Even though he’d harnessed the modern fashion he was still going to stick out like a sore thumb tonight. He knew Sara would catch flak for bringing him, if not from James, then from other “well-meaning” friends. Crow could fight his own battles, but he hated to see her get caught in the cross fire.
Why, a tiny voice inside whispered, do you even care?
I’m only doing my job. Looking out for my client is part of that job.
Though the excuse didn’t ring completely true, for the moment it satisfied him. He’d go to the party tonight and be the perfect gentleman. But he refused to consider that his personal feelings had anything to do with the actions and the decisions he was making.
She was his client.
He was her bodyguard.
That’s all there was to it.
By the time he pulled up in front of Sara’s house and shut off the car, Crow’s insides were on fast forward. The place blazed with lights and Crow fumbled for the keys to the front door. Finally finding the one he wanted, he slipped the key into the lock and eased the door open.
“Stop right there,” a familiar voice ordered.
“It’s only me.” Crow raised his hands in mock surrender and grinned at Larry, the backup bodyguard.
“I heard someone at the door.” Larry holstered his revolver and a smirk of a smile creased his leathery face. “Now don’t you look snazzy. The guys at the gym wouldn’t recognize you.”
The gym they both frequented had the best boxing facilities in the city, but it also catered to a rather unsavory clientele.
“Yeah, well—” Crow shrugged “—you gotta do what you gotta do.”
“I’d trade places with you in a second.” The man’s beady eyes gleamed. “I bet they’ll have tons of booze and you won’t have to pay a dime.”
“Maybe,” Crow said. “But I’ll be on duty, remember?”
“Oh, yeah, that’s right.” The guy lowered his voice. “Guarding the little princess.”
Crow hid a grin. Larry called ’em as he saw ’em. He’d told Crow the first time he’d met Sara, with that long blond hair and big blue eyes, she’d reminded him of a princess in one of those storybooks.
“Is she ready?”
Larry nodded. “You should see her. She is one hot mama tonight.”
A lustful look entered the guy’s eyes and it was all Crow could do not to smack him. But he reminded himself that though Larry could be crude, he’d never let anyone, including himself, take advantage of Sara. That’s why Crow had chosen him as his backup.
Crow waited until Larry was on his way before heading toward the living room in search of Sara.
“What’s going on here?”
Sara turned away from James to the sound of the voice.
Crow stood in the doorway, his dark eyes flashing. Her breath caught in her throat.
Granted, she hadn’t known Crow long, but the most dressed up she’d seen him was when he’d worn a polo instead of a T-shirt with his jeans.
Tonight, in a tux that could have been tailor made, he looked positively magnificent. His broad shoulders filled out the jacket to perfection, and with his hair pulled back, she could fully appreciate his chiseled masculine features.
For a brief second a hint of a smile crossed Crow’s face at her intense scrutiny. Sara lifted her chin and kept her face expressionless but she had the uneasy feeling he knew just what she’d been thinking.
He raised a sardonic brow. “Didn’t your mother teach you it was impolite to stare?”
“Didn’t your mother teach you it was impolite to interrupt a private conversation?” she shot back.
Their gazes met and a shiver of excitement shot up Sara’s spine. For a moment it was as if no one else existed, no one else mattered.
She was barely aware of James’s arm slipping around her shoulder, pulling her firmly to him.
“Sara informs me that you’ll be going with us tonight.” Though he’d reacted with uncharacteristic anger when she’d told him, James’s voice gave no indication that Crow’s presence was anything more than an inconvenience.
But Sara knew the proprietary way James held her and his emphasis on “with us” was strictly for Crow’s benefit. It shouldn’t have surprised her, but it did.
“Do you have a problem with that?” Crow’s gaze flickered dismissively over James, telling them all with that simple gesture that he’d do as he’d please, regardless of what either of them wanted.
James’s lips tightened and a hint of warning ran through his words. “Not as long as you don’t do anything to embarrass Sara.”
“Embarrass Sara?” Crow’s eyes shone black as coal. “Why would I want to do that?”
Sara moved through the crowd with James at her elbow. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Crow standing off to the side of the room, leaning against a pillar. He’d been there watching her from a distance most of the evening, a glass of sparkling water in his hand, an inscrutable expression on his face.
She’d hated leaving anyone alone at a party where they knew no one, but he’d assured her he was here as her bodyguard, not as an escort. Her job was to go about her business and forget he was even there.
It was easier said than done. Every time her eyes met his, she reacted like a giddy teen and her heart skipped a beat. Just the thought of his gaze on her made her skin tingle. He liked her dress. The look in his eyes told her that much.
“Sara.” James grabbed her arm and his voice was soft and low against her ear. “I see someone you need to meet.”
“Who is it?” They’d been mingling for what seemed like hours, and she’d have sworn she’d talked to everyone in the room at least once.
“He’s over there. The guy with the attractive brunette.” James gestured to a group of people milling around one of the bars. “Do you recognize him?”
It was all Sara could do not to roll her eyes. Recognize who? She counted no less than a dozen men in the area and at least five of them stood next to women who could be considered attractive brunettes, at least from the back.
“Depends on which guy we’re talking about.” Sara said.
“The one with the blond hair.”
Immediately Sara eliminated two guys with dark hair and a bald man in his forties. Two possibilities remained; an athletic-looking guy with sandy-colored hair and an older gentleman whose blond strands were streaked with gray.
As if afraid the man would disappear, James’s hand pressed against the small of her back, and he kept his voice low as he hurried her along. “His name is Stephen Comstock and he owns a firm that specializes in business software. I’ll introduce you.”
“James.” Sara planted her feet and refused to budge. “Before I take another step, I want you to tell me what this Stephen Comstock has to do with me.”
“You don’t recognize the name?” James stared in disbelief. “The guy is a patron of Christian music. I’m hoping we can get him to help sponsor your next tour.”
Sara had to smile. This Comstock guy must have a lot of money. It’d been a long time since she’d seen James this excited. “Who’s the woman with him? His wife?”