The Monte Carlo Affair: Across A Crowded Room (IATO Series Book 2) (2 page)

Chapter Two

The amplifier on the bass guitar was jacked so loud, Jason could feel the music resonating through his body. His heart practically set its beat to the tempo. He was unsuccessfully trying to pay attention to a group of acquaintances from town as he waited anxiously at the bar for Emily to make her first appearance in Monte Carlo.

The spotlights flashed and the music blared. He should be relaxed, knowing somewhere Harrison and the team had her back. He was sure their setup tonight was going to be effective. But he glanced at his watch for the hundredth time. Where the hell were they? Emily and Mosel should have been here by now.

He knew she arrived in Nice yesterday. The surveillance team had been in place and watching. Mosel picked her up and brought her directly to Monte Carlo by helicopter. They landed at the heliport yesterday afternoon. The reports indicated they’d gone out to dinner, and then she returned to her room last night. Alone, to his relief. The team observed Mosel’s limo pick her up earlier this afternoon and take her to corporate headquarters.

Until she got here, and he made the move to introduce himself to her, she didn’t have the information about their next contact. He needed to meet with her to arrange the details for the rest of their plan.

According to the surveillance team, Emily and Mosel had left the restaurant more than half an hour ago. He looked at his watch again. It was a ten-minute drive at most. The team following Emily up to this point observed that Mosel showed obvious signs of interest in her. That interest already bothered Jason despite how it figured instrumentally in their plan. He could kick himself for setting her up and putting her in this situation with a rake like Mosel.

To top off his already short fuse, the guys on the surveillance team picked tonight to start acting like children. Two of them got into an argument over who would monitor the audio equipment and who got to be on video. Jason didn’t know what was wrong with them. Usually the audio and video assignments were so boring the guys fought over who’d get to go out for coffee.

As his impatience grew, his annoyance did, too. He started envisioning Mosel’s mouth on Emily’s, and his insides churned. His stomach burned. Maybe he had an ulcer.

He was already having a tough time controlling his concerns. He wasn’t going to acknowledge it for what it was—jealousy.

A warm hand glided around his waist. Jacqueline, the attractive blonde standing beside him, ran her long slender hand up his back beneath his jacket and whispered something provocative in his ear. He snapped to attention when her hand dropped, traveling suggestively down his thigh just as Mosel and Emily walked through the door.

Mosel’s white blond head became visible above the crowd. Jason breathed a sigh of relief, knowing Emily was in the room. The tension inside him died down and he relaxed, bending his head closer to listen as Jacqueline spoke. His body leaned against hers, but he only paid half attention to the woman’s body sliding up against his. He kept his eyes surreptitiously focused to where he expected Mosel and Emily to emerge through the crowd.

At first, he didn’t recognize the woman standing with Mosel. Then the blue diamond pendant flashed between her breasts, and her identity struck him like a fist to the gut. Was this his Emily? No, this was Emily as he had never seen her before. For the briefest moment, he embarrassed himself, feeling himself gawk. Surely, his mouth had dropped open. The breath he took stopped in his chest.

Okay, so now he understood the argument over monitoring the video equipment tonight. The surveillance crew had already checked Emily out earlier. He’d discuss this with the guys later. He was also going to have to speak to Emily about that dress.

Who worked with her and dug up this wardrobe? She didn’t need to show so much cleavage or leg to pull off this job.

He licked his lips. After seeing her, Jason knew Mosel wasn’t going to make this easy on him. No man would back down without a fight if this package were the prize.

Jesus, when did her legs get that long?
He blocked out the memories of having them wrapped around his waist while he was buried balls deep inside her.

Regrouping, he took a moment to get back in character, smiling in response to Jacqueline’s suggestion before looking back across the room at Emily. When their eyes locked, something happened. The air was sucked out of his lungs, as if he had entered a giant vacuum. The air space between them sizzled, a connection. He watched her react. He could tell she felt it, too.

Staring at her face, he hoped he’d find answers to his concerns. This was her first mission. He scrutinized her, questioning her with his eyes.

Are you all right?
Do you need rescuing already?

He saw amusement on her face. The corner of Emily’s lips twitched, a brow arched in interest. Then a grim look formed on her face as her eyes met his.

What is it? What’s wrong?
He wished he could ask her.

Then her focus turned to something next to him. It wasn’t until that exact moment he realized Jacqueline had her body plastered against him like superglue. Jacqueline’s eyes followed Jason’s back to Emily. He almost showed his surprise. He’d been so preoccupied with thoughts of Emily, he hadn’t even been aware of the woman with her body wrapped against his.

Emily’s gaze dropped to the bulge forming in his pants for her, and he realized Jacqueline’s hand was heading for trouble. To protect his honor, he reached down, lifted her hand and kissed her fingertips. Playing his playboy role, he turned all his attention on her. His heart resumed its normal pattern.

Right before he recognized Emily’s attitude for what it was, jealousy, he smiled. A man of his experience knew that look between two women when he saw it. Nevertheless, he was surprised.

It must have shown, because when he chanced to look back at Emily, a succinct sign of amusement passed over her expression. She enjoyed making him squirm.

Before the night was over, he would accomplish his first assignment, an introduction to Emily for the record. The fleeting glances she cast his way insured it would happen. But he feared if she kept up the looks he wouldn’t be able to wait for his cue. He wanted her in his arms, not Mosel’s.

He resented the satisfied look on Mosel’s face, the one claiming he enjoyed flaunting his lovely new employee in Jason’s face. And even though he set the whole scam up, Jason hated it. All he could think about was getting her away from the other man. Having to watch Mosel touch her almost made Jason physically ill. He couldn’t wait to take her home tonight, away from everyone. And he would be the one taking her home. He was depending on Mosel’s good breeding to prevent him from denying Jason the privilege if Emily agreed, and Jason would be very insistent. Besides, she’d been instructed to agree. They would talk about Boston, a place they both had in common according to their story, and then he’d take over. He took a long, lingering look at her, not hiding his interest. It was almost time.

* * * *

Emily flushed, anxious and embarrassed by Jason’s blatant interest. The more he stared, the more sweat formed in the cleavage between her breasts. His unabashed attention disconcerted her. Mosel’s hand rubbed small circles at her hipbone. In spite of having Jason right in front of her as the other man touched her, or maybe because of it, a gradual heat rose through her body. She attempted to tear her eyes from Jason’s but couldn’t.

As much as she wanted to play it cool, hoping to ease the tension rising in her by diverting her attention elsewhere, it kept locking on the irresistible male across the room. While she played mind games with his head, the woman with him played physical games with his body. The evidence in his pants was plain for all to see.

Emily hoped the effect Mosel’s hands were having on her wasn’t as evident as Jason’s erection. But she lost hope of that when Mosel bent to nibble her earlobe. The heat that shot through her caused her to inhale sharply. As soon as his nostrils flared, she knew her aroused scent was in the air.

Playing the two men against each other was dangerous. To be successful, she’d have to develop some courage and self-confidence. She looked at Jason thoughtfully, flirting beneath her eyelashes—then openly, directly at him—finally, brazenly daring him to look away.

Unfortunately, he appeared up to the challenge. He didn’t look away. Instead, his lids lowered, his chin came up just a notch, enough to cause a provocative pucker to his mouth and a tense set to his jaw. Her pulse quickened in response. “Who would break eye contact first” had just become a dangerous game.

The faster her heart beat, the shallower her breathing became. She realized Jason was out-classing her rapidly. The quickening sexual response in his eyes, and Mosel’s hands on her hip, was a far more erotic experience than she’d ever expected. Mosel saw her watching Jason, but he seemed to enjoy this game they all played.

Jason threw her off-kilter.
Oh my God, his expression is piercing straight into my soul. What’s the matter with me? You’d think I’d never seen a gorgeous guy before.

Emily knew better with this one. He had an unfair advantage. She’d already seen and had all of him once, and once would never be enough. She still ached for more. The heat in her body rose easily because she was so aware of all his special talents. Emily saw
his raw sexuality as she felt her own burning up inside her.

He briefly nodded in her direction. The exchange was mundane. There was no mistaking the amused quirk at the corner of his dimpled mouth. It was a soft contrast to his harsh shadowed jaw. She tore her interest back to the man at her side. When he spoke to her, she needed to keep up. But the pull from across the room kept her gaze shooting in Jason’s direction. Unable to resist the magnetic pull, she met Jason’s eyes once more. This time he stared at her—looking intently at her with a dark desperate passion.

He’s very good.

She was acutely aware from past experience the extent of his potential. He smiled, and his smile went all the way to the crinkle at the corner of his eyes
.
With that, the tension inside pulsed through her. Her body quickened for him.

Was it possible to climax like this? She began to think she might spontaneously combust, but then he moved away from his group, excusing himself. While the conversations carried on around her and the music blasted, her attention stayed focused on him and the sexual mind game they played.

Was he leaving? Had the game ended?

Her first reaction was disappointment, followed briefly by confusion, until... No, he was making his way through the crowd, casually approaching her and Mosel. When he reached them, he held out his hand. “Monsieur Reinhardt, good to see you again.” Before he turned his attention and a full-blown smile on Emily, he asked, “Are you going to introduce us or are you going to keep this fantastic discovery all to yourself, Mosel?”

They had probably played these games before, and if she knew Jason, he was forever changing the rules. He held his hand out to Emily, not waiting for Mosel to respond. “Jason DesJardin. And you are?”

Mosel looked shocked by Jason’s behavior. He responded politely although he didn’t appear to want to. “I am pleased to introduce Miss Emily Holmes. Miss Holmes is doing some contract work for my company. She lives and works in Boston, in America. This is her first time in Monte Carlo.” His hand flinched possessively at her waist.

“Mosel, my friend. Please, perhaps you’ll let me help? Boston, did you say? I’m also from Boston.”

Jason was slick—she had to hand it to him. Before the sentence was out of his mouth, he maneuvered her away from Mosel. “Miss Holmes, would you care to dance?” He was halfway across to the small dance floor before he finished asking.

Emily looked back at Mosel, opening her eyes widely at him and shrugging as if asking, “What can I do?”

“We are, after all, fellow countrymen,” he said over his shoulder. He whirled her into his arms and added, “You need to be careful.” The comment was growled out between his teeth.

“You know, Jason, I don’t know how I managed to get through all these years without you.” The stiff sarcasm dripped in response.

Once they were on the dance floor moving slowly to the sax music, the warnings he issued beneath his breath about Mosel meant nothing to her. He was the real danger.

“I know how to do my job.”

“Harrison, wipe that smirk off your face. I know you’re listening.” Jason spoke into his microphone.

He turned his comments back to Emily. “I know you know how to do your job, it’s this job I’m worried about. He’s notorious. I’ve known him for years.” To Emily, Jason sounded almost pitiful.

She took mercy and let her body relax against his. But she continued acting indignant as he held her. “I’m supposed to seduce him. How can I do that while you’re interfering and challenging him? Are you planning to seduce me, too?”

Jason let out a sardonic laugh. “He’d probably be up to the challenge of a ménage. He’s always more interested if I am, too. We have years of experience with competitive conquests under our belts. It’s like an unspoken dare. Don’t forget, this so-called seduction isn’t supposed to get real. No one expects, well, you know.”

He was getting all protective and big brotherly on her again. That had to stop immediately. She wanted to remind him about his own reputed behavior. His reputation was no better. For the moment she held her tongue, and enjoyed the feel of his arms surrounding her.