Counting On Cole (Wilde Ways #8) - Cynthia Eden Page 0,37
Cole interrupted as he stepped forward. “And who the hell are you?”
Robert blinked.
Evie shoved a hand against his chest. “Cole, calm down. This is my friend, Robert Demakis.”
He knew she was making the explanation just for the sake of appearance, but he still had the thought…
Not your friend, Evie. The guy is a suspect.
“And, Robert…” She offered a smile tinged with apology toward the other man. “This is, um, Cole.”
Why was she being all apologetic to Robert? That shit needed to stop.
“Cole is my…”
“Boyfriend. Partner.” Cole shrugged. “The guy who makes her scream at night.”
“Cole!” Evie gasped, seemingly horrified. Hmm. Was that all an act? Or had he pushed too far?
“Whatever you want to call me.” He shrugged again but kept his focus on Robert. “I’m also the guy saying, hell, no, you’re not taking Evie away to have a private chat on the balcony.” Like that didn’t scream suspicious.
Robert swept his gaze over Cole. “Yes, Cole, stop. Before you piss Evie off and cause me to have to teach you manners.”
“Are you serious right now?” Cole laughed. It wasn’t a particularly pleasant sound. “I would love to see you try to teach me how to—”
They looked like they were about to fight. At a charity gala. Not happening. Evie shoved between them, putting a hand on each puffed-up chest. “This is ridiculous.” She glared at Cole. “Robert is not interested in me that way.”
She turned her head.
And caught Robert’s smirk.
“Why do you want to talk to me alone?” Evie asked him. That smirk set off alarm bells.
The band was playing again. Couples were dancing. And she was trying to act like she was totally cool and composed. She wasn’t. Not even close. She’d worked with Robert. Spent grueling hours in production sessions with him, and he’d never once mentioned that her step-father had basically wrecked his family.
Not like that was exactly something casual that you dropped into a conversation, but still…
“I have an opportunity that’s opened up on my latest show,” Robert inserted smoothly. “My lead choreographer had to step back, and now there’s a spot that needs filling.” A pause. “I thought that Leo might have mentioned this to you already. He was advocating quite strongly for you. Told me that you were the only one who could make my show perfect.”
It was Robert’s show? Leo hadn’t mentioned that part to her. He had dropped some hints about a new project, but—
“If your boyfriend can bear to be separated from you, I’d love to give you more details.” Robert waved one hand vaguely in the air as he took Cole’s measure. “What do you think I’m going to do, exactly? Steal her away in a ballroom full of people?”
Her stomach sank. The wording was obviously intended to be a joke, but with the way her life was currently going—
So not funny.
Then she caught sight of Stephen Lowe. He was standing against the wall on the right, and he was watching her. His gaze was locked straight on her with a hard intensity.
Why was he staring at her so fiercely? Stephen had barely spoken to her in the past when they’d met at events like this one.
She looked over her shoulder, wondering if her brother might be close and perhaps Stephen’s attention was actually on him—
But, no, there was no one behind her. Stephen was definitely staring straight at her.
Before she could speak, Cole leaned toward her. He put his lips to her ear. “Talk to Demakis. Push and see what you can learn. I’ll keep you in sight,” he barely breathed to her. “And, yeah, I see the asshat with his eyes locked on you. Got him.”
Then he eased back. Cole lifted her hand to his lips and pressed a soft kiss to her knuckles. Oh, God, had his tongue licked over her skin? Sure felt like it.
“I’ll be waiting for you, sweetheart,” Cole murmured. “Don’t go far.”
She saw the hard intent in his eyes. He might as well have said—
Seriously, I fucking mean it. Do not go out of this ballroom.
Then he turned and strolled across the ballroom.
Her gaze followed him.
“Evie, seriously, since when did you start falling for the psychos?”
Her shoulders snapped together. “He’s hardly psychotic, Robert.”
“Uh, it looked like he wanted to rip me apart. Guy is obviously obsessed. That’s never a good sign.”