“I gave you options,” he pointed out. “That’s hardly blackmail. The choice is yours. I thought I was doing you a favor but since you don’t seem inclined to accept my offer then we’ll carry on and you can remain until the bitter end. But fair warning, word is after the showing your posse is having a post exhibit celebratory dinner and if you’re here you’ll be expected to attend.”
She couldn’t control the panicked, deer-in-the-headlights look she knew flashed on her face and it only served to further annoy the fuck out of her that he could always get a rise out of her when her emotions and reactions were always tightly under control. They had to be in her line of work.
“I’m taking that as a yes to the dance,” Sterling said with smug satisfaction.
“Asshole,” she muttered.
In a show of unexpected—and rare—consideration, he propelled her to the far end of the room where the band was playing and there she found she was incorrect about no one else dancing. Why that relieved her she wasn’t sure but then she hardly wanted all eyes on her and Sterling if they were the only ones dancing.
Wordlessly he pulled her into his arms and though she attempted to keep him at arm’s length so their dance was entirely casual, he ignored that just like he ignored everything else about her unless it suited his purposes.
She found herself locked against a very hard, very aggressive, aroused male.
Ignoring that particular fact, although that was kind of difficult when she could feel the imprint of his cock, the heat and urgency through his slacks and the sheer material of her dress. It throbbed against her belly and freaked the hell out of her. Wade Sterling turned on by her? Or because of her. Or with her. Whatever the hell it was. Maybe he was one of those guys who thrived on adversity and got turned on at inappropriate times. Or maybe it had nothing to do with her at all. Maybe any female would do or maybe he just hadn’t got laid in a while. And then she nearly snorted at that idea. This was a man who only had to crook his finger to have his choice of pussy.
Swallowing the knot that had formed in her throat, wishing she could wipe at the sheen of perspiration at her forehead, she fixed her gaze on Sterling’s shoulder, refusing to meet his eyes. She did not want to see whatever was reflected there. She was sure she wouldn’t like it.
“So do tell, if you couldn’t come up with a good enough excuse to give Gracie that I couldn’t come at all without hurting her feelings, how are you going to not hurt her feelings by telling her I was here but had to leave?” she asked skeptically.
“Look at me, Eliza.”
The words rumbled out of his chest, vibrating over her skin until she shivered. It was a command. No doubt he was accustomed to issuing commands and having them heeded.
She shook her head, mutely, refusing to be one of his mindless minions who took orders and obeyed without question.
Instead of making the demand again, he moved one of his arms from around her and cupped her chin with his hand and forced it in his direction, tilting it upward so he could see into her eyes and vice versa. Still refusing, she lowered her lids, staring downward even though her head was angled upward and her chin was still in his firm grip.
He chuckled. Bastard obviously found her funny. She almost forgot about not looking at him and nearly sliced her eyes upward so she could cut him to ribbons with a look and words.
He rubbed his thumb in an up and down motion that surprisingly felt more like a caress. His hand was gentle, though she had no doubt he wouldn’t allow her to slip away from him.
“Why even make me endure this farce?” she hissed. “It’s obvious you aren’t too worried about Gracie’s feelings or you wouldn’t have offered to let me dance with you in exchange for not being up close and personal with Gracie.”
“Maybe I wanted you to come,” he said blandly.
“Bullshit,” she snorted. “You have no more desire to be in the same room with me than I do you. Remember? According to you, I got you shot, and you said never would be too soon to see me again.”
He chuckled again. “I was pissed at the time, and face it, Eliza, you’re trouble with a capital T.”
Her mouth opened to let him have it with both barrels but the music ended and suddenly she was free of Sterling’s grasp and oddly bereft of the warmth that had surrounded her these last minutes.
“I suggest you go now and act like you’re sick and in a hurry,” he said in a low voice filled with mockery. “I’ll make your excuses to the others.”
She wanted to glare or do something childish and grind her heel into his foot, but he was offering her an escape, and she’d be a damned fool to hesitate. The cretin could change his mind in the next second, just as yet another way to torture her. So she turned, prepared to make a very hasty exit, when Sterling’s hand shot out, his fingers curling firmly around her elbow, effectively halting her. She refused to give him the satisfaction of turning to face him, but his low voice reached her ears again.
“If I find out you lied about surprising Gracie with something regarding her school, you’ll answer to me,” he said calmly, though there was a distinct edge of threat in his voice. “I’ll be watching you, Eliza.”
She bit her lip and bolted, wasting no more time in her bid to be rid of the entire place. Gracie’s gift of ferreting out one’s deepest, innermost thoughts. But most of all him.
Because him keeping an eye on her was exactly what she feared the most. Thank God, in a little over twenty-four hours, she’d be in the wind. Away from the people she cared most about. Her friends. Partners. People she risked her life for every damn day and who did the same for her.
And, most of all, she’d be forever and permanently beyond Sterling’s very long and encompassing reach.
FIVE
ELIZA was on edge, trying not to let it affect the unflappable composure she’d perfected and was known for, as she waited for the latest “state of the union” meeting to commence so she could tackle the most difficult task she’d set her mind to today.
Lying to Dane and hoping to hell she was convincing enough to escape his legendary bullshit detector. Technically he was her boss, and to everyone except the Devereaux brothers—Caleb, Beau and Quinn—he was. But to Eliza he wasn’t as much her boss as he was her partner.
Everyone at DSS had someone they gravitated toward, worked well together with, and partnerships developed. It hadn’t been long after Eliza had been hired that Dane had tagged her as his partner, which had surprised the hell out of her and pleased her enormously.