“We heard him,” said the office director.
“What happened?” asked a realtor.
“Juanita is sending out a company-wide email.” Dakota painted on a smile. “So, who’s excited about tonight?”
A chorus of affirmatives filled the air, and, just like that, he redirected them away from the brouhaha of Matt Hastings. After a few moments of chatting with employees about their listings, he left. Instead of heading to the hotel, he made a quick stop for a mask.
At four thirty, The Dungeon was closed, so he used his key to enter through the front door. As he rounded the corner, a hit of adrenaline fueled him forward.
Providence was sitting at the bar while Stryker stood behind it. And he’d said something to make her laugh. When she turned in Dakota’s direction, her expression of joy and amusement stirred an emotion that had died inside him a long time ago.
“Hey!” Stryker called. “What are you doing here? I thought you had your awards banquet tonight.”
Dakota tossed Stryker a nod before turning his full attention back to Providence. The closer he got, the harder his heart pounded. No one had ever been able to jump-start his heart like this. Not until now.
“I need a mask,” Dakota replied. “Got one I can borrow?”
“Take one from my store. Don’t you have one of your own?”
He still couldn’t drag his gaze from Providence. Her tight jeans clung to her thighs and she’d rolled up her shirt sleeves. His conclusion? No matter what she wore, she was a total knock out. He slid his gaze from one to the other.Those two are too damn relaxed around each other.“Hello, Miss Rhode Island. What’s the latest?”
“I’m already wreaking havoc on Stryker.” She pushed off the barstool and the front of her white shirt opened, revealing a bright pink tank top.Jesus, she’s hot.
“Quitting already?” he asked.
Her husky chuckle landed in his groin. She took a few steps in his direction. “I have a commitment tonight, so I’m abandoning him until later.”
“And she hasn’t even worked here a damn week.” Stryker laughed. “Go on. Enjoy your evening. I’ll catch up with you later.”
“Thanks for being flexible.” Her steel gray eyes found Dakota’s. “An awards banquet? Sounds swell.”
Her sarcasm wasn’t lost on him and both men chuffed out a laugh.
With her sultry gaze cemented on his, she strolled right up to him. And with a smarmy expression and a glint in her eyes, she said, “I hope you win.”
My God, she loves busting my chops.
6
The Real Estate Shindig
Providence strolled into the Gaylord Resort and Convention Center at National Harbor and followed the signs for the Cherry Blossom ballroom.The nearby atrium was packed with masked realtors, dressed in gowns and tuxes, clustered in pairs and groups chatting away. The majority were waiting in a long registration line, something Providence could skip thanks to her SAC, Patricia Stearns.
First stop, a restroom. After finding one at the end of a quiet hallway, she ducked inside. She ran her fingers through the dark brown wig and adjusted her purple mask. Providence tended to have a light hand when it came to applying makeup, but tonight, she’d concealed herself in dark eye makeup and bright red lips. Normally, she liked to show a little skin, but when she was playing the part of someone else, she needed to blend in. The less skin showing, the less to remember. Tonight’s number was a simple, black evening gown. The only identification she carried dangled from a lanyard around her neck.
I’m Elaine Jones with Larke Realty.
When finished, she headed toward the ballroom, keeping an eye out for her target and for her brother. With dozens of masked attendees crowding the area, she doubted she’d run into Randy. If she did, her disguise would conceal her identity.
She didn’t stop at any of the nearby bars, nor did she stop at the vendor booths lining the hallway between the atrium and the ballroom. As she meandered around the mingling attendees, her only goal was finding Dakota.
Almost as soon as she entered the ballroom, she spotted him. He towered over the podium, looking so damn hot in his black tuxedo, his face framed in a simple, black mask, his dark hair a tousled, sexy mess. The woman standing beside him, wearing a deep red gown and matching mask, was his business partner, Juanita Goode.
Providence had read every article she could find about the self-made multimillionaire. At thirty-five, Dakota Luck was the youngest broker to win the Billionaires Club award for selling over a billion dollars in residential real estate in a single year. From his middle-class upbringing, to the decision to get his real estate license during college, he was living proof that hard work could pay off…big time.
But Providence didn’t care about his millions and she wasn’t there to mix-n-mingle. She was there to track his every move and assess how he handled himself in various situations. She was there to gather evidence as to whether he was or wasn’t a cold-blooded killer who took the law into his own hands.
Never mind those bright blue eyes or his unruly head of hair. His hard-muscled physique was irrelevant and she’d barely noticed that killer smile.
