Page 116 of Sweet Temptation

“Bullshit. You are zero-percent clumsy.”

“It was instinct.” He leaned closer to me as he set the empty glass on the table. I didn’t back out of his way. “I sensed a threat.”

“Well. At least you’re copping to it.”

He passed me a fresh cocktail, without spilling it this time. “He had it coming. That velvet suit needs changing.”

I took a sip of the Crantini and stared him down. “That was incredibly immature.”

“I told you, it was instinct. Sometimes you have to act fast when a threat presents.”

“A threat? Yancy? Are you kidding me?”

“He was hitting on you.” He searched my face, and I realized how close he actually was to me. We were way too close for a client-and-bodyguard conversation. At least, a proper one. “I thought it was unwelcome. Guess I was wrong.” His gaze dropped to my lips. “I didn’t think he’d be your type.”

“That’s got nothing to do with it. He’s a business contact. He’s been my booking agent for years. Flirting is part of the game.”

His eyes snapped back up to mine. “Yeah? Brody flirt with you like that? Ask you to come home with him after a show?”

“Of course not.”

“But it’s okay for Yancy to do it?”

I set my drink down on the table. “How about you take your instinct on the road.”

“What?”

I put my hands on my hips. “Take a walk around the club. Do your perimeter inspection thing. Look for threats out there.” Just then, Yancy emerged from the crowd, heading back over to us. I took a step back from Ronan and put on a better mood. “I’m fine. I’ve got Yancy.”

Ronan said nothing. He just kept staring at me as Yancy walked up.

“Hey, are you okay?” I put my hand on his arm. He hadn’t changed, which meant he didn’t have anything to change into, but hopefully he’d dried off a bit.

“I’m good.”

He gave Ronan, who was standing in his way, an uncertain glance.

Ronan backed off. I sat down with Yancy and lifted my drink from the table. He took one, too. “To an incredible show tonight,” he said, and we clinked glasses.

As I took a sip, I watched Ronan.

He stalked over to Andre, who was standing maybe a dozen feet away, against the wall. They exchanged a quick word. Then Ronan disappeared.

Andre drifted over, closer to me, and made himself comfortable in the shadows.

And I felt it in the pit of my stomach; a sinking feeling. Watching Ronan walk away, possibly angry with me, didn’t exactly feel good.

But come on. Dumping a drink on a man—a business associate of mine—because he was talking to me?

Okay, so he was specifically talking about taking me to bed tonight, and obviously Ronan was listening. But like Elle said, he was my bodyguard, and that’s all there was to it. He couldn’t exactly tell me we weren’t hooking up and then go around scaring off any man who talked to me—or assaulting them by cocktail.

Yes, it was decidedly hot when he got all growly and protective.

But still.

“Where were we?” Yancy said, leaning into me.

“You were telling me about your ulterior motives. And no, I’m not going back to your hotel tonight. I have a curfew, and my bodyguard enforces it.”

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