Page 55 of Perfect Vengeance

She had everything a man could wish for—intelligence, guts, staunch loyalty to her friends. She was a successful businesswoman and philanthropist, donating her time and energy to a seriously worthy cause. He admired her for that. He’d even begun to enjoy the way she constantly wriggled under his skin. Her tongue was as sharp as a bullwhip, flaying him wide open one minute and making him laugh the next, something he’d forgotten how to do.

Doing his best to ignore the enticing way her hips undulated, he searched the room again. Part of him wanted the Falzones to be a no-show so he could spend the rest of the night with Gina in his arms.

“Are you going to tell me who you’re looking for?” she asked.

“What makes you think I’m looking for someone?”

She gave him a duh look. “To anyone else, you probably seem like a really smooth dancer in an expensive tuxedo, but I know better. You’re in work mode. Alert. Serious. Ready to kick ass any second. And while I hate to use such a tawdry cliché, ‘Is that a gun on your belt or are you just happy to see me?’” Her chin dipped to the slight bulge beneath his jacket.

“I am happy to see you.” He couldn’t stop the smile tugging at his lips. “Maybe I’m just here checking up on you and your friends.” He’d meant that crack to change the direction of their conversation away from his mission tonight. Instead, her eyes flashed with something he couldn’t identify, and she went rigid in his arms. “The gears in your head are churning so loudly I could hear them over a barrage of gunfire. What’s on your mind?”

“Nothing.”

The hesitant look on her face told a different story. She was lying. He wanted to pursue it, but with every step they took to the music, her hips brushed against him, and he couldn’t help noticing her long, slim leg provocatively exposed by the slit of that jaw-dropping dress.

“See something you like, sailor?” Her eyes twinkled.

He laughed. Tonight had started off all about work and would most likely end that way. Right now, he was thoroughly enjoying himself.

“No thigh-highs?” he asked innocently.

“Ahhh.” When she smiled, it ignited something warm inside his stomach. “So you did look at my legs the other day.”

“How could I not?” He grinned again like a damned school kid. He’d never grinned so much in his life.

She readjusted her fingers in his, calling attention to the fading mark on her hand where the rattlesnake had nearly bitten her. All humor fled. When she told him that seemingly absurd tale about the snakes in Psycho’s freezer, he’d been about to cuff her and lock her up for breaking their deal. Then he’d glimpsed the mark on her skin, and the truth of her story became apparent. All he could think about then had been how close he’d come to losing her.

His heart lurched. Losing her? He never had her and never would.

“How’s your bug?” she asked. “Getting anything juicy?”

“Let’s just say the device is operational and we’re getting useful information.” Not enough and not fast enough. If that bug didn’t get him some pretty hot intel and soon, he’d have nothing to show for their efforts. He was not a patient man, and that’s why he was here tonight.

“Are you going to tell me why you’re really here?” she asked.

To provoke the Falzones. “So I can enjoy dancing with a beautiful woman.”

She pursed her lips. “Liar.”

“Yeah.” That makes two of us, babe. He knew what he was lying about. What was she holding out on?

Franco played things close to the breast, but Tino was a hotheaded prick, and Jack intended to push every one of his buttons until he said something stupid or did something reckless. Might not work, but it was worth a shot.

“How’s the view from up there?” she asked a minute later.

He lowered his gaze first to the yellow gemstones twinkling on her earlobes, then to the matching pendant dangling just above her cleavage. “Outstanding.” Did the woman live to torture him? He imagined dancing her out to the balcony and kissing her for a solid hour. Taking her home, stripping off that dress, and making love to her all night had serious merit.

“I’ll bet it is.”

“You really do look beautiful.” Tight catsuit or slinky evening gown, the woman was stunning.

She smiled at him in a way that made him think no one ever said that to her, which was ridiculous since any man who couldn’t see her beauty needed his head examined.

“Let’s get a drink.” He led her off the dance floor, snagging two flutes of champagne before heading them to a corner. Tipping his glass, he downed half the contents and nearly gagged. What he craved was whiskey, not bubbly grape juice. He took another swig of the offensive liquid just as Gina bit her lower lip, her tell. “Do you want to tell me what’s on your mind?”

“Nothing’s on my mind. It’s just that—” She frowned.

“Just what?” He found himself wishing more than anything that he could erase the worry etched into her beautiful features.