Page 14

They stepped beneath the brightly lit chandelier; it cast soft mosaic shapes over the floor and walls.

Light reflected off something and shone in his face, making him squint.

The object moved and his heartrate roared.

The twinkling lights from the chandelier caught her dress, making the material glitter.

His insides twisted and his arm tightened on Ashley’s.

He stopped in his tracks, bringing her to a halt.

She turned to face him, her brows pinched together over her eyes, and then her gaze followed his.

“Oh, of course,” she muttered.

Tension burned the muscles in his face, but he couldn’t tear his gaze from Maddie.

Ashley tugged on his arm and directed him to their table.

Maddie stood in the center of the room, her arm looped through Carlos’s, and a glass of champagne in her free hand.

Someone said something and her head dropped back, her soft laugh carrying to his ears.

His Adam’s apple bobbed at the familiar sound.

She moved again to shake someone’s hand and the light caught her gold sequined gown.

The back of her dress dipped dangerously low, scooping at the bottom just above her ass, revealing tiny dimples on either side of the base of her spine.

Her skin glowed from the sun she’d gotten today, and her hair was wound tightly in a knot at the base of her neck, accentuating the smooth curve of her back.

His throat constricted and blood throbbed in his eye sockets. Ashley pulled out a chair and sat, but there was no way he could sit still.

“I’ll get us some champagne,” he ground out through tight lips. A waiter with a full tray weaved through the crowd, passing out glasses only feet away from Maddie. His fingers flexed at his sides as he strode around the tables and lifted his hand to the waiter.

Maddie turned, and the sight of her hit him like a drop kick to the chest. His hand froze for a beat mid-air before he forced it to his side.

Her eyes locked on his, dragged down his penguin adorned body, and back up.

The corner of her mouth hitched up and her eyes sparked with mischief.

The front of her dress left even less to the imagination than the back.

Thin straps tapered down and widened to cover her breasts, and met below her sternum.

Her full, golden breasts stood pert and free beneath the material.

Desire raged through him, and his blood burned a path all the way to his dick.

He moved his tongue along the inside of his bottom lip.

Maybe Ashley was right… he was fighting a battle that was inevitable for him to lose.

“One glass or two, Sir?” The waiter passed a flute into his hand.

Nate forced his gaze to the short Hispanic man and smiled. “Two please,” he murmured.

He passed him another and nodded at him. “Enjoy, Sir. Dinner will be served shortly.” The waiter moved to the table behind Nate and he lifted his glass and sipped.

His eyes sought Maddie, but the floor where she had stood only moments before was now vacant. The bubbly liquid tingled his tongue. Out of the corner of his eyes, he scanned the crowd next to him.

Shit. She was gone.

He turned and made his way back to the table. Three other couples sat around Ashley, and he slipped into the cream-colored chair.

“There you are honey,” Ashley said. She leaned in close to him and gestured around the table. “This is Adam, Mary, Kurt, Georgia, Ivan, and Olga.”

Nate leaned out of his seat and shook everyone’s hand. “Pleasure to meet you all. Bear with me as I try to remember your names. My memory isn’t as good as my wife’s.”

Mary chuckled and waved at him. “We have the rest of the trip to get acquainted. Are you two going snorkeling at Paradise Island tomorrow?”

Ashley bounced in her seat. “Oh, I—”

“No, sorry. We have another excursion planned.”

Ashley sank a little in her seat and he took another sip of champagne.

They weren’t here on vacation, and it would be easy to lose sight of that.

With the vast majority of the guests gone for the day, they could do more digging in Carlos’s suite.

The conversation turned to things to do at other ports, and everyone had a cruise story to tell.

When Ashley took a drink, he leaned in close to her ear. “Have you done a head count?”

She took a long sip and nodded. “Tony and Hector are near the back, far east corner of the room, and Maddie and Carlos are two tables to your right. I’ll sneak to the restroom and let Dylan know the coast is clear.

She excused herself and stood. She skirted around the tables and disappeared into the women’s room to the left of the stage. After a few seconds, her voice crackled over the earpiece.

“Everyone is in place. Go, Dylan.”

“Perfect, I’ll check in when I’m out. You guys better bring me something back, or I’m racking up room service on your account Nate.”

Fucking prick. He’d probably order steak and lobster too. “Go for it,” Ashley said. “The bureau covers expenses.”

“Sweet, have fun. I’m going to binge and watch Die Hard.”

Nate’s mouth twitched on a chuckle. A line of waiters streamed through the double doors, plates covered in silver lids in hand. His stomach groaned. Thank god. A plate slid in front of him and he dug into a salad.

Ashley returned and moaned. “That looks delicious,” she said as she flapped her napkin in the air and spread it on her lap. Nate took a bite and nodded.

“It’s really good. Damn, I haven’t even eaten today.”

Ashley took a bite and her lips pursed at him. “You’re too distracted. You need to relax a little and enjoy yourself.”

Nate snorted. “And go snorkeling? I’m sure Arthur will love seeing that expense.” His boss had been skeptical at best when Nate had requested approval for the trip. If Arthur hadn’t completely trusted his judgement, they wouldn’t be here right now. His neck was on the line, all because of Maddie.

“Yeah, I forgot our circumstance for a minute. I’d never be able to afford a trip like this on my own.” Her voice lowered and a stab of guilt hit Nate. Just because he was hung up on Maddie and the job, didn’t mean he had to keep everyone from enjoying themselves.

“If you and Dylan want to go, I can handle things tomorrow.”

Ashley’s eyes widened. “But—”

“Don’t worry about it. There won’t be much going on here. But if our target is on another excursion, it might be beneficial to follow him.”

She smiled. “I don’t care where we go, as long as I get to do something. And if it’s in the name of surveillance, even better.” She winked and lifted a grape tomato to her lips.

He polished off the last of his salad and straightened his shoulders. God, there had better be more food coming. He dabbed his chin with his napkin and slid his chair out.

“Please excuse me,” he said, nodding to the strangers at his table. He slid around Olga’s chair, and her gaze lifted as he passed. Her large blue eyes lined in dark mascara focused on his. Her pink lips folded into a luscious pout and she winked at him.

Good grief. Her husband sat inches from her, in deep discussion with Ashley about other excursions in the area. Ivan leaned across the chair Nate had vacated, bringing him closer to Ashley. He stroked her hand and Ashley’s eyes sharpened.

Swingers. He stifled a laugh with a cough, and nodded at Olga as he moved past their table. He would have to inform Ashley later.

His gaze landed on Maddie’s table as he headed for the restroom. Carlos sat with his back to Nate, and the chair next to him was empty. She couldn’t have gone to the restroom; he would have seen her. Where the hell had she gone?

A flash of gold moved on the other side of the ballroom.

His eye caught her round, lush ass as she exited the room.

He clenched his hands into fists as he entered the men’s room.

The urge to slip out the other exit near the restrooms rippled through him.

He quickly relieved himself, then squirted a pile of soap in his hands and scrubbed, then dried his hands.

He couldn’t follow her, dammit. It would be too risky if someone saw them alone together.

A line of waiters flowed from the kitchen with the next course as he made his way back to the table.

Keeping his face turned toward his table, he moved his eyes to Carlos’s table.

Carlos pushed back in his seat as a waiter placed a new plate in front of him.

He rubbed his hands together as the waiter opened the lid.

She was still gone. He reached his table and movement at the back of the room made him snap his head up. Tony’s tall, dark form moved to the exit.

Nate’s senses prickled.

Sonofabitch.