Cat Got Your Tongue? (8 page)

Cole was sipping a neat shot of brandy when he found Alex standing in the library staring down at the street below.

God, she’s lovely.

She’d chosen a startling red Valentino evening gown and had pinned her hair into a loose knot at the nape of her neck. She had a beauty, sexiness, about her that easily rivaled the rest of the female race.

Misplaced desire shot through him and he frowned.

“Ready?” he asked, needing a distraction from the direction his thoughts were headed.

Alex turned to look at him and took his breath away. She raised an eyebrow and glanced at the drink in his hand. “Heavy day?”

“Nothing I can’t handle. Just a seller being difficult. You look nice.” An understatement, but he left it at that.

“Thanks. Arm candy with a kick at your service.”

He smiled as she passed him and followed her into the hallway.

They reached the front door and Alex stopped abruptly, whirled around, and smacked straight into Cole’s chest, catching him off guard.

He grasped her shoulders to steady her. “Forget something?”

“Sorry, I forgot my purse.”

Instead of releasing her, he kept his hands on her shoulders and met her gaze, the attraction sizzling between them real and alluring.

They fell silent and when she backed against the door, he moved closer, his gaze unfaltering.

“Cole.”

His hand slid to the back of her neck, drawing her in. He shifted his focus to her lips and his mouth hungered to taste her.

“This would be really, really bad,” she whispered.

He dipped his head toward hers until their lips were almost touching. “I know. But it would also be really, really good.”

“Yes.”

“I want to kiss you.”

“I know.” Her eyes shifted to his lips and he sensed her struggle. “But we can’t.” She dragged in a deep breath and pushed at his chest. “I work for you. This would complicate things.”

“I can do complicated.” He lingered for a moment longer, aching to touch her. “But you’re right. This would complicate things.”

It took agonizing restraint to pull away and retrieve her purse on the table behind him.

“You’re looking for trouble,” she warned, snatching her purse from him.

He chuckled but didn’t reply. Judging by the hard bulge in his pants and the mad heat that swept through his body, it appeared that trouble had found him.

****

Alex inhaled as they settled inside the stretch limo and tried to regain her composure. Her heart pounded frantically against her chest and her breath consisted of choppy gasps of air. As tempting as the kiss had been, common sense still reigned, and she’d somehow mustered the strength to pull back.

God, how she’d wanted him to kiss her.

Unable to stop herself, she stole a glance at him. He was freshly shaven and dressed in a black Armani suit with a white shirt that matched even whiter teeth. The man possessed an aura of power around him she found thrilling.

“Did you have that gash checked out today?” he asked her, his voice casual, too casual.

A ploy on his part to get them back on level ground, no doubt.

“I did.” She’d selected her mother’s physician, known for his discretion. The fact that she’d always liked him was an added bonus.

Cole handed her a drink. “What did the doctor say?”

“I’ll live. How were your meetings?”

“I walked out of a negotiation and told John to deal with it.”

“Negotiating another deal for a new hotel?” Some people collected stamps for a hobby. He collected hotels.

“Yes. I’ve had my eye on a piece of property in California. The owner needs to sell but he’s stalling.”

“Why?”

“We’re haggling about price. He knows I have the money to back any offer so he’s pushing hard for a better price. I, on the other hand, am not willing to pay more for the property than it’s worth so that he can spend long vacations in the Caribbean.” He sipped his drink and shot her a pensive glance over the rim of his glass. “But he’ll cave. They all do.”

Alex smiled. “You sound very cocky. Might want to check that ego of yours.”

“I plan to own that property,” he murmured with solid confidence and she was unable to decipher the look that crossed his face. “I’m the only one interested in it with enough money to back the deal. He’d be stupid not to sell to me. I like the property and the area and I think one of my hotels would do well there.” His eyes narrowed and his dark gaze moved over her body. “Besides, if I want to own something, I do.”

She knew instinctively he wasn’t talking about his stalled property deal anymore, and met his eyes in an unspoken challenge. “I can’t be bought or owned, Cole.”

A brief flash of amusement sparked in his dark blue eyes and then disappeared. “I doubt anyone would ever be able to own you,” he said and chuckled. “Besides, whoever tried would get far more than they bargained for.”

“True.” She smirked at him, grateful that the fleeting moment of tension had passed. “To be honest, I’ve yet to meet a man who has the balls to have a showdown in a relationship with me.”

She looked out of the window. “You need to remember that I’m here tonight on a business capacity and not as a real date.”

“I haven’t forgotten.”

She glanced back at him. “What I mean is that although I’ll be attending as your date, I’ll still be working the room.”

“Working the room? That sounds like something a prostitute would say.”

“For your security,” she said, feigning impatience. “Even though I’m wearing heels tonight, I still have to do my job so if a situation arises then just back off and let me, okay?”

He fell silent, settled back in his seat, and fixed an unnerving gaze on her.

“Fair enough,” he replied a moment later. “Did you settle in okay this afternoon at the house?”

“Yes. Charles and Warren were great.”

“Good.” Cole glanced out the window. “We’re almost there.”

“Who’s our host for this dinner party?”

“Mike Willis.”

“The real estate guru?”

“Yes. Do you know him?”

“He was once a client. One of my partners worked with him.”

Before Cole could reply, the limo came to a stop outside the hotel entrance and he scowled as several reporters scurried around them.

“Wow,” Alex said softly, staring at the mob of people outside.

“Want to back out?”

“Never.”

He smiled and made a move to exit the limo, but she grabbed his arm to stop him. “Cole. Let me do my job.”

With a frown, he nodded and they both exited the limo to a mob of excited reporters.

“Mr. Anderson, are there any new leads regarding the attempted robbery at your house this week?” a reporter from The New York Post shouted.

A second reporter pushed ahead, following the couple as they moved to the front door. “Mr. Anderson, when did you and Miss Foxley start dating?”

A flurry of questions followed and as they reached the steps, Alex turned to face them. When she spoke, her voice was clear and professional.

“I’m here as a representative from Body Armor and not as Mr. Anderson’s date. Due to the robbery at his house earlier in the week, we felt Mr. Anderson’s security was at risk. Body Armor is assisting with his personal protection as well as with the upgrade of his home and office security.” She nodded and dashed inside, ignoring their onset of questions.

“What was that for?” Cole grumbled, taking her arm.

“Don’t be so cranky.”

“I quite liked the fact they thought you were my date.” Lowering his head, he whispered in her ear, “You make a hot date.”

“And you’re so looking for trouble,” she repeated, tilting her head toward him and smiling against his face. “I was sending a message.”

“Saying what? That Cole Anderson can’t get a date?”

She rolled her eyes. “Everyone knows that Cole Anderson can get a date. No one doubts your masculine mojo. Once word gets out, every professional art thief in New York will know we’re in the process of upgrading your security.”

“Ah, clever.”

“And also,” she said, flashing him a bright smile, “I was letting them know that I’m here as your bodyguard so if anything happens and I have to do my job to keep you safe they won’t think that Cole Anderson stands back and allows his date to kick ass for him.”

“You’re so cool,” he breathed and slipped an arm around her waist.

****

Alex stood in the doorway, her skilled gaze sweeping across the room in search of her target, her sole purpose for being here tonight.

Cole.

Everyone was dressed to impress. Diamonds glittered, business cards swapped hands, and everyone stood with a glass in their hand, chatting and laughing. Elegant chandeliers and hundreds of candles lit the room, providing a romantic and warm atmosphere. The band played in the background while several waiters walked around, dressed in black suits. They would’ve blended in well with the other suits had it not been for their nametags.

It was easy to see the difference between the wives in the room to that of the women whose purpose was to be there as mere arm candy. Alex could also spot the doting wives and the more unfaithful ones, scouting the room in search of some amusement of their own. She surveyed the men, able to differentiate between the men who favored their alcohol as opposed to the ones that favored their wallets.

Years of blending in the background had sharpened her ability to read others and size them up in an instant. While others spent their time talking, she spent her time watching and listening.

Then she spotted him.

Cole was in a conversation with the several people surrounding him, a drink clasped in one hand. He stood tall and majestic in the center of the room and it was easy to see the reason behind the attraction people felt for him.

Just then, almost as though he sensed her, Cole turned and swiftly scanned the room before settling his gaze on her. Their eyes met and held, and Alex’s entire body reacted in a way that unsettled her. Her breath caught and her pulse raced but before she could process the affect he had on her, a figure approached her, blocking her view of Cole.

A tall blond man dressed in a black suit stood in front of her, a drink in one hand, the other outstretched in greeting. “Hi, I’m John Farrell, Cole’s right hand man.”

Alex shook his hand. “Alexis Foxley.”

“Your company is taking over Cole’s security.”

“We are.”

“Have you assigned an agent to him yet?”

“Yes.”

John towered over her and she got the feeling he was trying to let her know he was an important entity in Cole’s life. “When does he start?”

A red flag went off.

Alex straightened her shoulders and raised her chin to look him straight in the eye. “I started yesterday.”

John choked in his glass. “You?”

Alex raised an eyebrow. “Something wrong with that?”

“Who authorized your contract?”

“Cole did.” She was almost enjoying this now. “Do you have a problem with that?” Not that it mattered.

John looked at her as though she were about to sprout a second head. “I don’t think you understand. A billionaire is an easy target and needs some serious protection.”

Alex blinked at the insult but held her ground. “I’d be quite happy to accept any challenge you issue.”

“Cole’s life is not about attending tea parties and shopping malls. He has real fans and real enemies. I don’t want him hurt because you were too busy playing him, screwing him, or shopping for handbags.”

“And something tells me you know how to handle a stapler better than a gun, so I’d suggest that you back down and leave Cole’s safety and security to the experts,” she replied, lowering her voice.

Their host, Mike Willis, chose that moment to approach them, interrupting their heated conversation.

“Hi, John,” Mike said, extending a hand to them both. If he’d noticed their tension, he didn’t let on. “Good to see you again, Alexis.”

Alex dragged her eyes away from John and offered the stocky man with grey hair and kind eyes a welcoming smile. “Mike, it’s been a while.” He looked pale, however, as if he hadn’t slept much in the last few nights.

“If you’ll excuse me,” John mumbled and disappeared.

Mike reached for her arm and led her through the room. “I’m glad you’re here. In fact, I had my secretary look up your number today as I wanted to make an appointment to see you again.”

Alex glanced up, feeling a familiar connection with him. He’d always seemed sincere and gentle, despite his vast businessman profile, and she’d taken an immediate liking to him when she’d first met him several months ago. “What’s wrong?”

“I need to chat with you about my security. I’m considering employing a full time bodyguard again.”

“Are you having any problems?”

He shrugged. “None too obvious at the moment but I suspect someone’s been watching me, watching my house.”

“What’s happened?”

“We’ll discuss the details later. Would it be possible to get someone from your agency to move in here for a while?”

“Sure.” Her mind automatically began racing through the list of agents that would be suitable for him. “Unfortunately, I’m unavailable as I’m on an assignment with Cole Anderson but I’ll arrange for one of my partners to meet with you in the morning.”

“Thank you.”

“Say someone is in fact watching you. What have you got that could be of interest to them?”

“Anything is game. It could be a business rival.”

Another thought occurred to her. “And art? You’re still collecting?” She remembered they’d shared a love of antique art, having briefly discussed his collection in the past.

He smiled, the fondness for his artwork apparent in his eyes. “Yes. My art is my passion.”

“Is your artwork kept mainly at your house or elsewhere?”

“Mainly at my home here, but I have a few other homes where I keep some pieces.”

Could there be a connection? “Well, I’ll send an agent over in the morning to meet with you.”

His weary smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. “That would be great. It’s been a rough couple of nights.”

Alex noticed Cole walking toward her. Turning to Mike, she smiled. “Thank you for approaching me with this. We’ll take care of you, I promise.”