by Loye, Trish
Not that she had any experience with that.
Tonight, she would definitely be one of those people hanging out on the edges. Wallflowers-R-Us.
But she had a job to do. She’d be on the lookout for anyone suspicious and keep crossing names off the list of suspects.
So if she didn’t plan on having fun tonight, why had she dressed in the sari she’d brought for the Awards Gala? Did she secretly want a certain bodyguard to ask her to dance?
Would he be disappointed in her if he did?
She stifled her sigh. Enough of this.
“Are we going to sit with Logan? He did ask,” Aunt G said, still looking out the window. “Do you think my friend Nigel could sit with us, too? Do you know that he’s not married? He told me he just hasn’t met the right woman.”
“Nigel?” Was her aunt getting serious about someone?
“No, Charlotte. Logan. He’s single.”
Charlie rolled her eyes. “Please tell me you didn’t try to set me up during this conversation.”
“Of course not,” she said. “I might have told him you didn’t have a boyfriend, though.”
Charlie cringed. Maybe she should just skip the whole thing.
“Are you ready?” she asked.
“Of course.” Her aunt stood. “By the way, you look lovely in your sari, Charlotte.”
Charlie shrugged uncomfortably. The sari, with its long silken folds of sapphire and gold, encircled her lower half while a long swath was flung over one shoulder. Her matching halter was sapphire as well. It was a daring choice in this crowd, where most would wear simple black sheath dresses or black suits. When she’d been packing, she’d thought it ideal. She’d bought it two years ago for a friend’s wedding and had longed to wear it since then, loving the feel of the silk against her skin.
Even so, it was a long way from the jeans and T-shirts that she wore in the lab.
She’d braided her long hair so it lay over one shoulder. Her aunt gave her braid a tug, just like she’d done when she was a kid. “Charlotte, get that look off your face. You’re a Singh. Hold your head high.”
Her aunt was right. She smiled and straightened her shoulders.
“Let’s go,” she said, swinging the door wide for her aunt, who marched through.
Jack straightened from his slouch against the wall. His gaze traveled from her head to her toes, clad in barely strapped-on sandals. Thank God the heel was low, or she’d be tripping with every step.
Jack didn’t say anything, didn’t move anything but his eyes as he looked at her. His gaze focused for an instant on the part of her midriff that showed. Her face heated, but she refused to cross her arms over her stomach, something she’d done as a teenager when she’d been forced to wear a sari to a public function in India.
Jack’s hazel eyes when they met hers were darker, the gold seemingly vanished as something hot and primal peered out at her. Her stomach clenched. Jack held her gaze and took a step toward her.
“She’s beautiful, isn’t she?” her aunt said, her voice bright and oblivious.
Jack looked away and cleared his throat. He nodded. “Beautiful.” His voice had a deep roughness to it that sent a shiver down her back almost as if he’d brushed one of his calloused hands over the bare skin there.
He cleared his throat again. “Would you mind if I accompany you ladies to the dinner?” He held his arm out to her aunt.
Aunt G smiled broadly and took his arm. “Maybe I misjudged you,” she said.
He gave Charlie a quick wink before turning back to her aunt. “No worries, ma’am. You’re not the first.” He led the way down the hall to the elevators.
Charlie studied his broad back and confident stride. It seemed a shame that an SAS soldier had ended up playing bodyguard to a whiny scientist. She needed to dig further into his background, but she didn’t believe for a moment that Jack Sinclair was a traitor or deserved to have been dishonorably discharged.
It had nothing to do with his broad shoulders outlined so nicely by his dark suit. Nothing at all.
* * *
Charlie wanted another drink. Mostly to relieve the tedium of the evening. She sat with her aunt at one of the many tables sequestered on one side of the high-ceilinged ballroom. Tiny white lights strung up high gave the effect of a night sky. Candles lit the tables, each one covered in black cloth. Large, brilliant pictures of the planets, nebula, and galaxies hung on the walls. She suspected the-oh-so-original theme of the dinner had been space. Did they think every scientist secretly wanted to be an astronaut?
Okay. Maybe they did. At least they hadn’t made the dance portion a masquerade. She almost snorted at the thought of all the distinguished people forced to come with alien or robot masks on their faces. Maybe she should suggest that for next year. It might liven the party up.
Dinner had finished and the dancing started. Aunt G’s friend Nigel had pulled her onto the dance floor a few times already. They were one of the only couples on the floor as the quartet on stage played. Charlie sat beside Logan at his table, along with some other scientists.
There had been a keynote speech about striving to do their best, and the ethics of science. At the table, conversations about whose work was more important dominated. Did being a scientist mean you had to be boring? A small sliver of fear went through her. She didn’t want that to be her.
She shifted in her seat, while Logan continued to give her career advice. Whether she wanted it or not.
“But surely working at such a small and, dare I say it, unimportant firm like Echo Security is beneath you?” Logan said to her.
“It’s EDGE Security. And I like it there.” She twirled her empty wine glass as she watched her aunt. Her face was alight with a happiness Charlie hadn’t seen before. Was her aunt flirting?
Logan was still talking. “Haven’t you been offered positions at three major firms since you’ve been here?”
Her eyes narrowed. “How did you know that?”
He gave her a small sheepish smile that didn’t detract from his handsomeness at all. “Your aunt might have told me.”
She gave a slight smile and turned back to her wine glass. By all accounts, Logan was a perfect fit for her. Smart, gorgeous, and nice. Her gaze flicked to a certain gruff man who stood unmoving by the wall. Logan wasn’t rough or quiet, and he certainly didn’t have a gaze that burned through her. She sighed. She was in trouble.
“Can I get you another glass?” Logan asked.
“No, thank you,” she said, even though she’d just been wishing for one. She just didn’t want one from Logan. “We still have another full day of this conference.” And besides, they weren’t any closer to identifying Spider or his potential target. Hell, she wasn’t even sure if the attacks on her had come from Spider.
But her gut said yes. Maybe she could use the rest of the evening to get close to one of the other potential targets. Then the evening wouldn’t be a total waste.
“Will you dance with me?” Logan asked.
She hesitated, not sure why she didn’t want to. He’d been so nice that she hated to be rude. Her aunt chose that moment to come back to the table, and Charlie seized on her as an excuse. “I shouldn’t leave my aunt.”
“Go on, Charlotte,” her aunt said. “Don’t worry about me. I’m off to bed. I’ll let you young people enjoy yourselves.”
Logan took her hand. His was warm and smooth as it curled around hers.
Maybe she should give him a chance. Just because he wasn’t an operator or someone who protected others for a living didn’t make him a bad guy.
Just not a guy for me.
She chided herself. It was a dance, not a marriage proposal.
She smiled at Logan and then kissed her aunt’s cheek. “Will I see you for breakfast?”
“I’m booked in for an early-morning walking tour of the Tower of London. I’ll see you at lunch.”
She let Logan lead her to the dance floor, determinedly avoiding Jack, though the memory of t
he way he’d looked at her returned. His eyes had darkened and heated as he had stepped toward her. Even now, it had the power to make her catch her breath.
She exhaled and impatiently pushed aside the memory. What was her problem? Jack had already made clear his preference not to pursue anything personal with her. He was being completely professional.
Her heels struck the wood of the dance floor and Logan pulled her close, whirling her in to his body. It was time to relax and just enjoy the moment. A gorgeous man wanted to dance with her. The sapphire silk of her sari swirled around her as Logan twirled her again. They swayed together until the beat of the music changed and Logan started to add more twirls to their dance.
She hadn’t grown up dancing, preferring soccer and swimming as a young girl. She tried to follow the moves Logan led her through, but after stepping on his foot for a second time and seeing his pained expression, she stopped.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m not much of a dancer. Perhaps we should stop?”
Logan gave a rueful laugh. “I can teach you if you’d like.”
She shook her head. “I think I’m done for the night.”
A flash of something contorted his face for a split second, too quick for her to identify. But it made her step back. He smiled reassuringly and squeezed her hand. “It seems too early to end the night. Shall we walk to clear our heads?”
She pressed her lips together. A walk would be nice, but she hesitated before saying yes. She glanced behind her. Jack watched them, still unmoving. She sighed. He didn’t care. She looked back at Logan, who now frowned at Jack.
“Is there something going on between you and your bodyguard?” he asked.
“No,” she said quickly. “No. It’s purely professional.”
“Really? Because it seems like more. Is he going to stay by you for the rest of the conference?”
She had mentioned to Logan about the attack in the stairwell and called it a mugging. Since she worked for a security company, it made perfect sense that they sent a bodyguard to her. At least, she hoped it did.
He ran a hand through his perfect blond hair, messing it up slightly and actually making him look more human, more approachable. “Look, I don’t want to be pushy. I was just hoping for a quick breath of fresh air before bed.” His boyish smile almost convinced her.
She almost wanted to go with him. He seemed nice, and a bit lonely. But she should interview at least one of her suspects so the evening wouldn’t be a total waste. She’d spotted one of them at a table near the bar while they’d been dancing.
“Thank you, Logan, but I need to talk to someone and then I’m heading to bed. It’s been a long couple of days.”
A muscle tightened in his jaw before he smiled at her. “Of course. I hope to see you tomorrow.”
She felt almost bad as he strode off. Almost. But not enough to call him back. She turned to the table where she’d seen one of the targets, and groaned. He wasn’t there anymore. Well, this night didn’t seem to be going her way. She scanned the room for another minute.
Cat came up to her. She wore an elegant pantsuit. Charlie wasn’t sure where Cat would hide her weapons, but she knew she’d have them on her somewhere. “I can cross another name off that list you made,” Cat said. “I sat with Worcheski. His tech isn’t online yet and he takes the absent-minded professor shtick to a whole new level.”
Charlie’s shoulders slumped. “Do you think Spider is even here? There doesn’t seem to be the tech to interest him.”
Cat shook her head. “We always thought him showing up was a long shot.”
“Then why do you think I was attacked?”
Cat shook her head. “Another player in town? Some government or company wants your tech? It’s not unheard of for tech to be stolen.”
“But—”
“I’m not saying it isn’t Spider,” Cat said. “I’m just saying, let’s not focus solely on him.”
“Fine. Do you think whoever it is got spooked after my last attack and left? It’s been so quiet.”
Cat shrugged one shoulder. “Maybe. But don’t take any chances. Make sure you always have your phone on you and keep your bodyguard close, but not too close.” She winked. “I’m going to call it a night. You coming?”
Charlie’s head raced with ideas, potential suspects, and ways to make her seem more like bait. If Spider was here, then she wanted to bring him in. She shook her head in answer to Cat’s question. “I need to walk for a bit. Think this through.”
“You have a weapon?”
She held up her hands. “Licensed to kill?”
Cat huffed a laugh. “A real weapon?”
“I have something in my purse.”
She nodded. “Stick by Jack. Check in with me before you go to bed.”
“Will do, Mom.”
Cat rolled her eyes and left. A DJ replaced the quartet onstage and the music became louder, faster, with a heavy enough beat that even she with her two left feet could dance to it. But she needed to walk. She headed for the door.
“Calling it a night?” Jack asked as he stepped up beside her.
The hard angle of his jaw held a hint of scruff. He frowned as he watched the room. He was the reason that she no longer was in danger. It was obvious who he was and what he was doing. No way was Spider going to come after her if he was around.
“We need a change of plan,” she said. “You have to stop following me around.” She walked ahead of him out the double doors of the ballroom.
“What do you mean?” He frowned. “Leave you unprotected?”
“Yes,” she said, heading for the glass doors to the street. It was late, but the street was well lit and pedestrians still walked. “I can’t do my job with you hovering over me like some overprotective parent.”
Her sari swished against her legs, reminding her of how she was dressed. She stopped. Maybe she’d just go have a drink in the quiet bar instead. She changed course and Jack followed.
“I don’t hover.”
She snorted and paused before entering the bar. It was dark and quiet inside. It seemed like everyone was at the dance tonight.
“Why are you going to the bar?”
“To have a drink.”
“Didn’t you just have one with Blondie?”
She stopped and poked a finger into his chest. “Hovering.”
A muscle in his jaw jumped. “I’m not going to leave you by yourself.”
“Yes, you are. I can take care of myself. And you don’t have to leave me alone. You just have to give me some distance.”
“So you can be targeted again.”
“Yes, but you don’t have to worry. Seriously. I can take care of myself. You’ll be there, along with Cat. And Gears is always watching. I’m covered. You being so close to me is messing with the op.”
He took a step nearer. “Maybe I like being close to you.”
“No, you don’t.” The words popped out of her.
“Are you telling me what I like now?”
She huffed a breath. “You are the most confusing man. You don’t like me. You refuse to talk to me and—”
He moved even nearer. “I never said I don’t like you.”
He was closer now but not quite touching. His hazel eyes had turned a darker green as he stared down at her. The air seemed to thicken, making it harder to breathe. A single inhalation was all it took to bridge the distance between them, and the thrill of the touch electrified her.
“Your actions,” she said, trying to remain logical, “tell me everything I need to know.”
He stroked a single finger down one side of her face, leaving a trail of heat behind it. “Such soft skin. You really do look beautiful tonight.”
She swallowed hard. Why was he acting like this? “I don’t understand.”
One side of his mouth quirked up. “You don’t understand that I think you’re beautiful?”
She needed space to think, and took a step away. Her back hit the wall. Before she could move
sideways, he was there. Too close for her to breathe. It should have irritated her; if it had been Logan, she would have hit him by now. But something about Jack made her want to lean into him. She decided to be direct, since she didn’t know how to be anything else.
“You haven’t shown any interest before this. You don’t want to kiss me.” Though the thought of it made her heart beat even faster. “So why are you so close now?”
He moved closer still. “Maybe I do want to kiss you. Maybe I always have, and I just can’t fight it anymore.”
Her breath caught. He wanted to kiss her?
* * *
Jack saw her eyes widen with his words. Jesus, what was he doing? Where was the professional distance he’d been clinging to?
He played professional bodyguard during the day, and had gone over lists of potential suspects at night. He’d almost given up the idea that Spider was here.
He felt like he’d hit another dead end on the long road to his redemption. He’d been so focused on hunting Spider for so long, and then this beautiful little Sherlock showed up in his life.
Didn’t he deserve a small break? She didn’t seem to mind his past. Almost like she believed it wasn’t his fault.
“You want to kiss me?” she asked in a whisper.
He leaned closer, unable to resist pressing her further into the wall. He put one hand on her jaw and slid the other over the dark silk of her hair. He wished she hadn’t braided it. He wanted to see it flowing over her shoulders, touching the tops of her breasts.
“Hell yes, I want to kiss you,” he said, his voice hoarse. “You are sex wrapped in blue silk.” The smell of her, vanilla and something flowery, made him want to bury his nose in her hair. His fingers caressed the smooth skin of her jaw.
But this was Charlie. Dr. Singh to a lowlife like him. He couldn’t just take what he wanted, no matter how much he wanted it.
“May I kiss you?” he asked roughly.
Her mouth opened slightly as she inhaled and nodded. “Ple—”
He swept in to claim her. His lips covered hers and captured her small sound of surprise. Her hands crept to his shoulders while his remained framing her face. His lips molded to hers, learning their softness and shape, how she sighed when he nibbled on the outside and how her hands grasped at him when he used his tongue to plunder inside.
