Chapter Thirteen
As her mind reeled from her discovery about Michael, Dani quickly dressed and dried her hair while he dealt with a problem from his office via e-mail. They needed to hurry and get on the road so they both could get back to work.
After they ate, Dani called the penthouse to thank Mario for their stay, but he wasn’t in. She said goodbye to her mom, then they gathered their things and headed downstairs to the lobby.
Dani smiled as she handed over their electronic keys. The man helping her had a nametag that read “Ben,” with the title of concierge below it. “Hi, Ben. Is Mr. Giovanni around?”
His face lit with a knowing grin. “I don’t know, Ms. Botelli, but I’m sure he’ll want to see you. Can you wait here for just a moment? I’ll see if I can find him.”
“Sure.” Emma was heavy, so she plopped her on the counter while Jerry and Michael discussed the fastest route home.
Ben reappeared a few minutes later. “I’m so sorry, Ms. Botelli, but I couldn’t locate him. Shall I take a message?”
“No, thanks. I’ll just call him later. Thanks for all your help.”
“Anytime. Oh, and just so you know, we had a strange computer glitch. That special charge for your friend’s champagne was lost.” e winked at her.He sent her a knowing wink. “Have a safe trip home.”
“Thanks, Ben. You’re awesome. I’ll see you again soon.” She hitched Emma on her hip and started for the doors.
“I’ll look forward to it, Ms. Botelli. You’re a most interesting woman.”
That probably wasn’t a compliment.
As they approached the sliding doors to retrieve their cars from the valet parking, Jerry’s hand snaked out and grabbed her arm. “Wait. I want to make sure things are cool out front. Stay here in the lobby until I get back. Your whereabouts are hardly a secret after your dress was plastered all over the Internet yesterday.”
Dani and Michael stopped, letting Jerry go ahead. She hadn’t thought about that, but he was right. If he didn’t know before, Carlos Watts definitely knew where she was now. That was another stupid move on her part.
Just as their cars drove up, Mario called out her name. Michael took Emma from her arms. “I’ll strap her in. Take your time.”
Dani turned and greeted Mario. “I wanted to say thank you again for our stay and for helping with the money. In all the confusion, I forgot to tell you I made Julia promise to give it back when everything is settled.”
“I wish I had your refreshing optimism, Dani, but I won’t hold my breath.” He grinned. “However, if she shows up on my doorstep with the loot, I wouldn’t turn it down.”
He slipped his arm around her shoulder and walked her to the car. Jerry appeared at her opposite side. “Have a safe trip. I’ll see you next month.”
Just as Mario opened her car door, a sharp pop rang out.
Someone yelled, “Gun!” and her heart nearly stopped.
Had Carlos found them? She couldn’t breathe. But she needed to do something.
She started to dive into the car beside Michael, but Jerry slammed the door shut and pulled her to the ground, covering her with his body. From her sideways viewpoint, crushed under Jerry’s weight, she watched Mario lift his pant leg at the ankle and pull out a gun. The sight of his gun sent another wave of panic through her veins. She hoped that Michael and Em were safe in the car above her. That they’d all stay safe. God, she didn’t want to die. Especially now that she’d finally reconnected with the man she’d always loved.
People shouted, and more gunshots rang out as her heart raced triple time. Jerry’s heft made it difficult to draw a full breath, and her head felt light. Mario shouted to the security team when they arrived. “Over there, in the dark Jeep. Stop them.”
The next thing Dani heard were shouts, more gunfire, then squealing tires. After a few moments of silence, the car door above her opened. Michael handed Emma to a guard, and then he was escorted out by the security team.
Thank God they were safe. She thought they were all going to die. Because of her.
Her legs were weak and could barely hold her as Jerry and two other men helped her up and surrounded her. They ran back into the lobby and into a waiting elevator. When the doors closed, Mario slipped his card in the slot, and the large P showed up on the screen. Then he turned and wrapped her up in a hard hug. “Are you okay?”
Dani blinked back her tears and nodded. After a few moments, she released him, then reached out for Emma, who was wailing with fear. She drew Emma against her chest, then looked up at Michael as her own fear got the best of her. She couldn’t stop shaking as hot tears slipped down her cheeks. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what I would’ve done if you guys had been hurt. This was all my fault.”
Michael leaned down and brushed a soft kiss against her forehead. “We’re fine, Dani.”
When the doors parted to the penthouse, Mario stepped out first, reaching for his cell phone. “We’ll take you out through the underground with your mother. We do it all the time when she visits. You’ll be safe. You can all fly home with her.”
He turned to Michael and Jerry. “I’ll have my people drive your cars home for you. Maybe Carlos’s men will make another move, and this time they’ll get more than they bargained for.”
Dani didn’t even want to know what that meant, but she had a good idea it wouldn’t be pretty.
While Dani stared out at the white puffy clouds floating in the deep-blue sky, Jerry sat up front in the cabin of her mother’s jet, snoring. On the couch, Emma sat on Annalisa’s lap, listening intently as Annalisa read a script to her.
A smile tugged at Dani’s lips as she recalled doing the same thing with her mom. Her mother could read a dictionary and make it sound exciting.
Dani closed her eyes and sighed. That had been entirely too close, and they all could have been killed. She wasn’t letting Emma off her mother’s estate until Julia got back to claim her. There was no way she’d risk Emma’s or Michael’s lives again.
She should break things off with Michael, for his own safety, but didn’t want to. Especially after just learning he was the man from her vision. Her stomach ached at the thought of him leaving her. Maybe her mother was wrong about that.
Dani turned and stared into Michael’s pretty green eyes, surprised he’d been watching her. “You must be so angry with me. If I hadn’t been so stupid—”
“Beating yourself up isn’t going to solve anything.” He gave her a quick kiss, then leaned back. “I need your undivided attention, because we have to go over the rules.”
“What rules?”
He unlatched her seat belt, then scooped her into his arms, placing her on his lap. “Rule number one. No more kissing Jake. Or anyone else.”
She blinked in confusion. He was talking about rules for them? Part of her feared—and hoped for his own good—that he’d run the other way as soon as they landed. But he needed to come back for her after Carlos Watts was in jail. “I told you. Those weren’t real kisses, Michael. They were just—”
“Real or not, no more kissing him, Dani.”
“Fine. And the only man I plan to do anything else with is you.”
“Good.” He nodded sharply. “Rule number two—”
“Wait a minute. I thought we were having a casual fling. Isn’t the point of that type of relationship that there are no rules?”
“After this morning”—he leaned close and whispered so her mom couldn’t hear—“I want more.”
Her heavy heart soared. “Okay, if you insist. But you’ve gotten awful bossy all of a sudden.”
His expression remained deadly serious. “Rule number two. No more hooker dresses.”
“That’s a given,” she said with a sigh. “What’s rule number three?”
“My girls have to come first. Heather plays games and calls me at the last minute, interrupting my plans, claiming I’ve forgotten some event or scheduled visit.” He tapped the phone in his pocket. “Everything goes in here, but she likes to make my life difficult. Therefore, she’s bound to make ours difficult as well. But, I’ll drop whatever I’m doing for my kids.”
“No problem. You’re a great dad.”
“I try. Rule number four.” He lowered his voice again. “I’m in charge in the bedroom.”
She leaned away from him and crossed her arms. “What? No way am I agreeing to that. As a matter of fact, I want to be in charge. You have to do whatever my little heart desires or the whole deal is off.” She nipped his bottom lip to send her point home.
“Done.” His mouth tilted in a mischievous grin.
“You were just pulling my chain, you sneaky lawyer.”
He pulled her close, hugging her tight. “I was just making sure you were paying attention.”
“Okay. Then we need to discuss rule number five. That’s the one where, when you overhear me talking with Zoe about intimate details of our relationship, you can’t complain.”
His forehead crumpled. “How intimate?”
“Every detail.”
“That was to pay me back for rule number four?”
“Yep.”
He nodded. “I should probably expect that kind of behavior from a sneaky Realtor.”
She grinned as she snuggled against him and closed her eyes. But very soon, she was going to have to tell him about rule number six—that he needed to keep his distance from her until the Carlos Watts problem was solved. She wouldn’t risk his life again.
When they arrived home, Michael carried a sleepy Emma to the guesthouse for her. In front of it, a deep-blue Lexus hybrid SUV with a big red bow stood gleaming in the afternoon sun.
Dani dialed her mother. “Mom, how many times do I have to tell you? I’m not accepting gifts like this anymore.”
“It’s not from me. It’s from your father. Read the card, Dani.”
She tugged the envelope from under the windshield wiper and opened it.
Daniella,
I’ve been deprived the privilege of acknowledging thirty Christmases and birthdays for my only child. Please accept this from me. It would give me great pleasure to know you’re driving a safe and environmentally friendly car.
And the windows are bulletproof.
Love,
Mario
She shook her head and tucked the card back inside the envelope. She said to Michael, “Mario is appealing to my sense of environmental consciousness, and not doing a bad job in the guilt department, either. Do you think I should keep it?”
Michael passed the sleeping Emma to her and popped the hood. He smiled as he studied the engine. “Sweet. I wonder if you can tell when it’s running on batteries or gas? And yes, you should keep it. He wants to be your dad, so let him.” He slammed the hood closed. “Can I borrow it? I haven’t seen my kids in over a week, and I don’t have a car.”
“Sure.” She grabbed his shirt, pulled him against her, and kissed him. When she’d had her fill, she reluctantly released him. “So, I guess I’ll see you when I see you?”
“You’ll see me later tonight. I don’t have my girls again until the weekend.”
Good. Then she’d have a little time to come up with the right way to tell Michael he wasn’t welcome in her life—for now.
Later that night, Michael tossed the bag that contained his suit for the next day on a chair before slipping out of his jeans and T-shirt, relieved that Emma was in Dani’s other bedroom.
He slid beside Dani, and when she turned and sent him a sleepy grin, everything aligned in his world. “Heather had a meltdown I had to deal with. Sorry I’m so late.”
“’Kay . . .” Her voice slowly trailed off as she fell back asleep.
That wasn’t the reception he’d hoped for, but he couldn’t blame her. It was late. Resigned to no sex, he banked his need for her and snuggled closer. “Night, Dani.”
It was probably for the best. After fighting with Heather and putting up with her irrational demands, it showed him how different Dani was from his ex-wife. While Dani was complicated in her own way, she never whined or carried on, like Heather did with regularity.
He wanted to tell Dani what a refreshing change she was and how he looked forward to seeing her whenever they were apart, but that probably wouldn’t have been wise at this point. He loved her, but they still needed to take things slowly, let their past relationship mistakes fade and give their hearts time to heal. And he needed to be sure she wouldn’t hurt him again.
He’d always loved Dani, but he wouldn’t have his heart stomped on twice, so he’d just keep his thoughts about wanting to marry her and be with her the rest of his life to himself for now.
Suddenly, Dani bolted straight up. “You’re here. Sorry.” Her hand reached out, and soft lamplight spilled over them. She was wearing something silky that just barely covered her, and his belly clenched with desire.
“I must’ve fallen back asleep after the guard told me you were on the way.” She rubbed her eyes. “I need to give you this.”
He accepted the slip of paper she held out. “What is it?”
“I’m invoking rule number four. It’s a list of what I’d like you to do to me tonight.”
He grinned as he read it, and by the time he’d reached the end of the list, he was unbearably hard. “In exactly this order?”
Her eyes lit with mischief. “Uh-huh.”
“No problem. But what’s the ‘rule number six discussion’ mean?”
“Let’s see if you survive all the other items first, then we’ll talk about that.” She turned off the lamp, tugged the paper from his hand, and straddled him. “Oh, I see you’ve started without me.”
He flipped her onto her back and settled between her legs.
She moaned with pleasure as he engaged in item number one.
The next morning, the shrill alarm of Michael’s phone drove home the fact that they had been up entirely too late the evening before, but, holy shit, what a night it was. Dani really knew how to put together a list.
His hand searched for the screaming device buried in the pile of clothes beside the bed. After finally finding it, he switched it off and rolled over to find her staring into his eyes. “Morning.” He’d set the alarm a few minutes early in hopes of getting a little action before work, and now that she was awake, odds appeared to be in his favor.
“Morning. Are you ready to finish the list?”
Had he forgotten a step? God, he hoped so. “Absolutely. Which item needs to be taken care of?”
He reached for her, but she evaded and sat up. Then she leaned her back against the headboard and wrapped her arms around her bent knees. “Someone fell asleep, and we didn’t get to the last one. Rule number six?”
“Hey, it’s tough being a sex slave. You wore me out.” When she didn’t seem to find the humor in his comment, he sat up and leaned back against the headboard, too. In an attempt to lighten her sudden dark mood, he added, “I’m hoping item six involves mandatory morning sex. But if not, maybe you could cut to the chase and just give me the executive summary. Then we’ll have time for both?”
Her lips tilted slightly, but the determined gleam in her eyes didn’t fade. She rose and slipped into her robe. After tying the knot, she huffed out a breath. “I think we need to take a break.”
His stomach took a hard, fast dive. A brief flash of the last time she’d dumped him slammed in his mind. He’d been a damn fool to open his heart up to her again. She could hurt him like no one else—and she just had. “I should have known you’d do it again.”
Her brows knit. “Do what again? After what happened in Vegas, I think—”
“It doesn’t matter. If you’re done, then so am I.” He rolled out of bed, then gathered his things. He wasn’t going to be made a fool of twice. He’d leave her before he’d give her the knife to stab him in the heart again.
Dani crossed the room in two long strides and wrapped her arms around his waist. “I want you safe until Carlos Watts is in jail. I don’t want this, either, but we have no choice.”
He stared into her pleading eyes. As the red haze of anger slowly faded, her intentions became clear. She was trying to protect him, not dump him. What she’d done in the past had clouded his thinking.
Her arms wrapped tighter around him, drawing him closer. “I couldn’t bear it if you were hurt because of me.” She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. The warmth from her lips spread through his chest, easing the fist that clutched his heart.
Stepping back so he could think clearly, he quickly prepared his defense. “Let’s discuss this rationally. First, you have no idea how long this problem is going to last. It could take weeks for Jake to put him behind bars for good. Second, what kind of a man would I be to leave you alone when a lunatic is after you?”
Dani crossed her arms and lifted her stubborn chin. “Yes, it could take some time, but it’s not your job to protect me. I have a bodyguard for that, someone who is detached from the situation and isn’t going to let personal feelings cloud his judgment.”
She was no pushover. He’d have to find her weak spot.
He dumped his clothes on the bed, then slipped his arms around her stiff shoulders. “After last night, how could you suggest this?”
Her pursed lips softened for a brief moment. “You do follow directions very well, but it’s for your own good, Michael.”
“I’m a grown man who can take care of myself, as well as make my own choices. You’ve made your concerns known, so if I choose not to heed them and anything happens to me, it’s my own fault. Not yours. You show me no respect by trying to take this decision out of my hands.”
Her mouth opened, but nothing but a hiss of air escaped. When her forehead wrinkled as she stared at him, he knew he’d won.
She lifted her hands in resignation, then turned and marched out of the bedroom, mumbling, “Damn lawyer!”
He smiled at his victory as he scooped up his clothes and headed to the shower.
Michael was still smiling when he stepped into the living room, but his grin quickly faded when he noticed the concern etched on Dani’s face as she lowered her cell from her ear. “What’s wrong?”
“That was Jake. He called to tell you that your car will require a few repairs. The good news is the men who shot at us are either dead or behind bars. Mr. Giovanni’s men were very thorough.”
“Was Carlos Watts one of them?” Michael asked, hoping Dani’s nightmare would be over.
“No. But one of the surviving men is willing to testify, for a lighter sentence, that it was Carlos Watts who hired him. So now they can lock Carlos up for years . . . if they can find him.
“They will. Let’s let Jake worry about that part.”
“I’m trying.” Dani circled her free arm around him and pulled him toward the door. “Come on, let’s go eat.” She smiled down at Emma. “And I bet you’d like to bake cookies with Mrs. Wilson. I’m going to talk her into watching you for a little bit today while I run to the office.”
After they were all settled around the table in the massive kitchen, Mrs. Wilson’s face glowed while she filled Dani’s plate with gooey, rich French toast. “It’s been too long since you’ve let me feed you, sweetheart.”
Dani took a huge bite and moaned. “I’m a fool. Why do I bother cooking for myself when I can come over here and have one of your incredible meals?”
Mrs. Wilson snaked a soft arm around Dani’s shoulder, pulling her against her ample bosom. “You’re not a fool. What you are is an excellent cook. I know because I taught you myself. But you’re stubborn as two mules and only cook when you feel like it.”
“You’ve been talking to Jake again, haven’t you?”
“He may have mentioned a thing or two about that the last time he came begging for dinner.” Mrs. Wilson chuckled and shook her head. “He’s a charmer, that one.”
Michael cleared his throat and sent her an irritated look.
It was probably a good time to change the subject.
She didn’t have to, though, because her mom swept into the room, looking ready for a Vogue photo shoot. “Well, good morning all. What a pleasant surprise.”
“Hi!” Emma beamed a sweet smile and held out a piece of French toast dripping with syrup. After the plane ride, Emma thought Annalisa was better than fruit snacks.
When her mom leaned down and actually let Emma stick the gooey bread into her mouth, Dani nearly fell off her chair.
“Yuumm?” Emma asked with a hopeful grin.
Her mom nodded. “Double yum.” She tilted Emma’s face and kissed her forehead, one of the few places that was still clean. “Thank you, honey.”
Then Annalisa reached for Dani’s face and kissed her forehead, too. “Good morning, sweetheart. You’re keeping the car?”
The triumphant gleam in her mother’s eyes made her wonder whose idea the car really was—hers or Mario’s. “Yes, and I’ve already called and thanked him. But what’s up? Any more fairy dust and we’ll all be enchanted.”
“Mario is rethinking the idea of marriage. Thanks to you. He said he’d like to be a more active part of our family.”
Dani’s heart turned a little gooey with the idea that her mom might finally have the chance to be with the only man she’d ever loved. But her mom had fought for things in the past, and once the battle was won, quickly lost interest in them. “That’d be good, right?”
“That’d be very good.” She hugged Dani before she turned to Michael. “Well, I suppose I better kiss you, too. I wouldn’t want you to feel left out.”
She kissed the top of Michael’s head. Then her eyes found Dani’s. She sent her a sly wink, obviously figuring out he’d spent the night.
Mrs. Wilson slipped beside them, holding Annalisa’s extra-large mug of coffee, and tapped her cheek. “What about me? I’m definitely feeling left out here.”
Her mom chuckled before she kissed Mrs. Wilson’s cheek with such an exaggerated smack it made Emma giggle. Then she snatched the mug. “Damn employees, always demanding more. You can never keep them happy.” Then her mother took a long drink and sighed. “This is the best coffee in the world. I guess I’ll keep you around for a while longer.”
Dani smiled and dug into her French toast. Mrs. Wilson had been with them for as long as she could remember. Her mom loved Mrs. Wilson as much as she and Sara did.
After another long drink from her mug, her mom said, “So, Michael, I hear your car is going to be in the shop for a while. We seem to have a surplus around here. Why don’t you choose one to drive?”
He glanced at Dani and raised a questioning brow.
“It’d be no trouble. Mom’s bought me three cars that I wouldn’t accept, and they’re all sitting there begging to be driven. There’s a Porsche, a BMW, and a Mercedes.”
Michael turned and grinned at Annalisa. “Thank you. If you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to borrow one with a back seat. For my girls?”
Her mom smirked and slid a glance Dani’s way. “Then you’ll want the perfect-for-a-Realtor-to-show-homes-with Mercedes.”
Dani sent her mom an eye roll in acknowledgment of her smartass comment, then turned her attention back to her succulent French toast.
Her mom said, “I’d love to stay and visit, but I’m late. Have a safe day, everyone.” She took a step away, then stopped dead in her tracks. “I almost forgot.” She leaned down and whispered in Dani’s ear. “You’re going to have to fight for him, baby. Just remember that he loves you.” With one last squeeze, she released her and walked away.
Dani tucked into her meal rather than meet Michael’s curious gaze. Her mom must’ve had another dream.
Just as Michael opened his mouth to speak, Mrs. Wilson laid two more pieces of French toast on his plate, then laid a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t let all this talk of Jake bother you. Charming isn’t what lasts, you know. It’s steady, reliable, and good that makes it through the long haul.” She gave his shoulder a pat, then turned and stared into Dani’s eyes. “Some women just take a little longer to figure that out, that’s all.”
Dani closed her eyes, barely suppressing her groan. She was being assaulted from all sides. “Look, Jake has signed the papers and now he’s just a—”
“Butthead!” Emma said with pride.
Michael struggled to hide his smirk as he finished off his breakfast.
After they were done eating, and while Emma was still in the kitchen, happily playing in cookie dough with Mrs. Wilson, Dani walked Michael out to the garage. She was still a little upset that he’d ignored her request to stay away but let it go because she hadn’t come up with a good comeback for that stupid “you show me no respect” line of his. Who did he think he was? The Godfather?
“You were awfully quiet during breakfast, Michael.”
He shrugged. “Talking about Jake doesn’t interest me.”
She pulled him close, enjoying the way his big arms slipped around her, almost instinctively. “Then we won’t.” She playfully nibbled on his lower lip, then leaned back and smiled when his eyes darkened with desire for her. That was something she’d never tire of.
His dimples deepened with his grin. “When can we look at those other two houses you were so excited to show me?”
She didn’t want him anywhere near her outside her mother’s compound. “Um, I have to work at the office from twelve to three today. I hate to ask Mrs. Wilson to watch Emma longer than that, so maybe another time?”
His grin faded, and she feared her plan was a little too obvious.
“I’m not going to stop seeing you, and I need to buy a house.” His big hand gave her butt a sharp pat. “Stop by my office when you’re done.”
“Okay, but will you be extra careful today? Hey, maybe we should have my mom hire a bodyguard for you, too?”
He narrowed his eyes at her.
Michael wasn’t budging on this one. “It was just a suggestion.”
“A bad one.” He leaned down and kissed her in that slow, patient way of his that always left her a little weak. When he was done, he asked, “But Jerry’s going to be with you all day, right?”
“He’s going to meet me here at eleven thirty. I still don’t know how I’ll explain him if anyone walks into the office needing to see a house, though.”
“You’ll figure it out. See you later.”
Yeah, she’d already figured it out earlier when she’d spoken to Jake on the phone. She didn’t have floor duty exactly, but she was still going to work. She was going to meet with Jake and her broker to figure out a way to flush out Carlos. Using herself as bait in one of her office’s empty houses seemed to make the most sense, but she’d keep that part from Michael until Carlos was in jail for good.
Hopefully, they’d be able to put the final touches on the “Catch Carlos Watts” plan so she could get back to living her life.