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A chill raced up her spine to explode at the back of her neck as electricity seemed to charge her entire body. She could feel her breasts swelling as his lips touched the sensitive flesh over her knuckles and brushed against them. Her nipples were hard, sensitive, and between her thighs she was growing heated and wet. Her reaction to this man was immediate, blazing and confusing.
“Miss Serborne,” he murmured as he lowered her hand. “It’s definitely a pleasure to meet you.”
She bet it was.
A smile curled her lips as she felt adrenaline pierce the haze of dark emotionlessness that had held her in its grip for too many months now. Suddenly she felt alive, she felt dangerous, she felt a thrill racing through her body that she couldn’t control.
“The pleasure is all mine,” she assured him, and it was. He was here for a reason, an operation. He was here, and she was laying money on the fact, to interfere in what she had begun just as he and his team had interfered in Atlanta. She was beginning to grow sick of all the noses continually poking into her business.
She was playing on her home ground now. No one was taking this from her, least of all a man who had already stolen the pleasure of Orion’s death.
“Ian, you didn’t tell me the scenery here was this exceptional,” John murmured aside to his friend as he kept his gaze on hers. “I would have visited sooner.”
“The scenery only acquired certain additions recently,” Ian assured him.
Bailey kept her smile pleasant as she glanced at Ian and his wife. “Ian’s being overly kind,” she stated lightly. “So tell me, Mr. Vincent, are you here for business or pleasure?”
“Well, I’m a businessman.” He grinned. “I like to combine the two whenever possible, but at the moment it’s definitely pleasure.”
It was definitely an operation. For a second, regret shimmered inside her before she pushed it back, ignoring it. She was nothing to him, and he was nothing to her, evidently. Sh
e had to remember that; to remember anything else only threatened her control.
Her suspicions couldn’t be proved, no matter the time and effort she had put into that investigation. It was wishful thinking, she continued to assure herself. She’d lost the man she loved and now she wanted nothing more than to find a way to bring him back when she needed him the most. There was no bringing back the dead.
“Would you like to dance?” Still retaining her hand, he stepped back from Ian and Kira.
Bailey allowed him to draw her onto the dance floor, holding her silence until she was in his arms, their bodies moving together to the slow, easy strains of the orchestra.
“What are you doing here?” She kept her lips against his shoulder to hide the words, her voice low enough that only he could hear her.
“We need to talk.” He didn’t answer her question, but she hadn’t really expected him to.
“Too bad,” she drawled. She luxuriated in the feel of his body against hers, even with the clothing that separated them. There was something about him that she couldn’t ignore, couldn’t forget. Something that drew her like a moth to a flame. It was a very dangerous position to be in.
“Come on, Bailey.” His lips brushed against her ear. “Just a few minutes of your time. I promise, you won’t regret it.” His hand stroked from her hip up, along her back, then back again.
“I regret meeting you to begin with,” she told him softly, noting the tension that tightened his body. “Why would tonight be any different?”
His hand tightened at her hip. “You never know, I could surprise you.”
She almost laughed at that statement. There was no surprise in store for her. The best he could do was manage to amaze her with the delivery of whatever he wanted from her. She had no doubt why he was here.
“You’re on my turf now,” she warned him. “I doubt there’s anything that you could do here that would surprise me, John.”
She surprised herself sometimes, though. Now was one of those times. She was amazed at her reaction to him, at the excitement that filled her. He had taken the prize from her hands last time, and he was no doubt determined to do the same thing this time. She should be outraged rather than aroused.
“It’s important, Bailey,” he told her. “We need to talk, after the party.”
“After the party I’m going to be incredibly tired.” The song drew to a close as she stepped back from his hold. “Maybe later. Leave your number with the doorman, I’m sure he’ll make certain I get it.”
He didn’t let her go. Surprising her, he caught her arm, as he drew her from the dance floor and to the wide double doors leading out of the ballroom.
She had a feeling he wouldn’t let this go so easily.
“I cannot leave my own party,” she protested with feigned lightness, her temper beginning to burn.
“Just for a moment, Miss Serborne,” he promised as they passed the wide doors and he headed unerringly to the back of the house.
