I shrug. “Yeah, I’m always up for something like that. What exactly does that mean, though?”
“You’ll see.” He winks. “We’ll be reconvening in my master suite upstairs in about an hour. I have to play host duties for a bit. Find your wife and meet me.”
“Oh, we’ll be there.”
I have no idea what I’ve signed on for, but I need to let this man know I’m in it to win it. I need the intel on Bishop Blackstone. And right now, I need to find Sophia.
She’s like my buffer for letting things get too out of hand. I don’t want to end up in a crazy situation without her by my side.
I glance around the room again. There she is.
I stare from across the room. She’s breathtaking, and I couldn’t turn away even if I wanted to.
She’s standing next to Eddie Gallo, and my skin nearly crawls off my face. I didn’t hate that man before, but his hand on the small of her back makes me want to hurt someone. Preferably him.
Badly.
I have so many questions for Sophia, but I can’t very well ask her everything I want to know here, where people can overhear us. Then another question arises, will she even be coming home with me tonight?
I continue to stare until she glances in my direction. Our eyes crash into each other from across the room, and my heartbeat picks up.
Red should be her color, and only hers, because there’s no one in the world who can pull off the color the way she can. They should outlaw it. Make it illegal and only for her use. Because she’s a fucking knockout and I swear my body hardens instantly when she licks her ruby red lips.
Her long hair falls down her back in waves, and the slit up the side of her dress goes so high I swear it leaves no room to the imagination to where it leads. The thought that other men in this room are looking at her kind of pisses me off.
Especially Eddie.
The fact his hand is on her makes my blood boil, but I smile and give a little wave. She smiles like the ruse is something she’s been playing all along. Like she didn’t leave my fucking house last night. Like I haven’t been spending the entire day out searching for her fine little ass.
“Dean,” she calls out when I’ve crossed the room in her direction. “You remember Eddie Gallo.”
I shake his hand. “I sure do. How’s it going over here?” I’m staring right at her and her eyes bounce around as she tries to find a spot to focus on.
“Everything is fine. I ran into Eddie today at his bakery. Remember, I told you.”
I smile. “Of course.” Just hearing she went looking for this piece of shit slimeball makes me furious, but I keep playing the part. I keep playing the part that I get off on watching other men touch what’s mine.
Listen, I’m about to go postal on watching his hand slide up and down her back like they share some insider secret I’m not privy to.
“We were thinking about getting a room. Sophia here says you like to watch.” Eddie smiles and I have to slam my hands into my pockets so I don’t knock him the fuck out.
“Actually,” I pull Sophia into my arms, “Mr. Hollingsworth invited us to a special party.”
Sophia’s eyes widen. “Oh, in that case… Eddie, would you like to join us in there?”
I want to deny his invitation, say something about how it would be rude to bring him along, but there’s obviously a reason Sophia is holding close to this man. Maybe she found something out.
So, I keep my mouth shut, and smile like the invite is something she just thought of a second before me.
“Uh, fuck yeah.” He smiles like a man who is about to get lucky with a gorgeous woman. Little does he know I’d never allow that to fucking happen.
“Let’s get a drink and then go upstairs.” I wait for them both to agree and then head toward the bar with Sophia hanging off my arm instead of Eddie’s.
Eddie falls a bit behind us as we weave through the crowd.
“I didn’t plan on seeing you here tonight,” I say against the shell of Sophia’s ear.
She shivers. “I had to work on a lead.”
“A lead? Alone?” I stop walking, gripping her arm so she stands right in front of me.
“We can discuss it later.”
I lean close to her ear, bringing her body flush with mine. “Don’t think for a second this conversation is over.” I pull away, smiling at her big wide eyes.
We order a drink and stand at the bar for a minute or two, making small talk. When the time is close, we amble toward the staircase to head up to Humphrey’s private private party.