Fixing Justice (15 page)

She swung the foot crossed over her leg and fixed him with a stern look. “In case you hadn’t noticed, I can take care of myself, thank you very much.”

“That may be but know this,” Drae growled. “I protect what’s important, and right now, that would be you.”

The foot stopped shaking at his declaration and the “Oh” that she muttered hung in the air for long moments.

As if the short flight into Vegas aboard the private jet wasn’t eye-opening enough, the moment they arrived at their destination, Tori was treated to an up close view of what it was like to be treated like a VIP. It hadn’t taken long to understand that Draegyn St. John didn’t have to snap his fingers to get something done. No, the world he lived in revolved around seeing to his unspoken needs in an invisible but powerfully intoxicating way that had her sitting up and taking notice.

With Wallace, all that deference was the result of having been born to title in a culture that catered to its aristocracy whether they earned it or not. People had rushed to protect and vindicate his immoral behavior without conscience just because he was an Earl. His brand of conceit was the sort born of entitlement, of feeling that he was somehow better than the common man.

Draegyn on the other hand wielded an authority that emanated from his DNA. It was part of his emotional makeup and not because he was born to it. She wondered if it was the result of so many years in the military. There was a precision to everything he did, whether adjusting the cuffs of his shirt as he stood buttoning his suit jacket or his posture as he relaxed.

She was mostly silent, taking in the rush of activity that greeted them. Before the plane even came to a halt, someone from the flight crew had briefed Draegyn on the arrangements for their return. A personal assistant from the casino had been sent to see to their every need. Tori was impressed with how adroitly he managed the endless flow of information and people that came across his radar. Peering from the open door she spied a big black limousine waiting on the tarmac to whisk them off to their hotel.

He made sure to formally introduce her as his associate, ensuring that she would be treated accordingly. At every turn there were people taking care of the details meaning she didn’t have to see to her carry-on or do anything more strenuous than carry her purse. The ballet of deference shown to him was eye opening and a little exciting. She’d been momentarily stunned when he offered her his arm after descending the steps of the plane, but she’d been quick to slide her hand where he indicated. She’d been even more surprised when he covered her small hand with his much bigger one in a way that seemed possessive. The quiet thrill twinkling along her nerve endings lasted until an employee from the hotel, who was waiting for them by the car, cast her a dismissive glare seconds before she rather pointedly checked out the man at her side in a head to toe inspection that was a bit too brazen for Tori’s liking.

He didn’t seem to notice, which was a good thing, because she was thrown off by the sudden flare of jealousy that stiffened her spine. Explaining her reaction would not have been easy especially since she couldn’t defend it to herself. He was technically one of her employers. She worked for the man and had no business letting female inclinations cloud the air. She was on his arm because of business. Period.

That didn’t stop Tori from fixing the unctuous woman ogling Draegyn with an incendiary glare that she noted with satisfaction hit dead-on when the woman found some sense and backed off with haste. It helped that he had been the picture of a gentleman, assisting her being seated in the car and seeing to her every comfort before taking the seat beside her. She was feeling rather smug and full of herself for so neatly having warned off the big-boobed female with just a look. Her days of being minimized and glossed over were through. For all that woman knew she and Draegyn were an item. They might just be business associates, but that didn’t mean she was invisible.

Why the hell is my skirt so damn short
, she wondered, irritated that she had to keep smoothing it over her thighs unless she wanted to show more leg than was prudent. As she wiggled trying to adjust her dress, she was aware that Draegyn’s eyes were watching her every move.

“Enjoying the show?” she breathlessly bit out once her legs were adequately covered, and she’d settled back in the seat. His eyes glittered with what she hoped was appreciation, but it was so hard to tell with him. “I’m out of practice with all this girly stuff.”

He smiled into her eyes and laughed. “You look lovely Victoria, as I’ve already said. Stop fishing for compliments.”

Outraged, she gasped at his comment and spit out the first thing that came to mind. “I am
so
not fishing for compliments!”

That had him laughing even more. “You’re so easy to wind up! That smart mouth is going to get you in trouble some day. Relax, I was
trying
to yank your chain woman!”

God, men were dense at times. “Oh. Well, you succeeded,” she sniffed dismissively. “Maybe you could use a signal to let me know when you’re being an ass so I don’t have to play into your hand each time.” The one finger salute he swiftly gave in response to her suggestion had her choking back a wicked snicker.

“Will that one do?” he asked with mock lechery that forced the laugh.

“Oh, shut up!” She grinned at him, biting the inside of her cheek to keep from dissolving in a fit of giggles.

“Thank you,” he muttered softly into her smiling expression.

“For what?”

He propped his torso on the armrest separating their seats and leaned into her, wiping the smile from her lips, and making her eyes widen. “For saving me from being swallowed whole by that set of fake fun bags who met the plane.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Nice try. You know exactly what I’m talking about,” he teased. “You stopped her dead with nothing more than a look. I’m impressed.” When she didn’t answer, he chuckled softly and made like he intended to tickle her. “Paybacks are a bitch!” he warned which triggered a blast of laughter from both of them as she playfully slapped his hands away and suggested he mind his damn manners.

Draegyn was enjoying himself. This gentler, less snarky person kept surprising him at every turn. The way she put the double D woman on blast with a dark look had intrigued him and re-ignited the heat growing in his groin. Maybe these couple of days working together wouldn’t be such a hardship after all.

Their limousine bypassed the busy, brightly lit entrance to the hotel casino and pulled in to a secured area reserved for VIPs. As if on cue, just as the car stopped, both their cell phones went off. Drae’s gaze dropped to the incoming info and muttered, “Barnes,” as Victoria sighed, clicked the talk button, mouthing
Alex
a second before answering her call. He and Victoria exited their car and made their way inside the building to a bank of elevators, while each of them conducted phone business.

Once in the elevator he turned and told her they would stop briefly in their suite to make sure everything was in order and then immediately head off to the hotel’s operations center. As he was speaking, Drae caught their reflection in the highly polished steel panels of the elevator’s interior. She was looking up at him with her head tilted back, both hands resting in the small of her back. He watched as the purse she clutched by a golden chain, sway against the back of her legs.

His part of the reflection showed him leaning in close, almost looming over her, even though the added inches from her heels brought her closer to eye-level. He watched as her chest rose and fell quickly, bringing her breasts surging close to him with each rapid inhale. A few strands had escaped the hair gathered at the nape of her neck, making loose tendrils of brown mixed with muted gold highlights frame her face. His words halted and thoughts shut down on the vision forming in his mind of sliding his hands up her neck and into her hair, releasing the locks and spreading them over her shoulders. With his fingers planted firmly in her hair he could angle her head just so as his mouth leaned the rest of the way in to feast on her tempting lips.

A pithy swear word erupted in his overactive brain making him jerk suddenly upright, away from the insane temptation that was Victoria Bennett. Now that they weren’t hissing and snarling at each other, their dynamic had turned blatantly sensual. Somehow the little brown mouse had become a desirable, although surprisingly innocent, temptress who no longer fit into the mold of avaricious female that was his default impression when it came to the fairer sex.

The elevator swooshed open to a sumptuously decorated foyer with ornate, doublewide carved wood doors for each of the three suites on their floor. A personal assistant, assigned by Tony Barnes himself, stood with a practiced smile by the entrance to their suite. “Mr. St. John, Ms. Bennett,” she nodded to each of them. “I think you’ll find everything in order.” Opening the doors with a flourish she escorted them with businesslike efficiency around the suite pointing out amenities and comforts that were reserved for the hotel’s elite guests. “The master en suite is equipped with a large spa tub and electronic shower while the second bedroom features a French boudoir design.”

Drae was used to such luxury. Judging by Victoria’s matter-of-fact demeanor, she was either used to traveling first class or a very good actress. Remembering her past association with European aristocracy, he was irritated when jealousy eked into his thoughts. He wanted to be the one to spoil her with indulgent luxury. The thought shocked him although he was careful not to let it show. Instead, he kept a hand low on Victoria’s back, satisfied with that small contact for now although he was starting to suspect a lot more than casual touches were coming their way.

As soon as the assistant left them alone, she dropped her bag on a huge sofa that needed its own zip code and made a mad dash for the bathroom, breathlessly telling him, “Thank God that’s over! Someone needs to tell Julie the Cruise Director that this isn’t our first time in the big city. Sheesh!”

He was still smiling when she reappeared a few minutes later. “Sorry for the frantic exit,” she told him. “But when a girl has to pee, well, a girl
has
to pee!” His mask of cool reserve fractured at her audacious declaration.

“What?” she mocked with a wry grin. “Too much information?” Grabbing for her bag she fished around inside it, pulling out a small container of hand lotion that she hurriedly squirted onto her palms. Rubbing the cream into her skin, she fixed him with an impatient look as the subtle scent invaded his senses. “Are you going to stand there all day and gape at me, or are we going to get this show on the road?”

Snapping his jaw shut, Drae considered that he had in fact been staring at her. “You are full of surprises today, Ms. Bennett. And for the record, there’s no such thing as TMI between us, Victoria. Remember that, and if I seem, oh, I don’t know - at a loss for words, it’s because you are, as I told you earlier, a complete fraud.” She grinned at his words. He added, “Bet you want to push those ugly glasses up your nose right about now, huh?”

Sashaying past him, she pursed her lips in dramatic fashion then smiled prettily toward his amused face saying, “Bite me, Mister Double-O-Trouble,” as she made for the door.

Throwing back his head to let loose the bark of laughter rumbling in his chest, he reached out to guide her by the elbow while raking her with a deliberately provocative leer. “Double-O-Trouble? H
mmmm
. I like that almost as much as the idea of biting you.”

The rest of the day slogged by on an endless loop of highly detailed technical work, video chats with Alex who was following along step-by-excruciating-step from Arizona, and flying by the seat of her silk covered derrière the rest of the time.
This is no minor tech glitch
, she huffed restlessly as she visually prowled the pile of documents and schematics littered on the table at her side.

Her back was killing her from hours of hunching over a keyboard, plus she thought she might float away if she drank any more coffee. The only time she’d been able to get up and move around to burn off some energy was on her many trips to the restroom. Gallons of coffee has a way of doing that. And especially so when an absence of real food accompanied the hot beverage. Feeling grumpy and on the edge of bitchy, she started imagining a hundred colorful scenarios because the Justice Brothers were gonna owe her
big time
after this was over.