He nodded. “Fine, let’s talk about our cover.”
She sighed, grateful for the change of subject. “Exactly how many fake relationships have you been in?”
“This would be a first for me.” He chuckled and shifted gears, causing the engine to rev. “Try not to stress. If you do, everyone will pick up on it. We’ll be fine.” When he reached out to squeeze her knee in a gesture of reassurance, heat shot from her knee to the inside of her thighs. If the whole night went like this, then she was in serious trouble. His eyes flew to hers, the hard angles of his face caught in the shadows of the car. “You’re going to have to get used to me touching you in public, Gillian.”
When her eyes traveled back up to meet his, her pulse sped up. “Easier said than done.”
She couldn’t hide her body’s reaction to him if she tried. Needing to cool off, she wrenched down the window. It was still relatively warm for the end of October, and she welcomed the rush of wind on her face. Streetlights and buildings zoomed by at a blurring speed. The car hugged the road like a second skin. She caught a whiff of Garrett’s aftershave. The spicy scent lingered in the confined space and made her want to groan. Talk about adrenaline overload.
“What kind of car did you say this was?” she asked and turned back to face him, pushing her hair off her face.
“A Maserati Indy. I’ve owned this baby since the seventies, but I rarely get to drive her anymore. I always have a blast when I do.” He flashed a gorgeous smile that made him look like a delighted little boy. This unrestrained side of him was sexy as sin.
“You talk aboutherlike a person.” She pulled her lip gloss from her black, beaded bag and swiped the wand across her lips. “Well,she’sbeautiful.”
“So are you. You look lovely tonight, Gillian,” he murmured. “There’s nothing quite like a beautiful woman in a Maserati.” The jade green cocktail dress and black bolero jacket she wore over it boosted her confidence.
She exhaled, wanting to bask in the compliment.This is all for show, she reminded herself. “You’re laying it on pretty thick and no one’s around. Are you practicing for later?” she joked.
“What if I told you I don’t need to practice, it’s simply the truth?” His eyes glittered in the darkness, full of sinful promises.
“Then I’ll be sure to thank Saje again for bringing my things by the store.” She smoothed down the front of her dress, which fell just above her knees, with a small slit up the side of her leg. By the time they got back to Garrett’s place, she’d only had time for a quick shower and a blast of the hairdryer.
With her hair still damp, she had twisted it up in a clip. Then, she swiped on a little mascara and added bronzer across her cheeks. She’d been feeling self-conscious about her rushed appearance, but when Garrett’s heated gaze trailed over her, those insecurities were immediately laid to rest.
She picked up the silver-wrapped package at her feet. “This is Alex and Willow’s engagement gift. I signed both our names on the card. It’s a crystal water pitcher. You have excellent taste by the way.”
He smiled wide, flashing a hint of fangs. “I appreciate the gesture, but as it happens I also picked something up a while back for the occasion.” He took his hand off the wheel and patted the front pocket of his suit jacket. From the mischievous glint in his eyes, she sensed it was a surprise.
“It’s okay. Any new developments?” she asked, hoping they had a solid lead on Brooke, and wondering if they had, was it in any way connected to her vision of the dragon shield.
“Greystone came clean about how he obtained membership into the Brotherhood. Since the bust, we’ve learned Lawrence has been forced to go underground. Now he’s conducting his business from private residences. We should know more soon.”
Gillian filled him in on the message from Natalya’s aunt. “She said beware of the one-eyed man.”
“I have no idea what it could mean. Maybe a fluke.” Garrett took his hand off the wheel to rub his chin.
“Maybe, but I can’t help but think there’s something more to it.” Gillian exhaled and pushed the nagging feeling of dread to the back of her mind. “Getting back to what you were saying about Lawrence conducting his business from a private home, how do you plan on finding this house?”
“It’s going to take some time, but once we get confirmation I’m in with the Brotherhood, the plan is for me to go undercover as an interested party, and then, we wait.” His expression turned serious, pensive even.
“It sounds risky. Do you think it’ll work?”
“We don’t have many other options at this point.The longer Brooke is with Lawrence, the harder it will be to break their bond. When we do find her, she may not go with us willingly.”
Her stomach tightened with nerves. “Then how do you plan on rescuing her and breaking her blood bond with Lawrence?” She remembered what Garrett had said about the blood addiction taking place and his sister going mad when her bond was broken with his sire.
“I’m not sure yet. We’re still trying to work out the details.”
“I realize we’ve talked about this before, but I was thinking about asking the other girls to form a circle to see if we can use our collective magick and divine together to try and pick up on where Lawrence could be keeping Brooke. We could be discreet, maybe slip into one of the empty banquet rooms without anyone being the wiser?
Garrett shook his head. “Absolutely not. I’m sorry, Gillian. It’s too risky, and it will raise too much suspicion. This is one instance where the ends don’t justify the means. Besides, divination isn’t an exact science. I’m afraid they’ll only get in the way, and then, there will be six other women to protect around the clock besides you.” He took one hand off the wheel to squeeze her hand. “I wish I had a different answer for you, but you need to trust me.”
“I understand.” She gave him a wooden nod and tried to hide her disappointment by glancing out the window. After that, neither of them said a word.
He pulled up to the restaurant and turned to her, his blues eyes filled with a mixture of concern and tenderness, chasing some of her anxiety away. When he brushed a stray lock of hair from her cheek, his fingers lingered on her chin, sending her pulse skyrocketing.
“Why don’t we talk about it later? If you get too upset, it will be hard to pull this off. And you deserve a night off. Let’s try and enjoy the evening.” When he leaned over and brushed her cheek with his lips, a flare of emotion blazed through her chest. The scratch of his stubble made her whole body tingle.
