Sex, Lies and Valentines (28 page)

It was a testament to her respect for Hunter—their history and the fact that he was her boss—that she didn’t just turn and run.

“Fine. Until the toast,” she agreed. And not one second longer, she vowed as she slid onto the glossy bench. Her car was out front, packed and ready to go. If she thought she could get away with sliding all the way across this bench and heading right back up the aisle without Hunter busting her, she’d do it in a heartbeat.

Then the music started. Caleb and Gabriel stepped out of the antechamber together. She sighed a little at the sight of them, so gorgeous and elegant in steel-gray tuxedos, each with a red rose on their lapel.

As if drawn by a magnet, Gabriel’s eyes immediately found her. He offered a warm, charming smile that immediately set off her warning radar. Why was he smiling at her? What was he up to? And why did it make her stomach tumble like a giddy virgin?

His gaze narrowed, his eyes heating as they wandered over her. Danita had to force herself not to glance down to make sure her blouse was buttoned.

Then the music changed. With difficulty, Danita tore her gaze from Gabriel’s and stood, turning to watch Pandora walk down the aisle on Cassiopeia’s arm. Danita was shocked when tears filled her eyes at the obvious love between the two women. Pandora wore traditional white, her gown a vision of froth and lace with a sweetheart neckline and subtle hearts embroidered over the satin. Looking like the Queen of Hearts, Cassiopeia wore a flowing ruby caftan, crystals dangling and roses arranged in her hair.

Terrified to realize that she wanted the same thing—love and marriage and family—Danita fell, rather than sat, back on the pew. The ceremony was a blur as she struggled with the idea of marriage, commitment and all of the possibilities that came with it. Especially as the only person she’d make that promise to would be Gabriel.

When her eyes met his again, she wasn’t able to keep all the wishes and hopes in her heart from showing on her face. But instead of looking away, or worse, as if seeing that freaked him out, Gabriel held her gaze. Through the entire ceremony. By the end, her hands were shaking.

She had to get out of here.

As soon as the happy couple made their way back up the aisle, she was out of her seat and heading for the door.

A foot away, a tall figure stepped into her path.

“Danita,” Tobias greeted with a big smile. “Let me escort you into the reception hall.”

“You don’t have to do that,” she demurred, trying to find a way to run away and still be polite. He took her arm, though, and led her through the beribboned and flower-strewn hall to the large reception area.

“Please, let me. I’d like to thank you, personally, for everything you did this last week.”

She slanted him a look. “For lying to your family, sneaking into your home under false pretenses and exposing an ugly family secret with continued possible legal repercussions?”

“Well, when you put it that way…” he teased, grinning. Gabriel had his smile, she realized with a sigh. “No. Actually, you brought my son home. You cleared my name and you ended an ugly conspiracy that would have hurt a great many people.”

Gabriel came by his charm honestly. Her lips quirked. “Well, if you want to put it that way…”

She looked around the reception hall, smiling. Roses draped, hearts flowed. It was an ode to love and Valentine’s Day. Then she saw Maya, dressed in red velvet, and a tall, gorgeous blond man. Danita narrowed her gaze. Wasn’t he FBI? She was sure he was. She swore she’d aided peripherally in a case he’d worked.

“Maya’s engaged to a federal agent?” she blurted out.

“She is. A good guy, that Simon. I’m a proud father. One son an officer-of-the-law, my daughter and other son both planning their future with federal agents. Quite a change for an old troublemaker like myself.”

It was like karma coming to Thanksgiving dinner. But that wasn’t Danita’s concern.

“I’m sorry, but I think you misunderstood what’s between Gabriel and me. We only pretended for the case.” Swallowing hard against the burning in her throat, Danita tried to pull away. “I should go. I really should.”

“Danita, stay.” He patted her arm and gave her a look that said he knew she was afraid. “You have a chance at something bigger. At something more lasting than a job well done. Stick around, let me welcome you to our family.”

She shook her head. That he wanted her to be a part of the family, after everything, was amazing to her. But despite his skill at manipulating his family, Tobias wasn’t calling the shots here.

“I’m sorry,” she told him sadly. “But things are over between Gabriel and me.”

“Somehow, I don’t think so,” Tobias said, smiling wide as his glance shifted over her shoulder. With a quick pat to her shoulder, he was gone.

Leaving Danita to take a deep breath and turn to face Gabriel.

“You look good, Blondie,” he said, his eyes eating her up like a dieter locked in a chocolate store. “I’m glad you’re here.”

“Hunter made me,” she muttered, not wanting Gabriel to think she’d crash his family’s celebration.

“I asked him to.”

“Why?”

“We have things to settle.” He looked around the hall, festooned with red hearts and white roses, then hooked his arm around her waist. “Let’s step out on the balcony.”

Needing to know why he wanted her here, terrified to hope, Danita let him guide her onto the chilly flower-festooned stone balcony. But once there, she stepped away. She had trouble thinking when Gabriel touched her, and she had the feeling she was going to need all her available brain cells for this conversation.

“I like this,” he said immediately, running his fingers over the soft cotton of her blouse, a concoction of ruffles and lace that went perfectly with the sedate, ankle-length skirt and old-fashioned kitten-toed boots. “You look sexy.”

For the second time, Danita looked down to make sure she was wearing what she thought she was. “Sexy? Yeah, right.”

“You do. I like this look. It makes me think of how wild you are in bed.”

She resisted the urge to look around and make sure they weren’t overheard.

“This is the real you, isn’t it?” he asked quietly as his fingers combed through her soft curls. “The person who cares about others, who wants them to be happy. The woman who risks her life for her job, then risk her job for someone she cares about.”

Danita swallowed hard, trying to untangle her voice from the fear wrapped around her throat.

“I never said I cared,” she finally managed to croak.

“Oh, babe, you care.”

All she saw was his cocky smile before he leaned in and took her mouth in his. The kiss was sweet with promise, acceptance and something she was terrified to identify. Her heart said it was love. Her brain screamed at her to not think crazy.

Needing to know, even if it hurt, she reluctantly pulled away from those delicious lips to stare at Gabriel.

“Why?” she asked.

“Why not?”

That cleared the fog from Danita’s brain. She gave him an impatient look, not about to be charmed into sidestepping this discussion.

“Because…” he trailed off, looking over her shoulder at the celebration of wedding bliss. “Because I have feelings for you.”

Danita’s heart pounded so loud she couldn’t hear the music any longer. Hope bloomed. Even though she knew it was crazy. Even though she had no idea how they could make it work, she wanted to try. Wanted to believe that they could have a chance.

“What kind of feelings?” she asked cautiously. What if his feelings weren’t as big as her own?

He took a deep breath like a man steeling himself to dive off a burning building and slid his hands into her hair. His fingers cupped the back of her head and he brushed into another soft, sweet kiss. Then he leaned back to give her an intense look that went all the way to the depths of her soul.

“I love you,” he said. Before she could do more than gasp, he continued. “I’m quitting the game. I’ve stashed away enough cash to live a good life while I figure out what to do next. So I’m not asking you to support me or worse, to compromise your beliefs for us to be together. I want to make a life with you. You and me and Pippi. We’re all three a little wild, all three used to being on our own. I think the three of us can make a life together, a legal, all on the up-and-up life.”

The blood was rushing so fast through her head, Danita could barely hear. All she could do was replay his words over and over as she blinked away tears.

“You’re quitting?”

“The cons. The scams. Everything illegal,” he confirmed. Then he grinned his wicked grin. “Not the gambling, though. I’m thinking of hitting the professional poker circuit. I’m good, and it’d keep me on the edge so I didn’t miss the game so much. But that’s legal so it won’t mess with your job, right?”

“You’re really serious?” Shocked, she could only stare, hoping the words would hurry up and sink in. “You’re going to give it all up? I wouldn’t have to quit my job?”

Gabriel winced and shook his head. “Oh baby, no. Never. Your job is way too important to you. I love your passion for it, and how damned good you are. I wouldn’t mind if you cut back on the hooker jobs, but the rest I’m totally behind.”

She laughed. And she believed. He really meant it. They really had a chance.

“I love you,” she told him, wrapping her hands around the back of his neck to pull him close for a kiss, trying to put into it everything she felt and couldn’t say.

GABRIEL FELT AS THOUGH he was drowning in the delight of Danita’s mouth. Pleasure mixed with a relief so strong he could barely stand. Knowing he had to have her soon, he pulled back to finish his declaration of love.

“Look, I’m not very good at this talking thing. Not when it comes to real emotions,” he told her quietly. “But I want you to believe me. I want to make sure you give us a chance.”

He was a man who’d lived his life taking risks. But Gabriel knew he’d never worried as much about an outcome as he was this one right now.

“Pippi’s waiting for us back at the inn. Why don’t we go tell her the good news?” Danita said in a husky whisper that sent shivers of desire down his spine. “Then, maybe you can finish this talking about emotions thing while we’re both naked.”

“I do love you,” he exclaimed, laughing. Grabbing her hand, he headed back into the reception hall at a near run. “Let’s go.”

They made their way through the crowd and across the room. Just as they reached the door, though, his father called out, “Toast.”

Gabriel grimaced.

“So close,” he muttered, making Danita laugh in delight. “Just the toast, then we’re out of here.”

She nodded, her big blue eyes glowing and those full lips, glossy and sweet, curved with joy. This, he realized, was the best game in town. He wasn’t going to miss anything else as long as he had Danita by his side.

He accepted two glasses of champagne from the roving waiter, handing one to Danita before wrapping his arm around her again as they turned to watch Tobias raise his glass.

“Welcome and thank you all for joining us today as we celebrate the love and commitment between my son Caleb and his beautiful bride, Pandora.”

Ever the statesman, Tobias paused for applause, letting it ring through the room then slowly die down before he continued.

“I’m proud and delighted to welcome Pandora to our family. And I have faith that she and Caleb will carry on the tradition of love and devotion. My only regret is that my lovely Celia couldn’t be here to see the culmination of the dreams she had for our children. That they find love. That they embrace happiness. And that they have the strength and devotion to accept commitment and all the work and joy that entails.”

Gabriel glanced at his brother with pride. Caleb had done all of that, just like their parents had. Talk about a stellar example.

“To Caleb and Pandora,” Tobias continued, “I wish you the depths of love and the breadth of happiness that I had with Celia. May you have years of joy together. Cheers.”

A little choked up, Gabriel had to take a few drinks of the bubbly to try and find his voice again.

“Well,” he finally said looking at Danita, “there ya go.”

He was touched to see the tears glistening on her lashes.

“He really believes, doesn’t he?” she whispered, meeting his gaze. “In love. In the power of it?”