Ben nodded toward Tenzin. “Working.”
Her eyebrows went up, and she added a wedge of lime to his drink. “Oh wow. Okay. She’s pretty important, huh?”
“Her family…” He pursed his lips. “They’re protective. She doesn’t go anywhere alone, if you know what I mean.”
“Got it.” She glanced at his arms, his lips. “So… are you based here in the city?”
“Shanghai.” Ben sipped the soda. “I travel where she does.”
“No kidding? I’ve never been to China.”
“It’s an interesting place. Lots of work for someone like me. Unfortunately, I don’t have backup for this job.”
“So no time off for you, huh?”
Ben let his eyes warm and offered her a flirtatious smile. It was always good to have an ally on staff. “I wish, but no.”
The girl’s eyes moved back to Tenzin. “Oh, I see TBB is already making a move.”
Ben managed not to laugh as his eyes moved back to Tenzin. TBB. He was going to remember that. “Who is he?”
Trevor Blythe-Bickman was indeed making his move. He’d walked over to Tenzin’s table and was making small talk. Despite the hushed atmosphere of the bar, it was all audible to Ben’s vampire hearing.
“Have we met?”
Tenzin looked up. “I don’t believe so.”
“Are you sure?” The man put a hand disarmingly on his chest. “You look so familiar. Trevor Blythe-Bickman,” he said. “I’m in finance here in the city.”
And technology. And imports. And stolen antiquities and manuscripts.
“Is that so?”
This was the tricky part. Tenzin was going to have to walk the edge between being too aloof and putting the man off and being too eager to draw his interest. It was an operation that needed a scalpel when Tenzin was generally more of a sledgehammer.
Don’t be rude. Don’t be rude.
Tenzin cocked her head, and her shoulders relaxed a fraction. She put her phone facedown on the table. “Maybe you are familiar.” She held out her hand. “Ming.”
“Trevor.”
“He’s harmless really.” The pretty bartender was speaking again. “I mean, he’s rich and arrogant, but that’s par for the course around here. Of the lot of them, he’s pretty decent, all in all. Of course, he’s a good tipper.” She smiled and a dimple peeked out. “So I may be biased.”
“Hey, you can tell a lot about a person by how they tip.” Ben made a mental note to leave her a hundred. “So no security threat, huh?” He glanced over his shoulder, splitting his attention between the two women.
“Oh no. There’s a lot of security here at the club you don’t even see. You’d be surprised. We have important people here a lot, like for lectures and stuff. Nothing ever happens.”
Tenzin and TBB were exchanging mild pleasantries. Tenzin looked polite but a little bored. She was stringing him along. She picked up her phone and checked the time.
TBB caught the hint.
“I think you’ve just arrived, haven’t you?” His tone turned solicitous. “You must be exhausted. Maybe we could meet tomorrow for dinner.”
“I have commitments for dinner tomorrow night.” Tenzin pretended to consider him. “Maybe a drink after?”
“That would be fantastic. You’re staying here at the club?”
“I am.”
Ben made no attempt to hide his surveillance of the two, which was in keeping with his role as a bodyguard.
TBB offered to make reservations in the even more exclusive Chairman’s Room for the following night at ten.
Perfect.
“I think I’d enjoy that,” Tenzin said.
“—must be pretty tiring,” the bartender said.
“My job?” Ben turned to the bartender and shrugged. “I’ve been doing personal security for the Zhang family for six years now. I was assigned to Ming when she left for university in the UK, so I’m pretty familiar with her routine. All in all, she’s not too bad.” He leaned on the bar and lowered his voice. “I have some friends who have clients… They’re constantly posting from their hotel rooms, broadcasting where they are and what they’re doing twenty-four seven, you know?”
The girl’s eyebrows went up. “Oh yeah, that’s probably a huge risk, right?”
“Ming, she’s private. Not like that at all, so I can’t complain.”
“It looks like she and Trevor hit it off.” The girl nodded at their table. “Maybe you’ll get a night off.”
Ben smiled. “I wish. Doesn’t work that way.” He saw Tenzin rise, and Trevor stood too. “That’s my cue,” Ben said. “I better go. Nice meeting you…?”
“Alexis.” She smiled. “Nice to meet you too.”
“Amir.” He put his hand over his heart. “It’s been a pleasure.”
“How long is she here?”
“Four nights, unless something changes.” He shrugged. “You never know.”
“Hopefully I’ll see you again.”
“That would be great.” He took out his wallet and she tried to stop him.
“Oh no, you don’t have to pay. It’s included—”
“It’s not for the drink.” He placed a hundred on the bar and winked. “Don’t want to be a bad tipper.”
The girl was all smiles. “You are too sweet. Thank you.”
He saw Tenzin start walking out and hurried to catch up with her, grabbing the door to the club before she could reach it. “Ming.”
“Amir.” She nodded slightly. “I think I’m ready to retire for the night.”
“Of course.” He followed her, walking just behind her right side. “Are there any plans I need to be aware of for tomorrow?”
“Drinks in the Chairman’s Room.”
“I’ll make sure to adjust the schedule.”
They didn’t let go of their facades until they’d reached the door to Tenzin’s room, locked it, and placed an additional electronic alarm at the base of the door.
Ben turned and hooked Tenzin around the waist. “Ming.”
“Amir.” She allowed him to pull her into his body while she floated up and out of her shoes. “Women’s dress shoes are torture devices created by sadists.”
Ben planted a hand on the ass he’d been staring at all night. “Clothes in general are highly overrated.” He slid his fingers up her thigh, under her dress, and into a hidden pocket. Then he tossed one of her daggers onto the bed as he captured her mouth in a fierce kiss. “Good job tonight.”
“I saw you flirting with that woman.” She nipped his lip.
“Playing the game, Tiny.” He nipped back, careful not to break the skin. “Just playing the game.”
They arrived at the Chairman’s Room five minutes after Ming was scheduled to meet Trevor Blythe-Bickman. But while Ming was on the guest list, Amir was not.
“I am with Ms. Zhang,” Ben said. “This is not negotiable.”
The host for the Chairman’s Room was not young, female, and sweet; he was an arrogant pain in the ass with a superiority complex and a patronizing smile.