Disclaimers: See chapter 1.
Chapter Two Nowhere to Run...
They were sitting close together, Flint's fingers linked in hers as he leaned forward to whisper above the violinists strolling past their table. "Let me get the check, so we can get out of here." Lady Jaye sighed softly as he lifted her hand, lightly brushing a kiss to her palm before he stood from the cozy table they shared in the corner of the restaurant.
"Alison?" She paled at the sight of a short, dark haired woman approaching their table. "I thought it was you. My God, it's been four years since..."
"Melissa, it's wonderful to see you. It's been too long. Oh, I'm sorry." Lady Jaye caught Flint's perplexed stare. "Melissa, this is Dash. Dash...Melissa, we went to Bryn Mawr together." Attempting to control the situation at hand, Lady Jaye glanced between the two and rushed. "Dash, would you mind giving us a moment? I need to speak with Melissa alone. I'll explain later, please?" She smiled, reaching across the table to squeeze his hand.
"I have to check with the hotel, if you'll excuse me ladies." He nodded and left but not before leaning over to lightly kiss Lady Jaye. Glancing over his shoulder, he observed Melissa, sliding into his seat.
"Alison, he's gorgeous. Where did you meet him? He's better looking than Michael. That reminds me...your father's still calling me each month to find out where you are. He said Michael wants you back." Melissa let an exasperated sigh escape as she shook her head. "Why didn't you tell me you were going to…"
"I couldn't go through with it," Lady Jaye cut her off unable to look her directly in the eye. She lowered her gaze to her hands, wringing them over one another in her quest to find the right words, the right answer. "Melissa, please tell my dad you haven't seen me. You know why I can't go home. As for Michael," she paused, looking up at Flint across the room. "If you should see him, please tell him I wish him well; but, I'm not part of a business deal."
"What about tall, dark, and handsome over there?" Melissa grinned, eagerly following Lady Jaye's gaze over to where Flint stood making his call.
"Dash is the best part of my life. Please don't mention Michael or the family around him. He doesn't know and I'd prefer to keep it that way for as long as possible," Lady Jaye pleaded, leaning forward to place her hands to her temples. She shifted her eyes over to Flint returning and quickly regained he composure. She smiled brightly to him. "If you'll excuse me, it looks like we've got to go."
"Ready so soon?" Flint grinned, watching her scoot her chair back. The waiter was following him with the check.
"I thought we had other plans." A mischievous glint played through her eyes.
"Ah...yes," he cleared his throat. "Lady, you read my mind." He grinned, settling the bill.
"It was nice to see you, Melissa." She reached across patting her friend's hand.
"I'll call you the next time I'm in town..."
"Promise?" Melissa raised a brow.
"Yes." Lady Jaye chuckled, watching Melissa stand to leave. "I promise."
As she walked to her table, Melissa turned back to watch Flint assist her from her seat. She noticed his arm was wrapped about her waist and smiled at the sight of her friend leaning comfortably into his embrace with an air of contentment she had never seen. An audible sigh escaped her lips when she saw them pause at the door for a moment. Alison had a glow about her when she looked at him.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Flint murmured in her ear, pulling her closer to him in the darkened taxi. She was staring intently out the window. "I hear the monument's for sale real cheap." He scowled at her indecipherable reply. "Alison, sweetheart, talk to me." He growled, gently shaking her arm.
"Hmmm?" She shook her head, turning to face him. "I'm sorry, did you say something, Dash?" Lady Jaye snuggled closer to Flint.
"Do you want to talk about it, honey?"
"I'm sorry. It's been so long since I saw Melissa...it wasn't a happy occasion," she glanced back towards the window.
"What happened?" He curled his hand, gently tucking it beneath her chin to tilt her face up to his.
"I had a huge fight with my parents and left home. I haven't seen them since and each time I call home it turns into a shouting match." She grumbled, spying the hotel entrance ahead of them. "You know something?" She reached up for his hand, lacing her fingers through his. "I have a much better idea...can we please forget my family for awhile?" She nestled her head into his shoulder.
"All right," he relented, wrapping his arm more securely around her. He heard her contented sigh and grinned, looking up at the door of the hotel. "We're here..."
Unbeknownst to Lady Jaye, a private detective had picked up a tip that she was staying at the Rembrandt Hotel. Matt Amberly was the latest in a long string of private detectives hired by her father and Michael to find her.
"Excuse me, I'm looking for an Alison Hart-Burnett." He leaned over the concierge's desk, presenting her engagement picture.
"I'm sorry, sir, but I'm not at liberty to divulge the names of our guests," the concierge politely dismissed his attempt without looking at the picture.
"Are you sure? I was told that Ms. Hart-Burnett was staying here." Matt withdrew a money clip from his inside jacket pocket. "It's rather urgent that I find her. You see, her father is looking for her. If you catch my meaning?" He winked suggestively, sliding a c-note across the desk..
"You know," the concierge shifted his eyes across the lobby, "I was a bit rushed before." He accepted the picture from Matt and smiled with an avarice gleam in his eyes. "You just missed her by 10 minutes."
"Where did she go?"
"Upstairs." The concierge gestured towards the elevators and reached out to pluck the c-note up.
"Which room?" Matt held onto the c-note for a moment, taunting the concierge and shifting his eyes towards the computer.
"Just a minute...room 912." The concierge replied, greedily accepting the bribe.
A few minutes later, Matt found himself standing outside the room, wrapping on the door. No one answered. "I know she's there." He fumed impatiently and wrapped louder without receiving a reply. Turning back at the sound of footsteps behind him, he observed a maid entering another room. He mused, waiting for her to reemerge from the room. "Excuse me," he called out, startling her. "My wife left her jacket inside and I can't find my key." He lied, patting his pockets down for effect. "Could you let me in?"
"No, you'll have to check with the front desk." The maid answered and hurried past him to the elevator, leaving him standing outside the door.
"You know, I probably shouldn't have checked in." She smirked humorously, slipping her shoes off as she crossed the room to the stereo. Hearing the sound of a faint knock on the door, her eyes lit up. "Dash, room service is here. I ordered something light." She sighed heavily, tuning the dial to a soft music station.
"What did you order?" Flint raised a brow at the tray the attendant rolled into the room past him.
"Just dessert." She walked over to him, running her fingertips lightly over his shoulders while he signed the attendant's ledger.
"Thanks pal," he snorted, catching the attendant's eyes roaming over Lady Jaye. He pressed the tip into his open palm before shoving him to the hall.
"Dash?" She growled softly. "What's the matter?"
"He was practically undressing you with his eyes," he grumbled, closing the door.
"And that bothers you?" She raised a brow.
"You know that bothers me," he growled, pulling her into his arms. He bent his fingers in slightly, placing it beneath her chin to lift her face up to his.
"You know Dash, you have no reason to be jealous," she squirmed free of his grasp as he lowered his mouth to hers.
"Ali…son," he groaned, watching her spin on her toes towards the dessert cart. Lifting the dessert tray with great flourish, she waved her free hand to the champagne flask. "I thought that since we're technically off duty until tomorrow night we could have something a little stronger to go with these." She winked, revealing a bowl of strawberries with crème Brule on the side.
"I'll open bottle." He strained, struggling with the cork while she held two champagne flutes in her hand.
With a loud pop, the cork flew past Lady Jaye's ear, forcing her to duck. She giggled. "Hey, watch where you're aiming."
"Allow me, milady." He grinned, taking the flutes from her. He nearly overfilled the first glass as he watched her dip a strawberry into the Brule. Bringing it to her lips, she locked eyes with his as she took her first bite. The juice lightly staining her lips, she traced the tip of her tongue over them before taking a sip from her flute.
She waited for him to take a sip from his flute. Setting hers down on the table, she reached for his hand, removing the flute and setting it on the table beside hers. Standing on her toes, she wrapped her arms around his neck as she leaned up to kiss him. He followed her lead, moving his tongue to meet hers as she deepened the kiss. She moaned, hearing a deep growl emanating from the back of his throat. His arms pulled her closer to him while she pushed back, unbuttoning his shirt. Her fingertips brushed over his chest like a feather.
"When do we have to leave?" He placed his hands on her shoulders, gently massaging them as he guided her closer to him.
"By noon, why? Do you want to leave now?" She winked, tilting her face up to his.
"Hell, no," he growled, sweeping her up in his arms. He began to kiss her softly, carrying her to the bed. Setting her down, he stood back to remove the rest of his shirt. A frowned creased his brow, watching her sit up with her hands behind her.
"Come here," she raised a crooked finger, motioning towards herself. He cast her a lopsided grin as he crawled on to the bed, leaning above her.
"Yes, milady?" His voice deep and husky. That was all he had to say, the next thing he knew, she was pushing him over onto his back.
"Dash?" He heard her softly call his name. She was curled up beside him, tracing her fingertips through the hairs on his chest, down to his stomach.
"Hmm?" He sighed, stopping her hand and bringing it up to his lips. He kissed the inside of her palm.
"Don't ever forget how much I love you?" She murmured, drifting off to sleep.
"Hmm?" She'd caught him off guard with that reminder. "Allie?" He frowned, brushing a kiss over her brow. He dropped one arm behind his head, leaving the other to hold her to him. "Why won't you tell me what's bothering you?" He whispered softly, watching her snuggle closer to his side. He stared up at the ceiling, lost in his thoughts.
Sleep eluded him as his thoughts took him back to Christmas with his parents in Wichita. He gazed down at the sleeping woman beside him.
"Dash?" His mother, Rose, had rushed onto the front porch of the large farmhouse they'd renovated. "Joe, Dash is home," she yelled over to the horse barn. She watched her son with some trepidation as he leaned against the passenger side door. "Dashiell Robert Faireborn, what in heaven's name are you up to?" She placed her hands on her hips, waiting for his father to appear.
"Me? What makes you think I'm up to something?" He gave her a lopsided-grin, folding his arms over his chest.
"Dash, what are you up to, son?" His father called out, approaching them.
"Dash, let me out of this car," a muffled voice ruined his surprise.
"Dashiell?" His mother's eyes widened, stepping down from the porch. She reached for his arm, pulling him to the side.
"Now, wait just a minute...I finally come home for a visit and you throw me to the side?" He complained, blocking his mother from seeing into the car, he placed his hand on the door handle. "I told you I was bringing an Army buddy home for the holidays, didn't I?" He winked to his mother, opening the door and holding out his hand to Lady Jaye.
"You said a buddy, not, your girlfriend." Joe watched Lady Jaye step out of the car.
"Alison...Allie. This is my mom and dad." He grinned, introducing her as he stepped to the side.
"Alison?" His mom's face lit up with a warm smile. She welcomed Alison with a loving embrace while his Dad watched him carefully.
"Dash, take her bags up to the guest room," Joe nodded towards the house before stepping forward to greet her. "My son was a little short with the introductions it seems." He raised a brow towards Flint. "I'm Joe and this is Rose."
Flint shifted further down into his pillow, stroking her hair from her face as other memories came to him.
"Allie, honey, do you need to call your parents?" Rose brushed her hands over her apron, looking up at her. Flint was standing in the doorway quietly watching them.
"Ah...no, they're traveling." She lied. He noticed traces of sadness in those beautiful green eyes of hers.
"That's a shame." His mother sighed, reaching for a tray of pies to set in the oven. She glanced up to see her son watching them and looked back at Lady Jaye. "Dash, why don't you take Allie for a ride... after she cleans up a bit." He suppressed a laugh, noticing the flour smeared across her cheek and her hands.
"I guess I'm not cut out for the kitchen," Lady Jaye laughed, touching his nose with her floured hand.
He pulled her closer to him, listening to her shallow breathing. A smile formed over her lips. He sighed, closing his eyes, recalling his dad entering the barn.
"Dash...Allie, dinner's ready!" Joe Faireborn scanned the paddock, seeing the saddles still in place but the blankets were missing. "Now, where did he put those..." He heard a faint giggle and noticed a few pieces of straw drifting down from the loft. "DASH!"
"Damn," Flint hissed in her ear.
"Great...you and your bright ideas," she hissed back, pushing him off her.
"I didn't hear any complaints from you at the time," he growled softly, searching for their clothes.
"Dash?" Flint heard the ladder creak.
"I'll be right down, Dad!" He rushed his reply, fumbling around for their clothes. He quickly tossed a blouse to her and grabbed his pants. He heard his father step away from the ladder.
"Make sure you bring Allie with you," Joe replied with a humorous smirk in his voice.
He yawned, closing his eyes ready for sleep as one of the last memories of the Christmas holiday came to him.
"Dash, pass that one over to Allie." Rose pointed to a gift behind him.
"Oh...Rose, you shouldn't have," Lady Jaye's went wide as he placed the small but heavy gift box into her hands. He gave his mother a quizzical stare, turning to see Lady Jaye's astonished expression give way to laughter.
"A cook book! That's the most original, thoughtful, wonderful gift," she exclaimed, lifting it from the box.
"It's one I've been writing for years, turn to the back," Rose stood from her seat, kneeling down beside her. Watching a look of amazement from the younger woman, she laughed. "There's a few of his favorites I wrote down," Rose said, glancing towards Flint with an alarmed expression etched on his face.
"And for you," his father's voice broke his shock. "Dash, open this...I figured while your mom was adding to the cookbook for Allie. This was the least I could do," he grinned, catching a mixture of embarrassment and relief wash over his son's face.
"What is it?" Lady Jaye set her book down, leaning over to see what he had.
"Ah...nothing," Flint gulped hiding the book behind his back.
"Nothing, huh?" She caught his parents staring at one another with a mischievous glint in their eyes. "Dash, let me see," she leaned back, snatching the book from his hands or trying to.
"Allie, give it back." They ended up in a tug of war over the book in question.
"No way," she groaned, tugging harder. A smirk twitched the corners of her mouth. She slid a glance side to side before suddenly releasing her hold on the book. He fell back with a thud, loosening his grasp. She had it in a flash, standing above him. "Let's see...oh my..." She blushed, reading the title of the book in her hands -- HOW NOT TO GET CAUGHT. Shifting her eyes towards his father, Alison's face reddened. "Sorry, hon," she choked, handing the book back to Flint.
He smiled down at her as she snuggled closer, resting her head on his shoulder. He raked his hand over his face. He mused, drifting off to sleep.
"That's him." The maid pointed to Matt Amberly, leaning against the wall outside room 912.
"Sir, I'm the hotel's security chief and I'm going to have to ask you to leave," the guard warned, flashing his identification.
"But...I... hey, put me down," Matt protested, feeling the guard drag him from the wall.
"Sir, you're not registered in that room. Your identification please," he demanded, presenting his open hand.
"I must have the wrong room." Matt shrugged, turning away from the man.
"No, try the wrong hotel, pal. You're leaving, now." The security chief grabbed him by the arm, dragging him behind him to the elevator where three other security men stood. Within minutes, Matt was forcefully ejected out the front doors.
"I'll inform the front desk to alert Ms. Hart-Burnett that she may have a stalker," the security chief stated, walking inside.
"Mmmm." Flint felt her weight shift across his chest as she reached for the phone.
"Time to get up, Sleepyhead." She yawned, settling back beside him.
"Five more minutes." She heard him grumble.
"Fine, you take your five. I'm going to hit the shower." Lady Jaye sighed, nibbling his neck. "Check my messages, please?" She nuzzled his ear, lightly before getting out of bed.
She heard him swearing under his breath as she opened the bathroom door, wrapped in a towel. She tilted her head to the side, studying him before announcing her presence.
"Dash, honey, what's wrong?" Alarm filled her voice, observing him pause. Nostrils flaring, he growled. "I finished checking your messages and hotel security wants to see you about a stalker trying to get in your room last night. I'm going to find out what's going on and handle your check out."
"Dash, wait." She rushed to stop him at the door, nearly dropping the towel. I'll call down and check out over the phone. You check out as you normally would. No one saw me go upstairs. It's probably some sort of mistake. If it will make you feel better, I still have the disguise I used on the mission. I'll wear it when we leave."
"I don't like this," he fumed, feeling her hands cradling his face. "All right...let me get a quick shower, and we'll get out of here." He sighed heavily. "You know, I can't help worrying about you sometimes."
"I know, that's one of the things I love about you." She leaned up to him, brushing a kiss over his lips. "Go on and get your shower while I get my disguise out."
"Has Ms. Hart-Burnett checked out?" Matt leaned across the desk, asking the concierge from the previous night.
"Look, pal, you've caused enough trouble around here. I'm getting off in 15 minutes." He groaned.
"C'mon, there's a lot more than that $100 from last night if I find her," Matt pleaded.
"I wish I could help you but she's gone. She checked out by phone this morning."
"Let me have the key to her room...you said she's not there, right?" Matt raised a brow, pushing another c-note across the desk.
"All right."
Entering the elevator, he passed Flint and Lady Jaye in disguise as a blonde, wearing tinted sunglasses and a teal colored coatdress.
"There's a line." Flint murmured in her ear.
"I'll wait over there." She squeezed his shoulder, nodding to a group of sofas adjacent to the desk. She settled herself on one sofa, removing a magazine from her bag to read while she waited.
"Excuse me, ma'am." Matt approached her.
She lowered her magazine, glancing past him to see Flint studying them.
"Yes?" She looked back to Matt.
"I'm looking for a young woman and I was wondering if you might have seen her?" He presented her engagement picture to her. She suppressed an urge to balk, seeing herself with Michael.
"Ah...no, I don't believe I have. No wait, I nearly forgot. My husband and I ran into her briefly yesterday in the workout room. She told me about a sightseeing tour this afternoon. I was going to go, but my husband and I have to go home early... I really wanted to go. If you have a card or something I'd be willing to call you if I do see her," a deep southern accent adorned her speech.
"All checked out." Flint approached the pair. "Are you ready, sweetheart?" He offered his hand to help her stand. Looking at Matt, he narrowed his eyes. "Is there something wrong?"
"No, not at all, Mr...ah...I'm sorry I didn't catch you're name," she replied, tilting her head towards Matt and shaking her finger.
"Matt Amberly," he reached into his jacket pocket, removing a business card, "I was just asking your wife if she might have seen this young woman." He handed Flint the business card along with the engagement picture.
Lady Jaye quickly spoke up to distract Matt. "I was just telling Mr. Amberly that we saw her in the workout room last night but I haven't seen her since, have you?"
"I thought she said something about catching an early flight out of Dulles." Flint frowned, placing his arm around her waist as he looked at the photo.
"Thanks for your help. If you should see her, please give me a call. Her father and fiancé are looking for her." Mr. Amberly shook hands with Flint and bowed his head towards Lady Jaye before hurrying out of the lobby.
When he was out of sight, Flint broke his silence. "Ok, so why doesn't your dad just call you? Better yet, why didn't you tell me about YOUR fiancé?"
"It's complicated, and I DON'T have a fiancé." She hissed under her breath and turned for the door.
"Alison?" Flint growled, stopping her with his hand on her elbow. She broke free, walking to the rental car. Flint noticed several people standing close by and relented.
They were headed to catch a MAC flight out of Andrews Air Force Base when Flint broke the silence. "Alison, are you going to tell me why your father and fiancé have to hire a private investigator to find you?" Flint grumbled, shifting his eyes towards her.
"You want to know?" She raised her voice sharply. "Do you really want to know?"
"Yes." He caught her slumping her shoulders forward in defeat, dropping her hands into her lap.
"Allie?" His voice was calm, pleading for her to tell him.
She sighed heavily. "We had a fight before I left home...or rather before I ran away...I broke my engagement to his best friend's son. They don't know I'm in the Army and my father wouldn't approve if he did know." She felt a firm, but gentle squeeze on her hands, urging her to continue. "I wanted my own life since Bryn Mawr, but my father wouldn't listen...he had other plans for me."
"When I came home for Christmas of my senior year, we argued over Michael. They'd been shoving us together every chance they got." She shook her head slowly, closing her eyes. "He told me he wouldn't push Michael at me until after Trinity...as long as I kept an open mind. I thought I'd won that round."
"Round?"
"Well ...round one." She shuddered. "During the Christmas toast, my father raised his glass to toast me on my engagement...the next thing I knew everyone was around me and Michael was slipping a ring on my finger." She growled. "Round 2 may have went to Daddy but I stayed at Trinity for the next two years and avoided the family like the plague." She watched his jaw tense.
"Why did he want you to marry Michael?"
"Business, Dash...the old fashion way of combining business interests," she groaned, sinking into her seat as he hit the brakes, bringing the car to a stop on the side of the road.
He stared at her a moment, searching for his voice, reigning in his anger.
"He wanted to use me to close a business merger and I refused." She sighed heavily. "Love had nothing to do with it." She lifted her eyes to his. "For as long as I can remember, my father and Nathan Shepard have dreamed of merging the companies but neither wants to turn control over to the other. Michael works for my father's New York office."
"Why didn't you tell Michael you didn't want to marry him?" Flint fumed.
"Tell him...oh, believe me, I told him. I told him repeatedly. He laughed...told me to stop joking. Dash, they refused to take me seriously. I came home from Trinity to find that my mother had the entire wedding ready a month to the day I graduated. She had sent the invitations out, picked the dresses, the gown, the caterer...everything," she snapped, turning her head to the side. "They wouldn't listen," she softly choked back a sob threatening to escape, "I couldn't go through with it. The day of the wedding, I sent Melissa and the rest of my bridesmaids out of my room an hour before I was to leave for the church. I took the ring off, changed my clothes, and climbed out my bedroom window. I never looked back. Each time I call home, my dad reminds me what a disappointment I am to him and that Michael is waiting. It's been four years and that's all I am---a disappointment to him."
"Allie?" He gently lifted her chin to lock eyes with her, studying her carefully. He thought about what she'd said and pulled her closer to him as he tried to reassure her, "You're not a disappointment, your parents are. You're bright, beautiful, fun to be around, and the sexiest woman I've ever laid eyes on. We'll get through this and figure out a way to handle your parents. We have to tell Hawk about the private investigator."
"What are you going to tell him? Ah, sir, some stalker was trying to break into Lady Jaye's room while she was in bed with me. Dash, you can't, Beach Head will have a field day with this if he gets wind of it. Hawk's already watching us after the last debate you and Beach Head had over regulations," she panicked.
"I'll tell him that you called to check your messages and a maid had reported a possible stalker trying to get into your room while we were out. Not knowing if it was a mistake or something more serious, you ended up staying in my room because the man could not be located. Hawk knows the hotel was booked and that we just wrapped up a dangerous mission. None of the others would leave Shana or Courtney on their own if it happened to them -- and you know it," Flint reasoned.
"You're right," she agreed, looking at the time. "Dash, we're going to miss our flight."