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She couldn’t help smiling up at him. ‘You won’t like it...’
‘Well, clearly you don’t either, so we can not like it together. Call it a bonding exercise.’ His hand had been resting lightly on her back but suddenly he drew her in, trapping her against him. His other hand curled around hers.
‘It was just two women, talking in the ladies’ room. They started off by saying they wouldn’t mind a threesome with you.’
She felt his chest heave against hers as he choked suddenly. ‘Tell me you managed to knock that idea on the head. Please.’
‘I couldn’t. They weren’t actually talking to me. I overheard.’
‘Okay, I get it. You’re staring in the mirror, fiddling with your hair, and they’re off in a corner somewhere gossiping.’ His lips twitched into a smile. ‘Nice bit of undercover work there, Lieutenant. Did you get them with the hairpins?’
‘No. They’re actually not very sharp.’ Leo had this knack of making her feel better. Or maybe it was the way he was holding her. Almost an embrace, moving slowly along with the music.
‘So they’ve escaped for the time being. Never mind; we’ll get them later. Continue with the surveillance report, please, Lieutenant.’
Alex couldn’t help laughing. ‘They’d heard the programme. They called me a poor thing and wanted to know why you’d brought me along tonight, when I obviously couldn’t dance with you.’
Anger flashed in his eyes, and she felt his body stiffen against hers. Then he puffed out a breath. ‘And you didn’t kick them?’
‘I felt like it. But one of them said she’d made you an offer, for twice what you were earning now...’
Understanding dawned in his eyes. ‘I know who you mean. Trust me, Alex, Clara Goodwin is seriously bad news. Three-quarters of the industry wouldn’t even give her the time of day, let alone work for her. Anyway, it makes no difference, even if she’d made me the best offer in the world, you still should have kicked her.’
‘It might have been a bit unfair. A prosthetic leg can give you a bit of a wallop, you know.’
‘All the same. I’m disappointed in you.’ He leaned in, his lips touching her ear. ‘You are the most gorgeous woman in this room. You’re intelligent and kind, and you dance beautifully. And even if you didn’t, I’d still be proud that you agreed to come here with me tonight.’
Alex felt herself relax against him. ‘That’s nice of you.’
‘I’m never nice, you know that.’ He increased the rhythm of the dance a little, and Alex felt herself follow. ‘What is nice is that you’ve finally loosened up. Any chance of letting me lead now?’
‘I didn’t realise I wasn’t...’ He raised his eyebrows, and Alex grinned back at him. ‘Okay, maybe you’re right. Take the helm, Captain.’
‘My pleasure. Hang on, we have incoming on the starboard bow.’
His sudden turn almost lifted her off her feet, making her skirts float out behind her. It was like letting go without there being any danger of stumbling, because Leo was there.
They danced in silence for a while, their bodies moving together, staring into each other’s eyes. Leo was good at this. He made it feel like sex should be, and very seldom was. A pure indulgence. Lost in his arms and yet there, right with him. Letting him lead and yet feeling him react to each movement of hers.
‘So...’ He pursed his lips thoughtfully, mischief flashing in his eyes. ‘Am I correct in thinking that you’re using me?’
‘Absolutely. I’m showing the whole room that I can dance all night if I want to.’
‘Good. Go for it.’
‘But of course you’re using me too.’ He raised his eyebrows and she grinned at him. ‘Those two women are out there somewhere, looking for a threesome...’
‘Don’t! You’re going to have to stay right where you are until I manage to un-think that. And I warn you, it might take a while.’
‘Good. Go for it.’ She could do this all night. And then sleep for a while and do it all over again. But, since that wasn’t going to happen, she’d make the best of it while she could.
* * *
Leo had tried to hide his anger, but he couldn’t. How dared Clara Goodwin make Alex feel that she was anything less than perfect? Raising his hand to any woman was out of the question, but he might be persuaded to hold her still while Alex punched her.
And what made him angriest of all was that it wasn’t the first time, and it was unlikely to be the last. Maybe it had been a good thing that he was unable to hide how he felt about that. She was so protective of the kids in her charge, so positive and encouraging on the radio, that it was sometimes easy to forget that she had feelings too, and that the careless cruelty of others still hurt her.
There was a measure of safety here, on the dance floor. Alex was nestled against him and the world seemed right. As if nothing could touch them for a while.
