Their world was totally foreign to the wife of a dairy farmer, but Dallas, if it worked out, would be a true confidante.

"Before you tell me what, tell me how," Remi said. They stopped at the pool, but Cain took her into the empty pool house. "It can't be that bad, can it?"

Cain glanced around the place her inner circle of guards had made their own. "I want to make sure if you react to what I'm going to tell you, you don't embarra.s.s Dallas. If you do, that'll stay between me and you."

"How do you know what you found out is right?"

Cain put her hand on Remi's shoulders. "Listen to me. Ramon followed the money, but that's not what drives this girl. We needed the key to unlock her past, and I found it."

The cigar in Remi's hand hung loosely in her fingers as she fell into a chair. "What was it?"

"Her name," Cain said. She pulled another seat closer and patted Remi's knee. "Katie Moores of Sparta, Tennessee, and she hasn't had an easy life."

"Katie?"

"I don't have the why yet, but Katie ran away with her little sister, Sue Lee, and ended up in Los Angeles. After she got there, she was too young and didn't have any experience to make a living that would support two people."

"She has a sister?"

"Kristen Montgomery, who's a college student up North.Dallas has done a good job of keeping her away from her job and out of the limelight."

"How did you find all this?"

Cain told her about Nathan and how he'd helped Dallas with the ident.i.ty she'd used to build her new life. "If you couldn't find her, then I figured there were only a few ways she could've managed an ident.i.ty that's stood up this long. I started with the best and lucked out."

"How'd she afford that?" Remi asked, sounding as if the answer was something she needed to hear but dreaded at the same time.

"Something like that isn't cheap."

"You have to meet Nathan Mosley. He made a deal with her, and she kept her end of the bargain. Otherwise he would have sold her out. The new ident.i.ty holds up only if Nathan keeps a client's secret."

"What's going to stop him now?"

Cain laughed as she headed to the bar. "My reputation is good for something, and Nathan seems to genuinely like her."

"After you get to know Dallas you'll understand why," Remi said.

She accepted the gla.s.s Cain handed her. "And I imagine what you've told me so far is just the fluff of this story."

"You should've asked yourself how a girl you can't find ended up on the screen. Where'd she get her start?" Cain raised her gla.s.s and encouraged Remi to take a drink. "Nathan didn't know the whole story, but he knew enough to give me a place to start. Sweet China was the name she used in a short stint in the p.o.r.n industry."

"What?" Remi screamed.

"Think about the position she was in, and imagine what drove her to have to do that. She took what she learned in that life and created one she could live out with a lot more dignity. What's wrong with that?"

"I'm not knocking her, but why in the h.e.l.l did she think she needed to hide that? These days, she probably could've gotten bigger roles if peoplehad known that's where she started."

Remi's rage was hard to miss, and Cain gave her a few minutes to calm down. "While I can see where she wouldn't be proud of that period of her life, I think she needed Nathan for another reason. To find that answer we need to go back a little further. This had to have begun in Sparta."

"Where in the h.e.l.l does Bob fit into all of this?"

"From what Nathan told me, he was there from the beginning, but only Dallas can tell us what that beginning was. I a.s.sume Bob knows every secret she wanted to bury. But I don't think he knows about Dallas's sister." The cigar Remi had been holding was now in two pieces on the floor. "And we're going to work together to make sure it stays that way."

"How do we discover the rest?" Remi asked, pressing her fingers to the sides of her head.

"I'm going to have Muriel locate someone I can talk to."

"If you do, this will be in the tabloids by tomorrow afternoon."

Cain shook her head, pulled out a twenty, and handed it to Remi.

"There's more than one way to keep someone quiet." She held up the bill.

"You can offer money to anyone, but if the story's good enough, someone's offer will be that much better."

"Remi, if I give you this bill and tell you something, you probably wouldn't tell anyone if I ask you not to, right?"

"You know it."

"But how could I guarantee that you wouldn't, legally, that is?"

"If I'm your attorney you could give me the money as a retainer,"

Remi said, shaking her head and laughing.

"Don't worry. I hit you with a lot tonight, and eventually you'd have figured that one out on your own. I'm going to hire a local attorney to do the digging for me. If the attorney-client privilege doesn't convince him to keep quiet, my threat to rip out his tongue with a fingernail clipper might do the trick."

Remi stood up and held out her hand. "Thanks, I owe you."

"You owe me nothing." Cain shook her hand and started for the door. "Does this change how you feel about her?"

"Not in the way you think. I've held back because I was wary of her, but now she's exactly what I hoped she'd be. If I'm lucky she needs me in her life just a little."

"I saw how she kept her eyes on you all through dinner. You don't have a thing to worry about."

Chapter Forty-Two.

Remi pa.s.sed the door of Dallas's room and paused before continuing to her favorite spot in the penthouse. With the lights off inside, the traffic on the river was easy to see, as was the skyline of the downtown area and the aquarium. Here, twenty floors up, she couldn't hear any noise from the Natchez Steamboat's organ or from the tourists milling around having a good time. The quiet in the midst of all the commotion let her think.

Since they'd gotten back from Cain and Emma's, Dallas had said little as she walked around and peered at the view. She seemed tired and withdrawn and hadn't wanted to talk after the conversation they'd had when they got home, so Remi had walked her to her room and told her good night. The one thing Dallas had accepted before Remi closed the door was a kiss and a long hug.

To get Dallas to trust her, Remi had done something highly unusual for her. She'd given Dallas a clear picture of who she was, and hadn't hidden behind innuendo or conjecture. If Dallas chose she could use the truth Remi had revealed to seriously damage her, but she couldn't expect Dallas to open up to her if she wasn't willing to do the same. She hadn't expected Dallas to answer her phone and clam up immediately afterward, though. She'd tried asking if she could help, but after their kiss Dallas had simply lowered her head and closed the door.

"Patience," Remi said softly to her reflection on the gla.s.s, "that's what Emma keeps preaching." From the pocket of her robe she retrieved her cigar clipper, opened the humidor sitting on the nearby table, and pulled out one of her favorite brands, ritualistically getting it ready to smoke.

For an instant, the darkness was broken by the powerful cigar lighter her father had given her,then blue smoke outlined in moonlight billowed over her head. She watched it rise and thought about Dallas and everything Cain had told her. Could she live with the truth of Dallas's choices? But who the h.e.l.l was she to even consider judging her? Remi knew all about making difficult choices for the sake of taking care of her family.

The door of the guest bedroom opened quietly, and Dallas stepped out in bare feet, stopping at the end of the hallway, content to watch Remi smoke. She'd fallen asleep almost instantly when she laydown, wanting to escape the fear that had blossomed after she hung up with Kristen, but when her eyes opened again, something had energized her. The way Remi had so methodically laid out the truth meant they'd crossed some barrier Remi had mentally erected to keep her from getting too close. Dallas could imagine how her silence and sudden withdrawal had affected Remi. Most people interpreted silence as rejection, which was the last thing Dallas wanted.

As the smoke rings drifted slowly toward the ceiling she caught the slightest hint of the cigar, and while she'd never really cared for smoking, the aroma from the brand Remi was partial to wasn't unpleasant. The humidor's nearness to Remi told Dallas she sat here and smoked frequently. Taking a deep breath to settle her nerves, she walked until she stood in front of Remi, blocking her view.

Remi's eyes roved slowly up and down, making Dallas feel like she'd been caressed.

That was exactly what Remi wanted to dotouch Dallas until she'd memorized every curve and inch of skin. Instead, she curled the fingers of her free hand until they pressed against her palm.

Dallas stepped closer, making Remi concentrate on the sway of her hips and how mesmerizing the movement was because of the long white silk nightgown.

"I thought I told you my feelings about smoking inside?" Dallas asked, placing her hands on the arms of Remi's chair. When she leaned forward in challenge, Remi had a delightful view down the low scoop neck.

Smiling up at Dallas she said, "I thought you meant inside your house."

As Remi began to take another drag, Dallas plucked the cigar from Remi's fingers and ground it out in the ashtray next to the chair."Inside means inside anywhere."

Dallas leaned in the final inches and kissed her until Remi was aware only of Dallas's lips against hers and her tongue pushing insistently against her own. The kiss ended when Dallas stood, and Remi froze as Dallas lifted the soft silk enough so she could straddle her lap. When she got comfortable Dallas placed her palms under Remi's soft T-shirt and touched as much skin as she could reach, making Remi surmise she was trying to prove to herself this was real.

"I don't want you to give up something you love, but I want to take care of you, keep you healthy and happy so you'll be around for years to come. That's really important to me," Dallas said as Remi's hands slid up and under the pooled gown.

"What else do you want, besides limited smoking?" Remi asked.

"I want you." Dallas placed her hands on Remi's shoulders just under the neck of her T-shirt. "I'm sorry about how I handled tonight, but it had nothing to do with what you told me. What you said doesn't change how much I want to be with you. The truth of who you are is safe with me."

"I know that," Remi said, continuing upward under the silk gown, exposing more and more skin. She kept her eyes on Dallas's face until she raised the sleepwear over her head and dropped it to the floor. When Dallas was naked she gazed at her. She lifted her hand again to touch her, but stopped before she made contact. "You're so beautiful. Is it okay to touch you?" she asked out of respect for Dallas and their agreement to go slow.

"Please," Dallas said, and took a short breath when Remi circled her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, then drew an invisible line down her middle.

"Let's go somewhere more comfortable," Remi said as she helped Dallas to her feet.

Remi bent to get Dallas's nightgown and threw it over her shoulder.

As she straightened, her robe opened further and Dallas tugged it off, dropping it and the nightgown.

"Leave it," she said.

The command made Remi forget about picking anything up except Dallas. They didn't exchange a word as she carried Dallas into the master suite and set her gently on her feet. Despite the room's fabulous view of the river and west bank because of the two walls of gla.s.s, Dallas's eyes never wavered from hers.

When Remi began to take off her T-shirt, she noticed Dallas finally glance around. She considered the room utilitarian, but she'd wanted to keep it simple, thinking the view was enough. When the shirt cleared her head, she saw Dallas looking at one of the two pieces of furniture. The antique four-poster bed faced the windows and was a place she'd never shared with anyone until now.

"This room is a good reflection of you," Dallas said, and stepped right in front of her. "It's open," she whispered and stretched to reach Remi's neck with her lips while her hands stopped at the elastic of her boxers. With a good tug they fell to her ankles.

"You're incredible," Dallas said as she stood and stared.

Remi took advantage of Dallas's unfocused state to pick her up again and lay her on the bed. She lay next to her and wanted more than anything to touch Dallas but wanted to go slow, not because of their agreement, but because she wanted to savor their first time together.

Like a blind woman learning braille, Remi started at the crown of Dallas's head and moved her hand across her forehead to her cheek.

Dallas closed her eyes when she reached her neck and pulled on the back of Remi's hair as she circled but didn't touch her nipples.

When she continued southward, Remi flattened her hand on her stomach, inching down her legs until she reached the knee closest to her. That she lifted until Dallas draped her leg over her body, leaving her open to her touch.

She dipped her fingers past the hair that was more red than blond and found the evidence of Dallas's desire for her. "You are so wet,"

she said, making Dallas nod slowly as if she'd lost the ability to speak. "I'm glad we waited, but imagining you like this has made all that time difficult," Remi said as her middle and index finger caressed from Dallas's opening to just under her c.l.i.toris. There she opened them so they rested at the sides of the hard point and squeezed. Dallas lifted her hips and gasped in obvious pleasure.

Before Dallas could rock her hips, Remi again returned to her opening, wanting to keep her fingers wet. The more she touched Dallas, the more she chased Remi's fingers in whatever direction they headed, but then Remi stopped and coaxed Dallas on top of her and into a sitting position.

"You're stopping now?" Dallas asked, sounding breathless.

"I wouldn't define it as stopping," Remi said, falling back into the thick pillows to admire Dallas's flushed body. She ran her hands up the bare legs and reached Dallas's hips, then pulled her closer, encouraging Dallas to press her center to her middle. When she did, Remi pinched her nipples until Dallas moaned and pressed harder into her.

"If you want me, I'm yours," Dallas said as she leaned in and pressed their bodies together.

"You'remine now, and no one else will ever touch you like this, if I can help it."

The declaration seemed to double Dallas's wetness, and Remi gently rolled her to her back so she could cover as much of her as possible. She urged Dallas to spread her legs so she could fit her hand between them, but it wasn't enough.

Remi moved until her legs were hanging off the end of the bed, then ducked her head and ran her tongue from the wet opening to Dallas's c.l.i.toris. She smiled as Dallas's hips shot off the bed.

"Don't stop...don't stop," Dallas said as she ground herself into Remi's face. Then Remi inserted her fingers and curled them upward until she felt Dallas wrap intimately around them, almost willing Remi to be still for a moment as she reached the peak of her o.r.g.a.s.m. Screaming Remi's name, Dallas fell back to the bed and tears rolled down her face, quickly turning into choking sobs.

Remi whipped her head up in confusion at the conclusion of what she thought Dallas wanted. She gently gathered Dallas into her arms.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you." Remi kissed the top of her head and continued to whisper her apologies until finally Dallas's crying slowed a little.

With a rough voice, Dallas spoke but never lifted her head from Remi's chest. "You didn't hurt me, and I'm not sure you'll understand this, but this is the first time I've ever wanted someone to touch me."

Remi thought she was going to say more but Dallas stayed quiet.

"Thank you for gifting me with that, and I'll do my best to deserve it."

"You probably deserve better, but thank you for not thinking I'm completely insane." Dallas wiped her face with the corner of the sheet Remi was offering her and laughed. "Not exactly living up to my image as someone who wants to do another action picture, am I?

Becoming hysterical after something so wonderful isn't exactly s.e.xy."

"You don't hear me complaining, do you?" Remi asked, as she playfully squeezed one side of her b.u.t.t.

Dallas brought her hand between Remi's legs and smiled. "I don't see why you're not. You have every right to, judging from this."

"That you thought it was wonderful was all I need to know." Remi wiped away the last of her tears and kissed her. When Dallas pushed her into the pillows to return the affection, her knee pressed against Remi hard enough to make her moan.

"Something I can do for you?" Dallas asked, pressing into her again.