“She’s nothing but a two-bit whore, Danny!” The
guy took another left hook to his jaw. “Ah!
Damnit, man! Shit.”
Daniel’s fist was still clenched when Candy
somehow managed to step in between them. Shaking
her head, Candy told Daniel, “He’s not worth it.
I’ll go. It’s no big deal. We can talk later.”
She went back inside to retrieve her purse and
snatched it up from the sofa as she heard the
crashing bang of the front door. Daniel was
walking toward her, still mad. “Candy, sit
down!” She did so without questioning, seeing
the fury on his face. “You came over here to
talk. I want you to talk. It’s your dad. I know
it is. How much does he need?”
“I shouldn’t have come.”
“Damn right you shouldn’t have.”
Candy felt as if she’d been punched in the gut.
She’d turned to Daniel because she trusted him
completely, but perhaps she’d made a terrible
mistake. She felt a lump in the back of her
throat and couldn’t speak.
Before her feelings could be crushed, he
continued. “You should have called me, and I
would have brought the cash to you so I could
look the bastard eye to eye and tell him never
to show his face again in this desert unless he
planned on being buried here.”
Candy started to say something, but nothing
would come out. Daniel walked over to a large
painting on the wall and removed it, revealing a
safe in the wall. With his back to her, he began
to open it. “How much do you need?”
“Daniel, I will pay you back.”
“No, damnit, you won’t, because while you’re
here, we’re going to talk about something else,
too. How much do you need though? Right now, how
much do you need?”
“He wants ten grand, and I have about five
thousand cash.” She was embarrassed to even say
the figure, but she had just purchased her
sports car and paid for it on the spot. Five
grand was all she had to her name.
Daniel pulled out several stacks of cash and
slammed the safe shut. He walked over to her and
threw the heap of green bills on the coffee
table as he slumped down into the cushions
beside her. His bruised cheekbone was beginning
to shine, and Candy went to gently stroke his
face.
“Daniel, you shouldn’t have gotten into it with
your friend.”
“He’s no longer considered a friend.”
“That’s downright ridiculous.”
“Is it?”
“It is.” Candy smiled softly at him, and he
wanted to assault her lips with his own but had
other things he needed to get off his chest
first.
He touched the same hand that was stroking his
skin and brought it to his lips for a loving
kiss. “I don’t think so, Candy. I think it is
time we had a little talk.”
Her heart seemed to thump a bit harder and then
it almost stopped beating altogether. She wasn’t
sure, but she thought she might be looking at a
man ready to profess his love for her, and it
couldn’t have come at a better time—or worse.
“You have fun with me, don’t you?” His voice was
steady as he looked deep into her eyes. She
could see the love. She could feel it. She had
noticed it more and more when she spent time
with him.
She made light of his comment by saying the
first thing that came to mind. “Daniel, you know
I do. We have a great time together.” Her hand
trailed up his leg, hoping to find him rising to
the occasion and willing to take her to the
point of no return.
“Stop, Candy. We’re not having sex.” He never
moved her hand, but his verbal command kept her
from sliding antsy fingers under his gym shorts.
She swallowed hard as she watched Daniel
struggle to find the words he wanted to say. He
appeared vulnerable, even though his masculine
six foot four frame supported a well-toned body,
which only added to his rugged good looks. He
ran his hands through his sandy blond hair and
continued. “You always do this. You drive me
crazy in bed and then when I want to talk to you
about, well anything serious, you bolt.”
“You want to talk to me serious? About the money
or—”
He cut her off. “No! Not about the damned money
and you know it. Money doesn’t matter to me. It
never has.” His baby blues were piercing, and
for a moment she thought they looked red more
than any other color.
“Okay, I’m listening Daniel. It sounds serious,
and I’m seriously listening.” She moved into him
as she said it, propping her arm up on the back
of the sofa and swinging her leg over his thigh.
“Give it to me straight,” she added with a wink.
