****

  “Dara! Oh. My. God!” Sofia just stood there, gawking at her friend in the back room of the salon. They’d finally let her come back and see the transformation.

  Dara squealed like a teenager. “I know, I know, oh my God, what do you think Seth will think?” She turned in the mirror, looking at herself.

  “He’s going to shit that’s what he’s going to think. Okay that made no sense, oh my God! I cannot believe this.”

  She smiled at Sofia in the mirror. “You think momma?”

  “No,” Sofia nodded, “I know. I mean wow, I cannot get over this. Why in the world do you even wear those stupid dresses, Dara, you’re hiding an amazing body, you need to throw those dresses, like in the damn trash. When we get back! Not kidding.”

  Dara cackled but Sofia was still awestruck at the transformation. She wore black slacks and jacket with a teal satin top and teal heels. Her hair was layered and her makeup was perfect and her eyebrows were a third the size my God she looked like a freaking model now. Seth was truly going to shit! And her shape wasn’t bad, she had a big butt and chest but they were equally proportioned and actually sexy looking. “You could easily pass for one of those models at the plus place we just shopped at Dara, I’m not kidding.”

  She squealed and ran to Sofia and hugged her. “Thank you thank you thank you.” Then some Romanian chatter while she smoothed her butt then shook it, filling the air with her laughter. Sofia joined her, tickled to freaking death over this.

  “I’m calling Daniel. I think we should like meet them out so that Seth doesn’t see you till we’re there then he’ll just fall over. I’m buying a camera to capture the shock on his face, he’ll want it for his scrap book I’m sure.” Sofia dialed Daniel’s cell, stifling her giggles while Dara did her sexy jigs in the mirror, blowing herself luscious kisses.

  Daniel answered, “Hey baby, you guys are done?”

  “Oh my God Daniel, you should see Dara.”

  “What? Is it amazing?”

  “Yes! She is…I’m not kidding you, a super-hot model looking person now!”

  “Are you serious?”

  “I’m dead serious. I was thinking we can meet at the restaurant so Seth can be blown away, I mean I have got to see his face.” Sofia laughed. “Baby when you see her, you are going to flip, I’m serious.”

  “What time do you want to meet there?”

  “Did you make the reservations?” Sofia asked.

  “Yes, for nine. You want to meet at eight?”

  “Sounds perfect,” Sofia sang, ecstatic.

  “I miss you,” Daniel said, huskily.

  “Awwww, me too. What are you wearing? Did you help Seth dress? Remember, fancy, you promised.”

  “Yes, I remembered. And yes, we’re both stuffed into stiff suits just for you girls.”

  “I promise to make it up to you.”

  “I promise to make you,” Daniel murmured. “But don’t hurry and drive safe.”

  “I will. You too.”

  “Always.”

  ****

  “Hope you’re not going overboard with your charade with Dara,” Daniel said, glaring at Seth before flagging down the waiter, ready for more than water.

  “Nah, she’s sweet.”

  “Sweet huh?” Daniel looked at his phone, resisting the temptation to call Sofia again. It had only been fifteen minutes since he spoke to her and she’d said they were almost there. Friday night traffic, they were not late, he was just paranoid.

  “Yes. Smart too. And funny as hell.”

  Daniel eyed him. “You get anything other than jokes and fun from her?”

  Seth sipped his water, eyeing him back over the glass, those caramel eyes nearly glowing. “What is that supposed to mean?” He sucked his perfect teeth, clearly not happy.

  He could sure join the club. “You know,” Daniel made the crass click noise with his mouth that represented fucking.

  Seth looked around. “Nah. She’s not like that.”

  “What about you? Not interested?”

  Seth swiveled his gaze back to Daniel, that cocky fake smile on. “I don’t fuck for fun big brother. Guess I didn’t take after you in that respect.”

  Ugh, right. Bastard knew his past. As soon as Daniel let Seth’s naughty cat out of the bag, he wouldn’t have to put with that smug I know some dirty shit about you look he wore on his face. Finally, Daniel wasn’t the only bad boy in the bunch. Sofia’s amazing Seth was tainted too.

  “So where did you say you were before coming here?” Daniel asked.

  Seth took the glass of wine the waiter set on their table and took a huge drink. “I didn’t,” he said, looking in the glass before taking another large drink.

  “So where were you?”

  “Wandering, mostly.”

  Wandering what…the prison grounds? What a fucking joke. Daniel downed his wine and opened his phone, hitting send.

  They were outside and on their way in. Finally. “They’re here,” Daniel said. “Get ready for a surprise.”

  “Like what?” Seth asked.

  “Dara.”

  “What about her?”

  “She’s supposed to be dressing up for you, so, play the part, don’t hurt her feelings. Sofia went on and on about how amazing she looked, but I’m sure it was to make her feel good, so, see to it please that she leaves America feeling like a queen.”

  “That’s a tall order.”

  “Yeah, well, I’m sure you can handle the challenge.”

  “Making her feel like a queen isn’t the problem.” He looked around and froze. “Holy shit.”

  Daniel turned and narrowed his gaze at the two women standing by the hostess, waiting to be seated. He recognized Sofia, but the woman next to her…no way. He stared in disbelief, searching the face for signs. Was it possible that was hiding under those hideous draperies and wild hair? Shit, Sofia hadn’t lied. At all.

  “My God,” Seth muttered, “you’ve got to be shitting me.”

  “Oh no, that’s her.” Daniel and Seth stood as the women approached. Daniel kissed Sofia’s cheek and helped settle her in next to him while Seth seated Dara.

  Dara giggled and spoke in Romanian and Daniel caught the kiss Seth placed on her cheek and the deep blush it brought.

  “Wow, Dara, you look truly amazing,” Daniel said.

  “Thank you,” she mouthed.

  Ty vyglyadishʹ dostatochno khorosho, chtoby poyestʹ, Seth said.

  Everybody stared at Seth like he’d grown another head.

  He chuckled. “It’s Russian.”

  “And? What the hell does it mean?” Dara asked.

  “That you look good enough to eat.”

  Dara gasped then grabbed Seth’s face between her hands and planted a kiss on his mouth before turning and speaking a million words of Romanian like we could understand her. “Oh my gosh, I’m thirsty,” she said.

  “Is that what you said?” Sofia asked, laughing.

  “No momma and I cannot repeat what I said here.”

  “But you’ll tell me later,” Seth insisted, winking at her.

  “Yes, for you, I shall tell.” This with a gorgeous smile that blew Daniel away. He could not believe still, the transformation in this woman. He glanced at Sofia, finally letting himself enjoy the view. A sky blue dress reminding him of spun cotton candy that he wanted to eat off of her. A glittery strap around her neck held the heart shaped top up and met a skirt that stopped at her knees. The matching dainty heels and her blue eyes made him have to know what color her panties were. He leaned in and whispered right on her ear, “I want to eat you in that. What color panties do you have on.”

  She smiled at him and barely shook her head.

  Oh God, surely she didn’t. He raised his brows. None? he mouthed.

  She smiled and reached for her wine and took a sip.

  Holy fuck. He stood up and pulled Sofia with him. “Excuse us, we’ll be right back.”

  “Take your time,” Dara sang.

  Oh, he would.

  Daniel knew the restaurant and remembered the bathrooms had locks. He led her into the women’s restroom, made sure nobody was in it then locked the door. “Surely you didn’t.”

  She smiled. “Come check.”

  He walked up to her and she stood, her back against the wall, already breathless. He reached under her dress and encountered her naked pussy. He closed his eyes. “You did.” He opened them. “I can’t believe it.” He drew circles over her wet clit, his cock hard as a rock while watching her beautiful face, brows drawn tight, perfect glossy lips parted. Panting. He lifted her leg and plunged his finger deep inside her, watching her wilt under the pleasure. “This is what you wanted? “

  She shook her head. “Your cock in me. Please,” she whimpered.

  “Hold on to the sink.”

  He undid his pants while she got in position, raising her dress for him.

  “Fuck,” he whispered, staring at her in the mirror before them while stroking her hips. He rubbed his cock along her slick heat and she looked back.

  “Do it, I’ve been wanting this all day.”

  Daniel pushed into her entrance and reached around the front, rubbing her clit. When she was moaning like he wanted, he plunged his cock deep, watching her face in the mirror. He pumped in and out of her and she met his thrusts with her own.

  When her face finally filled with that I’m about to come look they both froze at the sudden knock on the door. He gasped, clenching his eyes. “Answer,” he whispered.

  “Coming,” she called loudly.

  Daniel grinned and pulled his cock out slowly, wiggling his finger over her clit until she gasped. He shoved back inside her.

  “Yes, fuck me, do it.”

  “You want it harder?”

  “Yes, harder.”

  Daniel obliged, “Rub your clit for me.”

  Sofia took over and he grabbed hold of her waist for perfect momentum. “Oh God, yes, yes,” she whispered.

  Daniel closed his eyes and threw his head back, his orgasm there. He jerked her on and off his cock now, the smacking sound making him dizzy.

  “Oh God yes, yes,” she gasped. “Daniel!”

  There it was, his name at her orgasm. He growled, pounding into her furiously, while she stifled her cries. Fuck yes, doing it in a public bathroom with her was officially on his favorites list. He moaned, slowing his strokes, leaning to kiss her cheek and the shell of her ear. “That was perfect.”

  She turned to meet his lips. “Mmm, yes.”

  He yanked several napkins out of the holder and gently cleaned her off, smiling at her. “You’re so beautiful.”

  She smiled back. “Thank you. So are you.”

  He wiped off and put himself back in his pants. “Hungry?”

  “Starving,” she said, absolutely serious.

  “Good, the food is amazing here.”

  They checked each other over before unlocking the door and heading out. When they got back to the table, they found Dara and Seth on the dance floor, Seth’s hands on her hips and Dara’s arms around his neck. “Awwww Daniel, look.”

  “I see that.”

  They sat. “What? You don’t sound happy.”

  Daniel shrugged. “I’m fine.” Guess Seth thought he’d get somewhere with Dara now? They’d see about that.

  Dinner came and they all ate and after another glass of wine Seth got really chatty.

  “Yeah, when I was in the Air Force, I drove these planes…”

  “Ohhh tell me tell me,” Dara sang.

  Drove planes? Daniel recalled the stolen photograph of a young Air Force pilot in his little book of fairy tales. This ought to be good.

  “That is so cool that you were in the Air Force.” Sofia nodded at Daniel a little.

  “Yes, so cool.” Daniel lifted his wine glass in salute. “So what kind of planes did you drive?”

  Squinting one eye and thinking seemed to take a crippling amount of coordination. “F…F-16. Fast planes.”

  “Oh that sounds fast,” Dara said. “Was it hard to drive them?”

  “Not for me, I was in the top ten in my class. Out of a thousand…and four hundred.”

  “Wow,” Daniel said. “Top Gun.”

  Seth grinned and pointed at him. “I saw that. Tom Cruise.” He waved his hand with a pfft. “That Hollywood stuff doesn’t begin to compare to what really goes on in that cock pit.”

  “Oh really?” Sofia said. “I saw Top Gun, loved it. So it’s not the same?”

  “Not hardly,” Seth said. “I had a fire in my plane once.”

  Dara sucked in a breath.

  Seth nodded. “Had to bail. But when I pressed the eject button on my seat, it didn’t open…the hatch was stuck.”

  “Oh my gosh, what did you do?” Sofia asked.

  “Had to kick my way out. I finally did and then my parachute didn’t open.”

  “Oh noooo,” Dara cried with a stream of Romanian words that Daniel was grateful he couldn’t understand given the nauseating you’re so amazing tone.

  “I would never jump out of an airplane. That is crazy,” Sofia said.

  “Well, after jumping a good two thousand times, you get used to it.”

  Two thousand? Daniel wanted to laugh. “Wow, that’s like…twice a day, every day, for what…four years?”

  Seth shrugged. “Sounds about right. But what I did was, took off my parachute and bit off the faulty mechanism.”

  Gasping amazement ensued. “While you were falling?” Dara cried.

  “Yes. It was actually a rush, a high. But the parachute finally opened but guess where I landed?”

  “Where?” Both women asked.

  “In the hot zone.”

  Gasping.

  “I hit the ground and right away bullets are whipping past.”

  Whipping?

  “And there’s all kinds of foreign screaming and I realize I’m in a village that’s being taken over.”

  “Oh my God,” Sofia said.

  “It’s dark but I hear this woman crying and I look to the right and there she is in the bushes. So I hurry over and see what’s wrong and you won’t believe it.”

  “What?” Dara asked, on the edge of her seat now.

  “She’s having. A baby.”

  “Ohhhhhhh!” Dara cried, Romanian flying.

  “A baby!” This from Sofia.

  “So what am I supposed to do, I have to help, right?”

  “Right right.” From Dara.

  “And I mean, I’ve never delivered a baby before. We weren’t trained for that.”

  You don’t say.

  “But by some miracle, I did it and she gave birth to a boy.” He nodded. “She named him after me.”

  “Can you imagine?” Sofia asked Daniel.

  “No I can’t fathom it,” Daniel said. “The only jungles I’ve known are between a…” Daniel paused at Dara’s eye widening. “So did you make it out alive or what?”

  Seth laughed. “I don’t guess I’d be here if I didn’t.”

  Dara busted out laughing and Sofia joined. Daniel waved the waiter down for another glass of wine, wishing he had whisky.

  “So anyway, the woman tells me their village is being taken over by the warlords. And I’m thinking what the heck can I do? But I have to do something, I can’t just leave them helpless.”

  “Of course not,” Dara said.

  “So I take my gun and I find a spot above the village and hide. Then I take them out one by one. Sniper style. Ended up getting a medal for that one. Got a picture of it in my journal.”

  “I remember that one,” Dara said, proud.

  Sofia elbowed Daniel and he met her raised brows.

  “What about you, bro, whatever possessed you to become a gynecologist. Now that there is some hard work I’d imagine.” He laughed, reminding Daniel of a toy machine gun.

  Daniel took a drink of his wine before answering, buying himself some much needed cool down seconds.

  “Bet you never dreamed you’d meet such a lovely woman as Sofia in that mine field.”

  More toy machine gun laughing.

  “I’m sure he didn’t,” Sofia said, kicking his leg.

  But Daniel still couldn’t unhinge his jaw, he was stuck in his head at the kill the lying son of a bitch crossroad.

  Seth leaned forward. “I bet Rene—”

  “How about you lay off that liquid courage,” Daniel gritted.

  Seth picked up his wine and saluted Daniel. “To the best gyne-cologist in town.” He drank.

  Chapter Thirteen

  That was fucking it. “I’m ready, let’s go.”

  Seth laughed. “Awww come on, don’t be a party pooper. Loosen up, have a little fun.” He leaned in and whispered to Dara and she blushed.

  “Sofia, Dara, let’s go. Now,” Daniel said, planning to leave the prick.

  “She’s staying.” Seth put his arm around Dara’s shoulder.

  “No, she’s coming, you can stay,” Daniel said.

  “No, she’s staying with me, you don’t own her. Just because you paid me to keep her company doesn’t mean she’s your property. You may have been able to buy your way through life bro, but this one right here is better than that. In fact you can keep your damn money, I don’t want it.”

  “I didn’t offer you that money, you asked for it, you fraud.”

  “Don’t say that,” Dara said, sounding hurt. “Seth is not a fraud, that’s mean.”

  “Daniel, stop this, please,” Sofia whispered.

  Daniel glared at his stupid brother. “Don’t act like you care about Dara when you asked for five thousand dollars to make her feel liked.”

  The second the words left his tongue, the shit feeling hit.

  Dara stared from Daniel to a suddenly guilty looking Seth then shoved away from the table and hurried off.

  “Oh my God.” Sofia stood, angry eyes on Daniel. “Fix this!”

  Fix this?

  Daniel followed Sofia to the parking lot where Dara paced at Sofia’s car.

  “I’m so sorry Dara,” Daniel said, coming up just as the two women locked in an embrace with Dara sobbing.

  “Sorry?” Sofia speared him with blue orbs. “What the hell?”

  Daniel raked a hand through his hair and looked down.

  “How could you do this Daniel?” Sofia asked.

  The disappointment in her voice stabbed through his chest. “I just…look Sofia, Seth, he’s not who you think he is baby, he’s lying about everything. That journal of his is full of lies, those pictures? They aren’t even him, they aren’t me, he made that past up, all of it, the schools, the awards, the parades, the Air Force, it’s all made up except part of the family tree.”

 

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