Page 49 of Mountain Security

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Alex

God, but it was difficult to stop looking at her.

The fitted dark dress she was wearing looked like it had been made for her long, lean body. And that neckline … a man could get lost there. He could see he wasn’t the only man staring.

But for Alex, it wasn’t just about her beauty.

No.

Alex was finding he liked everything about her. Her courage, her moral rectitude … the way her upbringing, instead of hardening her, had instead made her so empathetic to other people’s struggles.

As the evening wore on, he watched her interact with dozens of people. She had something personal to say to each and every one of them—and not a platitude, either. No, something real. Something that made them smile.

He looked around the room, looking for the man who’d pushed by Yvette earlier, but he was nowhere to be found.

Jardinier.

Alex had committed his name to memory. He’d be doing his own research on the man soon but, for now, had already sent Hugo a message, asking him to find out everything he could about Jardinier. If the man had so much as a parking ticket pending, they would find out.

Just like he’d be investigating Aristide Gaultier.

Yvette approached, seeming to glide rather than walk. He looked down at her feet. Her patent-leather heels looked to be four inches high.

No wonder she looks taller.

His tongue went dry at the sight.

“Those shoes …” he whispered, getting close to her ear. From here, he could smell her soft, floral perfume. “Tell me you’ll wear those heels for me later. Just those heels.”

Yvette laughed, a pretty, musical sound.

But she didn’t say no.

She gave him a mischievous grin. “If you dance with me, I’ll think about it.”

“What if I step on your toes?” he asked. There were many things Alex did well in life, but dancing wasn’t one of them.

“Are you going to tell me you’re not a good dancer, Alex? Have I finally found something you’re not good at?”

Alex laughed and placed his hands on her hips.

“I’m not being modest. I really don’t know where to go from here.”

Yvette melted against his body, getting much closer to him than he was pretty sure they should be.

“You’re … amazing,” he whispered.

Yvette placed her hands around his neck and together they began swaying gently in time to the music.

The world around them disappeared, until it was only him and her left on the dance floor. His palm spread on her lower back—the touch bordering on inappropriate, feeling warm skin and the edge of the dress.

“Yvette,” he whispered.

She raised her head. Their gazes met. In her heels, she was tall enough that if he just lowered his chin, he’d be able to capture her mouth—

The humming and buzzing started all around them, quickly gaining momentum. It took Alex a long second to understand what was going on. Suddenly, more than half the people in the room had a phone in their hands.

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