Yeah, he wasn’t talking about toys from the CIA anymore.
Before she could respond, his sly smile faded as he reached into his other pocket and pulled out his phone and then handed it to Alex again. “That’s the target. Have you got him memorized?”
Alex studied the photograph. Heath Lennox was gorgeous. Tall, dark, and handsome, with a body thrown in there that she didn’t doubt was ripped and strong. He definitely was the type of man that stood out. “Yeah, I’ve got him.”
“Good.” Rowan accepted the phone back and returned it to his pocket as the limo drove off again, picking up speed. “We’re going to drop you off first. Get a drink before you do anything, to give me time to get in there. I’m going to have the driver circle the block once before bringing me back.”
“Okay.” She drew in another deep breath, readying herself.
The limo took three more right turns and then pulled to a stop. Press swarmed, which wasn’t all that much of a surprise considering how wealthy Lennox was. Celebrities would likely be at the party, as would the city’s politicians showing their support to Lennox’s cause. She reached for the door handle to open the door when Rowan stopped her by grabbing her hand.
“Don’t forget this.” He reached across the seat and grabbed a small box and then opened it. Her heart fluttered at the gorgeous red and black metal mask. Elegant and sexy, she couldn’t help but admire the feminine lines of the mask before Rowan helped tie it around her head. When she glanced back at him, he scanned her face and then he gave her a panty-dropping smile. “Gorgeous.”
Warmth touched her heart…and every other place craving Rowan’s touch. “Keep me safe tonight, Hawke, and you might just see me in only this mask.”
He gripped her chin and dropped a hard kiss on her mouth. “That’s a promise, McCoy.” When he broke the kiss, she went to move away, but he kept his hold tight on her chin. His eyes were warm and soft, both very unlike him. “Thank you, Alex. For helping me find Mia.”
Her heart did something weird in her chest. Got all tingly. “You would have done the same thing for me.” She began to open the door but someone outside opened it farther. She stepped outside and said, “Thank you” to the man in the tux, and then she turned toward the grand 1930s European-style hotel. The limo drove off behind her as she passed beneath the American flag. The doorman held the door open for her as she strode inside. It came as no surprise that she immediately met security. Lennox was a billionaire and had likely rented out the entire hotel for the event.
“Name,” the security guy, wearing a black suit, asked.
She pulled her identification from her clutch. “Alex McCoy.” Of course, she felt horrible for taking another couple off the list to use their spots, but if it saved their lives and got Rowan his sister back, then it was worth it. And Alex promised to donate to the cause after Mia was back home, since the other couple likely would have donated too.
The security scanned her ID, waited for the loud beep, and then gave a polite smile. “Enjoy your evening, Ms. McCoy.”
“Thank you.”
Leaving the security behind her, she strode down the long hallway, with the orchestra playing classical music drawing her forward. Not a dozen steps later, she entered the ballroom and found that Lennox had gone to every expense. Crystal chandeliers hung from the high ceilings. Waiters and waitresses strode around the room, some offering glasses of champagne and hors d’oeuvres. The partygoers, all wearing masquerade masks, were mingling by the bar or standing with groups at the round tables with black linens and large feather centerpieces.
Alex moved to the bar. She caught the eye of a bartender who immediately came over to her. “Apple martini, please,” she ordered.
“Coming right up.” The bartender gave her a sinful smile, indicating that Rowan got the dress just right.
Hell, even she knew he got the dress right, but she also didn’t want anyone else looking at her in this dress other than Rowan…and that was an obvious problem. They’d been in this exact spot before; she cared too much when it came to Rowan.
Last time, she ran.
Maybe it helped knowing he’d been just as unsure back then.
When the bartender delivered the martini, Alex set thoughts of Rowan to the back of her mind and took a long sip to ease her nerves, then scanned the ballroom. The sparkles of diamonds around women’s necks and wrists and fingers glistened against the overhead lighting coming off the chandeliers. The ballroom reeked of wealth and status, and Alex had never felt more uncomfortable in her life. She’d never known this world, and only tasted lavish living when Ryder would invite her to parties that he’d attend for politicians or celebrities when he got suckered into it.
“You need to relax.” Rowan’s smooth voice came across the earpiece. “You look wound up tightener than a clock.”
“I can think of a way to fix that,” she replied, holding her glass at her mouth to keep the conversation private. But she knew it wasn’t only the atmosphere making her uneasy; it was familiarity of how she felt with Rowan. They were almost repeating history, and this time she felt herself wanting to stick more than she had before. His vulnerability about his sister opened him up and caused a rush of feelings in her that made her weak. She hated weakness. “Do you see Lennox?” she asked, getting on task.
“He’s at your three o’clock.”
Alex followed Rowan’s direction, and indeed, she found Heath Lennox, standing by a large ice sculpture, with two ladies at his side. Not just any women. These ladies looked like they belonged on the Victoria’s Secret runway. “You expect me to compete with that?”
Rowan didn’t even hesitate. “First of all, you’re not giving yourself enough credit. Those women there are not you.”
Her heart just about melted into a pile of goo before she got control of it. “Laying it on thick, Hawke.”
“Always, McCoy,” Rowan said.
She searched to find him in the crowd, but he wasn’t near the dance floor or the bar. A CIA agent doing what he did best, she figured. Staying hidden.
“Second,” Rowan continued, “those women are for show. Neither are a breathtakingly stunning submissive in a red dress. Why don’t you go and demurely circle Lennox so he takes notice of you?”