“Leo, please. Listen to me. We have to go.” Riya glanced at Mira, who nodded. “Our cars are here. Come on.”
There was something in her eyes that made me relent. She took my hand as security released me and pulled me away from the dance floor.
We weaved through back hallways and then down a set of stairs leading to a metal door. When we made it out into the crisp night air, I noticed two limos waiting near the end of the alley.
I was going to have to ask her how she knew the club so well.
“You go home, Mira. I’ll drop Leo at his place.”
“Don’t kill him. He was protecting your honor.”
“Mira. Go home.” Riya’s tone was her bossy big-sister one.
Why did her no-nonsense attitude turn me on so much?
The bodyguard led Mira to her car and got in the front passenger side after she was in.
Riya and I slid into the limo, taking opposite ends of the long bench seats. She angled her body toward the window.
The door closed, and she pushed the button on a nearby panel to close the partition.
I wasn’t sure what to expect as soon as we were on our way. Was she pissed I’d helped her, or was she relieved?
All I knew was that I wished I’d gotten in another punch to the bastard’s face for even considering laying a hand on the girls.
“Why the fuck were you at the club, Leo?”
“I wanted to give you an update on my meeting with Whitaker. I called multiple times. You didn’t answer.”
“Maybe that should have given you a clue that I wasn’t available. I’m not at your beck and call. I have a life outside of you.”
“I thought I was the reason you were visiting from the land of sunshine. You’re here to fix my life, and that means you need to be accessible when I need you.”
“Let’s get this straight, Vaughn. I’m a crisis-management publicist. I don’t jump when you call, I don’t stand when you tell me to, and I sure as hell don’t need to give you an accounting of my whereabouts.”
I narrowed my gaze at her. “Then I guess that means I should follow the same rules. I don’t need or want you to help me. I’ll figure it out myself.”
“Yes, that’s working out just fine. Do you realize the shit you just got us into? You not only added to your tarnished image by adding ‘club brawler with a temper’ to the list, you put my reputation on the line. Dammit, Leo, I have to go home and spend the rest of the night figuring out a way to spin this mess.”
I couldn’t believe she was hung up on image and not the fact I’d stepped between her and a jerk who would’ve hurt her.
“I was fucking protecting you and Mira. That bastard couldn’t take no for an answer.”
“Did you by chance notice my bodyguard? One signal from me and he would have handled it.”
“Then what were you waiting for? That dick was ready to throw you over his shoulder.”
She growled. “I have lived on my own for a very long time. I know how to deal with assholes. I do it on a regular basis.” Her angry gaze bore into my face. “Wait a second. How did you find me? We only planned to go to the club a few hours ago. And don’t give me any nonsense about Neil telling you. Neil doesn’t have a clue what we were up to.”
I cringed. She was definitely going to chew me out for this. Better to act like it was no big deal.
“Your driver is assigned to one of the company vehicles. I had it tracked.”
She inhaled deep, clenched her jaw, and then muttered under her breath, “Insufferable, egotistical jerk.”
Just when I was about to respond to her colorful opinion of me, Riya’s phone rang. She pulled it from her clutch and answered with a brisk, “This is Guliani.”
She listened to the person on the line and then pinched the bridge of her nose. “Already? Fuck, this is bad. Damn cell phones.”
She glared at me in a way that said she was envisioning my head on a platter.
“No, do not make any statements to anyone. Wait, actually put something like this out into our usual media channels. Let me know when you’re ready.”
She waited and then began again. “Spin it this way: While enjoying a night out with two of his childhood friends, Leo Vaughn stepped between an overzealous club patron who wouldn’t take no for an answer and the women he views as sisters. He felt it was his duty to protect them from unwanted advances. Multiple sources confirm the fight was not instigated by Mr. Vaughn. All parties were removed from the premises per nightclub policy.”
She paused again, nodding as the person on the line spoke. “That’s right. Make it look like Leo is the hero of what could have turned into a very bad night for Mira and me. Yes, get it out ASAP.
“One more thing, let it leak that Leo had dinner with Darius Whitaker and that there’s no bad blood between them. I want people to question the pictures that were splashed all over the press this past week.”
Riya sighed. “Good night. Let me know if anything else comes up.”
She hung up the phone and dropped her head back against the seat.
“Thank you.” I had no idea what else to say.
In a matter of minutes, she’d reworked the whole evening into something that could start repairing my reputation, instead of further damaging it.
It was eerily scary and arousing how fast her brain worked. We could fight all we wanted but there was no doubt in my mind she knew what she was doing.
“You’re welcome.”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have tracked you to the club or come inside.”
“Even for you, that was a bit excessive.”
“Yeah, I was being a prick.”
“Am I hearing you right? Are you admitting to one of your many faults?”
I grinned. “Yes, even I, the usually perfect Leo Vaughn, make mistakes on occasion.”
“On occasion? Maybe I should scoot back just in case lightning strikes.”
“Don’t worry, this car is lightning proof.”
Riya chuckled, and the annoyance from earlier completely disappeared from her demeanor.
This fun banter reminded me of the girl who’d long ago disappeared from my life. The girl who’d been my friend, the girl I’d dreamed of kissing, the girl I still dreamed of kissing.
As if sensing the change in my thoughts, her eyes darkened. A slow tension grew between us that had nothing to do with all that had just transpired in the club.
Her breath came out in shallow pants, hinting at her response to me, and my cock immediately reacted.
Fuck, this attraction between us was going to burn us alive, and ignoring it was only adding to the pull.
“Leo.” My name on her lips was breathy, giving away her arousal.
I closed my eyes, dropping my head back against the headrest. “We can’t.”
“I know.”
“You don’t even like me.”
“And you don’t like me.”
“It’s physical.”
“Yes. Physical.”
I lifted my head and stared into her dark-chocolate eyes. The desire I saw reflecting back at me made the tight leash I had on my desire for the woman unravel.
We both reached for each other at the same time, lips colliding.
Dear God, she tasted incredible, like mint and lime. Her fingers threaded into my hair as I pulled her astride my hips. Her short dress gave her the ability to align the damp crotch of her underwear against the seam of my pants and engorged cock.