by Elle Boon
“Wow, that was close.” She nodded.
“Yeah,” he agreed. If the other driver would have tried to stick around, he would have thought he’d been trying to run them off the road. As it was, Mike figured it was just a case of someone either texting and driving, or possibly a drunk driving incident. His hand itched to reach for his cell, but then he thought better of it. If he drew attention to them, then whoever was looking for her, may be listening or have someone out looking for her. Decision made, he released her clenched fists.
“How much longer?” Shayna asked.
“About an hour or so. We’ll check into a suite, do a little shopping and grab an early dinner, then hit the club.” Mike shifted gears, keeping focused on anything but her.
When she said no more, he turned the radio up.
They rolled into Miami a little ahead of schedule thanks in part to his driving, and the fact his riding partner didn’t need to stop for a bathroom break every hour. The hotel he chose was an upper level one that had a good security system, plus was close to Miami Inferno.
“Wow, are you expensing this?” Shayna sat up straighter as they waited in the valet line.
He turned his head toward her, then using one finger, he tipped his sunglasses down. “Of course not. I imagine Grey would use the paperwork as basketball practice for his wastepaper basket.”
She nodded. “That he would, and then he’d call you up or into the office and rip you a new one.”
Mike pushed the glasses back into place. The fact he worked because he wanted to, not because he needed to, was something he didn’t share with many.
The valet came to his side, while another opened Shayna’s door. Mike barely kept the instinct to growl at the man to back off from escaping. He reached over, grabbing Shayna’s arm. “Wait by the side of the car for me,” he said too low for the others to hear, then quickly exited.
Shayna grabbed her purse, while he grabbed his overnight bag and the small case she’d brought. He held his hand out, his look daring her. They were supposed to be a couple on holiday he’d explained on the drive. The little minx smiled up at him, then instead of grabbing his hand, her arm snaked around his waist, snuggling into him.
He bent, putting his lips next to her ear. “Be good, or I’ll spank that pert little ass of yours.”
She licked her lips. “Now that sounds fun.”
A groan, part lust fueled, part fear she was playing with him, bubbled out of his clenched teeth. “Oh it will be much more than fun.” He let his hand trail down her rear, giving it a little tap.
Her hand trailed down his back, feathering over his ass. “Promises, promises.”
In that moment he wanted to say screw shopping and dinner. He wanted to whisk her up to the suite he’d reserved under an alias, but then common sense prevailed. “Put a pin in this convo and we will return to it later.” That was most definitely a promise he’d love to keep.
They entered the upscale hotel with him keeping a firm hold on Shayna. His arm now locked around her waist. Not once did she try to move away.
Once they were given the keys and he waved the bellhop away, he and Shayna walked arm and arm toward the bank of elevators. “Are you hungry or would you like to shop first?”
At his question, she sighed. “I hate shopping. I usually just grab something that is in the window display, figuring the sales people clearly know more than me and I’m good to go.”
“Well, luckily for you, I happen to have a keen eye for fashion.” Mike held the door to their rooms open. He made a quick sweep of the space, then sat his suitcase in one of the rooms, placing hers in the other, then realizing she had a penchant for sleepwalking, he retraced his steps. “You’ll be sleeping in here with me. We can build a wall between us with pillows.”
“Has that worked with previous lady friends?” she asked walking to look out the bank of windows.
His instincts screamed at him to make her move back away from the glass, but he moved next to her instead. “Nope, I’ve never had to.”
“I bet. So, we doing this or not?” Nervousness edged her voice.
Mike turned her to face him, the sun cast a glow around her. “What’s wrong?”
She shrugged. “I don’t want to embarrass you.”
Confusion made him frown. “How would you do that?”
“I’m not like the women you probably have brought here before. I don’t like to shop. I don’t have the confidence to just hop into bed with you, even though I play at it. And...I can’t dance.” She tried to step away.
He gripped her upper arms. “First of all, shopping is not a big deal. You’re a rare treasure, and it will be my pleasure to show you the joy of going into a boutique and finding a dress. Second, I never expected you to hop into bed with me. This is a job, and even though I find you one of the most gorgeous women I’ve had the pleasure of meeting, it isn’t part of the requirements of being with me to hop into bed as you put it. And last, but certainly not least...how can you not dance if you play music, and I thought you said you liked Latin dancing. Besides, the beat is in you, you just haven’t figured out how to make your body flow with it. Luckily for you, I’m a great teacher. Now, do you need to use the ladies room before we head out?”
Shayna shook her head, then a beautiful smile lit her face. “You’re truly full of shit, but I thank you for your words. As for liking Latin dancing, I do. I love to watch it done by those who can do it, and do it well. I just happen to not be one of them.” Then she stood on her toes and kissed his chin.
Mike stood stunned for all of two seconds, but having hold of her arms, he didn’t allow her to step away. “I’m not lying. In fact, every word that just came out of my mouth is factual. However, instead of trying to convince you with words, I’ll do it with actions. Well, all except the second one. If I made love to you, we’d be here for hours and miss shopping, eating and dancing.” He grinned at her open mouthed expression. “Hold that thought. I need to check in with Grey first.”
****
Shayna searched his face, yet could tell he really believed what he said. The man was probably one of the sexiest she’d ever seen, and she had been around some of the most alluring in the world. She’d played the violin for princes, and kings. Yet this man could cause her to be speechless. The feel of his hard body pressed against hers, had her thinking of all the things she’d like to experience. She knew without a doubt he would be a wonderful lover, unlike the last man she’d been with. Lord, that man didn’t even deserve to be called a lover. Two minute man at best.
“Alright, but I’m holding you to it. You make me look stupid, and I’m going to find a way to repay you in kind.” She poked his chest with her finger, the warmth of his skin radiating out.
“I guess I’m safe then. Unless we stay here, and then neither of us are safe. I need to check in with Grey before we do anything though,” he growled.
He released his hold on her, stepping away reluctantly, or was that her wishful thinking? His voice muted as he spoke with Grey, yet she saw him glance at her over his shoulder, heat licking at her like he was physically touching her. Shit, she was in so much trouble.
When he placed the phone back in his pocket she waited for him to face her. “What did Grey say?”
Mike didn’t seem to be stunned at her question. “They are still getting Intel in, but said we should be on high alert,” he answered honestly.
In minutes they were back out in the heat of Miami and entering a boutique she was sure would cost a mint. True to his word, Mike found a dress that she never would have thought to purchase for herself. Having red hair, a yellow dress would have been so far from one she’d have thought to try on. Now, she stood in the dressing room, staring at herself in the mirror as if she’d never seen the woman staring back at her.
She recalled his words as he’d handed her the form fitting dress, saying it reminded him of the sweetest lemonade and made him thirsty. She wondered if he’d still think the same once he saw her in it
.
A pair of white strappy heels appeared over the door. “Here, try these on with the dress, and hurry up. Surely you have the dress on by now?”
Rolling her eyes, she slid the shoes on, amazed when they fit. “How did you know my size?” she asked the man standing outside the closed door.
“It’s my job to be observant, and believe me, I’ve observed everything about you.” The deep timber of his words sent a shiver of need down her spine.
An image of him standing naked in the morning sunlight popped into her head. The man was glorious in his nudity, and hung like no other she’d seen outside of magazines. “Oh, I’ve observed too, dear man.”
“Got quite an eyeful, huh?” He didn’t sound the least bit embarrassed.
Knowing when to give up, she unlocked the door, took a deep breath and stepped out. Mike whistled.
“Damn, you look better than I thought you would. Turn around.” He made a spinning motion with his finger.
She felt like a model, and instead of disobeying, she did as asked, doing a slow spin to keep from tottering on the high heels.
“Oh, that looks fabulous. Do you need some accessories to go with it?” A sales girl interrupted them.
Shayna blinked, then shook her head. She had plenty of jewelry, just none with her. “No thank you. I’ll just take the dress and shoes.”
“Can you snip the tags off? She’s going to wear the outfit out of here and place her clothes in the bag.” Mike spoke over Shayna’s protests.
The sales girl looked between them, then nodded. “Absolutely, let me get a pair of scissors.”
“Don’t argue. This way we can go straight to dinner and not have to go back to the hotel. This boutique will deliver your old clothes to the hotel as well. It’s called full service for a reason, love.” He stepped into her space, using his finger to tilt her face up to his. “Can I just tell you how sexy you look in that dress?”
Her breath froze in her throat.
“Here we go.” They were interrupted again by the young girl, who if Shayna didn’t know better, she’d think the woman had a thing for Mike. Of course, the man was built like a freaking god.
“Thank you, Therese. Could you please have these delivered to our hotel?” He rattled off the name of the place they were staying.
Once they were out on the sidewalk again, Shayna gripped her new bag Mike insisted she needed in order to match her dress. “Was Therese an ex-girlfriend or something?” Too late she realized jealousy dripped from her voice.
Mike stopped in his tracks. “Hell no. I’d never met her before today.” A smile split his face. “Are you jealous?”
She tried to turn away from his knowing grin.
“Ah, you have no reason. Since I saw you, there hasn’t been another woman who could compare.”
Again, truth rang out. “I’m being stupid. You don’t owe me any explanations or...anything. I’m just a job. A mission to you.”
“You’re right, of course.” Mike nodded, his jaw bunched. “Let’s eat, I’m starved.”
Shayna heard hurt in his tone, but when she looked at him, the smiling man was looking at her, waiting for her to agree. “Me, too. I think I could eat an entire pot of spaghetti.”
“Well, then I guess it’s Italian, and lucky for you I made reservations.” He didn’t take her hand, or put his arm around her as they walked, and she felt the loss. Although she couldn’t fault his protective stance as he stayed close with his body on one side, and the building on the other.
He made dinner an act of torture. Torture for her because he used the pasta swirled on his fork like it was an act of sex. His tongue would come out, and he’d place the bit of food on it, making her all too aware of the things he could do with that bit of his anatomy. Her eyes narrowed on his, thinking two could play that game. She lifted a meatball from her plate, nibbled on it, licked some of the marina off before popping the meat into her mouth and moaned. “Oh man, this is delicious. You truly do have the best taste,” she said after she swallowed.
His eyes darkened, his throat worked up and down. “Yeah, it’s great,” he croaked.
Score one for her, Shayna silently cheered. The rest of the meal finished without either of them tasting it she was sure, but the heated glances he gave her let her know she had affected him the same as he had her. After he paid the bill, he shocked her by standing then pulling out her chair. The man was a complete conundrum, one she was only beginning to realize would take her years to figure out.
“You ready to dance some of these calories off?” Mike asked, leading the way out the door of the restaurant.
Shayna shook her head. “I told you I can’t dance. I like to people watch and listen to the music. I can literally listen to almost any song and then play it on just about any instrument, but when it comes to the dancing part, I have two left feet.”
They walked hand in hand down the busy sidewalk toward his friend’s club, aptly named Club Inferno since it was hotter than Hell in Miami most days.
A groan left her lips at the sight of the long line of people waiting to get in. “I hate waiting in lines,” she muttered.
Mike gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “Trust me, love. There will be no wait.” His cocky grin had her heart somersaulting. Passing the line of men and women, dressed from scantily clad bits of nothing, to high end fashion, he walked up to a man holding a clip board.
The tall man dressed in a black tailored suit cocked his head to the side, and checked his list for Mike’s name. Once they were cleared, he undid the red velvet rope and let them pass, much to the dismay of the people in line.
Inside, she paused at the sight that met her eyes. Here was clearly where the gorgeous people went to party. Wall to wall gorgeous men and women either stood or sat in groups that looked straight out of GQ.
“Come on, we’ll head to the table and order a drink there.” Mike’s reassuring arm around her waist steered her through the crowd.
Shayna wasn’t sure what she’d expected, but the opulence of the club was different than any she’d been to. Girls dancing in little cages wearing outfits she’d never pull off. Up the stairs they climbed to a section that was obviously reserved for the more important or wealthier clients. Again, she was stunned when Mike was greeted by one of the most handsome men she had ever seen.
“Royce, you crazy devil. When did you get into town?” A tall dark haired man stood up and greeted them, pulling Mike into a hug.
Shayna stared between the two men. Both tall and gorgeous.
A petite woman came up behind them. “Hi, my name is Angelina, but people call me Angel.”
She shook the other woman’s hand, confidence radiating from the firm grip. “Hi, I’m Shayna.”
At five foot seven she felt positively huge next to the tiny woman who couldn’t be more than a little over five foot herself.
Introductions were made around the sitting area that looked more like a high end living room. The owner, Lorenzo Delgado and his fiancée Angelina Rugiero, were longtime friends of Mike’s, yet she couldn’t fathom how he knew such wealthy people.
“Would you like something to drink, bella?” Lorenzo asked, holding a bottle of Champagne over a crystal flute.
“Yes please.” She held the stem of the glass while the golden liquid was poured. All around them music played while people danced or talked. Having been to many venues around the world, she relaxed and let herself enjoy the delicious drink. Obviously the Cuban man didn’t skimp on the expensive alcohol.
“So, what brings you to my city, Royce?” Lorenzo lounged back, one arm behind his fiancée.
Mike shrugged. “I wanted to show Shayna the nightlife in Miami since she was back in the states. She plays the classical violin.”
Her eyes shot to his at the sound of pride in his voice.
“You play in an orchestra?”
At Lorenzo’s question, she sat the now empty flute down. “I have, and do on occasion, but mostly I play solo.” When he raised on
e dark eyebrow, she explained.
Watching as his fingers trailed along Angel’s bare arm, Shayna felt a bit jealous at the easy affection and missed what he said next. “I’m sorry, can you repeat that?”
“Do you play other instruments?” Lorenzo smiled with a knowing grin.
Mike leaned in close, setting his lips next to her ear. “He is very much in love with his fiancée.”
The anger behind his growled words, too low for anyone but her to hear had her turning to meet the burning glare. “I wasn’t...I don’t,” she stammered. “Excuse me, I need to use the ladies room.” She moved off of the small loveseat.
“I’ll go with you,” Angel said.
Two large men who looked more like mafia hitmen moved in close.
“They will not be alone my friend. Stay and chat with me.” Lorenzo waved a hand at the men.
Shayna rolled her eyes, but looked back at Mike for his reassurance.
“Stay with Angelina,” he warned.
“We’ll be using the restroom in Lorenzo’s office down the hall instead of the one downstairs. It’ll only take us a moment, no worries.” She smiled.
Shayna swore the other woman had to be part goddess, part true angel.
The door they came to had a security pad that required a code, then the thick door swung open. Inside, Shayna wasn’t surprised to see more opulence, or a huge desk that looked straight out of the eighteenth century. “Is your fiancé a mobster or what?” She blurted. Never had she been accused as a foot in mouth type of woman, but she could be forgiven in some circumstances.
Angel laughed. “You’d think that, huh? But, the answer is no. He’s dreamy, and sexy as all get out, but everything about him is legal. Hell, he wouldn’t even touch me until he was one hundred percent sure I was of age, and lived a full life,” she growled the last bit.
“I’m sure there is a story there somewhere?” Her body was letting her know the need to visit the ladies room wasn’t a ruse, but a real need.