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“It’s funny, really. Well, maybe ironic is a better word. See, all of Dad’s friends’ daughters are active in the community, heading up charitable events and stuff—as they were groomed to do. Some of them even work with Kathi. She’s a regular philanthropist. But thanks to how Dad raised us, that world is alien to me. So while the daughters of Dad’s peers are being revered in the press for their activism, all I do is mail off a check.”
“It’s more than most people do.” At least he’d distracted her, Dare decided. Her trembling had subsided, and she wasn’t so pale.
“Maybe.” She gave him a look and then shrugged. “In hindsight, I think Dad feels slighted that his offspring are so dismissed.”
“He sounds like an ass.”
She smiled and said again, “Maybe,” then added, “Most society women live in influential neighborhoods with posh accommodations, but my apartment is pretty simple.”
“Simple is good.”
“For me, it’s less about impressive entertaining and more about being functional so that I can find files and research notes when I need to. I’ve always been more into comfort than fashion, and when it comes to art, I like movie posters.” She gave a mock shudder. “Dad can’t stand it that I don’t own a single piece of real art.”
Dare imagined her apartment, and somehow it fit with what he already knew of her.
“Kathi has offered to go shopping with me.” Her lip curled. “To help me, you know, so that I can better represent my father. She’s all about making Dad look good however she can. But usually I stay too busy with deadlines to care about representing anything but my work.”
“Kathi sounds a little hoity-toity, but you just sound real.”
“Don’t get the wrong idea. For the most part, we get along fine. Kathi does enjoy the finer things in life, but unlike my dad, she makes an effort to get along, and better still, she doesn’t turn up her nose at genre fiction.”
“What you write.”
“Kathi actually reads all my work.” She managed a half grin, and in a conspiratorial whisper added, “It drives my dad nuts.”
“He doesn’t read you?”
“God, no.” The mere thought had her looking ill.
Huh. “I would think all of your family would read you.” He was damn curious himself, and he planned to pick up one of her books at the first opportunity.
“My sister does sometimes, but mostly because … well, she’s my sister. You know? It’s not really her thing. She’s more into political dramas or true crime. And Dad …” Molly gave a mock shudder. “He wouldn’t be caught dead with a genre book in his personal library. Especially not one with explicit sex in it, and most especially not one of my books.”
That diverted Dare from his annoyance with her father. “Your books have explicit sex in them?”
She immediately went defensive. “Life has sex in it, and I write about life, about people who face hardships and in the end triumph through it all. Any really good triumph deserves a lasting love, don’t you think?”
Before he could answer, she said, “Of course it does. And any lasting love has to have really hot, wonderful sex.”
Dare raised a brow. He had no argument against hot sex, with or without love. Again, he brought her back to the point. “How about your sister? You said she reads your books just because you’re related. But how do the two of you get along otherwise? Did she like Adrian?”
Molly went quiet for a moment. “My sister … Well, Natalie and I are pretty close. She’s only three years younger than me, and through high school and college we hung out together. She’s not just my sister but my best friend, too. As my best friend, she doesn’t think anyone is good enough for me, but she especially didn’t like Adrian. Actually, she pegged him from jump. He was a gold digger, a user and a bully.”
Dare liked her sister already. “So we can rule out Natalie?”
Molly smirked. “She’d go after anyone who even spoke an unkind word to me.”
“Including your father?” Dare was relieved to see the tension leaving her by small degrees. Her inner strength and composure astounded him. There were no tears, no dwelling on what might have happened. She understood the urgency of the situation, but she didn’t fall apart over it.
“Dad butts heads with both of us on a regular basis. It’s pretty much what our relationship is all about—strife, contempt and strained politeness. If it wasn’t for Kathi, I don’t know how often Natalie or I would even see him.”
“So Kathi is the glue?”
“Pretty much. She’s forever inviting us all over together, hoping against hope that somehow my dad will move beyond his rigid censure of us. I think she’s motivated by appearances, mostly. You know, it looks better if Dad’s daughters actually like him and enjoy his company.” Her smile went flat. “But at least she tries.”
Could her father be responsible for her abduction? “You said he’s well-to-do.”
“Bishop Alexander is an extremely successful businessman. He inherited his father’s corporation, which was thriving to begin with, but he’s grown it ten times over.”
“Meaning he has enough money to arrange and finance your kidnapping?”
The idea stalled her. “Money, means and a cold enough heart. But …” She looked at Dare. “I can’t imagine him doing that. We’ve had our ups and downs, but my dad just isn’t the type to dirty himself with something so sordid and illegal.”
Dare knew that the most unlikely people often did things that those closest to them could never fathom.
Molly stared down at her hands, struggling with the idea of what had happened. Finally she said, “The thing is, I can’t imagine anyone who is the type. Until this happened, I didn’t know that anyone disliked me that much.”
They were almost to the airstrip, a little ahead of schedule. Dare didn’t want her to get upset all over again. “One more question.”
“What?”
“If you and your sister are so close, she must know you’re gone, and she must be worried.” Molly stiffened a little, but Dare couldn’t back down. “So, Molly, tell me. Why didn’t you want to call her after you knew you were safe?”
CHAPTER FIVE
MOLLY STARED IN wonder as Dare led her to the small private plane. The wind on the airstrip blew her hair into her face, making her stumble over a step. Dare caught her elbow in a firmer grip and kept her upright.
He had a lot of questions, but she didn’t have that many answers.
Luckily he’d received a call that had lasted right until he was ready to drop off the rented van. She thought it might have been Chris again, and the call had left her mired in confusion.
Dare spoke to Chris with familiarity, affection and ease—proof that they shared a definite closeness. Maybe even … intimacy.
If Chris was a girlfriend, then why would Dare have kissed her? He didn’t strike her as a user, as a man who would cheat. He was far too protective to be deliberately hurtful to anyone he cared about.
It was possible she was making too much of the kiss. He’d wanted to snap her out of her shock, and … the kiss had certainly done the trick, and then some.
After turning in the van, Dare gave her enough time to go into the ladies’ room to change into her new clothes. While there, she’d cleaned the blood off her knees and elbows and tidied her hair. If she thought of how those men had tried to get her, it made her ill.
She never, ever wanted to be at someone else’s mercy again. Not like that. She couldn’t bear it.
But Dare had saved her, and now, Chris or no Chris, it sounded like he planned to protect her. She drew a calming breath and reminded herself to take it one step at a time. It was the only way she could hold it together.
As soon as she’d emerged in the clothes that mostly fit and were much more comfortable, Dare began hustling her to the plane.
Remembering her mother’s death left her aching with fresh hurt. Thinking of her father’s disapproval always filled her with burning resentment. And yes, Natalie would be frantic, a fact Molly hated.
But someone had put her through hell, and she had to concentrate on that, and only that. She didn’t know who to trust—except for Dare.
He’d kissed her. What did it mean?
When one pilot came out to greet Dare with a healthy dose of deference, Molly realized that Dare must be affluent. How else could he afford to pay for a spur-of-the-moment charter flight from one side of the country to the other?
Or … did he expect her to pay for it? Would this be added to her expenses?
She eyed the spiffy-looking plane anew. Unlike her father, she’d never flown privately before. The plane was small enough to make her extremely nervous.
Until they got aboard.
“Wow.”
Distracted, Dare glanced down at her. “What?”
“This is … decadent.”
He gave a cursory look around the plane, but just shrugged. “It’s comfortable enough. Grab a seat.”
There were only seven, but Molly wanted as much privacy from the two young, GQ-looking pilots as possible, so she headed toward the rear of the plane, near the lavatory. The backseats faced forward, so she could see Dare still up front talking to the men, discussing a short layover to refuel and the estimated time of arrival.
At her seat was an entertainment console with a monitor, satellite hookup and a DVD/CD/MP3 player. Still looking around, she made note of the burl wood cabinetry, the butter-soft tan leather seats, plush carpeting and a fully stocked bar.
Dare knew how to travel in style. She only hoped it wouldn’t break her bank account. She had no idea what something like this might cost.
He joined her a moment later. “Want a drink?” He indicated the fancy lighted bar she’d already noted.
“No, thank you.”
“You sure? Might steady you a little.”
“I’m plenty steady, thank you very much.” How many times did she have to tell him that she would not fall apart? She couldn’t afford to. If she wanted to survive this, she had to keep her nerves steady. Later she could give in to the panicked hysteria that still gnawed on her façade of calm.
Shrugging, Dare sat beside her and fastened his seat belt. “Buckle up.”
She scowled at the order but still connected the seat belt around her.
Lifting his armrest and turning in his seat, he leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, his hands hanging loosely. He studied her.
“What?” Just then the pilot started the engines, startling Molly. She grabbed for the armrests. “We’re taking off?”
“It’ll be easier to get home that way.”
She scowled again. “Sarcasm is unnecessary.”
He said nothing. Molly cleared her throat. “Where is home, and when will we get there?”
“Kentucky, and it’ll be late.”
As the plane rolled forward, she sucked in a breath and then swallowed hard.
Dare eyed her. “So, you’re one of those women who panics at flying?”
“No.” But she was, sort of. That the plane was so small didn’t help matters. Rigid from her head to her toes, she repeated, almost by rote, “I’m fine.”
“So you keep saying.”
He took her hands, and it reminded her of the differences in their sizes. Dare was huge, and she was not. His big rough hands totally engulfed hers, making her feel extra small and delicate.
She didn’t quite know what to make of that.
“Molly, look at me.”
When she did, she got snared in his bright-blue gaze. He had the most amazing eyes….
“Tell me why you haven’t contacted your sister to let her know you’re okay.”
The pilot announced something over a speaker system, and the plane moved, jarring her heart. She squeezed Dare’s hands and when she spoke, her voice was a little too high and squeaky. “Natalie might be a little younger than me, but she’s a teacher—meaning she’s used to governing with ultimate power.”
Dare didn’t smile at that small jest. “Yeah, so?”
“So if I had called her, she’d be grilling my dad and Adrian and anyone else she thinks could be responsible. There’s no way Natalie wouldn’t be on the warpath, trust me. If either of them is involved, they might be clued in. They could hide evidence or, in Adrian’s case, maybe even skip town.”
Dare looked a little stunned at her reasoning, but damn it, she couldn’t take chances.
“Whoever did this to me, I want him to be taken by surprise when he sees me free and unharmed. I want to blow his mind, and then maybe he’ll give himself away.”
Consternation lowered Dare’s brows. “Not a bad plan, really. But you do realize that whoever arranged this must already know that you’re free. That’s what those thugs at Walmart were about.”
“I know. But they don’t know when they’ll see me, or if the thugs will get me again before it becomes a concern. I can’t believe they’ll just give up, which means—”
“People are still after you.”
“Yes.” She shivered and then shivered some more when the plane began lifting. She squeezed Dare’s hands as tightly as she could. “Oh, God.”
Dare searched her face, looked resigned and … maybe a little expectant. Then he leaned forward and kissed her again.
Molly was so shocked, she leaned away from him—until he pulled his hands free from hers and cupped her face, bringing her back.
His hands holding hers had been startling; his hands gently framing her face were more so.
This kiss wasn’t hard and fast. It was warm and easy, slow, lingering and oh-so-distracting. When she didn’t retreat again, he turned his head to better fit their mouths together and deepened the kiss.
A rush of heat chased away her icy fear. Her rigid muscles went liquid. Wow.
Molly caught his wrists, but not to pry him away; she held on for dear life. Being thirty years old, she’d been kissed many times, but never had it felt like … this. When she made a small sound, a cross between a moan and a purr, Dare stroked his thumbs over her cheeks.
A second later, he touched his tongue to hers.
Heart pounding and skin burning, Molly forgot about the plane, about unscrupulous dogs who meant her harm. Right now, for this moment, there was only Dare and his warmth and intoxicating scent, his strength and the security of him, the way he tasted and felt and how he touched her.
