Ace's Key: Book 1 (11 page)

The woman to my right is on the
board of directors at the hospital. Her name is Rose and she is a cancer
specialist. She engages me in a conversation about my schooling and various
other topics. She is also an alum of UCLA. Looking at Damon, she asks, “Where
did you find this lovely young woman? She is charming; a breath of fresh air.”

“We were introduced by a mutual
friend. She is lovely isn’t she?” Damon looks at me with his glacier blue eyes.
He stares into mine and I find it hard to look away. There is something
mesmerizing about the color of his eyes. Some unseen force has fused my gaze to
his, and the intensity of his look sets my heart to fluttering.

“I hope you keep this one Damon.”
The older woman says, as if she has some say in Damon Nobles life.

“I think I might keep her,” Damon
says.

My eyes widen at his statement. His
hand covers mine on the table and he squeezes it gently. I’m not certain what the
squeeze means, but I’m assuming that it means to play along. I lean over and
give him a chaste kiss on the cheek that sets my lips to tingling. “That was
such a nice thing to say, Damon.”

The moment is interrupted by the
arrival of our dinner. The main course consists of a beautifully prepared filet
and a piece of salmon. The filet looks lovely and the salmon is cooked to
perfection. You can tell everyone is enjoying their dinner by the silence at
the table. The lack of conversation gives me time to truly appreciate the
venue. The ballroom is softly gilded and has large chandeliers hanging from the
ceiling throughout the room. Each table is accessorized with an elegant floral
arrangement. Name cards have been placed above each setting. Mine says “guest.”
The linens are of top quality and the china is beautiful. The event planner did
an excellent job.

“Did you enjoy your dinner,
Katarina?”

I am brought back to the present by
Damon’s question. “Yes, it was lovely; I especially liked the salmon. What
about you?”

“The meal was nice, but I delighted
in watching you eat. Did you know that you chew everything at least twenty
times?”

“I don’t exactly count to twenty,
but I make sure to chew my food well, so that I don’t choke. I wouldn’t want
you to have to give me the Heimlich.”

“In a room full of hospital staff?
I’m sure there would be someone more qualified to perform the task.”

“You’re probably right, but I’m
sure they wouldn’t be nearly as handsome or charming.”

“Don’t let me fool you, I’m a wolf
in sheep’s clothing, Katarina.”  He addresses me with a serious look in his
eyes and a warning in his voice.

“I’ll consider myself warned, Damon.”
What the hell?
“What do you think we are going to have for dessert?” I
ask.

He removes the program from under
his plate and scans it until he finds the menu. “It looks like you will be
having pot de crème with raspberries and fresh whipped topping.” Leaning back
in his chair, he adjusts his cummerbund. I watch as his long fingers smooth out
the silky looking material.

“What about you? Don’t you eat
dessert?” I’m surprised that someone would want to pass on a little pot of
chocolate wonder.

“I don’t indulge in dessert very
often, Katarina.”

“Well, that just seems criminal, no
wine, no dessert? What do you indulge in, Damon?”

His eyes light up, and a wicked
smile spreads across his face. “I can assure you that I indulge, however, my
tastes are slightly more unconventional. I’m sure that they are very different
from yours. Enjoy your chocolate,” he says in a dismissive way.

“That sounds intriguing,” I say,
wanting to explore the subject further.

“Yes, it does, doesn’t it?” His
wicked smile disappears as he sips his coffee. I get the feeling that we are
not talking about dessert.

Our conversation is interrupted as
the master of ceremonies begins to talk. Damon leans over and whispers in my
ear “Don’t go anywhere, I’ll be right back.”

He rises at the mention of his name
and walks to the podium. I am completely mesmerized. He looks at ease and
immediately takes control of the room. Not a sound is heard throughout the
ballroom; everyone is waiting to hear what Damon Noble has to say.

“Ladies and gentleman, thank you
for coming out to dinner tonight. This fundraiser is near and dear to my heart.
Over 10,000 children and young adults are diagnosed with some form of cancer
each year. The five-year survival rate has increased from fifty-eight percent
to nearly eighty percent since 1970. Your generous donations to research keep
us moving forward in our search for a cure. I stand before you and ask you to
give generously. Your dollar could be the one that saves a life.”

Damon steps down from the podium;
the thunderous sound of applause is deafening. The master of ceremonies steps
up to take his place.

“We hope that you have enjoyed your
dinner tonight. I want to personally thank, Mr. Noble, and his mother, Rose,
for their commitment to Los Angeles General Hospital, and their continued
support of cancer research. Please stay and enjoy the live music and dancing.”

So, Rose is Damon’s mother. The
information bounces back and forth in my head. Looking at her, I can see the
resemblance between the two. She has similar blue eyes, although her son’s are
brighter and bluer. Her hair looks almost silver, but I can see that it was
probably a very light blond when she was a younger woman. Feeling warmth spread
across my back, I turn and find him staring at me. Can someone actually warm
you with a look?

“Damon. Katarina. I will be leaving
you to enjoy the music. It’s been my pleasure to meet you young lady.” Looking
straight into Damon’s eyes, his mother says, “I would like to see her again.”
Damon leans forward and kisses his mother’s cheek. “Good night mother, I’ll
talk to you soon.”

After Rose leaves, I ask Damon,
“Why didn’t you tell me she was your mother?” It seems odd that he didn’t
introduce her as such.

“It didn’t seem important at the
time.” He shrugs my question off with a tip of his shoulders.

“I like her, she’s very nice.”

“She has her moments. Would you
like to dance?” He stands and pulls me up next to him. Shocked by his
invitation, I am left speechless and a bit confused. I was certain the night
had ended,, and I would be sent on my way.

“You do dance, don’t you?” His eyes
raise in question.

“Of course I dance. I didn’t suffer
through two years of ballroom dancing for nothing. My mother guaranteed me that
each time Jimmy Horner stepped on my toes, there would be a payoff later in
life.”

Damon escorts me onto the dance
floor, where he takes control. He twirls and dips me until I’m dizzy. Expecting
to stay for a song or two, I am shocked when Damon insists that we stay longer.
Damon pulls me close to his chest as the song ‘The Way You Look Tonight’ by
Michael Buble is played. We dance in the center of a crowd, and yet I feel that
Damon and I are the only people in the room. For the next two hours, there is
nothing but him and I.

“Are you ready to leave, Katarina?
I think we have outlasted nearly everyone here.” I look around and see that we
are the last couple remaining in the room. The band is packing up and the hotel
staff is tearing down the room around us.

“I didn’t even notice how late it
was. I had such a lovely time. Thank you. I’ll regret this tomorrow when I have
to be up at six for work, but for now I’ll bask in the glow of contentment.” Sadly,
I feel like Cinderella just before the clock strikes midnight. I’ve met prince
charming and I can’t have him.

“I’m glad you enjoyed yourself. I’m
also glad that I had the opportunity to meet you. As my mother mentioned
earlier, you are a breath of fresh air.”

We walk out the front door and down
the steps. The car is waiting and I’m expecting him to help me in and send me
on my way. I enter the car and situate myself for the ride home. Knowing that
Damon will close the door, and I will ride home alone, I remove my shoes from
my aching feet.  Damon remains standing with the door open. He peeks in the car
to see me and then stands up and steps back. The door begins to close. I feel a
sense of sadness as it shuts. Just before the latch clicks, I hear a groan and
the door is opened wide. Damon enters, and takes a seat beside me.

“I thought we already said
goodbye,” I say. He sits so close to me that his body is touching mine from
shoulder to thigh.

“Is it okay if I escort you home?
I’m not ready to let you go yet.” Damon closes his eyes and rubs his forehead.
This is the first time that I have seen his confidence waiver.  Holding his
breath his cheeks blow out as he releases the air in his lungs. “I don’t
normally do this, I usually just send my companions home on their own.”

“I heard that. I also heard that we
would be leaving hours ago. I’m glad we stayed though, it would have been a
shame to get all dressed up and not dance.”

Looking down at my discarded shoes
he asks, “Do your feet hurt?”

“Yes, I’m pretty sure high heels
were designed by a man. They look great on, but after several hours of standing
in them they tend to get uncomfortable.”

Damon slides back slightly to make
room and then reaches down to grab both of my feet. He shifts my body so that
my feet are in his lap. His long skilled fingers begin to rub the soreness out.
The feeling is divine. I let out a satisfied groan as he massages the balls of
both of my feet.

“What if I asked you to accompany
me again someday? Would you be interested?” He leans forward, quirks his brow
and smiles at me.

“Damon, I’m not the escort, I’m the
fill in. I only did this because my best friend needed my help. I’m sure that
Emma will never double book again.”

“Katarina, I don’t want Emma, I
want you, and I’m willing to pay you for your time.” At the mention of money,
Damon stops rubbing my feet and pulls out his wallet. He flips through his
money and pulls out several hundred-dollar bills. Folding the money in half, he
places it in my palm. The crisp bills feel uncomfortable in my hand. Although
they are new, they somehow make my hand feel dirty. Before he can put his
wallet away, I hand the bills back to him.

Pulling my feet from his lap, I
resume my sitting position next to him. “Thanks for a lovely evening, but I
can’t take your money. It’s just not me. Emma may be able to justify selling
her time for money, but it makes me feel dirty. I’m flattered that you would
like me to escort you again, but I’m not that girl.”

His face lowers in a look of disappointment
as he nods in affirmation. “I understand. You’re a candy and flowers type of
girl; walks in the park and movies with popcorn. Am I right?”

“You are so good at summing me up
in so few words. I wish I was different, but I want the popcorn and movies.”

“Yes, but sadly, I’m not that guy.
Out of curiosity, what are your prerequisites for dating?”

I ponder this for a few moments and
respond, “You can’t be a serial killer, and you must have nice teeth.”

“Wow, nice teeth? You’re standards
are pretty high there, Ms. Cross.”

“A girl has to has to set the bar
somewhere.” He thinks I’m joking, but nice teeth are important to me. He has a
beautiful set of pearly whites.

We both lean back against the seat
and sit in silence for the remainder of the trip. I think about how nice dating
Damon would be before I fall asleep with my head on his shoulder. “Katarina? Wake
up. We’re at your house.” I slowly open my eyes and realize that I am nearly
wrapped around his body.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to
fall asleep on you.” I feel awful and I also feel cheated. I wasted fifteen
minutes of time sleeping, when I could have spent them with this man.

“No worries. You’re exhausted. Work
and school can be quite taxing.”

He walks me to my door and kisses
me gently on my forehead. As he turns to leave, he says, “Call your mom and
tell her thank you for the dance lessons. I had a great time. Take care of
yourself, Katarina.”

Emma opens the door and yanks me
in. “Where have you been?” Her voice is almost frantic. “I was so worried about
you. I thought that maybe you had an accident. You know how people drive in
L.A.”

“I’m fine, contrary to your belief,
Damon does like to dance. We stayed and closed the place down. He was a perfect
gentleman and I really enjoyed myself. Thanks, Emma, I never thought I could
have so much fun.”

“You like him, don’t you?” She is
standing in front of me with her hands on her hips trying to act concerned, but
she hasn’t been home very long herself. She’s still wearing the blue dress.

“Yes, I like him, but he’s way out
of my league. I’m not an escort, and I would have a tough time separating my
feelings from my job. How do you do it, Em?”

“I’ve never connected with any of
my clients. I have been attracted to some, but ultimately I have never felt
anything more than a tingle between my legs.”

I blush at her candor, but it is
one of the things I love about her. She is an open book and she always tells it
like it is.

“He asked me to accompany him
again,” I mention.

“Really? What did you say?”

“I told him that I wasn’t the
escort, I was the fill in, and if he needed a companion in the future, he
should call you.”

“I watched you two tonight, and
there’s something there. I don’t think you’ve seen the last of Damon Noble.
He’s into you. Actually, he probably wants to get into you.” She bursts out
laughing at her own ribald joke as I wave her off and head to bed. Six o’clock
will come much too soon.

Just Dessert

Coming in May, 2014