Protected by Shadows (24 page)

She gestured to both of them. “Y’all need to show some love—I know there’s a lot of people here but for you to be separated the entire time is foolish. Let’s see a nice kiss.”

The crowd hollered and he grinned.
Not about to pass up this opportunity.
He placed his Coke on the ground and smacked his lips. Those gathered cheered louder.

“That’s right, man, need both hands to hold onto a woman like Lexy.”

He didn’t even turn to see who said it, just kept his eyes on his wife. Snaking one arm around her, he drew her close. His other hand he slipped along the nape of her neck.

“What are you grinning at?” she asked under her breath as she looped her arms around his neck.

“Wouldn’t you like to know.”

“I did ask.”

“Thanks for telling the women I’m amazing in bed. Oh, wait, you said ‘awesome’.”

“Christ, you can read lips? You read
my
lips?”

He knew a tirade was coming and kissed her to divert it. The second their lips met, all thought of making it good for the crowd vanished into nothing. They didn’t matter.

He dragged his tongue along the seam of her lips and dipped it in when she opened for him. Sweeping through the heated recess of her mouth, he touched everywhere he could.

Her moan was music to his ears and he tightened his hold on her, dipping the hand along her back lower until it met he waistband of her shorts. He moved them beneath until a throat clearing grabbed his attention. Barbara was giving him a pointed look. Eventually, he remembered where they were as well as the audience they had.

He shrugged unapologetically. “Can you blame me?” he asked and got howls and raunchy replies in response, especially from the men. Lexy dug her nails into his hand as he kept her anchored to his side. “Thank you to everyone who put this together for us. I know I speak for both of us when I say it’s an honor.”

“My husband is right. Thank you. And to everyone who welcomed him with open arms as he first arrived here, you have my thanks.”

“Eat, drink and be merry. Don’t go too far, wedded couple. I’m sure we’ll be wanting a few more kisses out of the both of y’all.” Barbara gestured to her husband and music began to play. “Get out there and dance now!”

Valentino saw Paula get drawn into the area reserved for dancing by a man who wore a red flannel shirt, even on this warm day. He grinned at her and the look of exasperation he could see in her gaze. Turning to talk to Lexy, he found she was gone. “Woman never holds still.” He looked for her and found her out there dancing with someone he’d not met yet.

It wasn’t easy for him, but he waited until the song began to fade, then he approached them. “Mind if I dance with my wife?” he asked, barely keeping the snap from his voice.

“Sure thing, man.”

Lexy was passed from one to the next with ease. He stared at her and knew immediately something was wrong.

“Contact?”

“Yes.” She had a smile pasted on her face as they moved to the beat of the music.

As they turned, he searched for Paula, but she couldn’t be found. Thank God she’d been witness to the exchange because he sure as hell hadn’t been paying attention.
Remember what happened last time you let down your guard?
His subconscious gave him the most unwelcome nudge.

As if he’d been submerged into a tub of ice water, the thrill of dancing with Lexy fell to the background and he was completely alert. If she noticed the change, she kept it to herself. She continued with a small smile on her face. She was good and didn’t back away from any situation.

At the end of that song, he took them to the edge and brushed some hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear. “Tell me about him.”

She walked to a picnic table where they were the only ones and sat along the bench. He sat beside her and drew her into him so her back rested against his chest.

“About six feet tall. Caucasian, brown hair, blue eyes. On the skinny side, or just really lean muscles. He wore a T-shirt with a hole in the left shoulder. Blue. And his jeans just kind of hung on him. Clean, nice smile.”

“And did he say anything special?”

“Just mentioned he was there for the code. I would have looked him over had he not spoken to me. I just…wasn’t expecting him to look like people I deal with on a daily basis.”

“It would be so much easier if the bad guys all had this specific look about them.”

“So what happens now?” She sank deeper against him.

“Someone will trail him and find out where he’s going then pick him up and see what we can get from him.”

“Who?”

“Another agent.” He didn’t want to share anything. The sting of Alyssa’s betrayal was riding him hard and he refused to make another mistake like that.

“Okay, don’t tell me. Christ, it’s not like I’m going to go looking for them. I just wanted to know.” She began to sit up, but he held her there. “What?”

Her tone was cold and he knew she was pissed. Lexy was passion. There was no way around it. Fire and ice. Hot and cold. While she could flip from one end to the other in the space of a heartbeat, she never held back. When she was hot she burned and cold…you could lose limbs from the frostbite she’d give. She was perfect.

He just hadn’t ever gotten past the fact they were fire and gasoline. The longer he was with her, the deeper his feelings became for her. Even now, he didn’t know how he would leave her at the end of this. His own mood shifted into a downward spiral and he tried to stop it.

“Anything else about him?”

“Like what? How big his dick looked in his jeans?” she snapped, turning to glare at him. “It was all of five seconds, Val. I don’t know what else I was supposed to see.”

“Accent?”

She pursed her lips and settled back. “Sounded nasally. Yankeeish. I don’t know, Jersey or Boston.” A shrug. “Somewhere up there.”

Yankeeish. He almost chuckled. She just had no use for ‘those people’ as she put it. His phone vibrated and he shifted to maintain his hold on her as he answered the call. He frowned at the name on the screen.

“Everything okay?” he asked as soon as he accepted it.

“Damn, man, some people say hello.” Gio’s voice was relaxed and teasing.

“Hi, Gio. Everything okay?”

“No, not really. Jaydee needs to talk to Lexy. She said I could get the two of them in touch or she would do it.” He cleared his throat. “And coming from my wife, that’s no idle threat. So is she there and if so, can she talk to Jaydee?”

“She’s right here.” He tipped the phone to the woman in his embrace. “Jaydee for you.”

Lexy jerked the phone from him and sat away all in one movement. “Jay? Is everything okay?”

Valentino could see the relief pass through her. Her entire expression turned soft and gentle. She slipped off the bench and went to perch on the edge of the table.

He had more questions to ask her, but he knew she needed this. So he ignored the unrelenting part of him that made him such a good agent and allowed her this time with her friend. He turned and watched her as she spoke. Truly expressive. And beautiful.

Shit, I am in so much trouble.

It was so good to hear Jaydee’s voice. Lexy worked her toe along the bench as she tried to stop the tears of relief from falling.

“Are you sure everyone there is okay?”

“I just said they were. What’s going on, Lex? I heard about Eugene. Is it true?”

She flicked her gaze to Valentino. He sat back, elbows on the tabletop, watching her.

“No.” Lord help her but admitting that to someone felt so good. And she knew Jaydee wouldn’t speak of it to anyone, not even Gio.

Jaydee was silent for a moment. “All good?”

It was what she had asked her friend when she’d been at Annapolis. Meaning was there anything the other could do for them. “Yes.”

“Name it.”

“Don’t come to the funeral.”

“No way.”

“Jaydee, it’s not safe.”

“I don’t care. I will be there. Gio will be home with the kids.”

Lexy heard his roar of disagreement and winced. “Please, stay far away from me.”

“Do you remember when I was allowed to leave Annapolis and went to a restaurant?”

She nodded then, realizing her friend wasn’t with her, said, “I remember.”

“What happened?”

“Three guys wanted to get to know you better.”

Valentino had a furrow between his brow as he unabashedly listened to her side of the conversation.

“They did. And I called you. What did you do?”

“Drove like a bat out of hell to get there.”

“Why?”

“Because you needed me.” Lexy sighed, exasperated—Jaydee’s silence was telling. “You can’t, Jay. This is different.”

“How so? I was in danger and you came. You’re in danger, why wouldn’t I come.”

It was never a question with Jaydee. But it tore her heart out to think of what could happen to Jaydee if she came.

“You have children.”

Lexy could see Jaydee tilting her head as she tried to figure out what the hell that had to do with anything.

“Please, Jay. Stay there and be safe. I have Val here to keep me safe, even if he is a gigantic pain in my ass.”

She had the snootiness in her tone as usual when she picked on Val, in hope that Jaydee wouldn’t sense how things had morphed between them. In her periphery, she saw him lift his eyebrows at her. She cocked hers right back. It wasn’t a lie—he was a pain in her ass.

“Still not getting along with him?”

“We tolerate one another. Putting a damper on my sex life having a husband who sleeps in a different room than I do.”

“You do know I’ve known you long enough to pick up on inflections in your tone, right?”

She gulped. “What’s your point, Jay?”

“Do you remember how you yelled at me about Gio and compartmentalizing everything?”

“I do. But it had to be said, you were about to lose a wonderful man. All you had to do was take a chance.”

“And this has to be said.”

“What are you—?”

“Hush, you rude cow, and listen.”

Lexy did as told. That was the one woman in the world who could say such a thing to her and get away with it.

“Whatever you have—get away from me, Gio, this is important. Go. Leave me alone. Yes, yes, fine, I’ll have her give the phone back to your brother when I’m done. Go away! Anyway. Whatever this thing you are sharing with Valentino, don’t let him go just because that was the original agreement. I know the two of you have been seeing each other since that first night.”

“I think you’re sniffing some glue.”

“Don’t even try it. I saw you that first night down by the lake with him. I got up to get a drink.”

“Shit,” she muttered.

“My point being, Lexy, is that there is something between the two of you. If you would stop picking pointless arguments with him you’d see what I’m talking about.”

“It’s much easier to fight, Jay.” She rubbed the back of her neck.

“And sometimes it’s best not to.” A door shut. “I imagine he’s near so I’ll ask this so you can answer with yes or no replies.” A slight silence. “It is more than just sex for you.”

“That’s not a question,” she said trying to throw her off track.

“You’re deflecting.”

She licked her lips and swung her leg over the edge. “Yes.”

“It’s changed and morphed into something more. At least on your end.”

“Yes.” Damn, how did this woman know her so well?

“But it’s just easier to fall back on fighting with him all the time than take two seconds to admit your feelings.”

“Definitely.”

“Do you know he doesn’t feel the same?”

“No, but it’s pretty clear.”

“You think so? He doesn’t wear his heart on his sleeve. He’s the most contained of all the Cassano men. And you know there’s an issue in his past that is affecting his ability to voice his feelings.”

“You’re in support of him.”

“No, I’m in support of the two of you. You’re good for one another. Anyone can see that.”

Laughter bubbled out and she cleared her throat as she tried to calm down. “Really? How do you figure that?”

“I’m not a fool, Lexy. It’s all through your voice and how the two of you look at one another when you think no one is watching. Others probably don’t see it, but I do. So, this is what we’re going to do. I will stay here and you will be honest with yourself about Valentino.”

“You’re blackmailing me?”

“That’s one way of looking at it.”

Lexy narrowed her gaze and shook her head. “I fail to see how to look at it any other way, Jay.”

“Not my problem.”

She made a fist a few times and fought the urge to curse aloud. “Fine. You have a deal.”

“Good. Now put him on the phone—his brother is about to lose it for needing to talk to him again. Love you, Lexy.”