Chapter 11
Several days had passed, and Erin found it nearly impossible to spend any time alone with Kane. Even the meeting at work had to be postponed indefinitely. During the days at work, whenever their paths would cross, it seemed that there wasn’t any time for the lengthy discussion that Kane had alluded to on Sunday evening. Most of the staff was still out with the flu, the computer was working erratically, and the general disorganization of the office kept Erin from seeing Kane. Also, Kane was in and out of the office, dividing his time between the office and home, hoping to get Krista settled. Fortunately for him, Mrs. Cavenaugh had been more than willing to be with his daughter when it was impossible for him to be at home. But the strain of the situation was wearing on him; Erin could see it in his eyes.
In the evenings, although Erin would eat with Krista and Kane, there wasn’t much time spent relaxing. Kane’s things had made it up to Seattle Tuesday afternoon, and after dinner each night for the next four days, Erin would help him and Krista get the apartment organized. It was a nearly impossible task. Although Kane had most of his belongings in storage, it still seemed to Erin that he had overstuffed the apartment with furniture, books, clothes and whatever else he could imagine. For the first time she realized how different Kane’s lifestyle in California must have been. The expensive leather furniture, an endless wardrobe of clothes, everything he owned spoke of money.
Although Kane seemed to become more tense with each passing day, Erin decided it had to do with the added responsibilities of being a full-time father. All in all, Krista seemed to be adjusting better than Kane to their new life together in Seattle. Slowly Krista was coming out of her shell. She adored Mrs. Cavenaugh and had even accepted Erin. It was difficult, but the girl had begun to take hesitant steps in her father’s presence, and at those times, all of the tension would drain from Kane and he would relax. The brooding sense of distrust in his eyes would die, and he would seem to enjoy life again.
The hectic week passed quickly, and Erin let a sigh of relief escape from her lips at six o’clock on Friday when she could forget about the flu, the computer, and the inheritance tax auditors. She grabbed her coat and hurried out of the bank building. Knowing that Kane was working late this evening, she hadn’t even bothered to knock on his office door to let him know she was leaving. Tonight she had special plans.
She hurried along on foot for several blocks before locating the pet shop that she had found just this week. As promised, the owner had kept his store open the extra ten minutes that Erin needed.
Erin entered the little building and tried to keep her nose from wrinkling at the pungent odor within. Several fat puppies yipped to get her attention, and longingly she patted a black fluff of fur with sparkling eyes. The puppy’s entire rear end was set in motion and a long pink tongue licked Erin’s fingers.
“Oh, Miss O’Toole,” the bearded shopkeeper smiled. “Have you changed your mind and decided on a dog?” He held up the fat black puppy, who responded by washing the shopkeeper’s broad face.
“No, unfortunately, I don’t have the space for a puppy.” She wavered a moment, and then shook her head resolutely. “No, I think a kitten is a better choice. It’s a gift for a friend.”
The round shopkeeper held his hands out helplessly and shrugged his broad shoulders. “If you’re sure. Just give me a couple of minutes. I know which one you picked out earlier.” He hurried to the back of his store and came back with a tiny black and white kitten that couldn’t have been more than six weeks old. “This is the one, right?” he asked.
Erin held out her hands and petted the warm powder puff of black fur. The kitten began to purr noisily and scratched its tiny paws against Erin’s jacket. “She’s perfect!” Erin breathed, raising the kitten to eye level and inspecting it.
The shopkeeper tugged on his beard. “That one’s a male—is that acceptable?”
“It doesn’t matter. This is the one I want!”
Erin couldn’t hide her excitement as she tapped lightly on the door to Kane’s apartment. The little cat was perched contentedly on her arm as she called through the door. “Krista? Mrs. Cavenaugh?”
“Where have you been?” Mrs. Cavenaugh scolded as she opened the door. “Kane’s already called twice. Finally decided to leave a message with mecsay, what’s that you’ve got there?”
Erin breezed into the room, looking for Krista. “What does it look like, Mrs. Cavenaugh?” Erin asked in a whisper. “He’s a surprise for Krista.”
“Oh-ho,” Mrs. Cavenaugh said, shaking her head, but reaching a tentative hand out to pat the kitten’s soft, downy fur.
The whir of the electric wheelchair caught Erin’s attention as Krista came into the room. The defiant look of rebellion had left her features several days ago, and for the first time since their meeting, Erin was sure that Krista was glad to see her.
“Oh, there you are. Look!” Erin announced with a wide, infectious grin as she proudly held up the black and white kitten for Krista’s inspection. The blonde girl let out a squeal of delighted excitement at the sight of the small cat. “I brought him home for you—you do like cats, don’t you?”
“Oh, Erin,” Krista stammered, wheeling more closely to the object of her delight. Erin placed the black ball of fur on Krista’s lap. The kitten stretched and curled into a sleepy ball purring contentedly. “He’scbeautifulc.” Krista’s sparkling blue eyes swept from the drowsy kitten to Erin. “Thank you.”
Erin smiled back at the girl and was surprised to feel a lump in her throat. “You’re welcome, Krista,” she murmured, and for a moment her breath caught. Erin kneeled next to the wheelchair and stroked the dozing kitten. “Now, if you decide to keep him, you’ll have to take care of him. Feed him, take him outsidec.”
“I will,” Krista agreed hurriedly. “Does he have a name?”
Erin shook her head. “That’s for you to decide, unless Mrs. Cavenaugh has any suggestionsc.” Erin looked at the elderly lady and caught the gray-haired woman taking in the scene before her with teary eyes.
“What? Me?” Mrs. Cavenaugh coughed back her tears. “Oh, no. I’ve never been much of a cat person myself.”
“Then it’s up to you, Krista,” Erin said. She cocked her head and stroked her thumb against her chin as she studied the cat with feigned thoughtfulness. “What do you think?”
“How about—Figaro. You know, like the cat in Pinocchio?” the bright-eyed girl asked, and Erin realized that for the first time since they had met, Krista had asked for and needed her opinion.
“I think Figaro’s a great name,” Erin agreed. “Now,” she said as she stood up and adjusted her skirt, “I’ll hurry upstairs and change my clothes before I cook us all some dinner.”
Mrs. Cavenaugh and Krista exchanged knowing, conspiratorial glances. “Don’t bother,” Mrs. Cavenaugh suggested. “Krista and I are going to eat a pizza and watch The Late Show. I suppose the cat will too. Remember I told you that Kane called earlier. He wants the two of you to go out alone.”
“I don’t knowc.” Erin looked pensively at the blonde girl in the wheelchair and the cat nestled comfortably in her lap. “Are you sure that Kane wanted only me? I thought he wanted to spend some time with Krista.”
“It’s already been decided,” Mrs. Cavenaugh stated firmly. “He called a few minutes ago. It was his idea. You’re supposed to meet him at a place called The Tattered Sail or some such nonsense. I think he said that it’s on the waterfront.”
“Are you sure?” Erin still wasn’t convinced. “He didn’t say anything to me about dinnerc.”
Mrs. Cavenaugh clucked her tongue and interrupted, “That’s why he called. He missed you. He’d been in some sort of a meeting with a fellow from California, a Mrc.”
“Haney,” Erin supplied.
“That was it. Anyway, by the time he got out of the meeting, you had already gone.” Mrs. Cavenaugh noted the puzzled expression on Erin’s face. “Now, don’t ask me any more questions, because I don’t know anything else.”
Erin turned her attention to Kane’s daughter. The girl had managed to take a few steps on her own and flop down on the couch with the cat. Krista’s progress was encouraging. “Krista, wouldn’t you like to join us?”
The girl rolled her head negatively against the back of the couch and playfully scratched the kitten’s belly. “Naw—not tonight. I think I’d rather stay here with Figaro. Besides, we’ve already ordered the pizza, and the movie is going to be great!”
Erin glanced at Mrs. Cavenaugh, who lifted her shoulders. A tiny hint of a smile pulled at the corner of the wrinkled mouth. “Well, if you’re sure, but somehow I feel that I’m the innocent victim of a conspiracy.”
“No one could accuse you of a lack of imagination. Conspiracy, ha!” Mrs. Cavenaugh rejoined, but her wise old eyes brightened. “Now, you’d better get going. You don’t want to be late. Kane said he’d meet you at about eight o’clock.”
Convinced that both Mrs. Cavenaugh and Krista were satisfied with their plans for the evening, Erin made her way up the stairs and began changing for her dinner date with Kane. She couldn’t hide the feeling of excitement that surged within her. It seemed like an eternity since she had spent some time alone with him. It wasn’t that she begrudged him the time he shared with his daughter, it was just that Erin missed the intimate and quiet times she had shared with him in the past. He had seemed so remote lately.
The cool amethyst silk dress that she chose for the date slid easily over her body. It was simple, smart and understated with its modest V-neck and long sleeves. The slit that parted the hem added just the right amount of flair to be called sexy in a discreet manner. Erin eyed herself speculatively in the mirror and was pleased with her reflection. Her ebony hair cascaded in loose curls to her shoulders and brushed against the neckline of the dress. Her skin was already rosy with the blush of excitement and only a few touches of makeup were necessary to add to the effect. She reached for her coat and purse and headed out the door.
Just as she had closed the door, the telephone began to ring insistently. Erin was late already, and she considered letting the maddening instrument ring, but she couldn’t. It might be something important, possibly Kane rearranging their hastily made plans. Reluctantly she threw her coat over the arm of the couch and hurried to the kitchen to answer the relentless ringing.
“Hello?”
“Erin! I can’t believe that I finally got through to you. I’ve been trying to get in touch with you for days. You never called me, you know,” the male voice accused, and Erin could picture the pouting lips and hurt expression in Lee’s boyish blue eyes.
“I’m sorry, Lee. I did try, but there wasn’t any answer.”
“You could have tried again.”
“IcI decided that it probably wouldn’t be wise.”
“What if it had been an emergency?”
Her conscience felt a twinge. “It wasn’t, was it?”
“Nocbut it could have been!”
Erin leaned heavily against the wall, and let her head fall backward. Why tonight? Why was Lee calling again? “Look, Lee,” she whispered. “I’m in a hurry for an appointment. Was there something that you wanted?”
There was a heavy pause in the conversation before he replied. “I justcwanted to see you againc.”
Erin bit at her fingernail. “Bull!”
“I need to talk to you,” he pleaded, and his image flashed in her mind’s eye: wavy blond hair, cut-off jeans, old tennis shoes, a grass-stained football jersey that she had given him for Christmas one year.
“So talk,” she managed, her voice unsteady.
“Can we meet?”
“I told you I’ve got a datec.” She glanced at her watch.
There was silence, then a deep, theatrical sigh. “Is he someone special?”
“Yes, Lee. He is. Very special. But what do you care, after all these years?” She blinked back the tears that threatened to spill.
“Believe it or not, babe, I’ve always cared about you.”
“Don’t lie to me, Lee. I’ve heard it all before. I don’t think this is the time to go into all that. Not now.”
“When?” he demanded.
“Oh, Lee, don’t you understand? It’s over for us. It’s been over for a long time—probably before you met Olivia.”
“Okay, Erin,” he retorted testily. “I deserved that. I was a louse and I admit it. But can’t you believe that I want to see you again?”
“No.”
“Erin, I have to.”
The tears she was choking back began to slide down her cheeks. “No!”
“But, babec”
“And don’t call me that! Just what is it you want, Lee? Money?”
Silence. Incriminating silence.
“Look, Lee, do us both a favor and don’t call back—ever! We’ve been through this scene too many times, and I for one won’t repeat it ever again. It’s too hard on me and it’s too hard on you.”
“Erin, baby, listen to mec”
He was still talking when she hung up the phone. Hastily she brushed back the tears and attempted to recapture the sense of exhilaration she had felt before she answered the phone. Why did he insist on calling? There was only one reason, the same one that she’d heard in the past: money. Damn! How could she get him out of her life once and for all?
Erin pushed her wayward thoughts aside and dashed out to her car. Soon she would be with Kane alone. Soon everything would be all right, as it should be, and she would be able to forget about Lee, the telephone call, the past.
* * *
The Tattered Sail had a reputation for being one of the best restaurants in the Northwest for fresh seafood, and tonight Erin found the rumor to be true. Once in the intimate old, barnlike structure, Erin could feel herself beginning to relax. The atmosphere was smoky and dark, and Erin was sure that if she listened closely, above the light contemporary music and the quiet chatter of the patrons, she would be able to hear the waters of the sound lapping quietly against the pier that supported the restaurant.
The succulent house specialty, fresh Dungeness crab in a tangy sauce, was superb, and the sparkling bottle of chilled champagne that Kane had ordered added just the right touch of elegance to the otherwise casual Pacific Coast cuisine. The dimmed lanterns, the massive ship’s rigging that covered the walls and ceilings and the view of the inky water of Puget Sound all served to enhance the romance and intimacy of the evening. Erin ate quietly, entranced by the setting and her powerful feelings for Kane. His eyes, two dark silver orbs, never left her face, and the smile on his face spoke more clearly than words of the depths of his feelings for her.
Somehow he seemed to have shaken off the tension that had been boiling within him for the past few days. All the heavy undercurrents that were usually evident in his eyes had disappeared, at least for the night. The dinner was a thoroughly enjoyable experience, and Erin found herself unwinding as she hadn’t since the weekend in the San Juans. They talked little and spoke mostly with their eyes, but Erin did mention that she had brought Krista the kitten, and Kane seemed more than pleased when he heard about his daughter’s affection for the little black cat. The tender light that illuminated his face when he spoke of Krista touched Erin’s heart.
The romance of the evening extended past dinner, and as they drove home together in her small car, Erin was overwhelmed by just how desperately she had grown to love the man sitting next to her. She couldn’t deny to herself that she loved him with an unspoken passion that was consuming in its intensity. For the first time in weeks she wondered if, indeed, she and Kane and Krista might have a future together. Everything seemed to be falling into place. Perhaps someday, given enough time and affection, Kane could learn to love her. The little car climbed the hill that supported the Victorian apartment house. Its broad-paned windows winked cheerfully in the night.
As she shut off the engine, Erin felt the warmth of Kane’s hand when it covered hers. “Let’s not go in, not just yet,” he suggested in a husky voice.
“But Kristac” The protest was feeble. Already she could feel the heat of desire beginning to warm her.
“She’s fine,” Kane assured her, and pushed a wayward wisp of her hair back into place. “She and Mrs. Cavenaugh planned to sit up and watch old movies all night long.”
“But don’t you think we should check on her?”
“In a minute,” he insisted, and his face moved closer to hers. The warmth of his breath, laced with the clinging vapors of champagne, whispered over her face. “I’d just like to spend a few more minutes alone with youc” His fingers reached out and traced the curve of her cheek, the length of her throat, the neckline of the dress. Erin’s breath began to constrict in her chest, it became ragged as she breathed. His hand found the slit in her dress and moved gently, heatedly against her inner thigh.
“Kane,” she gulped, seeing the undying passion in his gaze. “Icweccan’t possibly, not herec.”
“Shhhc” he commanded, and rimmed her lips with his tongue. She was melting in his embrace, feeling herself begin to blend with him. “Walk with me,” he suggested intimately. “The night’s warm, and so am I.”
His lips found hers, and he nibbled at them gently, persuasively. His hand moved in sensuous circles against her thigh. “Well,” she agreed, her eyes closing, “a walkca short onec”
He was right, she thought raggedly as they walked together in the clear October evening. Was it the night itself or Kane’s presence that made it seem so special, so eternal? The cool nip of fall was in the air, and yet, under the stars winking in the ethereal moon glow, Erin was warm despite the season. Even in the half light, she could see the spiraling vapor of Kane’s breath as it mingled with the chilly night air.
He held her hand tightly, as if he were afraid that his grasp would slip and that he might lose her in the shadows. It was a wonderful, exotic feeling; his magnetic touch and the magic of the night wound together. Erin felt drugged as together they made their way to the gazebo in the backyard. It was old and in sad disrepair. But against the backdrop of the clear night, its flaws hidden by the darkness and the stand of fir trees near the worn steps, it seemed intimate and regal with its undisturbed beauty of another era. Silently Kane helped her up the two weathered steps, and she felt herself begin to tremble.
“From the first time I saw this place, I knew that I wanted to make love to you here,” he stated. The silver moon glow was reflected in the intensity of his gaze, and his head bent down slowly and seductively to find her chilled lips. He crushed her against his chest with a savage urgency that seemed to be ripping him apart. “Make love to me, Erin,” he pleaded. “I don’t think I can stand another moment of this agony. Touch me, love me!” His lips wet a trail of desire leading from her lips down her throat, to nestle hotly against her partially exposed breast. Once there he paused to moan, “God, I want you!” Her breathing began to come in short, uneven breaths in the cold night air. Kane fell to his knees and continued to press the warmth of his face against the frail fabric that covered her abdomen. “Love me,” he commanded as his hands moved in circular seductive movements against her hips, and she felt the smooth fabric of the silk dress sweep gently upward to brush against her thighs.
“I want you, too,” she whispered huskily, and her hands wound themselves in the thick strands of his hair. “Oh, Kane. I need you so much!” she confessed.
“I know,” he murmured. Erin felt the cold shudder of autumn pierce her skin as the zipper of her dress was lowered and the silky fabric parted to expose her back and shoulders. The dress slipped to the floor of the gazebo, and Kane’s gentle hands and mouth caressed her exposed skin, raining hot moist kisses against her flesh. He dragged her down to lie beside him and tentatively touched one rounded breast with the delicacy of a sculptor. An animal growl escaped from his throat as he watched her, and in wet, heated strokes, his tongue found the ripeness of her nipples.
His mouth seared against her skin, and his tongue licked and pressed hot moistness against her body. She felt the warmth of her desire spread from her innermost core through all of her body. Rivers of passion ran in her veins, and desire, hot and molten, pounded against her temples. She felt tides of feverish passion wash over her until she wanted to drown in its molten embrace. Despite the cool of the evening, a dusting of perspiration covered her body. On their own, without conscious thought, her fingers found the buttons of his shirt, the zipper to his slacks, the proud hardness of his desire. She arched her body heatedly against his, aware only of her agonizing love for him.
His lips teased and satisfied her, toying with her until she thought she would go mad, only to arouse her to still-untouched heights. His eyes, smoldering in the night, took in all of her: the look of yearning in her large luminous eyes, the way her provocative tongue continued to flick against her lips, the full, rounded breasts with nipples proudly erect, and her soft, sensuous hips, inviting him to explore her more intimately. He thought he would lose all control in the instant she arched against him, and he wanted to give in to his virile male urge to take her. God, he’d waited so long, and he felt a need, strong and inflexible, to make love to her, but he forced himself to wait, somewhat impatiently, caught up in the heat of his lovemaking, until he was certain she was ready for him.
Erin wondered if she would fall apart and crumble into fiery bursts of passion as Kane lowered himself onto her. With a sigh of long-denied pleasure, she wound her arms and legs around him, entrapping him and tempting him to make love to her. He could resist no longer.
“Oh, God, Erin. You’re so beautiful, I need youc”
His words trailed off into the night in an unspoken confession as he found his way to her. In the shadow of the gazebo, his hot pulse at war with the cool night, he watched her as he loved her, and he saw the heat of desire blossom into the ecstasy of satisfaction. Together they found a love so exquisite that he knew it could never be recaptured. Only his own traitorous duplicity marred the perfect enchantment that he knew as he fell against her and felt the warmth of her breasts flatten against his weight.
It was several minutes before he spoke, as if he were unable to break the peaceful spell of enchantment that covered them. When at last he broke the silence, it was to murmur her name over and over in the night, as if trying to impress her memory upon his lips. It was so difficult to say all the things that he wanted so urgently for her to know. And the questions that had to be asked plagued him. He knew that it was time for explanation and discussion. Too much was at stake to continue to hide behind the truth. He needed her so desperately, yet his duplicity was eating at him. The fear of losing her gripped him more savagely each day. It was time for something to be done.
“What is it?” Erin asked suddenly, staring at the dread in his eyes. Once again she sensed the wariness had appeared, and the knowledge frightened her. She had hoped that all Kane’s reservations had melted away. Shivering more from Kane’s obvious apprehension than from the coolness of the night, she felt the same cold doubts crawl up her spine. He noticed the chill, rolled off her and pulled his jacket lightly over her shoulders.
His hands trembled as they pressed against her face. “Marry me, darling,” he whispered in a voice dry with emotion. For a moment Erin’s heart turned over. Her first impulse was to throw her arms around his neck and confess the depth of her love, but something in his face made her pull the reins in on her excitement.
“What?” she asked quietly, looking deeply into his eyes for the trace of love she hoped to find.
“I’m asking you to marry me. Now—as soon as possible,” he clarified, and pressed her fingers against his lips. “We need to be together.”
She wanted to accept his proposal, to take part in the elation that was beginning to burst in her veins. But there was the strong scent of accusation that hung between them and made her pause.
“I would love to marry you,” Erin breathed, trying to think rationally. The stars, the moon, the wind of the night were all closing in on her, and she found it difficult to concentrate on anything but the feelings of love that were swelling in her veins. “You must know thatc.”
“Then, get packed. We’ll fly to Reno tonight—or early in the morning. The sooner the better.” He began to slide into his pants in his urgency to persuade her.
“We have timec.”
“No!” he nearly shouted. And then, in a somewhat calmer voice, he continued, “No—we don’t have any time.”
“But, Kane,” she argued, fearing the continuation of the discussion, but unable to stop herself. “You have to put certain things into perspective. We have to take Krista’s feelings into consideration—surely you can understand that. And the bank—”
“Erin!” He grabbed her shoulders roughly, and forced her to look up at him. His grip tightened on her forearms, and his face was a harsh mask of determination. “It’s got to be soon. You know that.”
“Why? We have the rest of our livesc”
“No, we don’t!” he snapped. “Don’t you understand?” His eyes were shadowed by the darkness of the gazebo, but Erin could feel the pain and torture of his words without being able to probe his desperate gaze. Why was he so insistent? A cold strange feeling passed over her, transferred from him by the urgency of his forceful grasp on her upper arms.
With an unsteady voice, she asked, “Kane, just what is it that you’re trying to say?”
“I’m asking you to be my wife, pure and simple. Is that so difficult to understand?”
She wasn’t convinced. “There’s more, isn’t there? Has it got something to do with Krista, because she’s already made it plain to me that she doesn’t have room in her life for a ‘new mother.’” In the blackness Erin tried to read the expression on Kane’s face. Hoping to find love, she was disappointed. A cloud passed over the moon, and once the pale light was restored, she found his eyes torn with an emotion she couldn’t understand. She tried to draw away from him but still he held her desperately, passionately.
Slowly the grip on her forearms relaxed, and resignation covered Kane’s features. “Get dressed,” he commanded softly. “And then I promise you we’ll talk.”
Hurriedly she did as he instructed her, running her panty hose in her hasty efforts. Was it the chill of the night that made her shudder, or the cold look of determination heightening the masculine angles of Kane’s face that cooled her blood?
As she was smoothing the silk dress over her hips, he began to speak in a distant voice that was dry with dread.
“When I was in California,” he started, stepping away from her and pacing the length of the gazebo, “some more money was embezzled from the dividend accountcthree thousand dollars to be exact.” He whirled to face her, and his guarded eyes found hers. The expression on her face was one of confusion.
“I don’t understand—I thought that Mitch was the suspectc.”
He cut off her conjecture. “Of course he’s the prime suspect, but it’s become apparent that he has an accomplice in the department!”
“No!” she gasped.
“Yes!”
Her voice was faint, barely a whisper. “But who?”
“Why don’t you tell me?” he suggested, his voice taking on the quality of a smooth courtroom lawyer.
“But I don’t know.”
“Don’t you?” Accusation singed his words.
“NocI can’t imaginec.” She was so taken aback by his supposition of an accomplice for Mitch that she hadn’t noticed the suspicion in his eyes, the way his arms crossed over his chest, the grim hard angle of his jaw. But now, after the shock of his statement had dissipated, she knew what he was thinking.
“You’re notcyou couldn’t be,” she was stammering, but she couldn’t control herself. Slowly she stood up and watched the play of emotions that rampaged over his face. “I don’t believe that you would think I could somehow be involved. You wouldn’t be suggesting anything like thatcwould you?” Before the anger took hold of her, disbelief and agony tortured her eyes.
“Why don’t you explainc”
“No!” She stamped a bare foot on the thin floor of the gazebo. “I don’t have to explain anything to youc.” Tears burned in her eyes, but she tilted her head defiantly in spite of them. As they began to flow slowly down her face, they caught the moonlight in tiny rivers of outrage. “Are you accusing me of embezzlement?” Her voice was as chilling as the wind that rustled the leaves overhead.
“Erin,” he said in a calm voice devoid of emotion. “I just want to know the reason for certain factsc.”
“Facts? You mean evidence? I don’t believe it. You don’t have any evidence—you couldn’t, just an overactive and suspicious imagination!”
He tried to interrupt, but she wouldn’t let him. “I wondered, from the beginning, why all the questions about Mitch, why all the vague insinuations and especially why you would look at me the way you did. But I must have been a fool, a damned idiot, not to have put two and two together.” She took a gasp of cold autumn air, only to find that her entire body was quivering with rage and betrayal. “How can you stand there and accuse me, after all that we’ve shared together? Oh, Kane—why?”
“If you could just be reasonable.”
“Reasonable?” she shrieked, and then laughed from the tension that was capturing her in its angry claws. “Reasonable? How can you expect me to be ‘reasonable’ after you ask me to marry you and accuse me of a crime I didn’t commit?”
“Erin, don’t make this any harder than it already is,” he pleaded, and leaned against a beam that supported the roof. “I can’t ignore the facts, as much as I’d like to. I know that you need money—the employee loan application states as much—”
A protesting sound gurgled in her throat, but he ignored it.
“And your ex-husband, Lee Sinclair—” the name came out in a snarl of disapproval “—you loaned him money once, and he’s back in town.”
“How?”
“It doesn’t matter.” He shook his head, and continued in a flat, dry voice. “And there was the securities key discrepancy. You were one of the people who had access to the bearer bonds that were taken, and suddenly, somehow, you find the money to paint the apartment house and fix it up for the winter. An odd set of circumstances, wouldn’t you say?”
“Exactly that, circumstances,” she commented indignantly.
“That first morning in the bank I found you alone in your office. You had the perfect opportunityc.”
“Enough!” she stammered, and started down the two weathered steps of the gazebo. “I’ve heard enough.” She paused for a minute, her hands supporting her weight on the railing. “What I don’t understand is why, if you suspected me from the start, you didn’t tell me—or ask me? Didn’t you have the decency to respect my innocence and ask me about all those ‘facts’?”
“It doesn’t matter, not now,” he said with a rush of enthusiasm. “We can get married, and I’ll find a way to replace the money.” He strode over to her and captured her wrist. “Don’t you see, no more money will be taken, and all the cash that’s missing since Mitch left the bank will be replaced.”
“Just like that?” she asked incredulously. Her eyes narrowed and she surveyed the hand on her wrist suspiciously. “You really think that I was a part of this, don’t you?”
“Erin,” he sighed disconsolately as he tilted her face with his thumb. “I know that you met Mitch on the day of his arraignment. I also know that the money was taken on that dayc.”
“You bastard!” Before she could think, her free hand arched upward and slapped Kane’s cheek. The loud smack echoed in the night, and Kane’s eyes grew black with suppressed fury. His jaw clenched, and for a moment Erin wondered if he was going to retaliate and hit her.
His voice, suddenly soft, reached out to her. “Erinc”
“Don’t! I don’t want to hear anything more! Not ever again. I’llcI’ll hand in my resignation tomorrowcand I think it would be best for all of us if you would move out of the apartment as soon as possible. Youcyou canchave two weeksc.” The sobs that she was quietly withholding began to rack her body, and she felt as if she were about to be torn in half by his betrayal. At the pressure from Kane’s hand on her shoulder, she drew away as if wounded and started stumbling toward the house.
“Erin, wait!” Kane ordered, but she ignored his plea. “You can’t resign. If you’re innocent, you can’t resign. It will appear more incriminating!”
Whirling to face him, nearly tripping on the exposed root from a nearby fir tree, she replied bitingly, “I’m quitting. IcI don’t want anything more to do with youcor your bank!”
“Erin, don’t!” He was beside her in a minute, and his features had softened. “Don’t you understand? I need you, I want youcI love you!”
“Love? You don’t have any idea what the word means. And, as for needing and wanting, I think you’re getting them confused with using. Because that’s what you did to me, wasn’t it? You used me—tried to get close to me so that you could ‘look into my darker, private side.’ Isn’t that how you phrased it? I didn’t know what you meant, not at the time, but I know now, don’t I? You wanted to get inside my head and find a way to incriminate me for a crime that I had no part ofc.”
“Please try and understandc.”
“Just leave me alone!” Her eyes met his, and even though they were filled with tears, he could see that she meant every word she was speaking.
“I don’t want it to end this way.”
“There isn’t any alternative. You took care of that!”
“I’m sorry.”
“Not good enough, Kane, not good enough.” Her words were colder than the autumn wind that pushed her black hair away from her face, and highlighted the proud, near-perfect oval with its fine cheekbones and luminous violet eyes.
“All right, Erin. If that’s the way you want it.”
“That’s the way it has to be,” she sighed, and stepped aside to let him pass. She watched him silently as he walked toward the front of the house and disappeared around the corner. When he was finally out of her range of vision, she let herself slump against the tall fir tree near the gazebo. “You are a fool,” she muttered under her breath. “And he is a bastard!” The tears started to flow again. How could he even think that she would stoop so low? How could he have misjudged her so? And how, in God’s name, how could he be so gentle and caring one minute and so ruthless the next?
It was past midnight when Erin found the strength to return to the loft that she had once shared with the man she still loved.