Testing The Boss(55)

“That’s enough to cover expenses. I have a feeling Walter isn’t buying the shit Longineu is selling, but I’d still prefer for him to be out of the way.”

“As long as he’ll be where you say tonight, I can make that happen,” assured Luke.

“Tonight at seven. It’s black-tie and invitation only. I think that the doorman at the ballroom might recognize you and give you a pass no matter what, but if he doesn’t, ask for me and I’ll give you the all clear.”

Luke nodded, even though Colin couldn’t see him as his thumb tapped out a frantic rhythm on the table. Adrenaline rushed through him as he thought forward to exactly what he would say to Brian Longineu tonight. This was going to stop for good and he was going to be there to wipe the smile off the smug bastard’s face.

“Thanks for your help, Carter.”

“I owe Walter my life. If he needs protection from slimy assholes like Longineu or even himself, I’ll be there. As long as Walter doesn’t know I’m getting in the way of him and getting business done.”

“He sounds more like a father than an employer.” Luke knew a fair amount about the Farrell family and his three sons. Maybe the old man had taken on a protégé in Colin.

But the scoff on the other end of the line told otherwise. “Not exactly. But I still consider it my responsibility to keep him safe.”

“I’ll take care of it,” promised Luke as Evelyn appeared in the doorway to his office. “I’ll see you tonight.”

Evelyn entered the office and sat next to her workstation as Luke closed his laptop.

“Do you have any nice dresses?” he asked.

“Ummm...” She frowned and looked up as though she was thinking about it. “I think so. Why?”

“I forgot that I have to go to some party thrown by Walter Farrell tonight. I figure you’re going to insist on going, and if you don’t want to stand out like a sore thumb, you should probably look the part.” And hopefully she wouldn’t ask too many questions about why he’d missed something that should’ve been on his schedule for weeks.

“If we leave now, we should have just enough time to pick something up. You’re not the type who needs hours to get ready, are you?” He needed to be there by nine so he could catch Longineu early. The whole thing started at seven, but Longineu wasn’t the type to arrive on time, and Luke wanted to spot him before Longineu spotted Luke.

“I think we should talk about a few things first,” said Evelyn as Luke pushed his laptop into his computer bag and tucked the shoulder strap over his arm.

Luke made a show of glancing at his watch. “Actually, we’re tight on time. While we’re in the car, I can have a few dresses sent to the apartment for you to try and we can return whatever ones we don’t use. That will save us the time of stopping at a store. Does that work for you?”

“Are you sure you want to go somewhere with me? I don’t exactly fit in with your crowd.”

“No one fits in with my crowd. You just pretend, like everyone else, and you’ll be fine.” He crossed over to lean against the table as she shut her own computer and started to pack up. “And I won’t let you out of my sight, so if you get caught by the vultures, I’ll save you. Promise.”

She gave him a skeptical frown. “Are you sure everything’s okay? You seem...off.”

“Everything’s fine. I am just upset that I didn’t realize this was tonight. I don’t like unexpected things like this.”

“You don’t like not being in control,” she clarified. “I noticed.”

“Luckily, I’m almost always in control.” He slid in closer. She pulled her strap over her shoulder and stood. “And maybe this is all just an elaborate excuse to get you into a little black dress.”

Evelyn leaned in closer. “Hate to break it to you, but you don’t have to try that hard to get me into a little black dress for you. Getting me out of one, however...”

Luke bent down for a quick, deep kiss. “Think I couldn’t do it?”

She smiled and set a hand at the back of his neck, pulling him down for a kiss of her own. Her lips played against his, her tongue teasing the seam of his lips. Right as he opened for her, she pulled away. “I think you probably could,” she admitted. “That doesn’t mean I have to make it easy for you.”

Damn, he wanted to call this whole thing off and spend the rest of the day cocooned with Evelyn in his office. Would it raise eyebrows if he replaced his sofa with one that had a fold-out bed in it? That would be convenient at the moment. But first things first. He needed to take care of Longineu once and for all.