gambling too?”
“I prefer the word speculation,” Dash told her, hard amusement in his voice.
“Whatever.” Lotus felt a resurgence of the anger she had felt when she had first gone to Las Vegas. Her uncle had been victimized because someone was caught in the web of gambling. When she looked around her, she saw an opulence built by the vice. He and his family or conglomerate-— whatever they called themselves—had built an empire on the backs of people who were too weak to control a bad habit . . . gambling. Even now her wonderful uncle was suffering because one of those weak persons had embezzled funds from Dash’s organization and used her uncle’s name.
“Come out of that dream world you’re in. We’ve arrived. Besides, it doesn’t look like a very happy dream world.”
“It isn’t.” Lotus preceded him from the elevator into a small foyer with two doors. “You only have one neighbor?”
“Both doors are mine, love,” Dash told her, feeling uneasy when he sensed her stiffening What the hell was going on in that convoluted mind of hers ? He was losing more of her with each step they took into his home.
He pushed open the door, carrying her duffel bag on his shoulder and gestured with his head for her to precede him.
Lotus walked into the spacious two-story foyer with the curving stairway hugging one rounded wall and looked around her. “Is that silk on the walls?” she whispered.
“Yes.” He was curt. Then he dropped her things on the floor and walked to her, gripping her upper arms. “Tell me what’s going on? You’re getting colder and colder toward me. Tell me.”
Lotus looked up at him, wanting to tell him to get lost, go to hell, let her go. “Your money came to you on the backs of shattered people and their shattered dreams.” She waved her hand around the champagne-colored, round foyer. “It’s a sultan’s palace constructed with flesh and blood. Do you honestly expect me to admire it ... or you?”
Dash stepped back, feeling the blood drain from him. “I’m considered to be an honest businessman.”
“By whom?The mob?” It was her turn to step back when she saw the hurricane of emotions in his face.
“I don’t work with the mob ... or any underworld persons,” he told her, the words like nails driven into wood, amazed at the hurt feelings that filled him at her words.
Lotus felt stabbed when she saw surprise flash across his face; then his features closed like a book, and he looked down at her as though waiting to see what else she would say to him. "I didn’t . . . didn’t mean to hurt you.” She meant every word. She felt tears on her cheek and put her hand there. “I never cry.” Stunned, she breathed the words. “I’ll leave.” She went to her duffel bag on the floor. Before she could reach down for it, Dash’s hands were at her waist, turning her toward him, lifting her into his arms.
“Don’t go.” He kissed her cheek, letting his mouth travel the clean line of her jaw. “We have a long way to go with each other, and I think the road’s going to be rough, but I don’t want you to leave me. Please.”
Lotus took in a shuddering breath, leaning against him, her eyes closed, her feet dangling a half a foot off the floor. “I don’t want to leave you,” she confessed, feeling a ton of weight lift from her emotions.
CHAPTER FOUR
The few hours left until evening became increasingly happy ones to Lotus. She felt bright, helium light as Dash led her from room to room in the ten-room duplex apartment. They were close. Even when they weren’t touching each other, she had the feeling that they were connected. They had said no more about the gambling. Dash had not asked her the reason for her feelings. She had delved no more into his money-making, and though the questions remained between them, it was as though a decision had been reached. For the time being they would shelve the problems between them.
“And where is my room?” Lotus asked him,
“I prefer the word speculation,” Dash told her, hard amusement in his voice.
“Whatever.” Lotus felt a resurgence of the anger she had felt when she had first gone to Las Vegas. Her uncle had been victimized because someone was caught in the web of gambling. When she looked around her, she saw an opulence built by the vice. He and his family or conglomerate-— whatever they called themselves—had built an empire on the backs of people who were too weak to control a bad habit . . . gambling. Even now her wonderful uncle was suffering because one of those weak persons had embezzled funds from Dash’s organization and used her uncle’s name.
“Come out of that dream world you’re in. We’ve arrived. Besides, it doesn’t look like a very happy dream world.”
“It isn’t.” Lotus preceded him from the elevator into a small foyer with two doors. “You only have one neighbor?”
“Both doors are mine, love,” Dash told her, feeling uneasy when he sensed her stiffening What the hell was going on in that convoluted mind of hers ? He was losing more of her with each step they took into his home.
He pushed open the door, carrying her duffel bag on his shoulder and gestured with his head for her to precede him.
Lotus walked into the spacious two-story foyer with the curving stairway hugging one rounded wall and looked around her. “Is that silk on the walls?” she whispered.
“Yes.” He was curt. Then he dropped her things on the floor and walked to her, gripping her upper arms. “Tell me what’s going on? You’re getting colder and colder toward me. Tell me.”
Lotus looked up at him, wanting to tell him to get lost, go to hell, let her go. “Your money came to you on the backs of shattered people and their shattered dreams.” She waved her hand around the champagne-colored, round foyer. “It’s a sultan’s palace constructed with flesh and blood. Do you honestly expect me to admire it ... or you?”
Dash stepped back, feeling the blood drain from him. “I’m considered to be an honest businessman.”
“By whom?The mob?” It was her turn to step back when she saw the hurricane of emotions in his face.
“I don’t work with the mob ... or any underworld persons,” he told her, the words like nails driven into wood, amazed at the hurt feelings that filled him at her words.
Lotus felt stabbed when she saw surprise flash across his face; then his features closed like a book, and he looked down at her as though waiting to see what else she would say to him. "I didn’t . . . didn’t mean to hurt you.” She meant every word. She felt tears on her cheek and put her hand there. “I never cry.” Stunned, she breathed the words. “I’ll leave.” She went to her duffel bag on the floor. Before she could reach down for it, Dash’s hands were at her waist, turning her toward him, lifting her into his arms.
“Don’t go.” He kissed her cheek, letting his mouth travel the clean line of her jaw. “We have a long way to go with each other, and I think the road’s going to be rough, but I don’t want you to leave me. Please.”
Lotus took in a shuddering breath, leaning against him, her eyes closed, her feet dangling a half a foot off the floor. “I don’t want to leave you,” she confessed, feeling a ton of weight lift from her emotions.
CHAPTER FOUR
The few hours left until evening became increasingly happy ones to Lotus. She felt bright, helium light as Dash led her from room to room in the ten-room duplex apartment. They were close. Even when they weren’t touching each other, she had the feeling that they were connected. They had said no more about the gambling. Dash had not asked her the reason for her feelings. She had delved no more into his money-making, and though the questions remained between them, it was as though a decision had been reached. For the time being they would shelve the problems between them.
“And where is my room?” Lotus asked him,
Similar Books
