Dani felt similar to her first days in Boston, a combination of relief and looking over her shoulder. She hoped Beau had received the message since it came with reinforcements. As she considered warning Leon, regret surged through her, if only the young girl told someone. Leon noticed little things, but she had silently played the victim alone. Even her escape took months. One letter could have blown up her plan, but her family was too busy with life to notice her mail.

Percy greeted them and Kasper went straight to the parlor. The clinking of glass drew Percy's attention as Dani waited to talk to him.

"Yes, Miss."

"Could I move to Tate's room for the rest of my stay? Sharing the bathroom has set my schedule back."

"Of course. A maid will move your things." A stranger touching her things didn't bother her anymore than her dirty clothes disappearing and returning clean in her drawers. She would miss the perks.

Staying with Kasper only delayed the hurt. Taking in a deep breath, she walked toward the voices in the parlor.

"There she is. You've had quite a day." Philip smiled reassuringly.

Kasper stood. "Wine or something stronger."

"Wine. Thanks."

"Kasper said we're ready for the board meeting."

"Why is it scheduled so close to Christmas?" Amelia asked.

Philip shrugged. "It's the end of the quarter. We'll meet and then go to the annual holiday party."

"Who on earth scheduled them on the same day?"

Dani looked at Amelia. "I did. The family will only have to come out one night and hopefully they'll feel festive and agree to Kasper's plan."

"I suppose you have a point. I'll have Philip vote for me so I can prepare for the party."

"I'll get four votes." Kasper winked.

"You'll get more than that." Philip smiled at his son.

"Right, Jimmy and Tate better support me."

Amelia looked at her son. "Jimmy?"

Philip stood up looking powerful even at his age. "Yes, I've offered a seat to Jimmy and Ivy."

"Why would you do that?"

"You received your seat after Baxter was born. Ivy's seat is overdue and Jimmy will be an asset."

"But not Gray." She eyed her husband.

"No, because Doyle doesn't work for Kane. Kasper's wife will receive a seat."

"Even if we choose not to have children."

Dani's heart pounded in her ears. Kasper's wife. She would wear a sapphire ring and sit on the board while Dani took notes and clicked pretty slides.

"Why would you marry someone who doesn't want children?" Amelia looked at her son in disbelief.

"I want an intelligent woman to challenge me, so she may prefer her career over babies."

Philip said, "He has a valid point. I'm hungry. When is dinner?"

Dani didn't feel hungry. If only she could excuse herself, instead of talking about Kasper's perfect wife.

"Why on earth did you go on that horrible dating show?"

"Mother, I thought you understood me. I went for the challenge, but I've discovered some challenges in the property business."

"It's about time." Amelia stood. "Where's Percy?"

"Madame."

Was he hiding? Dani smiled.

"Is dinner almost ready?"

"I'm told it is. I'll let Mrs. Moran know you are moving into the dining room."

Dani marveled as the spouses sat at each end of the long table. She and Kasper sat across from each other in the middle of the table. The Kane rule was no business talk at the table. It was odd nobody had anything to say. Growing up, anytime her family sat together at the wobbly table the meal was loud and joyful. Until everything changed.

She cleared her throat. "Are you looking forward to Baxter's tree trimming?"

"Yes. We enjoy it every year. Don't we, Amelia?"

"Yes, but it would be easier to hire a decorator."

Kasper laughed. "I'm glad the twins will experience the joy we missed as children."

Philip put down his fork. "You had plenty of joy."

"I know, but never the trimming tree."

"I can't imagine." Dani wanted to swallow her words. "Sorry."

Kasper shook his head. "I agree."

As soon as the meal ended, Dani retreated to her new room. The knock on her door a little while later didn't surprise her.

"Please open." Her heart constricted. She sighed before opening the door. Why did he have to be so gorgeous?

He looked around Tate's room before looking at her. "I kept telling myself your quiet mood was him not me, but your change of rooms says it all."

"It didn't make sense to share the bathroom." She looked at her toes.

"Is that all?"

She shook her head slowly. "No."

"I thought we were having fun. We've been getting along great. I admire your independence and your own will."

"I can't be tied down, plus we'll never go anywhere."

"Only because you don't want to. We have a lot of time before we need to look at the future."

She shook her head. "It'll just be preventing the inevitable." A broken heart.

"I disagree but will never press my will on you. I really hate that guy."

"That makes two of us. It was a stressful day. I need to rest."

With sadness etched on his face, Kasper backed out. She popped in her earbuds and woke up her laptop to watch mind numbing TV.

After avoiding Kasper as much as possible while living in the same house, Dani somehow finished the week without another headache. How could she keep her distance at Baxter's party? Maybe he would play with his nephews the entire time. Her goal was to get Jimmy and Gray on her side, so she could go home.

Feeling trapped, reminded her of Beau's manipulation. Obviously, there were a lot worse places to be than the Kane House, but she wanted her own place.

Reluctantly, she agreed to walk to Baxter's with Kasper. He kept his gloved hands in his pockets. Halfway down the block, she watched as his breath puffed out in front of him with his long sighing exhale.

"Will you stay with us until after Christmas?"

"I have plans." She would never presume to spend Christmas with the Kanes. For years, they celebrated in Aspen, but stopped going a few years before. With three of them married, their tradition had changed.

"Anything good? I'll be stuck with my parents while everyone celebrates with their in-laws."

Without family, she had always spent her day giving back at a skilled nursing facility visiting with people who didn't have family. She had developed a friendship with Marianne. Because of her travel schedule and trying to compete with Kasper, she hadn't visited in months.

"I have friends and I need to finish shopping. So I need to be set free."

Kasper stopped walking. "Wanting you safe is not holding you prisoner. I've given you space. What are you getting me?"

"You? You have everything a man could ever want."

"Not the one thing I want."

Dani scoffed. Like all men he had a one track mind. Meanwhile, she was trying to push the memory of sex with Kasper into the recesses of her mind.

"I need to shop too, because you returned your Christmas gift."

When her brain caught up to her ears, she exclaimed, "You're full of it. That ring was a pawn used to anger Beau."

"Say the word and it can mean so much more."

"Did you find Doyle's weed stash? You are high!"

"Look! We're here."

The warm house embraced her. She moved to where Tate sat with the baby.

Tate studied her. "Are you okay?"

"No, I want to go back to my apartment."

"Did Kasper blow it? What did he do?"

She shook her head. "We were pretending. It was never real."

"Those pictures looked real." Tate frowned and leaned closer. "Oh, no! You slept with him didn't you? He can be charming. I'll kill him for you."

"No. It's not what you think. I want to go back to my apartment."

The baby fussed and Tate put her on her shoulder, but Jimmy came over and offered to walk with her.

Tate looked up at him. "Dani wants to go home."

Jimmy frowned. She sighed. "I was planning to keep it a secret, but I called his uncle and explained the consequences."

"You did?"

"Yup. From my desk so the caller ID was Kane Properties. He promised me he would talk to his nephew and apologized. See, now I can go home."

She didn't notice Kasper who frowned. "Let her go home, but she uses a car." Kasper's face was void of all emotion.

Jimmy sighed. "I'll talk to Gray and Baxter."

Under her breath, she said, "Instead of one guy controlling me, I have four."

Kasper walked away.

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