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  They looked more alike than Al and her brothers, yet no one missed the Brockmans were related.

  “Payton? You want to join your friends before we head…home?”

  Why had his tone changed on the last word? She knew he was scheming. She knew him well enough to know when he was plotting something—but what was it? “Luc…I…”

  “I have the car waiting.” Chase and Terrance were on duty tonight and he’d given them instructions to have the limo ready; she’d heard him give the orders over his phone. He looked at the rest of the group forming around Payton. “It’s the big one; we have room for several more people, if you’d like to join us.”

  “Come on, Paige.” Cody grinned at Luc and Payton before grabbing Paige’s hand, then Kelly’s. “Girls, you’ve got to check this car out. It has purple leather.”

  Payton felt trapped and when Luc wrapped one hand around her waist and pulled her closer, she knew that’s exactly what she was. And Cody hadn’t helped the matter by taking up his invitation so easily. Damn her friend.

  Cody might not see Luc for the predator that he was, but she did. And she felt like prey, like a puny little antelope being stalked by a leopard. What had changed in him in since she’d seen him last? What had made him suddenly so aggressive? She was sure she didn’t like it, whatever it was. As soon as they were alone she was finding out what he meant by threats, deciding what to do about those threats, and then telling him to stay far, far away from her.

  That was what the logical part of her brain was telling her to do.

  “Relax…” He bent down and whispered in her ear. “We’ll have plenty of chaperones. Even at the party. The good stuff will happen tonight, when we’re all alone.”

  Her breath caught, especially when his hand slipped toward the small of her back. He brushed his fingers over the small strip of skin her t-shirt didn’t cover. Where had she left her sweatshirt? She thought she’d given it to Josh to hold earlier. “That’s not going to happen again. I won’t be used, Luc. Whatever you’re planning, just forget about it. So just forget it. Right now.”

  He threw back his head and laughed. Arrogant jerk. “If you’re so sure about that, we’ll just have to see, won’t we, baby?”

  “Jerk.” She pulled away from him and followed her friends to the limo, hoping they wouldn’t see the heat that still flooded her cheeks. Damn him. He’d done it on purpose, hadn’t he?

  He couldn’t mean what he’d implied, he was just trying to disconcert her in front of her friends. Because he liked knocking her off balance. That was all it was.

  He couldn’t mean it; why would he come back to her after he’d already gotten what he’d wanted?

  She hadn’t missed the looks he’d gotten inside; he’d been recognized and he’d been wanted. She had no doubt about that. And she wasn’t the type of woman that got those looks herself.

  And didn’t like attract like, or something?

  What could he really want with her? Truly? What was he playing at? She wouldn’t let him mess with her head again.

  ***

  Luc acted like the amiable host with Kelly, Paige, and Cody. But he pulled Payton down onto the small seat beside him. Paige crowded in on her other side. Payton tried not to focus on the feel of his thigh pushed up against hers, his arm around her shoulder. His fingers were tangled in her hair and she could feel his fingertips brushing against the back of her neck.

  He was trying to seduce her, wasn’t he? Make her forget what had happened when he’d sent her away that day? Was that what he was up to? Why?

  This wasn’t any more of his teasing; not like the other times, or even like the times he’d kissed her. Those had been designed to irritate her, to disconcert her, but she’d known on some level that he hadn’t been serious about it. The closest embrace she could compare it to was the moment when he’d pressed both of her hands to his heart, when they’d been standing by his bed.

  But it wasn’t completely like that tonight, either. He wanted her, and he was determined that she knew it. But the intensity had changed somehow in him. How did she feel about that?

  Payton didn’t do casual affairs, if that was what he was thinking. Didn’t Luc understand that? It had been a long time since she’d slept with someone other than Luc, at least since her last year of college when she and a lab partner had gotten involved. And there’d only been one other guy before that.

  Of course, anything with Luc would never be casual.

  She looked up at him. His dark eyes were intent and the heat in them had her shifting as much as possible on the seat. What was he thinking? His sister was right there beside her. But then again…he hadn’t touched her inappropriately at all. Not really. Maybe it just was the intent behind his touches?

  The ten minute drive to Smokey’s seemed to take a million times as long. Finally Terrance opened the door to the limo and Cody, Paige, and Kelly climbed out. Luc pulled Payton back inside and signaled Terrance to close the door before she could follow the others.

  “What are you doing, Luc?”

  “I want a few minutes with you, alone, before your friends demand your time.”

  “Why?”

  “Why do you think?” He ran his fingers down the collar of the shirt it was really way too cold to be wearing without a coat, and she shivered. Not from the cold, but from his touch.

  “I think you’ve gone crazy. That night…didn’t…”

  “That night changed everything.”

  “How?” How had it changed so much that he hadn’t bothered to contact her at all?

  “It made things very clear to me.”

  “How?” She sounded like a parrot, didn’t she? Or stupid. But what was she supposed to do? To say? “And what things? Different things than the ones that had you pushing me away? I haven’t forgotten those things, have you?”

  “I want you, Payton. And I always get what I want. No matter what.” He kissed her, long and hard, until her knees felt like rubber and she couldn’t catch her breath. “You might as well just get used to the idea. We’ll talk in a little while. I promise you that.”

  She shook her head, more to clear it than to disagree. It didn’t work. “You can’t just declare that I’m going to have sex with you after pushing me away the last time. Why would I risk it again?”

  “But you will. We both know you will.” He pulled on the waistband of her t-shirt until it covered her navel. And dipped low in the front. He shocked the heck out of her by swooping down and kissing the small bit of cleavage left exposed. His mouth lingered. She shivered, then berated herself internally. She wouldn’t react to him again. She wouldn’t. “It’s just a matter of time. In fact…we can simply instruct Terrance to drive around for a few hours. And you and I can see if this backseat is big enough…”

  “I’m going inside.” Her words were shaky and he laughed. But he let go of her.

  “Sure you are, coward.” He slipped out of his coat and wrapped the black leather around her shoulders. “Here, wear this. I think you’ve lost your sweatshirt again.”

  ***

  His leather coat dwarfed her, but he liked the look of it on her. She was his, wasn’t she? Or she would be. And now any of the guys sniffing around her—and he’d seen several trying to get her attention, though she didn’t seem aware of it—would know that there was a guy waiting in the wings for Payton Asher. And since the coat cost more than some people’s monthly income and was way damned too large for Payton, they’d get the message that the guy waiting was big, bad, and wealthy. Intimidating.

  He took a few moments to watch her with her friends. She was so quiet, compared to most of them. Alessandra Brockman was the center of attention, and she seemed comfortable with that. Paige was equally in the center of things, but he doubted she even realized she drew attention—even with her Goth appearance. Cody was sexy and confident, and people talked to her from all over the small cop bar. The rest of the little group—Kelly Reynolds, Carrie Lorcan, and Payton—seemed to fade into the woo
dwork.

  Until a discerning man looked at them closely.

  The five women other than his sister were pretty much every hetero male’s fantasy. Gorgeous, intelligent, confident, successful, and talented. Redheads, blondes, brunettes—young, beautiful, and every man wished they were available.

  The Lorcan brothers stayed close to Carrie and Alessandra, obviously staking claims. The other four women were fair game, and the crowd of men around them told him he wasn’t the only one who thought that.

  It was time to take Payton off the playing field.

  He knew she wouldn’t be able to resist a full scale assault. She didn’t have the personality for it, and he was just dick enough to take advantage of that fact.

  She’d get a hell of a lot in return from being with him. She’d never want for anything, not for the rest of her life. And he’d be attentive and doting on her forever. He was well-educated, well-spoken, and well-put together. Manny had ensured that. He’d be an adequate—better than adequate—partner for a woman like Payton. He’d just have to convince her of that.

  She and the others were pulled on stage for a couple of songs to celebrate tonight’s win. The bar they were in was a small place that catered to the FBI and other members of law enforcement. He’d gotten more than his fair share of once-overs from the cops and those he suspected were FBI. Nothing he hadn’t expected—he knew he’d been investigated a few dozen times by St. Louis’s finest. And now he was there in the midst of their den, panting after one of their own.

  He’d always loved irony.

  Luc had grabbed a small, intimate table-for-two when he and Payton had come in, and he threw a few bills down on the center of it for the busboy. Payton was stepping off the back left of the stage and he met her there, just as the regular band slipped into a smooth ballad. He grabbed her hand and took the drumsticks from her unresisting fingers. He slipped them into his back pocket. She’d told him earlier they were her brother’s, and he knew she wouldn’t want to lose them. “We’re dancing.”

  She shot him an irritated look. “We are?”

  “I think that’s the socially acceptable name for it.” He slipped her closer. “Relax; it’s just a few dances. You’re perfectly safe right in the middle of all your little friends. What could I really do to you here?”

  “Probably more than I can even imagine. You’re the type to want to try.”

  “Am I?” She amused him, more than any woman ever had. She would protest, but when he touched her, she couldn’t hide how she felt. She was just as drawn to him as he was her, or so he’d like to think. “What are you going to do to stop me? I could make quite a scene here in front of your friends. Would you like that?”

  She looked up at him, wide-eyed. “What are you planning to do?”

  He smiled as he turned her into the dance. “I haven’t decided quite yet. Where’s my jacket?”

  “Huh? What? Oh…I left it in the back room. It was too hot in here, and I didn’t want to get anything on it.”

  He brushed his hand against the back of the shirt. “This shirt draws attention to more than I think you want.”

  “I’m covered. You’re the one who keeps mentioning it.”

  “That’s because this little shirt teases a man because it covers so much, yet so little.”

  “You’ve just got one thing on the mind all of a sudden.”

  “I have you on my mind.” To prove it he decided to make good on his threat. He pulled her up on her tiptoes and covered her mouth with his. They stopped dancing. She didn’t fight him, and he wondered if she was just that freaked out over causing a scene.

  He finally pulled back and grinned down at her. He spun her around just as the song ended.

  “You jerk. What did you hope to accomplish?”

  “Nothing. Just have fun.”

  “At my expense.” She still didn’t pull away. He finally stepped back and led her over to her friends’ table. “I’m ready to go home.”

  “So am I. So am I.”

  Just before they reached the table where Cody and Paige sat watching them, she pushed him in the stomach with both of her little hands. “You’re not invited this time. You jerk.”

  “And you’re coming home with me.” He pulled her closer, close enough that he could whisper in her ear. “We have things we need to discuss, and it will be safer at my house. You’re coming home with me. Get used to the idea.”

  “Go to hell, Luc. Go to hell.”

  “Only if you come with me.” He dipped a hand in the back of her waist, and grabbed her ass. “And I know exactly how to make that happen, remember?”

  “No. That’s exactly what I’m determined to forget. You can’t just push me away, walk back into my life weeks later, and then demand I give in to you again. Life doesn’t work that way. Relationships don’t work that way.”

  “I wouldn’t know. I’ve not had too many real relationships, especially with women. Come home with me, Payton. Give me a second chance.” He wouldn’t beg; but he wasn’t leaving this bar without her. She’d just have to get used to the idea. If she had a problem with it, he’d just carry her to his car. She would be kept safe, no matter what. “At least let me protect you while I figure out who knows about us…Payton…please.”

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Payton didn’t understand it, but she’d given in. She’d have to get more clothes from her apartment. She couldn’t make do with just the single outfit in her duffle bag, and the jeans and tank she’d worn on stage. She’d need clothes for work, if nothing else. Her workbag and her shoes. And someone would need to water her plants. She wasn’t prepared to be away from her apartment.

  But she somehow doubted he’d let her go home.

  He must have known what she was thinking; instead of having the driver take them straight to his great Fortress-of-Solitude, the limo turned toward her apartment building.

  “Why are we going this way?”

  “I want you to get what you’ll need for a week or more. I thought you’d be more comfortable with your own things.”

  “Thank you.” Was he being thoughtful, now of all times? She studied him for a long moment. He sprawled everywhere, long legs taking up so much of the floorboard. And his shoulders were so broad for such a lean man. She knew every inch of him was toned and strong, though. His clothes were definitely deceptive. And his face was so like a statue of an exotic prince from some island nation of old.

  He was so beautiful, so perfect looking. And he was so maddeningly irritating. And for a woman who’d grown up with eight brothers, saying that was saying a lot. She’d been the butt of so many pranks and jokes by her various brothers, she should be immune to a man like Luc. But she wasn’t, was she? All he had to do was be himself, and to look at her a certain way, touch her a certain way, and she gave in. Just like that. Weak, pitiful. She thought she was stronger than that!

  Inside her apartment she hurried through grabbing the things she’d need. Her place—small enough to begin with—seemed shoebox sized with him prowling around. He was looking at her photos, fiddling with her plants, and then testing out her couch. “Has some bounce. Want to try it out?”

  “Not happening. I told you I’m not sleeping with you again. So just forget it.”

  He grinned. “Oh, you’ll sleep with me again. Probably tonight. If not, then definitely tomorrow. We’ll have the entire day together. We can spend the day in my bed doing all sorts of wicked things, if you like. I think that sounds like a wonderful plan.”

  She looked at him. “No. Not going to happen. We’re going to finish going through all of those bills-of-sale, find what you need to go to the authorities, and we’re going to finish this.”

  She didn’t say anything else about it, just grabbed the rest of her stuff. “I think this is it. I’ll need to grab my work bag.”

  He opened the door, and the bodyguard Chase came in. He carried Payton’s bags, while Terrance accompanied her and Luc back to the limo and the waiting driver. Would she e
ver get used to him having shadows who went with him everywhere?

  She wouldn’t be around him long enough to get used to it. She would make sure they both understood that. He wasn’t getting the opportunity to use her and discard her again.

  His home gleamed in the distance, from miles away, though it was located very close to the heart of the city, and close to the river.

  Ren and Rath met them as they were climbing out of the limo. Both dogs were dignified and respectful of the distance, staying well out of the way. They were very well-trained, but Payton knew what they wanted. Luc called them over and she greeted each one.

  “Damn animals forget their training when you’re around. I think they’re hopelessly in love. I know how they feel.”

  She didn’t say anything until they were inside and away from Chase and Terrance. He’d had Chase carry her things to a bedroom; she hadn’t seen which one. It better not have been his.

  “We’re here. Are you hungry? Thirsty? Horny? I’d like to meet all of your needs this evening.” Luc said it so casually, did he joke about everything? He carried the bag that had her grandmother’s quilt, the one Payton had grabbed on impulse before leaving her living room. It usually covered the back of her couch. She half-thought she’d need the familiar token of security in the strange place that was Luc’s home, his life. His house was so devoid of anything truly personal…

  How could he live like that?

  He poured her a glass of soda—he had his own fountain machine in the bar area—and brought it to her. Instead of handing her the glass he sat it on the end table next to the couch. He wrapped his hands around her waist and tried to pull her toward him.

  Payton held up a hand. “No. I want to make it very clear about something, Luc.”

  He stepped back. “You’re angry.”

  “Aren’t you perceptive today? Of course I’m angry.”