She'd fucked with his body and with his head.
She'd broken him, and he'd never--ever--wanted to drag Jane down with him. And yet that's what he'd done. He'd practically taken her in a cabana in the middle of his party. And he'd been so lost in the haze of desire for her that he hadn't even realized how far he'd gone until she cried out for him, begging him to fuck her.
He was a complete bastard. He should never have kissed her, never touched her, never opened that door. He'd known it was a mistake, but he'd been unable to resist. And he'd wanted her as much in that moment as he had seventeen years ago when they'd been lost in the dark together.
And that was the real hell of it, wasn't it? Because he could never have her again. Not on any level. Not like he wanted.
He was too broken, and she deserved so much more. And even if he were whole, what would it matter when every touch was forbidden? She was his sister, for Christ's sake. It's not like it could ever be right between them.
He wished he could block her out of his mind, but he knew that wasn't possible. She'd walked back into his life, and by doing so, she'd marched right into his head. All of his desires. All of his memories. Everything was flooding back, dark and raw and wrapped up in this news about Ortega.
He closed his eyes, hoping that Liam would greet him at the airport with the news that Quince had brought Ortega in, and that the son of a bitch was trussed up in the interrogation room.
Damn, but that would be sweet.
Find the Woman. Find the Jailer. And fucking end this thing.
He wanted the closure. And he wanted the pleasure of telling Jane.
It wouldn't change anything--she still couldn't be his--but at least he could do that one thing for her.
He sighed. He needed to put it all away. He wanted to be sharp when he arrived. Not emotional. Not fucked up.
He took the last sip of sparkling water, then lifted it up for the attendant to take. She came quickly, a pretty girl he'd flirted with on many flights, but never taken to his bed.
"Just an overnight trip this time, Mr. Sykes?"
"That's right."
She knew it was an overnight, of course. She was either making conversation or reminding him that she'd be at the hotel. The lovely Mendoza Elite, an exclusive boutique hotel owned by the Sykes empire. Which meant he could easily find out her room number if he was so inclined.
He wasn't.
He glanced down at his satellite phone, still showing no calls, and resigned himself to waiting until they'd landed for an update from Liam.
The attendant--Susie?--was still standing in front of him holding his empty glass. He wanted to tell her to look elsewhere. To have a little pride. Didn't she read the papers? Didn't she know that he was nothing but a good time? She was sweet and pretty and deserved a hell of a lot better.
But since telling her that would be the same as blowing his cover, he simply gave her a bland smile and started to flip through his notes on a new retail center that was opening in San Diego in the spring.
She cleared her throat. "Well, I hope it's a productive trip. I look forward to serving you on the return flight." She flashed a quick smile, then scurried back to her seat, hopefully to review her contacts and see if there was some nice guy back in the States who'd given her his phone number.
He was seated on the small leather sofa, his duffel tucked beneath the empty space beside him. Now he bent over and slid his phone back into the side pocket. As he did, he caught a glimpse of blue and remembered the letter. He grimaced. Just one more nuisance to add to the
steadily growing pile.
He considered continuing to ignore it--for that matter, he considered ripping it up. But prudence prevailed and he pulled it from the bag.
He opened it carefully, even though he knew there wouldn't be prints.
As always, there was a single piece of paper inside.
And, as always, the words on the paper were typed. Needy, clingy, demanding words.
You're mine, Dallas. You always have been. You always will be.
Why don't you see this? Why don't you listen?
But I am patient. I've always been so very patient.