Alana smiled at his perceptiveness. “How did you guess my name so quickly?”
“Shot in the dark,” he said, shrugging his massive shoulders. “A little luck too, I guess.”
“Do you have a lot of that?”
“Luck?”
Alana nodded.
“As much as anyone, I suppose.”
Alana could see the curious expression on his face. He wanted to question her further. “What do you do, Gus?” she asked.
“Have fun, I hope.”
Alana laughed. “For a living? You don’t strike me as one of those socialites who travel from one party to the next searching for the latest thrill.”
“What do I strike you as?”
“Well, that’s a loaded question.”
Gus laughed, delighted with her wit. “Okay, I won’t open myself up like that again.”
“But you’re not going to tell me what you do?”
“Nope.”
“Why not?” she asked. “Why so secretive?”
“Don’t you get tired of the same old questions?”
Alana nodded.
“So let’s ignore the day to day and start living just the two of us?” he said and spun her around.
Alana shook her head. “Ah, we’re already to the romantic drivel.”
Gus chuckled. “Not an existentialist, are you?”
“No. I’m more of a realist.”
“What is Brian to your reality?”
“Nothing,” she said quickly.
He had danced her all the way to the other side of the ballroom. She was angry now, which made him more intrigued.
“Where are you taking me?” she asked as he suavely took her hand and led her out one of the ballroom doors to a patio.
“For a walk,” he replied. “It was pretty hot in there.”
Alana looked back at the dancers. She was instantly nervous when the light from the ballroom slowly faded away. “I don’t think I need any fresh air,” she said and started heading into the ballroom.
“Brian was about to cut in. I didn’t think you’d want that,” he said.
Alana looked back and sure enough, Brian was standing near the doorway looking around, his hands on his hips. She quickly walked into the shadows of the garden.
Gus smiled and followed her, preferring the darkness to the bright lights of the ballroom and patio area.
“Who are you?” Alana asked as she sat down on a bench. She was completely sheltered from anyone spying her from the ballroom by a flowering bush, but she wouldn’t separate herself completely from the light.
Gus leaned his shoulders against a tree and took in the lovely sight she presented. Did she have any idea of how vulnerable she was? He had felt her shivers when he’d handed her the pen. He knew she was interested in him but not willing to admit it to herself. He didn’t know why but it was just another mystery about this woman he was determined to unravel.
Gus noticed that she kept glancing nervously back at the ballroom, but her tightly clenched hands indicated that she knew Brian wasn’t her only concern. Smart woman, he thought.
“Relax, you’re safe from me,” Gus lied. He wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her red lips, make her tremble in his arms and show her how good he instinctively knew they would be together. But he restrained himself. For some reason, he didn’t want to blow it with this particular woman. He was feeling oddly protective. That didn’t mean his masculine instincts wouldn’t override that protectiveness if she gave him the smallest lead.
She looked like a fairy perched so daintily on the bench. Her golden hair glowed in the moonlight filtering through the trees and he wanted to reach out and touch her, make sure she was real. She also looked like she would bolt at the slightest provocation. He had to take a deep breath and slow down the mental images flashing through his mind with the possibilities.
Alana took a deep breath and tried to relax. She needed to get away from this man but she didn’t want to run into anyone else at the party. The feelings Gus stirred in her were unfamiliar and dangerous to her peace of mind.
On the other hand, she’d been trying to avoid Brian all evening and it was unfortunate that he’d caught her just as she was trying to leave the party. He wasn’t even supposed to be in town. She’d heard through the grapevine that he was living in New York now. What in the world was he doing back in Washington, D.C.? She didn’t trust the man at all. Brian showing up in town could only mean trouble and she wanted to stay as far away from him as she could.
“Why don’t we leave here?” Gus suggested, wondering if a change of atmosphere would help her relax.
She smiled softly at his question. “That’s what I was trying to do about twenty minutes ago when you stopped me.”
“Oh. Sorry.” He had the grace to look apologetic.
He moved a few steps closer to her. “If you’re trying to leave, I have a great idea. Come on over to my place,” he suggested. “There’s a great hockey game on and I’ll talk you through it. I’m sure you’d love hockey.”
“Why in the world do you think I’d like hockey?” she laughed, both horrified at the idea of watching a hockey game with all of its violence and somewhat intrigued that he would think to ask her to enjoy the game with him. Of all the things he might have suggested, that was the last thing she’d expected.
Gus was a little blind sided by her smile but he plowed through, glad that she was talking to him and not rushing away. “Why wouldn’t you? Hockey is a great game. Lots of action, plenty of suspense and strategy, all of it happening with a lightning quick pace. You’ll love it. I guarantee it.”
Alana laughed again. “I think I’ll pass.”
“Ah, but you don’t know what you’re missing,” he said coaxingly. “The Caps are playing the Devilrays. Long time rivalry. There’s bound to be lots of great plays.”
She shook her head again, not interested in hockey in any way. “I’m sure it will be the game of the season, but I think I’ll just head home to a good book and a long soak in the tub,” she said and stood up, about to walk out of the relative safety of her hiding place.
He stopped her, his hands on her waist. “Sounds perfect. I’ll join you,” he grinned wolfishly.
Alana was shocked by the heat in his hands. She inhaled quickly but his spicy aftershave wafted into her nose and she was almost dizzy with the feelings his touch created within her. “No, I can’t…” she started, only to stop talking when her eyes became trapped with his.