Indecent Danger (Danger Incorporated #3)(5)
Martin glanced at his watch and grimaced. “I need to make a call to the West coast. Listen, I appreciate any help you can give me on that business matter. If you can’t, I understand that too. Either way, this shit is going to get cleared up one way or another.”
Both men stood and Martin tossed a hundred dollar bill on the table before Travis could even get his wallet open. Typical.
“When are you going to talk to Bruce?”
“Before the party tonight. I won’t put this off another day.”
All that animosity ought to make for an interesting atmosphere this evening. Travis made a mental note to give Bruce Livingston a wide berth tonight. After talking to Martin, the man’s mood wouldn’t be a positive one.
Martin strode out of the bar and headed for the elevators while Travis sauntered to the resort gift shop on the other side of the lobby. Aubrey had seemed so tense earlier perhaps a little gift might make her smile. Something funny that would make her laugh. These days making her happy was all he wanted to do. He could only hope and pray he was succeeding because women like Aubrey Grayson didn’t come around in a man’s life very often.
Losing at the game of love? Not an option.
Chapter Three
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The champagne flowed as the band played an old Gershwin tune, the music carrying all the way out onto the open terrace of the luxurious hotel ballroom where Aubrey was currently getting a breath of fresh air. The main room was sprawling with marble floors and crystal chandeliers but she’d still become overcome with the cloying aroma of perfume. After she’d sneezed several times Travis had insisted on bringing her out here for a lungful of unpolluted oxygen and she’d gratefully accepted.
“Is this better?” he asked, his brows pulled down in concern. “You were looking a little green in there.”
Aubrey took a slow, deep breath before answering. “Much. I don’t mind perfume but it was like a cloud hanging over our heads in there. I think it was the mixture of all the scents, frankly. Strong floral and musk shouldn’t be combined with apples and hay.”
Travis smiled, showing off that dimple in his right cheek. He looked devastatingly handsome in his well-cut black tuxedo, tailored to perfection. She preferred him in blue jeans and a flannel button-down thrown over a white t-shirt but there was definitely something about a man in a suit…something hot and sexy. But then Travis couldn’t have been unattractive if he tried. He had that undefinable something that drove women crazy whether they were eight or eighty. Maybe it was his charm, or his intelligence, or the way he filled out his torn blue jeans. Whatever it was he had it in spades.
“I like your perfume.” He leaned down and nudged his nose along her bare shoulder sending a frisson of awareness up her spine and down to her toes. She had to concentrate to keep her knees from shaking at his nearness. “Not heavy. Not sweet. Just perfect.”
Feeling the heat rise in her cheeks, she gave him a shaky laugh. “I’m not wearing any perfume. That’s just soap and lotion. I was afraid the bottle might break in my suitcase and make a stinky mess.”
“I doubt I’d ever describe you as stinky but you do smell good. Are you having any fun? I know my friends can be a little overwhelming when you first meet them.”
“Are they all your friends?”
She’d been introduced to some lovely people so far this evening but she’d also met a few that she couldn’t imagine Travis spending five minutes with.
“No, and I think you knew that before you asked the question,” Travis chuckled as he slid his hands around her middle and tugged her back to his front. Aubrey relaxed in his embrace letting the tension of the party fall away. Simply enjoying the peace, she listened to the hypnotic rhythm of the waves lapping at the sugar white sand. Moonbeams danced on the surface of the water but shrouded the homes and trees in shadow as if protecting a deep, dark secret. “In fact most of these people could only be called acquaintances. I’m here for Martin this weekend and he is a friend.”
“I liked him. He seems like a nice man.”
“He is a nice man, one of the best. He liked you too by the way. Said I was a lucky man but then I knew that.”
Pressing a kiss to her temple, Aubrey felt his warm breath on her cheek. She closed her eyes and savored the sensation of feeling completely and totally safe within his strong arms. It wasn’t smart to get used to this but every now and then she allowed herself to revel in the pure pleasure of just being close to him. His fingers spread over her abdomen heating the skin through the thin fabric.
His lips skimmed her temple, his warm breath a caress against her cheek. She was as helpless as a kitten when it came to this man’s advances. “This dress is fantastic. You’re amazingly talented. I wish you would let me help you, sweetheart. You could set up your own business.”
Tonight she was wearing a special gown she’d designed just for this occasion. At one point in her life she’d dreamed of becoming an apparel designer but quickly realized that being practical paid the rent. Luckily it was a handy skill for nights like this where she wanted to blend in with the wealthy elite.
The full-length white silk dress with skinny spaghetti straps holding up the bodice boasted a slit up the side to the top of Aubrey’s thigh showing a generous amount of leg. The gown made her feel a little glamorous and she desperately needed the ego boost this evening as women dripping in diamonds flirted with Travis hoping to simply get one of his special smiles. Most of them had looked her up and down dismissively before pressing closer to him in a ploy to show off their bountiful assets. She had managed to ignore most of their high school games but she couldn’t deny it was better when it was just the two of them.