Leanne Banks - The Danforths - Marc, Tanya & Abe - The Laws of Passion / Terms of Surrender / Shocking the Senator

Marc muttered to himself, knowing it was useless to argue with her. But he would be damned if any fresh-faced prosecutor was going to get away with bringing down the Danforth family. He would just have to think of something.

Dana made arrangements with Jasmine to copy all of her notes to turn over to the FBI. Then she wrote her a receipt for the photos. Meanwhile, Marc stood up and paced the room, trying to come up with a plan.

“Jasmine,” Dana said at last. “Something just occurred to me. Where were you when you took these pictures? In a vehicle on the street?”

Jasmine shook her head. “No. I considered that. But I came to the conclusion that I’d be too exposed.”

“Good thinking. So where were you?”

“The newspaper just happens to own one of the warehouses across the street from the cartel’s office,” Jasmine told her through a grin. “They store newsprint and extra equipment there. It was actually quite comfortable too…except for an occasional rat.”

“Hmm. Do you think you could get me a key to the place? Without giving away who wants it, that is?”

Jasmine shrugged a shoulder. “Probably. I can try.”

The afternoon was nearly gone, and Marc didn’t want to hang around the office any longer. So he thanked Jasmine for all her help and told Dana to get ready to face the reporters downstairs.

On their way down in the elevator, he could feel her trembling beside him. “Just don’t say anything to any of them, slick,” he murmured. “You’ll be a big hit if you simply stand there and smile. The cameras will love that face of yours.” He took her hand and squeezed it to give her a little bit of his own strength.

“Smiling will be the hardest part,” she told him. But he also noticed that she straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin with a determined grimace.

As it turned out, there were only a handful of reporters hanging around by the employee entrance. Most of them seemed to be photographers and not terribly interested in getting long quotes.

“When are you two planning on tying the knot?” one of them yelled out, amid the click of shutter lenses.

“As soon as we can,” Marc replied with a casual air.

“Aren’t you afraid the nuptials might have to be held in the slammer?” someone else asked.

Before he could answer that one, Dana turned to the man with a wide smile. “Not at all. In this country, innocent people don’t go to jail for crimes they didn’t commit.”

That got a huge laugh from the crowd, and the flashbulbs popped around them frantically. He bent over to whisper in her ear. “Nice save, sugar. Thanks.”

After twenty more minutes of nonstop smiling, Marc thanked everyone and helped Dana into the passenger side of the SUV. He drove away slowly, watching the reporters disperse in his rearview mirror.

“I imagine that ought to hold them,” he told her.

“I hope so. I think my face is permanently stuck in this position.” She rubbed her cheeks with her palms.

“How about if we go home and I fix us a little something to eat? I’ll give you a back rub after dinner—as a reward for a great save with the paparazzi.”

She shot him a sideways scowl, but then reached down and slipped off her shoes. “Make it a foot rub and you’re on. But first, drive around town a little. We need to deliver these files to the FBI office and make sure no one is following us.”

The normal twenty-minute drive home took over an hour. And Marc spent most of it racking his brain for a plan to link David Chastain to the cartel and save his skin.

Finally, he decided that he wanted to break into Chastain’s office and rummage through his files. Maybe with a little luck he’d find incriminating evidence. Looking over to Dana, Marc came to the conclusion that she would never agree to such a thing. It was totally illegal—and possibly dangerous.

So now he had to dream up a way to get out of the house without her.

Treating her like a queen, with a steak dinner, a bottle of his best merlot and a long soaking bath, was more his pleasure than hers. By midnight, sitting in front of the fireplace, she was groggy and pliable. Just the way he’d hoped she would be by now.

Stretching his arms, he gave a good imitation of a yawn. “Guess it’s time to hit the sack.” He stood and turned to her.

“Mmm, hmm,” she groaned. “It’s been a nice evening, Marc. Thank you.”

He pulled her to her feet. But she came up like a rag doll and ended pressed into his chest. Having her there, cuddled against him all soft and warm, made the whole scene much too intimate and cozy. He considered dragging her off to his bed instead of putting her into hers and then sneaking off for his breaking-and-entering caper.

She was nearly asleep standing up, and Marc shook his head at his own foolishness. Naw. Dana had made it clear enough that her first allegiance was to the law and the FBI. He wouldn’t take advantage of her in a moment of weakness. Hers or his.

“Let’s get you to bed, sugar,” he mumbled. What he’d decided to take advantage of was the opportunity to prove his innocence.

Marc lifted her off her feet and swung her into the guest bed. “Night, Dana. Sleep tight.” He paused only long enough to pull the blankets around her and to smooth away a soft curl that covered her cheek.

Creeping down the hall to his bedroom, he figured he would give her a half hour to fall sound asleep. His plan was going to be tricky. She’d already proven she was a light sleeper. But without Laddie around, Marc knew he could get out of the house without waking her.

He turned on the TV in his bedroom. Though he never watched the thing, the noise would make a great cover. Then he turned off all the lights and waited.

When he was nearly sleepy enough to decide to give up the whole idea, Marc knew it was now or never. He slipped down the hall past her closed bedroom door and snuck into the darkened kitchen. He planned to go out the back door and then idle the car out of the yard.

With his shoes in hand, Marc made it to the door. But right before he put his hand on the alarm to disable it, the image entered his mind of doing this exact same thing as a teenager at boarding school. What was the matter with him? A grown man, sneaking out of his own house.

Dana. She’d be so upset when she discovered he’d gone off without her. He couldn’t stand imagining her disappointment.

Setting his shoes on the floor, he turned back and flipped on the overhead light. No. If he was going to find the proof of his innocence, she would just have to agree to come with him.

He marched through the house, flipping on lights as he went. Marc hoped she wasn’t sleeping too soundly, but he couldn’t let that stop him. She had to hear him out. He had to make her listen.

When he pushed open her door, he was surprised to find Dana fully dressed and on her feet.

“Changed your mind?” She was checking her gun and didn’t look up at him.

“You knew?”

She chuckled deep in her throat. “It’s what I would’ve done if I were you.” Stashing the gun in a holster at her shoulder, she shrugged on a jacket. “Mind you, I never would’ve let you get out of the yard without me…but I’m very glad you decided to come back on your own.”

Marc cleared his throat. “Are we going to Chastain’s office together?”

“No. That would be illegal—and probably useless. If there’s anything incriminating of Chastain’s that we can use, it’ll be encrypted on his computer and not laying around his office for anyone to find. I think in Chastain’s case, we’ll be better off letting the Bureau tail his movements and get a warrant to tap his phone and computer.”

“Then, where are we going?”

Dana finally looked over at Marc and felt the jolt clear down to her toes. When dressed in a suit and tie like he’d been earlier today, the man was devastatingly handsome. But put him in jeans and a black pullover and the sight did wild and wicked things to her libido.