Dare Me (Take Me 2)

Nikki yanked on the handle of her rollaboard, slung her notably lighter than usual laptop bag over her shoulder and left the room. She crossed the suite slowly and quietly. Opened one of the doors and slipped through it.

She was only two steps down the marbled corridor when a butler greeted her.

He gave her an easy (and nonjudgmental) grin and extended a hand toward her luggage as he inquired, “May I, miss?”

She allowed him to take over as they descended one side of the sweeping staircase. In between the two artistically curving structures was a gorgeous Christmas tree that stretched from the ground floor to the second-level mezzanine. All decorated in shimmering golden ornaments and glittery white twinkle lights.

Nikki chose not to consider it was the holiday season and she was spending it with no family.

Rather, she remained focused on her new mission.

As they headed to the door, however, she heard the tapping of hard-soled slippers on the marble, rushing toward her.

And then Mads called out, “Dr. Kane! You can’t leave just yet! It’s Christmas Eve—we have the family tree to decorate and all these tamales to eat and—”

Emotion instantly welled within Nikki.

She stared at the double doors of the entryway, mere feet from her.

Her escape was close at hand. So close.

Tears pooled in her eyes and her nose burned.

Come on, she told herself.

You have a clean break here.

Go, Nikki.

Just go!

She took one step forward as Mads delivered the final blow. “I have a gift for you!”

Nikki nearly crumbled where she stood.

What sort of new torture to her heart was this?

42

Nikki took several deep breaths.

Child psychology had not been her specialty in school or in practice, until she’d joined the search and rescue movement. Then she’d not only boned up in anticipation of being in the field/onsite during natural (and other) disasters, but she’d also been thrust into catering her efforts toward traumatized and grieving children during the Mexico City explosions. The hospital where the majority of the victims had been sent had temporarily served as a group home for the misplaced children. The ones who’d been verifiably orphaned…and the ones waiting to hear if their parents, if their family members had survived.

So maybe she did possess the skill set to deal with a nine-year-old girl who’d lost her mother and her father and now resided with her grandmother and her uncle.

But that wasn’t Nikki’s intention. She did not want to get fully involved with Mads, because the girl already had a therapist and Nikki would never want to interfere with that relationship or hinder the progress made thus far. Nor did Nikki want to take on Damen’s niece, have Mads get attached to her, when she was headed out the door.

And goddamn it—she was headed out the door!

Yet she didn’t take another step forward.

She turned slowly and forced a smile to her face.

Mads gave her a lopsided, yet wholly hopeful smile of her own. “I promise the tamales are the absolute best you’ll ever taste, Dr. Kane. Nana and I made them together.”

Oh, the heartstrings being pulled!

“I don’t doubt it for a second,” Nikki said. “And I happen to be a huge fan of tamales.”