Everything Bared (Six-Alarm Sexy) (13 page)

Coco dropped her muzzle onto her paws and closed her lids. Dani laughed. “Uh-uh. We’ve got to go inside. Will’s already here.”

At hearing Will’s name, Coco perked up. She sat on her haunches and barked as though saying, “Well? What are we waiting for?”

Still chuckling, Dani picked up the bouquet she’d bought on the way over and got out of the car. She secured Coco’s leash and together they walked around the Caldwells’ house and into the big backyard where everyone was gathered.

Almost immediately, she spotted Will surrounded by his brothers. They seemed caught up in a friendly debate. All of them were talking loudly and gesticulating. Will was smiling and far more relaxed than he had been at the last family barbeque she’d attended.

Despite having gone to the office that morning, he was casually dressed in a pair of dark green chinos and a beige polo shirt. Didn’t beat his jeans, but he looked super-hot in anything—or nothing at all. She grinned, remembering him bound to his leather desk chair, his head tilted back and his mouth open in the throes of orgasm.

Her heart started to race and heat climbed up her neck and face. Christ, what a night they’d had. She’d trusted Will, had opened herself up to him, opened herself up to rejection. But he hadn’t pushed her away. No. He’d gone along with everything. Had even seemed to revel in it. She hadn’t missed the glint in his eyes when he’d realized he was in control of the scene, in control of
her
. He’d handled everything perfectly, and she couldn’t wait to learn what else he’d be willing to do, how far she could push him.

Deep in her chest, warmth spread, but at the same time, she found it difficult to breathe. Was she having a panic attack? Shit. She
never
panicked. Not even when fired burned all around her, when sweat poured from her body inside her bunker suit, and her lungs and eyes burned from the smoke despite her SCBA. Not even when it looked like there was no way out. Nope. She was calm under pressure. Always.

Turning quickly, she headed back to the front of the house. She just needed to calm down before she joined the others. What was wrong with her? It had to be fatigue. When she reached the gate, she heard the dull thud of feet on the ground behind her, and then a hand grabbed her arm.

“Danielle, you weren’t leaving, were you?” Will’s gorgeous face had concern written all over it. He lifted his hand and tested her cheek with the back of his fingers. “You seem a little flushed. Are you okay?”

She sank into his touch. The night of the big earthquake, she’d admitted to Erica that she was in love with Will. She’d meant it in the I-have-the-hots-for or the I-have-a-crush-on sense. Then. But right now, staring into his denim blue eyes, she knew it was much more than that. Knew this was a man she could love in the death-do-us-part sense. Knew this was a man who had the power to break her heart.

Knew this was a man who
would
break her heart.

He bent down and pressed his mouth to hers. His touch was light and tender. Caring. When he released her, he pulled back a little. “Danielle?”

She rubbed her lips together, taking in his taste. “I’m okay. Just thought I’d left something in the car.”

“What is it? I’ll get it for you.”

“I was mistaken,” she said with a smile. “Everything I need is right here.”

He tilted his head and studied her for a few moments before returning her smile. He scratched Coco’s head, then straightened and clasped Dani’s hand in his. “All right then. Come say hi to everyone. Chloe’s been driving us all crazy asking for you and Coco every two minutes.”

“Will?”

“Yes?”

She raised their joined hands, staring at them pointedly. Then she cocked a brow. His face colored and his expression turned sheepish. “Sorry.” He brought their hands to his lips and kissed her knuckles before releasing her.

Something in her belly skittered sideways at the heat in his eyes, at the reluctance in his voice. Oh God. She was in too deep, and it was going to be hell when their arrangement ended. His hand slid to the dip of her spine, just above her butt. He guided her deeper into the yard where the Caldwells were gathered.

And then she knew.

Years of hurt in exchange for one month of bliss; it was a deal she’d never regret making. Will was worth that and so much more.

“Hey, guys. Look who’s finally here,” Will announced as they approached the patio. Chloe let out a squeal of delight and, as best she could with her walking cast, darted around and even between several pairs of legs to get to them. Knowing what was coming, Dani handed the flowers to Will and knelt beside Coco, holding her leash tightly.

“Dani!” Chloe shouted as she launched herself into Dani’s open arms.

Dani hugged Jamie and Erica’s daughter against her chest. “I’ve missed you, squirt. How’s the leg?”

“The doctor said it’s almost better. He’s going to take the cast off soon.”

“I can’t wait to kick your butt at soccer,” Dani teased.

Chloe laughed and turned to Coco. “Can I pet her?”

“Sure. Remember what I taught you?”

“Let her sniff my hand first?”

“Exactly.” Dani squeezed the little girl lightly, enjoying the chubby arms around her neck. And the joy in her blue eyes, so much like those of her uncle. Dani wondered, wished. Then firmly shoved the dream into the secret box at the back of her mind.

She kept a close eye on Chloe as Coco sniffed her knuckles. A pair of sneakers Dani knew well came into view. “Hey, did your watch break, or were you too busy snoring to make it here on time?” Jamie teased. He was her boss, but they were friends too. And since the earthquake, she and Jamie’s wife had become close as well. Always more comfortable around men, Dani cherished her friendship with Erica. It gave her a perspective she didn’t get from her coworkers, or even from her sister.

Standing, she gave Jamie a quick hug. “You’re looking a little worse for wear yourself, LJ.”

The skin under his eyes was darker than usual, and he hadn’t shaved. But his eyes twinkled, and he laughed when Erica snuck under his arm. “Rickie had some plans for me this morning.”

Erica’s cheeks flushed, making it quite clear exactly what those plans had been.

Beside her, Will muttered, “Lucky bastard,” as his hand briefly skated over the curve of Dani’s ass. Her breath hitched at the sensation, a tingling that spread until it encompassed her hips and belly. She breathed and tried to get herself under control.

Apparently, she was doing a piss-poor job of hiding her reaction. Erica grabbed the leash, handing it to Will, and hooked her arm through Dani’s to lead her away. “Let’s get you something to drink,” she said loudly. Leaning in close, she whispered, “Then you’re going to pretend this is an episode of Oprah and tell me what the heck is going on between you and William.”

Erica had shared more with Dani than she’d ever wanted to know about Jamie’s relationship with his wife. Although Erica would keep her secrets, Dani just wasn’t ready to share. Wasn’t ready to bring her dream into the light of day and dissect it. Wasn’t ready to admit she was a fool for loving a man who wanted something she could never give.

Will’s mother, Caroline, stepped out of the house and set a huge tray of food on the outdoor table. Then she clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention. “Lunch is ready. Come and eat while it’s still hot.”

Thrilled with the interruption, Dani breathed a sigh of relief. She went to the table and pulled out a chair. Will wrapped Coco’s leash around the armrest of her chair and placed a bottle of Corona in front of her, a wedge of lime bobbing in the bubbling liquid. Despite how much she tried, she could not stop the smile curving her lips. He winked and plopped down into the chair beside her. Under the table, he rested his hand on her thigh.

Oh God. How was she going to get through this meal without giving away the truth?

Under cover of the tablecloth, William slipped his fingers between Danielle’s cotton-clad thighs. He loved the white capri pants she wore today, but a skirt would have been better—easier access. The heat that enveloped his hand had him flashing back to two nights ago, to being buried deep inside her. His cock went rock hard, and he squeezed her leg to channel his reaction.

Jesus.
He had to be insane. Sitting here, surrounded by his family, all he could think about was having sex with the woman beside him. How she’d thrown her head back and screamed his name when she’d come. Over and over. All night long. While it had started out as fucking—he shuddered at the power he’d felt when tied to that chair—it had turned to lovemaking, an exchange of pleasure and power, as they’d taken turns leading. His bed, his shower, and the kitchen counter had all been christened. And if his cock had anything to say about it, they’d soon be christening the rest of the condo.

Danielle was on furlough for the next four days, and he planned to make the most of her time off. How long had it been since his last vacation? Heck, how long since he hadn’t worked on a weekend? Too long. Maybe he should take a few days off as well. Time was flying by, and he wanted to get to know Danielle a lot better before she moved back to her own place, before their arrangement ended. Feeling pain in the vicinity of his heart, he rubbed his chest.

From her place to his left, his mother wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “Is everything okay, sweetheart? I know things are rough at work….”

He smiled and kissed her cheek. “I’m fine, Mom. We’ll get through this.”

“With you in charge, I know we will.”

“Um… Dad’s still the CEO.”

She squeezed his shoulder. “Keep telling yourself that.”

When she turned to talk to Chad, William picked up his scotch and emptied it, sighing as the liquid burned a path to his stomach. His mother’s words, meant to be encouraging, only stressed him more. Everyone was depending on him to see the company through this latest crisis, a crisis more than ten years in the making. So many lives, so many futures, were in the balance. For all intents and purposes, the company was his to save—or lose.

Something cold and wet touched his fingers where they hung over the chair’s armrest. Coco nuzzled him again. Could she sense his turmoil? He dug his fingers into the warm fur on her neck and scratched. It was oddly soothing to caress the animal this way. He smiled, and some of the tension left his shoulders.

Danielle sipped her Corona, her gaze taking everything in. The gleam in her eyes was slightly mocking, but pleased at the same time.

Yes, the dog hater was turning into a Coco fan. Just one of the many ironies in his life.

Once everyone was served and had started digging into their chicken brochettes with rice pilaf, the conversation picked up. Jamie, Drew, and Chad talked about work, and how the city was making slow progress on repairs after the earthquake. The King County Courthouse had been a top priority, and Erica was already back at work.

“How is it, being back there, Erica?” Danielle asked, and by the expressions on everyone’s faces, William wasn’t alone in never having considered that returning to the scene of the near death of her daughter and husband might be hard on her.

“Guys, really? It shouldn’t take a master’s in psychology to know this would be difficult for Erica,” Tori said into the stunned silence.

“It’s strange, and a bit… unsettling. Luckily, they’ve moved our offices to a different floor,” Erica said.

Her lips thinned and Jamie hugged her to him. “Christ, Rickie. I never even thought of how going back to work would affect you. If you want to quit or transfer or whatever, I’m good with that.”

She rested a hand on her belly. “It’s okay for now. Later… we’ll see.” Jamie’s eyes widened, then he grinned.

What the hell was that all about? William snuck a glance at Danielle, who beamed at the couple sitting across from her. If her smile seemed a little forced, he was sure no one else noticed. Again, what the hell was that all about?

Was Danielle crushing on Jamie? She had come to visit often when Jamie was living with him. Had Danielle and Jamie had an affair while Jamie had been separated from Erica? He’d never guessed it, but… Well, whatever. Maybe he’d ask her about it someday. The facts remained—regardless of what might have happened in the past, she was with him now. Sort of.

Shit.
He understood why she wanted to keep their relationship secret. Hell, he wanted that too. It was in both their best interests. Still, he didn’t like it. Didn’t like it at all. All he knew was that right now, he wanted to hug her, find out why she was upset, and comfort her if he could. But his hands were tied. And not in a good way.

His father, who’d sat at the head of the table, not engaging in any conversation, cleared his throat loudly. The stiff back, the throbbing vein in his temple, the reddened face, the lack of exuberance, had all been clear signs to William that William Caldwell III was royally pissed. All of William’s muscles clenched. Certain the subject of conversation was going to put him right in the hot seat, William raised his chin and met his father’s stare.

All of a sudden, he wished Danielle weren’t there. He wanted her to see him as an independent man. Someone who was her equal in confidence and mental fortitude, not a boy about to be scolded by his angry father. He gripped his thighs to keep from preempting the conversation.