Page 21

“ D amn, Dani. Who's made you look like they peed in your cornflakes?”

Dani jolted from her thoughts and let out a small squeak of surprise as she lifted her head from where she’d been staring unseeingly at the ground on the walk back to her cabana, after an unproductive afternoon in the office.

“Jeez, Beth, you scared me!” Dani exclaimed, pressing her palm to her racing heart.

“Girl, you were off with the fairies. Good job we’re on a nice secure island because you could have walked into anything and not even known it.”

Dani protested. “I’m not that bad!”

“Yes, girl, you are,” Beth countered, jamming her hand on her ample hip.

She was the company accountant but normally worked from her home on the sister island of Syèl la, so she could be with her two young children.

Dani didn’t see as much of her as the other girls, but they were still good friends.

“If I hadn’t stepped out in front of you, you’d have face-planted that tree.

” She moved to one side and gestured to the massive banana palm behind her. It was hard to miss.

“And if this was the city, you might have face-planted right into the back of some pervert’s van. Now what’s plaguing you?”

Dani shook her head and apologized. “Sorry, I’ve been looking for Zack Kincaid, and was just trying to work out where he might be.”

Beth’s eyes brightened and a wide smile lit up her face.

“Oh, I’ve just seen him! I swung past the bar to see Sawyer.

” Her eyes became dreamy and unfocussed as she mentioned the one of her three husbands who was the bar manager at the club.

Her preoccupation masked the visceral pain Dani felt stab at her chest as Mia’s recent words came back to haunt her.

He could find someone with a lot less effort at Iniquity, if that’s all he wanted.

Was that what he’d done?

“Zack’s at Iniquity?” Dani asked, just to be certain, her voice slightly hoarse even to her own ears.

Beth gave her an odd look, then shrugged. “I mean, I don’t know Zack that well, but I’m pretty sure it was him.”

“Thanks,” Dani responded, pretending her heart wasn’t crumbling. “I’ll go check it out.”

She spun on her feet and started heading in that direction. “And look where you’re going this time,” Beth called after her, but all Dani could hear was an angry buzz in her ears.

Fucking bastard! He’d fed her a bunch of pretty lines, then searched someone out at the club the minute she didn’t give him what he wanted?

Dani stormed towards Iniquity, her mind racing with scenarios of what she might find. Each imagined scene fueled her anger further. By the time she reached the kink club's discreet, understated entrance, her fists were clenched at her sides, and her nails dug into her palms.

She burst through the doors, barely even nodding at the receptionist, and scanned the dimly lit interior. The thrum of bass vibrated through her body as she pushed past writhing bodies on the dance floor. Her gaze darted from face to face, searching for Zack's familiar features.

What if he was already in the dungeon or a private room? What if he was in the suspension room, tying his beautifully crafted ropes around another woman?

She was only slightly relieved when she spotted him near the bar, leaning in close to a petite blonde. Dani's breath caught in her throat. She watched as the woman laughed at something Zack said, placing her hand on his arm.

White-hot jealousy coursed through Dani's veins. She marched over, ready to unleash her fury as she drew up behind the two of them. “I should have known this was where I’d find you,” she bit out, her voice dripping venom.

“I’m just surprised you moved on so fast…

but on past association, maybe I shouldn’t have been. ”

The woman turned, her eyes wide and shining with confusion and Dani wanted the floor to open up and swallow her as she realized the blonde wasn't some random hook-up after all. It was Gabi, the club’s former assistant manager, and wife of Master Thorne, who - now Dani dropped the blinkers and actually looked around - was sitting right next to her with his arm wrapped proprietorially around her shoulders.

Zack's eyes widened when he saw her, a mix of surprise and something else flickering across his features. "Dani? What are you doing here?"

She faltered, her righteous anger deflating as quickly as it had built. "I... I was looking for you," she managed, suddenly feeling foolish and exposed.

Gabi's smile turned knowing as she glanced between them. "I think we'll leave you two to talk," she said, tugging on her husband's arm. Marcus nodded and excused himself, his piercing gaze assessing Dani then flicking towards Zack before he allowed himself to be led away.

Zack's brow furrowed as he turned to face Dani fully. "You were looking for me? I thought after our last conversation, you needed space."

Dani bit her lip, fighting the urge to flee. She'd come this far; she couldn't back down now. "I did. I mean, I thought I did. But then I realized..." She trailed off, struggling to find the right words.

"Realized what?" Zack prompted gently, his eyes never leaving her face.

Taking a deep breath, Dani steeled herself. "I realized I was being a coward. That I was letting fear hold me back from something potentially amazing." She met his gaze, vulnerability shining in her eyes. "I was wrong, Zack. I do want to give us a real chance."

Zack's expression softened, a glimmer of hope lighting his features. "Dani, I-" He paused, glancing around the crowded club. "Maybe we should talk somewhere more private?"

She nodded, suddenly hyper-aware of the pulsing music and the intrinsic sounds and scents of the club. Zack gently took her elbow, guiding her towards a secluded alcove near the back of the club. The noise faded to a dull thrum as they settled onto a plush velvet loveseat.

"I've been looking for you all day,” Dani admitted, twisting her hands in her lap. "When I couldn't find you, I started to doubt myself again. Then when Beth said she saw you here, I jumped to conclusions."

Zack's lips quirked. "You thought I was here to hook up with someone else?"

Dani flushed, averting her gaze. "It crossed my mind," she mumbled.

He reached out, tilting her chin up gently with his fingers, forcing her to meet his eyes.

"Dani, I meant what I said before. I want you - all of you. I'm not interested in casual hook-ups or scenes with anyone else. Hell, I’ve barely indulged since you walked away from me, even when I knew we were over, because it wasn’t with you. "

His words were pretty, and his touch sent a shiver down her spine, but they were still just words and talk was cheap.

Plus, Dani had spent a long time thinking the worst and trying to convince herself she’d had a lucky escape.

She couldn’t just turn those feelings off overnight, no matter that she’d decided to give them a chance.

"Then why are you here?" she asked, unable to keep the hint of suspicion from her voice.

Fuck! Why did she ask that? It was already obvious he was just having a drink with friends.

But why here? Why not in one of the many regular bars?

Zack sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I was trying to get details about Emylyah. I received some… information that Gabi might be able to help me.”

Was he a bit cagey in the way he said that? Like there was more to it he didn’t want to say? Dani narrowed her eyes at him.

"What kind of information?" she pressed, her suspicion growing again. "And why would Gabi know anything about Emylyah?"

Zack hesitated, his jaw clenching slightly. "It's... complicated. I don't want to say too much until I know more."

Dani felt her stomach twist, everything was always complicated! "Zack, if we're going to give this a real shot, we need to be honest with each other. No more secrets or half-truths."

He met her gaze, conflict evident in his eyes.

After a long moment, he exhaled heavily.

"You're right. I owe you the full truth. But some of this is not my story to tell and I don’t know if it will go anywhere yet. I still don’t have any direct way to contact Emylyah, and it seems like my presence may impact her current life, so I need to tread carefully. ”

Dani pressed her lips together, still not happy with his response. Why couldn’t he just tell her? Didn’t he trust her? If he didn’t, then what chance did they have?

Like you trust him? A little voice in her head mocked.

“Did you find out anything at all?"

Zack sighed. “I do have a promising lead. As yet though, it’s nothing concrete. But that's not important right now." His gaze softened as he looked at her. "What matters is that you're here, and you want to give us a real chance. Can’t we focus on that?"