Chapter Fourteen
She was trying to read when her phone rang. Sleep was very far away. Don and Caitlin had retired to their room hours ago, but she was still too hyped up from everything that had happened.
Caitlin had given her a copy of her mother’s latest romance. Dana was hoping she’d be feeling sleepy by now, but the book was a bit steamier than any of the previous ones Caitlin’s mom had written, and sleep was now even further away.
“You okay?” Dana heard David’s voice in her ear, and she relaxed.
If she were to be honest, she’d hoped to hear from him.
“Yeah. I think so. Caitlin and Don have been so kind. I feel terrible that I’ve been such a nuisance.”
David swore softly and she had to smile.
“You have such a way with words!” she teased.
“We’ll do anything for you. Surely you know that?” He was clearly irritated.
Did he realize what he was saying? But before she could say anything else, he continued.
“With everything that happened today, I didn’t get a chance to talk to you. Well,” he said, and now she could hear the smile, “I kissed you, but we never talked.”
She inhaled sharply. “David!”
“What? That’s what happened, isn’t it? That’s what always happens when I’m around you. I turn into a randy teenager!” He was clearly not very happy with the idea.
“Well, then don’t be around me,” she joked, hoping to lighten the conversation, because she was suddenly feeling so hot.
It was quiet for so long, she thought he’d hung up.
“David?” she asked into the silence, sitting upright in the bed.
“What I wanted to tell you was that I was able to track down when Jordan bought the house in Kleinmond.”
It took her a few second to realize he’d changed the topic completely. When his words finally penetrated finally penetrated her befuddled brain, she anxiously clutched the phone with both hands.
“Yes?”
“It was just after the trial. For six million South African rand. Exactly how he paid for it isn’t clear, but what I do know is that he didn’t take out a bond.”
“Six million!” She breathed, her brain working overtime. “Where did the money come from, do you know?”
“I’m not quite sure, but I’m working on it. I’ve also made inquiries about Hastings. There were rumors he might be eligible for early parole because of his health. And apparently, he’ll be out on bail soon.”
“After only two years? What about all the millions that were lost?” Dana asked.
“Well, it is, of course, still a question—what happened to the money. As I’ve said before, there is a story here, one I’m determined to uncover.”
His words sent a chill down her spine. She still had to tell him she’d also been to the Johnson house. “Please just promise me you’ll be careful. I don’t like the way these people operate. They seem to be a law unto themselves.”
“Worried about me?” David asked.
Now it was her turn to be quiet. What should she call this strange concern for David’s well-being? She couldn’t bear the thought that anything bad might happen to him, that he might get hurt. In fact, her stomach churned when the thought about it.
“Dana?” he asked.
She could ignore his question like he had ignored hers. But he’d come to her today when she’d needed him. So she’d try to be honest.
“Yeah, I worry about you.”
He inhaled sharply. “You know what you do to me when you say something like that?” He groaned.
Her eyes closed. The man’s voice alone turned her insides to mush. It was a very good thing he wasn’t next to her, or she would have jumped all over him.
“David …”
“Can I take you out tomorrow night?” he asked.
“As in a date?”
He laughed. “Yes, as in a date.”
She should say no. This had no future. There could be no happily ever after with him. What did a school teacher from Hermanus have in common with a hotel tycoon? The mere thought was ridiculous. He had his choice of beautiful women; he was merely toying with her.
“Just say yes. You don’t have to analyze everything to death, you know.”
“Okay, yes.” There would be enough time afterward to cry about all the wrong decisions she’d made.
“I’ll pick you up around seven? And Dana?”
“Yes?”
“I like being around you, so that’s not going to change any time soon.” And before she could utter another word, the line was dead.
She stared at the phone. Her whole body was tingling as if he’d been here, as if he’d touched her.
Rolling her eyes, she flopped back on the bed.
She’d been threatened today; someone had left a dead cat with a warning note on her porch.
And what was the only thing she could think of in the middle of the night? David.
With a groan, she switched off her light. She might as well close her eyes. Reading about a hot hero with clever hands was not sleep inducing.
*
“You have gorgeous legs—it’s summer, show them off!” Caitlin smiled as she passed a tiny blue lace dress on to Dana. “Did David say where he was taking you?” she asked as she went through the dresses on the rail in a lovely boutique.
Dana took the dress. Caitlin in a shop was an unstoppable force—that Dana had discovered when they were still in school.
From experience, Dana knew it was no use complaining.
She just had to go with the flow. She didn’t have to buy anything; these things were way more expensive than she could afford anyway, but she’d try them on.
Over breakfast, she’d told Caitlin David was picking her up tonight, and before she knew it, Donato had been dropped off with his grandma Rosa, and they’d hit the shops.
“Go try that one while I see if I can find anything else,” Caitlin said while riffling through the clothes.
“As long as it’s not shorter,” Dana said and looked at the tiny piece of clothing on the hanger.
It was a beautiful dress, but she didn’t normally wear her dresses this short.
She didn’t normally have money to buy anything else besides clothes she could wear to work.
This was definitely not something she could wear to class, and there was no way she would let David see her in this dress…
His eyes would darken and smolder, and he would draw her closer, touch her—
“Do you need any help?” a shop assistant asked nearby.
“Um, n-no,” Dana stuttered and scurried away to try on the dress. The damn man wasn’t even here, and she was getting all hot and bothered just thinking about him.
Minutes later, she stared at herself. Was that really her? She turned around to look at the back of the dress, and the curtain opened.
“Dana!” Caitlin cried out and opened the curtain wider. “You look absolutely stunning. This is it; you have to take this,” Caitlin insisted.
For the first time Dana looked down at the price tag and groaned.
“It’s way too expensive,” she said and pulled down the zipper.
“I just bought a car, remember? And anyway, I have something I can wear. But it was lovely trying on all these beautiful clothes. I never get time to do this during the school term,” she babbled.
Caitlin had a stubborn look on her face, but Dana was determined not to be persuaded. She had enough money to pay for the dress—that was, if she didn’t eat for the rest of the month. And that was just plain silly.
“Let me get into my own clothes, and we’ll go for coffee and cheesecake.” She closed the curtain in front of Caitlin.
Caitlin was quite cheerful when they left the small boutique, and she took Dana’s arm. Dana looked suspiciously at her friend. Caitlin didn’t usually let go of something once she’d put her mind to it.
“Motherhood is good for you.” Dana smiled and patted her friend’s hand.
*
Of course, that evening she realized why Caitlin had been so pleased with herself.
“I told you I can’t afford the dress,” she said exasperatedly and tried to hand it back to Caitlin.
“I know. And it’s not your dress; it’s mine. I’m lending it to you, like I’ve done a thousand times before.” Caitlin smiled broadly.
Dana stared at the dress. She was wearing one of the dresses Caitlin had packed for her and had just been thinking how much nicer she had looked in the blue one she’d tried on when Caitlin knocked on her door. And here was the dress.
“Come on,” Caitlin cajoled, pulling down the zipper of the dress Dana had on. “I even have shoes to match,” she said excitedly.
Dana wanted to be angry, but Caitlin’s enthusiasm was contagious and within minutes she was dressed in the blue number.
“Sexy dress plus killer heels.” Caitlin giggled, handing her a pair of exquisite shoes.
Dana stared at the beautiful pair of blue sandals in the exact same color as the dress. In awe, she touched them. “They’re beautiful, but where did you get them?”
“Just something I picked up later today. Aren’t they beautiful?” Caitlin breathed. “Come, we wear the same size. You can be the first to wear them.”
“Caitlin, really, I have shoes,” she said crossly.
“I know, but you’re only borrowing these—what’s the harm in that?” Caitlin smiled.
Dana sighed and took the shoes from her friend. “I know manipulation when I see it,” she grumbled but put on the shoes. They were, of course, a perfect fit and looked gorgeous with the dress.
“Dana! Caitlin!” Don called from downstairs. “David’s here!”
“Come on, I’ll comb your hair, and you still need lipstick. I can’t wait to see David’s face when he sees you in this.”
Dana stared at her reflection for a few seconds.
This was all just make-believe. Tomorrow morning she’d wake up, the shoes and dress would be gone, and she would go back to her normal life.
“Thanks, friend. But please remember, this is just a dinner date. David is helping me because he still feels guilty about my dad. As soon as he has unraveled the story, he’ll move on to the next woman—you know that; I know that.”
“I know nothing of the sort. From what I’ve seen so far, he can’t keep his eyes or hands off you. Come on, you look beautiful!” she sang and pulled Dana out of the room.
*
“Drink?” Don asked but David shook his head. “No, thanks, I’ll be driving,” he said and looked toward the top of the stairs where Dana would appear any minute now.
Don laughed and slapped him on the back.
“You’ve got it bad, man,” he said and poured a glass of wine for himself.
David shrugged. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Don pointed toward the stairs. “You’ve been staring at those stairs ever since you arrived.” He cocked his head. “You got a thing for our Dana?”
David frowned. “No one’s got a thing for anyone. I’m helping her find out what really happened with the Hastings case. As you very well know, I feel I owe it to her. I’m taking her for a meal. That’s all there is to—”
A movement on the stairs caught his eye, and there was Dana.
Something hit him in the gut—hard. A gasp escaped before he could prevent it.
She looked gorgeous and sexy as hell. Pale blue lace gently hugged her generous breasts, fitted perfectly over the rest of her body, and ended high above her knee, leaving her gorgeous legs bare.
His fingers tingled, and before he knew it, he was standing at the bottom of the stairs, holding out his hand to her. She descended, one step at a time, and he noticed the shoes. He was a dead man. The high heels made her legs look even longer, even sexier.
Don barked out a laugh, but David ignored it. Caitlin called out a greeting, and he nodded but his eyes never left Dana.
A small smile hovered on her lips when she reached the bottom of the stairs.
“You look amazing.” He bent down. He simply had to kiss her.
He swallowed the small gasp on her lips and pulled her closer.
“Well, are you two sure you want to go out?” Don asked behind him. “We have a few empty rooms upstairs.”
David kissed Dana again. “Yes, we’re going out.” He pulled Dana’s hand through his bent arm.