"I don't know."
"Why don't you run it by him? Tell him I want to protect him as well as Samantha, that I'm concerned about him being a target."
"I thought you were more concerned about him being tied to the bomber."
"Well, I wouldn't tell him that," she said dryly.
Another hesitation followed her words, then Max said, "Do you have a fancy dress?"
"I think I have one in my closet that will work."
"I have to be there at six thirty."
She glanced at her watch. It was almost five o'clock. "I can make that."
"Text me your address. I'll pick you up."
"I can meet you there."
"You'll look more like my date if we arrive together."
"Fine," she said, rattling off her address. "Do you want to check with Dominic first?"
"I'll run it by him, but I can convince him," Max said, with nothing but confidence in his voice. "I'll see you soon."
As she hung up the phone, she couldn't believe she'd just suggested a date to Dominic's posh dinner party with a former CIA guy she didn't trust at all. But this was a great opportunity to get a better look into Dominic's life, and she was going to take it.
He was out of his mind, Max thought, as Agent Kara Reid answered the door to her brownstone apartment building wearing a form-fitting champagne-colored dress that hugged her cleavage and her hips and showed off a pair of beautiful legs. Her brown hair was no longer pulled up in a ponytail but flowing down her shoulders in a silky brown cascade of waves that framed her beautiful face.
He'd known as soon as the words left his mouth that inviting her to come along was the worst idea he'd had in a while. Dominic's response had been just as negative, but he'd convinced him that having the FBI on his side could only be a good thing. So here he was, his heart pounding a little faster than it should.
"Hi," she said as she pulled the door closed behind her and came down the steps.
"You look…amazing," he murmured.
She flushed a little at his words. "I had to wear this dress for a friend's wedding."
"It looks good."
"You look good, too." Her gaze moved across his face to the black suit and tie he'd put on for the occasion. Then, as if realizing she'd been staring too long, she cleared her throat and put on the coat she'd been carrying.
He was sorry to see her cover up the beautiful gold dress, but maybe it was a good thing. He needed to remind himself that this wasn't an actual date. He led her to his car and opened the door for her before moving around to slide behind the wheel.
As she fastened her seatbelt, she said, "Did you tell Dominic you were bringing me?"
"I did."
"And he was…"
"Fine with it." He gave her a quick smile. "That might be a bit of an understatement."
"I'm not planning to cause problems."
"And yet I'm expecting at some point we'll run into one," he said.
"I guess that depends on how the party goes. Can you tell me anything about the guest list?"
"Caroline Rowe, Vice-President of Business Development; Sebastian Hanover, Executive Vice-President of Operations; and Hamid Azani, Vice-President of Global Operations, will represent the executive team, along with Dominic, of course. From the city side, I believe Supervisor Randall Hollingsworth will attend, and then there are about a dozen investors from various companies and some of Dominic's wealthy friend group."
