With a sly grin, she turns her back to the water to face the group, dropping her voice. “The blond in the blue dress? The one chattering on about buying houses for her mom? That’s Laurel. She was an escort. That’s how she met Philip. He paid her to suck his cock and I guess it was true love.”
I choke on a mouthful of Champagne, hearing such a crass word come from such seemingly refined lips. “Really . . .”
A wicked giggle escapes her. “And Celia? The redhead? She was the nanny, hired by the wife. Broke the marriage up when the baby was just five months old. Her real name is Peggy-Sue but she changed it about a year ago. Said Celia sounds more distinguished.”
I meet her impish grin with one of my own. “I like this game. What else you got?” This may be easier than I thought.
Her face twists. “The big bald man standing on the other side of Luke? He spends one night a week at the RiverPlace hotel with his boyfriend. His wife, Carla—the curvy one in the black lace dress—has no clue, but that could be because she’s too busy fucking the seventeen-year-old pool boy, so . . .”
“So cliché,” I joke, an edge of unease sliding its way in. This is the kind of stuff surveillance teams pick up. “You seem to know an awful lot about everyone.”
“Aref makes it his job to know who he’s going into business with.”
And the people around them, obviously. I feel her dark eyes on me as I take a calm sip, training my focus on Luke while my senses go into overdrive. What exactly is Elmira telling me right now? Has Aref been looking into me? What could he possibly find out? Not much. I’ve stayed in role. But I think back to that comment earlier, about taking photos on the bridge . . . It could have been coincidence, or it could be a hint that they know about my classes.
That they’ve been following me.
Suddenly I’m gauging the depth of the water and distance to the shore, wondering if I could actually make it down to the Jet Skis in time, wishing I were a stronger swimmer. But I can’t think like that. I have to assume nothing. Playing the curious new girlfriend is the only direction I can take. “Any juicy info on Luke that I should know about?”
The breeze carries her low, throaty chuckle as we both turn back to face the dark waters. “Well, you definitely don’t have to worry about where his preferences lay.”
“That’s good. What else?”
She sips her drink slowly, her words deliberate. “He’s too trusting, wouldn’t you say?”
I struggle to keep my face stoic, even as I feel the blood drain from it. “I don’t know about that. I do know that he really likes your husband.”
“Aref can charm anyone he needs to in order to get what he wants. He is, first and foremost, a businessman. There’s a reason he and his family are so wealthy.” She pauses. “Luke likes Aref because Aref wants to be liked.”
I frown at her warning tone. Or maybe I’m just paranoid. “Are you saying he shouldn’t trust Aref?”
Dark eyes flicker to me. “I’m saying that Luke may be getting in over his head, and that is not a good place to be with these people.”
A sinking feeling hits the pit of my stomach. Is Luke in danger? “Why are you—”
I gasp as strong arms suddenly wrap around my body.
Chapter 29
LUKE
Two hours of listening to these guys talk world politics and business is about all I can take. Partly because I’m not interested, but mostly because I have no fucking clue what these guys are talking about. Islamic rule? A Scottish referendum? North Korean missile launches?
I guess I should add CNN to my lineup of reality TV and sports. Too bad I hate watching the news. I can’t talk about business with Aref around these guys. So when I saw Rain leaning against the rail, her sexy, sleek curves calling to me, I had my excuse to detach.
“You two enjoy yourselves. Take a tour, if you’d like. There will be another course of appetizers circulating soon,” Elmira says, shooting a hard look at Rain before drifting away.
Rain’s body is rigid beneath my fingers. “What was that about?”
“I just don’t know how to read her.” With a deep sigh, she shakes her head. “It was nothing. How’s your night?”
Standing behind Rain, holding her like this, gives me easy access to her slender neck. I dip my nose into it, inhaling the scent of her—rose petals—my eyes stealing a glance at the swell of her breasts.
Remembering the night she gave me a millisecond’s worth glance at them at the window last week. It seems she’s more comfortable getting undressed for me from thirty feet and two glass panels away. If that’s what she needs to do for now, I’ll grin and bear it. From what I’ve already seen, it will be well worth the wait.
“Much better now.”
Her body finally relaxes into mine as my arms tighten around her waist, her ass pressing into my hips, about the exact time that my dick begins to harden. Perfect. Well, at least she knows she has my full attention.
When I asked Aref for two cabins, he laughed at me. Part of me wanted to take advantage of this situation, even if just to lie next to her. But, after last Saturday, I know that the likelihood of me controlling myself is near zero, so I figured I’d heed Jesse’s advice. “Follow her lead.” She has an out. If she decides she wants to climb into my bed, it’ll be 100 percent her choice.
And I’m 1,000 percent ready.
Sure enough, another waiter circulates with a tray of shrimp in minutes.