Ignoring the frustration he continued to feel about his situation with Hannah, he checked the time on his wristwatch. Almost seven thirty. He could hear Val moving around in the bedroom, then the door opened and she walked out into the living room.
For an instant he just stared. She was wearing a simple black dress that showed off her long, pretty legs, but had cap sleeves and a very modest scoop neckline. Her honey-gold hair, pulled back in a knot at the nape of her neck, gleamed in the lamplight. Only a hint of makeup touched her eyes and lips. She looked more like a schoolteacher than a model, and for reasons he couldn’t explain, it really turned him on.
“You look luscious, baby. Let me grab my pistol and my blazer and we’re out of here. I assume your supper is going to be somewhere downstairs.”
“Actually, it’s . . . umm . . . going to be at the St. Regis.”
He frowned. “Been better if you’d given me some notice. I’ll get a couple of my guys to go over and check things out before we leave. Is your supper in the dining room?”
She bit her lip. “I’m not really sure. I’m hoping it’s in the dining room, but . . .”
Something was off. He could feel it. “But . . . ?”
“But the thing is, Ethan, I’m having dinner with Jason Stern. We’re supposed to discuss my speaking schedule for David Klein.”
Tension slid into his shoulders. A muscle tightened in his jaw. “You’re having dinner with Stern,” he repeated softly, the words requiring his complete control.
“Yes. I don’t want to go, but I signed a contract. Stern is one of my bosses.”
His body went solid.She’s your client,he told himself.Sleeping with her doesn’t change the job.
“I don’t like it,” he heard himself saying. “Stern doesn’t want supper. He wants you in his bed.”
She walked straight to him, rested her palms on his chest. “I’m afraid you might be right. I heard today that Jason and Delilah were having an affair. Now that she’s dead, Meg thinks he’s looking for another mistress.”
“But you aren’t interested.” The words came out as a challenge. Stern was rich and handsome. Maybe he’d been wrong. Maybe Val wasextremelyinterested.
“No, I’m not. I’m definitely not interested in Jason Stern. But I have to go anyway. Meg says Stern can be pushy. If you’re there, I know I’ll be okay.”
He blinked. She wanted him there? She expected him to stay close while she was with Stern? The tension slid out of the back of his neck. He wished it didn’t matter as much as it did.
He gently caught her shoulders. “You’ll be okay, baby—I promise you that. You don’t have to worry about Stern or anyone else.”
As Meg had predicted, Jason was waiting in the lobby to escort Val up to his suite.
“I thought it would be quieter there, more private, easier for us to talk,” he said, as if being alone with him made perfect sense. In an elegantly tailored navy-blue designer suit, his brown hair perfectly cut and styled, Jason was an attractive man. To Val, his too-smooth appearance wasn’t a turn-on in the least.
Still, she gave him a smile. “Whatever you think.” Taking his arm, she started walking toward the elevators, crossing the magnificent two-story lobby with its sweeping white marble staircases, past the huge white floral bouquet on the round glass table.
Arm in arm, they walked beneath glittering crystal chandeliers into the elevator, and Stern pushed the button for an upper floor.
The doors were almost closed when a broad shoulder nudged them back open and Ethan walked in. With a nod to Stern, he chose a spot a few feet away, widened his stance, and crossed his hands in front of him.
“That’s my bodyguard, Ethan Brodie.” Val smiled at Jason. “Mr. Carlyle handpicked him for the job.”
Stern turned a hard look on Ethan. “Ms. Hart will be under my protection this evening, Brodie. Consider this a night off.”
Ethan’s mouth edged up, but it wasn’t a smile. “Sorry. That isn’t going to happen. There are two murderers on the loose. Until they’re caught, the women don’t go anywhere without protection.”
“That’s ridiculous. She’ll be safe enough in my suite.”
Ethan made no reply. Clearly, he didn’t agree. Neither did Val. At the moment, she was fairly certain she was in more danger from Jason Stern than anyone else.
The elevator bell dinged their arrival. Val turned and walked out into the hall. Stern followed, and Ethan fell in behind them.
They waited in front of a double-doored room marked Premier Terrace Suite while Jason used his key card to open the lock. Ethan stepped past him into the entry, walked into the all-white living room with its big glass windows and magnificent marble fireplace, then did a thorough check of the bedroom and baths.
“It’s clear,” he said, tossing a glance at the linen-draped table set with gold-rimmed china and sparkling crystal. A cloth-covered wheeled cart sat next to it, the food beneath the silver domes ready to be served.
