Tempting (27 page)

“You mean thanks to the fact that everyone is hoping for juicy gossip to tell their friends,” Dani said bitterly.

Katherine's gaze sharpened. “What happened?”

There was no way Dani was going to mention what she'd overheard in the bathroom. “Some members of the press bought tickets and they tried to talk to me. Honestly, I don't know how you stand this, being in the public eye. I hate it. I'm not good at it and it's not how I want to live my life.”

“There are compensations,” the other woman told her.

Dani was tempted to ask what they were. It wasn't about money and power. Katherine came from a wealthy family. She was a private person; she couldn't actually like being so exposed all the time, could she?

Then Dani remembered watching Katherine with Mark and had her answer. The compensation was that Katherine got to be with the man she loved and make him happy. This was all about Mark.

Thinking about her father brought her back to where she'd been the previous night at the hospital. Where she'd realized that her father's dreams could impact history and that she was in danger of destroying that. Just by showing up, she'd shoved the campaign off course.

“Dani?” Katherine asked. “What's wrong?”

“I've screwed everything up,” Dani said, trying to stay calm despite the feelings welling inside of her. “Those boys would never have attacked Bailey if it hadn't been for me. They recognized me. That's how it all started.”

“That's their fault, not yours.”

Logic. It wasn't helping. “Bailey could have been seriously hurt. They were going to rape her, Katherine. It would have been because they recognized me. Sure, I wouldn't have committed the crime, but how could I have lived with myself afterward?”

“Nothing happened. You're both safe.”

“For how long?” Dani asked. “Who's next? Who else will I ruin in some way? What about you? Don't you hate what I represent? Don't you hate people talking?”

“People will always talk,” Katherine told her. “We can't stop that.”

“You always say the right thing.”

“Not always. Very recently I said the wrong thing.”

Dani dismissed the reference to their conversation about Fiona with a flick of her hand. “That's not important. I mean about the big stuff. You'll deal with me because you have to. You'll smile and pretend it's okay when every time you look at me, I'll break your heart.”

Katherine smiled. “Okay, you're being a little dramatic here. You're not breaking my heart.”

“They hurt you with what they say, what they speculate about. It can't be easy.”

“Dani, stop it. You're taking way too much credit.”

“I don't think so. I need to go.”

“You're giving a speech in five minutes.”

That almost made her smile. “After. Later. I'm leaving Seattle.”

Katherine stared at her. “You're
not
running away.”

“It solves everyone's problems.”

“Shouldn't we be the ones to decide if we want your help in solving the problem?”

“None of you are going to ask me to leave. You wouldn't.” Mark might, she amended, but what was the point in saying that?

Leaving was the only thing that made sense, Dani thought. With her out of the way, life could return to normal. She would go somewhere big. L.A., or maybe New York. There were thousands of restaurants there. She could easily find a job.

“You're not by nature a quitter,” Katherine said quietly. “Why now?”

“It helps the most number of people.”

“What about helping yourself? What about what you want?”

“That doesn't matter.”

“What about Alex?”

Dani didn't have an answer for that. “He'll understand.”

Something shifted in Katherine's eyes. “I don't think he'll understand at all.”

 

D
ANI DIDN'T WANT
to face anyone, deal with the fights and arguments that were sure to follow her telling them her plans. She just wanted to be gone.

Except for Alex, she thought wistfully. She wanted to be with him, in his arms, talking and touching and being together. She wanted so much with him, from him. She wanted to give him everything she was.

She checked her watch and saw he was due to come by in a few minutes. They were supposed to go out to dinner—somewhere nice, he'd promised.

She would like that, she thought wistfully. A quiet dinner with the man she loved. Spending the night with him. But to what end? Wouldn't being with him now make it harder to leave later?

She sank onto the bed in the room she'd been using at Gloria's house. She didn't want to go—not deep down inside. She wanted to stay because this was her world. This was where she belonged. But at what price? How could she be happy with herself if that happiness came at the price of destroying all those around her?

She stood and walked into the bathroom. She'd washed off the makeup she'd carefully applied for the luncheon. The dark bruise under her eye was in sharp contrast to her pale skin. She looked lost and beat-up—which fit exactly how she felt.

She hated this. Hated feeling torn. Hated the sense of there being no good solution to her problem. Hated being controlled by circumstances and other people.

All she'd wanted was to find out where she belonged, to find her family. She'd found them, all right, and because of that, everything was a mess. It was time to start fixing that.

She went downstairs to wait for Alex. She didn't want to think about telling him she was leaving. It was all too sad. So instead she walked through the empty rooms, marveling at the fact that Gloria wasn't here—she was out. With friends. Friends she'd made at the local senior center.

The image of her grandmother scrapbooking with other old ladies made her smile, yet it was happening. Maybe not the scrapbooking, but the hanging out and meeting people. It had been Lori's idea and Gloria had listened.

Dani walked into the living room and stared out at the view of the city. Lori had been good for her grandmother and for Reid. She'd brought the family together. Elissa had healed Walker's heart and given him something to live for. Cal had always been in love with Penny, he'd just been too stubborn to recognize it for what it was.

The doorbell rang. Dani hurried to let in Alex. As he stepped across the threshold, she took in the sight of him. The strong shoulders, the shape of his jaw, that mouth that could always reduce her to a sexual puddle.

She loved him. After more evil frogs than any woman deserved, she'd found a prince. A prince she was going to be leaving.

“Hi,” he said, then bent down and kissed her on the mouth.

She leaned into him, kissing him back, letting her body say what she wouldn't let herself speak. That she loved him. That she would always love him and no matter how far away she had to go, she would never forget him.

“Hi, yourself,” she whispered as he straightened.

“I picked a very special place for dinner,” he told her. “Soft lights. Very romantic. You probably want to brace yourself. You know how being with me makes you weak in the knees.”

She smiled because he was funny and charming and always knew the right thing to say.

“It's a curse,” she said. “You handle it with grace.”

“I know. I use my power for good.” He cupped her face and lightly touched the bruise under her eye. “Seeing that makes me want to go beat the shit out of those three boys.”

“But you won't.”

He hesitated just long enough to let her know that doing the right thing wasn't his first choice. “I won't,” he agreed. He glanced at his watch. “You about ready?”

She took his hand and led him into the living room. When they were settled on the large sofa facing the window, she turned toward him.

“I'm not really hungry,” she said. “I thought we could skip dinner. There are a couple of things I need to—”

“We can't skip dinner,” Alex said, his face tight in an expression she couldn't read. “Dinner is important. I talked to the chef. There's going to be a special dessert. You don't want to miss this. It will be great.”

“Alex, I'm serious.”

“We have to go to dinner.”

“I can't. I…”

He frowned. “Are you sick? Do you need to go back to the hospital?”

“No. I…I'm leaving.”

“What?”

“I'm leaving Seattle. I've already given notice at Bella Roma and I haven't started at Buchanan's, so the timing is good. I need to do this. Go somewhere different. A place where I'm just a stranger. I want my life back. I want to live in my own house and not have the press bother me. I want to stop hurting the people I care about.”

He stood and stared down at her. “What the hell are you talking about? You can't leave Seattle.”

“I have to. It's for the best.”

“It's running away.”

She was disappointed. She'd thought he would at least understand. Although it was gratifying that he was so upset. Maybe her feelings weren't all one-sided.

“Sometimes a strategic retreat is the best thing for everyone,” she said as she stood and faced him. “Please don't be angry with me.”

“Why the hell not? You didn't even discuss this with me. You announce you're leaving and that's it? What happens now? You walk away?”

She nodded slowly, then sucked in a breath as her head began to pound. “Everyone's problems are solved. Katherine won't be hurt anymore. I know what I've done to her and I feel sick about it. Bailey's safe. It will help the campaign.”

He glared at her. “Fuck the campaign. You think the press is going to forget you because you move away? They'll run with the story. As for Bailey, you don't know what would have happened. Those kids were wrong and they'll be punished, but you have no control over their actions or any way to predict them.” He moved toward her. “You're giving up. I never thought you were a quitter.”

Okay, she'd been understanding for long enough. “I'm doing the best thing for the greater good.”

“You're not willing to fight for what you want.”

“I'm not willing to hurt people I care about. You should be grateful. You love Katherine and you know how much having me around has devastated her.”

“Katherine is stronger than you think. What about the father you were so desperate to find? What about finishing what you started?”

“Mark doesn't need me. He needs to be president. He needs you at his side, working for that goal. Not fighting the press about me.”

Alex drew in a breath. “I'm not with the campaign anymore. I haven't told Mark, but I'm leaving.”

Dani stared at him. “You can't. He needs you.”

“He has a very skilled staff who will take care of business. It's not my world. I can't be like him.”

Obviously an announcement hadn't been made or Dani would have heard about it. When the press found out, it was going to be ugly.

“All the more reason for me to leave,” she breathed. “That will disconnect us in the mind of the press.”

“And that's what matters, right?” he asked, sounding bitter. “Good to know which side you fall on. You got political real fast. You really are your father's daughter.”

The unfair accusation hurt nearly as much as her head. “That's not fair. Do you think this is easy for me? I love my new family. I don't want to leave them and I sure as hell don't want to leave my old family, either. I'm making a hard choice for the greater good.”

“It looks pretty easy from here.”

“Then you're not looking hard enough.” She wanted to grab him and shake him. She hadn't wanted them to fight. She thought he would be sad she was leaving. Not angry. So much for fantasies, she thought grimly.

He walked to the window and stared out at the view. Finally he looked back at her. “And us?”

“I don't know how to make it work,” she admitted. “It's too high a price. Even with you leaving the campaign.”

“So we're a casualty of war? It's over?”

No,
she screamed inside. She didn't want it to be over. “I care about you.”

“I feel very special.”

“Don't,” she said and sank back on the sofa. “Don't get cold and sarcastic.”

“How should I act? I thought I mattered to you. I thought this relationship was significant. I thought you were the one I was supposed to be with.” He walked back to her. “You're not the only one with a lousy track record when it comes to relationships. First I fall for a woman who lies about who she is and cheats on me, then I fall for one not strong enough to fight for what matters.”