Chapter One
Before the night ended, she would be in bed with a total stranger.
Oh, God.
Taking a deep breath Dani Perez walked toward the hotel bar, her red stilettos clattering like a Riverdance audition on the black marble floor.
What the hell are you looking at? she wanted to scream when the desk clerk glanced up with a knowing smile. But she knew exactly why he was looking. The stupid dress damn-near showed the cheeks of her ass.
Dani smiled, thinking when she got home, she’d have to make a big deposit in Abby’s pickle jar decorated with commodes. Her daughter called her creation the “potty-mouth jar”. Since Christmas, Dani had to pay up every time she cursed. She and Abby were saving for their dream vacation, and at the rate she was going, Hawaii wasn’t an unrealistic destination. Hell, the F word alone was worth a whopping twenty bucks.
Dani wasn’t proud of the way she talked, but old habits die hard. Five years on the Cimarron Police Force riding with Jerry Spigoretti had added a variety of colorful words to her vocabulary. She’d thought when she left the job last year, she’d clean up her language, but working with Harry Fielding, another hard-nosed, ex-cop-turned-PI, hadn’t helped. On a good day, she was able to keep it under control.
Today wasn’t a good day.
She stopped in front of the door, a sudden rush of apprehension overwhelming her as she struggled to keep a falling ringlet of hair out of her eyes. Silently, she cursed her twin. Her usual ponytail would have been so much easier, but Nikki had insisted on pulling her unmanageable hair up and curling it around her face--said it was sexy. How freakin’ sexy would it be if she landed on her barely-covered tush because she couldn’t see?
The huge purse they’d picked out felt like it was full of rocks, but she needed one this size to hold the equipment she would use. She jerked it higher on her shoulder, glancing back to see if the clerk was still watching.
He was. She fought the urge to flip him off.
Breathe, chica. A lot is riding on tonight.
The minute she opened the door, her eyes widened, a reaction to the darkened room, lit only by the neon signs behind the bar and the candles on the ten or so tables strategically placed around the room. Even in this light, she could see the entire bar area, praying he’d be there, petrified he was. She’d counted on him being a creature of habit and doing the exact same thing he’d done every Thursday for the five weeks she’d tailed him.
Dr. Nathan Randall didn’t disappoint her. He was alone as usual, at the far end of the bar, mindlessly twirling a glass on the counter. The lump in her throat threatened to cut off her breathing while she watched him put down the drink and rub his forehead, probably unaware he did that often. She didn’t have to see his searing blue eyes to know they were squinted in deep thought, an image she’d captured on film many times.
She hated what she had to do to him.
Eyes finally adjusted to the dark, Dani chose a table far enough to be out of sight from where he sat but close enough for observation. She attempted to sit down gracefully without compromising her dignity in the skin tight dress, but it was a losing battle. She reached behind and tugged at the hem of the red jersey number as it rode up her thighs.
Oh, hell!
She was sure she had given everyone a peek all the way up her legs to the thong panties she was dying to pull out of her butt. She didn’t get the whole thong panties thing. Number one, they’d cost eight dollars on sale. Who pays eight dollars for panties that barely had enough material to qualify as a G-string?
And who wants to walk around with a constant wedgie?
She plopped the heavy purse on the floor and glanced up to see if anyone had seen her flash. Her eyes connected with a middle-aged man sitting at the corner of the bar, facing her. He lifted his glass and smiled.
Christ!
She lowered her eyes. The last thing she wanted to do was call any more attention to herself before she was ready. And she needed a whole lot of courage to be ready.
Liquid courage.
Dani waited until the waitress approached before she looked up again, afraid the guy in the suit might consider any further eye contact an invitation. She’d prided herself on reading people, had actually avoided danger on the job because of that particular skill. Her radar said this guy definitely had the married-but-trolling-for-stray-action look all over his Midwestern face.
“What can I get you?” The flat tone in the waitress’s voice conveyed her disapproval.
Dani didn’t blame her. Hell, she’d disapprove of herself, too, in this outfit that screamed I come with a price.
“What’s the latest drinking rage these days?” she asked, knowing the Corona she craved wouldn’t go with her on-the-prowl persona.
Marcia, according to the nametag on her blouse, looked surprised by the question. “Depends on what you like.”
What does someone whose butt is hanging out of a dress usually drink?
“I’d like to try something different. Can you suggest anything?”
Marcia shrugged. “Cosmopolitans are popular, and apple martini’s a favorite with a lot of the single women who come in here.”
“Then an apple martini it is.” Dani smiled as the waitress pursed her lips in a condescending manner before she hurried back to the bar.
She relaxed her shoulders slightly and leaned back into the chair. For a Thursday night, it wasn’t too busy, thank heavens. She didn’t know what she’d do if the place was rocking, or if, God forbid, someone recognized her.
Who would? Most people avoided downtown Dallas like the plague. Even though Cimarron was only twenty miles away, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d come to town before this. But she wasn’t reassured. Even in a city this big, stranger things were known to happen.
Marcia arrived with the drink and set it on the table. “That’ll be five fifty.”
Dani handed her a ten. “Keep the change.”
For the first time, the waitress smiled. Guess she thought a tip that big warranted an attitude adjustment.
The minute the cool liquid hit her throat, Dani raised her hand to her mouth to suppress the cough. Holy Crap. She forced down another sip and waited as it scorched a trail of fire from her esophagus to her stomach, the warmth rushing through her gut.
As the tingling sensation raced through her veins, she lifted the glass to her lips and downed the remainder of the drink. Within seconds, she felt her fears slipping away as she savored the hurts-so-good burn all the way down.
She could do this. Hell, she could do anything for one night. She had to. Casey’s life depended on it. Just the thought of Nikki’s son had Dani fighting to keep her emotions in check.
When she’d dropped Abby off at her sister’s earlier, she’d noticed how pale Casey had become. Watching her nephew and her daughter kick a soccer ball around in the back yard, she’d been reminded of the rapid progression of the anemia.
Fanconi Anemia, a killer whose genes she carried in her own DNA, was sucking the life out of Nikki’s only child. It had become more and more difficult to see him struggle with everyday activities, stopping to catch his breath every few minutes.
Time was running out for Casey, and she’d vowed to do whatever necessary to save him. If that meant sitting in this bar dressed like a slut, so be it. It wouldn’t be her first time undercover, but this was more than a routine stakeout.
This time it was personal. She didn’t have the luxury of watching from a parked car, sipping a Mocha Cappuccino, or knowing ten guys were waiting to haul the pervert’s ass in as soon as money changed hands.
She glanced up as the waitress reappeared. “Marcia, I’ll have another one of these.” She pointed to her empty glass. “But this time, make it a double.”
Dani knew Dr. Nathan Randall usually only spent an hour at the bar before he retired to his room, always alone. She needed more courage, and she needed it fast.
After the waitress brought her drink, Dani studied him discreetly. She’d been tailing him since she and Nikki had concocted this ridiculous scheme a little over five weeks ago. Every Thursday night, he went from his office in the Schaffer building in downtown Dallas to the free clinic near Fair Park.
She’d seen dozens of people, most of them with kids, some with an elderly person, enter the rundown building every time he was there. No matter how many went in, Randall never left until the last one was gone. She’d watched, week after week, as he’d exit the clinic, his shoulders slumped after the long night. Each time she’d followed him back to this very bar where he’d consume three or four drinks before heading to his room.
By her count, he was on his third.
She felt a momentary twinge of guilt, knowing she was about to deceive him. All her life she’d despised men who cheated. Everything she’d learned indicated Randall was a decent enough guy, but if she was successful tonight, that would all change.
She downed the double martini and stood, clutching the table until her lightheadedness subsided. She never could hold her liquor. That’s why she stuck with icy cold Coronas.
But it was now or never. She exhaled slowly before starting across the room. The damn shoes announced her even before she got close to the other end of the bar.
He looked up when she was almost beside him, and Dani smiled seductively. Nikki had made her practice that look in front of the mirror a dozen times. Made her say “hi” in a breathy way that reminded her of Aunt Sophie who had emphysema and never went anywhere without an oxygen tank.
Then she stumbled and smashed into his shoulder, nearly knocking him off the bar stool. She squeezed her eyes shut, thinking she should pretend like she did have emphysema. A doctor would assume her wooziness was the result of a depleted oxygen supply and not because she couldn’t handle her first taste of an apple martini. Actually, it was probably that second taste that did it, but who was counting?
She forced her eyes open, only to find his face way too close as he steadied her. Other than the hint of amusement that flashed in those sultry blue eyes, his face was unreadable.
She wiggled out of his clutch and tried that seductive smile thing again. Swallowing the lump in her throat she said a quick prayer to St. Jude. This situation definitely qualified for help from the patron saint of hopeless cases.
Inhaling sharply, she forced herself to maintain eye contact with him as she let the breath out slowly. She was terrified, but it was too late to turn back. She’d just made the first contact with her mark. Now all she had to do was get him into bed.
“Whoa there. You okay?” Randall asked, still holding her up.
It had been a long time since she’d been in a man’s arms, she thought, right before someone bumped her and knocked her further into his body.
“Crap!” She raised her hand to her mouth to stifle a giggle. “Buy a girl a drink?” Dani stared into his eyes, wanting desperately to turn and run.
Confusion flashed across his face before a slow grin replaced it. “Sorry. I was just about to head up to my room. I’m sure you won’t have a problem finding someone to drink with.” He stood up and reached back for his wallet.
Dani frowned. This wouldn’t be easy. She placed her fingers on his shoulder, gently pushing him back down. “Now why would you want to go up to your stuffy old room when you could sit here and have a drink with me?” She batted her eyelashes and winked, praying the glob of mascara wouldn’t permanently shut her right eye.
He laughed out loud. “Now that’s a good question. Unfortunately, I still have to decline. I’ve had a hard day, and I wouldn’t be much company.” He rose again.
Dani moved closer, brushing her hand across the front of his jeans. This was not going according to her plan. She licked her lips and leaned in. “Oh, come on. I’ve had a hard day, too. What’s one more drink gonna hurt?”
She held her breath while he glanced at his watch. When he lifted his eyes to hers, she was sure she had failed.
“What’s the lady drinking?”
She frowned, then giggled. “Something with apples. The waitress will know.”
He raised his hand, and immediately the bartender appeared. “Lily, would you bring a scotch on the rocks and another of whatever the lady is drinking, please?”
“Sure, Nate.”
Her voice sounded sweet, but Dani noticed it contrasted with the scowl on her face when she stared at her. Was there a history between the two of them?
After Lily served the round, they sat in silence.
“Do you have a name?”
“Sophie,” Dani blurted.
“You don’t look like a Sophie.”
“Oh yeah? What do I look like?”
“I don’t know. Maybe Candy, Desiree, definitely something exotic.”
She gulped, before reaching for the martini and taking a huge swallow. “I can be anyone you want me to be, Nate.” She placed her hand over his. “Know what I mean?”
She watched as her meaning sank in. After a moment, he reached for the scotch and chugged it. She held her breath, sure he was about to send her on her merry way.
“What’d you have in mind?”
What she had in mind would send her to the confessional before Sunday mass. She lowered her eyes, hoping he hadn’t seen the panic. Her heart felt like it would thump out of her chest. She had to calm down.
“Let’s play it by ear,” she whispered.
She saw hesitancy flash in his eyes, and she leaned in closer, making sure her breasts touched his chest. His sharp intake of breath told her they had. Father Jerome’s voice in her head doled out one hundred Hail Marys for her penance.
Nate stood up, pulled three twenties from his wallet and threw them on the counter before turning back to her. “How much, Sophie?”
She looked confused. “How much what?”
“How much for two hours with you?”
Two hours? What in God’s name did he have in mind?
Chill, Dani. Walking out of this hotel empty-handed is not an option.
She met his stare. “The same as everyone else.”
“I don’t have a clue what the going rate is.”
She had to think fast or she’d lose him. She ran her tongue over her lips. “Trust me. I’m worth every penny.”
He sprang from the barstool. “Christ! I don’t care what you charge. Let’s get out of here.” He guided her toward the door.
Suddenly she gasped and turned back. “My purse.”
“Don’t move. I’ll get it.” He raced back to where they’d been sitting and hoisted the large purse from the floor.
“What’s in here?”
Panic consumed her a second time “A girl’s got to be prepared.”
Randall placed his hand on the small of her back and gently pushed her out the door. “I need to stop by the ATM in the lobby,” he said, heading for the desk. “Wait here.”
While he talked to the clerk, Dani clamped her lips tight and forced herself to take slow deep breaths. Hyperventilating wasn’t very sexy, especially if she passed out before stepping into the elevator.
The irony of acting like a virgin on Prom night was that she wasn’t even one back then. Having dated Johnny since junior high, they’d ventured past necking long before the dance. So, what was the big deal?
Her solitary mission tonight was simply to have sex with this man. Women everywhere hooked up for an evening of mindless sex. It wasn’t like he was a felon packing heat or a freak with bad breath. On the contrary. Ordinarily, Nate was a man she’d notice in a crowd, and he’d passed the bad breath test an hour ago when she’d nearly knocked him off the bar stool.
How hard could this be? Ten minutes, twenty tops, and she’d be headed to the lab with his specimen in her purse.
Then she remembered he’d bought her for two hours.
She froze. Could she have missed his affection for kinky stuff when she did the research on him? A mental flash of her tied to a bedpost drained the color from her face.
Oh, dear God! She opened her purse, then remembered she’d packed everything except a paper bag for oxygen emergencies.
She exhaled slowly, deliberately, like she’d been instructed during relaxation training at the police academy. It was supposed to teach rookies how to remain calm in stressful situations. The older cops called it “The Newbie’s Guide to Working Without an Underwear Change.” It wasn’t so funny now.
She willed herself to relax. Sex with a stranger should be easier than shooting someone. Even though she’d never actually had to do that, she’d faced some of the worst felons in Cimarron without needing a new pair of panties. This should be a piece of cake. Or more appropriately, a piece of tail. Surely, a ten minute roll in the hay with a man who wasn’t ugly couldn’t be that difficult. She might even enjoy it. Hell, she hadn’t been laid in over two years.
Randall turned suddenly, as if to see if she was still there. When their eyes met, he smiled.
Dani gulped. What ever made her think she could waltz into the hotel bar, wearing an outfit that fit her body like shrink wrap, and hop in the sack with a perfect stranger? She’d never been naked in front of anyone but Johnny.
The reality of stripping in front of this man produced tiny drops of sweat on Dani’s upper lip. Maybe it wasn’t too late to back out. She turned toward the revolving door, ready to kick off her heels and run. Then his hand was on her shoulder, the touch more a soft caress.
“Sophie?”
She whirled around, nearly falling into Nate Randall’s arms a second time. She struggled to maintain her balance. Why did she tell him her name was Sophie? That sounded like someone’s mother or an aunt with an oxygen tank. Why didn’t she at least call herself Sophia? That definitely had a more sophisticated ring to it.
“Is everything okay?”
Dani raised her eyes to meet his. Standing close to Randall, she detected a faint whiff of his aftershave. For some ungodly reason, it had a calming effect on her.
She forced a smile. “Why wouldn’t it be?”
Nate’s eyes darted around the lobby, then fixed on hers as he attempted to smile. If she didn’t know better, she’d swear he was as nervous as she was.
“You look a little uncertain. It’s not too late to back out,” he whispered.
Thank you, Jesus, she wanted to shout. Then an image of Casey lying helpless in a hospital bed flashed through her mind.
She took a calming breath.“Now why would I want to do that?” She slipped her arm through his and gently pushed him toward the elevator. “Let’s not keep me waiting too much longer, Nate.”
His face lit up. “Yes, ma’am.”
For the split second it took for the elevator door to close, Dani contemplated bolting one last time. The final clang before it started rising sounded much like the cell doors in the movies she’d seen where the jailer threw away the key. All hope for a clean break vanished.
Nate pushed the button for the fourteenth floor, and Dani’s kneesnearly buckled. Could she really do this?
When the elevator stopped, Nate gently nudged her. “My room’s this way, Sophie.”
They walked in silence to room 1469.
Okay, God, this really isn’t funny.
When the door closed behind her, Dani allowed her eyes to scan the room. She knew the Marquee was a high-dollar hotel, but this surpassed everything she’d heard. His suite was as luxurious as she’d ever seen with the massive king-size bed in the middle of the room as the focal point.
Her heart raced. Quickly, she searched for the minibar. This would take way more courage. A soft knock on the door interrupted her panic attack, and she spun around. Nate opened the door and stepped aside to allow the bellman to wheel in a cart.
After signing for room service and ushering the young man out, Nate turned back to her. “I hope you like champagne.”
Dani nodded as he pulled a bottle of Dom Perignon from the ice and uncorked it. After he poured two glasses of the chilled drink, he handed her one.
“Cheers.”
She didn’t know what to make of it. The only other time she’d had champagne this expensive was on her wedding night twelve years ago.
She forced a smile. “What shall we toast?”
He hesitated. “How about to business deals that hopefully, will result in unbelievable pleasure for both of us?”
Dani felt a warm blush creep up her face. “I’ll drink to that.” She touched her glass to his before lifting it to her lips. The smooth liquid went down without the burn of the apple martinis. She’d never liked the taste of champagne, but this one was delicious. She tossed back her head and chugged it. He was there to refill her glass before she finished.
Is he trying to get me drunk?
She studied his face while he poured himself another. To him, she was a whore, not a first date. He didn’t have to get her tipsy to get laid. She’d already agreed to that.
When Nate turned back to her, he smiled nervously while he fidgeted with the glass. For the first time, Dani noticed howblue his eyes were close up. The camera never captured the depth the way the real thing did. Something about them seemed haunted, almost sad. For a moment, she contemplated blurting the truth about why she was in his hotel room in the ridiculously slutty dress.
Damn it, girl, you know what you have to do.
She tilted back her head and downed the second drink.
“Slow down, Sophie. We have two hours. This stuff may seem tame, but it will hit you like a ton of bricks.” He poured another round. This time he didn’t move away.
His eyes bore into hers. Seeing his desire caused a flutter in her stomach. It had been a long time since someone wanted her, and in a crazy sort of way, she was turned on by his lust.
With his eyes fixed on her, he took her glass and placed it back on the cart. “You’re beautiful.” He lifted her chin with his finger and bent down to touch his lips to hers, slightly at first, then more demanding.
Expecting her mission to be nothing more than a ten-minute deal to get the precious specimen, Dani was confused by the rush of feelings she experienced. She’d only had two dates since Johnny’s death, and the perfunctory goodnight kiss at her doorstep had never been anything like this.
She leaned in, her lips parted to welcome his probing tongue. Without thinking, she slipped her hands around his neck, pulling him even closer.
“Oh, God,” he groaned. He lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bed. With one hand supporting her body, he pulled the covers back with the other, all the while nibbling on her ear. Gently, he laid her back against the massive pillows while his eyes traveled her entire body.
Suddenly, he lifted his body from the bed and sauntered to the dresser. Reaching into his jeans pocket, he pulled out his wallet and threw several bills down. “Two hours at three hundred an hour. Is that about right?”
Dani was confused. For a minute, she’d let herself enjoy his attention way too much. The money jolted her back to reality. This was a job. She had to remember that. “Perfect. Now come back here and let me show you how I earn it.”
Nate hesitated. “How do we do this? Do you want me to undress you?”
Oh, crap. The naked thing.
Dani looked away, hoping he wouldn’t see the color creep up her face. When she was more composed, she turned back to him. “Unless you’d rather watch me do it.”
That was all Randall needed. In a flash he had the skimpy dress over her head and sprawled across the floor. She heard the catch in his breath when he stared at the black lacy push-up bra and the barely-there lace panties before he lowered his head and captured her lips again. This time, there was no light touch.
Kissing had always been an important part of lovemaking to Dani, and this guy definitely knew how to do it. She felt dizzy, probably lightheaded from the liquor. Or was it from the friction of his five o’clock shadow against her cheeks? Or maybe the masculine scent of his aftershave, faint but definitely there? Whatever it was, it was intoxicating. Maybe this wouldn’t be so difficult after all.
His eyes held hers for a moment, giving her one last chance to stop him. Lips parted in a hint of a smile, she pulled his face down. “You’re on the clock, Nate.”