He bravely hid his wince.
“I warned you,” I whispered.
I felt the flex of his muscles, he had a long, lean body like a swimmer.
“Just let me lead,” he murmured.
He glided across the dance floor, and I stumbled, and almost stepped on his foot again.
“I said let me lead, you’re still trying to take over.”
I frowned. “I’m used to being in charge.”
“Relax.”
“I’m pretty crap at that.”
“I would never have guessed.” He nuzzled the side of my head. “Trust me.”
He moved me easily across the dance floor, and once I realized that I wasn’t going to trip, I relaxed a little.
“You don’t relax easily, do you?” Liam’s mouth brushed my ear.
My hormones started tap-dancing through my system. The man was too potent. Too hot. Too everything.
As he moved against me, I indulged the desire running through me. It only took seconds for me to forget where I was, why I was there.
There was only Liam.
His gaze locked on mine. He didn’t look away.
Suddenly, I realized the song had ended, we were still swaying against each other to our own song.
“Aspen.” He cupped my cheeks, thumbs on my cheekbones.
Then he stiffened. I saw his face close down, and a flash of something dark in his eyes.
“Liam, what’s wrong?” A part of me wanted to wrap my arms around him, comfort him. Take away that pain I’d seen in his eyes.
His jaw worked. “My father’s headed this way.”
Crap. “Your father’s in New York?”
“Yes. He’s in town, and I’ve declined to meet with him.”
“Okay.” I clung to Liam’s arm as he hustled me off the dance floor.
“He wants to introduce me to his new fiancée.” A pause. “Who’s far younger than I am.”
Well, Rupert Kensington was a real winner. “How long have they been engaged?”
“No clue, and I don’t care. He’s conveniently ignored the fact that he’s still married to his last wife.”
I wondered if this engagement had come before or after those ugly photos. “So his divorce isn’t final?”
Liam shook his head.
“Liam,” a deep voice drawled.
We turned. I slid an arm around Liam’s lean waist. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders.
“Father.” His tone was sharp and clipped.
Well, if I ever wanted to guess what Liam would look like as he aged, I now had the answer. Rupert Kensington looked like an older version of his son. Long, trim body, handsome face, and gold hair now smudged with distinguished gray at his temples.
The woman standing beside him smiled, her head tilted at an angle that looked painful. Her chestnut-brown hair was piled on her head in a complicated design. Her gaze was locked on Liam.
“It’s so wonderful to run into you here.” Rupert grinned, ignoring the tension. “Now you can meet Cressida.”
“A pleasure,” the young woman breathed.
Liam didn’t even look at her, just nodded.
“And who is this delectable creature?” Rupert’s gaze fell on me. His eyes were brown, not Liam’s blue.
“Penn, this is my father and his fiancée.” Liam’s tone was colder than the polar ice cap.
“Hi,” I said.
“My son follows in my footsteps. He has an eye for the beautiful ladies.”
Liam stiffened, his fingers clenching on my hip. Cressida’s laugh was like a small tinkle.
I covered Liam’s hand with mine.
“Oh?” I cocked my head, then looked at Liam. “I thought you were estranged from your father, and that he was a massive asshole? I wouldn’t have thought you followed in his footsteps. At all.”
Rupert’s face froze. The good-natured look leached from his face, replaced by acid.
Cressida looked around, uncertain.
Liam’s body relaxed, and then he laughed—a sexy, low laugh.
God, I really liked the sound of it.
“I like a woman with intelligence, Father, not just beauty. I like more than just arm candy. And I also like a woman who’s an adult.”
I heard the hidden message.
Anger flared on Rupert’s face.
“We were just leaving.” Liam tugged me away. “Enjoy the party, Father. Cressida.”
Liam didn’t stop until he’d towed me out of the ballroom.
Then he yanked me up, our mouths a whisper apart.
“I want to take you home and fuck you all night.”
My body lit up. “Because of the dress, or because I mouthed off to your douchebag father?”
“Both. I like the whole package.”
I sighed. It almost hurt to wrestle my desire into some sort of submission.
“Sorry. You’re going back to your multi-million-dollar pad, and I’m going back to my apartment. Alone. Well, with my two sisters.”
I’d also be going home hugely turned on to my empty bed.
“So strict,” he murmured.
“We’ve criminals to bring down, remember?”
He tucked my hair back, setting my earring swinging. “I’m good at multitasking.”
“Turn off the charm and sex appeal, Kensington. I can’t handle much more of it.”
He smiled. “You think I’m sexy?”
“You don’t need me feeding your ego.” The elevator arrived. “I’ll see you tomorrow. We have a warehouse to search.”
10
They’re Protective
Liam
Liam sat in the passenger seat of a plain, boring white Chevy sedan. Aspen sat behind the wheel.
Everyone believed they were holed up in his office for a meeting. But they’d snuck out and taken Aspen’s vehicle.
“This is a crap car.”
She arched a brow. “Sorry, I left my Aston at home.”
He grunted. “It’s still crap.”
“Man, you are a snob. We’re trying to blend in, remember?”
They were heading into the Bronx toward the warehouse. He tapped his fingers on the dash. He’d hoped to have heard something from Vander this morning, but all he had was a short text telling him they were still working on it.
“Have you been to the warehouse before?” she asked.
“No.” Soon she turned onto the street where the warehouse was, and Liam leaned forward. “That’s it there.”
They drove past the brick building. It was a solid block of red brick, several stories high at the front, and with a long, single story section at the back with large roller doors and a crumbling roof.
Aspen found a parking spot on the next street and they walked back.
Liam took out a key, and opened a large metal door at the front. It groaned as he pushed it open.
They stepped into the shadowed space. Pigeons took flight, casting flickering shadows in the light that filtered in through the grimy windows and single hole in the ceiling.
The place was filthy. There were puddles on the ground, piles of trash, and the scent of… He wasn’t exactly sure what it was.
Aspen eyed his shoes and suit, a smile on her face. “Watch those shiny Italian shoes.”