Counting On Cole (Wilde Ways #8) - Cynthia Eden Page 0,35
they think I’m the boyfriend, then I’m no threat.”
Sweat dotted Harrison’s upper lip. “You’re…using my sister? R-risking her…?”
“Hell, no. I’m not. I’m not planning to let her out of my sight.” He could see her right then, and he had Chase on her. Across the room, James Smith had also just made his appearance. The “contract” Wilde agent with the codename of Ghost—a guy who happened to be a former assassin—had slipped in and blended easily with the crowd. Ghost often worked as Cole’s partner on high-level cases. To Cole, this case was of the highest possible level, so he’d gotten Ghost to come in and help. “Evie is not being put at risk, not for a moment. If you believe nothing else, know that I would kill before I let anyone hurt her.”
Harrison jerked his head in a nod. “L-let…me go.”
Cole let him go. Stepped back. Nodded. Projected his fake air of friendliness. “I love our talks, man.”
“Me, too,” Harrison mumbled.
“Ah, bring it in. We’re practically family.”
Alarm flared in Harrison’s eyes right before Cole grabbed him in a hug and yanked him close.
“Three suspects are here tonight,” Cole told him quickly. “Including your ex, Gia. Watch out for Robert Demakis and Stephen Lowe. You see anyone else suspicious, you alert me immediately.”
Harrison had stiffened at the mention of Gia’s name.
Cole let him go. “Got to head back to Evie. Promised her my first dance.” He brushed past Harrison. As he closed in on Evie, Cole let his gaze casually sweep the crowd. Jeez, you could practically smell the money in the room. Jewels dripped from the women—from their necks, their fingers, their wrists, and their ears. Diamonds, pearls, rubies, emeralds. A jewel thief’s frigging wet dream.
There was a lot of fake laughter floating around. The kind that said someone had just told a really shitty joke, but refusing to laugh just wasn’t acceptable in those circles. Oh, how those circles got on his nerves. The people seemed too polished and perfect, and Cole knew that he didn’t fit in with them. The tux was too tight and constraining and he would love to rip the damn thing off right then and there.
“You look like you want to kill someone, buddy,” Chase drawled. He lifted the flute of champagne he held. “Why don’t you have a drink and relax?”
Cole barely resisted the urge to tug at his collar. He felt completely out of place, while Chase seemed to have fit right in without any trouble. He was all relaxed and casual, and he didn’t twitch in his perfectly fitting tux.
He stood next to Evie and, damn, but she looked sensational in the beautiful blue dress that she wore. The neckline plunged, revealing the top of her pert breasts. She’d carefully curled her hair in one of those magical ways that women did, she’d used shadow to make her eyes look darker and bigger, and the red lipstick had her full lips glistening. She and Chase stood together, and hell, they looked like a couple. Like they were two people completely at ease in this world of fake laughter and—
Evie slid to Cole’s side. She put her hand on his arm. “Did I see you hug my brother?”
Her touch scorched straight through him. “Yes.”
“Harrison isn’t a hugger.”
Chase choked out a laugh. “Neither is Cole.”
At his laugh—a real laugh—several heads turned their way. One of those heads belonged to Gia Eastman. Dressed in a red evening gown and with rubies hanging around her neck, her gaze locked on Chase and seemed to heat.
“I think you should go make a new friend,” Cole advised him.
“Already on it.” Chase put his flute on a passing waiter’s tray.
Then it was just Cole and Evie. The band began to play and slow, romantic music filled the air. An unusual tension trickled through Cole as he stood there. Other couples were already moving onto the dance floor. Their bodies glided together easily. Perfectly. He knew Evie was a phenomenal dancer, of course, but…
“Would you like to dance with me, Cole?”
He…um. His eyelids flickered.
He caught the flash of hurt on her face.
“You don’t have to,” Evie rushed to say. “I just thought it was part of our cover, you know, us being a couple and all, and I didn’t—forget it. How about we grab some food?” She turned away.
He reached out and curled his fingers over her arm.
She trembled.
“Evie?”
She looked down at his hand on her. Then her eyes lifted and met his.