Beautiful Beast (Gypsy Heroes #3)(38)

I look up and he is leaning back against the chair and looking at me expressionlessly.

Mario appears at Shane’s elbow, his large smile quickly faltering at the tension he finds between us. ‘Something to drink perhaps?’ he suggests uneasily.

Shane doesn’t look at him. ‘Can you give us a minute, Mario?’

‘Certainly,’ Mario says, and with an expansive gesture, backs off.

Shane sighs. ‘Do you want to stay, Snow?’

‘Are you going to carry on being angry?’ I ask anxiously.

His mouth twists ruefully. ‘I’m not angry now.’

‘It sure looks like it to me,’ I say miserably.

He reaches a hand out and gently traces his knuckle along my jaw line. ‘My poor Snow. Did you have fun here with Lenny?’ he asks.

‘No.’ My voice is strangled.

‘No tequila shots upstairs?’

I shake my head.

Shane laughs suddenly. ‘Then you haven’t really been to Lady Marmalade at all,’ he declares, and raises his hand. Mario must have been hanging around watching because he materializes at our side like a genie out of a bottle.

‘Give us the works, Mario,’ he says.

Mario raises his hand like the conductor of an orchestra and says, ‘Bravo.’

So the evening begins. A bottle of champagne is popped and glasses filled. Shane is funny and cheeky and sexy all at once. We eat the insanely good food and then he takes me upstairs where there is a bar and a dance floor. We do tequila shots at the bar and then Shane whirls me off to dance. We join the conga line of someone else’s party and I laugh until my stomach aches.

‘If I die tomorrow, I’ll die happy,’ I tell him.

He pulls me towards him. ‘I won’t. Not while you’re with him. Even dead I don’t want him to have you. He doesn’t deserve you,’ he growls.

I stare up at him, shocked by the passion in his voice.

Mario gives me a little box of chocolate truffles as we are leaving. ‘I noticed that you liked them. Have them for later,’ he says with a nod and a wink.

‘Thank you,’ I say, surprised and touched by the gift.

In the car, Shane tells me that we will be dropping by Eden.

‘We’ll have a quick drink there. There’s something I have to do at the office.’

We are nearly there when my phone goes. I freeze with fear.

Shane stops the car at the side of the road and switches off the music.

‘Take the call,’ he says tautly.

‘What if he is calling me from my apartment?’

‘He’s not.’

‘How do you know?’

‘Just trust me.’

He takes my purse from my lap, pulls my phone out and gives it to me.

I click accept and Lenny says, ‘Did I wake you?’

‘No,’ I say, and even to my own ears my voice sounds shaky.

‘Are you all right?’

‘Yes. Yes, I’m fine.’

‘Where are you?’

Paranoia grips me. I swallow hard and try to keep my voice neutral and casual. ‘In my bedroom.’

‘Are you just about to go to bed?’

‘Yes.’

There is a pause, then he says, ‘I have a surprise for you.’

‘Oh.’

‘I’ll give it to you tomorrow night.’

‘All right.’

‘Sweet dreams and don’t let the bed bugs bite.’

‘Thanks. And goodnight, Lenny.’

‘Goodnight, luv.’

I disconnect the call and put the phone back into my purse. Shane starts the car and drives on. He doesn’t say anything. The atmosphere in the car is so tense I feel it pressing down on me.






Twenty


SNOW

Inside Eden, the manager comes forward to help me with my coat, but Shane forestalls him, lifting my coat away from my body and tossing it carelessly on the counter. He places his hand on the small of my back in an unmistakable gesture of ownership and leads me into the club.

Flushed and tense with nerves, I let him guide me into the club. Music throbs around us and I am conscious of almost everyone staring at me because I am with Shane. Some of those looks are filled with malice and envy. Their faces swim before me. I force my spine straight and hold my head up high.

A blonde woman dressed in a powder blue suit hurries towards us. Her face is wreathed with a friendly smile that encompasses both of us. ‘Hello,’ she greets.

‘Briana, meet Snow, my girlfriend. Snow, this is Briana, the housemother of this club.’

‘Hi,’ I say, taking her cool hand and feeling suddenly shy. I feel as if I am floating on cloud nine. I can’t believe that Shane introduced me as his girlfriend. It feels strange and fantastically wonderful.

She turns to Shane. ‘She’s simply gorgeous.’

Shane moves closer and slides his arm around my waist. He looks down at me, his eyes gleaming with triumphant ownership. ‘Yes, she is rather ravishing, isn’t she?’ he murmurs.

‘Would you like to stay and have a drink?’ Brianna asks.

‘I’m actually here to pick something up from the office.’ He turns to look at me. ‘Would you like to stay for one drink?’