She didn’t look away from Cole. Suspicion sharpened her gaze. “Who is paying for my protection?”
“We can talk about it when you’re done.”
One hand went to her hip. “We can talk about it right now.”
Damn but she was even sexier when she was angry.
“Now, one more time, who is paying for my protection?”
“He is,” Chase supplied, cutting in with his chipper tone. “Cole volunteered to foot the bill for your protection detail.”
She stepped closer to Cole. “Why would you do that?”
Because it’s you.
“Evie!” Leo hurried toward her. “We only have the studio for thirty more minutes. And don’t forget, we’ve got the charity ball tonight. We need to finish up here and then go get gorgeous and extra glamorous before the big event.” He stopped behind her. Smiled at Cole and Chase. “Oh, there are two of them now.”
“You knew there were two,” Evie replied without looking his way. “You never miss anyone in your studio.”
“Well, of course, I don’t miss anyone. Can’t just have random people sneaking inside and trying to steal our choreography routines.” He huffed. “And don’t think that shit hasn’t happened before.” His voice rose. “Though, technically, it wasn’t a random person so much as that wannabe Michael Simmons and—”
She put her hand on his chest. “Don’t get worked up about him. You know you’re way better than he is.”
Leo exhaled. Seemed to calm. “You’re right.”
Evie’s stare was still on Cole. “We are going to talk about this situation. It’s not over.”
He nodded. They could definitely talk, but he would still keep footing the bill. Because he had the feeling that Evie was trying to pull the plug on Wilde’s services, and he wasn’t about to leave her unprotected. He knew that was precisely what the perps wanted.
As soon as she’s vulnerable, they’ll strike.
That was the way the assholes always worked.
Without another word, she headed back to the team of six male dancers. Cole couldn’t help it. He tried so very, very hard to keep his gaze up, but it fell because…
Evie’s ass is a thing of beauty.
Then Leo stepped in his way and blocked his view. “For the record,” Leo’s voice was loud. “She is a million miles out of your league.”
Of course, she was. “Tell me something I don’t know.”
Leo’s gaze turned dagger-like in intensity. Leo didn’t like Cole. Check. He’d gotten that message a few times.
They needed to work through this shit. “I’m keeping her safe,” Cole growled. So back the hell off.
Leo moved closer, and voice low, said, “I don’t want to see Evie get her heart broken just because some badass comes in and sweeps her off her feet. It would figure that Evie would have a weakness for badasses.” Leo sniffed and pointed to Cole. Then Chase.
Wait, Chase? Why the hell was Leo pointing at Chase? Cole jerked his thumb toward the other Wilde agent. “She’s not fucking interested in him.”
“She’s got a type. Obviously. Evie is the typical good girl who wants to walk on the bad side.”
“There is nothing typical about her,” Cole fired right back. “If you think that, you don’t know her at all.”
“Oh, I don’t? And you’re going to tell me that she’s not typical because she’s special and she’s—”
“She damn well is special.” Cole glared at him. “What the hell is your deal? I thought you were her friend. I thought—”
“He is her friend,” Chase told him as he grabbed Cole’s shoulder. “That’s why he’s pushing your buttons to see how you react. He wants to find out just how in to Evie you are.”
He—aw, hell. Now Leo was smiling. More like beaming. “Looks like you are all in.” Leo hummed. “Good to know. Maybe if you beg enough, she’ll give you a second chance.”
“I’m hardly the begging type.”
Leo had already turned away. He waved his hand in the air. “Don’t forget your tux for tonight! Maybe if you look good enough in it, you won’t have to beg as long.”
“I am not the begging type!”
A few feet away from Leo, one of the dancers was swinging Evie in front of him. He had one hand curled around her waist, and the other held her leg—the top of her leg, about three inches, maybe two inches away from her—
Chase’s hold tightened on him when Cole surged forward. “You know you don’t get to attack the dancers.”
“Do you see where his hand is?”
“Yes, and I know you wish that was your hand, but it’s not, and they’re working, and this isn’t about sex.”
He still wanted that hand fucking moved.
“I don’t think there is a threat to your Evie in this dance studio. I think the male dancers are in more danger than she is. And that danger is you.”
Your Evie. His head swung toward Chase. “We’re not sleeping together.”
Chase’s eyebrows climbed. “Did I ask? Did I ask you to tell me way too much information about your sex life? Because I don’t think I did.”
“You called her mine. She’s…not.”
“Yeah, but you’d like for her to be.”
“I—” Shit. Yes. A thousand times yes.
“You’re footing the bill for her security.” Chase whistled. “You know I’m not cheap.”
None of the Wilde agents were.
“That sure says a whole lot about how you feel regarding the woman.”
“You’re probing. Thought you didn’t want too much info.”
Chase let him go. “She’s right, and so are you.”
Right about what? Cole was lost. He was also trying not to glance back over his shoulder to see what the dancers were doing—
“Her protection detail can’t go on indefinitely. I’m assuming you don’t have limitless resources.”
Chase could assume whatever—
“And the perps are trying to wait until she’s vulnerable. If we backed off, if you made your presence a little less obvious in her life, then maybe they’d make a move. Have you considered that?”
“I’m not backing off,” he snarled. What the hell? Chase wanted Cole to leave Evie vulnerable? Was he batshit insane?
“Okay, okay, easy there, killer.” Chase shook his head. “Look, if they’re watching her, then they’ve seen you around her. You’re not exactly playing things low key. You’re this big, tattooed guy who is watching her every move. That screams bodyguard, just so you know.”
“I don’t care what it—”
“If you want to catch the bad guys, you need to make your presence scream something else. Obviously, you don’t want to leave Evie on her own. I don’t want her on her own, either, just so you know. I’m not into the whole throwing lambs to wolves bit. Totally not what I was suggesting.” He cleared his throat. “I thought that you might want to present a new image to anyone who might be watching from the shadows.”