Dane shook his head. “I don’t like the idea of using her as bait.”

“You won’t be using me, I’m offering myself up. I want my life back. I was just starting to enjoy a normal life when this creep showed up. You can’t keep me here as a hostage, so either come with me or I’m going by myself.”

After what happened last time she went out on her own, there was no way she’d leave without them, but she crossed her fingers hoping they wouldn’t call her bluff.

“She’ll do it just to spite us.” Nikolai shook his head and picked up his dirty plate.

“Fine.” Dane glared at both of them.

“Are you…did he just agree to something I suggested?” Calista chuckled as she looked at Nikolai.

“It would appear so.” Nikolai winked at her and gathered up the rest of the dishes.

A dark look passed over Dane’s features. She wasn’t sure why and she didn’t really care. She was leaving her condo. That’s the only thing that mattered. Human contact.

“Great, I know the perfect place. There’s a club not far from here with an upstairs VIP room. I’ll call the owner and have him section off that portion. You’ll have full visual of the entire club.”

Dane raised an eyebrow. “Thought this through have you?”

She didn’t miss the touch of sarcasm in his voice. Despite her internal efforts to maintain her innocence, she felt her cheeks heat up. “I’ve already put the call in.”

Chapter 10

From the moment they emerged from the limousine, photographers and wanna-be journalists shoved cameras and microphones in Calista’s face. Unable to see clearly, due to all the flashes popping around her, she held on to Dane’s arm for dear life. Thankfully the owner barred the leeches from entering. Calista signed a few autographs on her way in, but for the most part Dane, Nikolai, and three other beefy looking men had her boxed in. Once inside, the owner escorted them up a flight of stairs to the private VIP room. From there they had a perfect visual of the entire club.

“Come on, let’s dance.” Calista stood up from their table and pulled Dane to his feet. She had to yell over the music. The DJ was positioned right below the VIP room, so everything was amplified.

“I don’t think that’s such a good idea. I need to be alert, and the only reason I agreed to this outing was for you to make an appearance.” He went to the ledge and scanned the floor below.

“Fine, I’m getting a drink. Do you want anything?”

He didn’t turn around. He just shook his head no.

She knew this wasn’t supposed to be fun, but she at least wanted to enjoy her small freedom. She plopped down on one of the barstools. Since there weren’t any other patrons in the VIP room she had the bartender all to herself.

“Vodka tonic. Make it a double.”

“No problem.” The pretty young blonde behind the bar nodded, and her long ponytail swung back and forth furiously.

Ignoring the burning sensation in her throat, Calista downed her drink in one long gulp. Without having to ask, another drink appeared like magic. It’s not as if there were any other patrons. Except Dane of course.

She swiveled on her stool to look at Dane’s profile. She rarely drank, but she was already feeling the effects of the vodka. Maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing.

Her hand tightened around the slick tumbler. Why did he ever have to tell her he was interested in her?

“Is that your boyfriend?” The bartender interrupted her thoughts.

She turned back around and sighed. “No. He’s my bodyguard.”

“That’s too bad. He’s yummy.” The girl lifted an eyebrow and giggled.

“You think so?” She stirred the ice in her glass trying to act nonchalant. Trying to act like she wasn’t thinking the same thing. She’d never thought about him as “yummy” exactly, but the word held appeal.

“Oh yeah. He’s a little scary looking, but definitely yummy. He’s really got that dark and brooding thing down to an art.”

Before Calista could agree or disagree, the other girl continued. “He might not be your boyfriend but he definitely wants you.”

“Excuse me?”

The girl rolled her eyes. “It’s so obvious. He keeps turning around and staring at you.”

“That’s his job. He’s supposed to watch me.”

“Does that include undressing you with his eyes? Every time he turns around I swear he looks ready to jump you.” She shook her head and wiped down the bar. “Trust me. I watch people for a living. That man wants you in a bad way.”

Calista drained the last few drops of her drink, dropped a few bills on the bar, and stood up. “Thanks for the drinks.”

“No problem.”

She knew she was playing with fire, but two double vodka tonics later and it was hard to care. She wanted to feel Dane’s body next to hers. He must have sensed her presence because he turned slightly when she came up behind him. Which just further proved to her that he did have eyes in the back of his head.

“I’m making an appearance and this might be the only way to provoke him out into the open. If he’s here and sees me dancing with you, he might start getting sloppy.” The words felt thick in her mouth.

Dane didn’t take his eyes from the dance floor below. “It’s not going to happen, Calista.”

“If you won’t dance, I’ll grab Nikolai.”

That got his attention. He mumbled something unintelligible under his breath, but at least he followed her.

Dane’s blue eyes darkened as she pulled him closer. She pulled his hips towards hers and swayed sensually to the music pounding through the speakers. Calista closed her eyes and tried to imagine she was a million miles away. Music was such a huge part of who she was but ever since this monster entered her life, she hadn’t even been able to enjoy it. Dancing, she could almost forget the real reason they were at the club and enjoy herself.

“Calista.” Dane’s deep voice was thick and unsteady.

He gripped her hips and her eyes flew open.

“What, do you see something?”

“No, I just don’t think this is a good idea.”

Under the flashing lights of the dark club his blue eyes were the color of the midnight sky. It took all her resolve to focus on those eyes instead of his lips.

“Why not? This is bound to enrage him.”

“It might enrage him, but it’s also turning me on.”

“Oh.” She felt her cheeks heat up and was thankful for the darkness around them.

Dane shrugged and managed a half smile, but his eyes never left her face. “What did you expect? You know how I feel about you. I’m a man and you’re one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen. Hell, you are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. When you grind your hips against mine like that, I can’t help my physical response.”

“I’m sorry, I was just trying to…” she stopped talking when he leaned down to murmur in her ear.

His lips brushed against her cheek and she involuntarily shivered.

“Kiss me. I think I made our guy.”

She swallowed tightly and nodded because she didn’t trust her voice. Her knees weakened as his mouth descended on hers. This kiss was different than the brusque one he had subjected her to at the hotel. In a gentle, almost playful manner, he teased her bottom lip with his teeth. In an effort to steady herself and to get closer, she gripped his shoulders. She wanted to taste all of him. Being in public was pure torture. An image of his mouth elsewhere sent a white hot surge of lust through her. She shifted closer in his embrace, but without warning, he pulled his head back.

“I think we might have him.”

“What?” She asked, surprised she could even speak.

Her heart beat an erratic tattoo against her chest and her knees threatened to give out. He obviously wasn’t as affected as she was.

He tapped his ear. “Nikolai just told me they might have something.”

Calista’s head swirled, but she averted her gaze in an effort to compose herself. If the kiss meant nothing to him, then she could pretend the same thing.

“Good, what do you want me to do?”

“Nothing, I want you to stay here in the VIP room, and I’m going to meet up with Nikolai. Don’t leave this section. Do you understand?”

Unable to speak, she mutely nodded. He gently touched her arm, forcing her to look up at him. “I’m serious. I can’t do my job if I’m worrying about you.”

“I promise I won’t move. I’ve still got that pepper spray you gave me in my purse in case anything happens.”

Earlier that evening Dane had given her military issued pepper spray in case of any emergencies. He also tried to give her a knife but Calista declined. She knew that the odds of it being turned on her were greater than her being able to put it to good use.

After he left, she sat on one of the couches. She didn’t want to talk to anyone. The entire VIP room had been cleared out and guards posted at both exits. Normally she didn’t frequent places like this. She preferred smaller social gatherings with people she actually knew, not a room full of strangers who thought they knew all about her. That was one of the main reasons she’d decided to come back to North Carolina rather than live in Los Angeles or New York.

Anonymity. She got that here. Or at least she would when all this was over. Calista sighed and put her head back on the couch wishing she was anywhere but here. She knew she was the one who had insisted on coming, but without Dane she felt oddly alone. The music was too loud, the air was too smoky, and her small buzz was long gone.

Dane’s kiss knocked it right out of her.

Her eyes flew open when she heard her name being shouted.

“Great,” she muttered to herself as she saw who was doing the shouting.

Petite, blonde, and always bubbly, Lena Stavaros was a socialite who wanted to be best friends and wouldn’t take no for an answer. Calista waved to the security guard that it was okay to let the insistent woman through. She gritted her teeth as Lena bounced over and air kissed her on both cheeks. As expected she started chatting away.