Get in, get out. That’s what Ryder always said. He never delayed any assignment. He acted quick and decisively. Leaning on his teachings, she took a long sip of her martini then set the drink down before straightening her shoulders.
“Yes,” Rowan said in her ear. “Be poised. A Dominant wants a submissive who will not crack. But tease him, be playful, and show him how much of a treat you are.”
“Yeah. Yeah. Got it,” she muttered. Alex had been around Hadley, Ryder’s wife, enough that she simply mirrored her. Hadley was one of the strongest women Alex knew, but she explained once that she liked letting go at times and having Ryder take care of her. Cheaper than any therapy, Hadley once said.
Alex would rather pay for the therapy.
Once she had a plan in mind, she headed toward Lennox, who had yet to notice her. That had to change. When Alex reached the blond woman on his right, she bumped into the woman’s arm and tossed her clutch purposely at Lennox’s feet. Before anyone grabbed it, she dropped to her knees and scooped it up.
She gingerly looked up and said softly, “I’m so sorry, sir.” She held his gaze as sensually as she could before she cast her eyes away. Okay, so this wasn’t her thing, but she figured letting him hear the sir, while kneeling at his feet, would plant a good image in his mind.
A hand suddenly presented itself in front of her face. “Let me help you up.”
Gag! This whole damsel-in-distress thing churned her stomach. “Oh, thank you so much.” She slid her fingers into his hand, dragging them across his coarse skin, and let him help her to her feet. When she met his gaze again, she realized one very important fact. If Lennox was the killer, he needed to be taken out quickly. This guy had it all. Charisma, good looks, and money. A total triple threat that could lure women easily into his grip. She gave a shy smile. “I’m so clumsy sometimes. Again, I’ve very sorry.”
Lennox returned the smile that oozed charm. “I’m just glad you’re all right.” He kept hold of her hand. “Heath Lennox.” His chin dipped. “And you are?”
“Hadley Rose.” Alex licked her lips, and his gaze flicked right there onto her mouth and held. The way his tongue sneaked out over his lips in response, she figured she was doing exactly what she shoul
d be doing.
“Walk away now,” Rowan said in her ear.
Alex could have sworn she heard tension vibrating in his voice. She glanced down at their held hands and then purposely looked Lennox in the eye. She read romance novels. She knew the drill. She let her lips fall open, her breath catch, and she gave a slight shiver that only Lennox would notice because he held her hand. “Mr. Lennox,” she said.
His gaze burned with heat and passion. “Ms. Rose.”
Alex turned, and he slowly released her hand, but purposely dragged his index finger over her palm sensually. She strutted away, feeling his gaze following her every move, and put an extra wiggle to her hips.
“Is he watching me leave?” she asked Rowan.
“He’s staring at your ass and drooling.” A pause. “Now we just need to seal the deal.”
Alex returned to the bar where she’d been standing before, keeping her back to Lennox. “Care to inform me how we do that?”
The air shifted, and the lust she lacked with Lennox suddenly engulfed her like wildfire as Rowan closed his hard body against her back. His lips grazed her neck, and a harsh shiver puckered her nipples when he murmured in her ear, “We make you a challenge.”
CHAPTER 7
EVERYTHING ALIGNED FOR Rowan when he brought Alex in close against him as they joined the other couples on the dance floor. This was where he wanted her, far away from Lennox. Right there next to him. Safe and close. Her spring-like scent infused the air around him, and there wasn’t a single part of him that wanted to make her any more appealing to Lennox than she already was, but Mia’s face filled his mind. Rowan held no doubt in his mind, Mia would know he was turning the world upside down trying to find her.
He brought Alex a little closer, all for the warmth she exuded. The slow sensual music filled the room. Rowan kept his hand low on Alex’s back, not for Lennox, but all for himself. Touching her exactly like he wanted to touch her was his one indulgence tonight. Under different circumstances, Rowan would have allowed himself to drift away while he guided her along the dance floor, but tonight, he needed to stay sharp and ensure Alex caught Lennox’s eye.
He dropped his head into her neck and inhaled her aroma. A comforting scent that called to him on every level as a man. One he never seemed to get enough of, or never could have forgotten. And yet, he quickly pulled back, not letting his mind go where it wanted to linger.
With her mouth right by his ear, Alex asked, “You honestly think making me a challenge will grab Lennox’s attention?”
Rowan pulled away to look down at her. “Yes.”
Her expression pinched while she considered that. She finally snorted and shook her head. “Men are weird.”
On that point, he would not argue with her. “Men like playing cat and mouse, especially if he is a Dominant. This would be intriguing for him. We’re just hand-feeding Lennox that game.”
She stopped dancing and scowled. “If I am the mouse in this scenario, I’m going to drop-kick you right here on the dance floor.”
Rowan fought his smile, sliding his hand just a bit lower on her back, guiding her into the dance. “It’s all acting, luv.” When she didn’t look convinced, he brought her in closer against his chest, feeling the swell of her breasts against him, drawn by how incredible and right she felt in his arms. That’s what originally drew him to her when he met her in Paris. He’d never met anyone in his life that wasn’t disposable, except for his family. Being a spy, he never got attached. But he hadn’t liked the way Lennox looked at her, and he felt the surge of jealously burn through him.
Maybe his reaction was due to her strength. Or maybe it was because behind that ironclad wall she kept up, she had a good moral fiber that was unbreakable. Alex could work in the dark web and make millions, and yet she chose the path that took out the bad guys, one at a time. Rowan respected that, and her. But maybe, just maybe, his attachment was something else entirely. Something that he knew lingered deep in his chest that no woman had ever touched.