“No, miss, you’re not in trouble.” The guard on the left, who’s maybe ten years younger than his counterpart, smiles briefly at me. “Just make sure to stay in the ballroom for the rest of the night. We’re not supposed to allow anyone back here.”
“Oh, thank you, boys!” I exclaim, winking at them. “I promise I’ll be a good girl from now on.” My tone turns suggestive. “Well… I’ll try to be good.”
If I’m not mistaken, a blush creeps up the older guard’s neck. The younger one is outright grinning at me.
Gotcha.
I tilt my head and bite my lip demurely. “You know, it’s rare to meet honest-to-gosh gentlemen, nowadays. Thank you.”
“No problem, miss.”
“Y’all have a good night, now!”
“You too, miss,” the younger guard says. “Enjoy the party.”
“Oh, I won’t,” I say on a laugh, turning to go. It’s hard to keep myself from taking off at a run, but I know they’re still watching.
So, I’ll be a few minutes late. Miriam will rant. At least I won’t be cuffed in the back of a squad car.
Leaving the men behind, I’m flooded with so much relief I don’t notice the third guard coming around the corner until I’ve nearly bumped noses with her.
Yes, her.
Damn. Somehow, I doubt my bimbo routine will be equally effective on a woman.
“What’s happening here?” she snaps in a no-nonsense voice at the male guards behind me. “Who is this and why is she back here?”
The men move to my either side — a Schwarzenegger sandwich.
“Well, uh,” the younger guard hedges, glancing guiltily from me to the woman who is clearly his superior. “This young lady is with the party in the ballroom.”
“And?” she barks again in that condescending tone.
Superior or no, she should rethink her management strategies…. and possibly her pantsuit. It really emphasizes her cankles.
“We were just about to escort her back,” the older guard chimes in.
“Yes,” I start. “I was—”
“Quiet!” she growls, dismissing me instantly. Her focus shifts back to her men. “Mr. Lancaster said no one was allowed back here. No exceptions. Anyone caught wandering was to be brought to his attention immediately.”
“We know that, ma’am, but—”
“No exceptions,” she repeats, eyes narrowing. “Have you even confirmed she’s a guest?”
My mouth goes dry. I focus on the feeling of the USB in my bra and wonder if they’ll strip search me here or down at the police station…
Don’t panic, I tell myself. What’s the worst that can happen?
Oh, you know. Just a felony charge for trespassing and corporate espionage. Twenty years in federal prison. No big deal.
“You,” she spits at the younger guard. “Go get Mr. Lancaster and Mr. Linus, the Head of Security.” Her gaze swivels to pin the older guard in place. “If you think you can manage it, stay with her and make sure she doesn’t move until we get—”
“Oh, there you are, snookums!” a familiar voice interrupts her tirade. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”
My wide eyes fly past the female guard and catch sight of Parker West, who’s striding down the hallway toward us with a determined look on his face. His gaze is locked on me as he pushes through the group and slides an arm around my shoulders, hauling me into his side with such familiarity, anyone watching would undoubtedly think we were something more than just friends.
“Where have you been?” Parker asks, peering down into my face. A warning squeeze of his fingers on the flesh of my upper arm tells me my vacant expression is blowing the whole act. The message in his eyes is clear: I’d better start playing along, pronto.
I don’t know why he’s helping me; right now, I don’t care.
I need him and he knows it.
“Here I am,” I say in bimbo-voice, turning into his chest and winding one arm between his shirt and his suit jacket. I can feel the muscled flesh beneath the fabric and instantly wonder what it would be like to run my hands down the bare planes of his back. My fingertips. My lips…
Zoe, focus! This is so not the time for sexual fantasies.
I try to banish the thought, but it’s difficult to focus on anything with the heat of his skin still radiating against my palm.
“I missed you, snookums,” Parker says, giving me another warning squeeze.
“I was on my way back, honey bear, I promise!” I bubble. His eyebrow twitches at the endearment. “These nice guards were just going to escort me.”
Okay, so, honey bear might’ve been a little much. Whatever.
“Well, so long as you’re back with me now, it doesn’t matter.” Parker steps forward, bringing me with him. “We must be getting back. Thank you all for looking out for my snookums, here.”
If he calls me snookums one more time I’m going to murder him.
“Mr. West, sir, that’s not exactly the case—” The female guard cuts in, trying to regain control of the situation. “She can’t just leave, we have some questions—”
“Oh, my little love bug here is always going off to powder her nose and getting lost,” he confides to the guards, who all look baffled and uncomfortable.
Pet names and PDA have that general effect, it seems.