Chapter 11
CHAPTER 11
" D on't look at me like that." Izzy pursed her lips in the perfect pout. "It's just a little yacht party." They were in his suite at the hotel, and she'd just broken the news to him about this evening's outing. As expected, he was not happy about it.
"I thought we agreed you weren't going to take any more risks."
"This isn't a risk. Casper is an old friend of Robert's. They studied together at Yale. I've met him several times before. He's harmless."
Viper ran a hand through his hair, clearly agitated.
"You can check him out, he's squeaky clean. Actually, scratch that. He's an investment banker—they're never squeaky clean." She scoffed. "But he has no ties to my father's business. No interest in the mines."
"It's not that," Viper said tersely. "It's being out in the open. Anyone could take a shot at you in the marina. It's unprotected, there are lots of places to hide. I can't be everywhere at once."
"We'll be on a yacht, moored at the marina. Nobody is going to get to me on board."
He hesitated, but she could see she was getting to him.
"Come on, this'll be fun. I don't want to stay cooped up here the whole time."
His chiseled jaw ground together so hard she could see the muscles moving.
"It's not like a bar or a club, it's a private yacht. I'll know half the guests there and the other half will be friends of Casper's."
He sighed, and she knew she'd won him over.
"Robert was only supposed to come next week," he pointed out. "Why the sudden change of plan?"
She smiled at his grumpiness. "He's tied up all next week, so he came for a few days this week. Suits me better, actually, because it means I'll have next week to myself."
"Will he be staying with you?" Viper's expression was neutral, but his eyes zoomed in on her face.
She frowned. "No, of course not. We're not dating."
"I'm sorry to pry, but I've got to ask so I can adapt your security."
"That's okay, and no, Robert will have his own room."
Another curt nod, but she thought she saw a flash of relief cross his face. Or was that her wishing it was so? With him, she couldn't be sure. He was always so guarded.
Last night was about as personal as he'd ever gotten with her. She could understand why he hadn't had a relationship in the Navy, but now he was a free agent. Although, he hadn't been out long. Pat had said only a few months.
She'd read about how hard it was for servicemen to adjust to civilian life. Was he going through that now? He didn't give away a thing. If he was stressed, he wasn't showing it.
"We're meeting the others in the hotel bar at seven," she said.
"Yes, ma'am."
Izzy stared at the two dresses on her bed. The silver one was soft and slinky and demanded attention. She certainly wouldn't go unnoticed in that. The black one clung to her like an oil slick that changed color when she moved. It was sexy as hell but more “rock chick” than “cocktail hour glam”.
"Viper," she called. She'd purposely left the connecting door between their two rooms open, and although he hadn't come through it at all, she'd heard him walking around, taking a shower, getting dressed. It was intimate, in a weird kind of way.
He immediately appeared in the doorway. "Yes?" Then froze when he saw her standing in a towel robe.
"I can't decide which dress to wear. What do you think?"
He didn't move. "You want me to choose?"
"Yes, I need a man's opinion."
He shook his head and came a bit closer. "The black one."
"Hmm... Interesting choice. Why did you pick that one?" Her mind whirred. Was it the rough-and-ready part of him? Did he like a wild child as opposed to a glamour puss? Maybe he was into rock music? He looked the type. That sexy-as-hell tattoo on his chest, right over his heart.
"It'll make you less of a target."
And he turned on his heel and left the room.
Great.
Izzy sighed and flopped on the bed. The man was impossible!
She didn't know why he made her so mad, but he did.
Maybe it was because she couldn't crack him. Every man she'd ever known had hit on her. Even the ones professing to be her friends. Everywhere she went she was fawned over, idolized. It was partly because of who she was and partly because of what she looked like.
A style icon, she'd been called in the media. A role model for millions of young women. She was also a success story, a businesswoman, an entrepreneur in her own right. And of course, her family legacy made her a wealthy debutante.
The exotic, sultry looks she'd inherited from her Brazilian mother meant she drew attention. Designers wanted her to wear their clothes. Magazines wanted her to grace their covers. She was always being given jewelry or outfits or the latest gadget to try out in hopes that she'd give it a stellar online review. Her Instagram account had over two million followers. Her opinion mattered. Her fans adored her. Men wanted to sleep with her.
Except he wasn't like that.
He kept his distance, even when he was standing right beside her. That cool, aquamarine gaze stared through her rather than at her, refusing to engage. He was driving her crazy.
With a huff, she pulled on the silver dress. It was slinky and sexy and had tiny spaghetti straps that crossed at the back. You couldn't wear a bra with it.
Around her neck hung the turquoise necklace.
Just before seven, Viper poked his head through the connecting door. "Are you ready, Miss Beaumont?"
"Yes."
His gaze flickered over her dress, but he didn't comment.
They went downstairs to the hotel bar. Him first, surveying the corridor, the elevator, and the lobby, before she stepped into it. He looked sexy as hell bursting out of that black suit, with a matching black shirt underneath exposing just a glimpse of his tanned chest, but she knew the Kevlar vest was beneath it, and that he was armed.
Women turned to stare.
She couldn’t help but feel smug that this Adonis of a man was with her. In her slinky silver dress, they made quite a pair, and she almost took his arm like she would any of her other male admirers, only just stopping herself in time. Holy hell, that was close. She must get a hold of herself.
"There you are!" Emily rushed over. "Look who I found."
Izzy broke into a practiced smile. "Hello, Robert."
"Darling!" He embraced her, kissing her on both cheeks. "I hope you don't mind me turning up early. It was the only time I could get away."
Viper bristled beside her.
"No, of course not. It's lovely to see you."
"Who is this?" Robert eyed Viper, and not in a good way. Oh, he kept his cool—of course he would, it was Robert—but she didn’t miss the flash of jealousy in his gaze.
"This is my bodyguard, Viper. Viper, this is Robert Hampton-Barnes, CEO of Omega Enterprises." She used Robert's full title to give his ego a boost. Standing next to the towering Viper, he needed all the help she could give him.
As expected, Robert puffed out his chest, although it still fell pathetically short of Viper’s, who wasn’t even trying. The differences didn't end there. While Robert was lithe and slender, cutting a fine figure in a tailored suit, Viper was broad and muscular, exuding a powerful energy that was hard to ignore. Robert was all dignified calm, while Viper simmered with a dangerous, but controlled aggression.
"Bodyguard? Surely you don't need him tonight. We'll be on Casper's yacht. Give him the night off."
"I'm afraid that's out of the question, sir," Viper said.
Robert put his arm around her. "She'll be fine, she's with me."
"It's okay, Robert," Izzy cut in. The two men were glaring at each other. "He can come."
Robert's mouth straightened into a thin line. "As you wish, darling."
Izzy wished he wouldn't call her darling, although it was almost worth it to see the way Viper's lips compressed into a thin line when he did. Was her personal protection officer jealous? Was she finally getting a reaction out of him?
Robert bought them a drink, while Viper stood a few feet away. She stood side-on to him, so she couldn't see his expression, but by the way Emily kept glancing nervously at him, she knew he was glaring daggers at her.
"What have you done to piss him off?" her friend whispered, when Robert moved away a little to greet someone else. "He looks like he’s about to explode."
"He's not happy about this party," Izzy confided, although that was only half the truth. Robert had encroached on his territory by insisting she give him the night off. He hadn't liked that.
"Too bad," sang Emily. "It'll be fun. You could do with letting your hair down a bit. He'll just have to deal with it."
Robert came back and slipped an arm around her waist. She was used to it. Ever since her father had died, he'd treated her like a little girl who needed protection. Used to the attention, it had never occurred to her to mind, but when she turned around and saw Viper's blazing gaze, she swallowed and took a step back.
"What's wrong?" Robert asked her.
"Nothing." She forced a smile. "It’s warm in here, isn’t it?"
He shrugged and carried on talking.
When she glanced back at Viper, he was staring over her head at the wall behind her.