Then he took the glass from her hand, put it down along with his on a nearby table, and pressed her up against the pillar. She didn't push him away, and hope rose inside him. Cupping her face in his hands he slanted his mouth over hers, sliding his tongue between her lips, tasting her. He was already painfully hard, and he pressed his hips against her belly, felt her push back and moan softly in her throat.
Finally, after long minutes, he drew back from the kiss and rested his forehead against hers. Her hands were under his T-shirt, around his waist, fingers digging into his skin.
Christ, he wished they were alone somewhere. He wanted to lose himself in her, bury himself deep inside. She was going to walk away.
He knew it, and a sense of powerlessness washed over him. He was unused to the feeling and had no clue how to combat it. He'd told himself that he would do whatever was right for Jess. He wouldn't push her. But how the hell was he supposed to let her go?
"How about we go get some fresh air?" he murmured against her skin. "I know of this great alley, just close by."
A smile flickered across her face, but then was gone. She shook her head. "We can't risk it. Too many people know your whereabouts tonight. We have to keep you in clear sight."
He took a deep breath. Perhaps it was time to come clean. "It doesn't matter."
She raised a brow. "I think I'll be the judge of that."
"No. Really. My father fixed the problem, used his old contacts to call them off."
Her eyes narrowed. "And this happened when?"
He gave a small shrug. "The morning before we met at the club for lunch."
She pursed her lips as she studied his face. "So all this"-she waved a hand toward his bodyguards-"was a waste of time. And money."
"Not entirely. There's still some doubt about who's responsible for the letter bomb … " Then he shrugged. "Actually, that was really nothing more than an excuse."
"An excuse for what?"
He took a deep breath. "To see you again."
He tried to read the emotions flashing across her face, but they were gone too quickly. Loosening her grip, she took a step back, then considered him, head cocked to one side. "Steve said you got drunk last night."
"Did he say anything else?"
"Just that you'd felt the need to hit something and he'd taken you to the gym." Her gaze wandered over him. "I like the new look."
"I couldn't think of any other way to show you I can change."
She nodded toward his tattoo. "Can I see it?"
He lifted his arm, and she trailed her fingers over the tender skin of his forearm. She peered closer to inspect it in the dim light and something flashed across her face. Sadness? Regret?
He wasn't sure, but nothing that boded well.
It was the design she'd chosen for him all those years ago, their names entwined, with bloodred roses. The skin was puffy around the edges, but it was still easy to read.
She sighed and stepped back and he had the feeling that it was too little, way too late. He'd hurt her too badly all those years ago, and now she wouldn't risk letting him close again.
"Jess, I just want you to know-"
"Shh." She reached out and rested a hand against his chest. "Don't ask for anything tonight. Let's just be together, not worry about the future."
And why would she say that if she believed they had a future. Well, if all he had was tonight, he wasn't wasting it in the company of a whole load of people, most of whom he had no feelings for at all.
"Let's go then. To my place." She looked a little skeptical. "Come on, Jess, I have one more night to persuade you that we can make this work."
For a second he thought she wouldn't agree. Then she gave a brisk nod. "Let's get out of here."
As she turned away, she frowned and reached into her pocket, pulling out a cell phone. She listened for a few seconds, her eyes narrowing in concentration and then flicking to him. She took a step forward, rested her palm against his chest, and pushed him back into the shelter of the pillar, while her eyes scanned the room.
Steve and the other guard for the night appeared out of nowhere as she closed off the call and put the phone back in her pocket. "You've heard?" she asked Steve.
"Yes, we need to get him out of here."
Obviously, they'd discovered something, some danger, but what the hell could it be. He trusted his father-if he said the threat was fixed, it was fixed. But she'd learned something that she wasn't happy with. "What is it, Jess?" A prickle ran down his back. Then he remembered the letter bomb that had devastated his apartment. They wouldn't try anything like that here would they? Not with all these people … his family. "Tell me, goddammit."
"Jake just got some new information." She pressed a finger to her forehead. "Did your father tell you who was involved?"
"He said it was better I didn't know."
"So he didn't mention your assistant?"
A frown tugged at his face. "Paul?"
"Apparently the DNA from the letter bomb was a match."
That didn't make sense. He would have sworn Paul was loyal to his father if not to him. "So he was in on the money laundering all along?"
"Right now, we don't know. Jake's looking into it."
"Paul's here tonight."
"I know. I spotted him earlier, but I haven't seen him for a while. We have men searching the place and your father's people have also been instructed to keep an eye out for him. They'll find him."
She turned away and spoke briefly with Steve, then came back to him. "We're going to get you out of here. This place is too difficult to keep you safe. Not only that, but if anyone starts shooting in here, it could get very messy. So we're going to walk out of here."
"I don't think so."
"You'll be surrounded. There's no way he can reach you."
"You think I'm going to let you risk your life to keep me safe?"
Her brows drew together. "Of course you are. That's what we're here for. That's why you employed us." She stopped and stared at him, eyes narrowed. "Except you didn't, did you? You knew there would never be any danger."
He didn't bother to answer; the question had been purely rhetorical anyway. "I'll walk out of here so long as you are nowhere near. I'm not letting you take a bullet for me."
"This is not negotiable," she snapped.
"That's where you're wrong." He folded his arms, leaned back against the table behind him. He wasn't going anywhere until he was sure Jess was safe.
She stared at him for long minutes. Steve leaned in close. "We're wasting time, Jess." She gritted her teeth, but then shrugged, though her figure was tense. She pursed her lips, studied him, her gaze dropping to the tattoo on his arm. Then she gave a curt nod. "Okay. I'll head out first. You follow once I'm away."
"Good. I'll see you at my place."
She made to go past him, but hesitated, and wrapped her arms around his middle, laid her head against his chest. "Be careful and do what you're told." Then she was gone.
He kept his gaze fixed on her as she strode across the room, her hair a bright beacon in the dim light. As soon as she had disappeared through the far door, Steve nudged him in the side. "Okay, let's go. Just walk casual as though there's nothing wrong. The car's parked out back in the alley. We're going to head straight there."
The skin down his spine prickled as he stepped out into the room. He searched the balconies around the edges, the pillars that created dark corners like the one he'd kissed Jess in. There were so many places a shooter could hide. But it didn't make sense. They could never hope to shoot him in here and get away afterward. Maybe it was conceivable that Paul might be holding some grudge, but Declan couldn't believe he was suicidal or that he'd risk spending years in prison.
Beside him, Steve was talking into his phone.
"Have they found him?" Declan asked as he finished the call.
"No. And they've searched the whole building. But this place is a warren. Too many places to hide."
Maybe Paul believed he could shoot in the darkness and in the confusion no one would know where or who the bullet had come from. At least Jess was safe and away.
They were nearly out of the building now. Ahead of him, Steve pushed open the door and they were out into the relative quiet of the corridor.
"Let me go check everything is secure outside," Steve said. The door slammed behind them and Declan jumped, then turned to see his father and Logan.
"What the hell's happening?" His dad did not look happy. "They told me it was Paul."
"We don't know for sure yet."
"I'll fucking kill him."
That was the dad he remembered. "They're getting me out of here. I'll call you later. Enjoy the rest of the party."
Steve appeared in the doorway and beckoned for him to come forward. He followed him out into the alleyway. A black car was parked at the curb, the engine running, and next to the car stood Jess.
Why the hell wasn't she halfway to his place by now?
His heart rate kicked up a notch. The air was tense, imbued with a heavy sense of anticipation he could almost feel. The night was still and sounds of intermittent traffic drifted down from the main street. He wanted to scream at her to run, but there was nothing to run from. He was being irrational.