Fair Game Inc (2010) (29 page)

Amber flailed against him, forgetting for an instant that her hands were bound and she couldnAEt touch him. Glancing past Grayson, she found Heck pinned to the floor by Roger. oHe wears the keys on a ring on his belt.o

Heck bucked against Roger as Grayson bent over him. It took both of them to hold him to the ground while Grayson relieved him of his weighty key ring.

Metal cuffs fell away. Amber felt the pinprick rush of circulation returning to her hands. Grayson helped her sit up, while he went to work on the coarse rope that bound her feet.

Circulation only brought a wave of shudders. Her teeth chattered noisily. She couldnAEt stop shaking.

oHang on.o Grayson draped his jacket over her coat. With a worried look in her direction, he brought the handcuffs over to Roger.

oSit up,o Roger ordered. When Heck would have made a run for the hallway, Grayson wrenched his arms behind his back and tightened the handcuffs.

The look James Heck shot in her direction sent another wave of shudders down her spine. oItAEs not over, Amber Babe--o

oShut up!o Roger shook him roughly. Knocking Heck back onto the concrete, he used his weight to hold him in place while Grayson secured his feet.

Satisfied Heck wasnAEt going anywhere, Roger pulled out his cell phone. Amber looked up to find Grayson standing before her.

oCan you stand?o He rubbed gently at her chafed ankles, urging circulation back into her calves and thighs. She leaned against him, not caring if the warm salt of her tears soaked his shirt. He drew her close, burrowing under the layers of their jackets, warming her with his body.

oOh God, Grayson!o Violent shudders wracked her body. oIAEm so sorry about all those horrible things I said the other night. I do love you. I do want to marry you. The whole time I was here I kept thinking IAEd never see you again, and the only thing youAEd remember of me was our argument.o

oHush, Amber.o Placing a finger beneath her chin, he looked intently into her eyes. oItAEs going to be all right. We have the rest of our lives to make it up to each other.o

****

Two hours later, and still Amber couldnAEt get warm. She sat in RogerAEs Porsche, running down his battery by blasting the heater. Police swarmed through the basement. The ropes that had bound her legs disappeared into an evidence bag. The bruises on her wrists and ankles were cataloged as thoroughly. SheAEd recounted the story of her ordeal at least three times and still she was due downtown tomorrow to make a statement. Grayson wanted to take her to the hospital. Roger offered to drive. The police wanted to fingerprint, prod and question some more. But Amber just wanted to go home.

Which was the crux of the problem.

She hadnAEt slept in her own apartment in weeks now. In fact, the crowded rooms made her claustrophobic. She longed for the wide open space of GraysonAEs loft schoolhouse, the expanse of his wide bed.

But the last time theyAEd been there together, theyAEd fought bitterly. Now that James Heck was in police custody, the matter of their life together still needed to be resolved.

So, she sat in RogerAEs car, while the police questioned Grayson and Roger for the millionth time. And James Heck glared at her from the back of a police cruiser.

Finally, the police released Grayson and Roger. The convoy of cruisers pulled out of the parking lot. Amber saw James Heck twist in the seat to shoot a last hate-filled glare in her direction before they disappeared around a corner.

And then it was Grayson sliding into the seat beside her, lifting her into his lap. His arms tightened around her, as if he tried to heal her with the force of his embrace. The heat of his body began to warm her, and she felt herself slipping off into a doze. Dimly, she was aware of Roger sliding into the seat beside them, of the car motor roaring to life. Warm and safe at last, Amber drifted off to sleep.

She awoke to golden flickering light and the sound of water running. Drowsily, she lifted her head to find GraysonAEs loft aglow with candles. Towers of them burned on his dresser, along the headboard and lit up the bathroom beyond. She struggled from the mummy-like wrappings of his down quilt and jumped when he appeared in the doorway, a towel draped over one arm.

oMadam, your bath is ready.o

oBath?o she asked in a pitiful attempt at humor. oDo I smell that bad?o

His worried expression cracked into a smile. He gathered her into his arms and pressed a kiss on the top of her tousled hair. oYou smell just fine to me. But itAEs just what you need to work the kinks out of those muscles.o

He was wearing a pair of worn sweats, his chest bare in the heat. Fires burned in both of the fireplaces and heAEd moved the electric heater close to the bed. Nuzzling into the center of his chest, she found the downy hairs damp with sweat. But he said nothing, made no move to turn down the heat.

GraysonAEs hands moved in slow circles at the base of her neck, urging her abused muscles to relax. Now that it was over, she found every muscle ached with fatigue. Muscles she didnAEt even know she had cried out in individual agony. And beneath it all the sick feeling of relief and exhaustion.

Warm fingers brushed her flesh as he fumbled with the tiny buttons of her blouse. His hands drifted over her skin as he spread the cloth wide and moved behind to unfasten the clasp of her bra. Desire flickered in their wake, a smoldering ember. oGrayson, I need--o

oHush.o His lips covered hers in a gentle, soothing kiss. oI know what you need.o His fingers strayed to the zipper of her pants.

Soon she stood naked before him, pressed against the soft cotton of his sweats. Which did nothing to hide the arousal he could no longer conceal.

But then he was lifting her, carrying her easily toward the claw-foot tub in his candle lit bathroom. Heat steamed the windows and the mirror, but the water was pleasingly warm. As soon as she sank into it, Amber felt her eyes closing.

GraysonAEs hands moved tenderly over her, massaging sore muscles, washing away the smell of mold and rot. She smelled the familiar scent of his shampoo, felt his hands sink into her crimson curls as he soaped her hair. She ducked her head under the water to rinse. Eyes dark as night looked back at her as she surfaced.

oGrayson--o she began, having no clue what she would say next. But he sealed her lips with one finger.

oAmber, I love you.o When she would have said more, he covered her mouth in a gentle kiss. oMore than anything else in this world.o He knelt beside the tub on one knee.

Then his expression clouded and he looked around as if heAEd forgotten something. oHang on!o he said, panicked. She heard his rapid-fire footsteps on the ladder, then him padding across the wooden floor below. The refrigerator door opened, then shut. He knelt again beside her. oI know I didnAEt do this the right way last time.o He reached into the water for her hand and slid the metal tab from a pop can onto her finger. oBut it would make me the happiest man in the world if you would marry me.o

oYou still want me?o she asked hoarsely, feeling the pressure of tears building once again. oAfter all the awful things we said?o

He pulled her against him, heedless of the water that sloshed over the side of the tub. oI donAEt intend to let you out of my sight, so you might as well marry me Amber.o

Amber leaned against him, warm and safe. An unfamiliar feeling of peace washed over her, as she felt the depth of her love for him, free at last of the fear and doubt that had plagued her for so long. She looked down at the flattened metal ring on her finger and laughed.

oSo?o

She heard the fear in his tone, and answered him with a kiss that left no doubt as to her feelings. oOf course IAEll marry you, Counselor.o

oSoon?o he prompted, as if she might change her mind. She wouldnAEt, Amber thought. During the long night in HeckAEs company sheAEd been plunged into the darkest regions of her soul. Life had given her a second chance, a life with Grayson.

His hand closed over hers, covering the impromptu ring.

oSoon,o she agreed.

oWill you hold still!o Grayson tugged at the ends of the ascot he vainly attempted to fasten around RogerAEs neck, forcing his brother to stop fidgeting. Grayson suppressed a smile. RogerAEs restlessness stemmed from the fear that after all theyAEd been through to repair their relationship, Sandy would develop cold feet and leave him at the altar.

Aside from fretting that heAEd never get Roger properly dressed, Grayson realized he had no such reservations about Amber. SheAEd be there, on time and looking gorgeous.

No, the cold feet were definitely RogerAEs. It was GraysonAEs job to see he got to the church on time. Grayson had solved the problem by dogging RogerAEs footsteps for the past three days, even putting up with his company as an overnight guest the night before the wedding. Which left Amber to find somewhere else to spend her last evening as a single woman. SheAEd willingly agreed, practically fleeing the house.

oSpend the evening watching two confirmed bachelors have a nervous breakdown?o sheAEd remarked halfway out the door with her overnight bag. oNo thanks!o But then sheAEd come back in and kissed him thoroughly, reminding him what he was missing. oSee you tomorrow,o she said, then added pointedly, oYou too, Roger.o

The double wedding had been RogerAEs idea. If they were both planning weddings, why not share the expenses, he reasoned. Why celebrate just New YearAEs Eve when they could be celebrating their marriages as well. Deep down, Grayson knew the real reason. If Roger was going to take the plunge, he wanted company.

Aside from the bow tie, the tuxedo he had to wear, and the flower pinned to his lapel, it didnAEt seem so bad so far. Friends and relatives were coming from all over to drink champagne, to wish them well, to marvel that the Charles brothers were finally getting married.

Outside fat snowflakes rapidly covered the ground in white. Enough snow to snarl traffic and cause delays everywhere. Grayson wasnAEt worried. Amber would make allowances for the weather. Amber always had a Plan B, usually even a Plan C. And they werenAEt taking off for Hawaii until tomorrow.

Roger was a bundle of nerves. He paced, fretted, re-pinned his boutonniere for the millionth time, and creased the ascot Grayson just finished tying.

oStop messing with it!o

Grayson resisted the urge to reach and slap his hand. Spending the past couple of days with Roger had been worse than baby-sitting a hyperactive two year old. He was honored that Roger wanted to share the most important day of his life. But the last nerve wracking hours before the wedding and the imposed closeness of having both of them under one roof frayed his nerves.

Roger, he thought with a deep sigh of relief, was not going to Hawaii. When Roger had offered to make their wedding a double, he feared his brother would suggest they double up on the honeymoon as well. Sandy had her heart set on Bermuda as a honeymoon destination, and Roger had happily complied. Though there was little he wouldnAEt do for his twin, all his thoughts were for Amber and the two weeks they planned to spend together far away from the distractions of work. And family.

The police held custody of James Heck. John Barlow had finally been charged with embezzling. Though Barlow had managed to raise his bail money, the courts would decide his fate. With his partnership with Barlow dissolving, Belaoussoff, Bekar, Karulis and Lacey had offered Grayson a place in their firm.

Not again, Grayson had decided. The only partnership heAEd have from now on was one with Amber. Deciding to take his chances starting his own firm, heAEd hired Amber permanently to do his investigative work. Amber he could trust.

RogerAEs fidgeting brought his thoughts back to the present. His twin threatened to unravel his hard won composure completely.

Why had he ever agreed to hold the wedding at his house? Though the setting was idyllic, the scenery stunning in winter, if theyAEd married in a church in town, he could have locked Roger in a hotel room for the night and at least have got himself some sleep.

Too late, he thought with a glance into the living room that now hosted chairs neatly arranged to form rows and aisles. Guests arrived by the minute, in spite of the holiday and the bad weather. The hum of conversation mingled with the festive smell of pine and roses. No, best to marry in his house, so they could cherish the memory of their wedding each day.

In a few short hours the festivities would be over. Roger would be SandyAEs problem.

Amber would be his forever.

The start of a new year and a new life. He couldnAEt stop a smile from working its way across his face. Until he looked up to find Roger scowling out the window.

oWhat is it now?o

oTheyAEre late.o

oHow late? Thirty seconds?o

oItAEs already five after six.o

oAnd the weatherAEs bad. Relax, Roger. TheyAEll be here.o

****

oHeAEll be there!o Amber clasped her hand over SandyAEs. The warm interior of the limousine was an oasis from the snow rapidly turning the city to chaos. Another few miles to go. TheyAEd make it with just minutes to spare.

oWhat if weAEre late?o

oThey can wait five minutes.o