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“I was named Miss Mustang Valley.”
“That’s where I recognize you from. What an honor to have been chosen.” Nikolas leaned in, his voice conspiratorial. “They certainly picked the prettiest girl.”
A small blush colored her cheeks, but instead of reacting naturally to the compliment, she kept up those robotic answers, saying, “The honor was mine.”
The hand she’d settled on his forearm as she walked him to the affirmation poster was still there, and once again Nikolas had the subtle sense she was flirting with him, even though there was something stilted and off about her attempts. He might’ve thought her out of practice, but that wasn’t quite right, either.
It was as if she did know how to flirt, yet was holding herself back.
“Well, now that you’ve received such an honor, I’m sure the modeling gigs will quickly follow. I suppose you’ll be leaving here soon.”
The hand dropped from his arm. “I would never do that. I would never leave Micheline.”
“But I thought winning Miss Mustang Valley was one of the ways you were being your best self?” He feigned confusion. “It’s an honor.”
“It is an honor. But being my best self happens here.”
Leigh stared at him once more, and Nikolas wasn’t sure if he was being sized up or if he’d frightened her with the idea that she could leave if she wanted to. Perhaps both?
“Wel
l, then I guess that is the AAG’s gain, and Mustang Valley’s loss.”
The stiffness in her body faded, and she relaxed back into the conversation, her hand once again going to his arm. “What brings you here today to the AAG?”
“I’m afraid I can’t share the purpose of my visit with Micheline.”
She leaned in, her lips near his ear. “Oh, come now. Won’t you tell me?”
It was the first full-on flirtation he’d gotten, and Ms. Dennings didn’t disappoint. She was close enough that her hair whispered against his cheek and her breasts brushed lightly against his biceps.
“I’m afraid I can’t. Client confidentiality and all that.”
She put on a pretty little pout. “Well, I guess I can accept that reason.”
“But maybe you would let me take you out sometime?”
Throughout his career he had never really gone much for false behavior such as this—limiting it only to times when it was absolutely necessary to get information on a case—but there was something different about this time.
In this instance, Nikolas just felt bad.
Was it because he pictured Nova, waiting for him at the end of the day?
While she had a lot to do with it, he admitted to himself that it was something else.
There was something about this woman that bothered him. It continued to nag at him that there seemed to be some aspect preventing her from leaving. It set off his antennae, and he wondered if, when this was all over, there would be a way to get Leigh some help.
The woman’s seeming blind devotion was concerning. While Nikolas had no interest in actually taking her out, he would see to it that she got support if they truly uncovered bad practices up here. And based on Spencer’s intel, it looked like there was no way Micheline was innocent of what happened behind the scenes in her center.
“Leigh.”
Another voice suddenly speaking her name had Leigh standing up straight and putting a bit of distance between the two of them. “Yes, Micheline.”
Nikolas turned to see a tall, sleek woman come toward them. She looked to be in her mid-sixties, with a sweep of blonde hair that capped off her trim figure in another one of those power suits. “I understand my guest is here.”
“This is Mr. Slater, right here with me. Let me introduce you.”
Nikolas was walked back toward the front desk, Leigh’s hand still in a proprietary place on his forearm, as if she were afraid he’d float away.
