Love Is Danger (Club Aegis Book 3)

by Christie Adams

  “What do you want to know?”

  Concentrating on driving conditions, he could only afford a quick glance in her direction. Cold, hard facts were one thing, but what Cam wanted to know was far more intimate. There was one question, though, that might kill two interesting birds with one stone.

  “Favourite author.”

  She laughed—and Cam felt his body react as if he were seventeen again.

  “I wasn’t expecting that! Let me see…that’s easy.” She named the author of the book she’d slipped into her bag when they’d emptied her car—a lady who also went by the name of Beth Lombard.

  Cam grinned, silently and somewhat smugly congratulating himself on being a master of manipulation. “And what do you like about her writing?”

  “Oh my God! You know what her book’s about—I can’t possibly tell you. That would be too much information!”

  He would have sworn he could feel the heat of her blush. “Of course you can. I’m interested to know what you think—if you tell me, I’ll tell you why.”

  “Well, I’ve only read the one book of hers—I think it’s actually her first—but it’s really well-written, for a start. She uses her words to paint these wonderful pictures, and then there’s the way she describes the emotions of both the male and female characters. I swear I’ve fallen in love with one of the men.”

  At that, Cam felt his stomach lurch. The two leading male characters were loosely modelled on Alex and him. It had caused both of them a great deal of amusement at the time, much to Beth’s delightful embarrassment. And Stacie had fallen for one of them. If it was the one based on Alex…Cam didn’t even want to think about the possible repercussions of that.

  “Sorry, I missed what you just said.” Wrapped up in his thoughts, Cam realised that she’d carried on talking.

  “Oh, I was just admitting how silly I can be, falling for a character in a book,” she confessed. “I mean, it’s not as if they’re real, right? Most of my friends who’ve read the book fancy the dark, moody Dom, but if I had my choice, it would be the blond one. He has this great sense of humour, but in the scenes where he’s with a sub…” Her voice trailed off and she started to fan herself, a mischievously suggestive grin lighting up her face.

  At which comment Cam nearly drove into the back of the vehicle that had just pulled up in front of them. Why the hell had he decided to have this conversation while they were in the damn car? Still…it was a golden opportunity.

  “Suppose you met a man like that and he asked you out—what would you say?”

  She let out her breath on a long sigh.

  “Good question. I mean, when he asked me out, I wouldn’t necessarily know he was a man like that, would I? I don’t imagine it’s something that would come out in a conversation between two strangers. But then, it wouldn’t really happen in the first place, would it? I mean…I’ve read a lot of romances with D/s themes, but it doesn’t happen for real. And even if it did, a man like that wouldn’t be interested in someone like me.”

  Don’t bet on it, honey. In Cam’s opinion, a man would have to be gay or dead not to be interested in her. He couldn’t imagine any man not being attracted to Stacie, but then again…if the idiot she’d been dating had two-timed her and she’d not been snapped up by any of his predecessors, he wouldn’t have her by his side right now, would he?

  Cam had fully intended to break it to Stacie that Beth was the writer behind the novel of the moment, but given her response to his question, he changed his mind—there was way more to be said than could be covered adequately in the car. On the other hand, though, if he left it too late…the last thing he wanted was to risk letting her think that he was trying to make a fool of her.

  He really needed to address these issues before the party, but it wasn’t going to happen right now—they were almost at their destination.

  The boutique to which he was taking Stacie was definitely high-end. Cam knew the owner and was pretty confident that she would be able to supply exactly the right outfit for his companion. However, it was Cam himself, just browsing the racks, who found a gown that would be absolutely perfect—a stunning confection in black lace and silk, perfect for the evening ahead…and perfect for the woman who would wear it.

  She emerged from the changing room…and took his breath away. Spaghetti-thin straps snaked over her shoulders, while the sheath-like form of the dress clung to her like second skin, all the way down to a couple of inches above the knee, from where it flared out in a stunning fishtail. However, as beautiful as the gown was, it was dull and drab in comparison with the woman wearing it. He could tell immediately that Stacie loved it, but then he had to watch her face fall as she caught sight of the price tag on the hanger he was still holding.

  “Stacie?”

  “It’s lovely, Cam, it really is, but…I can’t afford this.” She looked around the shop, with its stylish clothes and glittering accessories, then looked down at her hands, clasped nervously in front of her. “I can’t afford any of this. Can we go somewhere else, please?”

  She really thought he was expecting her to pay for this? Cam swiped his fingers through his hair, grimacing at its shorter-than-usual length. “Perhaps I didn’t make myself clear, Stacie. This—all of it—is on me. You’re not paying for a thing.”

  ~~*~~

  Stacie put the finishing touches to her makeup. Even though she was perhaps running a little late, given that some of the guests had already started to arrive for the party, if a job was worth doing, it was worth doing well. Besides…when she saw Cam again, she wanted to hit him with the full arsenal at her disposal. Her normal cosmetic routine was designed to look light and natural, but for a formal event like this, she was pulling out all the stops. And as she examined the results in the dressing table mirror, she was glad to see that she’d achieved her desired result.

  And thanks to Beth’s hairstylist, who had allowed himself to be persuaded to put Stacie’s hair up as well during his visit to the house that afternoon, even her crowning glory was behaving itself. The hairstylist had also been accompanied by a beautician from the same salon, who had given both her and Beth mani-pedis to die for. Sequestered in one of the spare bedrooms for the pampering session, with the two men given strict instructions not to interrupt, she and Beth had got on like the proverbial house on fire. And the results of the pampering spoke for themselves.

  Okay—let’s see what you make of me now, Mr. Fraser.

  It had been a totally crazy day—a crazy weekend, so far. Now she knew how Dorothy felt—this was about as far away from the Kansas of her normal life as it was possible to get. Her time in this glittering variation on the Land of Oz might be severely limited, but she was going to make the most of it. When she left work a little over twenty-four hours earlier, she’d envisaged something totally different—certainly nothing like spending time with a man like Cam Fraser.

  Stacie let out a big whoosh of breath at the mere thought of Cam and what he might look like for the party. Her palms were sweating at the image that came to mind, of those broad shoulders encased in formal evening attire. She’d always been a sucker for a smartly dressed man.

  “Down, girl!” she muttered to herself, wiping her hands with a tissue. “He might turn up in jeans, for all you know. And just because he bought you this,” she added, rising to go and look at herself in the full-length mirror, “and he doesn’t have a girlfriend, it doesn’t mean he’s interested in you.”

  The trouble was, she wanted him to be interested, and that was in direct opposition not just to her sense of reality but also to what her sense of propriety demanded. She’d only just broken up with Jonty—fact. Her sense of propriety dictated that she spend a suitable amount of time getting over that relationship—it conveniently chose to ignore the fact that the bust-up three days earlier had been the end point of a relationship that had probably started to unravel at the same time as her suspicions about his extra-curricular activities had started to form.

  And if
that was the case, why shouldn’t she be interested in another man?

  You’re a woman, over the age of consent and breathing—if Cam shows an interest in you, even if it’s only for this evening, why not?

  Regardless, she still needed to focus on the evening ahead and not making a fool of herself in such gracious company. Although she’d been to a few parties in her time, none of them had been anything like this…and she’d never worn anything as exquisite as the dress Cam had bought for her. She just hoped that she could negotiate the staircase without getting tangled up in the skirt.

  She was, however, a little self-conscious about being in public without a bra, even though the bodice, which clung to her every curve almost all the way down to her knees, had support built into it. Given that snug fit, though, all she could do was offer up a silent prayer of thanks to the goddess of no-VPL lingerie. Just the thought of going without knickers in Cam’s presence…she so did not want to go there.

  Stacie gave herself another look in the mirror—this was as good as it was going to get. A quick check of the time told her that she should be downstairs already. She slipped her feet into the strappy Jimmy Choos Cam had also bought for her, not that anyone would be able to see them under the eddy of chiffon around her feet. At least they’d enable her to feel slightly less vertically challenged when she stood next to Cam.

  And oh, that thought gave her a hot shiver all the way down to her perfectly pedicured toes.

  As Stacie descended the staircase, at its foot she saw her hosts and her knight in shining armour clustered in conversation. Beth was facing her, a stunning picture of tasteful shapely elegance in a designer evening gown, her neck encircled by a glittering diamond collar.

  A niggle raised its head at the back of Stacie’s mind. Diamond collar. Why was that phrase, that image, standing out so prominently? Of course—it featured in the novel she was reading so avidly…

  Good God above! She looked at the group of three people again, putting two and two together. It couldn’t be a coincidence—it just couldn’t…could it? No, it had to be a coincidence. Her imagination was running riot, making connections that simply couldn’t be true. Yet no matter how hard she tried, now that the idea had formed in Stacie’s mind, she couldn’t shake it free.

  This was a party for Beth’s second novel, but what of her first? It could easily be the book she was reading for the fourth time, her imagination insisted, and at the foot of the stairs could be the two principals—or at least, the models for them. The heroine with the green eyes could be Beth…the dark brooding hero, her husband. If she was right, did that mean that they were into D/s? If she was and they were, then what about Cam? Was he the blueprint for the Dom with whom she’d fallen a little bit in love? Was it just in appearance…or more?

  And then she remembered the way she’d talked about the book just a few short hours ago—and wished that the floor would open up and swallow her whole.

  Mortified embarrassment flamed in her cheeks as she recalled the way she’d enthused about the blond Dom to the very man who could be the inspiration for the character. She arrived at the bottom stair so rattled by what she was thinking that she would have stumbled and fallen, had it not been for Cam’s swift reactions. She found herself in strong arms, looking up into those remarkable blue eyes narrowed with concern. What must he be thinking of her right at that moment?

  “Careful, Stacie, we don’t want you having any accidents,” he murmured, his eyes never leaving hers. “You all right?”

  “Fine…thanks.” As he set her back on her feet, she was amazed that her voice didn’t come out like a helium-induced squeak. Not only was she locked in mortal combat with the awkward memory of what she’d said earlier, she was also having to contend with the head-on visual assault that was the most gorgeous hunk of manhood she’d ever seen.

  In a formal evening suit, he was simply a banquet for appreciative female eyes. The tailoring was superb, made to fit every delicious inch of him—crisp white, sharp black, and every detail made him a tempting morsel good enough to eat…very slowly, so that every delectable mouthful could be tasted and savoured.

  Her hands were in no hurry to release him, either. Cam himself didn’t seem to regard letting her go as a matter of any urgency—it was only when Beth spoke that the spell holding both of them was broken.

  “Stacie, you look gorgeous! I love the gown—where did you find it?”

  She felt herself blush. “Cam took me to Isabella’s, and you have to give him the credit for choosing the dress. And the shoes.”

  “Ah, I should have known. Izzy has some beautiful clothes there.”

  “Cam, I never knew you had it in you!”

  This from Beth’s husband. In his evening wear, Alex looked almost as delicious as Cam. Stacie risked a quick glance at him—he was looking at Cam, one eyebrow raised in an expression that seemed to be asking a silent question. A flicker of movement, and somehow Stacie instinctively knew it was an answering shrug.

  “Never mind them, Stacie.” Beth linked her arm through Stacie’s. “You come with me, and we’ll get a glass of wine while they do that silent communication thing. It used to bug the hell out of me, but now I just leave the big, bad soldiers to it.”

  For Stacie, the evening was like living in a complete fantasy. Once all the guests had arrived—all of them apparently very close friends of the hosts—it was Alex who stood on the dais first, to announce to everyone that Beth was the writer behind the phenomenally successful novel they’d all been talking about, and that they were here to celebrate the imminent publication of the next instalment.

  The disclosure created a buzz of reaction, followed by an enthusiastic round of applause, at which point Beth joined her husband on the dais. She thanked their friends for coming to the party, and then Alex introduced the musicians and the celebrations started properly.

  After congratulating her hostess on her success, Stacie headed for the doors that opened up onto the terrace and gardens beyond. Coward that she was, she was taking advantage of Cam’s temporary absence at the buffet so that she could collect her thoughts and get ready for whatever damage limitation was necessary. If only she could go back in time and stop herself mouthing off in the car about how much she liked that blond Dom in the book.

  Stacie selected a seat on the terrace, close enough to one of the patio heaters not to feel the chill of a late-autumn evening. She took a tiny sip of the exquisite English sparkling wine with which they’d toasted Beth. So, at least one of her assumptions was correct—Beth was indeed the author of her latest favourite book. That made it all the more likely that she, Alex and Cam were the blueprints for the prominent characters, which in turn made it all the more likely that she’d really embarrassed herself in front of Cam that morning.

  The overture to her apology was starting to form in Stacie’s mind. She was pretty sure Cam would join her soon, and she wanted to be prepared. And maybe she could skulk off to her room with a bottle of wine and get comfortably numb afterwards.

  “Whatever you’re thinking about, it must be serious.”

  A half-hearted smile curving her lips, she watched Cam sit down, swapping one plate of delicious-looking nibbles for the glass of wine she’d been holding for him. “Not serious, exactly, but there’s something I need to say.”

  “Oh?” He took a sip of wine, eyebrows rising sharply as he looked at the glass. “I’m going to have to compliment Alex on his choice of wine…or maybe Beth. She’s been doing wonders in educating him on how to pair wine with food ever since she took a course for research purposes.” He grinned for a moment, then looked back at Stacie, suddenly serious again. “What’s the problem?”

  “You know I’ve read Beth’s book.”

  “Several times, if I recall. So have a lot of people, including that lot in there. Beth might actually start believing it soon as well.” He gave a short, gentle chuckle.

  Stacie took a deep breath. Now for it. “I might be putting two and two together he
re and getting five, but…this morning…the things I said…about the character in Beth’s book.” She pressed her lips together for a moment. “The descriptions of the two main characters and the male character’s friend…they seem awfully like Beth, Alex and you. It’s not a coincidence, is it?”

  Cam looked at her—she got the feeling he was making a decision of some sort. “No, it’s not.”

  “God, this is so…Anyway, I went on about the friend, and how attractive I found him…and if he’s based on you…I’m sorry—I embarrassed both of us.”

  “No, you didn’t.” Cam put down his glass and plate, then took Stacie’s to do the same. “I did that. No, actually, I did something worse—I put you in an embarrassing position. I should have told you that Beth wrote the book. I was going to, while we were on our way to Isabella’s, but the moment passed. What I should have done was make more of an effort to speak to you about it once we got back here…so please accept my apology for not doing that.” He sighed. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you the truth.”

  He really did mean it. Stacie could see it in his expression, in his eyes…hear it in his voice.

  “It’s all right. I remember how the conversation went and…as you said, the moment passed. And then of course, this afternoon I got waylaid. The thing is…” Bite the bullet, Stacie! “Can we just forget what I said? It was a stupid thing to say anyway.” She could hope, couldn’t she? She fixed her gaze on her clasped hands.

  “Do you want to forget?”

  “I should. It would be for the best.”

  “That’s not what I asked.”

  A chill ran down her spine. Something in his voice was compelling her to look at him—she couldn’t help herself. Lips suddenly dry, Stacie swallowed hard. No man had ever looked at her with such a direct, penetrating gaze.

  Do I want to forget?

  Yes.

  “No.”

  Am I insane or do I just have a stupid mouth?