Dangerous Deception. BEVERLY BARTON
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“Maybe.”
Her reply was good enough for him. She wasn’t the only expert at playing games. He had sweet talked his way into more than one woman’s silk panties over the years.
Yeah, but he wasn’t trying to get into Audrey Bedell Perkins’s panties. His assignment was to track her down and take her home. Home to her worried father.
Home to her husband.
But if the lady didn’t want to go home…
CHAPTER THREE
DOM EXCUSED HIMSELF BEFORE dessert arrived and headed for the men’s room. Instead of going inside, he found a dimly lit corner and, using his cell phone, dialed the Bedell residence. He needed to speak to the old man himself and find out how to proceed with this investigation.
Surprisingly enough, Edward Bedell answered the call. “Have you found my daughter?”
“Yes, sir, I have.”
Silence.
“She seems quite well and happy,” Dom said. Beautiful, desirable, intriguing.
“Are you sure it’s Audrey?”
“Yes, sir. Reasonably sure. She claims to be Audrey Perkins, is registered at the hotel under that name and is using your daughter’s credit cards.”
“And you’ve compared her to the photograph I gave you of my daughter?”
“Yes, sir, I have.”
“And?”
“Mr. Bedell, do you have any reason to believe that this young woman isn’t your daughter?”
“No, no, of course not. It’s just that since she disappeared the way she did, I’ve had all kinds of horrible thoughts about her being kidnapped, murdered. I suppose for just a few seconds there, I let my imagination run wild.”
“Yes, sir, I understand.”
“Where is she?”
“She’s staying at the Classico Hotel in West Palm Beach, Florida.”
“Is she with that man?”
“Bobby Jack Cash? No, sir. Ms. Perkins appears to be traveling alone.”
“Thank God.”
“Mr. Bedell, how do you want me to handle this situation? Do you want me to bring your daughter back to Chattanooga? If so, since she’s an adult, that will require her—”
“No, there’s no need to bring her home. Apparently she had her reasons for leaving. My guess is her bad marriage. She and Gray haven’t had a real marriage in years.”
“Yes, sir.”
“I’m grateful that you found her so quickly. She’s always been a strong-willed person, even as a child. She’ll do whatever she wants to do and to hell with…” Bedell paused. “Please tell her that if she needs anything, wants anything…” His voice trailed off, ending on a deep sigh.
“Would you like for me to ask Ms. Perkins to call you?”
“Yes, certainly. But it doesn’t have to be tonight. Just whenever she’s ready to talk.”
“All right.” Was that it? Goal accomplished. Assignment completed. “Once I deliver your message to your daughter, am I to consider this job finished?”
“Yes, yes. And it was a job well done, Mr. Shea. Thank you. You can return to Atlanta tonight if you wish.”
“Yes, sir.”
Dom closed his cell phone and clipped it to his belt. This had to have been the quickest, easiest job he’d ever done for Dundee’s. In less than twelve hours, he’d found the missing heiress and set her family’s minds at ease. So, why was it that he felt something wasn’t quite right, that there was more to this situation than met the eye?
What difference does it make? he asked himself. He’d done the job he’d been hired to do. The client was satisfied. Dundee’s would get a hefty check and Sawyer McNamara would be pleased that Edward Bedell was pleased.
On his way back to the table where Audrey Perkins waited, Dom considered his own options. If he was a smart man, he’d eat dessert and escort Ms. Perkins to her suite, say goodnight and goodbye. On the other hand, now that he wasn’t on the job, he was free to pursue his personal interest in the lady. And God help him, he was interested. But he would be a fool to become involved with a married woman, a woman known for her extra marital affairs.
Would a one-night-stand be considered becoming involved?
When Dom sat down across from Audrey, she smiled. “I’ve been dying to dive into this cheesecake, but I waited for you so we can savor every bite together.”
They had ordered one slice of cheesecake to share. Audrey had bemoaned the fact that if she ate the entire slice herself, she’d put on a couple of pounds overnight.
Dom picked up his fork, sliced into the rich, luscious dessert, and instead of taking the delectable morsel to his mouth, he reached across and aimed it at Audrey’s mouth. Her eyes widened, then she opened her mouth. When Dom inserted the bite, she nipped it off his fork, rolled it around over her tongue and sighed.
“Sheer heaven,” she said.
“Are all your appetites that easily appeased?” he asked.
Her big green eyes widened even more, her expression one of amused surprise.
“Are you propositioning me, Mr. Shea?”
“Could be.”
She laughed, the sound mellow and soft, and somewhat tentative, as if she didn’t laugh all that often.
“What about our agreement?” She glanced down at the cheesecake. “Let’s eat dessert and take that stroll on the beach, then see what happens.”
Smiling, Dom sliced off another bite and once again fed her. He watched the way her mouth opened, the soft fullness of her lips, the curve of her small, pink tongue.
He was getting hard just watching her eat.
Ten minutes later, dessert plate wiped clean and the check paid, Dom escorted Audrey through the restaurant, into the hotel lobby and toward the front entrance. Once outside, they headed straight for the adjacent beach. The Classico Hotel faced the Atlantic Ocean. Lights from the nearby buildings illuminated the path to the beach. Overhead a three-quarter moon and countless stars brightened the black sky.
Dom eased his arm around her waist as they neared the long stretch of sand.
“Want to take off your heels?” he asked.
She nodded, then clamped her left hand on his shoulder as she used her right hand to remove first one high heel and then the other. Dom took the sleek little bronze leather sandals from her and slipped the straps onto his index finger.
“Are you chilly?” he asked.
She shook her head.
“If you are, I can take off my jacket and—”
“You play the gentleman quite well,” she told him.
“It’s not an act. I actually can be a gentleman when the occasion—or the woman—calls for it.”
“A charming gentleman.” Audrey turned and took several steps away from him.
He followed her, draped his arm around her shoulders and fell into step alongside her. They walked together in silence for quite some time, occasionally glancing at each other and smiling. Dom couldn’t remember the last time he’d wanted a woman so much.
“MR . SHEA HAS FOUND Audrey,” Edward Bedell said to those congregated in his study.
“When?”