The Billionaire's Practice Kiss - Tamie Dearen Page 0,64
language she had no desire to move away from him. “But I haven’t had a chance to be alone with you. And tonight, anything could happen. I mean, I won’t let anything happen to you, but…”
“It’s okay,” she whispered. “I’m nervous, but I’m not afraid. I know Mack and Dan will do their best to keep me safe. And this is our best chance to put all this behind us for good.”
“Yes, yes. But that’s not what I’m trying to say.”
His lips descended. Slowly. His probing gaze asking permission. Her heart pounded as she gave a nod, light-headed, not daring to breathe. His mouth captured hers, setting her heart aflutter. She’d missed him so much. His touch. His kiss. His tender concern. It had become her daily bread during their summer together. Only now did she realize she’d been gradually starving without him.
His mouth claimed hers with passion. Surely he couldn’t be faking it. Did this mean he still had feelings for her?
He pulled back—his chest rising and falling rapidly, his pupils so dilated they disappeared in the dark depths of his eyes. “Ellery, I want you to know… no matter what happens tonight… that I… I—”
A piercing alarm rent the air.
Pulse racing, Ellery clamped her hands over her ears. Logan backed her against the wall, turning to scan the room while shielding her with his body. Their faces masks of confusion, people began to crowd around the exit doors.
It must be a fire! Sheer terror shot through her blood vessels. She could face the possibility of kidnapping or even death with courage. But the thought of fire filled her body with liquid panic. On and on, the alarm blared, excited shouts rising above it.
After about forty-five seconds that felt like forever, a voice came across the PA system, barely audible over the siren. “It’s okay, folks. Someone set off a smoke alarm, but we’re—”
The alarm stopped, and silence rang in Ellery’s ears, along with “ahs” of relief from the milling crowd.
“As I was saying,” Cole continued from the stage. “Someone set off a smoke alarm, but there’s no fire. Everything’s under control. Sorry for the disturbance. Continue to enjoy yourselves and we’ll begin seating in fifteen minutes.”
There’s no fire. There’s no fire. She repeated the phrase in her mind, willing her heart and lungs to slow down. Expressions still wary, guests filtered back inside, quiet music playing through the overhead speakers once again.
“Come on.” Logan grasped her hand and dragged her along. In her stupefied state, she barely kept her balance as they weaved through the tables to the front of the room where Cole stood with Jake at his side. “What’s going on?”
“Just a sec.” Jake frowned and pointed to his earpiece, indicating he was listening to someone. “Okay, here’s the scoop. All we know is someone cut a wire on the smoke alarm back stage. Dan says it could be as innocent as someone wanting to sneak a cigarette and not realizing the alarm would go off when they cut the wire.”
“What does Mack think?” Cole asked.
“Mack thinks it’s a distraction. He thinks it means Alexander is here. Or at least his men are here.”
Relieved at the assurance there was no danger of fire, the tension drained from Ellery’s body, leaving her muscles wobbly. She found herself clutching Logan’s arm for balance, and she despised herself for showing weakness. Logan patted her hand where it gripped him, so tight it wrinkled his tux coat. He probably thought of her like one of those stupid helpless women in action movies whose sole purpose was to put the hero in even more danger.
“No guest can get in without an invitation, right?” Logan asked. “Doesn’t that mean it must be someone in the service staff?”
“Right,” Jake said. “But the service staff is huge. Some are hotel employees—hosts and hostesses, maintenance, cleaning crew. Waitstaff are from the caterer. We barely have any employee records, because the turnover is so high.”
“Nothing’s changed. It’s like a heads-up,” Cole said. “We’ll just keep our eyes open.”
Logan reached inside his coat and extracted his cell phone. His brows arched. “Text from Josiah. Says they need Ellery backstage in the dressing room.”
Ellery swallowed, an act made difficult by a mouth that felt like it was coated in talcum powder. “I have a different dress for the auction. Maybe I’m supposed to change before dinner.”
“Want me to take her back?” Jake asked.
“No. I’m going with her.”
Logan’s protective growl stirred something warm in Ellery’s belly. After all, the