Alex recognized a fellow skeptic when he met one. “Just trying to make a bad situation better.”
Dana inhaled the last of her drink.
Anise lifted the long cocktail glass out of Dana’s hands and set it on a nearby table. “You’re cut off.”
“Hey, the prude is just trying to have some fun. Don’t be such a stick in the mud.” She let out an exaggerated sigh.
Tipsy Dana appreciated a bit of drama. So unlike her sober counterpart.
“We’re hitting the Strip, Alex,” she continued. “You should come out with us. You look like you need a break.”
“That’s nice of you to offer, but this is your party, not mine.”
“Oh, come on.”
His face heated. “Where are you going?”
“The House of Sin.” Bea grinned. “You know, the male revue at the other end of the Strip. Their idea, not mine.”
“Ah. I might have to take a pass on that one.”
“Don’t be a drag, Alex. We’re gonna get busy with some hotties. You could be one of them.” Dana threw up her hands and began to shimmy next to her sister.
Yeah, she had definitely had one too many slushies. The woman standing in front of him was nothing like the woman he’d spoken to yesterday.
Alex bristled when he thought of an inebriated Dana at a male strip club. She could get up to all sorts of trouble. He knew for a fact many of these establishments turned a blind eye when it came to sex between their clients and the dancers. And if she had an amount of cash with her…
His pulse quickened.
He couldn’t very well accompany her. He really would look like a stalker. Even still, the thought of her in a compromising position made his stomach lurch.
“I apologize for my sister,” said Anise, as Dana continued to dance to a song in her head. “She never gets carried away like this.”
“I figured as much,” he said, pulling out his cellphone. “Let me arrange a ride for you. I’ll get one of my security people to take you to the club and he’ll stick around to bring you home later.”
“Oh,” said Anise. “That’s kind of you, but you don’t have to do that.”
“I want to.” Before Anise could argue, he called Wade. He’d just finished up a shift and had made it clear he was up for a bit of overtime. “Wade Kennedy is one of my best men. He’ll be here in just a couple of minutes and will make sure you get there and back safely.”
Alex would also ask Wade to keep an eye on things at the House of Sin. If anyone tried to take advantage of Dana’s state, Wade would put a stop to it.
“Thank you, Alex,” said Anise.
“It’s no trouble.”
Although Dana hadn’t been listening to the tail end of their conversation, she latched onto this last part. She grabbed his arm and hugged it. “Alex is such a sweetheart and such a good listener. He rememberseverything. And look at the way he fills out his suit. Alex, honey, you’re like a six-foot piece of candy. I bet all the girls want to lick you.”
The other women gawked.
“So that’s why I keep seeing random tongues.” Still hot in the face, Alex gently extricated his arm from Dana’s clutches. “Have a great night, ladies.”
Dana held out her arms. “No hug?”
When he spotted Anise’s frown, Alex refrained. “Good night, Dana.”
She mimicked his stern tone and pretended to salute like a soldier. “Good night, Alex,sir!” She burst into laughter.
His pulse continuing to misbehave, Alex headed toward the private elevators.
