She chuckled. “She’s your wife. Your secret is safe with me.”
“We can always count on you to keep a secret.” Douglas winked and kissed her cheek before she slid into the limo.
Being one of the last ones to enter, she had no choice but to plant herself next to the only spot available. Right next to Dax. He gave her a sultry smile as she slid next to him, her thigh touching his. As Douglas entered as the last person, she had no choice but to squeeze tighter next to Dax. Her entire body brushed up against his hard body. Oh, the shivering pleasure from that simple contact.
“Are you okay?” he whispered into her ear.
“I’m fine. Glad to be where the cool air is.”
He nodded once, then turned toward Lora as she demanded his attention. Sarafina, although not wanting to, kept a sweet smile on her face as they ventured to the reception.
Was she okay? No. Earlier, she had been looking forward to the reception. Now, she dreaded it with every breath in her body as she listened to Dax and Lora laugh like they were old lovers.
Not okay at all.
3
Sitting next to this woman and listening to her aggravating laugh was enough to want to put a bullet through his head. The minute Lora Chilani slid up to him, wrapping her arms around him, he knew he had a great opening into the affairs of the Chilani family. A glance at Sarafina had him hesitating, but only for a moment.
He was here to do a job, not fall in love. Sarafina did not register on his scale of priorities, even if he wanted to send her to the top.
Snuggling Lora closer as he laughed at her flirting that did nothing for him, he reinforced the decision to do his job without further distractions.
Because that’s what Sarafina was. A simple distraction. He couldn’t afford even a small one. The tiniest distraction could get him killed. That was the last thing he wanted to do today. He wasn’t ready to die.
But that damn distraction was sitting right next to him, bundled so close, it was difficult not to turn and mold her more perfectly to his frame. And she smelled delicious. A sweet scent of vanilla and lavender. Perhaps her shampoo. Or maybe some sort of hairspray as her hair look coiled to perfection. Or his favorite, a lovely fragrance from a perfume bottle. He always loved a woman wearing a light, airy perfume that enticed him to come closer.
That’s exactly what her scent was doing to him. He wanted to get so close it would be indecent in front of everyone.
“So, what do you do, Dax? With all the crazy details with the wedding, Ryan didn’t have the chance to tell us more about you,” Lora crooned.
“Business. I work on Wall Street. The details are rather boring and tedious. I’d rather hear more about you.” After speaking that lie, he touched the tip of her nose delicately as if he wanted to know more about her.
Sarafina shivered next to him. Damn, was she still cold? It would be okay to give her his coat now, except he had this other horrid woman hanging off him. She was either cold like she claimed before, or her body struggled to keep up with the craziness of the day. Did she eat like she said she did?
Focus. She is not your concern.
“I would love to know more about you,” Lora said in a delicate whisper as she almost pressed her entire body over his.
“Get a room, Lora. Leave the poor man alone, at least while we’re in the vehicle with you,” Jane yelled from the other end of the limo.
“Screw you, Jane,” Lora replied.
“If you swing that way, honey, I’m game,” Jane said with a seductive smirk.
The entire limo roared with laughter, even Lora, who gave her an appreciative glance.
Now Dax wanted to shiver—with disgust. He had the distinct impression that Lora would take her up on the offer, then jump into bed with a man. What in the hell was he getting himself into? It was like playing with fire and getting blown to bits before the flames even touched him.
Twenty excruciating minutes later, they made it to the reception hall at one of the most luxurious hotels in New York City. Even Dax had to admit he was impressed and looking forward to seeing the inside. Elegance gleamed from the windows to the debonair doorman standing outside.
Sarafina exited before him, making him want to groan with longing as he watched her butt sway, trying to reel him in. Ignoring the temptation, he exited the limo and then turned around, holding his hand out for Lora.
“You are such a gentleman.”
He smiled, unsure of what flirty thing to say. Sarafina’s delectable body wouldn’t disappear in his mind.
“Daddy, have you met Dax yet?”
Dax whipped his head to his left where Martin Chilani approached from the vehicle behind theirs. The man could stop the entire New York City traffic in its tracks. Authority, power, and a sense of intellect exuded from him in waves.
Black hair with some gray sprinkled in gave him almost a young grandfatherly look. Eyes of gold that spoke of intelligence and an awareness that he knew what you were thinking. And his state of dress, pressed, wrinkle-free as if he hadn’t taken a twenty-minute drive like the rest of them.
The man scared the shit out of Dax. And not much scared him.
“I don’t believe I have yet, princess,” Mr. Chilani said with tenderness, then trained his eyes on Dax. The stare unnerved him. “Daxton Delcroy. A pleasure to finally meet one of Ryan’s good friends. From his college days, yes?”
Without showing an ounce of fear, Dax shook hands with the man, maintaining a firm grip. A notch of respect inched higher from Mr. Chilani by that simple feat. He could see it in his eyes. “Yes, old college roommates. It was great to hear from him after so long.”
“And why such the long separation?”
“Sometimes life takes you places you didn’t realize you’d go and suddenly it’s almost passed you by, making you wonder where the time went. I bet you can still remember when Lily was just a baby and now she’s a married woman. Time flies, sir.”
Mr. Chilani laughed. “It sure does. I’m still recovering from her getting married. Ryan is a good man. He’ll treat her right.”
Or else. Dax heard the silent ‘or else’ as clear as the sunny blue sky.
“What do you do, Mr. Delcroy?”
“Please, Mr. Chilani, call me Dax. I work in the finance world. I—”
“On Wall Street, Daddy,” Lora chimed in, like it was the most dazzling job in the world.
“Wall Street. Making some decent money, then. What sort of finance?”
Dax tried not to lift his hand to loosen his bow tie from the sudden interrogation. He couldn’t screw this up. Dead man, or still a groomsman of the wedding? Those were his only two outcomes.
“Stocks and bonds. A demanding, yet rewarding job. Money is always a pretty sight to see.”
“Do you know Richard Tilleti?”
Oh, shit. Martin Chilani had done his homework on Dax, already trying to test his cover story.
“Small world. That’s my boss. Great man, difficult to please at times, but a generous boss.”
“Oh, yes, he can be a difficult man.” Mr. Chilani’s eyes trailed to the building where Lily and Ryan were making their entrance. “I do believe the bride and groom have arrived. I look forward to sharing more stories with you about Richard. I never miss a chance to talk business.”