In the Still of the Night:Sexy Romantic Suspense (Book 2 The Blonde Barracuda's Sizzling Suspense Series) (23 page)

Peter and Brady shared a knowing glance. Peter ventured with a slight smile.

“We concede. But sometimes, Lexie, the unkindest cut is verbal, and it can go to the quick.”

Lexie shrugged. “Thanks, Peter. But I’ve been known to kick a little ass in that arena as well. Just ask Kurt Masters.”

All three of them laughed heartily. Lexie glanced over to see if Jake may have overheard. If he did, the frown creasing his brow indicated that he wasn’t pleased.

Peter glanced around the table and attempted to broaden the conversation.

“I will admit that we having a bit of fun at the expense of one of my fellow Council members. I was surprised that Kurt Masters was able to leave the room yesterday in an upright position given how Alexis cut him off at the knees.”

General laughter greeted his remark. But Craig Spellman upped the ante.

“Hell, Peter, that wasn’t all she cut off. I wouldn’t be surprised if Masters joins a soprano choir.”

Even Jake joined in the laughter at that unexpected remark from the host of the extravagant gala.

Jake didn’t need Brady’s cautioning glances to know that he was coming across as an ill-tempered bear. Or face it, as a jealous territorial asshole. He’d also heard Dalila’s catty remark to Lexie and saw her pained reaction. He knew that beneath Lexie’s tough shell was a vulnerable core. And damned if Dalila didn’t seem to know exactly how to weasel herself into that susceptible unguarded place. He was glad that Brady came to Lexie’s defense. He was so torn with emotions, some of which he barely recognized, that he didn’t trust himself to join the fray. Brady was an acceptable defender. Peter was not. Peter’s perceptive response to Lexie’s troubled expression jerked the knife of painful jealousy slicing at Jake’s gut. He didn’t know how he could make it through the night without either knocking Peter flat on his distinguished ass or leaping over the table to capture Lexie and take her to his bed where she belonged.

It was difficult to look at her and not want to hold her. Touch her. She actually shone. While Dalila didn’t mean it as a compliment, Lexie did sparkle. She lit the space around her. Everyone at the table—with the exception of Dalila—regarded her with a measure of awe. How could they not? As lovely as Dalila looked, Lexie was in a class by herself. Jake loved it when she let her long golden hair hang in careless waves down her back. But every so often she’d do what she’d done tonight. She twisted her hair up in a regal mass of curls held in place by a jewel-studded comb. Tendrils of curls that refused to be constrained shadowed her face and neck. They were a provocative invitation to the lucky man who dared to remove that protective comb. To torment himself further, he reminded himself that Lexie chose that extraordinary dress, those erotic stockings, that provocative hairstyle, knowing that Peter was her date. She dressed to please
him
. Jake could only imagine the look on Peter’s face when he picked her up at the Center. And he didn’t want to imagine what went through Peter’s mind. It was apparent enough in the way that Peter was gazing at Lexie now.

After dessert was served, before the program was to begin, Craig and his wife circulated among the other guests. Jake excused himself to connect with his agents. When he returned to the table, he debated about asking Brady to move so that he could sit beside Lexie. The strain on her face stopped him from shaking things up worse than they apparently were. He scowled and sunk down next to Dalila. He saw Brady glare at Dalila. Jake had been so caught up in his own angst that he’d hadn’t heard what outrageous thing she’d said now.

As though she were interested in his opinion, Dalila turned to him with an innocent smile.

“I was just asking Alexis how she always manages to be in the limelight.” Focusing her Cheshire Cat smile on Lexie, she continued, “It must get tiring always being the center of attention. But I imagine that’s how you grew up, didn’t you? I know Anthony always bragged about his baby sister, and now Jake and Brady play that sycophantic role. That’s probably why you are so comfortable in the spotlight.”

As Jake started to answer, Lexie held up her hand to stop him, and instead held Dalila’s gaze. “There are so many questions and insinuations in that one remark, Dalila, that I need to decide which if any I choose to answer. Yes, I do enjoy being in the ‘limelight.’ I’ve spent much of my life in the center of the ring, the martial arts ring, and yes, I like it, a lot. What I did yesterday comes harder for me. People tell me I’m a natural. I’m not. I’m as nervous as the next person standing up in front of a room full of people. I guess it all comes back to being a fighter. Yesterday I was fighting for women who can’t fight for themselves. If it takes being the center of attention either at a City Council meeting or in the martial arts arena or in my personal life, if it’s important to me, I fight for it. And Dalila, I don’t lose.”

Dalila arched a finely drawn eyebrow, her expression wide with mock incredulity.

“Really? Hmm. Never?”

Lexie’s voice was soft but her eyes were hard as slate. “Never.”

Dalila tapped a bright red-tipped fingernail against her pursed lips, as if thinking. She smiled sweetly and her voice was pleasant… but her eyes were as hard as Lexie’s.

“You’re too young, my dear, and inexperienced—particularly with men—to know that there are always things and people who are bigger and more powerful than you are.”

Lexie paled, but before she could answer, Peter spoke softly, “That depends who she has on her side.”

Jake’s chest tightened. He couldn’t have said it better himself. And he wished that he had. He nodded to Peter in acknowledgment, then focused a hard stare on Dalila.

“It also depends on who the men are—or to be more specific, who the
man
is—with whom she gets that experience.”

Lexie pushed her chair back and jumped to her feet. She glanced at Peter and then glared at Jake. Her hands were visibly shaking.

“If you two big strong, important men are finished speaking for me, I’ll excuse myself, if you don’t mind. There are several other men I need to talk with about implementing my initiatives. I then plan on going to the ladies room—if, of course, that is all right with you.” Her voice was crisp and layered with anger. Turning to Peter, she said, “I’ll be back in time for your speech. I wouldn’t miss it.” She included Brady in her sweeping glare around the table. “I’ll step out of the way, so that Dalila can have all three of you to herself. With all of her experience, and yours, I’m confident that the four of you will manage swimmingly.”

As she sashayed across the room, her hips swaying provocatively from side to side, she moved from one cluster of guests to another. People from across the ballroom called her name, hoping to convince her to come their way. Brady shook his head, tossed back the rest of the cabernet in his glass, and exclaimed, “Damn. What a woman.”

Dalila looked from one to the other of them, and gave them a lazy smile. “I think I’ll head to the lady’s room before the temperamental little she-wolf makes her way there. I wouldn’t want to run into her by myself. She might kick me or some such thing—out of pique.”

None of the three men at the table chose to reply.

Jake was glad there was space between him and the guests surrounding Lexie. At least she was protected from him for the moment. He watched her flit from group to group like a rare exotic bird. Looking at Peter through hooded eyes he didn’t miss the expression in the other man’s eyes. His stark lust and determination was apparent. Forget the smooth, almost deferential Asian mannerisms. This was a powerful well-connected man—a man who staked out what he wanted and went after it. Jake was glad to see the mask finally drop. He nodded when Peter met his gaze, knowing that what Peter saw in him was reflected in his own eyes. Jake lifted his glass with a slight shrug. He didn’t have to say the words aloud, they spoke for themselves: Game on.

Chapter 22

The room erupted in applause. Everyone rose to their feet for a standing ovation as Craig Spellman handed Peter Kim the Business Man of the Year award. Jake had to admit that Peter was an accomplished man. His speech was inspiring and appropriately self-effacing. But woven into the often humorous and occasionally humble remarks and his goals for his District were references to his significant accomplishments. Urbane, handsome and clever. Quite a rival.

During the break, Jake and Brady compared notes on other aspects of the charming Asian man. Such as the fact that he not only was wearing a back holster under his hand-tailored tuxedo jacket, but a boot sheathe as well. They agreed that it was ironic and almost comical that Peter’s ‘men’ seated among the guests were often at the same tables where Jake had planted ‘his’ men. What the two teams who were studiously pretending to ignore one another shared, was their demeanor and carefully concealed weapons. Only Brady’s and Jake’s skilled eyes identified the casually elegant cadre of Asian men circulating among the guests. None of whom betrayed the fact that they were primed and ready should anyone make a move on their leader. Yes, Jake thought for the umpteenth time during the uncomfortable evening, Peter was not a man to be underestimated. If he was who Jake was beginning to believe he was, Peter was as dangerous a rival as Jake could have had.

As the formalities concluded, the band began to play and soft lights lit a previously unlit dance floor. Jake groaned. How much longer could this evening last? He stole a glance at Lexie, who was chatting with a group of admirers. Her frequent peals of luscious laughter belied the exhaustion he saw in her eyes and the tense muscles in her shoulders and neck. He longed to put his skilled hands on her overtired body. In minutes, he would have her moaning in relief. He smiled at the thought of massaging her neck. Wondered how many seconds his fingers would stay there. Not many.

To further compound Jake’s annoyance that was becoming impossible to hide, Craig Spellman asked Lexie for the first dance. Apparently Mrs. Spellman preferred her fourth glass of wine. Lexie graciously accepted and followed the thin graying man to the dance floor. Spellman was a surprisingly good dancer. He and Lexie were impressive to watch. But then, Jake was only too aware of what an accomplished dancer Lexie was. He’d known he was hopelessly in love with her when seven months he’d tracked her to a rowdy bar and watched her do a virtual bar-top striptease for an exuberant crowd of men. She’d been angling for a position at the strip club, trying to insinuate herself into the group of drug lords she was convinced had murdered her brother. He should have been angry at her risky chance-taking. But when Lexie saw him in the back of the saloon, she disarmed him. Her dance changed. She no longer danced for the crowd of rabid fans, she danced for him—and him alone. He’d known he was falling in love with her. That risqué moment cinched it. He’d been a goner ever since.

The music changed to a fast, sexy disco beat. Brady grabbed her when she returned to the table. Tossing Jake a taunting grin over his shoulder, Brady dragged a delighted Lexie out to the dance floor. They brought down the house with their outrageous moves. Wild spins, sexy back-to-back and front-to-front gyrations brought hoots of appreciative shouts from the amazed black tie crowd. As much as he would have liked to be the man who was causing those peals of luscious laughter and wildly abandoned dance steps, Jake was their most appreciative audience. Watching the tension flow from Lexie’s tired body, and replaced by fiery energy, Jake was filled with gratitude. Beneath Brady’s casual surfer dude persona and outrageous chick-magnet good looks, lurked as wise and strategic a man as Jake had ever known. Jake silently thanked him for being Lexie’s best friend, as well as his.

Before the music had a chance to reboot, Dalila was at Jake’s side. Peering up at him from under her curtain of thick lashes, she purred, “How about it, Jake? Can you take your eyes off of her for a moment and dance with me? For old time’s sake?”

Her request was surprisingly free of her usual double entendre overtones. She looked almost embarrassed. As if she was taking a chance asking him and wouldn’t be surprised if he refused.

Jake shrugged and smiled at her. “My pleasure, Dalila. I’m always pleased to dance with a beautiful woman. Particularly when that woman understands that I am ass over elbows in love with a sexy blond, and am counting the minutes until I have her in my arms.”

Dalila laughed an unusually genuine laugh.

“I understand the parameters, Colonel. And I promise I won’t try to convince you that while gentlemen may prefer blonds, rogues don’t necessarily.”

“Sorry, honey. This rogue has been thoroughly reformed by the sexiest woman whoever walked the Earth.”

Dalila’s laughter tinkled across the dance floor. She put up her hands as if in defeat, and moved into Jake’s arms. “Well. Shall we dance?”

Jake’s good humor that had been restored by Brady’s and Lexie’s scandalous performance was quickly shattered when Peter Kim took advantage of Dalila’s capture of Jake to lead Lexie to the floor. Jake’s spine stiffened when he saw Peter’s arm slip comfortably around Lexie’s waist. At that moment she looked up at him, and you didn’t have to be blind or a wildly possessive lover to see the ease with which Peter casually captured her body and her movements. He whispered something in her ear and she gave him an appreciative smile, then allowed him to pull her closer. If Dalila spoke to Jake, he presumed he must have answered because she didn’t strike him or leave the dance floor in a huff. But whatever conversation they had was unconscious and unheard by Jake. He was consumed by the flowing movements of the elegant man twirling his lover across the dance floor.

When the music stopped, he realized Dalila was looking up at him.

Her voice was soft and only slightly annoyed.

“I suppose I should thank you but you probably wouldn’t hear me say that either.”

Jake felt the heat rise on his face. He gave her an embarrassed nod.

“Sorry about that Dalila. I’m more preoccupied than I realized.”

Dalila laughed. “That’s one way of putting it. I’d say you’re besotted!” For a brief moment her eyes hardened to their usual glint. She tossed her head and said, “I see the ‘Bard’ was correct. How did he say it: ‘Ah how the mighty fall….’”