at close range with a small caliber pistol.”

She was shocked and when he grabbed her shoulders to help steady her, she heard Dante voice behind her.

“Get your hands off her.” Her mind was too foggy to register the tone of the threat, but Ethan did, and his hands dropped from her shoulders.

“I was just helping her.” Ethan held up his hands and backed away a step. “You’re Dante, Katie’s brother? I’m Ethan Knight, her brother-in-law. Your brother-in-law, in a way.”

“I don’t care who you are. What are you doing here at midnight? Sneaking around? Airlea? What are you doing out here with him?”

“Dante…” How could she tell him? Maybe just blurting it out would be best? “Ethan is here to help find who tried to kidnap your sister. He’s tracked the kidnapper’s phone calls to this house. I think your aunt tried to kidnap Katie and has tried to kill me. She’s the reason my brakes went out. I think she killed that man, Gino.” She wrapped her arms around her chest and felt the night chill blow right through her.

“Airlea, it’s freezing out here. Come inside and we can talk about this. Ethan?” Dante looked at the man. “Why don’t you come in and we can discuss things further.” Dante moved aside and let them by.

The next morning just after breakfast, Airlea got a phone call. The children’s hospital wanted to hire her. She’d actually gotten the job! Her mind had a list a mile long of things that needed to be done. She had to move all her stuff from the storage unit she’d placed everything in when she’d come here. She also needed an apartment.

But the one thing that hovered over all the others was Dante. He’d listened to everything Ethan had told him last night. He’d listened and had asked questions. She could see the sadness in his eyes when he’d finally accepted what they had been telling him.

She didn’t know what the next steps were, but they had all agreed that she was better off moving out. Getting out of harm’s way. She’d tried to argue with them, but once Dante had proof that it had been an attempt on her life, her brakes
had
been cut, he was determined that she not stay there any longer.