An Offer He Cant Refuse - By Christie Ridgway Page 0,52

the woman beamed beauty rays that age couldn't diminish. "I see where Tea gets her looks," he heard himself mumble.

Joey rolled her eyes, and elbowed the blonde sister beside her. 'There goes another one. Doesn't that just make you sick, Eve? Even when you're standing here, with all your Miss Universe appeal, one look at Mom and it's all over for the rest of us lesser mortals."

"Shut up, Joey," Eve and Tea said together.

Then Tea went on alone. "Now tell me what happened tonight. Was there a break-in or not?"

"Or not," Rachele said, fiddling with the ring piercing her eyebrow. "I came by to - to - "

"Get something you left behind you told us," Joey supplied impatiently. "And then you fumbled with the alarm keypad which set off the alarm."

"Which set off the calls to me and to Eve," Tea continued, looking stronger by the second. "So it was all a mistake. But why is everyone here?"

"I was hunting around town for you," Eve said, "so I called Mom and found her and Joey having coffee in the spa's bar."

"Okay," Tea replied, looking at who was left in the crowd, the security officer and Johnny's lead tech-head. She glanced back his way. "That means Johnny called Cal and - " Her voice trailed off as she peered over Johnny's shoulder.

Cal? He hadn't called Cal. He opened his mouth to let her know, when an icy-white stretch limo pulled up to the curb.

" - and Melissa Banyon?" Tea said, incredulous.

"Hell, no!" But it was the actress all right, exiting the chauffeured car, leading with nine yards of legs and those killer fake tits. Still inside the limo, illuminated by the interior lights, was Raphael Fremont, beaming a killer glare at Johnny that didn't look fake at all.

"I just happened by and had to stop once I saw you," the actress said in her baby voice. "Is there something I can do to help?"

The crowd was silent, some stunned, some awed, some annoyed.

"Sign an autograph I can sell on e-bay?" Joey put in, sotto voce.

Since none of the others were taking up the conversation, Johnny felt obligated to step in. "No, no, thank you very much, but we're fine here."

Despite his assertion, she moved like an armored tank with cone headlights, right for him.

Johnny braced himself, wondering what else a man had to go through in one night.

Then Tea stepped in front of him. He thought she bared her teeth.

Melissa Banyon, all six feet and sixty-four ounces of silicone, stumbled. Her gaze fixed on Tea, she lurched back. With a morose little pinkie bye-bye to Johnny, the actress exited as fast as she'd arrived.

Their little group was still silent as the limo glided off and another car took its place. A sleek black car this time. Tea stiffened, her mother backed away, and Eve and Joey exchanged pointed glances.

A tinted window slid down to reveal a dark-haired, dark-eyed man. Not Cosimo, this guy was much too young, but he was definitely a wiseguy. "Tea, your grandfather wants to know if you need any help," he called out.

"No," she called back, sounding falsely pleasant. "I don't need or want anything from him."

Johnny couldn't stop himself from touching her again, his palm stroking the shallow curve at the small of her back, wishing he could absorb some of the tension he felt there.

The wiseguy slipped on an easy smile. "How about an espresso? He has a new machine in his kitchen and he insists that you see it tonight."

The asshole was handing out orders now. Johnny took a step forward to get rid of him, but Tea beat him to it. She leaned close to the open car window. "And I insist on refusing. You can tell Cosimo I don't drink espresso in the evenings. It gives me nightmares."

She stepped back, bumping into Johnny's body. He cupped the nape of her neck. After a pause, the car moved slowly along.

Then Johnny remembered, so damn slow too, that he was supposed to be moving away from Tea as well. With a quick step, he put space between them. She turned toward her relatives, he turned toward Cal. After eliciting a promise from the other man to see her home, Johnny withdrew into the darkness and left.
Chapter Sixteen
"Gotta See Baby Tonight" Louis Prima Strictly Prima (1959)

Rachele let herself into the house, the low glow from the den letting her know that her father was waiting up for her. "I'm home, Papa," she called out, happiness