“That’s a lovely thing to say,” she told him, though truthfully she thought he was a little on the ridiculous side. With his glib lines, and over-the-top reactions, he was nothing like Garrett with his quiet, deadly, sexy air. Ordinarily, in fact, she wouldn’t have been the slightest bit interested in the blond. Still, she caught a glimpse of Garrett’s face in the mirror and noted the abject fury on his features. So she leaned toward her new admirer and asked, “What’s your name, love?”
“I’m Derek. Who’re you?”
“Alexis,” she said, “but you can call me Alex.”
“You’re no ‘Alex,’ babe,” he said with a wink. “So Alexis it is.”
In the other room, the music started up again and Derek stood, holding out one hand. “Dance?”
From the corner of her eye, Alex saw Garrett stand up as if he was going to try to stop her. So she quickly took Derek’s hand and let him lead her to the floor.
Damn woman.
She was doing this on purpose. Letting that slick guy give her a lame line and then sweep her off to the dance floor. Well, fine, if that’s what she wanted, she could have the plastic blond guy. But she wouldn’t be alone with him. Garrett was still working for her father and damned if he was going to leave a woman like Alex to the likes of that guy.
He followed them into the other room and stood to one side as the blond pulled Alex into his arms and started moving to the music. Alex looked like a vision. That wild mane of blond hair, those heels that made her legs look ten miles long and where the hell had she gotten that dress, anyway? Didn’t she know he could practically see her ass?
Alex laughed at something Blondie had to say and Garrett’s teeth crushed together. He’d known from the start that his lies would eventually catch up with him. Maybe, he told himself, he should have listened to Griffin and confessed the truth to Alex himself. Then at least he would have had the chance to smooth things over with the telling.
But how much smoothing could he have done, realistically? She would still have been hurt. Still have been pissed. And he’d still end up standing here watching as some other guy made moves on her.
Moves, he told himself, that she wasn’t deflecting.
Irritated beyond belief, Garrett stood like a statue, arms crossed over his chest, feet braced wide apart in a fighting stance. His gaze never left the couple as he watched Blondie ooze his way across the dance floor. Surely, Alex wasn’t buying this guy’s lines? Any minute now in fact, she’d probably step out of the dance and walk away.
Any minute.
Walking.
Damn it, Alex.
The music slid around the room and the singer’s voice wrapped them all in a sensual web. His arms ached to hold her. His hands warmed at the thought of touching her again and his mouth craved the taste of her.
His eyes narrowed as Blondie steered Alex off the dance floor and out onto the dark balcony overlooking the ocean. While the music played and couples danced, Garrett moved through the crowd with a quiet intensity. Focused on his target, he was aware of his surroundings in a heightened way, but all he could think about was reaching Alex.
He stepped onto the polished wood balcony and heard the rush of the sea pushing into shore. Moonlight washed the whole scene in a silvery glow and the wind sweeping across the ocean was nearly icy. Voices came to him and he turned his head in response. That’s when he spotted them, at the end of the deck, in a puddle of darkness that lay between the more-decorative-than-useful balcony lights.
Alex was facing the water, and Blondie was plastered up behind her, as close as he could get. Garrett’s mind splintered a little and he actually saw red around the edges of his vision.
Then his eyes nearly popped from his head in an onslaught of pure fury. Blondie had one hand on Alex’s ass and was giving it a rub—and Alex wasn’t even trying to stop him.
What the hell?
It only took a few, long strides to carry him to Alex’s side, where he dropped one hand on Blondie’s shoulder and squeezed. Blondie looked up, annoyed at the interruption, but annoyance faded fast when he got a good look at Garrett’s expression.
“Dude, we’re having some private time here.”
“Dude,” Garrett corrected through gritted teeth. “You’re done. Take off.”
Alex whipped her windblown hair out of her face and glared at him. “Go away, Garrett.”
Astonished, the handsome guy stared at her. “You know this guy?”
“Yes, but pay no attention to him,” Alex said.
Garrett’s hand on Blondie’s shoulder tightened as he silently convinced the other man it would be a much better idea to disappear. Fast.
Message received.
“Yeah, right. Okay. Outta here.” He hunched away from Garrett’s grip, gave Alex a wistful look and shrugged. “Sorry, babe. I don’t do violence. I think he does.”
“Damn straight,” Garrett assured him.
“Oh, for—” Alex set her hands at her h*ps and glared at Garrett as Blondie hurried back to the restaurant, in search of easier prey. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Hah!” Garrett backed her up against the railing, looming over her as he planted his hands at either side of her. His grip on the cold, damp, iron railing tightened as he looked down into her eyes. “What am I doing? I’m keeping you from getting mauled in public.”
“We were hardly in public and what if I liked being mauled?” she snapped, her eyes flashing with the kind of heat that any sane man would accept as a warning.
Garrett, though, had passed “sane” a couple of exits back. He was too close to her, bodies aligned, that damn dress of hers displaying way too much beautiful, smooth skin. Heat seared his insides and his dick went to stone. Just the scent of her was enough to drive him insane. He fought for clarity. Fought for control.
“Damn it, Alex. I get that you’re pissed at me. And fine. I can deal with it.”
“Oh, how very gracious of you.”
“But,” he continued, leaning close enough that her br**sts were pillowed against his chest. That she could feel his erection pressing into her abdomen. Her eyes widened and her lips parted on a sigh. “I’m not going to stand around and watch you make a mistake.”
“Another one, you mean?”
In the background, the music was soft, tempting; the singer’s voice a lure, drawing them into a world where it was just the two of them, locked together. He felt every inch of her luscious body aligned along his. And in a heartbeat, control and focus went out the window, and Garrett found he couldn’t even give a good damn.