Sweet Vengeance by Cindy Stark

you a deal.  Let's enjoy dinner first, and then we'll call your aunt. 
There's some other stuff we need to talk about, but it can wait.  Right now, I have
a beautiful woman and some decent food, and I intend to enjoy it."
    She
smiled.  "Sometimes it's hard to remember you're a dangerous man."
    He
didn't quite know what to think about that.
    After
dinner, she tried to take on the dishes, but he refused.  Her hands shouldn't
be submerged in water.  She argued he was hurt worse, and she wouldn't cave. 
He finally conceded.  "Fine."  He tossed a dishtowel at her. 
"You can dry." 
    "Where's
Boo?" she asked as she finished drying the last pan.
    "At
a friend's house.  He gets stir crazy if he stays here too long, and there's
nowhere very good for him to take a—use the bathroom."  He let the water
drain out of the sink and then leaned back against the counter.  He couldn't
remember the last time he'd enjoyed being with someone so much.  "Besides,
dogs need fresh air and exercise." 
    "I'm
starting to relate to him."  She hung the dish towel on the oven. 
"Why don't any of your windows open?  It makes this place feel like a
jail."
    He
shrugged.  "For security.  I don't want anyone coming in here unless I say
so."
    She
walked around the counter and sat on a barstool, resting her chin on her hand. 
"But Max did." 
    "Max
was being an asshole."  More than an asshole.
    "You
got that right.  For some reason, that man does not like me."
    "It's
not that he doesn't like you.  He just sees you as a distraction to the
men."  And Jase.  "Max only got in here because the guys knew it was
okay.  Otherwise, he would have never made it this far."  Jase walked
closer to her, needing to reassure her.  "You can feel safe here."
    She
nodded, but he wasn't sure she believed him.  Her eyes met his, and he felt the
familiar tug of attraction.  Obviously, he couldn't have her, but he didn't
want to think about that right now. 
    "So
how am I supposed to get fresh air and exercise?" she asked,
changing the subject.  "I'm going to go nuts if I stay locked up here
twenty-four, seven."
    Jase
smiled.  "I know a great place we can go.  It'll give you some fresh air,
and we can talk."
    He
led the way upstairs and into the room she'd occupied the previous night.  He
didn't want to push for information, and he certainly didn't want to tell her
she had to leave.  Honestly, he wanted the world to go away. 
    He
opened the closet door and reached up under the overhead shelf.  He found the
hidden latch and lifted away a small panel.  The light from the bedroom shone
on a set of steep stairs.
    "This
place is full of hidden surprises."  Allie shook her head, a disbelieving
smile on her face.  "What else will I find?"
    Jase
chuckled and grabbed a flashlight from the shelf above his head.  "In my
line of business, a back way out is a must."  He climbed up the narrow
steps and Allie followed.  At the top, he slid open the bolt on the ceiling
above him and lifted.  Cool evening air swirled down around them.  Jase walked
up the last few steps and then turned to help Allie out of the hole and onto a
section of the warehouse rooftop.
    She
inhaled, stretching her hands out to her sides before dropping them. 
"Air."  He stayed near her as she walked across the gravel and tar
roof.  "I can see for miles." 
    He
glanced up the Chicago River to the massive buildings that lined it. 
"Great view, huh?"  He switched off the flashlight.
    She
rolled her eyes.  "It's awesome."
    "I
come up here sometimes when I need a break.  No one but Max knows about its
existence."  Jase wondered briefly if he should have showed it to Allie,
but in his heart, he knew he was more of a threat to her than she was to him. 
He pointed to a cinderblock wall.  "That separates the rest of the
building's roof from this part.  There's another hidden door right next to it
that leads down to a closet in my office."
    She
nodded, before turning her gaze to the