by Erin R Flynn
Who the fuck would have thought someone would pull shit at such a fancy party?
Right, idiot, I was already investigating something exactly like that.
He stopped at a station I hadn’t seen yet, leaning in and talking to the guy before picking up a sample tray of almost a dozen small glasses. He turned back to me and leaned in when I raised an eyebrow. “I know you’re here as two people, but one is interested in this event.”
“And how do you know that?”
“How do you know what people desire?” he threw right back.
Got it, it was one of his powers. Fair enough, as he didn’t seem to know the aliases or why. I took his hand again, and he led me to a table along the far side. He glanced around when there was only one chair, trying to find where the other had gone.
“We only need one,” I told him, biting back a smile when he swallowed loudly, giving me a heated look. He nodded, setting down the tray and then sitting, moving so I could settle on his lap however I wanted. I chose his right thigh, my back against the wall so I could see the club. “What did you pick?”
“It’s an array of new drinks that have been popular in certain areas made with a new line of booze from Europe,” he answered.
“You work for them?” I asked as I crossed my legs, loving how his gaze immediately went to how the mid-thigh skirt of the dress had moved up.
“No. I helped the owner with a few things, and he gave me the invite as a bonus.” He blinked a moment, probably realizing how that sounded. “Very legal things, but confidential.”
“Security related,” I surmised, nodding when he tapped his thigh again. It was a sexy nervous gesture that I found endearing. I leaned in and pressed my lips to his ear. “Your secrets are safe with me. I have a lot of my own, and if I had been caught in that trap or had to explain how I wasn’t caught, that would have caused me some serious problems.”
“Um, yeah, I’m glad I helped.” He looked at the drinks as his shoulders went tense.
“That’s not why I’m sitting on your lap,” I told him, understanding what conclusion he’d come to. “I’m sitting here because you’re sweet.” And sexy. Couldn’t forget sexy with a silky voice that I would have listened to read me the Bible or any other bullshit book I didn’t want to hear but would if he read it.
He gave me a soft smile before explaining to me which drink was which. I tried a sip of each and gave him the rest, liking them and the food even. When we were done, I realized I had to handle work for a moment.
I leaned in and pressed my lips to his ear. “I have to be me for a moment instead of my glamour. Will you wait here for me a bit so we can have that dance?”
“Yes,” he breathed, moving closer. “I’ll wait for as long as you want, my goddess.”
I bit back a moan when I saw how much he wanted to see if my skin was as soft as it looked. Something about this man was ridiculously alluring, and I felt like a moth moving towards the flame, not caring if I got burned. I brushed my lips over his cheek, smiling when his breath caught. Shit, he was delicious.
I stood and headed to the drinks setup, changing my glamour when I had to slide between two larger guys that would give me the cover. I spoke to the guy in charge and handed him my card, asking him to set up a full tasting with my department. The guy glanced at it and his eyes went wide, bobbing his head when he looked back at me. I gave him a wink and ducked back into the flow of people.
“Dude, snap out of it. Who was that?” one of the other workers asked.
“Jasmine Stewart. Like VP of Heavenly Entertainment, Jasmine Stewart.”
“Wow, shit. Didn’t the owner want us to flag him if anyone found her? He wants to talk to her about—”
“Trying to get her into bed because he assumes she’ll share corporate secrets then?” the first guy drawled. Oh, I liked him.
“Yeah, but we should still tell the owner. She’s obviously smart enough to duck him so she can handle it.”
That was the last I heard, too far into the crowd by then. I stopped by where I got the food, realizing it was Omaha Steaks and they now did frozen, premade appetizers. Interesting. That might be something nice to offer after the kitchens were shutting down from dinner. It was a respectable company, and they weren’t the typical wings or nachos.
It was nice to keep our options open after all. I gave my card and told him who to talk to as I caught sight of the club owner making his way from the side towards me. I ducked back into the crowd while he was still a ways out and changed back to my Cara glamour before reaching the warlock. I frowned, shocked I hadn’t even asked his name yet.
“Mason Garret,” he told me as he stood.
I blinked at him in surprise. “Telepath?”
“No, random images and your aura,” he answered quietly. “And what does the goddess like to be called?”
I smirked at him. “I like you calling me a goddess. Few refer to demons that way.”
He studied me a moment. “Especially powerful lust demons.”
I nodded, giving him a curious look back. Mason Garret wasn’t his real name, or at least Garret wasn’t his real last name. Maybe if he was a bastard, as I didn’t think that was a noble warlock bloodline. Then again, I wasn’t one to judge lying about a name.
But I wasn’t sure what name to give. After another moment of thought, I decided to not involve him with this cover. “Jasmine.”
His eyes flashed shock. “The only Jasmine on the guest list was Jasmine Stewart. She’s some big shot the owner was all about getting to know better.”
“So I’ve heard, which is why I’m multitasking and using another glamour,” I muttered, making it clear he should drop it.
He gave a slight nod, adjusting his glasses. “Would you do me the honor of a dance?”
It sounded cheesy, but he genuinely meant it. He would be honored if I danced with him. Shit, what woman wouldn’t say yes to that?
I nodded, taking his offered hand again. Enrique Iglesias’s “Move to Miami” started when we reached the dance floor, and the moment he spun me around and slid his leg between mine, the shy glasses adjusting and thigh tapping man was gone. Instead, he was confident and sure of himself.
And he was a fan-fucking-tastic dancer.
His thigh pressed between my legs, raising the dress and making every inch of us pressed intimately. His hands were everywhere and nowhere as his feather light touches guided me where he wanted me to go. The style was rooted in bachata, which was from the Caribbean and I’d learned years ago while on vacation and for working a case. But he crossed more into bachatango, which was an infusion with tango.
And it definitely had elements of bachata sensual, as I danced on him like I would the stripper pole at times. I loved the different island flavors he was throwing in, and it wasn’t anything he learned in a basic class or from the internet. No way. He moved with the fluidity of someone who spent time in the culture as I had to learn.
I spun out of his embrace and around him, dancing on him as I ran my hands over his firm chest before moving over his abs and lower until I was holding him to me by my fingers touching his thighs while my palms framed his groin… Which got hard. Good. I would have thought I’d lost my touched otherwise.
I wrapped my leg around his hip and flipped myself around to his front, making it clear I wanted to climb him and planned to later. He didn’t miss a beat, flinging me over his arm and bringing me back to him. I let my body slither like a seductive snake as his fingers traced down my spine, bending over his thigh until my fingers brushed his ankle.
“You surprise me, goddess,” he breathed in my ear before taking us in a series of tight turns that mashed my breasts against his chest.
“It’s sort of my thing,” I purred, running my hands over his back until they were on his ass. “I didn’t see this coming from you either.”
He gave me a soft smile that lit up his eyes with heat. “Dancing is all about making a woman look good, and I love that even if you need no help
to be perfect.”
Shit, he was smooth. Well, not really, as they weren’t lines. He really believed that. Wow, I might be in trouble. Like for real.
The song ended, and Ricky Martin’s “Fiebre” came on next, which surprised me since that was two back-to-back Spanish singers even if the first was in English. I realized it was the attention we had as others had backed off the dance floor to give us room. Crap, that might pull him into what I was there for.
“This might give you the wrong sort of attention,” I warned.
“Then maybe you should come home with me and explain what’s going on,” he murmured, that shyness coming back even as he touched me confidently.
“I’d love to, but we can’t be seen leaving together.”
He nodded, pressing his leg against me until I gasped, the friction fabulous and he knew it from the way he was moving. His hands ran up my ribs and behind my shoulders. When they moved away I fell back into them a few times, lurching my body as if he was pulling me on invisible strings.
“Be careful how excited you get me, as I will demand you relieve the tension,” I breathed in his ear after I snapped back up.
“I would live to serve your every need,” he groaned.
The way he said it sparked something, and after the next few turns I put my lips back to his ear. “Are you a sub?”
He chuckled deeply. “No, I don’t want a mistress or master. My nature isn’t all that dominant, maybe a bit submissive, but really I just know the truth that too many men try and deny. Women own us all already, and to do anything other than worship and serve them as they want is foolishness.”
“You might be the only one who thinks that,” I admitted, turned on by the idea though.
“There are more of us than you would think, but it’s not something most say so quickly, as you can imagine how many would judge us.”
“Yeah, but people just look for things to judge. The right people would love it.”
“And you, goddess?” he asked before spinning me out.
I smirked at him as I came back to him, rubbing my chest against him aggressively until I almost popped out of the dress. “I agreed to let you take me home, didn’t I?”
The song ended, and I kissed his cheek, not wanting any more attention or to keep dancing like that in public where I had to behave. But I would dance with him again anytime. He was that good.
“Do you want me to leave first?” he asked as he led me towards the restrooms so we ducked into the crowd again.
“Yes, give me your address and I’ll meet you there.”
He nodded but then gave me a worried look. “You’ll really come, right?”
I pressed him against the wall and slithered my body against him. “Yes, and I want another dance where I don’t have to behave. Do you want to get sweaty with me?”
“Yes, and then I want to get you naked and touch every inch of you,” he groaned, nuzzling my neck. “Shit, you are—I’m so fucking glad I came to this thing. I would never have imagined I’d find a goddess among all the girls trying to be perfect for the wrong reasons.”
I shivered at his voice, realizing there was a hint of an accent. “Where are you from?”
He adjusted his glasses as he leaned back, seeming to understand what I’d caught on. “I spent many impressionable years in the Caribbean and Latin America learning as much as I could from ‘nontraditional’ or approved sources.”
“I love a rebel,” I admitted, understanding he was worried I would look down on that since I knew he was of a noble magic bloodline. “Lemmings are a bore.”
“A goddess after my own heart,” he chuckled, leaning in and brushing his lips over my cheek. “Please, please let me worship you tonight. I’d hate myself if I let you out of my sight and you ditched me.”
“If I didn’t want to play, I would tell you to fuck off, never doubt that.” I gave him a wink and headed for the bathroom, realizing it was the perfect place to change my glamour since it was packed. It worked, but someone must have snitched I was in the bathroom when I washed my hands and fixed my lip gloss because someone was waiting as I exited.
Shit.
3
A big guy who was clearly security for the club moved in front of me. “The owner asked to find you, as he’d like to speak with you, Ms. Stewart.”
I gave the guy an amused look. “Well, how nice for him, but I was just leaving and my car will be here momentarily.”
“It can wait. I must insist.”
Well, that answered the question if the owner and this place were aboveboard. I had suspected something after Mason had busted the booth, as any competent owner wouldn’t have let that happen under his nose, but sending a goon to force me to meet with him was the nail in the coffin I hadn’t been expecting.
“You can insist all you want, but I don’t have time for the owner… Whatever his name is,” I drawled, moving past him. He reached for me, and I slapped his hand away. “I would advise you not putting your hands on me or treating me like whoever this sort of shtick has worked on before.” I smirked at the anger in his eyes. “Maybe your idiot boss shouldn’t run his mouth so much when he’s such a small fry.”
I turned and slipped through a few people, hearing him call in the radio to intercept me at the door. Wow, that was over the line.
“Sorry, Ms. Stewart, I can’t let you leave yet,” the guy at the door told me when I reached there.
“I’m sorry you think you have the right to stop me,” I snickered. “If this is how your boss does business and thinks he can handle life, he’s clearly mistaken.”
“Touch her and I will break every bone in your body,” Kyle warned him when the guy reached for me. “Are you okay, Ms. Stewart?”
“Yes, apparently the owner didn’t like my refusing to meet with him,” I drawled. “And it seems he thinks dragging people to meetings is acceptable.” Kyle’s glance flickered behind me, letting me know the owner was there and could hear me. “Oh, and apparently he plans to use his charms on me and I’ll just spill all our corporate secrets, as he thinks women are that stupid or his dick that magical. What was his name again?”
I felt the rage behind me as I slid past the security, shaking my head and muttering how pathetic they were.
“Watch it,” another demon who worked for us warned from behind me. I glanced over to see the owner and two guys coming towards me.
I locked gazes with the owner, not hiding my shock. “How often do you just carry off women that you think this acceptable? Is that what you have to resort to if you want to get laid?” I gestured around when he gave me an enraged look. “You’re acting like the mob when you were lucky enough to host such a huge event. Or is that how you got the bid?”
Bingo. His desire to punch in my face and shut me up flared.
“We have much to discuss, and this is a private conversation,” he told me.
I burst out laughing. “You want to discuss a lot with me I’m sure, but you are not on my radar or have anything I want to hear.” I headed towards the car, and another demon stepped out to open the door for me. “You were never going to get a chance to take over our clubs or any sort of deal we don’t make, but I will be speaking with the chairs of these events, as one of your booths tried to drug me.”
“What?” Kyle seethed, giving the owner a look that would make most people shit their pants. “Well, we know why they weren’t allowing security in like last time. How many other women have been dragged off to meetings?”
“Should we call LAPD and find out?” I taunted the owner.
He gave me a tight smile. “Nothing like that happens in my club. I’ll call your office to schedule a meeting.”
I laughed again, the asshole really thinking he was important enough to get on my calendar. “Sure, I’ll make sure to pencil you in a week after never.” I slid into the car before he could say anything else, pretending to take a call the moment the door was closed and like I’d already forgotten him. I waited until the others got
in and we pulled away from the curb. “That took a turn fast.”
“It did,” Kyle worried. “So clearly that place is party to whatever is going on with the club if he was so desperate to get at you. What did he think he’d get?”
“He thinks all women are mindless sluts. He really believes that from what I picked up from others in the club. I caught more than one distributor saying shit about him and not liking they had the event there.” I sighed as I crossed my legs. “I think I know who to get the dirt from, but it might be complicated and blow his life apart.”
“Let us do some more digging first before that option.”
“Yeah, but he was at the party tonight, so if the guy is dirty, he might not be all that stable when he throws blame or accusations around.”
“Good point. What do you want to do?” Kyle asked.
“I just happen to have his address and a date planned for after the party,” I teased, smirking when I asked them to stop at a liquor store and get me a nice bottle of whiskey. We ended up picking up some food as well, for me to take to my date and for them to eat while they kept watch. At some point Kyle gave me the all clear to change my glamour after he was sure we weren’t being followed.
Yeah, after what had gone down it was only smart to be that paranoid. Paranoid people tended to live longer in our line of work.
I was shocked when the address took us to not the best part of town, though not surprised when the tension in the vehicle shot up. I assured them it was fine and I could handle whatever.
“He works for that boss, right?” Kyle muttered, sounding like they were debating arguing I could go.
“I think it’s more complicated than that. You’re right outside if I need you.”
“Fine, but I’m walking down his hall in five minutes to make sure you’re fine,” Kyle compromised, and I accepted it as he pulled up to the curb.
I slipped out of the vehicle and grabbed the food before heading to the apartment building that had seen better days. No security or elevator, so I climbed up the three flights of stairs in my heels and found the right door. I knocked, glancing around and down the hall before the door was practically ripped open.
