His jaw ached with the strain of holding it clenched. He watched the girl leave. She at least had the forethought to ask one of the servers to accompany her out. She’d chosen the biggest guy there. Luke leaned back in the chair, arms crossed, and watched her go. David ignored the whole proceeding. He was already chatting up one of the waitresses. She didn’t seem to mind him quite so much, and laughed when he planted a hand on her backside.
Luke shook his head and turned his attention back to the wedding planner. They’d moved on to... what? He’d lost track. He sighed and shifted in his chair, trying to find a comfortable position on something that was designed for someone half as tall as him.
Look alive; you’ve got to see this thing through. There’s no other way to stay close to her.
He leaned in as if interested in china patterns and place settings. As it turned out, they really didn’t need him at all. His half-hearted comments were ignored. In fact, he was starting to suspect that there wasn’t a person in the place, save Samuel, who was paying him any attention at all.
Finally, he just sat back in the chair and let the discussions go on around him.
He was never sure how the decisions were finally made. Benny simply urged people to pick something and move on, Dani was distracted, and Luke certainly didn’t care. Still, the cake was chosen, and most of the planners left happy and took the miles of fabric with them, undraping it from the chairs and tables and whatever else hadn’t moved. He suspected they’d all been paid off just to show up. Interestingly, a couple of them looked positively giddy to not be chosen for the main event.
Apparently, Benny’s reputation had preceded him.
As for the dress, that was something Dani would be trying on later, though they did take a great deal of measurements. That was the sole part of the day where Luke wasn’t bored silly. The little dress she wore showed off her long, strong legs, and to have her stand still while being measured was a thrill to watch. It didn’t hurt any at all that she was obviously embarrassed by the whole process, so in that regard Luke particularly enjoyed making suggestions on measurements.
“Do you mind?” she hissed when a particularly delicate measurement checked her inseam.
“You’re not getting pants,” he said to her, but was looking at the seamstress.
“No sir,” the girl said, and slid her hand up Dani’s leg, measuring tape flying behind her.
“I withdraw my objection,” Luke said, and sat down to enjoy the show.
During the fitting and measuring, Luke looked around the room and smiled and waved to Samuel. The man was seething, a lovely bruise blossoming on his face. It looked good on him. He’d made an enemy, but there was nothing the goon could do about it. By now, everyone in Benny’s outfit knew Luke was capable of taking out someone of Samuel’s caliber. He’d made his own escape that much harder, but he couldn’t regret it.
Still, he had to get Dani alone, tell her about Randy, and get the USB stick from her again.
Maybe I shouldn’t have hit him quite so hard. I’m never getting out of this room now. He clenched and unclenched his fist. It ached from where it had connected with Samuel’s head.
What he needed was a plan.
And a way to carry it out.
DANI FELT LIKE A DAMN fool. She wouldn’t have worn a short dress if she’d known she was going to be set in front of a crowd and measured. It was bad enough holding her arms out while someone called out her bust size for the world to hear, but to do it in a short dress that tended to ride up with her was a little past her comfort zone.
She had just reached a state of mind where she could do whatever was required and just not be there, when Luke started with the catcalling. If Uncle Benny wanted a blushing bride, he certainly had one now.
She’d never been busty, which had turned out to be a blessing, as it freed her for the martial arts she’d loved and which had saved her time and again. But there had been a time when she’d been self-conscious about it. Kids had a way of homing in on the one thing that made you insecure, and she’d endured more than her fair share of teasing at school.
Luke took all that to a whole new level.
Seriously. Water balloons? Emergency air bags? What was he, twelve?
“Do you mind?” she hissed at him after a particularly nasty comment had actually brought chuckles from the peanut gallery. Hearing Benny’s henchmen laugh at her bra size was something she seriously didn’t need right now.
“Of course I don’t mind, sweetheart!” he called cheerfully from across the room. “I love you just the way you are.” He lifted a champagne flute in a mocking toast.
She tried to ignore him. Truly she did. But as the comments continued, some of those statements were getting out of hand. Enough was enough. Her chin came up as she stepped down from the platform where she was getting measured, and stormed over to his side of the room. “Come here,” she said through clenched teeth, stopping just short of him.
It took a minute.
He sat, doing that fucking man-sprawl thing with his legs spread wide, like he owned the entire freaking universe. He’d been leaning his chair back against the table behind him, arms crossed behind his head. He looked for all the world like an overconfident football jock, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was suddenly in the role of spinster teacher, trying to take the bully down a peg or two.
She seriously considered kicking the leg out from under the chair to see if a concussion might improve his personality.
Apparently he figured out her thought process, because he stood, the chair coming down with a bang. Though it didn’t stop the huge grin from spreading across his face. “As you command, Honey-Bun,” he said, and sketched a quick bow.
Even in ridiculous heels that left her trying to balance on tiptoe she was at his side in in instant, her hand buried in the material of his shirt. She yanked him in close, hearing the fabric tear. “What the hell are you doing?”
He leaned over and put his arms around her as if she hadn’t just snarled at him with all the venom of a cobra. “He’s watching,” he warned her against her ear. “If he thinks we’re just talking, he’ll break this up.” He pulled her to him and buried his face in the nape of her neck, nibbling as he went.
He smelled wonderful. Why did he have to smell so wonderful? She shook her head to clear it and grabbed his arms, digging her nails into the thick corded muscle.
“I contacted my boss, or possibly, my old boss,” he said, attacking her ear with his lips. “He’s got us under surveillance. Okay, that’s starting to hurt...”