Dana jumped up, furious.Dejectedly, he rubbed his face.He obviously hadn’t used the right words.
“If that’s your idea of an apology, you have a lot to learn.I told you I’d buy my own car.But no, you had to be in charge; you had to do things your way.Well, I’ve got news for you—I don’t need a big, strong man in my life to buy a car.There is one standing in my garage, which I bought all by my lonesome little self.You’ve done your bit, so you don’t have to feel guilty anymore,” she said, her eyes blazing even though her lower lip was quivering.She smiled bitterly.
David stared at her stubborn chin.Maybe now was not the time to tell her he and the salesman had spoken about the two cars they showed to Dana.He had to make sure she’d get a car in a mint condition.
“And,” she said with a twisted smile, “you even got sex out of the whole business!”
The stab of pain went right to his heart.He stood up slowly.“It was much more than sex and you know it,” he said quietly and tried to catch her eye.
But she refused to look at him.“Just go, David.I’ve had enough confrontation for one day.”Sounding tired, she pointed toward the door.
Swearing under his breath, David strode to the door.There was no reasoning with her tonight.He’d sleep at Don’s house and try again tomorrow morning to speak to her.
Just before he opened the door, he remembered and turned back to her.“I’m sorry about your mother.”
She frowned.“How did you know?”
“Caitlin.I made her tell me, but I also heard you on the phone,” he said honestly and pointed toward the window.“It was open.”
“It’s none of your business.”
The stab of pain he’d just felt intensified.He opened the front door.She was right, of course.He felt responsible for her father’s death, but whatever her mother did or didn’t do wasn’t his concern.
“I…” he heard her say and turned around.
With tired movements, she combed her fingers through her hair.“You were the one who suggested I find out what her situation is.Thank you for that.And it turns out it’s great.Much better than mine, in fact,” she murmured before turning around and heading toward her bedroom.
David stared after her for a few minutes.He had to force himself not to follow her and pick her up in his arms.This urge to protect, to wipe her tears, to prevent someone from hurting her was not something he’d experienced before.
Slowly, he closed the open window and made sure the lock on her door worked before he closed it behind him.To see her like this and not be able to offer his help was ripping his heart out.
After he got into his car, he sat for a while, staring at Dana’s house.What was it with this woman that he couldn’t just walk away?Yes, he felt guilty; he wanted to find out what had really happened, but she obviously didn’t need his help.So why was he sticking around?
He had information he wanted to share with her.It had been easy to find out Sam Jordan bought his house about eighteen months ago.That was one of the reasons he was here, but he could have told her that over the phone.Exchanging information was not why he was here, why he couldn’t stop thinking about her, why he couldn’t keep his hands to himself.
He drove away slowly.Images of Dana kept swirling around his head as if they wanted to tell him something.But he was too tired and feeling too dejected to make sense of what was going on inside of him.
She’d made her feelings clear—she didn’t need him; she thought he was only after her for the sex.
Sex.That word again.But for the life of him, sex didn’t begin to describe what had happened between them.Sex had the connotation of lust and, damn it, what he’d found in Dana’s bed was way more than mere lust.
He opened his car window and welcomed the balmy sea breeze.But he was going to try again to make her listen to him.What did Caitlin say?Oh yes, he’d disregarded her feelings.Maybe he should use that line when he tried to talk to her again tomorrow.
Hopefully, he’d also have information about Hastings by then.According to newspaper articles, the guy had been sentenced to ten years in prison.But recent reports were saying he might qualify for early parole because of health issues.
David pressed the remote to open the gate to Don’s house and drove into the garage.He also hoped he would get information about the whole money laundering scheme.But until then, he had time to try to figure out what he could say to Dana tomorrow.
Or he could just ignore the whole thing and drive back to Cape Town tonight.Never see Dana again except at family functions?Nope, he didn’t like that idea.At all.
Chapter Thirteen
Dana woke upstartled, her heart in her throat.Something had woken her.What had she heard?She cocked her head.There it was again.A noise coming from her front door.
Immediately furious, she got up and stormed to the front door.David bloody Cavallo.She was going to kill him.She flung open the door at the same time she switched on the front porch light.
But the porch was empty, the street silent.A chill crept up her spine, and she started closing the door.That was when she saw it.
*
