“All right, that’s it. You can go. They’re waiting out there for you now.”
“Thanks, Rosa.”
The woman made a shooing motion and Val hurried out as Caralee Peterson walked into the dressing room.
Val grinned. “She’s a tyrant. Good luck.”
Caralee grinned back. “Rosa’s gonna make that little ol’ bustier I’m wearin’ fit like a glove. Gonna make all the men go Southern crazy.”
Val laughed, liking Caralee. She took a deep breath and headed for her place in the Nashville Country lineup, spotted Ethan and a pair of biceps that threatened the seams of his black T-shirt. At the little lift she felt in her stomach, she carefully kept her eyes straight ahead, determined to ignore him. But she couldn’t help wondering if he would approve of the way she looked in her sexy red lingerie.
Chapter Five
“I don’t know about you,” Dirk grumbled, “but I don’t know how much more of this I can take. I’ve been walking around with a hard-on for the past two hours.”
Ethan chuckled. When he’d seen Valentine Hart walk out in her tiny red lace panties and a bra that shoved up her breasts like a feast for a king, he’d had to fight damned hard to maintain his highly prized control.Damned hard.He almost smiled.
“You like that one, don’t you?” Dirk said. “Valentine.Gotta love the name.”
“Sounds like a stripper, and I don’t like her—I don’t even know her. She’s Samantha’s friend. Sam asked me to keep a special eye on her.”
Dirk laughed. “Well, you shouldn’t have much trouble doing that.”
Ethan flashed him a look. “Somewhere in your testosterone-fogged brain you do recall there’s no mixing with the staff?”
Before Dirk could reply, one of the girls walked past wearing nothing but a silver thong and a strapless silver bra. She slid a sexy smile toward Dirk, and he groaned.
“Oh, yeah, I recall. I’m reminded every few minutes.”
The corner of Ethan’s mouth edged up. He could hardly blame his friend. He had never seen such an astonishing array of beautiful faces and drop-dead gorgeous bodies.
He looked up just then, caught a glimpse of Valentine in her cowboy costume, felt a jolt of lust so strong his body went rock solid and his nostrils flared. Long, honey-blond hair, full breasts temptingly displayed, nice high ass, and legs that went on forever.
Ethan clenched his jaw.Dammit.He was off women. And because she was a friend of Samantha’s, especially off that one. He wondered how the two women could possibly have anything in common, a homemaker like Sam and a lingerie model who flaunted herself half naked in front of a million men.
“We need to make a sweep,” he said, his voice a little gruff. “I’ll take the left wing, you take the right.”
Dirk nodded, and they moved off in opposite directions. An orchestra provided the music, country for this segment of the show. As a Shania Twain song began to play and the rehearsal continued, Ethan made a point of seeking out each of his men.
“Everything okay?” he asked Joe Posey, who was posted not far from the dressing rooms.
The black ex-cop just smiled, his eyes riveted on the beautiful ebony-skinned Amarika, standing to his left, talking to another girl. “My wife’s gonna get lucky when I get home tonight.”
Ethan bit back a groan. “At least you have a wife.”
Posey grinned. “She’s real pretty, too. And sexy. I won’t need to fantasize about one of these gals here.”
“That’s just cruel,” Ethan said.
Posey laughed. “What? Big strappin’ fella like you? I imagine you got someone you could call.”
“I imagine.” But the more he thought about sleeping with some old flame, the less interested he was.
He thought of Valentine Hart and began to get hard.Damn.He hated when this happened, when his interest fixed on a particular female. It was exactly what had happened with Allison, and look how badly that had turned out.
Joe’s smile faded as he glanced around. “No sign of trouble. I’ll head downstairs, check the basement again.”
Ethan nodded. La Belle had its own men posted at each entrance, both inside and out. Ethan had spotted Beau Desmond a couple of times, along with his buddy, a blond guy named Bick Gallagher, who looked more like a surfer than a private cop. Fortunately, there was plenty to do so they rarely crossed paths.
