He made it three steps into the ballroom when he caught a familiar sight out of the corner of his eye. His fingers still entwined with Maya’s, he peered over and around the milling crowd, trying to figure out who it was.
As Caleb announced that it was time for champagne in preparation for the New Year’s toast, one of the guests caught Simon’s eye.
Sonofabitch.
Tension slamming through him like a bullet through flesh, Simon automatically came to attention. His mind raced, his hand tightened around Maya’s. He met the dark, sardonic gaze of the man across the room and winced.
Yeah. He was totally screwed.
And not in the deliciously pleasurable way he’d planned.
SIMON STOPPED SO FAST, Maya actually ran into the hard expanse of his back.
“Hey, I thought you were in a hurry,” she teased, shifting around to nudge him with her shoulder. “What happened to all that need and want and desperation?”
Not that she was worried they were gone. Not after that kiss. Whatever this was between them, there beneath all the lies and sidestepping and games, the sexual heat was one hundred percent real.
Then she caught sight of his face.
She’d seen that look before on other faces. It was a classic
oh, shit
look.
“Simon?”
The tension running through him didn’t change. Nor did he move.
“Babe? You okay?”
She looked around, trying to see what had stalled their progress toward sexual nirvana. She wanted to find it, fast, so she could kick it out of their way.
Because she really, really wanted her sexual nirvana, dammit.
She didn’t see anything, though. At least, nothing worthy of slowing their progress. The partiers were shifting toward the champagne fountain. Caleb and Pandora were wrapped together in a happy kiss that distracted her enough to make her sigh.
When she’d hit a wall with her father’s accounts, she’d shifted to Pandora’s. Unlike her future father-in-law, Pandora wasn’t an expert at guarding her books. It’d taken a whole thirty minutes for Maya to assure herself that whatever Aunt Cynthia might think, Pandora was clean.
So unless Simon was trying to scope out kissing tips, that wasn’t what’d caught his attention.
“Hey, Simon,” she prodded. “Weren’t we in a hurry?”
“I think we’ll be delayed,” he muttered.
That’s when she noticed the man striding toward them.
Oh, my
.
He looked yummier than the chocolate fountain over on the dessert table. Tall, dark and intense, he was gorgeous with a capital G.
“Who’s that?” she asked with a hum of appreciation. Not that she’d change partners for her trip to nirvana, but the view was definitely worth labeling for future reference.
“That is Hunter,” Simon said, biting the words off like they tasted nasty.
“Again, who?”
“My…” He trailed off like he was coming out of a daze, then glanced at her and grimaced. “A friend.”
If the tension radiating off of him was any indication, they had an interesting friendship.
“Simon,” the guy said, his voice as sexy as his dark, brooding looks. “Fancy seeing you here.”
“Hunter.”
“I thought you were on personal time.”
“I am. I’m here as Maya’s date. And why, exactly, are you here?” The words were friendly enough, but there as an ugly undercurrent in Simon’s tone that was a little scary.
“I’m a guest of the groom. Caleb and I were college roommates,” the other man explained.
Before Maya could ask how they two of them knew each other, there was a loud chiming of dinging crystal as someone called for the toast.
“We should get together,” the other man told Simon, making it sound like a suggestion when it was clearly an order. “Talk.”
Maya’s gaze shifted to Simon. Clearly, he’d heard the order, too. “Sure. But not now. It’s almost midnight. Time to toast the happy couple and welcome in the New Year.”
Hunter’s brow arched. His gaze shifted to their joined hands. He gave Maya a look that felt like he’d just scanned her entire history and catalogued it for future reference. Then his gaze returned to Simon. His expression didn’t change, but the room suddenly felt very dangerous.
“I really do need to go join my brother,” Maya interjected before either man could say another word. Before the ugly that was simmering under the surface exploded all over her brother’s party. “It was a pleasure to meet you, though.”
“Likewise,” Hunter murmured.
His gaze didn’t leave them as they crossed the room. Maya waited until they reached the crowd surrounding Caleb and Pandora before saying, “Wow. You said he’s a friend? That’s odd that you would be friends with a guest of my brother’s.”
“Very odd. It’ll give your brother and I something to talk about during the ammo tour tomorrow,” Simon joked.
“Well, some friend,” she said, wondering if she could talk Caleb out of being a bully. “He acts like you’re a criminal or something.”
Simon’s laugh sounded a little choked.
10
SHIT.
Simon wanted to pace. He needed a little space and time to think. To figure out what he should do next.
But he couldn’t do any of that.
Not with Maya staring at him like she was trying to delve into his brain and suck out all his secrets.
“Great party,” he said, opening the front door to the inn and gesturing her ahead of him. “Your brother and his fiancée seem really happy. When is the wedding?”
“Soon, I guess. Caleb doesn’t want to wait,” she said, her tone just as suspicious as the look she was giving him. “So who was that man? Where do you know him from?”
“He’s an…” Simon hesitated, wishing like crazy for just two private minutes so he could call, text or email Hunter and get their cover straight. “An associate.”
“One of your investing clients?” she asked.
“Welcome,” Mr. Hamilton greeted in a guttural voice reminiscent of Lurch from the
Addams Family
. “I hope the two of you had a lovely evening? I have wine in the parlor if you’d care to join me for a New Year’s toast.”
Simon narrowed his eyes. While he was grateful for the distraction, he didn’t like the way the old guy was looking at Maya. Calculating, and definitely creepy.
Maya’s steps slowed, but she didn’t stop. Instead she gave a casual finger wave and said, “No, thanks so much, Ham. We had enough to drink at Caleb’s engagement party tonight.”
Simon wondered if she realized she’d scooted closer to him. Whether Maya knew it or not, she trusted him. At least enough to want his protection against creepy old men.
“We served a nice chocolate gateau this evening,” the innkeeper said to Maya’s chest. “I can deliver some to your room. Personally.”
“No, thanks,” Simon said before Maya could respond. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and gave the guy a chilly smile that ripped the leer right off his face. “The two of us have other things to do right now.”
“Indeed,” the old guy said, giving Simon a look of disdain that made it clear he thought the younger man was totally unworthy to be touching Maya. Then he turned his gaze back on her and said, “Your aunt called earlier. She’d hoped the two of you could go to the party together. I assume you met there, instead? Perhaps you’d like me to get a hold of her and arrange for a breakfast tomorrow? Or another lunch? Just the two of you?”
“Thanks, but no,” Maya said with a stiff smile. Then, as if she were trying to hurry without making it obvious, she shifted toward the stairs. “I’ll call my aunt tomorrow, and we’ll figure something out.”
“Indeed,” Mr. Hamilton said, stepping aside so they could pass him to climb the staircase. Simon didn’t bother to look back. He had been stared at often enough to know that the old guy watched their assent. Or, more to the point, watched Maya’s.
The old guy sparked a protective streak in Simon, above and beyond the standard serve and protect. He didn’t like how the man watched Maya. He was probably harmless, but Simon figured keeping him as far from her as possible couldn’t hurt.
Maya didn’t say anything until Simon opened the door to his room. For expediency, and just in case the innkeeper was skulking behind them, he gestured her in first.
“Not that I wanted room service, since the idea of Ham near my bed is the stuff of nightmares,” Maya said, tossing her wrap on his dresser as if it were her room, too, “but dessert did sound good, didn’t it?”
“Didn’t you get dessert at the party?”
“No,” she said, giving him a fake glare. “First you made me mad, then you dragged me out of there with the promise of something hot and sexy. Then we were toasting the happy couple, making New Year’s wishes and drinking champagne. Somehow, all of that came without the delight of chocolate.”
The mention of hot and sexy pushed all thoughts of Hunter, and of the creepy innkeeper, straight out of Simon’s head.
“I think I have a few breath mints in my bag. Want to call that dessert?”
She rolled her eyes.
“No? Then how about we snack on each other? I’m pretty sure you taste better than any form of chocolate I’ve ever had,” he said, walking forward to take her into his arms.
But Maya sidestepped his embrace. She gave a quick finger wiggle toward his face and said, “Oh, no. I want chocolate. It’s a personal policy of mine to always welcome in the year with something delicious.”
Giving him a naughty look that said she wouldn’t mind including his body with that chocolate treat, she hurried across the room toward her adjoining door.
“I’d rather play a game instead,” he said. Not because he didn’t want to be her snack. But he didn’t want her calling room service and bringing Mr. Creepy up for another leer.
“What kind of game?” she asked, pausing in the doorway to give him a curious look over her shoulder.
“How about Simon Says?” he teased. “I’m fond of that game.”
Laughter gurgled, warm and inviting. Simon’s grin widened. She was so damned gorgeous.
“I like the sound of that,” she offered. “Are there rules?”
“Standard Simon Says rules, of course. I say, you do.”
“Intriguing.” She gave him a long, considering look, then shook her head. “But I want my New Year’s chocolate first.”
Simon sighed. Then, stiffening his shoulders, he prepared to glower at the creepy dessert delivery man.
But ten seconds, and no sound of a phone call later, Maya was back. In her hands was a large plastic container, wrapped in a purple ribbon.
“This is the dessert Cassiopeia sent back with us after the party, remember?” she said as she brought it in and set it on the tiny table by the window. Pulling a chair closer, she gestured that he grab the other one. “She said it’s magic or something. It’s called Four-layer Foreplay cake.”
Simon was suddenly starving for dessert.
Crossing over, he pulled a chair up to the table and watched Maya unwrap the treat. “Doesn’t Moonspun’s cafe claim their food to be aphrodisiacs?”
Maya’s grin was wicked as she pulled the lid off the box. “That’s the rumor.”
“Then let’s get to eating.”
“What about your game?”
He laughed. “Okay. Simon Says, let’s eat.”
Her smile dimmed a little as she looked into the box. She wrinkled her nose and poked out her lower lip. “No utensils,” she realized. She gave him a questioning glance. “Don’t suppose you have a fork or spoon hidden in your luggage, do you?”
He had a Glock, two knives and a 9mm hidden in various places in his luggage. But no forks.
“Nope, sorry.” He eyed the rich brown chocolate, with its gooey layers of frosting between and what looked like chopped, toasted pecans along the side. “It does look good, though.”
The look he offered her was pure challenge. “Don’t forget, Simon Said. So you have to eat it.”