Unfair Advantage

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN



Dani spent the following day placing the next wave of delivered furniture and accessories. She welcomed the arrival of the treadmill, put it to three hours' use on a low speed. Buddy fell off, leaped back on and managed to master trotting behind as she walked. In her other life his simple presence would have irritated. Now she found his determination to share her life endearing.



When she could stand it, she caught the news. An official order had dispersed the crowds. Police monitored the surrounding area. Four officers guarded around the clock: one the service entrance, another outside the lobby, a third outside her courtyard, the fourth at her apartment door.



She purchased a laptop from the cyber site of a local dealer who guaranteed delivery within twelve hours. It would come in handy traveling back and forth from here to the lake. Then, she ordered Thai from a place nearby. Enough for tonight and lunch later.



Dani cracked the door, told Officer Darren she expected dinner. Twenty minutes later it arrived. Dani let in the Asian guy, checked the order while he made a call. Then she took her wallet from her purse on the kitchen counter, counted out fifty, paid and let him out. An odd sensation snaked over her skin. Nothing she could place. A subtle, yet alarming tingle.



Uneasy, she waited a moment, followed him into the lobby. He was back on his cell, this time speaking English. "Sent you two already. I have six more. The price has gone up ten thousand."



Driven by pure instinct, Dani rushed up behind him and placed her hands on his shoulder. Images and data flowed. It almost hurt to process it all. She jerked free, yelled, "Officer Darren, this man took pictures of me and my apartment with his cell phone!"



The delivery guy broke like a Thoroughbred from the gate. She called out again. Officer Johnson sprinted down the hall and after him, recruiting mid-stride the cop outside. Dani ran out through the double doors. Officer Johnson shouted into his shoulder-mounted communication unit, charged down the sidewalk weaving among pedestrians. Although she couldn't hear due to noisy construction, she saw what he did. She'd gotten over the shock of having droves of strangers flocking to her building. Now they'd see inside her apartment. The last bastion of privacy. Gone.



"Hey, you're that psychic shown on Channel Six! Hey, honey, snap a shot o' her!"



Twin spears of exposure and vulnerability pierced Dani. She fled back to her apartment as if the Devil chased.







Roarke sat at his small kitchen table. Files and reports covered the surface. His cell rang from under an interview transcript. Pawing his way to the phone, he flipped it open, noted the city number, answered. "Larkin."



Tanzetti replied, "Hey, I switched shifts with White. I was here when one of the uniforms assigned to Miss Richards called in. Something about a camera phone incident and a delivery dude. We don't even have a code for it. Might wanna come in."



His heart jerked. Too personal. Keeping it from his voice was work. "She okay?"



"Yeah. Shaky. Then, I'd be shaky all the time if I saw fuckin' ghosts."



"Do me a favor. Call Fielding. I'll go straight to her apartment."


"Sure."


Roarke changed from his worn, cut-off sweats to jeans, white button down collar shirt and blazer in a hurry. He'd had all his work jackets tailored to skim the bulge his shoulder holster and piece made. Fielding had ribbed him about it for a while. Then had a few made for himself.


He turned off lights, locked up and jumped in the truck. This time of day streets looked more like parking lots. He had to force patience, thinking as if what he had in mind for her tomorrow weren't shitty enough, this had to happen.






Dani made coffee. She tried twice to pour for the tall, athletic and extremely gallant Officer Darren. However, adrenaline backlash caused her hands to tremor as if with palsy. He took the pot from her, dark-skinned capable hands sure and steady as he poured them each a cup. His chocolate eyes held a nobility and kindness that kept her from feeling self-conscious or awkward.



She just said, "Thank you."



He nodded, took the mug. Heading to the door, he paused, half-turned. "We'll get him, Miss Richards. We know his name, employer and land lord. Don't worry."



It occurred to her he must have shouldered the burden of the delivery man's escape. Smiling, Dani responded, "Just having you at my door is great comfort."



She thought she detected a slight blush under his dark skin.



"Detectives Larkin and Fielding are on their way, Miss Richards. Call if you need me in the mean time."



Dani went to her bath room, splashed cold water on her face, patted dry. Then she smoothed on a little moisturizer, dusted her nose with powder and swiped on a touch of mascara and lip gloss. An inner voice mocked the vanity. Here she stood, bared to the masses, a public mockery by many opinions, her haven violated and her dignity bruised. Yet, because a certain large, exotic Viking-Irish cop would soon arrive, she mustered the energy to get girly.



A sudden snore rose from the general area of her bed. Dani smiled. Buddy had become quite stimulated during the delivery incident. Yet, afterward, with the earlier workout and excitement, he'd collapsed into slumber in true puppy fashion.



Dani walked back out into the great room just as she heard the knock. Opening for them, she admitted Larkin and Tim. The subtle scent of the former reached her as they entered. Pleasure curled like smoke in her belly. She'd formed associations with that smell. The under-it-all maleness.



Fielding turned an inspecting pirouette. "Wow, Dani. Place is looking great."



"Thanks." She held her breath as Larkin turned toward her. Those cinnamon eyes met hers, knocked the breath from her lungs.



He walked back, holding her gaze, closed the door, locked it.



Dani blushed. Her preoccupation with him had suddenly blotted out everything else. "Thank you."



Larkin came toward her a bit. Left perhaps five feet between their bodies. "Camera phone crimes are one of the newest territories for law enforcement. Special task forces work them. As of this moment, the crime definition lines remain hazy."



Dani crossed her arms beneath her breasts, glanced at Fielding. Spell broken she returned her regard to Larkin. "What does that mean?"



In a solemn tone he returned, "It means that aside from fleeing police, maybe resisting arrest, we don't have much." A muscle danced along his hard jaw. A five o'clock shadow accented the implacable line. "Maybe not even that if the offense can't be used for cause." The dark shadow of beard leant an air of wolfish sexuality to his entire outrageous attractiveness. "Worse yet, matter of fact, he fled you, not police. The officers never even had a chance to shout when he could be certain of hearing. Evidently there was a jackhammer running just down the street on the opposite side. That makes his escape evading another private citizen."



Forced brightness in the tone as Tim chimed, "You seem okay. Tanzetti made it sound grim."



"I feel very violated." Dani dragged her gaze from Larkin to his partner. Tim possessed an endearing glow of innocence few adults could retain. She loved that about him. "I have to work through it."



"At least he didn't manage a shot of you in bed or something."



"That might come next," she commented in all seriousness.



"Holy shit! Let's hope not. Well, if you're all right," Tim responded, "I have to make a dinner reservation with my cousin. She's only in the city for tonight."



"Go." She walked into the kitchen, picked up her coffee. Though she'd yet to taste it, the warm mug and familiar aroma granted comfort.



Tim turned to his partner. "Cool with you?"



"Go."



Dani flashed back to her fifth grade crush, the time they'd been left alone during Susie Florington's eleventh birthday party. Dani's mind played tricks and she had to cope. Like an adult. "Please, Tim. Don't miss your cousin. If I'd known they were sending you two over, I'd have told you not to bother."



He seemed to study her, glanced at Larkin. "You behind me, partner?"



"Five minutes."



Dani went on full alert, set down the coffee. Converse to her adolescent libidinous urges, she found herself reluctant to face him alone. "I'm fine. Really."



"Go ahead, Fielding." Larkin's gaze sank into her.



Dani realized Tim waited some signal from her. Endeared, she forced a smile. "Have a good time."



When the door closed behind him the apartment suddenly shrank. Dani felt Larkin's sexuality flexing. Found herself thinking what the media could do with this. Fixing her eyes on the counter, she said, "You should go. We both know why."



"Do you want to be alone tonight?"



Forbidden pleasure, offered in a low hushed tone. She closed her eyes. "I need to avoid giving anyone, anything else to discuss. I," she corrected, "we owe those kids to prevent any further taint to the investigation."



"You damn near died. I've sacrificed six months, and I'll gladly continue."



This made her resentful for some reason. Maybe because she hadn't really allowed herself more than intermittent, momentary contemplations of them together. Whatever. It made Dani thin-skinned enough for the inner bitch to push her way to surface. "Given this enough thought to make justifications?"



"No. Having a moment of terrible clarity."



She knew him better than think he'd do less than the right thing. He had that rare gene that thankfully allowed sane people to take tremendous risks, sacrifice for strangers. That really made the wicked witch mouthy. "You have to leave this apartment in about thirty seconds. Or we have trouble. You would have to be seen leaving and invisible if you return. Invisible is impossible. So, it's settled."



"Settled you want me to come back?"



She risked peeking at him. The visual impact conjured an ache low in her swiftly liquefying pelvis. "It's impossible and out of both our hands."



Something in those cranberry-brown eyes sent a sexual thrill to her core. "I do invisible. Very well. You want me in, watch those French doors in two hours. You don't, go to bed."



Inner Bitch had her pride. Libido go to Hell. "You've already decided what to do. But, I can't even touch most people, so don't you dare come sneaking back here to fuck me."



Larkin walked to the door. Paused. Hand on the knob, he spoke in a velvet and gravel hush. "Don't let me in if that's not the accepted conclusion."







Brand called Mayan. The moment she stepped into the penthouse, the look of vulnerable confusion on her exquisite face sealed his decision. He walked to the security keypad, locked the elevator's descent, and set the system to the usual precautionary measures.



Wearing an almost transparent dress in a shade so near the color of her skin it caused him to look again, she stared with wide aquamarine eyes.



"I have a proposal."



She blinked. "What do you want?"



He realized she thought he meant something physical. "Sit."



She glanced around, clearly uneasy. She more often undressed and crawled from there than walked. Let alone took a civilized seat. Appearing distrustful, she perched on the couch. Her gaze traveled to the magnum of Mumm in the ice bucket nearby, then to him. "Have I done something wrong?"



For a moment he appreciated the situation. Thrown over a chair back and taken in a sexual ambush she reacted 'normally'. Offered a seat and refreshment, she assumed 'the worst'.



"I want you to break with Julia."



"Why?"



"I've grown intolerant of having someone between us." Brand walked slowly toward where she perched. "I can offer you better financial protection, a place of your own." He halted, took a seat in the chair opposite. "There'd be only me."



Eyes darting restlessly, she whispered, "Here?"



In true submissive fashion she'd accepted this place as one of his power and authority. "I meant a place of your own. Somewhere close. You'd be very comfortable."



"I'll have to consider...,"



Brand nearly grinned. "Don't you want my undivided attention?"



Mayan half-rose. Caught herself. "Yes."



"I've frightened you."



"Yes."



He considered for a moment. "Accounts and the apartment in your name only. All living expenses paid. A car and driver if you like." He'd still pay less for all this than he would using her through Julia. Smart business.



She folded her hands in lap, for all appearances prim and ladylike. "Okay."



He stretched, rose. Uncorking the champagne and filling both flutes, he said, "I'll speak to Julia."



"If it's all right, I'd prefer she hear from me."



"Whatever makes you happy." The instant he heard himself speak the words he realized with almost clinical surprise he actually meant them.







Dani let Buddy out a final time, showered, slathered on the heliotrope lotion Ashlyn made especially for her. She stepped into jersey knit gray bikinis, boxer short style pj bottoms in gray and olive plaid and pulled a soft olive tee over her head. Almost angrily she raked the brush through her hair, crated the puppy and yanked the bedside lamp's pull chain.



The cool sheets made a quiet hissing as she slid one foot up closer to her hips. Years of electrolysis in her former life kept her legs and bikini line smooth. The material of the bedclothes felt luxurious.



Almost two hours had passed.



Dani flipped onto her stomach. She pushed and bunched the pillow, rested her head.



What would he do, she wondered, knock the officer stationed outside the courtyard unconscious? Some kind of macho bullshit?



Maybe he didn't really mean it. More likely he meant it at the time, now he probably will have reconsidered. Or worse, he might arrive, the officer see. What then? Libido could get him here, then he'll 'sober' up and have no where to run. Could a reporter find out?



The more she thought about it, the more she grew certain she should slip out to the French doors, keep out the interior lights, see what happened. If he showed, she could let him long enough to catch the guarding officer on the opposite side of the high-fenced courtyard for a hasty exit.



Feeling fractious, she got out of bed and walked into the great room. The security light mounted outside the doors would alert her. So she sat on the couch and waited. A glance at the digital readout of the microwave clock told her give or take a few minutes, she could expect him now.



Dani stood, wandered closer.



Of a sudden, a tall broad-shouldered form stood outside. No light. No warning.



She smothered her scream under her hand. Trembling, recognizing his face, she unlocked the doors, let in Larkin.



"You scared the hell out of me!" she hissed, furious at his frightening her. Dani relocked and pulled him away from the doors. "I thought you would have changed your mind. Or that you'd get here, then do it. Wait. Why didn't the motion sensing lights come on?"



"I stayed outside the sensor."



The rush of sexual energy hit her like a tidal wave. Dani backed away. He pursued. A darker shape in the dim hall. "You need to leave."



"In about four hours."