Fallen Angels: Beguiled\Wanton\Uncovered (8 page)

The topic had changed so suddenly Angel was caught off guard. “I…I can't go anywhere. Grayson…”

“We'll take him with us.”

She shook her head, not even considering the possibility of them being seen in public together with the baby. “No, I already ate.” She pondered all that had happened, all he'd done so far, then suggested, “Why don't you come here for dinner instead.” She felt ridiculous, making such an offer, extending the verbal olive branch. But they did need to get reacquainted; she needed to decide if and how much she could trust him. She drew a deep breath and plunged onward. “I can cook us something.”

He searched her face, and his continued silence made her wish she could withdraw her offer. Then he shook his head. “Damn, I'd like that. I swear I would. I can't imagine a better way to spend my evening.”

“But?”

He released her and turned away. “My mother has this damn dinner planned.” He waved a hand, essaying his feelings on the affair. “My sister is getting married soon and it's a sort of celebration dinner. All family is expected to attend.”

“I see.”

He ran a distracted hand over his face, then laughed. “I doubt you do. But at any rate, I appreciate the offer. Will you give me a rain check?”

“Yes, of course.”

He looked at her,
into
her, and she shivered. His hand came up to cup her cheek. “Aw, Angel, you do know how to drive a man crazy.”

She didn't know what he meant by that, so she ignored it. “If you're hungry now, I could make you a sandwich.”

Like a starving man, he grabbed up her offer. “Thank you. Anything is fine. And while I eat, will you tell me more about Grayson, about yourself?”

That seemed like an odd request. As she pulled lunch meat out of the refrigerator, she glanced at him curiously and said, “You know everything there is to know about me.”

“Not true. Tell me about the pregnancy, when you found out—”

Slowly, feeling as if she'd been doused in ice water, Angel turned back to him. She dropped a package of cheese onto the table with a thunk. It was cheese he had bought, so she knew he must like it. “About the pregnancy. Now why would you want details on that?”

Wary now, he shrugged and said, “I'm just curious.”

“I see. Are you trying to verify that Grayson really is yours? Is that why you were so awful when I first called to tell you I was pregnant? You thought I was lying about you being the father?”

“Of course not!”

“You doubted me in your office. You had the nerve to ask me if I was certain.”

His face tightened, his mouth grim. “It was a legitimate question, Angel.” He faltered, looking tormented. “I just wasn't expecting you to…”

“Legitimate? When you were the only man I'd ever been with?”

There was a heartbeat of silence. “Ever?” His eyebrows rose in incredulous disbelief.

She slapped down a knife on the table. “So you thought once you humiliated me, once you'd
used
me, I would just willingly jump in bed with another man? You thought I found my one experience with sex so titillating I had to race out for more, and since you weren't available, I'd take any man who was?”

As she spoke, her voice rose almost to a shout, but it all came back on her, all the pain and mortification. She laughed, but it wasn't a happy sound. Derek sat staring at her, his expression almost comically blank.

Well, he wasn't used to hearing her yell. She'd always been meek and agreeable with him, so much so she'd made his objective pathetically easy. He'd overwhelmed her with his bigger-than-life persona, but not anymore. Now she'd changed, thanks to the way he'd screwed up her life. And he had changed as well.

“Believe me, Derek, you were the only one. And once with you was more than enough.”

It was her sneering tone, meant to show him her loathing, only it didn't work.

She'd started to tremble and Derek was suddenly there, his arms around her, his lips against her temple. “Shh, baby, I'm sorry. So sorry.”

“Just go back to work, Derek. Leave me alone.”

“I can't do that.” He leaned back, keeping her pelvis pressed to his, but putting space between their upper bodies. “You don't want me to do that. For whatever reason, Angel, you contacted me.”

She opened her mouth, but she couldn't think of a single thing to say.

“Shh. It's all right. You don't have to tell me now. I'll wait until you're ready.”

That he suspected her of having ulterior motives should have alarmed her, but she was just too tired to fight with him. And since she desperately needed his concession, she nodded, relief making her slump against him.

“I was an idiot in the office yesterday. Of course I know you haven't been with anyone else. Sometimes men just say…stupid things.” He seemed to be floundering for the right words as his hands coasted up and down her back, soothing. “We won't mention that again, okay?”

Reluctantly, she nodded.

“Good.” He stepped back, but rather than sit at the table again, he began compiling his own sandwich. “I do want to hear everything—no matter how insignificant—that's happened to you since we've been apart.” He gave her a sharp, assessing glance. “I have a lot of catching up to do. All right?”

“Yes.” The distraction of simple conversation would help her regain her balance. She didn't want to confide in him yet, not until she knew she could trust him with Grayson's safety. “Yes, I'll tell you…everything.”

He stayed longer than she would have guessed, and he asked more questions than she could answer. When Grayson awoke, Derek changed the baby, cuddled him for long moments, and when Grayson demanded to be fed, he finally took his leave. But he promised to come back the next day.

And though she was annoyed with herself, Angel already looked forward to his next visit.

D
INNER SEEMED TO LAST
forever. All Dane wanted to do was go home and ponder Angel's revelation.
She'd been a virgin.
God, he still felt stunned. And entirely too aroused.

From what she'd told him, she'd only been with Derek once, and that had been a disappointment.

Possessive heat filled him. She hadn't really belonged to Derek, not the way a woman should, not the way she would belong to him. Guilt plagued him as he considered making her his own while knowing Derek had been her first and only. But with every minute that passed, he felt more determined to tie himself to her. There were numerous reasons, none of them overly honest, but still, they served his purpose.

He adored Grayson, already loving him as if he were his own. Dane had never thought to fit the bill of
father
—his chance had been lost to him so long ago. But it was precisely because his chance had been lost, and why, that he wanted to protect Grayson. Angel was right to fear his family; they would take over without giving her a single chance if he let them. But her fear also seemed exaggerated and somewhat pointless. Sooner or later they'd find out about the baby. It was inevitable.

He planned to be there when they did, to soothe her fears.

Angel also deserved his protection, and the luxury the Carter name could supply. Whatever else Derek had become, he'd still been a wealthy man. Grayson had a birthright that would pave much of his way in the world. Derek should have seen that Grayson received his due; for reasons of his own, he hadn't, and Dane was determined to correct the oversight.

He also still believed Angel to be the most likely link in discovering what had happened to his brother. So far, nothing seemed to fit. Derek was capable of some pretty ruthless behavior, but the way he'd treated Angel seemed out of character even for him. Much of the cruelty had been deliberate and unnecessary. Why had Derek done it? And what was the real reason Angel had contacted him again, despite the damn past they shared? There were secrets there, things he had to discover, and that too, was a good reason to stay in touch with Miss Angel Morris.

The biggest reason of all, of course, was the chemistry between them. When he touched Angel, all his senses exploded like never before. And not even the memory of her and Derek's past experiences could dampen her responses; it was driving him insane.

Damn his brother for complicating things so, for hurting her. And most of all for letting himself get killed. What had Derek been up to?

“Dane?”

Startled out of his ruminations, Dane looked up to see his mother frowning fiercely across the table at him. She did it well, he thought as he speared a bite of asparagus and chewed slowly. Her look was so forbidding that most people immediately apologized even before they knew what they'd done wrong. At sixty, she was still a slim, attractive woman with her light-brown hair stylishly twisted behind her head, and her brown eyes sharp with intelligence. She kept herself in top physical shape; her pride would tolerate no less.

Dane stifled a bored yawn. He'd quit playing his mother's games long ago. “Did you want something, Mother?”

She pinched her mouth together at his lack of manners and deference due her. “Where in the world is your attention? You haven't been following the conversation at all.”

Celia smiled toward him. “Do you have a big investigation that's got you stumped, brother?”

He sent her a chiding glance. Celia had been teasing him about being a P.I. since he'd walked in the door. She'd had the gall to ask him if he carried a spy kit. His sister seemed different than he remembered, more lighthearted, more playful. He liked the changes.

To his surprise, Raymond blurted, “You aren't still wondering about the Morris woman, are you?”

His mother straightened to attention, jumping on the topic like a dog on a meaty bone. She had plans for Dane, he knew. She'd sat him at the head of the table—a major concession for her, and an indication of what she expected from him in the future. She wouldn't want any threats to her plans, and his interest in anyone or anything other than the company would certainly be considered a threat.

He hadn't yet told her of his intentions, or rather lack thereof, toward the family and the company. He wanted everything settled first before he dropped his news on her.

“What's this, Dane?” Her face was alarmingly pale, her eyes flashing. “What's Raymond talking about?”

“Nothing of any import, Mother. I merely asked Raymond a few questions about Angel Morris. I was curious since Derek had been seeing the woman for a while.”

Celia turned quiet and gave her attention to her food. His mother wasn't so reserved. Her hands fisted on the table, yet she managed to keep her tone calm. “He wasn't
seeing
her, for heaven's sake. He merely associated with her to ease the effort of the takeover. She was a secretary of sorts, no one important. Certainly no one important to Derek.”

Forcefully keeping his emotions in check, feigning a certain lack of interest, Dane asked, “Do you know what happened to her?”

His mother carefully laid aside her fork, then looked down her nose at him. She sat to his right, Celia and Raymond to his left.

“After she was terminated, you mean? Why would I care?” She made a rude sound of condescension. “You certainly didn't expect us to employ the woman, did you, not after she gave away company secrets.”

Celia spoke up for the first time, her voice clipped, her expression stern. “I already told you, Mother, Derek stole that information from her.”

Dane felt as though he'd taken a punch on the chin. His mother made an outraged sound and Raymond sat watching them both, his expression somewhat satisfied. He stared at his sister and saw that two spots of bright color had bloomed on her cheeks. “What did you say?”

Celia gave her mother a lingering frown, then turned to face Dane. “Mother persists in making this woman out as a villain, even though I've told her repeatedly that it isn't so. If anything, she was a victim, and we certainly should have employed her in an effort to make amends. Derek explained to me himself that Angel hadn't volunteered the information to him. He rifled through her personal belongings until he found what he wanted.”

Raymond held his fork aloft, using it to emphasize his point. “Ah. But she should have seen to it that the material was well secured. That was her responsibility. The heads at Aeric trusted her, and she let them down.”

“I suppose part of the blame is hers,” Celia agreed, her tone snide, “in trusting Derek too much, in thinking him honorable toward her—”

Dane's mother gasped, coming to her feet in furious indignation. Her hands slapped down on the cloth-covered tabletop while her voice rose to a near shriek. “How dare you suggest otherwise, Celia Carter? He was your brother!”

Looking belligerent and stubborn, Celia forced a shrug and met her mother's gaze. “Mother, he
stole
that information from her. He led her on, made her believe he cared for her, and then took shameful advantage. Would you rather I call that honorable?”

Raymond patted Celia's hand. “Sweetheart, he only did what was best for the company. That was always his first priority.” His eyes slid over to Dane. “As is true of any CEO.”

Dane waited, watching while his mother visibly struggled to regain her control. Such an outburst from her surprised him and piqued his curiosity. When she had grudgingly reseated herself, pretending to be appeased by Raymond's words, and Raymond had taken a healthy bite of his braised pork, Dane asked, “Are you saying, Raymond, that you wouldn't have a problem with using a woman that way?”

Raymond promptly choked, covering his mouth with his napkin.

“Really, Dane, enough of this nonsense!” his mother protested. “Raymond has been an enormous help to us and deserves better from you.”

Celia looked at Dane, a wicked smile of appreciation curving her lips, then proceeded to pound her fiancé on the back until he'd managed to catch his breath. Dane leaned back in his chair, enjoying the dinner for the first time that evening.

Damn, so much to think about. So Angel was innocent all the way around. That fact twisted his guts, making him feel guilty as hell, as if he were the one who'd betrayed her. He determined to make it up to her somehow. Whether she wanted him to or not.

An hour later as they all gathered in the salon for drinks and conversation, Dane cornered his sister. Raymond was busy schmoozing their mother, and Celia was blessedly alone, staring out a window at the dark night. As he approached, she looked down at his hand and the drink he held.

“I thought you abstained.”

He lifted the glass in a salute. “Pure cola and ice. Nothing more.”

“It irritates Mother, you know. That you won't have a social drink.”

Dane thought of Mick, so defiant as he explained his mother was an alcoholic. “In my line of work, I see too many drink-related cases. Men and women who abandon their families in favor of a bottle. They all started out as social drinkers.” Shaking off his sudden tension, he smiled at Celia. “Besides, I enjoy irritating Mother.”

To his surprise, his teasing wasn't returned. Celia turned fully to face him. “How do you do it, Dane? How do you just turn your back on everything, on all of us?”

A frontal attack. He hadn't expected it of his sister, but he relished a moment to clear the air. He'd missed her in the time he'd been away. Though she was a lot like his mother, her strength and determination not to be underestimated, she was also a woman who thought for herself, who didn't blindly accept his mother's dictates. He'd found that out tonight. In the years he'd stayed away, his sister had evidently come into her own.

Too long, too damn long. “There's nothing for me to stay here for, Celia. You know that. Mother made certain she drove me away—”

“She's sorry for that, Dane.” Celia touched his arm. Her eyes, the same hazel shade as his, were dark with concern. “She realizes now that you really did love Anna, that she shouldn't have interfered.”

He snorted. “Is that what you call it, interference? She deliberately destroyed my life, accused my fiancée of all kinds of reprehensible things, and just because she didn't approve of Anna's family.”

Celia bit her lip, then forged on. “You were both so young. Besides, she did take the money, Dane. Mother didn't force it on her.”

“She made Anna feel as if that were the only option, as if she couldn't possibly be my wife. Mother made sure she knew she'd never fit in.” Even as he said the words, he accepted that he wasn't being a hundred percent truthful with her or himself. “Anna was pregnant, you know. After she ran off, she lost the baby. My baby.”

Celia covered her mouth with a hand. “Oh no, I didn't know. I'm so sorry.”

“I told Mother. I was angry and hurt and I wanted her to understand exactly what her manipulation had cost me. Do you know what she said?”

Numbly, Celia shook her head.

“She said it was for the best.”

Celia lowered her forehead to Dane's shoulder and her voice was quiet, almost a whisper. “Mother's set in her ways, Dane. She means well, and she really does love you. It's just that sometimes she doesn't think.”

He had nothing to say to that. It amazed him that his sister would always try to defend their mother, no matter what she did.

“Will you stay on at the company this time? We need you here.”

Lifting a hand to his sister's fair hair, giving one silky lock a teasing tug, he said, “You already know the answer to that.”

She sighed. “I suppose I do. But I was hopeful.”

“It's not for me, sis. I don't feel comfortable there and besides, I love playing detective too much to give it up.”

She smiled at his teasing, then turned to face the window again. “I miss him so much.”

“Me, too. Even though we hadn't been in contact much lately, I always knew he was here. There were only miles separating us, and I knew we could get in touch if we chose to.” Dane wanted to tell her that he suspected Derek had been murdered, but he held back. His sister had enough on her plate for the moment. “I'm proud of how you stood up to Mother.”

She made a disgusted sound. “She's hurting. And it angers her if anyone even suggests Derek might not have been perfect. But I can't sit by and watch her persecute an innocent woman.”

Dane thought his sister was pretty damn special at that moment, and more than ever, he regretted the amount of time he'd let pass without seeing his family.

“How long are you willing to help out?”

Until I see things settled,
he thought, but he only shrugged. “I don't know. We'll see. Right now, I have every agent in my own business maxed out, working on two or more cases at a time. And running between offices isn't getting any easier.” Especially while trying to uncover a murderer.

He looked up at that moment to see Raymond watching him while his mother chatted in Raymond's ear, no doubt regaling him with stories of old acquaintances, money and power. It was all his mother knew, all she cared about, and Raymond, with his desire to ingratiate himself, provided the perfect audience. Dane nodded then looked away. “Do you love him?”