Page 46 of Trouble

It was well past Perkinson’s speech before I finally had a moment to myself. I staggered into the main room, which was now filled with smartly dressed men and women, jazz and the classiest strippers London had to offer. I waved over a topless waitress and snatched a shot glass filled with Perk Vodka from hertray.

“Thanks,” I said. “And sorry, again, about the, eh,uniform.”

She smiled. It wasn’t the first time I’d apologized to the female staff I’d hired for this event. “You would be surprised how many of these gigs I’ve had. Men and breasts—they’re really just big babies. Tips are great,though.”

I laughed, feeling a bit better about it. She had a point. As I looked out across my venue, it was quite obvious that a rather large section of the male attendants were pretty much hypnotized by the amount of feminine beauty on display. “I bet. Thanks again for thevodka.”

She winked and headed off with the tray toward a cluster of middle-aged men, and I wandered off looking forLiam.

It didn’t take me long to find him—his flaming red hair lit up like a beacon by one of the tables in the center of the room. When I got closer, I frowned as I recognized Gregory Perkinson by the table, too. There was an older man sat between them and four broad-shouldered, muscular men hung around behind. They looked like the kind of hired muscle a Bond villain would employ, and I had the vague thought that Perkinson was taking his theme a touch too far. But mainly, I was just shocked that it looked like Liam knewhim.

I possibly shouldn’t have been. I knew very little about Liam’s social life, but he had said he owned some nightclubs. Of course a guy like Perkinson would know nightclubowners.

“Liam—” My smiling approach to the table was abruptly intercepted when one of the big goons behind him put a massive hand on my shoulder, effectively stopping me mid-step.

“That’s far enough, little lady,” the hired musclegrumbled.

I stared up at him, mouth open in shock just as Liam and the two other men by the table turned around at thedisturbance.

“You better get your hand off merightnow,” I hissed, my outrage at being manhandled by some bodyguard for hire at an event I’d planned swiftly overtaking the shock of it all. “I’m the damn event planner, youmoron!”

The big goon cast a glance to his side at Liam—who was staring at me with wideeyes.

“Audrey?” His voice was rough in that way it got when he was holding back emotion, and despite my anger, I felt myself flush with happiness. He’d sounded about the same when I’d opened the door wearing my little black dress last week, and I’d picked out the violet gown I was wearing tonight hoping for a similarreaction.

“Hey. I didn’t realize you knew my client, Mr. Perkinson.” I batted the goon’s hand off and brushed my fingers across Liam’s shoulder in silent greeting before I turned to the third man and held out my hand. “I’m Audrey Waits, the event planner. Pleased to meetyou.”

He smiled widely at me and got up from his chair. “So I see. You’ve done a marvelous job, my dear. I’m Perkinson senior—Gregory’s my son. And you know youngSteel?”

“Yeah, we’re… together.” It was still too odd to call him my boyfriend. I’d been too busy with the launch to see him since that night on top of St. Paul’s Cathedral, but I knew without a shadow of a doubt that we were togethernow.

Liam got up from his seat and put his hand on my shoulder, nodding at the bodyguard who’d stopped me. “Come, love, let’s get some freshair.”

“Okay.” I smiled at the two Perkinsons, happy that I’d get a bit of alone time with Liam before I’d have to get back into the fray. “If you’ll excuse us for a moment. Everything’s running smoothly, but I'll be back in in tenminutes.”

Gregory looked miffed, but when he opened his mouth to say something, his father cut him off: “Ah, young love. You go enjoy your girl, Steel. We can always talk businesslater.”

Business? I frowned at the cool, calculating look in the elder Perkinson’s eyes as he looked me over, but Liam’s warm hand on my shoulder pulled my attention away. I guess it wasn’t too surprising that Perkinson senior gave me the creeps—he’d supposedly raised his pig of a son, afterall.

Liam led me through the throng of people with a hand on the small of my back, out through the carpet-lined hallway, past the toilets, and toward the side exit. Only when we were outside in the cool air did hestop.

“I’ve missed you,” I said as I turned toward him, wrapped my arms around his neck, and pressed my lips to his. It’d almost been a full week since he told me he loved me, and I’d ached for his touch in the days that’dfollowed.

Liam seemed to freeze for a moment, his lips stiff and immobile against mine. But then, as if he suddenly came back to himself, he let out a soft groan and kissed me back so tenderly, it made my heart flutter. His arms came up to rest around my waist, letting me feel his protective strength underneath the expensive-looking suit. His kiss was so different from last we parted, like he was reacquainting himself with my taste, and yet entirely the same, the way he moaned with want for every brush of our lips against eachother.

“I’ve missed you too,” he whispered hoarsely in between kisses. “So fuckingmuch.”

I moaned happily, my thoughts beginning to flicker in the direction of finding somewhere private for a quickie, when Liam pulled back with a suddenness as if some sort of spell had beenbroken.

“What the fuck are youdoinghere, Audrey?” he said, his face so serious it made me blink. “The Perkinsons are badmen.”

I snorted. “Yeah, no kidding. It’s not like Ilovedputting on an event that involved ordering spare nipple tassels, but I kinda had to. I like being able to pay rent andall.”

“He’syour nightmare client,” he said, as if it was a complete revelation. “Fuck, Audrey, if I’dknown…”

I shrugged. “Not much to do about it. Hopefully I won’t have to work with him after tonight, though. Hey, how do you know him and hisdad?”

Liam released me with one hand and rubbed it over his face. “No, you don’t understand—Fuck!Okay, this is what we’re going to do. Wait here for me. I’ll make your excuses, say you’ve come down with something, and then I’ll take youhome.”

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