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They were two of the most stunning women to have ever graced this earth, yet Lexi could barely see her above the angry hum that was beginning to sound in her head.
It was on the tip of her tongue to confront her mother about the threats, but she knew that would break Kane’s confidence. It would only take her smart mother seconds to guess where she had learned of them. As much as she’d like to hash it out with her folks, the matter would have to wait until her work was done.
Swallowing her feelings, she smiled at her.
“You too, mom. You never look anything less than perfect.”
Mandy’s smile grew wider by the compliment. She spun, turning so Lexi could get the full effect.
“My ass is almost as pert as yours. I’ve still got it.” She slapped her own butt wickedly. At Lexi’s smile, Mandy peered into her daughter’s face.
“Something is different about you tonight. You’re practically glowing. You seem unusually… happy.”
At that precise moment, Kane rounded the corner with Bud, as the two went about their work patrolling the property. Without meaning to, her eyes slid over to him and held him in their gaze.
He had changed into a tuxedo tonight out of respect for the guests. She’d had to cajole him excessively — who knew that a man could bethatattached to cargo pants? — but it was only the promise of more fun things to come that had sealed the deal.
Sending a courier to his home to pick it up, the tux — which he’d explained had only been worn one other time at Wilson’s wedding — fitted him like a glove, emphasizing the broadness of his shoulders while tapering down to reveal his trim waist. As much as she loved his normal casual image, he looked so dashing in the suit, she found it difficult to concentrate.
He must have noticed her staring as he turned. The moment he saw her, a slow, sexy smile formed on his lips that only changed when he finally noticed Mandy, half hidden behind her. Abruptly, the smile dropped, replaced by a curt nod of greeting.
Mandy, who had followed the small interaction with an interested expression, tapped the corner of her mouth with a polished fingernail.
“Hmmm,” was the only comment she made.
“What was that?” Lexi had to tear her eyes away from him. Even in that suit, his glorious physique was obvious. Her mouth went dry as a picture of him lying on top of her flashed into her mind.
“Nothing,” Mandy replied archly as the bell sounded and their first guests arrived. Slipping an arm through Lexi’s, they went to greet the newcomers, a ridiculously famous couple with the largest social media network of all. The wife, Coco, was an Instagram star who had shot to fame with the videos she’d posted of herself doing yoga in tiny outfits against spectacular backdrops, while her husband was one of the world’s most successful rap producers.
Lexi had met both on several occasions prior but had found them rather superficial. Their money was as good as anyone though, and their social feed would do wonders for advertising the cause.
Ignoring her own feelings about the couple, she welcomed both with a warm smile. “So great to see you again. Thank you for coming.”
They air-kissed, never allowing their faces to touch.
“I’m so thrilled you invited us.” Coco cooed breathlessly, holding her cell in front of them, angling it into the house where staff could be seen scurrying to and fro as they performed their duties. “Smile for the camera, my fans are desperate to get a good look at us together.”
Lexi found it hard to believe that her fans would be interested in her, but she smiled politely, posing for the picture. If her face must be exposed to the world, better she be the one to control it.
Coco posted the image onto her Instagram feed only to crow with delight almost instantly. “Ooh, look, my fans are responding already!”
After the couple headed inside, Lexi was stuck greeting guests for the next hour. She smiled until her cheeks hurt, air kissed and posed for publicity shots until her eyes were blinded by flashlights. Her feet were already beginning to suffer from the heels she’d wish she’d had time to break in and she was dreaming of the moment she’d be able to take them off.
When most of the guests had arrived, she moved into the grounds of their estate and started working on getting their guests to commit to a donation or possibly adopting one of the needy animals that waited to be seen in a quiet wing of the house, away from the festivities.
While she worked, Kane kept watch close by.
He wasn’t comfortable by the mass of strangers flooding the property, even with his team working hard to keep the family safe. They had been fully briefed and knew what to look out for. Any commotions, distractions, personnel who didn’t have the required security clearance or ID, even someone who simply sent their spidey senses tingling was warrant enough for pulling aside.
Kane was not willing to take any risks, not when it came to Lexi’s wellbeing.
He followed her at a short distance, always watchful, listening out for any cause of alarm. Bud matched him step-for-step, ears pricked and alert. He could sense the tension in him and was dealing with it by being even more responsive than usual.
As Lexi drifted from guest to guest, he saw how well she fitted into this world, despite what she might think of it herself. Nothing fazed her. Not the super rich tech giant, the ex US president and his popular wife, or movie star Logan Steel and his girlfriend, the equally famous TV star Ellie Godwin.
Logan was popular for his suave good looks and blockbuster action films that had taken the world by storm. Men wanted to be him while woman wanted to be with him. His star — which had been on the rise ever since his breakout role in one of Stonewall’s highest grossing movies — soared into an all-time high once he began dating Ellie, the most successful television actress on the planet. Kane had seen his movie, enjoyed it as fun entertainment even if he thought the scenes where he played a military man on the run were not very accurate.
With her girl-next-door charm and devastatingly pretty looks, outside of work, Ellie was known for being a good girl who never kissed and tell. For the past five years, the tabloids had sent themselves into a tizzy, wondering if she was romantically involved with a man. When she finally stepped out publicly with Logan — known to be a bit of a womanizer — the world had gone wild for their union.
