Second-Chance Seduction(81)

                “But…okay. Nice to see you again, Ted.”

                “Sure thing, Maggie,” Ted drawled. “Maybe we’ll talk again when you’re not in such a hurry.”

                “Don’t count on it,” Connor muttered as he pulled Maggie closer and walked faster.

                “Connor, please, can we walk a little slower? My feet are starting to whimper from all the dancing.”

                “Sorry, baby,” he said, slowing down. “I just wanted to get you away from him. The faster the better.”

                “But why?” She glanced over her shoulder to get a last look at Ted. “He seems like a nice enough guy. A little bit quirky, but—”

                “He’s the furthest thing from a nice guy you’ll meet here.” Frowning, he added, “I can’t tell you who to talk to or who to do business with, Maggie. But I would highly recommend that you stay as far away from Ted Blake as possible.”

                She studied his face for a moment, then nodded. “All right. I’ve never seen you react so negatively to anyone before.”

                “He tried to ruin us when we were first starting out,” Connor said flatly. “Lucky for us, his reputation preceded him and a few of the people he talked to in his crusade to smear us didn’t believe him. But a few of them did, and we had some shaky moments there.”

                “What a rat!” Maggie said, and suddenly wondered if Ted had known she was attending the festival with Connor when he first approached her. Did he think he could damage her business, as well? She remembered some of the odd questions he’d asked her that first time they met. Her shoulders slumped. “You’d think I’d recognize the species after living with one for so many years.”

                “The thing about rats is, they’re really good at pretending they’re something other than a rat.”

                “Too true,” she murmured, shaking her head in dismay.

                He pulled her closer, wrapping his arm around her as they walked. “Don’t worry about it. There’s a lot more to the story of Ted, but I’ll save it for another time. Not tonight.”

                “Okay.” She paused, then added, “But I feel like such a fool for buying in to his act. I thought he was sort of an odd bird, but he seemed harmless enough. Is there any chance he might’ve changed over the years?”

                “No,” he said flatly. “He’s always been a lying snake, and the fact that he struck up a conversation with you is a sure sign that he hasn’t changed one bit. He knows you’re here with me. That’s the only reason why he approached you in the first place.”

                “And here I thought it was my sparkling wit that attracted him to me.”

                Connor stopped and stared at her. Then he rubbed his hand across his jawline. “Hell, Maggie. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it the way it came out. Any man in that room tonight would be damn lucky to breathe the same air as you.”

                “I was just teasing you.” She beamed a smile at him and wound her arm through his. “Let’s forget about Ted. I just want to go upstairs with you.”

                “Sounds good to me.”

                “Mm, and I can’t wait to take off my shoes.”

                “This might help,” Connor said, and swept her up in his arms.