Authors: Cindy Stark
"Not
a problem." Tommy held her closer and probably thought her actions were a
ploy on her part to flirt with him. She tried not to push away, but she was
far past her comfort zone. The scent of his cologne danced across her senses,
and for the first time since meeting him, she felt fear. Whether it was fear
for herself or fear for Jase, she didn't know.
Lucky
for her, the song came to an end. Tommy held on to her, seemingly reluctant to
let go. "Will you join me at my table for a drink?"
"No—"
"If
you don't like the crowds, I can arrange for a private sitting room."
Being
alone with Bones Trasatti was the last thing she wanted. She forced herself to
smile. This man certainly had a lot of power. She tried to ignore Jase who
still stood at the edge of the dance floor, glaring. "Maybe later. I do
need to find my aunt's friend and thank her for the invitation."
He
smiled and took a step back. "Until then." He took her hand and
kissed it, his breath warm on her skin. "I'll be waiting."
Allie
casually made her way off the dance floor, and not in the direction of Jase.
She needed a moment to figure out a plan on how to handle him. Getting caught
dancing with a man who wouldn't hesitate to kill her was not how she planned to
greet Jase. He would rip her to shreds for being so stupid. But what choice
had she had?
She
weaved through the throng of dancers toward the open terrace at the back,
hoping she'd get lost in the crowd and buy herself a little time.
She
barely made it through the terrace doors when an iron hand circled her arm.
Jase didn't stop but continued to drag her to the farthest edge of the terrace,
pausing next to another convenient palm that gave them a small amount of
privacy. He positioned her between the railing and himself, allowing her no
chance of escape.
"What...the
hell...do you think you're doing?" His whispered words were choppy, and
it was obvious he had a difficult time controlling his anger.
She
was a little angry herself. "Take your hands off me. You have no right
to drag me around like that."
He
released his hold but refused to move back. "Do you realize who you were
dancing with?" He continued to whisper, but there was no mistaking his
wrath.
"Of
course, I do," she answered back in an equally clipped tone. "But he
has no idea who I am."
"Are
you sure about that? Are you willing to risk your life to find out?"
The
effect of having Jase so near had begun to exact its toll. Her anger faded as
her eyes drank in the sight of him. He was devastatingly handsome. Maybe even
more so now, dressed in his tux. She inhaled, allowing his scent to intoxicate
her more than the champagne ever could. "I was in control of the
situation."
"Really?"
He let out a soft chuckle that held no warmth. "This reminds me of the
time in the tunnel when you armed yourself with a pitiful steak knife and pop
tarts."
Her
irritation returned. "That was a long time ago, Jase. I'm not that
little girl anymore." She put her hands against his chest and pushed.
He
refused to budge. "Not
that
much has changed." Instead of
moving away, he took a step closer, pressing his body against hers.
"I'm
a cop now, Jase. With all of your spying, you should know that. I'm quite
capable of taking care of myself."
"Tell
me then, what are you going to do if Trasatti pulls something like this?"
He crushed his lips against hers, and for a moment, it was all she could do to
not go weak in the knees. She matched his kiss with her own hunger, greedily
taking all he would give her. But at the back of her mind, she knew she had a
point to prove.
She
wrangled her arms behind his neck and prayed none of the guests would notice
them enough to see her slip out her gun. When she had it firmly in hand, she
pulled away.
A
look of satisfaction glinted in his eyes.
"I
should slap your face for that, you bastard, but it would draw too much
attention." She stuffed the gun into his rib cage and enjoyed the look of
surprise on his face. "Do I still need to prove I can take care of
myself?"
Jase
took a step back, giving her space. Anger hardened his features. "Put it
away."
Now
that she'd made it through the shock of seeing him and endured his powerful
kiss, her old wounds opened and the hurt she'd so carefully buried over the
years sprang to the surface. She tucked the gun back into her purse as
embarrassing tears pushed forward. No. She didn't want to cry. Wouldn't show
her weakness to this man who still carelessly held her heart prisoner. She
tried to keep them in check, but they slipped out, leaving a trail of
humiliation running down her cheeks.
"Allie."
His voice turned tender, concerned.
"No."
She put out a hand to keep him from getting closer. She didn't want or need
his affection anymore. "I came here for one reason, Jase. I want you out
of my life."
He
furrowed his brows. "I'm not in your life, Allie."
"Yes.
You are," she whispered furiously, making sure none of the surrounding
guests could overhear. She swiped her tears, letting her hurt morph into
anger. "You keep sending money, and it's causing me problems."
"Why?"
She
looked away, not wanting to discuss Ryan with him.
He
didn't give up. "What kind of problems?"
Allie
glared at him. "Personal problems."
Jase
barked out a laugh. "What? Your boyfriend doesn't like it?"
"That's
none of your business." She was not going to let him push her buttons.
Jase
gave her a smug smile. "Jealous, is he? Can't compete?"
"Jase."
She gasped in surprise over his answer. "There is no competition.
You
are the one who wanted me out of your life. You shipped me off to California,
allowing no contact." She sucked in a breath of the cool evening air,
goose bumps rippling along her skin. "Now
you
need to live by the
rules."
Her
emotions had been bouncing all over the place since he'd arrived, and she
needed to get them under control immediately. She took a step toward him,
getting in his face. "Unless you've changed your mind about us?"
The
question shocked her as much as him. Where the hell had that come from? She
watched his expression change from surprise to a blank slate. What happened to
"control"? And what about her future with Ryan?
He
broke the connection between their gazes, turning to stare at the sparkling
Chicago skyscrapers. "Nothing's changed."
She
wanted to punch him. And kick herself for reopening her wounds.
"Exactly." She forced a smile, biting her tongue to keep the tears
away. How could he still have such a strong hold on her, she wondered as her
patched up heart crumbled.
"You
don't want me, so I'm demanding that you disappear from my life. No more
money. No more people spying on me. No more anything. Do you
understand?" She bit harder on her tongue, waiting for his reaction. Was
she really naïve enough to still hope he'd say he loved her and wanted her
forever?
He
shrugged, glancing at her with an emotionless expression. "Nobody tells
me what to do. It's my money. I'll do what I want."
"What?"
Anger exploded inside her. "You can't." She put her fingers to her
temples and then covered her eyes. Her emotions were in tatters. Jase didn't
want her, but he kissed her like he did. Why wouldn't he let her go?
"You have to stop."
"I
don't want to."
She
lifted her gaze, catching a glimpse of emotion on his face. Then it was gone.
Sadness? Annoyance? It didn't matter now. "It's not your choice to
make, Jase. It's my life, and as long as you're meddling in it, it doesn't
truly belong to me."
He
looked down at her, his jaw working, but he didn't respond. Had she convinced
him?
She
had a chance at a normal future with Ryan, away from this craziness that crept
into her life whenever Jase was around. Ryan was stable, comfortable, and
safe. That was what she needed in her life. "Are you going to leave me
alone now? Stop sending the money?"
A
honking horn from the street below accentuated the silence between them. His
refusal to give an answer upset her beyond reason. "Well?"
"No."
His gaze trapped hers, holding her prisoner in a war of wills.
"No?"
No
? He refused to butt out of her life? "Are you insane?"
He
shrugged, looking away.
His
answer left her completely powerless and that alone frustrated her to no end. It
made absolutely no sense.
Wasn't
that why she'd become a cop, to gain power over her life and those around her?
Here she was helpless. Tears threatened again, but she forced anger to the
surface instead. At the moment, there was nothing to do but retreat and
prepare herself for her next plan of attack.
"This
isn't over." She turned and stomped across the tiled terrace floor, the
sound of her heels punctuating her resentment and helplessness.
She
spied a restroom and ducked in to compose herself. He couldn't follow her
there, and she couldn't very well walk through the ballroom with tears
streaming down her face and not have anyone notice.
The
serene turquoise room was thankfully vacant. She turned on a faucet, letting
the cold water run over her wrists, cooling her blood. After a few minutes,
she turned off the water, dried her hands and dabbed at her face. The
elaborate gold-framed mirror showed her that her makeup was still passable.
She
sniffed, trying to reign in her feelings. She focused on her anger, noting
that frustration made her feel more helpless.
With
renewed determination, she left the restroom. Jase could refuse all he wanted,
and he might have won this round, but in the end, she
would
get her way.
*
* *
Allie
arrived at the precinct shortly after nine the next morning, bleary-eyed, but
grateful the rain had stopped and the sun was shining. Maybe that meant her
day would end happier than the previous one.
She
hadn't been able to sleep all night. Images of Jase continually flashed
through her brain like a PowerPoint presentation which automatically flipped
through its slides. Curled in Jase's arms in Oregon. Jase glaring at her from
the dance floor. Jase's lips on hers once again. She sighed, trying not to
remember how electrifying
that
had felt. And lastly, Jase's face when
he flat out refused to comply with her wishes. God help her.
She
wasn't quite sure why she was back in Cates' office again after deciding she
wasn't going to pursue her investigation. But here she was. Maybe it was the
detective in her who couldn't let go of unsolved things. Maybe it was a need
to find out more about Jase.
Sergeant
Cates waited for her in his office. His lips curved under his bushy gray
moustache when she walked in.
"Good
morning, Miss Fox. Nice to see you again." His gaze slid down to her
legs, and he sighed.
"Good
morning, Sergeant Cates." Allie smiled as she walked in and took a seat,
crossing her legs and allowing the shortest skirt she'd brought to Chicago to
ride high on her thighs. She'd added her three-inch heels from the night
before and a white cotton blouse with one extra button undone to her ensemble.
"It's a good thing I don't work for your department, or I'd sue you for
sexual harassment." If the crusty old man insisted on a display, she'd
give him more than he bargained for and let him suffer all day. Maybe it would
be enough to throw him off his game and keep him from questioning her too much.
She
was irritated, tired of playing in a man's world. Sure, she was angrier at Jase
than Cates, but Jase wasn't around at the moment. It seemed she had to follow
all the rules, but they were allowed to do what they wanted. Well, things were
going to change. From now on, she intended to use every weapon she had in her
arsenal to get her way.
"You're
right on the sexual harassment charge. I'd be in a shit-load of
trouble." He smiled, not put off by her admonition. "I pulled a few
more files you might find interesting." He nodded at two manila folders
sitting on the corner of his desk.
Allie
glanced down and her attention was immediately snagged by the last name of
Pagano. Joey. She took a breath and opened the cover. She was shocked to
find a mug shot. Her Joey, arrested? When had that happened? She'd known
he'd hung out with his group of bad boys, but he'd never mentioned any trouble
with the law.
She
scanned his picture. The sight of him tugged at her heart. It had been too
long since she'd seen him. She didn't even own a photo to remember him by.
He'd been so handsome with his beautiful eyes and sensuous lips. She'd truly loved
him, even if she recognized now how shallow their romance really had been. Up
until the night he'd died, he'd been her world.