Rave reviews for New York Times bestselling author
SUSAN MALLERY

Praise for Straight from the Hip

“Mallery has penned an emotionally satisfying and thoroughly engaging story.”

—Booklist, starred review

Praise for Lip Service

“Mallery breathes real life into these former lovers hoping for a secondchance.”

—RT Book Reviews

Praise for Under Her Skin

“Bestseller Mallery’s Lone Star Sisters series opener draws in readers with intriguing characters…. Their emotional journey makes for…satisfying reading.”

—Publishers Weekly

Praise for Sweet Spot

“Mallery is in top-notch form as she takes troubled and stubborn individuals and portrays their emotional growth. Drama and trauma abound in this winner!”

—RT Book Reviews

“I strongly recommend Sweet Spot, especially to readers who like their family melodramas spiked with lots of laughter and hot romance.”

—The Romance Reader

Praise for Sweet Talk

“Amusing, heartfelt and wildly romantic, Sweet Talk is the perfect romance.”

—Joyfully Reviewed

“Susan Mallery provides a powerful passionate backdrop to a fine contemporary romance.”

—Harriet Klausner

Praise for Accidentally Yours

“Mallery has once again proven to be a superb writer; romance novels just don’t get much better than this.”

—Booklist

“If you’re looking for heart-tugging emotions elaborately laced with humor, then Mallery is the author for you.”

—RT Book Reviews

Praise for Tempting

“At turns witty and poignant, this hard-to-put-down book will appeal to a broad spectrum of readers.”

—Booklist, starred review

Praise for Sizzling

“A tasty dish…Mallery’s prose is luscious and provocative, and her characters worth following from book to book.”

—Publishers Weekly

Hot on Her Heels
Susan Mallery

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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HOT ON HER HEELS

CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

EPILOGUE

CHAPTER ONE

IT HAD TAKEN FOUR MONTHS, calling in every favor ever owed her, a case of expensive Scotch and a date with a slimy private investigator who had made the mistake of thinking “date” meant “sex.” A knee to the groin had cured him of that belief. In the end, Dana Birch had gotten her man.

Now, as she rode the elevator up to Garth Duncan’s penthouse condo, she smiled at the paperwork in her hand. Paperwork that demanded he come talk to the good people at the Dallas Police Department. Paperwork that said Garth was going to have a very bad day. She, on the other hand, couldn’t be happier.

“Rat bastard, weasel dog,” she murmured as she stepped off the elevator and headed to his front door. “You thought you were so smart. You thought you could do whatever you wanted and get away with it. You thought you could hurt my friends.”

If life were perfect, he would resist accompanying her and she could threaten him with her gun. Maybe even accidentally shoot him. If only he were the type of guy to cower in the face of authority, not to mention consequences. In her fantasies, he would tremble and beg. While it wasn’t as good as watching him bleed, it would be a close second. Unfortunately Garth was more the type to have a thousand-dollar-an-hour attorney who lived to sue police departments. Not that his high-powered attorney would be much help today.

“You are so mine, Garth,” she said, then knocked.

In the minute or so it took him to answer, she savored the victory. She’d worked hard to nail Garth and it had been worth every long hour of digging, following up clues and waiting for a lucky break. It was his own fault, she thought cheerfully. He’d messed with people she cared about. No one did that without having to face her.

The front door opened. She smiled as she saw Garth was half-concealed behind the door. Maybe he was afraid, she thought with a flicker of contempt.

She held out the papers. “Good morning. We’re going to take a little ride downtown.”

“Are we?” he asked as he opened the door wider, so she could see all of him. “Am I allowed to get dressed first?”

An unexpected twist, Dana thought grimly as she took in the towel draped around his neck, covering his chest, and the one around his waist. He was dripping, obviously just out of the shower. His dark hair stood in little spikes, his expression was far more amused than worried.

“At least you know I’m not armed,” he said, his voice thick with humor.

“I wouldn’t be afraid if you were.”

“That’s because you don’t know what I’m capable of, Deputy Birch. So which is it? Are you prepared to parade me naked through the streets of Dallas or will I be putting on clothes?”

He sounded confident, as if he knew she wouldn’t take him in a towel, which was true. Damn him. She liked situations where she was in charge.

“You can get dressed,” she said grudgingly. “I’ll need to be in the room, though, to make sure you don’t try to escape.”

He actually gave her a little wink. “Of course you will. That’s as good an excuse as any.”

Irritation coursed through her. Instinctively she rested her right hand on her sidearm. “You wish,” she snapped. “Let me assure you I have no interest in seeing your bony backside. Or any other part of you.”

One corner of his mouth turned up. “You can watch, Dana. I don’t mind.”

He was playing with her, trying to mess with her. She focused on the reason she was here.

“Joke all you want,” she told him. “You’re going to jail.”

“If only wishing made it so.”

“You’re not getting out of this,” she said. “I have the proof I need.”

“No, you don’t.” His voice was low and deceptively soft. “If you had what you needed, you’d be arresting me, not bringing me in for questioning. Admit it, Dana. You’re not even close to charging me with anything. This is a fishing expedition.”

While she knew in her head that reacting with violence only weakened her position and proved he was right, she really, really wanted to hit him.

“I’m officially bored,” she said, dropping her arm to her side. “Let’s get this over with.”

“The part where you watch me naked?”

She stepped into his condo and rolled her eyes. “Yeah. Lucky, lucky me. Have you been featured in Arrogance Monthly yet?”

“I’ve been on the cover.”

He shut the door, then led the way through the large penthouse.

The main room was huge—she was guessing she could fit her apartment and five others just like it in the space. There were floor-to-ceiling windows with a view of most of Dallas. Not that she cared about that sort of thing.

She returned her attention to the man in front of her, then frowned as sunlight caught his back, illuminating the scars crisscrossing his skin.

A few of them were thin lines, but most were thick and raised, as if the skin had been cut over and over again. Her stomach clenched slightly, not that she allowed her expression to change.

She knew the basic facts about Garth Duncan. He was rich—scary rich, with dozens of companies and money flowing like water. He’d started in the oil business and while down in South America, no doubt raping and pillaging a pristine part of the world, he’d been captured and held prisoner by some angry locals. They’d kept him and a coworker blindfolded in the jungle for a month, torturing them both daily.

Her gaze dropped to his long, muscled legs. She could see faint scars there, too, but these had come from a surgeon. Both of Garth’s legs had been broken during his captivity. His friend had carried him to safety.

If only Garth had died back then, Dana thought, but without a whole lot of energy. He wouldn’t be hurting her friends. But he hadn’t died. He’d come back home and flourished.

She followed a few steps behind as he entered a massive bedroom, then continued into a bathroom the size of a grocery store. That led into one of those fancy closets done in dark wood. All the clothes were perfectly organized by color. Shoes were lined up on racks.

She leaned against the doorway, never taking her eyes from him. “Anytime.”

His dark gaze locked with hers. He seemed to be enjoying himself, which pissed her off. But once the investigation began, his attitude would change. She was bringing him in. For now, that was enough.

His smile returned. He pulled the towel off his shoulders and let it fall to the floor. “If you don’t have to be anywhere in the next couple of hours, we could take advantage of my lack of clothes.”

“Hours? Oh, please. You’d be lucky to last six minutes. Quit playing, Garth. I have a full day ahead of me. Despite what you think, the world doesn’t revolve around you.”

“Yes, Deputy Birch.”

He dropped the towel at his waist.

She kept her eyes on his face. Not only didn’t he interest her in the least, but she was here in a professional capacity. She was proud of her job and what she did for the community. The good people of her town didn’t pay her to ogle the likes of Garth Duncan.

“No?” he asked, completely naked and holding out his arms at his side. “I’m yours for the taking.”

She faked a yawn.

He laughed. A rich, full laugh that spoke of amusement and perhaps grudging respect. For reasons she couldn’t explain, she found herself wanting to smile back at him. As if they were sharing a connection. As if they had something in common. As if they almost liked each other and might even be almost friends.

Dana turned and walked out of the closet. “Get dressed,” she called as she went.

“What if I have a gun in here?” he yelled after her.

“Then I get to shoot you.”

She crossed to the window in the bedroom and stared out at the view. But she only saw her friends’ faces. The three sisters Garth was trying to ruin. He hadn’t been content to attempt to destroy Lexi’s business or ruin Skye’s foundation. He’d actually tried to kill Izzy. What the hell was she thinking, smiling at him?

Garth was the enemy. He was evil. She was going to put him in prison for a very long time.

Five minutes later he walked into the bedroom. He wore a suit she was sure cost more than she made in a couple of months.

“Let’s go,” she said. “We’ll take my car.”

“I’m calling my lawyer on the way. She’ll meet us at the police station.”

“You can call Congress and God for all I care.” She pointed to the hallway. “Move.”

Instead of heading toward the living room, he moved toward her. For a split second Dana wondered if he had really had a gun in the closet. She reached for her sidearm.

“I didn’t try to kill her,” Garth said. “I had nothing to do with what happened to Izzy.”

“I’m not the one you have to convince,” Dana told him.

“You’re a cop. Look at me, Dana. Tell me if you think I’m lying.” He stared into her eyes. “I didn’t try to kill Izzy. I didn’t cause the explosion. I never went after her at all.”

He was standing too close, she thought suddenly. She wasn’t worried about him coming after her, but she still felt uneasy. What was going on?

Hating to give up the power, she took a step back.

He was lying. He had to be lying. But the voice in her head that warned her when someone was trying to pull a fast one was oddly silent.

“I suppose you didn’t do anything at all,” she said, grabbing his arm and starting toward the hallway. “That you’re completely innocent.”

He only smiled.

He could have pulled away easily, but didn’t, which left her in the uncomfortable position of hanging on to him. She could feel the heat of his skin, the muscles, the smooth fabric of his fancy suit.

“Don’t mess with me,” she growled.

“I didn’t say a word.”

So why did she feel so uncomfortable?

Weakness wasn’t allowed, she reminded herself. Not with him, not with anyone.

“PLEASE TELL ME THEY threatened you before I got there,” Mary Jo Sheffield said as she and Garth walked toward her car. “I’m itching to file a lawsuit.”

His attorney—a fortysomething blonde who barely came to his shoulder—looked determined. She could scent blood with the efficiency of a shark, one of the reasons he’d hired her.

“Sorry to disappoint you,” Garth told her as he waited for her to unlock her Mercedes. “They were polite and didn’t notify the press.”

Mary Jo wrinkled her nose. “Tell me someone hit you or threatened to hit you. Tell me they manhandled your cat when they brought you in. I need something to work with here.”

“I don’t have a cat,” Garth said.

“So few men do. Something I’ve never understood. Cats treat their owners with disdain and God knows your gender is constantly falling for women who treat them badly.” Mary Jo grinned. “Sorry. Ignore the rant. So you’re saying I can’t sue the Dallas Police Department?”

“I’m saying I can’t help you make your case.”

“Damn.”

She unlocked her car. Garth slid into the passenger seat.

He’d spent nearly six hours being questioned. Mary Jo had been present for all but the first thirty minutes. He’d been provided with coffee, sandwiches and plenty of breaks. It had been easy…too easy.

Deputy Dana Birch would be horrified if she found out, he thought, enjoying the thought of her screaming at some unsuspecting sergeant for not stringing Garth up by his thumbs and beating him with a pipe. If she had her way, he would be tortured into confessing all and then burned at the stake. Of course if she knew him, she would know torture wouldn’t get him to talk. Fortunately for him, Dana wasn’t in charge of the Texas criminal justice system.

“What about the deputy?” Mary Jo asked. “Deputy Birch. Can I go after her? What was she doing, bringing you in, anyway? She’s not a member of the Dallas PD. She’s from Titanville. There’s something going on there. Maybe I can get her suspended.”

“Leave Dana out of it,” he said as they left the parking garage.

Mary Jo glanced at him, eyebrows raised. “Dana? You know her?”

“We’ve met.”

“Tell me you’re not sleeping with her, Garth. Tell me this isn’t personal.”

He chuckled. It was personal, but not in the way his attorney meant. “We’re not involved or even friends. She’s…”

Dana was his half sisters’ friend. A deputy in the town where his mother lived. She was annoying, stubborn and determined to take him.

“She’s a friend of the family,” he said finally.

“I didn’t know you had family.”

“I’m more the type to have hatched?”

She sighed. “Fine. I won’t sue Deputy Birch. But tell her to stay out of my way. She’s trouble. I’ve had to deal with her in the past. I know the type. She’s honest and loyal. You know how annoying those two traits can be.”

He did. Once he’d believed in them. Lately though, he was more interested in results. An attitude that had cost him a lot but insured the win. And right now winning was all that mattered.

“I have the loan papers drawn up,” Mary Jo said. “Not to keep repeating myself, but you’re totally insane. Jed Titan is never going to accept the terms of the loan. Even if he does need the money, he won’t take it from you.”

“He won’t know it’s me.”

“He’ll suspect.”

“He won’t have a choice. I’m continuing to buy up his company. The shareholders are getting nervous. They know I’m interested, but they don’t know my end game, which is how I want it. Jed has had a lot of bad press lately. The possible treason charges alone cost his shareholders a lot of money as the price dipped.”

Mary Jo glanced at him, then returned her attention to the road. “I find it interesting that the price of Jed’s stock dropped right when you wanted to buy it.”

“Funny how it all worked that way.”

“Tell me you haven’t broken the law.”

“I have in no way violated Securities and Exchange Commissions guidelines or rules.”

“Keep it in the gray area,” his attorney advised.

He’d stepped far beyond that, but not in a way that could be traced to him. Most of his attacks on the Titan family had been more subtle. It kept things interesting.

“What happens now?” Mary Jo asked. “Or don’t I want to know?”

“I go to work and start my day.”

She glanced at him again. “You’re not going to tell me what’s really going on, are you?”

“No.”

She didn’t need to know about his plan to destroy Jed Titan or the fact that Jed was his father. Eventually word would get out. He would be branded the Titan bastard, but by the time that happened, he would own Jed’s ass and everything else. He would have destroyed his father, taken possession of all the old man owned. He would have won.

She pulled up in front of his high-rise condo and parked. She looked at him. “You know you’re my favorite client.”

“I’m your only client.” Mary Jo worked for him exclusively. It had cost several million to get her away from her high-powered law firm, but she had been worth every penny.

“I don’t want to see you in jail,” she said. “You’re scaring me and you know I don’t scare easily.”

“There’s nothing to be scared of.”

She drew in a breath. “Dana’s tough. Tenacious, driven. She’s a lot like you. If she thinks she has something on you, she won’t stop until she gets you. She’s not someone to be taken lightly.”

“She sounds like a worthy adversary.”

“This isn’t a game, Garth,” Mary Jo told him.

He smiled and got out of her car. “Of course it is. Don’t worry—I always come out on top.”

DANA STUDIED THE BLUE fabric of her sofa, not that it interested her, but it seemed far easier to think about slipcovers than deal with the woman sitting across from her. But as the silence ticked on, she was forced to look at her friend.

“It didn’t go well,” Dana admitted, hating to say the words nearly as much as she hated failing. “I took him in and they questioned him for several hours.”

“And?” Izzy prompted anxiously.

“And they got nothing. He was friendly, cooperative and didn’t give up a thing.”

Izzy grinned. “Yes!”

Dana stared at her. “You know this is the man responsible for the explosion that nearly killed you.”

“He’s not,” Izzy insisted, leaning forward in her chair. “He didn’t do it, Dana. I know he didn’t do it.”

“How? Because he told you?”

“Partially. And because Nick believes him.”

Which was the problem, Dana thought, annoyed at the complication. Nick was one of the good guys. He also knew Garth better than anyone.

“I want more,” Dana said stubbornly.

“I want to trust him.”

“Wanting something doesn’t make it so.”

“Neither does denying it.”

“I’ll get him, I swear I will,” Dana grumbled. “I don’t know how, but I’ll come up with something.”

“If he’s guilty,” Izzy said, a warning in her voice, which annoyed Dana. “Only if he’s guilty.”

Izzy was the youngest of the Titan sisters. Lexi, the oldest, had gone through school with Dana, while Skye was a year older than Izzy. They had been raised in wealth and privilege, something Dana refused to hold against them. They were her family. They cared about her and she would do anything for them. Including taking down their half brother.

About nine months earlier, Lexi had encountered some financial difficulties with her day spa. After borrowing money to expand her business, the two-million-dollar note had been called, giving her only twenty-one days to come up with the amount owed. A few weeks later, Skye’s charitable foundation had been accused of money laundering. Their father had faced trouble, as well. His racehorses had tested positive for doping. Through the spring and summer, the situation had only gotten worse, ending with an explosion on the oil platform where Izzy worked. She’d been temporarily blinded by the blast.

The person behind all of it? An angry Garth Duncan.

Dana didn’t care if he went after Jed—the old man had been especially cruel to Garth—but the sisters were off-limits. Not that Garth saw it that way.

“I wish I could arrest him,” Dana said, knowing that putting handcuffs on Garth would make her one happy camper. “Or shoot him.”

“Hey.” Izzy glared at her. “You’re talking about my brother. I know he did a lot of bad stuff, but he swears he had nothing to do with the explosion and I believe him.”

It wasn’t Izzy’s fault, Dana told herself. Izzy had been raised isolated from the real world. She didn’t believe people could be truly bad. Although Dana’s gut kind of agreed with her, which only pissed her off more. She didn’t want shades of gray where Garth was concerned.

“You rich people do love to hang together,” Dana muttered.

“I’m not rich.”

“You will be as soon as your trust fund comes through.” She leaned back on the sofa and closed her eyes. “I’m surrounded by rich people. How did that happen?”

“You love us,” Izzy reminded her.

“True enough. You and your sisters are my best friends, which only goes to show what an incredibly understanding person I am.”

Izzy laughed. “So was Garth surprised to see you?”

Dana opened her eyes and straightened. Better to deal with Izzy than remember Garth naked and dripping. “He handled the situation well.”

Better than well. He’d been completely comfortable, not the least bit intimidated and almost…well, nearly…charming.

What was up with that? She didn’t find men charming, certainly not men like him. He was an annoying, egotistical, determined bastard who had hurt the people she loved. Not charming. Never charming.

There was a knock at her front door.

She jumped up, grateful for the interruption, and crossed the small room. After flipping both locks, she let Lexi and Skye into her condo.

“It’s actually cold out there,” Skye said as she slipped off a light jacket. “I’m so ready for winter.”

Dana grinned. “It’s sixty-five.”

Lexi rested her hand on her pregnancy bump. “Speaking as someone who is starting to swell professionally, I’m all for cooler weather.” She grabbed Dana’s arm. “Did you get him? Is he in jail, becoming Bubba’s love slave?”

“No. He was questioned and released.”

“Damn.”

“It’s fine,” Izzy said, standing and hugging both her sisters. “I promise. Look, you need to sit down. There’s something I have to tell you.”

Both Skye and Lexi turned to Dana. “What has she done now?” Skye asked.

Dana held up her hands. “This is not my party. I’m simply a neutral location. But you might want to take a deep breath. It’s going to be quite the ride.”

Lexi and Skye exchanged wary looks before sitting on the sofa. Dana stayed by the door, thinking Izzy’s announcement was going to cause an amazing explosion. She wanted to be able to see everything.

Izzy shook her head, then fluffed her curly hair. “I have an announcement,” she began.

“We got that,” Lexi said, keeping a protective hand on her stomach. “What is it?”

“It’s about Garth. As you know, I talked to him right before Nick and I got back together. He took Nick’s side and responsibility for what had happened.”

“As he should have,” Skye snapped. “The man goes out of his way to destroy everything you two had worked toward. It just makes me so mad.”

“Excuse me.” Izzy shook her head. “I was talking. While I was with Garth, I had an epiphany. I realized that he’s our flesh and blood. Okay, I’ve known that for a while now, but they were just words. They didn’t mean anything.”

Lexi look at Dana. “Where is this going?”

“I am staying neutral here.”

Lexi turned back to Izzy. “What’s your point?”

Izzy smiled. “We’ve been trying to defeat him for months and it hasn’t worked. The strategy is totally flawed. We shouldn’t be fighting him. We should be protecting him from himself. That’s what I wanted to tell you both. Garth is our brother and it’s our job to bring him into the family. We’re going to save him.”

Skye and Lexi stared at their sister. They were both wide-eyed with shock. Their mouths fell open.

Dana folded her arms across her chest and shook her head. “Welcome to the show.”

CHAPTER TWO

“SAVE HIM?” LEXI SHRIEKED, coming to her feet and glaring at Izzy. “Are you insane? Are you still on some kind of medication from your eye surgery, because you’re talking crazy. We’re not saving him. He tried to kill you. You were nearly left blind. That’s not okay. That can never be okay. And he’s still bent on ruining all of us. Save Garth? From what? For what?”

“You need to stay calm and sit down,” Izzy told her sister. “Think of the baby.”

“You leave my baby out of this. If you were so concerned about my baby, you wouldn’t be worried about a man who is doing everything he can to make our lives hell.” Lexi pushed her blond hair off her face. “Dammit, Izzy, I expect better of you.”

Dana moved toward the sofa. If necessary, she would get between the sisters to make sure things didn’t get too ugly.

Izzy stiffened. “You can expect all you want. What matters is I talked to Garth. He’s family, Lexi. He’s as biologically related to us as we are to each other. He’s been hurt. Dad screwed him and you know it.”

“Fine. Jed was horrible to both Garth and his mother. But that doesn’t give him the right to come after us. We had nothing to do with it.”

“He’s not responsible for the oil rig exploding. I believe him and Nick believes him. Look, think of him like Darth Vader. He needs to be saved from himself.”

“You really think that using movie examples will help your case?” Lexi asked.

Dana glanced at Skye who was listening intently, but not saying anything. Izzy’s strategy was flawed. Skye was the more emotional of the sisters. If Izzy wanted the three of them to cooperate, she should have convinced Skye first. Then the two of them could have worked on Lexi.

“He’s our brother,” Izzy repeated stubbornly. “I saw something inside of him.”

“The ravages of a black and empty heart,” Lexi muttered.

“I saw who he was supposed to be.” Izzy leaned forward. “I saw flashes of the fourteen-year-old boy who begged his own father, a man who had never acknowledged him, for the money to save his mother from a brain tumor. Jed turned him away. Jed threw him into the street. Jed is the reason he wants revenge.”

“We all know this,” Skye said quietly.

“But the person he should have been is still there. Imagine what Garth would be like if his mother had never gotten sick. Imagine if we’d met him when we were ten or fifteen. If we’d grown up together. We would have been a family.”

“It’s too late to go back,” Lexi said flatly.

“But it’s not too late to go forward. If you exclude the explosion, then he hasn’t really hurt us.”

“Not for lack of trying.”

“He wanted me to get together with Nick,” Izzy said.

“He’s the reason you broke up in the first place,” Lexi reminded her.

“Agreed, but he realized he was wrong. He came to me and pleaded Nick’s case. Nick didn’t know he was doing that. Garth had no reason to help us, but he did. He’s not all bad.”

Lexi and Skye looked at each other. Izzy saw the exchange and pounced.

“Why would he do that and lie about the explosion? He admitted to everything else.” Izzy glanced at Dana. “Not in a way that can be used in court.”

“I figured that.”

Lexi sighed and turned to Dana. “You didn’t try to talk her out of it?”

“I tried,” Dana told her. “But she’s very much her own person. Which is mostly your fault. She’s your baby sister. You should have repressed her more as a child. But no. You had to nurture her. This is what you get as a thank-you.”

“Very funny,” Lexi said. “Do you have anything serious to add?”

Dana glanced at all of them. “Izzy’s not an idiot and she has good instincts about people. Do I think she’s right? I don’t know. Am I willing to say she’s totally and completely wrong?” She hesitated. “No.”

Izzy grinned. “See. Dana believes me.”

“That’s not what I said,” Dana told her.

“Close enough.” Izzy smiled at her sisters. “We’ve got big-time pressure here. I want Garth in the family fold by Christmas. Then we can all celebrate together.”

“I’m sorry I’m going to miss that,” Dana said, almost meaning it. Talk about an uncomfortable day.

“You won’t,” Izzy told her, grinning.

“You’re the one he tried to kill,” Skye said, speaking for the first time. “You’re totally sure he wasn’t responsible?”

Izzy’s smile faded. She leaned forward and stared into Skye’s eyes. “I swear. I believe him. He’s not innocent in this. But he had his reasons for acting against us and he’s our brother. I know down to my soul that bringing him into the family is the only way to stop all this. To make it better.”

“Jed will never accept him,” Skye said.

“This isn’t about Jed, it’s about us. Jed has proven again and again that none of us matter to him. But that’s okay because we have each other. And now we have Garth.”

Skye was quiet for a moment, then nodded slowly. “Okay.”

Izzy jumped to her feet. “I knew you’d understand.”

“Maybe she does, but I don’t,” Lexi said. “Even if I accept he didn’t try to kill you, which I don’t, big deal. What about everything else? He still has a lot to answer for.”

Skye nodded. “Lexi’s right. We have to be sure. We all have to be sure this isn’t a trick. That he hasn’t come up with a new strategy. Maybe he wasn’t responsible for the explosion. Maybe that was just bad timing or something. But there are other questions that still have to be answered.”

Dana cleared her throat. “Technically this isn’t Garth’s strategy. It’s Izzy’s. I don’t think he wants to be drawn into the family.”

“Which will make the process even more unpleasant,” Lexi murmured.

“We have to do this,” Izzy said stubbornly. “We have to save him.”

“If he’s worth saving,” Skye said. “How do we know for sure?”

There was a moment of silence as the women looked at each other. Suddenly Izzy grinned.

“Piss him off,” she announced happily. “If I’m right and there’s a nice guy just waiting to get out, he may be annoyed but he won’t act out. If he’s as horrible as you three think, he’ll show his true colors. Stress brings out a person’s real character.”

“She’s right,” Skye said slowly. “If we can get in his face, we’ll figure him out pretty quickly.”

“We need to provoke him in an obvious way,” Dana said, moving toward them, liking the idea of annoying Garth.

Skye smiled. “What about if one of us shadows him? Two birds with one stone—either we catch him being evil to someone else or he reacts to our personal surveillance.”

Lexi nodded. “If he’s everything Izzy claims, he’ll understand. If not, maybe he’ll get mad and show us what’s underneath that tough facade. It’s a win-win. I like it.”

“I don’t,” Izzy said, “but I see the point of it. So which one of us should it be?”

Dana thought about everything that had happened in the past few months, how scared her friends had been and about Garth’s ruthless actions. She thought about how Jed had ignored his own daughters, virtually leaving them on their own to handle a situation he’d created. She thought of how much each of the Titan sisters meant to her.

“I’ll do it,” she said, looking at them. “I’ll take a leave of absence and stay on Garth full-time.”

“You can’t,” Skye said.

“Sure I can. I won’t have a problem getting the time. You need an objective third party, but also someone who knows what to look for. That’s me.”

“You have to let us pay you,” Lexi said. “You won’t have a paycheck.”

“Not on your life.”

Skye stood and faced her. She was a green-eyed redhead with a temper. It took her a while to get riled, but when it happened, it was impressive.

“Friends don’t let friends work for free,” Skye told her. “Either we pay you or we find someone else.”

“It’s not like they’ll miss the money,” Izzy pointed out. “They’re rich.”

“When you get your trust fund, you’re kicking in your share,” Skye told her.

Dana didn’t want to take their money, but she also didn’t want to trust anyone else with the investigation. There was too much on the line.

“Okay. But no more than my usual pay at the sheriff’s office.”

“Done,” Lexi said, leveraging herself into a standing position. “You’ll stay on Garth and find out everything you can. If he’s becoming one of the good guys, then we’ll all hold hands and sing ‘Kumbaya.’ If not, you get the pleasure of throwing his ass in jail.”

Dana smiled. “I’d like that.”

Izzy put her hands on her hips. “You be nice to him.”

“I won’t leave any scars,” she promised instead.

“No bruises, either.”

Dana sighed. “No one lets me have any fun.”

GARTH’S PHONE BUZZED.

“There are two ladies here to see you,” his assistant said through the speakerphone. “They don’t have appointments, but said that you, and I quote, ‘wouldn’t mind taking time from your busy schedule to be with loved ones.’”

He only knew one person who talked like that. “Izzy and one of her sisters?”

“Ms. Skye Titan, sir.”

“Send them in.”

He rose and walked around his desk. Why would Skye and Izzy come to see him? Not to gloat. His time with the Dallas Police Department had hardly been a victory.

Seconds later Izzy breezed into his office. Her long, dark curly hair tumbled past her shoulders. She smiled as if they shared a delicious secret. Skye trailed behind her, looking less convinced this was where she wanted to be.

“An unexpected pleasure,” he said, motioning to the sofas by the window. “Can I get you ladies anything?”

“No, thanks. We’re here to talk,” Izzy said as she plopped down on a sofa cushion. “Lexi had other obligations. That’s what I’m supposed to say. Reality is, she’s still not sure about you. I said you were fine, but only Skye really believes me.”

He turned his attention to the curvy redhead in a tailored suit and pearls who had taken a seat near her sister. “You’re sure about me?”

Cool, green eyes stared into his. “I said I was willing to consider you weren’t completely evil. There’s a difference.”

“I agree.” He turned his attention back to Izzy. “What are we talking about?”

“You. Saving you from yourself.” She frowned. “You don’t remember? We discussed this before.”

Izzy had said some sentimental things about him being her brother and the sisters being his family—a fact that didn’t change anything. He’d dismissed her comments as the babblings of a broken heart.

“You were upset about Nick,” he said.

“Oh, please. That didn’t affect my brain.” She settled into a more comfortable position and patted the cushion next to hers. “Come on. Join the party. As I said the other day, you’re family. This path of destruction you’re on is just plain stupid. So we’re going to save you.”

“Against my will?”

“If necessary.” She smiled. “We can be very persuasive.”

“Izzy wants you to join the family,” Skye said.

“By Christmas,” Izzy added.

He remembered her saying something like that before. “Thanks, but no.”

“You don’t get a choice.”

“Part of saving me against my will?”

“Uh-huh. Come on, Garth. We’re your sisters. Didn’t you ever wish you had someone to braid your hair?”

“I’ll pass.”

“Ignore him,” Izzy told her sister. “He’ll come around.”

“And if he doesn’t want to come around?” Skye asked. “This is not a well-thought-out plan.”

“When has that stopped me before?”

Garth couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so uncomfortable in the presence of two women. Just as strange, he couldn’t define the cause of his unease.

He forced himself to walk closer and take a seat.

Skye turned to him. “While Izzy can be wild and impetuous, she’s actually a fairly good judge of character. She says you’re worth it.”

“I’m not,” he told her, knowing that the further the conversation went, the harder it would be to ruthlessly take over the Titan world.

Skye studied him, staring intently, as if she tried hard enough, she could read his mind.

“I understand why you went after Jed,” she said after a few seconds. “What he did was horrific. I’m ashamed of his behavior and I apologize on his behalf. Not that my apology has any validity.”

“None at all,” he said easily.

“Fair enough. But why us? What did we do to deserve your contempt?”

He didn’t like the word contempt. It implied emotion, not rationality. “You were easy targets,” he said. “If I hurt you, I hurt Jed.”

“By now you must be aware that Jed doesn’t give a damn about any of us. He’s not much of a father.”

She said the words easily, but he heard the tight pain in her voice. She might have accepted the truth about her father, but it still had the power to wound.

Garth shrugged. “If it distracts him, that’s enough for me.”

“No, it’s not,” Izzy said. “Come on. You didn’t mean for it to get this messy. That’s not your style.”

Her assessment annoyed him—probably because it was true. “You don’t know my style.”

“I can guess. You want a clean victory,” Izzy told him. “When you started this, you thought we were one happy family. Cut one and we all bleed. You thought you could weaken Jed by going after those he loved most. Which was quite the miscalculation, big brother. Feeling a little foolish now, are we?”

“No.” Foolish didn’t exactly explain what emotions he’d experienced.

The ruthless side of him said that he should tell them the truth. That their father had come to him, offering him the chance to run Titan World on the condition that all three of Jed’s daughters never get a penny.

But he didn’t say the words. There was no reason to hurt them further. Jed would do that well enough without any help.

“We’re not your enemy,” Skye said. “We don’t want anything from you.” She glanced at Izzy, who was shaking her head, then sighed. “Izzy wants you to be part of the family, but that’s different. We’re not after power or money. We just want to live our lives in peace. Is it that you can’t believe that, or you’re in too deep to back off now?”

Before he could answer, Izzy moved from her sofa to his and sat next to him. She angled toward him and touched his arm.

“We’re sorry about your mom. I don’t understand how Jed could be so callous and cruel—which I guess are the same thing. Or maybe I do understand and it scares me. He’s my father, too. Why does he have to be so bad?”

Garth didn’t want to think about his mother or what had happened to her. He drew back. “This isn’t going to work. I’ve made my decision. I know what I want and I’m going to get it.”

Izzy only smiled. “You can’t. We’re your family. Not Jed. He deserves what he’s going to get, but not us. You know we’re innocent. You know we don’t deserve what you’re doing to us. Every time you act against one of us, you’re becoming more and more like Jed, and that’s not who you are.”

He felt the truth of her statements but didn’t say anything.

“You’re pressuring him, Izzy,” Skye said. “You have to stop. Enough with the emotional blackmail. Let’s deal with facts. If you didn’t arrange the explosion on the oil rig, who did? Or was it an accident?”

Garth appreciated the change in topic. “The preliminary reports all suggest a man-made cause. Someone did it on purpose.”

“If not you, then who?” Skye asked.

“I’m working on that.”

“Why do you care?” Izzy asked.

“I’ll take responsibility for what I did, nothing else.”

“With all you’ve been doing,” Skye said, “you’re a likely suspect.”

He nodded. “I know, but it wasn’t me. Explosions are too dangerous. There’s no way to control all the outcomes. I always know the end game.”

“I don’t suppose you’d take a lie detector test,” Skye said.

He chuckled. “No.” Although he would be open to intense questioning by Deputy Dana, he thought humorously. She intrigued him with her determination and irreverence.

“When you find out who was responsible, will you tell us?” Skye asked.

“Be careful what you ask for. You may not like the answer.”

She frowned. “Do you already know?”

“I suspect. There’s a difference.”

Skye looked stricken, as if she had thought of something impossible to believe. “Will you tell us?” she asked again softly.

“Yes.”

“Just like that?”

“I’ll tell you,” he said firmly.

She stood. “Then I guess we’ll wait to hear.”

He and Izzy rose.

Izzy looked at him. “About the family thing. I’m not kidding. You’re one of us now. Quit being mean.”

Then, before he could stop her, she wrapped both her arms around him, leaning against him. The embrace was uncomfortable and unfamiliar. He was used to having women in his arms, but this was different.

She released him, then stared into his eyes. Her mouth curved into a slight smile.

“Next time you’re going to hug me back,” she whispered. “You need us, Garth. And we need you.” Then she raised herself on her toes and kissed his cheek. “It’s going to be okay.”

As if she wanted to reassure him. But this was his game and he was winning. Didn’t they get that?

Skye eyed him. “I’m not comfortable with the whole embracing thing just yet.”

“Not a problem.”

“I hope Izzy’s right. I hope you are worth saving. We’re about to find out.” She smiled. “You may not like the process.”

The women left.

He stared after them, wanting to call them back and say he wasn’t worth saving. That they were ridiculous to waste their effort this way. At the same time, he had the strangest feeling that they had just won this round and that the unexpected victory had put him behind.

IT WAS NEARLY NINE that night when Garth rode the elevator from his condo building’s parking garage. He was tired, not surprising after a nearly fifteen-hour day, but his weariness seemed to be deeper than usual. He’d brought home a briefcase full of work he had no intention of looking at and he was oddly reluctant to spend the evening by himself.

If he had to define his mood—something he rarely bothered doing—he would say he was lonely.

It wasn’t as if he usually spent evenings playing poker with the guys, but lately the emptiness seemed more profound. Maybe it was because he’d lost his best friend. Or maybe all he needed was a drink and some TV time in front of a football game.

When the elevator stopped on the main floor, he got out and crossed to pick up his mail. On his way to the bank of locked boxes, he saw someone sitting in one of the overstuffed sofas. A familiar someone, watching him.

Dana Birch stood. “You’re keeping late hours.”

She wasn’t in uniform. Instead she wore jeans, a leather jacket and boots. Nothing stylish or upscale, yet the no-nonsense clothes suited her.

Garth swung his attention to George, the evening doorman for the building. The older man shifted uncomfortably.

“You, ah, have a visitor, Mr. Duncan.”

“So I see.”

Dana moved toward him. “Don’t blame George. His nephew is a new recruit in the Titanville sheriff’s office. I’ve helped him out a couple of times. George owes me.”

“Does he?”

Garth got his mail and tucked it under his arm. He had his briefcase in one hand and a bag of Chinese takeout in the other. “Why are you here?”

“Because you are.”

Not that he minded—Garth wasn’t intimidated by a powerful woman. In fact, he found the challenge appealing. There was something about Dana’s mouth, though. The fullness of the bottom lip, the slight curve at the corners. It spoke of sensuality and promise. Or maybe that was wishful thinking on his part.

“Starting a fan club?” he asked.

“Not exactly. I’ve taken a leave of absence from work so I can follow you. I’ll be on your ass until I figure out who and what you are.”

“You already know who I am.”

“Not really. Izzy thinks you’re brother material. Skye and Lexi aren’t so sure.”

An unexpected twist. “You’re the deciding vote?”

She smiled. “I’m here to test your character. Think of me as a trial by fire.”

He would give the Titan sisters points for creativity. “You don’t scare me, Dana.”

“Give it time.”

He chuckled and held up the bag of takeout. “You hungry? I have enough for two.”

“Lucky me.”

“Is that a yes?”

She paused for a second, before grabbing the bag. “Sure. Why not?”

They walked toward the elevator.

As they passed the main desk, George gave him a thumbs-up. Garth bit back a laugh. Given the fact that Dana was both prickly and determined to see the worst in him, the odds of him getting lucky that night seemed close to zero. But he was a man who enjoyed a good challenge.

CHAPTER THREE

THEY RODE THE ELEVATOR in silence. Dana hadn’t realized she was hungry until she inhaled the scent of the takeout and her stomach growled. Just as disconcerting was her awareness of the man standing next to her. Garth hadn’t bothered to look even slightly concerned about her showing up for the second time in two days. Why couldn’t he at least pretend to be nervous?

They exited on the top floor and she followed him to his penthouse. He unlocked the door, then waited for her to go first.

She walked into the dark space. Seconds later Garth flipped on lights.

Yesterday morning she’d been more interested in the man than his home and hadn’t noticed much beyond the open floor plan and killer view. Now she ignored the display of city lights and instead concentrated on the surroundings.

The condo had been built in a loft style, with a huge open room. The living area was in front, a dining area to the right. A half wall separated a restaurant-sized kitchen with sleek cabinets and gleaming granite from the rest of the room. The furniture was large, the colors subdued and masculine, the carpeting plush. The space looked expensive and comfortable, a rare combination.

“You had a good decorator,” she said.

Garth tossed his leather briefcase and mail onto a table by the door and shrugged out of his suit jacket. “Thanks. He did a nice job.”

“Not a woman? Color me surprised.”

“I appreciate talent in either gender.”

“Aren’t you Mr. Open-minded?”

He came up beside her and pointed to the large, wood dining room table. “Shall we?”

She walked to the table and set down the bag. He crossed to a built-in wine cellar tucked in the wet bar between the dining and living rooms.

“Wine?” he asked. “Or are you on duty?”

“Wine is fine.”

He returned with two glasses and a bottle of red. Dana didn’t recognize the label, which wasn’t a huge surprise. She was more of a beer drinker.

“Plates are in the kitchen,” he said, walking to a buffet, opening a drawer and pulling out a corkscrew.

She walked into the big kitchen and hit the lights. There was counter space for twenty, double sinks, double ovens and a warming drawer.

“Your caterer must love working here. All you need are minions.”

“I have minions. It’s their night off.”

She turned away so he couldn’t see her smile, then opened cupboards until she found plates. The flatware was in the drawer below. After grabbing a couple of paper towels for napkins, she returned to the dining room.

He’d put the now-full wineglasses at one end of the table, across from each other. While she set out the plates, he put containers of Chinese food in front of them.

“It’s a historic occasion,” he said as they sat. “Did you want to say a few words?”

“None would be fit for polite society.”

He winked. “I’m not that polite.”

“True.”

He offered her what looked like kung pao chicken. “You’re serious about the leave of absence?”

She scooped the spicy chicken onto her plate. “Absolutely. My new job is you. I know that makes your heart all quivery.”

Instead of serving himself, he rolled up the sleeves of his white shirt and took a sip of wine.

“I wouldn’t describe any part of me as quivery, but I am curious as to your plan.”

“I told you. Watch, follow, catch you being bad.”

He gave her a slow, sexy smile. “There will be so many opportunities.”

“You think you’re all that, don’t you?”

“I know I am.”

The man had balls, Dana thought as she reached for the egg rolls. Really big ones. And an ego the size of the Titanic. Both of which could work in her favor. If he didn’t think she was a threat, he would be careless. And that’s when she would see the real Garth Duncan.

He served himself from the containers. The overhead lights flattered his dark good looks and his easygoing personality made him an appealing dinner companion. He must have women lining up five deep to get a shot at him and his fortune. Fortunately, she was immune. She could certainly appreciate what she saw, but she wasn’t interested. He wasn’t her type.

“You must be disappointed,” he said. “My interview with the Dallas Police Department didn’t include questionable practices. They were polite and didn’t once beat me with a pipe.”

“Another hope crushed. I’ll get over it. There’s always tomorrow.” She sipped her wine. It was a smooth red that would probably be described as saucy or impatient or something else equally stupid. She just thought it was good.

“Izzy and Skye came to see me today,” he said. “Izzy’s determined to save me from myself.”

“She has more heart than sense.”

“Not a fault you share?”

“I’m heartless,” she said cheerfully.

“Then we have that in common.”

“Lucky us. You might have snowed Izzy, but the rest of the sisters won’t be so easy.”

“I wasn’t trying to snow anyone. Izzy’s decided this on her own.” He leaned toward her. “How do you play into all this? If Izzy’s convinced I’m to be brought into the arms of the family, why are you so determined to throw me in jail?”

“I’ve always liked sports. Besides, Izzy hasn’t convinced me or Lexi that you’re interested in changing your plan. The theory is if you’re really who Izzy thinks, you’ll understand my need to protect my friends. If you’re not, you deserve what you get.”

“You’re not a big believer in gray area, are you?”

“No. I’m not. And neither are you.”

He raised his glass to her. “Be careful, Deputy Dana. If we have much more in common, we’ll have to be friends, and neither of us would be happy with that news.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll never like you.”

He smiled. “Is that a promise?”

“Sure.”

“Good. A challenge. And here I thought it was going to be a dull evening. My mistake.”

There was something in his eyes. Something predatory that made her want to squirm in her seat. She had to remember Garth was just a guy. He put his pants on one leg at a time.

“You expect to get away with things because of your position and your wealth,” she said. “That won’t work with me.”

“Are you saying you’ve never used the fact that you’re a deputy to get out of a ticket?”

“That’s different.”

“No, it’s not. Everyone likes to feel powerful and to feel that they have a certain amount of control in life. The need to be unique and recognized lives in all of us.”

She reached for her wine. “Don’t tell me you’re going to be insightful about the lives of ordinary people.”

“I’m ordinary.”

She rolled her eyes.

He shrugged. “I was. I’ve been there.”

“Remind your cell mate of that when you’re in prison.”

He smiled. “That’s not going to happen and you know it. I’ve done nothing wrong. Not legally.”

“If we exclude the explosion, you’re still guilty of plenty. You’ve started rumors to drive down stock prices, including telling some reporter that executives at Titan World were stealing.”

He passed her a shrimp-and-vegetable dish that smelled delicious.

“How do you know they weren’t?” he asked. “Your assumption is I’ve created the situation from thin air. What if it was there all the time?”

Something she didn’t want to think about. Jed might be a mean old bastard who didn’t give a rat about his daughters, but she’d never thought of him as a crook.

“You’re saying he did export illegal weapons to terrorists?”

“I’m saying you should check out the possibility before you assume anything.”

From everything she knew about Garth, he didn’t bluff. “If you had proof, you’d take it to the Feds.”

“Maybe I’m collecting data. I do my homework, Dana. You should do yours.”

She pushed away her plate. She was here to make things better for her friends, not worse. If Jed was involved with all that Garth had accused him of, there was going to be one big mess to clean up.

“Let’s change the subject,” he said, pouring her more wine. “How’s your father? Florida is a great place, this time of year.”

If she’d been swallowing, she would have choked.

How much did he know about her? And there were variations on the question—who had told him and why? How had he known to go digging? And was he just playing the odds or did he have actual information?

“I wouldn’t know,” she said coolly. “We don’t keep in touch.”

“I’m not surprised. You never confronted him. Some children do—go back as an adult. Face the devil, so to speak. You just wanted to put it all behind you.”

She didn’t know if he was asking or telling and she didn’t care. She could go the rest of her life without seeing her dad and be very happy. There had been too much one-on-one time when she’d been younger.

Her mother had died when Dana had been young—too young to remember her. Dana’s father hadn’t been all that interested in his baby daughter and a series of girlfriends had offered indifferent care. Later, when she’d been six or seven, she’d become a liability. The women who came and went didn’t like a “brat like her” hanging around. Annoyed with Dana for making trouble, her father had started hitting her.

Or maybe he’d just hit her because he liked it.

The beatings had dominated her young life. There were always bruises she had to hide, sprains she couldn’t explain. Maybe her teachers had known, maybe they’d simply looked the other way, but no one ever asked questions.

He’d left one day, without saying a word. She’d been sixteen and so grateful, she hadn’t told anyone. She’d practically moved in with Lexi and her sisters who might have suspected the truth but had never discussed it.

Eventually she heard the old man had settled in Florida. She’d gone to college and never looked back. But how had Garth known?

“You did something with the fear,” he said. “I respect that.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

They stared at each other. There was no judgment in his eyes, nothing to make her uncomfortable, save the fact that he’d obviously uncovered her deepest, darkest secret. Which meant she had to learn his.

She remembered the scars on his body, scars he’d gotten while a prisoner, blindfolded constantly and tortured on a daily basis. Maybe Garth didn’t have any secrets. Maybe he wore the truth on his body every day.

“I would recommend revenge,” he said, “but you’re not the type.”

“I believe in that old Chinese saying. The one that says before you begin a journey of revenge, first dig two graves.”

“Not a problem. I’m sure there’s a Titan mausoleum somewhere.”

Jed had created this enemy, Dana thought, almost able to feel sorry for the old man. He had earned whatever happened to him.

After getting Kathy, Garth’s mother, pregnant, he’d set her up with enough money to take care of her and her baby. It beat marrying her, at least from Jed’s perspective.

Everything had been fine until Kathy developed a brain tumor. Aggressive treatment and surgery burned through her insurance and Jed’s money. Fourteen-year-old Garth had been desperate to save his mother and had gone to Jed to beg for enough to cover a last-chance surgery. Jed had refused and had thrown his bastard son out on the street.

That fourteen-year-old boy had grown up into the man sitting across from her. A man determined to exact painful vengeance. Garth had finally found a doctor willing to do the surgery for free, but by then it had been too late. While Kathy had survived, she’d been left mentally challenged. A friendly, simple woman who adored Garth but in no way realized she was his mother.

“What happens if you win?” Dana asked. “What do you want? The company? Your name on the letterhead? Are you going to run Titan World?”

“No. I’ll break it up and sell it off. When I’m done, nothing Jed worked for will exist anymore.”

“It’s not about the glory?”

“I was never in it for that. I want Jed to pay for what he did, nothing more. You should respect that. It’s all black and white. You like absolutes. It’s why you’re a cop.”

A lucky guess on his part, she told herself. He didn’t really know her that well.

“You’re breaking the law to get what you want,” she told him. “That makes it gray. And going after the sisters is pretty sad. Come on. They’re girls.”

He laughed. “Would you let them hear you say that? They think of themselves as powerful women.”

“They’re powerful in ways you can’t understand, but what you’re doing is wrong.” She eyed him over her glass. “And you know it.”

“Now you’re reading minds?”

“You claim to know me. Why can’t it work both ways?”

“Because I’ve been studying you. Can you say the same?”

“You’re not that interesting.”

“Now you’re lying. You find me very interesting.”

Was it hot in here or was it her? Dana put her wine back on the table and grabbed her fork. Only she wasn’t that hungry anymore and the sensations in her stomach had little to do with the food she’d eaten.

She knew he was playing her. He was good at it and she wasn’t. She didn’t do the game thing. She was direct, maybe too direct. In her personal relationships she said what she wanted. If the guy didn’t want to hear it, he was gone.

But being with Garth was anything but straightforward. Like a perpetual game of cat and mouse.

“Are you in for the night?” she asked as she came to her feet.

He stood. “Yes.”

“Then I’m going. I’ll be on your tail tomorrow, annoying you. You’re heading to the office at the usual time?”

“Yes.”

His dark eyes seemed to see more than they should. Talk about unnerving.

She reached in her jeans pocket for her keys and turned to leave.

“Or you could stay.”

Four little words. Four syllables. Taken apart, they meant almost nothing, but together…

Or you could stay.

Was he asking what she thought he was asking?

Stupid question.

It was a joke, she told herself quickly. It had to be a joke. He wanted her to say yes, so he could laugh at her. He wanted her to consider for even a second that he wanted her. Because men like him were never interested in women like her. It was one of life’s rules and didn’t bother her a bit.

She turned back and met his dark gaze, then raised her eyebrows. “I don’t think so. But thanks for asking.”

Nothing about his expression changed. “If you’re sure.”

Sure that she didn’t want to have sex with him? Oh, yeah. She was beyond sure. She had very specific rules and one of them said she was always in control. He would never allow that and she would never accept anything else.

There was also the issue of not being sure if he’d tried to blow up Izzy and knowing he was doing his best to ruin his sisters, which she probably should have thought of first, damn him.

“I’m sure,” she said.

“Another time, then.”

“Again, I don’t think so.”

He gave her a slow, sexy smile. One that spoke of confidence. It was the smile of a man who knew women.

“I do.”

He was trying to rattle her. He wanted her to react, to question herself, to engage. That so wasn’t going to happen.

She walked to the front door and let herself out without saying anything. But all the way down the elevator, through the lobby and out to her truck, she had the feeling that he was still with her. Not in a scary, stalker kind of way, but almost as if the essence of him lingered.

“He’s just a guy,” she muttered as she started the engine. “Nothing special.”

The good news was there was no one else around to point out it was very possible that she was lying.

GARTH HAD ARRANGED THE meeting for ten. At thirty seconds before the hour, Agnes buzzed to let him know Dana had arrived. Garth stood, interested in seeing her again. If he didn’t know better, he would say she’d been disconcerted the night before. Or maybe that was wishful thinking on his part. Dana was a strong woman—she wouldn’t let herself be vulnerable for any man. Not an unexpected reaction, considering her past.

She walked into his office, her head held high, the set of her shoulders determined. She wore a plain blue shirt tucked into jeans, and boots.

“No uniform?” he asked by way of greeting.

“I wasn’t kidding about taking a leave of absence.”

She didn’t wear makeup or earrings or anything remotely feminine. There was a toughness about her. A wariness. He wondered if she knew her determination to never show a soft side only made him more aware that there was something she was trying to hide.

She was the kind of woman who gave as good as she got. Which made him think about her naked. Not just because he was intrigued by the concealed curves, but because she would expect to take charge. It would be a battle of wills…which was the kind of battle he most enjoyed.

“I hope the Titan sisters appreciate all you’re doing for them,” he said, leading her to the sofas by the corner of the large office.

“We look out for each other. That’s what friends do. Not that you would know anything about that.”

“Speaking of which…” He glanced at his watch. “Nick should be here soon.”

Something flashed in her brown eyes and was gone before he could read it. “Nick’s not coming. Izzy called me while I was driving over. Something came up.”

Garth knew nothing showed on his face. He was a master at keeping his thoughts to himself, so she couldn’t know he was disappointed. Nick had every reason to be pissed as hell at him, but Garth had hoped to lure his former friend to his office with news about Izzy. He’d thought they would have a chance to talk. Apparently Nick wasn’t ready to move on.

Garth knew he only had himself to blame. He’d crossed the line and betrayed a friend. He might regret what he’d done, but he couldn’t change what had happened.

“Then it’s just the two of us,” he said, motioning to one of the sofas.

Dana sat down. He settled next to her and reached for the folder on the glass coffee table.

“I’ve been investigating the explosion on the oil rig,” he said, passing Dana the latest report from his private investigator. “I don’t have proof yet, but I suspect that Jed is at the heart of this. The guy who set the explosion is Cuban—a known expert. Currently he’s working out of Mexico. My people are tracing the payments. He didn’t use a Swiss bank, so that’s in our favor. We should be able to get information on who paid, but it’s taking time.”

Dana stared at him. “Meaning you couldn’t hack into a Swiss bank, but you can get into a different one? Can you give me the name so I don’t put my money there?”

“We don’t hack in,” he told her. “We get information.”

“A subtle difference.”

“Life is nuance.”

“Thanks for the tip, but you’re not the Zen master and I’m not your little grasshopper.”

He stared at her, noting the flecks of gold in her irises. “Someone didn’t get her coffee this morning. Should I order some?”

“I’m not an idiot.”

“Since when does coffee imply stupid?”

She glared at him. “You know what I mean.”

“I haven’t got a clue.”

The muscles in her jaw tensed. He’d annoyed her, which was fun on many levels.

“You take yourself too seriously,” he told her.

“You’re getting on my last nerve. I’m armed. Don’t mess with me.”

The thought of her with a gun didn’t bother him in the least.

“We could wrestle for it,” he suggested.

For a second he thought she was going to actually spit in rage. Instead she drew in a breath and picked up the folder.

“Is there anything else?” she asked, her voice tight with suppressed annoyance.

“Yes.” He tapped the second folder. “Some interesting information on Jed. A friend of his does work for the government. Mostly experimental military weapons. Some of the prototypes go missing for months at a time, then they reappear in inventory. Coincidentally, a few months after that, a dozen or so exactly like the prototype appear on the black market, usually in the Middle East. I haven’t connected all the dots, but so far everything leads to Jed.”

Dana’s bravado faded, as did her color. Her eyes widened. “That’s not possible. You’re saying he really is guilty of treason.”

“I’m saying there’s a possibility it’s real. When I have what I need, I’ll turn it over to the Feds.”

Dana still looked stunned. “I’ve known Jed all my life. I can’t believe this. I’ll accept he’s a bastard and treats his daughters like crap, but this is on a totally different level. It’s beyond wrong. Why would he sell out his country?”

Garth no longer cared about why Jed did anything. He simply wanted the old man ruined in every way possible. Having Jed make it easy almost took away from the sweet taste of victory, but it was a disappointment Garth would live with.

“I want to take this to Lexi,” Dana said.

“Those are your copies.”

She picked up the second folder, but didn’t open it. “You shouldn’t have gone after your sisters. They weren’t a part of any of this.”

“A Titan is a Titan,” he told her. It was how he’d started the game—believing they were all the same. Now he wasn’t so sure. Not that he would tell her that.

“You’re a Titan.”

“Only technically. Besides, they’ll be fine. They have you to protect them.”

She raised her chin, as if facing a challenge. “I’m more than ready to take you down.”

“So you keep telling me. Talk is cheap.”

Annoyance tightened her face and he knew she was searching for some scathing comeback. Or something heavy to throw at him.

Dana took her responsibilities very seriously. She would worry about her friends and do anything in her power to protect them. But who looked after her?

She would say she didn’t need protecting, that she was fine. But was it true? Or were there vulnerabilities she hid from the world?

“Is there anything else?” she asked.

“That’s all I have, unless you’d like to arm wrestle for dominance.”

She ignored that and stood. He rose and stepped beside her as she walked to the door. Instinctively, he put his hand on the small of her back, as if to guide her out of the office.

He hadn’t planned the touch. It was something a man did in the presence of a woman. A polite gesture, nothing more.

But as he felt the warmth of her skin through her shirt, it seemed like more. It seemed…intimate.

She glanced up at him, her brown eyes clouded with emotions he couldn’t read but could guess. Wariness. Maybe fear. Which made him want to tell her that everything was going to be all right. As if he could predict the outcome of any of this.

“I can make it to the door on my own,” she said, moving away. “But thanks for trying to help.”

“You’re prickly.”

“Part of my charm.”

Part of the way she protected herself.

He wanted to tell her that she could trust him—that he wasn’t her enemy. But that wasn’t true. He was exactly who she should be wary of—he was her worst nightmare. A man willing to do anything to win.

“Until tonight,” he said.

“It’s not a date. I’m there to watch you. My ultimate goal is to see you in jail for the rest of your life.”

He tapped the folders she held. “Maybe it was, but it’s not anymore. I’m not the bad guy and you know it. But you’re welcome to watch anytime you want.”

Her jaw clenched and then she was gone. Garth smiled as he returned to his desk. Dana made things interesting and he liked that in a woman.

DANA PACED IN LEXI’S office. The fountain and the spa music in the background were supposed to be soothing. Instead it made her want to climb the walls. Or shoot something.

After she was done here, she would go work out for a couple of hours. Maybe take out her frustrations on a punching bag.

Lexi glanced up from the folders. Her normally pale skin had gone white, her eyes were wide.

“Did you read this?” she asked.

Dana nodded. “Scary stuff.”

“I can’t believe it, but even as I say that, there’s a part of me that isn’t surprised. Jed’s ruthless. He’s always been that way. He pretties it up when he has to, but it’s there. Still, he could have killed his own daughter. Did he even care that Izzy was on the oil rig? What about the other lives? But hey, winning is all that matters, right?” Her voice rose as she spoke, her tone got more shrill.

Dana moved to the desk and looked at her. “Deep breaths. Baby on board and all that. Try to stay calm.”

Lexi nodded and exhaled slowly. “I know. I’ll be okay. I’m just in shock. Jed doing all this. Treason.” She sighed. “I need to think about this. We need a plan. The next step. I’m going to need a little time.”

Dana settled across from her desk. “Take all the time you need. You have a lot going on.”

Lexi leaned back in her chair. “I’m having a baby. Women do it every day.”

“I don’t care about them, I care about you. You’re my friend.”

“Thank you. I’m doing okay. This is a stunner, but I’ll get through it. We’re working together and that makes me feel better.”

Dana eyed Lexi’s growing belly. “Just remember what’s important. We can go after Jed anytime.”

“We’re not stopping because I’m pregnant. I’m taking excellent care of myself and Cruz practically hovers.”

“Skye mentioned something about a baby shower.” Dana managed to get the sentence out without shuddering. She wasn’t really a baby-wedding shower kind of person. What was up with the strange games? And why did the food have to be cute?

Lexi grinned. “You’ll be there, honey, if we have to drag you. Don’t think you’re getting out of it.”

“Oh, joy.”

“It could be worse.”

“How?”

“There could be balloon animals.”

“I happen to like balloon animals.”

Lexi laughed. “It won’t be too horrible, I promise. No color-coordinated mints.”

“Is Skye planning the shower?” Skye might run a nonprofit foundation but she was also an expert party planner. Her system of organization rivaled any battle plan the Pentagon put out.

“Yes. Okay. You’re right. The mints might match. But it will still be fun.”

“If you define the word very loosely.”

“Poor Dana,” Lexi teased. “My baby shower is only the start. Skye’s talking about getting married.”

“We all knew that was going to happen,” Dana grumbled. Skye was madly in love. No one would be surprised when she and Mitch set the date. “You’ll be next.”

“After the baby is born,” Lexi said. “I never planned to be unconventional, but here I am, having a baby and then getting married. I’m sure my mother is horrified. Cruz and I are talking about late spring. So you’ll have time to recover.”

Which she would need, Dana thought. “At least Izzy is more the type to simply run off some weekend and show up Monday with a wedding ring and a new last name. She was always my favorite.”

Lexi laughed again. “How you suffer for us all.”

“I know. That’s me. The suffering friend.”

“Maybe you’ll meet someone you want to marry.”

“No, thanks.”

“Not ever?”

“When pigs fly.”

The next words were spoken softly, hesitantly, as if Lexi were treading carefully. “Not all men are like your dad.”

She and her friend had never talked about what it had been like, but Dana also wasn’t surprised that Lexi had figured it out. What did startle her was having the subject brought up twice in two days.

“Garth knows about my father,” she said. “I don’t know if he put the pieces together and got lucky or if he’d spoken to someone.”

“You talked about it?”

“He did mostly. Last night. I think he was making a point—that he knew a whole lot more than I’d realized. I hate it when men are insightful. It upsets the balance of power.”

“What do you think of him?” Lexi asked. “A card-carrying member of the evil empire?”

Dana shook her head. “Nothing that simple. He’s so damn sure of himself. Confident he’s going to win. And just when I think he’s barely human, I remember those scars.”

Izzy had told them both about Nick and Garth’s time in the jungle. Lexi could only imagine what the scars looked like, but Dana had seen them for herself.

“What does he think of Izzy’s plan to bring him into the family?” Lexi asked.

“It confuses him. Of course that’s just a guess on my part. We aren’t exactly sharing secrets.”

“Do you like him?”

Dana glanced at her. “I don’t hate him.”

“Izzy would say that’s progress.”

“It depends on how you look at the situation. I still don’t trust him. But he’s not the devil.”

There was more. He made her uneasy. His casual touch on her back had seared her down to her bones. She’d felt each of his fingers, the pressure of his palm. She’d wanted to move toward him.

Garth made her aware of her weaknesses and that terrified her.

“What happens now?” Lexi asked.

“I wait for him to make a mistake.”

“What if he’s no longer our enemy?”

“Then everything changes.”

CHAPTER FOUR

JED TITAN HAD KNOWN Brock Lyman since college. Nowadays they were both tall men with graying hair and a taste for the good life. They’d played football together and Brock had introduced Jed to his first wife. Something Jed never held against him. Now some thirty-plus years later, Brock was the chief financial officer at Titan World and the only person Jed was willing to trust.

Which didn’t mean he had to like what his friend said.

“He’s bought even more stock,” Brock said from his place across the conference table.

Jed and Brock were having their morning meeting. In the past, the time had been more about sports scores than any real business, but in the past few months, they’d been scrambling to manage what seemed like a new crisis every other week.

“Did he file with the SEC?” Jed asked, even though he already knew the answer. Damn Garth Duncan. He was always careful to follow the rules. Once he’d crossed the threshold of stock purchases, he’d done all the paperwork required. Just once Jed wanted him to make a mistake.

Brock nodded. “Filed on time and correctly. He’s up to fifteen percent ownership in Titan World. More in a few of the subsidiaries. So far we’ve been able to keep the news out of the media, but I don’t know how long that will go on. A few major stockholders have taken notice.”

Which was Garth’s plan, Jed thought, annoyed by how well he was being played.

By buying large blocks of stock and holding on to them, a case could be made that Garth was planning to take over the company. That made other stockholders nervous. SEC rules required public filings when a shareholder reached a certain amount of ownership, which Garth had done. He wasn’t hiding what he was doing, and that made Jed uncomfortable. He couldn’t go after someone who wasn’t breaking the law.

“If he wants to buy the company, why doesn’t he approach us?” Brock asked, obviously frustrated.

“It’s not his way. He’s waiting until the time is right.”

It was all a game and whoever had the most at the end won. Jed could almost be proud of Garth. After all, the man was his son. But things had gone too far. Garth had to be stopped.

“What about the investigation of the oil rig explosion?” Brock asked. “Why hasn’t Garth been arrested for his involvement in that?”

“I don’t know.” Jed couldn’t figure it out, either. Enough evidence had been planted to indict Garth. What had gone wrong? “He’s smart. Maybe smarter than we gave him credit for. We have to find his vulnerable spot. No target is off-limits.”

“First we have to find one,” Brock grumbled.

“We will. In the meantime, we have to buy back shares. He owns too much of the company.”

“There’s no money.”

“We’ll find it. Borrow it, whatever. I want to start buying back shares from anyone who will sell.”

“If word gets out,” Brock began, then shook his head. “No one can know, Jed. People will think the company’s in trouble and that’ll start a stampede of shareholders trying to sell. Any panic will drive down the price of stock.”

“Then we’ll keep it to ourselves.”

“We’ll need a bunch of cash. I don’t know where we’re going to get it. Unless you’re willing to start selling some of your assets.”

Something Jed had always refused in the past. There were dozens of choices but only a few worth tens of millions. His racehorse farm, the shipping company and Glory’s Gate, the family home.

It was all about winning. Defeating the upstart bastard who was trying to take him down.

“This is war,” Jed said at last. “Sacrifices have to be made. Start making discreet inquires about potential buyers. But remember, this isn’t a fire sale. I want top dollar.”

Brock stared at him for a long time. “It may not be enough.”

“Then we’ll figure out something else. I don’t care what it takes to beat Garth. I want him crushed and swept up with the trash.”

DANA DID HER BEST to sit quietly in the lobby of Garth’s condo. Usually she enjoyed a good stakeout. She found it relaxing. It gave her time to think. But today her brain was not her friend, not when it kept racing from subject to subject, the most annoying of which was the anticipation she felt at the thought of seeing Garth again.

She was actually worried about what she was wearing. She’d thought about changing her clothes. Worse, she’d gone home and put on mascara, which happened to be the only makeup she owned. Mascara. Like she was a sniveling teenaged girl nervous about a date.

This wasn’t a date—it was surveillance, dammit.

She shifted on the comfortable bench, thought about leaving, then tensed when the elevator doors slid open and Garth stepped into the foyer of his condo building to pick up his mail.

He looked good. The stubble on his jaw, the slightly loosened tie all suited him. There was a weariness in his eyes, as if it had been a long day. She felt a definite quiver low in her belly and did her best to ignore it. She wasn’t the type of woman to quiver for any man and if she pretended it wasn’t happening, eventually it would go away. At least that was the plan.

“Hope you like Italian,” he said, holding up two shopping bags.

He’d stopped for dinner. One part of her brain said it was no big deal. He wasn’t the kind of man to cook for himself and he’d known she would be here. The other part of her brain wanted to know if he’d bought dinner with her in mind. If he’d thought about what she might like. As if this were…

Nothing. It was nothing. He was nothing, they were nothing. That’s the way it was going to be.

She stood and walked toward him without saying anything. Garth collected his mail, then walked back to the elevator. She took the food from him and followed. George wished them a good night.

The elevator ride was silent. When they reached his floor, he pulled out his keys and they stepped into his condo. She collected plates while he chose a bottle of wine. She set the table, he flipped on a CD. Their actions were familiar, which should have been comfortable but instead made her nervous. It was only the second night. There was no way she could be comfortable around Garth.

Finally they sat across from each other. He poured the wine, then toasted her silently before taking a sip.

He watched her, as if assessing her. She felt the weight of the mascara on her lashes and wondered if he’d noticed. If he thought it was about him, which it was, but she would rather die than have him know. Which made her feel like a girl. Time to get the attention back on him.

“Where’s your girlfriend?” she asked. “I’ve been here two nights in a row. Aren’t I getting in the way of something?”

“If you’ve done your homework, you know there isn’t a girlfriend.”

“Just a string of willing beauties,” she said, remembering what she’d read. “You favor smart and pretty, but if you have to pick just one, you go with pretty. Typical and a little disappointing.”

He pulled out covered containers from the bags and passed her one. “Be careful, Dana. Do you really want to talk about our personal lives? I’m not the only one with a string of easy conquests. What about the men you date?”

Touché, she thought, refusing to apologize for her romantic choices. Maybe she did like men who weren’t especially powerful or challenging. Maybe she did find them just a little boring. But that was her business, not his.

“I gave the information to Lexi,” she said, to change the subject. “She wasn’t happy.”

“Neither is Jed, if that’s any help,” he said as he opened a carton of salad and passed it to her.

He’d brought lasagna and salad. The delicious scent made her stomach growl.

“I’ve been buying up stock,” he continued. “Large blocks of stock. It’s all legal.”

“Are you sure? You love the gray area.”

He smiled. “More than most, but not this time. I’ve filed the paperwork. The only thing I haven’t done is announce what’s going on. But word will get out and the other stockholders will get nervous.”

“Is that your plan?”

“Yes. I’m going to back Jed into a corner and force him to do something stupid.”

“He’s a dangerous man when cornered.”

“I’m dangerous all the time.”

“You forgot modest,” she said before taking a bite of the lasagna. It was so good, she nearly moaned.

“I don’t care what people think of me. I want to win.”

This wasn’t a moment she could have predicted—having dinner with Garth in his penthouse. She could see all the lights of Dallas glittering around them. The meal was excellent, the man more interesting than she could have imagined. If his dark eyes seemed to see too much, she would just have to learn to keep herself disguised.

“What happens if Jed starts to buy back stock himself?” she asked.

“To do that, he’ll need cash and right now he doesn’t have any.”

“Do I want to ask how you know that?”

“Not really.”

“Okay. So he’ll sell something to raise…” She got the big picture. “That’s what you want. Him selling off assets. Then you’ll buy them, one by one.”

“A Titan yard sale.”

She thought about Jed Titan’s holdings. Which would Garth covet most? The shipyards? The oil field? “You want Glory’s Gate,” she said. “It’s been in the family for generations.”

“I’m family.”

His sisters had grown up there. It was home to them. Well over a thousand acres of prime pasture and cattle. A huge house and all the prestige that went with owning it.

“Jed will never risk Glory’s Gate.”

“You may be right.”

Garth didn’t sound worried.

“You think he will?” she asked.

“It depends on how much he wants to win.”

“How much do you want to win?”

“You really want me to answer that?”

He didn’t have to. She knew. She could feel it. Garth would do anything to settle the score. Lethal and ruthless—a dangerous combination.

“I’m surprised all this talk doesn’t scare off your women,” she said. “Or do they like this side of you?”

“They don’t see it.”

“Because they can’t handle it? But it’s who you are.” She picked up her wineglass. “Is that the trick? Don’t let them inside?”

“Do your conquests see the real you?”

“We weren’t talking about me.”

“We are now.”

His gaze was predatory, his expression knowing. She shivered, then did her best to conceal it by shifting in her seat. She knew she could hold her own with him, as long as he didn’t touch her.

Something happened when she had felt his skin on hers, even through a protective layer of clothes. She didn’t like it and couldn’t explain it. Therefore the only logical solution was to avoid it. Not that Garth was begging for a little one-on-one time. But caution was always smart.

The CD ended. He got up and walked over to the player concealed in the buffet. He moved stiffly, as if his leg bothered him.

“Are you all right?” she asked before she could stop herself.

“Old war wound,” he said, putting in another CD.

Not exactly. She remembered the scars she’d seen and that both his legs had been broken while he’d been held hostage all those months.

“Did you have to have surgery on your legs after you and Nick escaped?”

“Some. The breaks had started to heal badly, so they re-broke my legs and set them.”

“What did they do for the knife wounds?”

“Treated the ones that were infected and left the others alone to heal.”

“A big price to pay for oil.”

“Nick would tell you it was the price we paid for being wrong.” He returned to the table and sat across from her. “Did Izzy tell you what happened?”

“Some,” she said. Izzy had told her pretty much everything but she wanted to hear Garth tell the story.

“We knew there was oil in the jungle, but it was nearly impossible to extract. That’s always the bitch of it. People think it’s hard to find, but it’s a whole lot harder to get it out of the ground. Nick had some ideas on new ways we could drill.”

“Did it involve raping and pillaging?”

Garth grinned. “Not my style. I prefer a nice, quiet seduction.”

Her throat seemed to close in a little. “Back to the story, please.”

“You’re the one who changed the subject.”

“I won’t do it again.”

For a second, she thought he might continue to challenge her. Instead he started talking.

“The land was owned by a guy named Francisco. He was the head of the village and while he told his people and family he would never negotiate with us, he really wanted the money. He had a fair idea of the value and pushed for every penny. Local legend said not to take the oil, but Francisco dismissed that as bull and cashed the check. We started work. A few weeks later, we realized we were poisoning the water. By then it was too late—three people had died.”

“Does that bother you?” she asked. Izzy had said Nick had been emotionally devastated by what had happened and blamed himself. Did Garth?

“I didn’t set out to kill them, if that’s what you mean. I’m sorry it happened. We made an honest mistake. Knowing what I know now…” he hesitated “…it would be different, but life isn’t that tidy. We don’t get a do-over.”

“Do you want a do-over with Nick?”

His gaze sharpened. “The question of the day.”

Garth had used his best friend to get to Izzy. Nick hadn’t known what was going on and when he figured out he was being played, he had been furious.

“You have to have regrets,” she said. “Nick was your best friend.”

“I made a tactical error.”

“Stop being such a guy,” she snapped. “It wasn’t an error. You set up Nick to hurt Izzy. Then you completely miscalculated the fact that they were falling in love with each other. You expected Nick to side with you instead of Izzy and when he didn’t, you got angry. You lost a friend. A good friend.”

“You don’t need me here to have this conversation,” he told her. “You’re doing fine all on your own.”

“More guy-speak. You lost Nick and now you’re sorry. Was it worth it?”

“What do you think?”

His expression was unreadable, but she could feel his pain as if it were her own. He was strong, powerful and dangerous. But he was also alone. He had no one. His mother was as much of a responsibility as a small child. He’d set himself on a course to destroy his father and alienate his sisters. It was a battle of one against the world.

A battle he could never win, because even in winning he would lose.

Oddly enough, that made her want to go to him. Part of her wanted to tell him that everything would be all right. Which made her stupid, or at the very least confused.

“I suppose you’ll ignore me if I tell you to apologize,” she said. “That saying you regret what happened might go a long way to healing things with Nick.”

“I might listen if you tell me naked.”

She rolled her eyes. “Do you really think a comment like that will distract me?”

“It’s worth a try.”

“You need a better game plan. I’m not your average bimbo.”

“I don’t date bimbos. Marly was a Rhodes Scholar.”

“Then what was she doing with you?”

“Use your imagination.”

“Doesn’t being on the defense all the time get exhausting?” she asked.

“I’ll answer that question when you do.”

Oh. Right. That was kind of her thing.

They looked at each other. He’d taken off his jacket when he’d first walked into the penthouse. Before dinner he’d rolled up the sleeves of his white dress shirt. Now he pulled off his tie and tossed it onto the table next to him.

The act was nothing. His fingers unfastened the knot at his throat, then he pulled the length of fabric free and threw it to the side. Yet the movement was unbelievably sexy and masculine. It made her think about undoing buttons and hands on bare skin. It made her want to squirm and reach and get lost in whatever magic Garth possessed. It made her want to be taken—an ironic longing considering she never allowed herself to lose control. To be taken, one had to surrender. Something she would never do.

“Dana?”

She blinked slowly. Time for another subject change. Dining with the man was not particularly restful.

“Izzy’s serious about her plan,” she said. “Whether you’re willing or not, she’s determined to have you in the family.”

“Let me guess. They’re going to love me into submission.”

“If that’s what it takes.”

“Is that what happened with you?”

“They’re my friends and my family. They have been for years. There are worse places to be.”

“I’m not a family kind of guy.”

“You don’t know that. You’ve been on your own since you were fourteen. Maybe you should give this a try.”

He poured her more wine. “Because you’re so concerned about my well-being?”

“Not really, but if you do start to think about them as your sisters, you’ll stop attacking them. And that’s what I want. You know they’re innocent in all this. Admit it. Move on.”

“They’re lucky to have you.”

“And I’m lucky to have them.”

And with those words once again came the reminder that Garth had no one. He faced his demons alone. Fate and Jed Titan had conspired against him, leaving him solitary and angry.

“I should go,” she said, pushing away from the table and standing.

She expected him to make a joke about her staying again, but he didn’t. Which was how she wanted things—at least that’s what she told herself.

He followed her to the front door, then shifted so he was between her and the handle. She found herself staring into his eyes.

He was taller than her, with broader shoulders and plenty of muscle. Intensely male. If she had to overpower him, she would need surprise on her side, and possibly a solid two-by-four.

“I, ah, thanks for dinner,” she murmured, feeling uncomfortable. This felt way too much like a date, which it wasn’t.

“You’re welcome. Tex-Mex next time?”

“Sure.”

She tried to inch around him, but he wasn’t moving. And she couldn’t seem to push him out of the way. Well, she could, of course, but it would be awkward, especially if he resisted. She should just say goodnight then stand there looking expectant. He would figure it out and move aside.

But as she opened her mouth to speak, he took a step toward her. Before she could move back, he reached up and lightly stroked the side of her face with the back of his fingers.

The unexpected contact glued her to the floor. She couldn’t run, couldn’t turn, couldn’t do anything but stand there feeling helpless and exposed. As if he had the power to control her.

She told herself he didn’t. He would never hurt her and should he try, she could nail him in the balls, draw her gun and change him from a stallion to a gelding in two seconds.

If she had to.

His dark eyes stared into hers. She had no idea what he saw there, but she hoped it wasn’t anything he could use against her. Despite his slow, gentle touch, she felt tense inside. What was he doing and why?

She told herself to step away, to push past him and get the hell out. But her body didn’t respond to the command and then he said the most extraordinary thing.

“Your mouth drives me crazy.”

She’d barely had time to absorb the words before he lowered his head and pressed his mouth against hers.

The good news was he stopped touching her face. The bad news was they were kissing.

The second she felt his lips on hers, it was as if someone had set the world on fire. There was heat and need and fiery sparks she could see even with her eyes closed. There was no contact anywhere else, which was fine with her. This was enough. Actually it was too much.

Her skin practically sizzled. She would swear she could hear music and feel the floor tilting. She wanted to throw her arms around him, pull him against her and shove her tongue in his mouth. She wanted to be naked, pressed up against the wall, being taken hard and fast until she screamed her surrender.

Dana reached out both hands, shoved him back and sucked in a breath. She’d never screamed in her life. She barely allowed herself to breathe hard. What the hell was going on?

Not that she planned to find out. She ducked around him, heading for the door, only Garth got there first. He grabbed her arm and held her still. She could have broken free easily, only she didn’t and that scared her more than anything else.

“Wait,” he said.

“No.”

Something hot flared in his eyes. “You felt it, too.”

“I didn’t feel anything. It’s late. I need to go.”

“It’s barely eight and you need to be here.”

She hated the fear. It reminded her of being young and terrified of what her father would do next. It made her feel powerless and that was the worst thing of all.

Her emotions must have shown on her face or Garth was a hell of a guesser because he dropped her arm and moved away from the door.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “You’re right. It’s late.”

He picked up her hand and kissed her palm. It was as if he branded her. She knew in her gut she would carry the feel of his lips on her skin with her forever. When he released her, she curled her fingers closed.

She hesitated for a second, then turned to leave.

This time he didn’t stop her. She walked out into the hallway and the door closed behind her. She stood there, alone, aching with desire for the one man she could never have. Life, as always, had a killer sense of humor.

THE NEXT MORNING DANA followed Garth to work, but didn’t try to speak with him. She hadn’t slept much the night before and wasn’t up to one of their cryptic exchanges. Once she knew he was at the office, she returned to Titanville, thinking she would either try for a nap, or a really jumbo coffee to go.

But on her way to Starbucks, she passed the Titanville Pet Palace and saw Kathy Duncan entering the store.

Fifteen minutes later, Dana parked in front of the Pet Palace with her own coffee and a latte for Kathy, then went inside. She nodded to the young woman at the cash register and made her way to the rear where Kathy was talking softly to a large white bird.

“Good morning,” Dana said, handing over the coffee.

Kathy, a pretty woman in her late fifties, smiled broadly. “Dana. You came to see me. Thank you for the coffee.”

There was delight in her voice, along with a studied slowness. As if every word had to be considered before it was spoken and the act of speech itself was vaguely unfamiliar.

“You’re welcome.” Dana passed over the paper cup. “Extra foam. Just the way you like it.”

“I do like it.” Kathy tilted her head, her soft brown hair falling over her shoulder. “You need a pet. Not today. You’re not ready. But soon. Maybe a puppy, but you need a yard first. Don’t worry. You’ll get one.”

Dana did her best not to run screaming into the morning. Kathy was known to have an extraordinary sense about people and pets, putting unlikely pairs together. She’d insisted Lexi take home a kitten. Lexi had agreed with the idea, thinking she would give the animal away. But somehow that hadn’t happened and C.C. was as much a member of her family as Izzy or Skye.

“I’m not really a dog person,” Dana said. “I’m not home very much.”

“You will be,” Kathy said calmly. “When you have children.”

Dana resisted the need to make the sign of the cross and instead took a step back.

“Okay, then,” Dana muttered. “Ah, how are things?”

“Good. We have new birds. Not that you want one.” Kathy smiled. “But they’re very pretty.”

Dana smiled back, searching Kathy’s face for a hint of the woman who had existed before the tumor that had stolen her intellect. She looked for whispers of Garth. What had he inherited from his mother? If those echoes had left her, were they still in her son?

How could this all have been different? If Jed had agreed to pay for the surgery back before the need was so desperate, would Kathy still be herself? And if she was, how would Garth be a different man? Dana knew the need for revenge had changed him. Once he had won, would he change back? Or was he forever trapped by the need to exact compensation for a debt that could never be repaid?

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